Chapter Forty-Four
Outside the room, Yu Zhao stood quietly, holding a steaming dinner in her hands, her expression surprisingly calm.
Mother Bo didn’t know whether she had just arrived or had been standing there for a while. After blurting out the question, her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately added: “This is something every girl has to go through. You’re still young now, and when you grow up, Mom will also find a good home for you.”
Yu Zhao hummed in response.
There was a moment of silence in the corridor, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.
Mother Bo only knew that Yu Zhao was timid. Now, seeing her cold expression, she felt a little unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and couldn’t help but make small talk: “Are you free next Wednesday? Why don’t you accompany your sister to the blind date? Xiang Jin bought a cruise ship not long ago. It’s not good for you to stay at home all day, why don’t you go and play, how about that?”
Yu Zhao raised her eyes, her eyes not showing any joy, but instead revealing a bit of sadness: “Does Mom want me to watch sister be with another man with my own eyes?”
She forced a smile, her smile bitter and downcast: “I understand, I’ll go. After all, like Mom, I’m the one who loves sister the most and wants sister to be happy the most.”
Mother Bo’s heart trembled, and she felt inexplicably guilty. She couldn’t help but look away, not daring to look at Yu Zhao’s heartbreaking expression.
Yu Zhao didn’t say anything more, and stepped into the room.
After Mother Bo stood outside for a long time, she suddenly realized—Wait, from what standpoint did Yu Zhao just say those words?
Was it as a younger sister, reluctant to see her older sister marry, or as a secret admirer, burying all her love, just to make the person she liked happy?
Mother Bo recalled Yu Zhao’s every word just now, but found that both interpretations were valid. She once again returned from Yu Zhao without any results, having not tested anything.
Was this an accident? Or was Yu Zhao not as timid and harmless as she appeared on the surface, but actually full of scheming and calculations?
Mother Bo didn’t know, because looking at Yu Zhao was like looking at a mirage. She always felt that every guess was blurry and illusory, and she couldn’t see clearly.
She went downstairs with a heavy heart, sat beside Father Bo, who was entertaining himself by playing chess, and said worriedly: “Why can’t these two children distribute their IQ and EQ evenly? One is heartless and innocent, easily deceived, and the other speaks impeccably, making it hard to guess her intentions and find her flaws. If only these two could balance each other out.”
Father Bo smiled and said: “That’s why they’re sisters, they’re naturally meant to complement each other.”
Mother Bo: “…No, they must be separated!”
Father Bo was puzzled: “Why are you like a wicked mother-in-law? Why separate them for no reason?”
Mother Bo opened her mouth, then swallowed the words she wanted to say, glared at him, and said angrily: “You only know how to play chess and water flowers every day, what do you know about other things? I think Chi-Chi is influenced by your genes, that’s why she’s silly and happy all day!”
Father Bo: “?”
This misplaced anger was outrageous.
Chi-Chi wasn’t even their biological daughter!
The couple downstairs were bickering, while the pair upstairs were still feeding each other.
Bo Chi wanted to eat by herself, but Yu Zhao was the one holding the bowl, insisting on feeding her. After refusing a few times, Bo Chi, whose stomach was growling with hunger, finally gave in, and leaned against the head of the bed obediently, opening her mouth and waiting to be fed.
Yu Zhao fed her while lowering her eyes and saying: “I heard everything… Sister agreed to Mom to go on a blind date.”
Bo Chi swallowed a mouthful of porridge and said casually: “Yes, do you want to come together?”
Yu Zhao: “…”
Bo Chi excitedly began to imagine: “I heard that cruise ship is huge! It’s luxurious and beautiful, and there are all kinds of seafood to eat. I haven’t had spicy crayfish for a long time, I must eat my fill this time!”
Yu Zhao: “…So, you’re willing to go on a blind date just to eat seafood?”
Bo Chi blushed slightly, and said coyly: “No, seafood is not important, actually I just want to take a boat ride.”
Yu Zhao: “Hehe.”
Looking at Bo Chi’s sparkling eyes, Yu Zhao wouldn’t believe her words even if she was a ghost.
But knowing that the other party was only lured away by seafood, Yu Zhao still calmed down, and said softly: “When I graduate, I will definitely earn a lot of money to buy a cruise ship, and take sister to eat seafood every day.”
Bo Chi blinked: “Wouldn’t it be boring to eat it every day? Why don’t we eat it once a month?”
Yu Zhao: “…Sister, your answer is a bit unusual. When normal people hear that I want to buy a cruise ship, their first reaction should be to advise me not to have such unrealistic ideas.”
Bo Chi said disapprovingly: “Who hasn’t had a few daydreams? And if you’re going to dream, dream big. What’s the point of just buying a cruise ship? Later, big sister will immigrate you to Mars and let you be an alien!”
Yu Zhao took a deep breath and smiled: “Thank you, sister. Come, take this medicine.”
Bo Chi immediately wilted: “Why do I have to take medicine again? I feel like I’m almost recovered!”
Yu Zhao’s smile didn’t change: “Be good, listen to me.”
Bo Chi struggled for a while, and opened her mouth tearfully.
Seeing her heartless sister take the medicine with a bitter face, Yu Zhao felt a little better, and said coolly: “If sister doesn’t want to suffer, it’s better to stay away from outsiders in the future. Otherwise, if little sister is unhappy, she will really want to make sister unhappy too.”
Bo Chi was unconvinced, and said indignantly: “How can you be like this!”
Yu Zhao’s hand holding the bowl tightened, her expression gradually became serious, and her tone became heavy: “What’s wrong with me? It was sister who said she liked me first, right? How can there be such a good thing as patting your butt and leaving after teasing someone? Since sister said it, I will remember it for the rest of my life.”
She raised her eyes and stared at Bo Chi: “I will remember every word sister said in my heart. You said before that I was still young and didn’t want to talk about this kind of thing before graduation. I can accept this excuse, but before I graduate, sister had better be good and not make me break this maintained peace and force you to give me an answer.”
Bo Chi: “…Well, I have something to say, I don’t know if I should say it…”
Yu Zhao: “Say it.”
Bo Chi hesitated, and whispered: “I think between us, the one who’s sick should be you. Otherwise, I’ll just be a little aggrieved and give you all the remaining medicine?”
Yu Zhao: “…Open your mouth.”
Bo Chi said with a crying face: “Do I have to take medicine again? My throat is already sore from eating it, can I not eat it? By the way, how many pills do I take at a time? You’re not trying to kill me on purpose, are you?”
Yu Zhao said angrily: “Open your mouth, I’ll feed you porridge.”
Bo Chi’s eyes lit up instantly, and she opened her mouth with a long “ah” sound.
Although Bo Chi kept talking about seafood, cruise ships, and champagne, Yu Zhao was still worried. When the day of departure arrived, she sat on the living room sofa early, waiting to go with them to see Xiang Jin.
Father Bo wasn’t going today, so Mother Bo came down first. Seeing Yu Zhao, she was stunned for a moment before saying: “Why did you get up so early? Chi-Chi usually likes to sleep in, and it will probably take a while for her to wake up.”
“It’s okay.” Yu Zhao showed a gentle expression: “As long as it’s sister, I’m willing to wait no matter how long.”
Mother Bo’s steps downstairs paused, and she turned around and went back upstairs: “And that Xiang family’s child is waiting for your sister, I’d better wake Chi-Chi up.”
“Xiang Jin is a man, he shouldn’t be so petty, right?” Yu Zhao, where Mother Bo couldn’t see, showed a meaningful smile: “If it were me, I would let sister sleep until noon. After all, sister is the child you and Dad have pampered since childhood. You can’t say that after she gets married, she has to get up early and work late to serve her husband’s family, right?”
Mother Bo’s steps became slow: “Don’t talk nonsense, the Xiang family is also a wealthy family, how could they let their daughter-in-law do the work of a servant? I know Xiang Jin’s mother, she’s not a bad person.”
Yu Zhao sighed: “I’m just afraid that the other party is kind on the surface but cruel at heart, and will take advantage of the fact that we can’t see sister all the time to do something behind our backs. Besides, men are fickle when they have money. If Xiang Jin cheats in the future, it goes without saying who the Xiang family will side with.”
Mother Bo was silent for a long time this time, as if Yu Zhao had touched on her worries, and her voice was a little unsure: “Anyway, Chi-Chi has to get married—”
“Huh?” Bo Chi’s voice interjected, full of energy: “Are you talking about me?”
Mother Bo and Yu Zhao looked up at the same time. After seeing Bo Chi poking her head out from the top of the stairs, they tacitly ended the previous conversation and told Bo Chi to come down for breakfast.
After getting everything ready, the three of them officially set off.
Xiang Jin’s cruise ship was on Crescent Island, and Crescent Island was a resort island surrounded by the sea. Bo Chi not only wanted to eat seafood, but also wanted to have a happy vacation here.
But the other two people obviously weren’t interested. As soon as they landed, they took her to stay in a local five-star hotel. Bo Chi could only stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the room, looking longingly at the magnificent scenery of the sea and the sky outside.
It was already evening, and the orange sunset was brilliant and beautiful, the afterglow of the setting sun reflecting the blue sea surface, and many yachts were wandering on the sea.
The night market seemed to have already opened, with diners gathering at each stall. People were playing on the beach, and children were running barefoot on the sand, occasionally picking up shells and throwing balls.
There was also a small group of people standing together, looking at the cruise ship not far away and talking about something.
Xiang Jin’s cruise ship was huge. Looking from the shore, the end of the cruise ship was a flat area for parking private planes, the middle was a swimming pool and Western-style buildings, and a five-star national flag was flying on the milky white dome, which was amusing.
The front was the entertainment area. There were no people moving around at this time, so it was impossible to guess what kind of entertainment there was.
Bo Chi stared at the cruise ship with envy, not even noticing Yu Zhao coming in.
Yu Zhao stood beside her for a long time, and suddenly said: “Do you like it very much?”
Bo Chi was startled, turned around and found that it was her, and continued to look at the scenery as usual, nodding as a response.
Seeing that she really liked it, Yu Zhao raised her hand and touched her head, her voice calm but firm: “You will have it in the future.”
Bo Chi thought about herself, who was only moderately wealthy in reality, and sighed without much hope: “Hopefully.”
Yu Zhao hummed, and changed the subject: “Tomorrow is the day of the blind date, and there’s nothing to do tonight, do you want to go down and play?”
Bo Chi immediately became spirited: “Yes! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go buy takoyaki!”
She pulled Yu Zhao’s hand and walked out happily.
Mother Bo happened to hear the movement and came out. Seeing their intertwined fingers, she was about to stop them.
But before she could speak, she saw Yu Zhao, who had changed from her usual melancholy, with a smile in her eyes and a smile on her lips.
Mother Bo suddenly felt a little soft-hearted, thinking of the love she had owed her little daughter for so many years, she immediately closed her mouth guiltily, sighed, and went back to her room.
The author has something to say:
Bo Chi’s special skill → miss Yu Zhao’s blackening √