I Love Her Because She’s Dim-Witted And Filthy Rich - Chapter 40

The neighbor closed their door while grumbling under their breath.

The draft in the corridor was bone-chillingly cold. Su Miao stood there dazed for a moment before heading downstairs, tears streaming down her face the entire way.

Su Miao called a Didi (ride-share) while crying. Just as she got into the car, the young driver took several long looks at her.

As he started the engine, he remarked, “I feel like you look a lot like a celebrity.”

Su Miao’s movements to wipe her tears froze on the spot. “No… you’ve got the wrong person.”

“Seriously,” the driver continued, “My wife follows celebrities. I think there’s one named Su Miao. She spends all day praising how cute Su Miao is; my ears are practically growing callouses from hearing it.”

Su Miao began to cry even more sorrowfully.

She wasn’t cute at all. If she were cute, why wouldn’t Duan Bainian open the door for her?

After getting out of the car, Su Miao ripped off her mask and cried without restraint all the way back home.

To her surprise, He Aizhi was at home.

Su Miao, who was in the middle of a sobbing fit, froze. “Mom, why aren’t you at the office?”

Looking at her daughter’s disheveled state, He Aizhi’s anger flared. “Did you go look for Duan Bainian?”

Su Miao shifted her gaze uncomfortably. “Yes.”

He Aizhi said angrily, “Didn’t you say you were going to try to stay away from her so people wouldn’t get the wrong idea?”

Su Miao shivered. “I… I just went and came right back… I’m going upstairs now, Mom.”

Without waiting for a reply, Su Miao ran up the stairs like a cat that had its tail stepped on.

It wasn’t until she closed her bedroom door that she let out a wail and began crying again, completely disregarding her image.

Ugh, she was so useless.

On the way back, she had originally intended to call her mother to ask exactly what had happened. But the moment she saw He Aizhi sitting in the living room, she realized she didn’t have the courage to ask at all.

Even her crying had to be hidden away in her room!

Having cried all the way from Duan Bainian’s apartment to her house, Su Miao felt lightheaded from a lack of oxygen, her vision swimming.

Preparing to go downstairs to pour a glass of water, she pulled open the door only to find her mother standing outside, fuming with rage.

He Aizhi was also beyond frustrated. Sitting downstairs, she could hear Su Miao’s ghost-like wailing from above; it sounded like she was mourning a death.

He Aizhi suppressed the anger in her heart and tried her best to calm down. “I heard you crying from downstairs. What are you crying about?”

Su Miao assumed He Aizhi wasn’t certain about her relationship with Duan Bainian, so she couldn’t very well say it was because of a breakup.

Thus, she made up an excuse. “I… I just watched an anime and was moved to tears.”

He Aizhi took a deep breath. “There’s no need to hide it from me. I know you and Duan Bainian were in a relationship. Last night, I didn’t stay late because of work; I went to see Duan Bainian. She promised me she would stay away from your life from now on.”

Su Miao couldn’t believe it. “You really went to find her?”

He Aizhi replied, “I did. Is there a problem?”

Su Miao’s tears began to fall again, patter-patter. This time, she finally didn’t have to hide her crying from her mother.

This time, there was no sound to her weeping. She simply stared at the floor, tears dropping one by one like a puppet without a soul.

He Aizhi said with exasperated disappointment, “What is there to cry about? Stop crying!”

Su Miao seemed not to hear her, remaining motionless.

He Aizhi continued, “Don’t you know what you’re like? You can’t succeed at anything, yet you think about spending a lifetime with another woman? When you reach middle age, if Duan Bainian doesn’t want you anymore, you won’t even find someone to take you in! When that time comes, let’s see who takes care of you!”

He Aizhi paused. “From now on, you are not allowed to contact Duan Bainian again!”

Su Miao’s tears fell even more fiercely.

He Aizhi’s teeth itched with resentment; it was truly a misfortune to have raised such an ignorant daughter. She gave Su Miao a shove. “Did you hear me?”

Su Miao stumbled but continued to stare at the floor in silence.

After watching her daughter for a long while, He Aizhi left the room without a word.

Downstairs, He Aizhi found the nanny. “Su Miao is in a bad mood. Make more of the dishes she likes for lunch; don’t let her go hungry.”

The nanny complied immediately.

Only then did He Aizhi sigh, take her bag, and head to the company.

Upon arriving at the office, He Aizhi gave instructions to her assistant to draft a termination contract for Duan Bainian and get it done as quickly as possible.

The assistant was somewhat surprised. The boss usually took great care of Duan Bainian—why the sudden termination? But seeing He Aizhi’s poor expression, the assistant didn’t dare ask and simply agreed.

After a restless day of work at the office, she was genuinely worried about her daughter, so He Aizhi returned home at six in the evening.

The nanny was cooking. He Aizhi went forward and asked, “Did Su Miao eat much at lunch?”

The nanny looked embarrassed. “She didn’t come down at all at noon. I went to call her, but she said she wanted to sleep and told me not to disturb her.”

He Aizhi’s eyes darkened. “Fine, I’ll go up and check.”

Walking to the door of Su Miao’s room, He Aizhi tried to open it only to find it was locked from the inside.

She knocked on the door. “Su Miao?”

After a long while, Su Miao’s muffled voice came through. “What is it, Mom?”

He Aizhi smiled. “It’s time for dinner. Why aren’t you up yet?”

“I’m not hungry. I’m not eating.”

He Aizhi countered, “How can you not be hungry? The auntie said you didn’t eat at lunch either.”

Su Miao’s voice remained muffled. “I’m really not hungry.”

He Aizhi coaxed, “Be good, get up and eat a little, okay?”

After waiting for a long time, there was no response from Su Miao.

Usually, Su Miao would have small tantrums, but overall, she was very obedient. Being this stubborn as she was today was rare.

Consequently, He Aizhi also became annoyed. “Su Miao, get up and eat right now, do you hear me!”

Still no response.

He Aizhi was already full of pent-up anger; she was merely suppressing it to coax Su Miao. However, Su Miao’s silence caused her fury to expand rapidly like a balloon.

Having endured it time and again, she finally couldn’t hold back. “Don’t you try to threaten your mother with a hunger strike! I’m telling you, it won’t work! Eat this food or don’t, I don’t care!”

The only response was silence.

He Aizhi went downstairs in a rage and said to the nanny, “Don’t wait for Su Miao. The two of us will eat.”

The nanny looked at He Aizhi’s expression and said cautiously, “Alright, I’ll serve the food then.”

He Aizhi spent a night of fitful, chaotic dreams. The next morning, she sat at the dining table waiting for the nanny to bring food.

Even after she finished her porridge, Su Miao had not come down.

The nanny suggested tentatively, “Should I go call her down for breakfast?”

He Aizhi hesitated. “Wait until I’ve left to call her. She won’t come down while I’m here.”

The nanny replied, “Okay, I’ll call her in a bit.”

At eight o’clock, He Aizhi left the house.

The nanny cleared the table and went upstairs to knock on the door.

“Miao-Miao, are you awake? It’s time for breakfast.”

Su Miao felt her head throbbing and felt a bit nauseous. She said weakly, “I can’t eat. If I want to eat, I’ll tell you.”

The nanny tried to persuade her a few more times but didn’t receive a single reply, so she sighed and went back downstairs.

Woken up by the nanny, Su Miao became a bit more lucid. She grabbed her phone, wanting to see if Duan Bainian had replied to her messages.

The screen was full of messages she had sent, but unfortunately, Duan Bainian hadn’t replied once.

Su Miao didn’t give up and sent a new one: “Are you still angry?”

To her surprise, a red exclamation mark popped up immediately this time.

She had been blocked.

Su Miao stared blankly at the phone screen for a long time, and tears uncontrollably flowed out again.

She finally realized that this time, Duan Bainian really didn’t want her anymore.

He Aizhi returned home at six in the evening. The first thing she did was ask the nanny, “Did she come down to eat today?”

The nanny shook her head. “No.”

He Aizhi irritably threw down her bag and went up to the second floor with a cold face.

At the door, He Aizhi adjusted her emotions and spoke patiently, “Miao-Miao, what are you doing?”

She waited for a long time, but there was no sound.

He Aizhi called out again, “Miao-Miao? Are you asleep?”

Still nothing.

He Aizhi started to get anxious. Could something have happened?

She banged loudly on the door. “Su Miao! Su Miao!”

After a moment, Su Miao seemed to startle awake. “What is it?”

He Aizhi coaxed, “Could you open the door for Mom?”

He Aizhi waited for a long time, hearing a thud inside the room, as if something had fallen onto the floor.

Just as she was about to speak, the door opened.

Once the door was open, Su Miao swayed back toward the bed.

He Aizhi was heartbroken. “And you said you weren’t hungry? Look at you, you’re swaying just walking.”

Su Miao felt her head was heavy and her mind was a mess. She mumbled, “I’m really not hungry…”

He Aizhi coaxed, “You’ve passed the point of feeling hunger, of course you don’t feel it. But if you don’t eat, your body can’t take it. Look at how you’re swaying. Get up and eat a little, alright?”

Su Miao said weakly, “No, I can’t eat it.”

He Aizhi’s tears fell from heartache. “When you’re like this, Mom is really worried.”

Su Miao mumbled, “I’m sorry… Mom.”

He Aizhi froze for a second. “Why are you saying sorry?”

Su Miao sniffled. “I’m not a good daughter.”

He Aizhi wiped her tears. “What nonsense are you talking? In Mom’s heart, you are the best.”

As if a long-blocked valve had suddenly been opened, Su Miao suddenly cried so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. “Actually, I… I didn’t want to make you worry, and I didn’t skip eating on purpose, but… I really feel so miserable. My head hurts, my chest hurts, my stomach hurts. I feel nauseous; I simply can’t eat anything…”

Only then did He Aizhi become alert. She stepped forward and felt Su Miao’s forehead.

She really was running a fever.

He Aizhi said urgently, “When did you start feeling unwell?”

Su Miao was still sobbing. “I think… after I woke up yesterday afternoon, I… I felt sick…”

He Aizhi was both angry and anxious. “You were already sick yesterday afternoon? Why didn’t you say so yesterday?”

Su Miao was silent for a moment and didn’t speak.

He Aizhi remembered. Last night, she had lost her temper at Su Miao.

Regretfully, she pulled back the quilt and lifted Su Miao up. “Get up and change your clothes. The two of us are going to the hospital.”

After changing, He Aizhi helped Su Miao out. Before they even reached the stairs, Su Miao’s knees buckled.

Su Miao gasped, “I can’t walk.”

He Aizhi immediately called for the nanny. “Auntie Zhang! Come here a moment and help!”

The two of them sandwiched Su Miao into the back of the car. He Aizhi drove and rushed to the private hospital they usually frequented.

Looking through the rearview mirror at her daughter slumped in the back seat, He Aizhi felt like a knife was twisting in her heart.

Su Miao was still so young; what did she know of life’s hardships? Right now, in her eyes, there was nothing but Duan Bainian, but what about three or five years later? Would the two of them still be as close as they were now?

Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, she had seen many same-sex couples, but very few lasted more than five years. Because they lacked the responsibility and obligation brought by that single piece of legal paper, and because they couldn’t have biological children together, the relationships of same-sex couples were more prone to breaking.

She wasn’t that old yet and could still take care of Su Miao for a few years. But what about twenty years from now? If she were no longer in this world and Su Miao was all alone, how would she take care of herself?

Perhaps in ten or twenty years, Su Miao would finally understand that the path most people choose is the easiest one to walk because many have already gone before to lead the way.

But by the time she understood that, it would be too late.

At the hospital, He Aizhi registered Su Miao and waited quietly.

It seemed she had caught a cold; she had a high fever of 39.2°C.

After a fever-reducing injection, her temperature went down quickly. He Aizhi wasn’t at ease and had her stay in the hospital for a day.

By the next afternoon, after Su Miao finished her IV drip, the doctor said her mental state was okay and she didn’t need to stay in the hospital, as long as she came back on time every day. Additionally, her stomach needed recuperating, so she had to watch her diet.

He Aizhi then took Su Miao out of the hospital, planning to return the following afternoon for another injection.

Looking at the now-conscious Su Miao, He Aizhi asked, “Are you hungry now? Should I buy you some porridge?”

Su Miao pulled the seatbelt over in the passenger seat, frowning as she said softly, “I really can’t eat; I feel a bit sick.”

He Aizhi urged, “The doctor said you’ll only get better quickly if you eat well. How can you not eat?”

Su Miao remained silent.

He Aizhi said, “You’re still sulking with Mom, aren’t you?”

Su Miao replied, “No… I just feel miserable, so I can’t eat.”

He Aizhi asked, “Hasn’t your fever already broken? Where else do you feel miserable?”

Su Miao’s tears came gushing out again. She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out.

He Aizhi’s heart felt extremely stifled. She irritably pulled out a tissue and handed it to her daughter. “Are you still thinking about Duan Bainian?”

Su Miao sniffled and denied it. “I’m not.”

He Aizhi spoke patiently, “Duan Bainian is just a small interlude in your life. In the future, you will meet a more suitable boy; you will have children and grow old together. That is the path more suited for you.”

Su Miao stared blankly at the tips of her toes, tears swirling in her eyes.

Just a small interlude?

Duan Bainian won’t be with her anymore in the future?

Right, Duan Bainian didn’t want her anymore, so how could she still be with her?

So, she would never have Duan Bainian again, right?

At that thought, Su Miao finally burst into loud wailing. “But Mom, without Duan Bainian, what am I supposed to do!”