Bullying The Sister-In-Law - Chapter 11.1

The three people froze on the staircase, and the air seemed to solidify. Liu Chengxu was the first to feel a surge of suffocation, struggling to breathe.

It turned out that when the deepest, most carefully guarded secret in one’s heart is abruptly exposed, the first thing to lose control is the breath, followed by a violent, wrenching pain in the heart. Finally, her vision began to blur, a dizzy spell akin to pre-hypoglycemia, as the world before her swayed, faded, and threatened to swallow her whole.

She instinctively looked at Su Zhiluo. Though she was perfectly aware that it was impossible for Su Zhiluo to like her, she still held onto that sliver of fragile hope.

Su Zhiluo frowned, her voice urgent, “What are you talking about? You misunderstood. We are family, and our relationship is close. That’s how sisters are.”

As the last sentence left her mouth, Su Zhiluo felt a wave of guilt. She had an older sister once, and her dependence on that sister was straightforward and clear. Every time their eyes met, the gaze was pure and clean, unlike the current one—this connection was always veiled, carrying an unspoken, ambiguous meaning.

Yang Jie said, “You can ask her if she is.”

Su Zhiluo did not turn her head to look at Liu Chengxu.

Yang Jie could tell Su Zhiluo was distressed. Liu Chengxu’s identity was truly awkward, straddling the boundaries set by societal conventions and ethics. Love could not grow between them; talking about it would only embarrass Su Zhiluo.

Whether out of self-interest or a genuine desire for Su Zhiluo’s well-being, Yang Jie still spoke, “Zhiluo, you are always trapped by a strange lie, and that is very unfair to you. Zhiluo, you were clearly close to moving on before. Are you happy to be walking back now?”

Yang Jie had seen Su Zhiluo emerge from the shadow of memory before. At that time, she would laugh genuinely, embracing the sunlight, her eyes seemingly filled with fragmented golden light.

These words accurately pierced the softest spot in Su Zhiluo’s heart. For a long time, she hadn’t actively thought of Liu Jinhuan. That person, those events, had slowly sunk to the bottom of her heart, gradually covered by dust. She almost believed she was finally stepping out of the shadows and could truly begin a new life.

But…

Lately, she kept thinking of Liu Jinhuan—thinking of her constantly, day and night, even in her dreams.

She couldn’t explain why, but her throat began to feel dry. She rushed down the stairs, saying, “I’ll take you back. Otherwise, you’ll miss breakfast.”

Yang Jie looked deeply at Liu Chengxu.

Liu Chengxu was, after all, still a child, poor at concealing her emotions. Her affection was pure and fervent, but she also displayed her disappointment vividly, without any pretense. She stood motionless, like an abandoned puppy in the snow, her eyes moist, filled with helplessness and grievance.

Liu Chengxu desperately wanted her sister-in-law to look at her before leaving, so she could feel that Su Zhiluo had some affection for her.

However, Su Zhiluo quickly vanished from the stairwell. Liu Chengxu slowly squatted down, and her little finger suddenly felt numb.

The sense of suffocation threatened to claim her life at any moment. She gasped for air, massaging her small finger slowly, belatedly realizing she had made a mistake. When Yang Jie pointed out her secret, she shouldn’t have remained silent; she should have retorted. That was what a qualified younger sister-in-law ought to do.

Her clumsy silence must have given her away.

I am too stupid.

My sister-in-law must know my secret now.

She will definitely start hating me.

Her nose stung, and tears immediately followed.

Su Zhiluo escorted Yang Jie downstairs. Yang Jie asked about her state and if she wanted to go for a walk. Su Zhiluo shook her head, waved goodbye, and told her to leave first.

After Yang Jie left, Su Zhiluo closed her eyes. The cold wind-swept snow particles onto her face, chilling her completely, as if she had instantly caught a severe cold.

The phone in her pocket vibrated again.

At this moment, she was afraid to look at the screen, a vague fear that it might be a message from Liu Chengxu.

Su Zhiluo also knew that Liu Chengxu would not dare to contact her.

The screen lit up; the sender was her parents. They were still relentlessly trying to pry into her life. Finding insults ineffective, they had switched to a new approach, reminiscing about past warmth.

Su Zhiluo looked at the texts, a bitter curve forming on her lips. She thought of yesterday’s embrace and the soft whispers in her ear. It was warm, like a powerful harbor where she could hide for a lifetime.

Liu Chengxu had said, “Sister-in-law, I’ll give you a home.”

She wanted this home.

In this moment, Su Zhiluo bitterly resented her birth. Why were they so poor and so feudal? Why did they have to consume her like locusts? If they had even a shred of decency, she wouldn’t be greedy for this twisted warmth.

Su Zhiluo’s initial idea was simple: support Liu Chengxu until she was independent, then Liu Chengxu could live her own life and not look back to endure hardships with her. She never intended for Liu Chengxu to repay her.

Now, she was afraid Liu Chengxu would be unwilling to move forward.

The wind kept swirling, tangling with the snowflakes. The flakes couldn’t fall, appearing troubled and sorrowful.

She walked around downstairs. Cars came and went outside; the roads filled with honking horns. The liveliness was permeated with a sense of desolation.

A phone message: Sister-in-law, I’ve fried the vegetables. Are you coming back for dinner?

Su Zhiluo wiped her face: I’ll buy some eggs on the way back. You eat first.

Liu Chengxu: I’ll wait for you.

Liu Chengxu’s tears flowed uncontrollably. She went to check the refrigerator; there were indeed no eggs. She took a jar from the cabinet. She had pickled a few duck eggs, having learned how online when she noticed Su Zhiluo liked them. It was also because she knew her sister-in-law liked fish that, when asked what hotpot she wanted, she would say fish hotpot.

In fact, she paid great attention to Su Zhiluo. She was just young. Given the same opportunity, she could also give Su Zhiluo intense and passionate love. She could also say “I love you” and “I’m good to you” many times.

Liu Chengxu washed the mud off the duck eggs, her fingers turning red from the cold.

Sister-in-law, an 18-year-old’s love is fierce and sincere. If only you would look at me too.

When the duck eggs were cooked, Su Zhiluo returned.

Su Zhiluo met Liu Chengxu’s eyes, which were red and still damp with tears. She said nothing, asked nothing. Liu Chengxu used a towel to wipe the snow off her clothes, then went to fetch the hotpot from the kitchen.

Liu Chengxu gave the cooked duck egg to Su Zhiluo. Su Zhiluo cracked a hole and scooped out the contents. The saltiness was just right. She was surprised, “These tastes really good. Did you make it yourself?”

Liu Chengxu looked up at her, her eyes trailing bright tear-stains.

Liu Chengxu nodded, “I’m glad you like it. I bought them from the supermarket and pickled them for a week. If you like it, I’ll make more next time. I wanted to make fermented bean curd, but I couldn’t find firm tofu.”

Su Zhiluo picked up another duck egg, cracked it open, peeled a thumb-sized hole, and handed it to her, saying, “You should try it too.”