I Love Her Because She’s Dim-Witted And Filthy Rich - Chapter 39.1

It was already midnight by the time they returned to Beijing. Upon arriving home, Su Miao went to take a shower, while Duan Bainian opened a can of food for Ergou.

Having been away for two days, Ergou had spent two days eating dry cat food and was starved for treats. He huddled over the can, licking it incessantly while making “miao-wu miao-wu” sounds.

When Su Miao came out from her shower, she saw Duan Bainian holding Ergou, affectionately rubbing and petting him. Su Miao immediately darted in front of Duan Bainian and poked her head forward. “Rub me too!”

Duan Bainian couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you a cat too?”

Su Miao blinked. “Meow~~”

Amused, Duan Bainian reached out and rubbed Su Miao’s head.

Su Miao’s eyes were sparkling. “Do you know what I was saying just now?”

Duan Bainian froze for a moment before realizing Su Miao was referring to that meow.

Playing along, Duan Bainian asked, “What were you saying?”

With her hair still dripping wet, Su Miao rubbed her head against Duan Bainian’s arm. “Hehe, I said, ‘Hurry up and pet me, I’m very cute too.'”

Duan Bainian slapped Su Miao lightly on the head. “You are cute, but you’re a bit shameless.”

Having said that, Duan Bainian stood up to get the hair dryer. “Come here. It’s freezing outside, and even with the heating, you can’t handle acting reckless like this.”

Su Miao trotted over happily to have her hair dried.

Halfway through drying her hair, He Aizhi called.

In a few days, it would be Duan Bainian’s 25th birthday. He Aizhi was asking if she wanted to use the occasion to hold a fan meeting.

Duan Bainian did not like crowds, so she declined He Aizhi’s suggestion.

Su Miao looked thoughtful. “Don’t you like your fans celebrating with you?”

Duan Bainian put the hair dryer back. “It’s just a birthday; it’s spent the same way regardless. Compared to a noisy crowd, I prefer to be quiet and alone.”

At this point, Duan Bainian remembered something. “Oh right, didn’t you say you were going to give me a surprise for my birthday? How are the preparations going?”

Su Miao’s eyes were full of pride. “It’s been ready for a long time. You’ll definitely love it!”

Duan Bainian smiled. “Can you give me a hint as to what it is?”

Su Miao shook her head repeatedly. “A surprise is only a surprise because of the sense of mystery. If I tell you in advance, what’s the point?”

Duan Bainian was only asking casually. She picked up her pajamas and headed into the bathroom. “Alright, I’ll look forward to your surprise. I’m going to shower. It’s cold, so hurry up and get into bed.”

—

The two of them didn’t have much to do at the apartment. They ate, watched movies, and two or three days passed in a flash.

Early Friday morning, Duan Bainian got up early. She had to go to Shijiazhuang for a commercial performance, and Guan Jing was already waiting for her downstairs.

Su Miao slept until the sun was high in the sky. When she woke up, she realized Duan Bainian had long since departed.

Looking at the empty house, she felt a sense of loss.

After being dazed for a while, she got up to wash. Hearing the noise, Ergou immediately trotted over, rubbing against her calf and meowing persistently.

Su Miao looked back at the empty bowl on the balcony, which still had half a portion of cat food.

Only then did Su Miao realize Ergou was asking for a cat can.

Su Miao picked up Ergou. “Oh, you’ve learned how to beg for food now? You’re quite thick-skinned~”

She opened three cans for Ergou and lined them up, refilled the bowl with cat food, provided fresh water, and changed the litter. Then, Su Miao changed her clothes and prepared to go back to her own home.

When Duan Bainian was out working, Su Miao didn’t stay at the apartment. Generally, she would leave two days’ worth of cat food and cans, go home, and return to the apartment after two days to replenish Ergou’s food.

She arrived home just in time for lunch. Her mother wasn’t there; only the housekeeper was home.

Surprised to see Su Miao back at this hour, the housekeeper quickly added a few more dishes and called Su Miao to eat.

After eating, Su Miao went upstairs to find a newly released anime to watch, feeling leisurely and at ease.

On the other side, He Aizhi, sitting in her office, felt her throat go dry.

Half an hour ago, she received a call from an unknown number reminding her to check her email.

Upon clicking the email, there was a ten-second video.

The resolution wasn’t clear, and the angle was awkward—it was clearly a secret recording. However, even so, it was enough for He Aizhi to understand the situation.

It was that familiar alleyway filled with flower vines. She saw her daughter pull down Duan Bainian’s mask and swiftly and proactively lean in to kiss her… just like any ordinary couple.

He Aizhi, feeling unsettled, dialed back the unknown number. “You were the one who sent the photo last time too, weren’t you?”

“That’s right, President He,” the voice laughed on the other end. “I just didn’t expect that photo to cause no waves at all. I left my contact information in the email and waited for several days without you contacting me.”

When she saw that photo last time, He Aizhi wasn’t without suspicion. However, as a mother, since her daughter had given a reasonable explanation, she naturally chose to believe her.

In fact, what else could she have done? Was she supposed to question her daughter for lying? There was no clear evidence at the time. Once she started questioning her, if the issue couldn’t be resolved, it would only hurt their relationship, which would be a net loss.

In the absence of evidence, she naturally chose to believe her daughter. But the video before her eyes now could not be faked; every movement was clear.

She frequently spent money to buy out negative photos for the artists under her company, but handling this for Su Miao was a first. He Aizhi felt a complex mix of emotions.

He Aizhi said carefully, “I wonder if you are free? Would it be convenient to meet?”

The other party laughed heartily. “President He, you really are a generous person. I am free anytime; it depends on your schedule.”

He Aizhi breathed a slight sigh of relief. “Are you free today? Should I wait for you at the company?”

——

Su Miao had watched ten consecutive episodes of anime until her eyes were sore before she remembered to go downstairs to find some fruit.

She took some fruit and milk and was about to go upstairs when she happened to encounter, He Aizhi coming in the door.

While eating her fruit, Su Miao said, “Mom, why are you back so early today?”

It wasn’t even six o’clock yet. Normally, she wouldn’t return until after eight.

He Aizhi’s expression was solemn. “Since you’re down here, I don’t need to call for you. Put the apple down; let’s talk.”

Su Miao’s heart skipped a beat. She slowly put the apple down. “What is it?”

He Aizhi went straight to the point. “Tell me the truth. Do you and Duan Bainian have a special relationship?”

Su Miao’s heart felt like it was jumping out of her throat. “What, Mom? A special relationship? I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

He Aizhi looked at her daughter, feeling completely disappointed.

Su Miao had been slow since she was a child, always taking longer than others to learn things. However, He Aizhi had never made any demands of her, saying that trying her best was enough—with one exception: she could not lie to her. No matter what happened, she could not lie.

But at this moment, Su Miao was lying.

He Aizhi pulled a set of photos from her bag and slammed them onto the table in front of Su Miao with a “pah” sound.

The stack of photos scattered, and the contents were fully visible.

These were the photos the paparazzi had handed over to her after she paid the money that afternoon.

The photos showed the two of them hugging, holding hands, and kissing—everything was there.

Su Miao froze on the spot. She opened her mouth to explain but didn’t know what to say.

He Aizhi’s heart was filled with unbearable bitterness, and tears wound down her cheeks. “I raised you all this way, giving in to you in everything and never making demands. Is this how you show your filial piety to me?”

Su Miao was truly afraid of her mother crying.

Her mother didn’t cry often. In her memory, the first time was when she took her to see a neurologist. She cried the night she decided to divorce her father. She cried on the eve of the college entrance exam because Su Miao’s grades were so poor that her teacher suggested she withdraw. Other than that, her mother didn’t seem to cry.

But now…

Su Miao’s eyes also turned red. “Don’t cry, Mom. When you cry, I feel bad too.”

He Aizhi wiped away her tears. “What exactly is the relationship between you two?”

Su Miao instinctively denied it. “We are just friends. It’s not the kind of relationship you’re thinking of!”

He Aizhi’s voice suddenly rose. “You’re still lying! Still lying! You think deceiving your mother is fun?!”

Su Miao was startled into a shiver but still stubbornly refused to admit it. “I really don’t have that kind of relationship with her…”

He Aizhi: “Then why were you two… so intimate?”

Su Miao’s face turned deathly pale. In her panic, she spoke recklessly. “She… she said she likes me and wants to date me, but I didn’t agree! What happened in the photos was just me playing around with her before. How could I possibly date a woman?”

He Aizhi scrutinized her daughter’s expression. “Really?”

Su Miao stared at the ground. “Really!”

He Aizhi looked at her daughter for a long while without speaking.

Su Miao, thinking her mother didn’t believe her, added, “In the future, I will be careful about my distance from her. I won’t let people misunderstand again!”

He Aizhi’s gaze drifted to the photos on the wall, but her eyes lacked focus, as if she were thinking about something else.

After a long while, He Aizhi snapped out of it, her face filled with uncontrollable exhaustion. “It’s nothing. You can go up.”

Was it over just like that?

Su Miao’s mind was a blank. She stood up, pushed back her chair, and prepared to go upstairs.

He Aizhi pointed to the apple. “Are you not going to eat your apple?”

The half-eaten apple she had put down earlier had already oxidized to a yellow color, just like the lie she had just told—carrying a faint scent of decay.

She shook her head dazedly. “I’m not eating it. I’m a bit sleepy; I’m going to sleep for a while.”

Back in her room, Su Miao locked the door and lay on the bed.

She was currently helpless and could not fall asleep at all.

If she encountered other problems, she would have definitely taken the initiative to tell Duan Bainian, perhaps even acting spoiled to seek comfort.

But at this moment, how could she dare tell Duan Bainian?

Was she supposed to say, “I was afraid of making my mother sad, so I shifted all the blame onto you”?

If Duan Bainian found out, she would definitely drive her away again.

Every time, she acted like a stray dog, shamelessly refusing to leave, which was actually quite tiresome. Besides… when the same method is used too many times, it stops working.

Just thinking about the scene of Duan Bainian driving her away again made Su Miao’s nose tingle.

She regretted it so much.

She shouldn’t have asked Duan Bainian for a kiss in that flower alley in Sanya. No, she shouldn’t have appeared outdoors with Duan Bainian at all. If they hadn’t been outdoors, how could those paparazzi have taken photos?

The more she thought about it, the more she regretted it, until her heart felt twisted with remorse. Finally, her silent sobbing turned into audible wailing.

From sunset until dark, a large patch of Su Miao’s pillow was soaked.

Hearing the housekeeper calling her to dinner outside the door, Su Miao pulled the quilt to wipe her tears and silently climbed out of bed.

When she walked down to the dining table, she didn’t see He Aizhi. Su Miao asked the housekeeper in a hoarse voice, “Auntie, where is my mom?”

The housekeeper placed the dishes on the table. “It seems like something urgent came up at the company; she just went out again.”

Su Miao gave an “oh,” absentmindedly ate two mouthfuls of rice, said she was full, and prepared to go upstairs.

The housekeeper worried, “Is the food not to your taste? Should I make you some fried rice instead?”

Su Miao waved her hand. “No need, Auntie. I can’t eat.”

Back in her room, the previous pillow was still damp, so Su Miao took a clean one from the closet to replace it.

Tomorrow, Duan Bainian was supposed to return to Beijing.

Su Miao thought for a long time and felt it was necessary to give Duan Bainian a “preventative shot” (warning) in advance, but she hadn’t figured out how to open her mouth.

—