After the Fake Heiress Died, She Was Filled with Regret - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Like What I Do? Making Sweet Soup or…

“What are you doing!” Chen Li snatched the phone back, looking angrily at her boyfriend. She breathed a sigh of relief when the call she had placed to Tang Yin showed as unanswered.

“What am I doing? I should be asking you what you’re doing! You don’t want such a good opportunity to make money? How much alcohol do you have to sell to earn a hundred thousand yuan?” Wu Bin looked disappointed, but seeing Chen Li was still reluctant, he tried to persuade her gently.

“I spent twenty to thirty thousand yuan just to buy a minor role in a movie. If we had money, maybe we could get a better one. Chen Li, don’t be foolish. Think seriously about our future.”

“Besides, you already took fifty thousand yesterday. Do you think Brother Yu will be happy if you tell him you’re backing out now?”

Chen Li was conflicted: “But I just feel like it’s not a good thing. Sister Yin has been nice to me. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“This is a society ruled by law. It’s not as complicated as you think!”

“Let me think about it.”

“Whose call was that just now?” Xia Shinan walked out after showering, her hair still wet.

Tang Yin was about to call back but put the phone down upon seeing her, “A classmate I worked with at the barbecue place. Oh, she might be your classmate too, named Chen Li.”

Xia Shinan thought for a moment, an image of someone popping into her mind, and nodded: “She is a classmate, but she hasn’t been in class recently. What did she want?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t called back, so it’s probably nothing urgent.” Tang Yin said, walking over, “Why is your hair so wet? You should dry it.”

“I was waiting for you to help me,” Xia Shinan smiled, handing her the towel, “Tang Yin, I realize I’m even more dependent on you than before. What would I do if you weren’t here one day?”

Tang Yin’s movements paused for two seconds. She smiled and shook her head: “I’ll always be here.”

She had been thinking a lot these past two days: Is there no way to have it all in this world? Even if the truth were exposed, if Xia Shinan still liked her, then… she would be willing to maintain the current relationship.

But would Xia Shinan still be willing at that point?

The answer was unknown.

As before, Xia Shinan stood obediently, letting Tang Yin dry her hair. She looked at Tang Yin through the mirror in front of her, noticing an unreadable worry on her face.

Xia Shinan had actually noticed before that a trace of anxiety always hid in Tang Yin’s conversations and smiles, but it would quickly disappear.

What is she worrying about?

Xia Shinan didn’t know and didn’t want to ask easily, afraid Tang Yin wouldn’t want to tell her, which would only make her feel bad too.

After her hair was dry, Xia Shinan changed into a new outfit and set off with Tang Yin to see Grandma.

The previous visit had been sudden, and Xia Shinan hadn’t prepared anything, so this time, she absolutely couldn’t go empty-handed. Since it was still early, the two took a taxi to a nearby mall. Xia Shinan wanted to buy the elderly woman a gold bracelet for longevity.

“A bracelet is too expensive. Grandma won’t accept it,” Tang Yin interjected. In truth, she felt Grandma deserved anything, no matter how expensive, but she knew her grandmother.

She also wanted to earn money quickly and buy Grandma gold bracelets and all sorts of good things. Unfortunately… what Xia Shinan could casually afford was her entire year’s living expenses.

Xia Shinan didn’t know what Tang Yin was thinking, but she agreed with Tang Yin’s reminder.

“Then what should we buy?”

“The fact that you want to do this will make Grandma very happy.”

“No!” Xia Shinan became serious: “My sincerity must be shown in a physical gift! Let’s go look downstairs again!”

“Alright.” Tang Yin followed Xia Shinan, watching her choose and pick, suddenly thinking that if Xia Shinan had been the one accompanying Grandma all along, Grandma would probably be very happy too.

After all, she was more thoughtful and likable than herself.

In the end, Tang Yin couldn’t stop Xia Shinan from buying a lot of health supplements and tonics, so much that the two couldn’t carry it all.

“You bought so much. Can she even finish it?” Tang Yin looked at the items, laughing.

“If she can’t finish it, she can eat it slowly. Everything is good for the elderly’s health anyway,” Xia Shinan thought for a moment, “I remember when I saw Grandpa during the New Year, he drank supplements every day, and he was very healthy! Your grandma will be even better after taking them!”

“Thank you.” Tang Yin was sincerely grateful. As long as Grandma was healthy, that was the best thing. “I rarely hear you mention your grandfather, though?”

Xia Shinan smiled faintly, “Grandpa doesn’t like me because I’m a girl, so I rarely go.”

As they walked and browsed, Xia Shinan stopped when she saw a photography studio.

“What’s wrong?” Tang Yin stopped too, looking where Xia Shinan was looking. The studio’s storefront had an LCD screen displaying several couples’ photos in rotation, surprisingly all of them were of girls.

Xia Shinan looked at her expectantly, “Tang Yin, can we take some?”

Tang Yin always said their relationship shouldn’t be public at school yet, but what about outside? It wouldn’t hurt to secretly take a set of couple photos, right?

Tang Yin quickly scanned the photography studio and met Xia Shinan’s gaze, “No.”

Xia Shinan opened her mouth slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing across her face, “Okay.”

“I mean, not today.” Tang Yin sighed helplessly. It was strange; she truly didn’t want to see any expression on Xia Shinan’s face other than a smile.

Since she wanted to take photos, they should.

Tang Yin managed to free one hand to touch her face, “How about we come back for your birthday?”

“Okay!”

Xia Shinan immediately smiled, “I meant next time anyway. We have to go have dinner with Grandma later.” She smiled happily and tried asking: “Then can we take some photos with our phones these next few days? I won’t post them on social media. They’ll just be for me to enjoy.”

“Yes,” Tang Yin agreed.

They had too many purchases, so the two simply took a taxi. When they arrived, Tang Bixia was cooking braised pork.

“You’re here? Welcome, welcome.”

“Hello, Grandma. I’ve come to see you,” Xia Shinan said with a smile, “This is a small token of my appreciation.”

Tang Bixia was stunned and frowned at Tang Yin: “I told you not to bring anything. Why did you let Miss Xia buy so much?”

Tang Yin shrugged, “I tried to stop her, but it was no use. Grandma, just accept it. She’ll be sad if you don’t.”

Tang Bixia looked at the health supplements, which clearly weren’t cheap. She reluctantly accepted them and quickly said: “Quickly, sit down. I’ve made sweet soup for you, and two more dishes will be ready soon.”

Xia Shinan nodded, but felt awkward just sitting, “Tang Yin, what should I do? I can help!”

Tang Yin smiled and shook her head, “I’ll go.” She naturally rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen to help, telling Tang Bixia to go out and rest as well.

“Miss Xia, are you hungry? Have some sweet soup first,” The elderly woman brought out a bowl of sweet soup. Xia Shinan quickly took it with both hands.

“Thank you, Grandma. I’m not hungry. Grandma, please sit on the sofa.” Xia Shinan helped the elderly woman to the sofa and sat down beside her, “Just call me Shinan. Thank you for making sweet soup and dinner especially for me today.”

“I didn’t do much. Yingying won’t let me get too tired.” Tang Bixia was delighted that her granddaughter had such a well-behaved and beautiful friend. She seemed very pleasing.

“Yingying said you two are very close.”

Xia Shinan glanced nervously toward the kitchen, at Tang Yin’s busy back. They were indeed very close—so close they shared a bed.

“Mhm, we are… good friends.”

They chatted for a while, and then Tang Bixia suddenly stood up, “You must be bored talking to an old lady like me. Wait, let me show you something nice.”

Something nice? Xia Shinan was curious. She watched the elderly woman walk into the bedroom and return shortly with a photo album. “These are all of Yingying when she was little. Do you want to see them?”

Xia Shinan’s eyes lit up, “May I?”

“Why not? You’re good friends.” Tang Bixia smiled kindly, making Xia Shinan feel warm inside.

The first page of the album showed a photo of Tang Bixia, around fifty years old, holding a child in a red cotton coat, standing by a bridge.

“This was taken when Yingying was one year old. She was always smiling back then, and rarely cried.”

Xia Shinan touched the face of Tang Yin in the photo, murmuring, “So cute.”

Tang Bixia nodded with a smile, “She was cute when she was little, just very skinny and wouldn’t gain weight.”

Xia Shinan flipped two more pages, showing more photos of little Tang Yin, some squatting by the river playing with stones, and one carrying a large, hard-shell backpack, wearing a red scarf.

But as she got older, the little girl in the photos smiled less and less. There weren’t many photos. She quickly reached the last one, a photo of Tang Yin and an elderly Tang Bixia, taken in front of the gate of A University.

Xia Shinan looked at the kitchen with a pang of heartache. What had happened between middle school and university that made Tang Yin stop smiling?

Suddenly, the elderly woman beside her exclaimed, “Shinan, is this you?”

Xia Shinan snapped back to attention, following the direction of the elderly woman’s finger. It was still the group photo in front of the A University gate, but in the upper right corner of the picture, standing by the roadside, was a girl in a white dress.

She paused, scrutinized it, and felt both surprised and delighted.

“It really is me!”

“What’s you?” Tang Yin came out with a dish, and seeing the photo album, she was momentarily embarrassed: “Grandma, why did you take out my photos?”

Tang Bixia: “There’s no TV at home. Shinan must be bored, so I took out the photos to look at. Yingying, look, isn’t this Shinan?”

Tang Yin put down the plate and walked over to look. It really was her.

That was the photo taken by a passerby when she went to A University for registration, with her grandma accompanying her. She was so immersed in the joy of admission that she hadn’t noticed Xia Shinan in the corner.

Xia Shinan’s eyes curved with a smile, “We really have fate, Yingying~~”

Hearing her, Tang Yin couldn’t help but smile too, “Don’t copy my grandma calling me Yingying. It’s too sickeningly sweet. Stop looking, let’s eat.”

“I know! I’ll look at it again after I eat!” Xia Shinan smiled mischievously and quickly went to the kitchen to help get the bowls and chopsticks.

They ate dinner on the small coffee table in the living room. Tang Yin constantly checked Xia Shinan’s reaction, afraid the simple home would make her uncomfortable, but it didn’t.

Xia Shinan ate happily, chatting and laughing with the elderly woman, not showing any sign of discomfort.

Yes… Xia Shinan is that good of a person. Although she was raised in luxury and privilege, she wouldn’t look down on others because of her elevated status, nor would she look down on such a poor place.

Tang Yin gave a self-deprecating smile. It seemed she was the only one who cared.

After dinner, Tang Yin went to wash the dishes. Xia Shinan wanted to help, but Tang Yin absolutely wouldn’t let her, and Tang Bixia also insisted she sit down.

“We don’t let guests do chores. You sit down and look at the photo album again.”

Xia Shinan had no choice but to agree and opened the album again. Although she had already looked through it once, she found it endlessly charming. When Tang Yin finished cleaning up, she sat beside her, and they looked at the childhood photos together.

This time, Xia Shinan looked more closely.

Tang Yin had long hair in a ponytail in elementary and middle school, then cut it short in high school, and it was shoulder-length choppy hair by the time she reached A University. She also noticed that the date and event were written on the back of every photo, presumably by the elderly woman.

For example:

Yingying entered university.

Yingying is in her first year of high school.

Yingying’s 13th birthday.

Xia Shinan was curious: “Why ‘Yingying’?”

Tang Yin smiled: “Grandma originally named me Tang Ying, but I didn’t like it, so I changed it myself.” She looked at the photos and said softly, “A person’s self-esteem is a very fragile thing.”

She changed her name to Tang Yin because she was mocked by her classmates in middle school.

“Your name is Tang Ying, but your English pronunciation is so awful, it sounds like an Indian person talking, haha!”

“Who named you that? Did they want you to be a hero [‘Yingxiong’]? But your dirty look makes you more like a bear [‘Gouxiong’]!”

“Tang Ying has no parents. Maybe she really was born of a bear.”

When she got home, Tang Yin only wanted to change her name.

The character ‘Yin’ (洇): to sink, to be submerged.

At her rebellious age, she felt this character suited her.

Xia Shinan saw the strange look on Tang Yin’s face and watched her quietly, tilting her head.

It was getting late, and it was time for them to go back.

Tang Bixia smiled as she saw them out: “Shinan, come visit again next time. It’s almost the Dragon Boat Festival. I’ll make Zongzi for you then.”

“Zongzi?” Xia Shinan’s eyes sparkled, “Yes, I’ll come back to see you during the Dragon Boat Festival. Thank you, Grandma!”

“Good, I’m very happy when you come.”

The two walked downstairs. Tang Yin habitually looked back and saw the elderly woman standing by the kitchen window.

“Get some rest early. We’ll come back to see you next time!”

Tang Yin shouted. The elderly woman heard her and waved.

Xia Shinan also smiled and waved goodbye, “Bye, Grandma!”

Tang Yin looked at her and smiled, “Let’s go. Grandma will stay there until we leave.”

Xia Shinan paused, nodded, and turned to walk away with Tang Yin. After they left the alley, Xia Shinan gently hooked her finger around Tang Yin’s, and the other instantly held her hand tightly.

She smiled faintly and said, “Tang Yin, I really envy you.”

Tang Yin was puzzled, “Envy what about me?”

Xia Shinan said seriously: “I envy you for having such a good grandmother. She really loves you. She not only recorded all your important moments from childhood to adulthood but also wrote the date and blessing on the back of the photos.”

And she would stand upstairs, quietly watching her granddaughter leave. Xia Shinan had never experienced any of this.

Xia Shinan didn’t have a photo album like that. The purpose of every photo she took wasn’t to commemorate her growth, but for others to see—that the Xia family was a harmonious and beautiful one.

Tang Yin looked at the streetlamp in the distance, which had been broken for a long time and never lit up. She said softly: “In the future… she’s your grandma too.”

Xia Shinan blinked, delighted: “Mhm! I already consider her my own grandma!”

Tang Yin looked at Xia Shinan’s smiling face, and her heart suddenly twinged, “Shinan, I’m going to tell you a secret.”

“What is it?” Xia Shinan was curious.

Tang Yin took a deep breath: “You flipped through that photo album so many times. Didn’t you notice anything unusual?”

“Mhm…” Xia Shinan softly replied, “I noticed, but I didn’t know how to ask you. Besides Grandma, where are your other family members?”

“I don’t have any. I’m an orphan.”

Tang Yin looked at Xia Shinan and said faintly: “I only have Grandma, no one else. I was adopted. Grandma said I was less than a year old when she found me. She didn’t have family either. We are each other’s family. She worked very hard to raise me. You can’t even imagine. We lived in a basement. There was no sunlight. It was very dark. When I was little, I wore clothes that others had thrown away. She saved up money from collecting scraps to pay for my tuition.”

“I was bullied by classmates in middle and high school. They said I had no parents and was born of a bear. They mocked me, grabbed my hair and hit me. In a fit of anger, I cut my hair short and fought back.”

“Actually, if they just insulted me, I wouldn’t care, but they insulted my grandma, saying she collected trash and that she was dirty.”

Tang Yin’s eyes were red: “Grandma is the cleanest person.”

“Every time she attended a parent-teacher conference, she would carefully wash her hands and put on clean clothes. She…” She choked up. As she took another deep breath and was about to speak, Xia Shinan stepped forward and hugged her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you. I made you sad.” Xia Shinan felt immense heartache for the girl in front of her. Such a wonderful person, yet with such a dark childhood.

Tang Yin clung to the warm embrace. Pouring out these grievances hidden deep in her heart was so difficult, but being tightly hugged made her feel that those wounds were healing faster.

After her emotions had settled somewhat, Tang Yin pretended to be lighthearted: “Actually, I’m saying all this just to make you understand that Grandma is the most important person to me.”

Xia Shinan looked up, tears falling before hers: “I know. We must be extra good to Grandma from now on!”

Hearing her, Tang Yin smiled softly: “We?”

“Of course!” Xia Shinan’s tone was firm, “Your grandma is my grandma.”

Tang Yin closed her eyes, feeling the intense pounding of her heart.

After a while, she let go of the embrace: “Do you want to take a photo together here?”

Xia Shinan asked blankly: “Now?”

“Mhm… I want to take it now.” Tang Yin took out her phone, switched to selfie mode, and first took a few photos with their faces very close. Xia Shinan gave a peace sign in the camera, smiling foolishly, but very cutely.

She tapped the video recording button. Holding the phone with one hand, she gently turned Xia Shinan’s face with the other and kissed her.

Xia Shinan, I think I’ve fallen for you.

All the way home, Xia Shinan kept flipping through the album and watching the video, with the volume muted, afraid others might hear the sound of the video. When she got home, Xia Shinan watched it again, a blissful smile on her face.

Tang Yin couldn’t help but stop: “You like it that much? Which do you like more, the photo or the video?”

Xia Shinan whispered: “I like both. I like them in different ways.”

“Then how about… next time when we make love, we record it? Will you like that even more?”

Xia Shinan’s eyes widened: “How can we do that! That’s too… embarrassing.”

“I’m just teasing you.” Tang Yin rubbed her hair, “I don’t have that kind of fetish. Of course, if you insist, I can consider it.”

“Yingying!” Xia Shinan used the elderly woman’s pet name for her.

Tang Yin squeezed her cheek helplessly, “Getting naughty, aren’t you?”

The phone rang, interrupting Tang Yin’s intention to kiss Xia Shinan. She picked it up and saw it was Chen Li.

Remembering she hadn’t called back at noon, was it something urgent now?

Tang Yin immediately answered.

Chen Li’s sobbing voice came through the phone: “Sister Yin, I beg you to come to the Mandu Club. If you don’t come, my boyfriend is going to be beaten to death…”

Tang Yin pursed her lips, her expression turning serious.

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