After Becoming Roommates with an Obnoxious Wealthy Heiress - Chapter 15

You should sleep well too.

Sister Wu smiled and shook her head. “I’m used to it. Besides, didn’t I promise to grill some skewers for you? You go to sleep first. When you wake up, you’ll be able to eat piping hot skewers~”

Sister Wu lightly tapped Qin Shuyue’s forehead. “Alright now, don’t worry about me. Just go to sleep peacefully.”

Hearing this, Qin Shuyue closed her eyes and murmured dizzily, “Sister, you have to sleep too… oh.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she lightly rolled over and fell completely asleep.

Sister Wu looked up. Outside, the barbecue tables were tilted every which way, and bamboo skewers were scattered everywhere—on the tables and the ground—it was a total mess.

She rolled up her non-existent sleeves, took a deep breath, and buried herself in the work of tidying up.

Sister Wu moved the tables that Zhu Lingyi had brought out for the guests the previous night back to their original spots so they wouldn’t take up space.

She gripped both sides of a table with her hands, lifted it slightly, and took large strides to carry it back. Then she picked up a rag and a broom and began cleaning the tables and the floor.

By the time she finished throwing out the third bag of trash, the sun had unknowingly risen high into the sky.

Propping herself up with one hand on the broom, she straightened her aching waist and used her other hand to pound her back forcefully. She let out a long breath. “The sun is really brutal today…”

She glanced inside and saw that Qin Shuyue had rolled over again, sleeping soundly. She didn’t have the heart to wake her.

Opening the refrigerator beside her, she saw that the various meats, fruits, and vegetables inside had been reduced by half. She reached in and rummaged through the fridge, estimating that she didn’t need to restock just yet.

As her gaze moved further down, she suddenly discovered the clever design Qin Shuyue had meticulously created.

Elegant handwriting was written on small rectangular stands, carefully labeling exactly which meats, fruits, and vegetables were in each row to increase efficiency.

Sister Wu took out one of the rectangular stands Qin Shuyue had made and looked at it.

The girl was truly resourceful.

Behind each stand, two sharpened toothpicks were glued on to serve as supports.

Sister Wu seemed surprised by her design, and her eyes showed a hint of appreciation.

No wonder people said she was a university student. Compared to someone like herself who only knew how to memorize things through “nothing but practice,” Qin Shuyue was much smarter.

Seeing that the time was about right, she took a few skewers out of the fridge, grilled them, and brushed them with sauce. Then, she rode her electric scooter out to buy some soy milk and buns.

By the time everything was nearly ready, Qin Shuyue woke up.

She pulled back the covers, put on her shoes, and stepped lightly out of bed.

Her footsteps were light. When she walked up behind Sister Wu without making a sound, she gave her a massive fright.

“Ah! Sister Wu, why do you walk like a ghost with no sound! You scared me to death!”

Sister Wu clutched her fragile little heart and let out a startled cry.

Qin Shuyue was also frightened by the loud voice. Her face turned pale, and she retreated a few steps in panic.

It was hard to tell who had actually scared whom.

Seeing Qin Shuyue’s terrified expression, Sister Wu sighed. She shook her head and said, “Honestly, who scared who? Sigh!”

“Forget it, forget it,” Sister Wu beckoned to her helplessly. “Come and eat something quickly before it gets cold.”

The buns and soy milk had just been bought, and the skewers were fresh off the grill. How could they get cold so quickly in the middle of summer?

Qin Shuyue walked forward and sat down obediently.

Sister Wu had already placed a bowl of steaming soy milk and a small saucer at her spot. She carefully picked the meat off the skewers and placed them one by one into Qin Shuyue’s bowl.

Looking at her thin, pale face, Sister Wu couldn’t help but say, “I didn’t see you this thin three years ago. You’ve lost so much weight you’re unrecognizable. You need to eat more good food to nourish yourself!”

Seeing her bowl suddenly filled to the brim by Sister Wu, Qin Shuyue hurriedly declined, “Th-thank you, Sister Wu! Re-really, that’s enough. I can’t eat any more.”

Sister Wu let out an “Ai.” “Your appetite is only as big as a mouthful. How are you supposed to put on weight… and also, didn’t I tell you not to call me Sister Wu? When those words come out of your mouth, I feel more than ten years older than I actually am!”

Qin Shuyue lowered her head shyly. “Yes, Sister Xuhua.”

“Sigh…” Wu Xuhua felt a bit of a headache.

This little girl was just too honest.

Qin Shuyue didn’t talk much. The two of them ate quietly at the table. Occasionally, Wu Xuhua would nag a bit, and although Qin Shuyue responded, it was only one or two words like “Mhm” or “Okay.”

Wu Xuhua noticed that Qin Shuyue’s eyes were a bit vacant, her mind wandering as far away as Malaysia.

She chewed on a piece of meat and asked, “What are you thinking about that’s making you so absent-minded?”

“Ah…” Qin Shuyue’s expression suddenly brightened. She shook her head, picked up her soy milk for a sip, and said softly, “It’s nothing.”

The two of them ate a few more bites in silence, but Qin Shuyue became visibly awkward. She opened her mouth several times, finally working up the courage to face Wu Xuhua, only to suddenly deflate again.

Wu Xuhua could tell at a glance that she had something on her mind—something she was holding back and was too embarrassed to say.

She put down her chopsticks and stared at Qin Shuyue’s fidgeting form, raising her voice. “Qin Shuyue, you’ve been with me for three years. Is there anything you can’t say, huh? Quick, quick, tell me what’s going on, or I’ll feel like my whole body is crawling with lice.”

Qin Shuyue also put down her chopsticks. She placed her hands on her knees, rubbing them incessantly, and spoke haltingly.

“Sister Xuhua… it’s, it’s just, I…”

Looking at Qin Shuyue’s lowered head and flushed face, a flash of doubt crossed Wu Xuhua’s eyes, followed quickly by realization.

“Do you need an advance on your salary?”

This single sentence hit exactly what was on Qin Shuyue’s mind. Hearing those words, Qin Shuyue lowered her head even further.

In three years, Qin Shuyue had never asked her for an advance. After all, money was a sensitive subject. Qin Shuyue understood this, so she had never brought it up.

But this time, it wouldn’t work.

The 1,800 yuan accommodation fee hadn’t been approved, and the expenses for her mother were due. The work-study program at school only allowed a maximum of 80 hours a month at 22 yuan per hour, which was only 1,760 yuan.

The monthly hospitalization fee was nearly 20,000 yuan.

How could she afford it? All the money she had saved and earned over the years had almost entirely been swallowed by the hospital.

Qin Shuyue nodded slightly in shame.

Wu Xuhua reacted almost the next second. “Is your mother’s condition getting worse?”

Qin Shuyue waved her hands frantically. “No, no, it’s not that. It’s… I’ve just been having a hard time with life lately…”

“How much do you need?”

Wu Xuhua didn’t just transfer this month’s salary early; she asked how much was needed.

“I have 18,000 left in my bank card. I’m short by 2,000.”

Wu Xuhua immediately took out her phone, unlocked the screen, and tapped through a few apps. Then she said to Qin Shuyue, “I transferred 30,000 to you. You’ve been with me for so long and have created a lot of profit for me. Consider this an increase in your monthly salary and commission.”

She was so decisive, sending the money to Qin Shuyue without a second thought. Over the years, Qin Shuyue had turned her “glass heart” into a wall of bronze and iron… but today, she still couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.

Her voice choked slightly as she said, “S-sorry, no, I mean, thank you, thank you so much… If it wasn’t for you these past three years… I don’t know how much worse my life would have become.”

She covered her face and wept. “I really, I really don’t know what to do anymore…”

Emotions that had been bottled up for a long time were suddenly given a small opening, and the surging feelings burst forth like a river breaking a dam, collapsing her mental defenses.

In fact, when Qin Shuyue had received that message earlier, her breath had hitched, and she felt light as a feather. Her mind went blank, like a gust of wind blowing her into a vast ocean.

“The doctor said… Mom injured her brain nerves and won’t wake up. Even if she does, she’ll be in a vegetative state… But I’ve been saving her for three years. For three whole years! And yet the doctor says Mom has no will to live…”

“Is even Mom going to abandon me… I’m really, really scared. I’m afraid if Mom dies, I’ll be the only person left in this world.”

Qin Shuyue’s shoulders shook as she cried, as if all the fear and panic she had suppressed for two years were being released through her tears.

Watching the girl huddled into a tight ball with her head down, Wu Xuhua felt a sudden, strong urge to pull her into her arms…

Wait, what was she thinking!

Wu Xuhua shook her head, tossing that strange thought out of her mind.

She was naturally loud-mouthed, but seeing Qin Shuyue’s eyes red and her face tear-stained, her voice softened a few degrees, though it was still quite loud.

But to her, this was her gentlest tone. “Shuyue, you’ve already done very well.”

Wu Xuhua reached out and lightly patted her shaking back.

“No, it’s fine…” Qin Shuyue wiped the tears from her face. “I don’t need to be comforted.”

She forced a smile and pushed away Wu Xuhua’s hand. “Sister Xuhua, thank you… I, I’ll head out first.”

Qin Shuyue hurriedly wiped away the tear tracks, grabbed her small bag, and left in a rush.

Wu Xuhua stared at Qin Shuyue’s retreating back. She just stood up to say something when the phone on the table suddenly rang.

“If we can leave~ then let’s break up early~ don’t wait until the last second~ still painfully saying it’s deserved~”

She took a quick glance at the phone screen, and her pupils suddenly constricted.

“Love has been gone for a long time~ why still try so hard to piece it together~ I just want to be an independent girl~”

Wu Xuhua picked up the phone with a trembling hand. She looked at the caller ID again—there was no name saved, but it took away all her courage to press the answer button.

“I’ve already said goodbye~ but you won’t let me leave~ countless words spoken are just hollow~”

Just a second before the ringtone finished, Wu Xuhua moved her hand away from her face. She answered the phone and put it to her ear.

She said very hollowly to the person on the other end, “Hello.”

Like a torrential downpour, a coarse and overbearing female voice erupted from the other side. Her mouth was like a cannon, unleashing a barrage of insults at Wu Xuhua. It was as if she had committed a catastrophic crime or a capital offense!

“You brat, your wings have really grown tough, haven’t they! Think you’re so damn special now, don’t you!? Making it so your old lady can’t find you anywhere! Hmph! You’ve been a lying spirit since you were a kid, fooling everyone and your teachers, and now you dare to lie to your own mother! Huh?! You said you wanted to open a shop and had no money. No money??! To hell with your ‘no money’! Tell me, which little pretty boy did you transfer 30,000 yuan to? Huh?? That’s 30,000 yuan! You heartless, rotten-gutted bitch! If you had been willing to send 10,000 yuan home every month these past few years, your brother’s down payment for his house would already be paid!”

Facing the woman on the phone, Wu Xuhua held the phone to her ear without shouting back or arguing. Her expression was numb.

She thought that all the words she had to say had been exhausted during those days when she used to fight back. Now, she only felt powerless; she only wanted to escape them.

But it was as if there was a magic spell—the more she wanted to get rid of something, the more it refused to let go.

Wu Xuhua’s silence on the other end was like a giant boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves. If it weren’t for the phone screen between them, the woman on the line would have already been pointing at Wu Xuhua’s nose and screaming!

“You heartless brat! I risked my life to give birth to you, worked myself to the bone to raise you, gave you every good and fragrant thing to eat! Is this how you treat your own mother and your own brother? A few years ago, when you had no money, I stopped asking. But now, you have money and you’re lying about it! Wu Laidi, what is your heart made of? Huh?”

Support After Becoming Roommates with an Obnoxious Wealthy Heiress