Bullying The Sister-In-Law - Chapter 26.1

In the evening, Liu Chengxu, wearing an apron, cooked a spicy large plate chicken with soft, stewed potatoes, and a braised crucian carp. Fearing the flavors were too intense, she also stir-fried a dish of bean sprouts. Chang Ruyin smelled the aroma as soon as she entered and praised her non-stop. She had only seen Liu Chengxu take Su Zhiluo out to eat before; today, smelling the food, she realized the girl had excellent cooking skills. Watching Liu Chengxu’s focused back, her hair loosely tied, Chang Ruyin leaned close to Su Zhiluo and whispered, “Yours is really good-looking, and her cooking is so good.” Su Zhiluo smiled faintly.

“Rice or pancakes?” Liu Chengxu asked.

“Pancakes,” Su Zhiluo replied.

Liu Chengxu skillfully mixed the batter, brushed a thin layer of oil on the pan, and spread around pancake. Chang Ruyin helped bring the dishes to the table, while Su Zhiluo fetched the chili sauce from the refrigerator. Chang Ruyin’s words had indeed warmed her heart, and she couldn’t help but look back at Liu Chengxu again.

They were both ordinary people, only seeking a peaceful life.

Liu Chengxu wore a plaid apron tied around her waist; her side profile was particularly soft when she lowered her head slightly. She looked up, her eyes holding a shallow smile, radiating a warm, domestic aura. Her gentle and focused demeanor revealed a soft strength that made one want to get closer. The food was delicious, and everyone enjoyed every dish.

After dinner, Chang Ruyin was on the phone in the living room. Liu Chengxu was curious, and Su Zhiluo quietly explained, “She’s dating.” Liu Chengxu asked twice, and only then did Su Zhiluo reveal it was Yang Jie.

After Su Zhiluo finished speaking, she heard Liu Chengxu scoff. Su Zhiluo didn’t understand what she meant, felt it was rude, and forbade her from doing it, asking, “What was that for?”

Liu Chengxu said, “I thought she’d love you forever.”

“It’s not a movie,” Su Zhiluo retorted. They were never together, so how could she love her forever?

The hot dinner had made her sweat, so Su Zhiluo took clothes to shower. Liu Chengxu spread a mat on the floor and said, “Put down a thin blanket too. The air conditioning is strong, and the direct blow will bother you.” Su Zhiluo brought her another air-conditioning blanket.

When Su Zhiluo came out of the shower, Liu Chengxu was kneeling on the floor, looking for something. Not noticing, Su Zhiluo accidentally stepped on Liu Chengxu’s back. Liu Chengxu hissed in pain. As Su Zhiluo was about to withdraw her foot, Liu Chengxu happened to look up, and the arch of Su Zhiluo’s foot lightly brushed her cheek. Liu Chengxu lifted her face, her expression dazed and innocent, like a wronged big dog. Just as Su Zhiluo was about to step back, Liu Chengxu suddenly hugged her leg tightly.

“Hey,” Su Zhiluo struggled gently, “stop messing around.”

Liu Chengxu hugged tighter, rubbing her cheek against Su Zhiluo’s leg. Her freshly bathed skin was particularly sensitive, and Su Zhiluo tried to pull away, feeling ticklish: “Liu Chengxu, it tickles… why are you acting like a puppy?”

“Woof.”

Su Zhiluo’s heart suddenly softened, and a wave of heat rose from her feet to her cheeks. She couldn’t explain why, but that obedient sound scratched at her heart like a feather, making her breath hitch. She instinctively lowered her gaze, not daring to look at Liu Chengxu, and tightened the fingers of the hands resting at her sides.

Just then, Chang Ruyin’s voice, laced with laughter, came from next door: “Having fun, are we?” Usually, Chang Ruyin would have said the fun was “too racy.”

Both of them froze instantly. To be precise, Su Zhiluo didn’t dare to move anymore. Liu Chengxu’s hot cheek was pressed tightly against her thigh, and her eyes were full of a pitiful, pleading look. Su Zhiluo understood: Liu Chengxu was pouring out her longing. It was so concrete, so intense. It made her own heart burn.

The intimate rubbing caused an unfamiliar sensation in Su Zhiluo’s legs, a strange heat rushing from her groin to her throat. She took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable restlessness, and simultaneously withdrew her leg. Taken by surprise, Liu Chengxu lost her balance and knelt before her. Su Zhiluo’s throat moved slightly, but the words she was about to say were swallowed back.

She sat on the edge of the bed, drying her damp hair. After half a year of non-stop work, her hair ends looked frizzy. Her gaze swept over the swaying shadow on the wall. She was wondering what Liu Chengxu was looking for when she saw the shadow slowly approach, and Liu Chengxu reached out to turn off the bedside lamp.

“Su Zhiluo.”

Su Zhiluo didn’t answer; she wasn’t quite used to being called by her full name by Liu Chengxu.

Until a spot of warm yellow light lit up in the darkness, flickering gently like a breath, casting a hazy glow on the wall. She turned her head and saw Liu Chengxu still kneeling there, holding a bouquet of flowers wrapped with string lights that were blinking on and off. A mix of surprise and excitement instantly surged in her heart.

“For you,” Liu Chengxu said, “I brought you flowers this time too.”

Su Zhiluo was momentarily speechless, filled with a sharp tenderness. She sat silently, and Liu Chengxu, seeing her lack of reaction, felt her spirits dim. “Don’t you like them?”

Su Zhiluo shook her head, took the flowers, and said, “What were you looking for just now?”

This time it wasn’t fresh flowers but handmade ones, placed in a star-shaped jar filled with many folded paper stars. Liu Chengxu didn’t know if her sister-in-law would understand. The stars were filled with her thoughts and love, and because she couldn’t say them, she had put them there… She hoped that one day Su Zhiluo would see the contents of the notes inside the stars. Of course, it didn’t matter if she didn’t; love didn’t have to be forced upon others.

Liu Chengxu replied, “A star fell out, so I was picking it up.”

“Okay.” Su Zhiluo held the glowing stars and said, “Thank you, I like them.”

She placed the star flowers on the bedside table and continued drying her hair. When she went out to put away the towel, she wiped her tear-filled eyes in a quick turn, then laughed through the lingering tears.

When Su Zhiluo returned to the room, Liu Chengxu had turned off the light. Su Zhiluo asked, “Why did you turn it off?”

Liu Chengxu said, “I was afraid it would bother your eyes.”

Su Zhiluo turned the light back on. The flower’s shadow was cast on the wall, looking like a tree full of stars. In this world, there are no people incapable of romance, only those who are not in love and are unwilling to spend time learning how to make someone smile.

She was touched again.

Su Zhiluo lay in bed and said softly, “I’ll arrange a trip for us to go out and have fun later.”

Liu Chengxu said there was no need; she’d rather help Su Zhiluo with work and didn’t want Su Zhiluo to be so exhausted.

Su Zhiluo asked, “Then what do you want to do?”

Liu Chengxu turned onto her side, a sly light in her eyes: “Did you just step on my foot?”

Su Zhiluo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Stared at by her gaze, Liu Chengxu’s ears suddenly felt hot. She quickly rolled over, her voice muffled by the pillow: “…I just suddenly remembered things from childhood and thought it was funny.”

Su Zhiluo was startled. She had recently been reading the novel that Chang Ruyin sent her, which included scenes of kicking, slapping, sitting on faces… Su Zhiluo had expected Liu Chengxu to do something, but in the night, Liu Chengxu only secretly peered at her from the bedside and faced her while sleeping, never crossing the line again. This made Su Zhiluo somewhat unaccustomed. She had mentally prepared herself before coming, but the person suddenly became well-behaved.

She tossed and turned, finally falling asleep at 3:30 AM.

The alarm rang in the morning, and she quickly pressed it off, only to turn over and find the space next to the bed empty. Pushing open the door, she saw Liu Chengxu, wearing a tank top and cargo pants, with her back to her, making breakfast. Her waistline was delineated by the fabric, looking slender and sharp.

These clothes were samples designed by Su Zhiluo, intended to accentuate the waist and chest, with a petal-shaped hem to add a touch of girlishness. Liu Chengxu noticed her gaze and turned back, but Su Zhiluo quickly turned away, her ears slightly flushed.

Chang Ruyin, with toothpaste foam around her mouth, exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my God, your Chengxu’s body is that good?”

Su Zhiluo muttered a soft affirmation, pausing as she squeezed the toothpaste.

Liu Chengxu called her when breakfast was ready. Su Zhiluo glanced at her, then quickly averted her eyes. Liu Chengxu was puzzled.

It was strange.

While eating, Liu Chengxu noticed her sister-in-law kept avoiding her gaze. She felt uneasy, wondering if her remark yesterday about “you stepping on my foot” had crossed a line.

As Su Zhiluo was about to leave, Liu Chengxu handed her a sun umbrella and took the opportunity to lean close to her ear and whisper, “Sister-in-law, I’m not a pervert.”

“…” Su Zhiluo didn’t reply, just vigorously pinched her hot earlobe as she walked out the door.

After that, everything returned to normal. At night, Liu Chengxu slept quietly, and apart from waking up with dry lips, Su Zhiluo felt no other difference. She couldn’t help but wonder: Did she… manage to restrain herself?

The summer in Guangzhou was brutal. The warehouse ventilation wasn’t good, and the air conditioning was barely effective. Every time Su Zhiluo and Chang Ruyin came over, they were drenched in sweat. Su Zhiluo told her not to follow her every time she went out, but she always saw Liu Chengxu following her, wearing a hat. Her stubbornness was immune to scolding, leaving Su Zhiluo feeling helpless.

When Liu Chengxu came, she helped Su Zhiluo with work, unwilling to let Su Zhiluo struggle. She took over whatever Su Zhiluo was doing, working quickly and efficiently, which made Chang Ruyin feel awkward, like they were exploiting a child. Several times, Chang Ruyin wanted to tell Su Zhiluo to be more open-minded, to try being with the young girl, that life was long, and she should let go of what needed to be let go and look forward. But those words felt too cliché, and she always stopped before starting.

The morning was slightly cooler. Liu Chengxu went out to buy things and came back in the evening. Because of the high summer consumption, they had hired workers.

Liu Chengxu rode her bike over and handed the bag to her sister-in-law.

“What is it?”

Su Zhiluo thought she had bought snacks and, seeing her drenched in sweat, said, “Why didn’t you buy yourself some ice cream?”

Su Zhiluo opened the bag. Inside was a black bottle, a hand cream, and a bottle of hair essential oil. Su Zhiluo didn’t recognize what they were at first, but after hearing the young woman helping with packaging explain, she learned they were a luxury brand, the ‘little black bottle,’ and the total cost for what Liu Chengxu bought for her was two thousand five hundred.

Liu Chengxu said, “I earned the money from that model shoot. It’s not expensive to buy for you.” She sat crookedly on the floor, the ground scorching hot.

Su Zhiluo was still wearing the necklace Liu Chengxu had bought her. She always told her not to be frugal because she didn’t want to spend money on herself, but receiving such expensive skincare products made her feel…

Liu Chengxu said, “The money I earn is meant to be spent on you.”

“I don’t want you to work so hard.” Su Zhiluo couldn’t argue with her and gently flicked her forehead with a bent finger.

The night before the typhoon was particularly unbearable. The air was thick and humid, making it hard to breathe.