After the Real Young Miss Became My Canary - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Her Surname Is Song?

In that instant, the heartbeat she had just suppressed came back to life.

She once again suppressed the beat.

She opened her palm. A green, knuckle-sized object lay quietly on it. It was still shining, emitting a highly refractive light that was dazzling in the setting sun.

It was a diamond of at least fifty points.

Song Zhi curved her lips into a smile at her.

Shen Ying’s chest tightened.

This was not good. Her heart was beating a bit too fast.

But she quickly remembered what Song Zhi had said in the alley. Her wildly beating heart jumped twice more, then stopped as if dead.

Shen Ying said, “Where did you get this?”

Song Zhi’s eyes were clear, and she said matter-of-factly, “I picked it up.”

This person was really treating her like an idiot. It was a miracle to even find a bottle cap here, and she expected her to believe she found a diamond?

Shen Ying’s expression was a bit unpleasant as she tossed the object back toward Song Zhi. “You keep it yourself.”

Song Zhi didn’t raise her hand, letting the diamond hit her neckline and then slide off.

The expensive item clattered to the ground without making a sound.

Song Zhi didn’t even look at the ground. Her voice was soft. “Don’t you like it?”

Shen Ying’s lips curled into a half-smile. “In a dump like this, all you can find are bottle caps. I don’t really like picking up trash.”

She had an ulterior meaning, but Song Zhi obviously didn’t understand.

She stared intently at Shen Ying’s curled lips. “You look so beautiful when you smile.” Then, afraid that Shen Ying would get angry, she continued, “You’re right. Next time I’ll take you to a good place to buy.”

Shen Ying said, “That’s not a place for someone like me. I can’t afford it. Let’s just forget it. I don’t deserve it.”

Song Zhi became anxious. She didn’t know why Shen Ying was talking like this today. Hearing Shen Ying’s self-deprecating words made her feel a little sad. “There are prices on everything. There’s no such thing as deserving or not. If you can’t afford one place, you just go to another. It’s not a big deal.”

She guessed that maybe Shen Ying had talked too much about her childhood today and was now feeling uncomfortable. Although she felt that Shen Ying’s tone was a bit off, Shen Ying had a cold exterior but a warm heart. There couldn’t be any other meaning. It must be her overthinking.

Shen Ying said, “Is that what you really think? Then I understand.”

Song Zhi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at Shen Ying seriously.

Shen Ying could see her own reflection in Song Zhi’s pupils.

She looked just like a puppy.

But a dog would be loyal to its owner, and she would only bite people.

Shen Ying could only use the most disgusting words she knew to describe Song Zhi.

Because Song Zhi had deceived her.

Song Zhi was excitedly about to pull her to go home, but Shen Ying subtly dodged her. Song Zhi grabbed nothing and didn’t get angry. She just looked at her with bright eyes and a silly smile.

This made Shen Ying wonder if Song Zhi really didn’t know anything and if she was the only one being an idiot and getting angry here.

The idiot happily followed behind her, leaving the diamond she had tossed on the ground as if it were worthless.

…

It had been the rainy season for the past few days. Song Zhi’s clothes had been soaked by the rain for three consecutive days, and her washed clothes never dried. Soon, she had nothing to wear.

Finally, one night, she took her soaking wet clothes and went to Shen Ying’s room.

An important exam was approaching, and the store owner was still sick and hadn’t opened the business. Shen Ying had simply resigned and was studying at home.

When Song Zhi entered the room, Shen Ying was hunched over her desk, writing something under the dim light of her small desk lamp.

She was so engrossed in her writing that she didn’t notice anyone had entered the room.

Song Zhi stood at the doorway, looking at the slender figure outlined by the warm light. That red mole was glowing under the lamp, reflecting an indescribable charm.

Without looking up, Shen Ying said coldly, “What are you doing standing at the door? Come in.”

Song Zhi, caught in the act of peeking, rubbed her nose and went inside. Just as she entered, a draft of wind rushed through, and she couldn’t help but sneeze.

Hong Kong City was by the sea, and the temperature dropped quickly as winter approached. She had a bit of a cold recently.

She presented her pitiful evidence—the few clothes that were still dripping water.

Shen Ying was studying for her exam and couldn’t be disturbed. She had a good reason for coming.

Shen Ying didn’t look up, asking what was wrong.

Song Zhi was thinking about how to speak.

After all, she had refused the offer to buy clothes again and again.

Finally, looking at Shen Ying, who was busy with her studies, she decided to be direct. “My clothes are wet.”

Only then did Shen Ying take the time to look up. Song Zhi was holding the clothes and looking down, as if guilty, not daring to look at her. Paired with her wet clothes and her helpless expression, she looked truly pitiful.

Shen Ying thought, Am I being too hard on Song Zhi?

Shen Ying said, “Wear mine. And remember to bring in your clothes at night. Even if it doesn’t rain, there’s dew.”

Song Zhi asked blankly, “Is there dew upstairs too?”

Shen Ying said, “Yes.”

Song Zhi was a little confused. “Then why were my clothes fine before?”

Then she met Shen Ying’s flat, cold stare, as if she were looking at an idiot.

She thought she understood.

Song Zhi felt a bit wronged. Recently, her clothes hadn’t dried, her night lamp hadn’t been on, and her blanket wasn’t on her in the morning.

And now Shen Ying was being so mean to her.

Shen Ying suddenly said, “Is your surname Song?”

Song Zhi nodded. “Yes.”

Shen Ying said, “I just realized, you have the same surname as the Song Group.”

An alarm bell went off in Song Zhi’s head. Why was Shen Ying asking this? Did she know something? That’s impossible.

Song Zhi sighed dramatically for money. “I thought it was such a coincidence too. I even thought since we’re from the same city and have the same surname, we might be distant relatives. But the Song Group is so rich, and my family is so poor. It’s impossible no matter how you think about it.”

Shen Ying said flatly, “You’re right.”

Song Zhi let out a sigh of relief.

Shen Ying said, “How are your injuries?”

Song Zhi said, “They’re fine. Don’t worry.”

Shen Ying said, “Then when are you going home?”

The sigh of relief Song Zhi had just let out tightened her heart.

Her eyes welled up with tears. “I can’t go back home anymore. Are you going to kick me out too?”

Shen Ying looked at her quietly, until her tears streamed down her face.

If she hadn’t known the truth, Shen Ying would have felt like a cruel executioner right now.

But Song Zhi was the executioner, and she was once again waiting for her to strike the blow.

Shen Ying said, “Won’t your parents worry?”

Song Zhi wiped away a tear. “My mom died, and my dad married an evil stepmother. They both want me to die and are not nice to me. They hit me all the time, so I’m planning to make him die first.”

Shen Ying was unmoved. “You can get a wife without money. Your dad is quite capable.”

Song Zhi thought, Is she still suspicious? How did I give myself away? She hadn’t not considered confessing, but she really couldn’t think of a way to make Shen Ying’s anger go away.

Should she tell her, “I hid it from you because I was afraid you’d be mad”?

Shen Ying would chase her out with a broom.

Song Zhi said, “Because my dad has a handsome face. He’s lazy and useless and only knows how to sweet-talk.”

Shen Ying looked at Song Zhi, who was blinking and trying to act cute and pitiful. She thought that based on Song Zhi’s looks, it wasn’t impossible for her father to make a living off his face, according to genetics.

But her heart didn’t soften.

She changed her mind. It was time to cut to the chase. No matter what Song Zhi wanted to do, she couldn’t let Song Zhi stay here. Song Zhi would only be a distraction, and she couldn’t make any more mistakes.

Shen Ying said, “I’ll give you ten more days. After ten days, you have to leave.”

At around three or four in the morning, Shen Ying woke up again. She listened carefully, and sure enough, it was raining outside. The rain was heavy, falling noisily on the ground and rooftops. A faint smell of damp earth drifted in through the window that wasn’t fully closed.

Shen Ying felt nauseous from the smell. She thought, No wonder I had a nightmare again.

Every time it rained, she had a nightmare, and it was always the same one: a person struggling to crawl out of the wet earth.

She sat up in her bed for a moment, letting her warm limbs turn cold before getting up to close the window.

The window was cold, and her hands were cold. The contact of the two made Shen Ying feel alive.

The suffocating fear from the nightmare finally faded.

The bedroom door was broken and didn’t close properly. Her nose was sensitive, and even after closing the window, she could still faintly smell the damp earth.

The living room window must have been open.

So Shen Ying walked out again.

After closing the window, she couldn’t help but look at the person lying on the sofa.

On one hand, she thought Song Zhi was so hateful for deceiving her. She should get revenge. On the other hand, Song Zhi’s kindness toward her these past few days wasn’t fake. No one had ever been this kind to her. She was like a person who had walked alone in the snow for a long, long time. When she was suddenly surrounded by a warm fire, she became confused and didn’t know what to do, even when the fire was burning her clothes and trying to take her life.

She had never seen someone so kind to her, but the kindness came from deception, yet it wasn’t fake.

She awkwardly held the good and bad in her heart, trying to figure out which was which, but she couldn’t.

The person on the sofa had her head tightly covered with the blanket, in a position that seemed to be trying to suffocate herself, and was using one hand to hold the blanket from behind.

But only her face was covered by the blanket; the rest of it was on the floor.

Shen Ying’s face was dark as she picked up the blanket from the floor and put it over her, tucking it in carefully. As for patting the blanket, that was not a luxury Song Zhi deserved right now.

She uncovered the face that was so tightly held by the blanket.

A tear-stained face appeared in front of her. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

Her hair was a mess, her clothes were a mess, and a large patch of red rash on her collarbone was visible from her neckline. She seemed anxious, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, her voice hoarse. Shen Ying didn’t hear her clearly.

Shen Ying leaned in and asked softly, “What did you say?”

The raspy whisper finally became clear.

Song Zhi cried, “Mom, don’t go.”

Then she cried, “Shen Ying.”

It was as if thunder had roared and struck her. Shen Ying felt unsteady. Something powerful grew in her heart.

This was the feeling of being relied on.

She looked at the tear-soaked Song Zhi with a complex expression.

Finally, she took her cold hand. After all this time, there was still no sign of it getting warm.

Shen Ying remembered the nasal tone from when she had come in and, with a sigh, lifted both the blanket and the person into her arms.

Shen Ying was used to moving heavy things. She carried her to the bedroom without even a tremor.

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