My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 24.1

A single stone stirs a thousand ripples.

Although Zheng Yao hadn’t put the call on speaker, the bathroom was quiet, and the voice on the phone was clear even without it.

She glanced up at Shen Baiyi, seeing the mix of alarm and curiosity in the other’s eyes, and realized Shen Baiyi had already heard. So, she simply turned on the speakerphone.

Having an outsider say it would save Shen Baiyi from constantly thinking Zheng Yao was lying to her.

It went without saying that Shen Baiyi must have had a terrible year otherwise, she wouldn’t be in such a miserable state now.

But Zheng Yao hadn’t expected it to be that bad.

First and foremost, what shocked her the most was that Shen Baiyi wasn’t Shen Sanguang’s biological daughter. Who knew where Shen Sanguang had gotten her from? Raising her was one thing, but the real problem was that Shen Sanguang hadn’t gone through the proper adoption procedures.

Of course, given Shen Sanguang’s circumstances, he wouldn’t have qualified to adopt Shen Baiyi legally anyway.

It was a mystery how Shen Sanguang had managed to register Shen Baiyi’s household registration back then or how he’d kept it hidden from everyone else, but somehow, he had raised her to this age.

Unfortunately, secrets never stay buried. Somehow, the Tan family had found out that Shen Baiyi was an adopted daughter and one without legal adoption papers at that.

Shen Sanguang hadn’t left a will in advance, so Shen Baiyi had no inheritance rights. After the dispute, Shen Sanguang’s compensation and house all ended up in the hands of the Tan family.

Shen Baiyi was outright kicked out.

Even worse, her hand no one knew how had been fractured, leaving her unable to write. Her medical bills had been covered by her teacher, but in the end, she had no choice but to drop out of school.

As for the 5,000 yuan Zheng Yao had sent every month, all of it had gone straight into the Tan family’s pockets.

The police officer’s voice was full of sympathy: “Who knows how this half-grown child survived this past year? That family is downright despicable, but legally speaking, there’s no way to reclaim her father’s compensation or the house.”

Zheng Yao: “…”

Infuriating. Absolutely infuriating!

She couldn’t help but glare at Shen Baiyi. “Did your brain short-circuit? You just let them push you around without fighting back?”

And ended up in this sorry state, no less.

She couldn’t even begin to imagine how happy and carefree the Tan family must be now, sitting on that windfall.

Just the thought of it was enough to drive her mad.

And all the money she’d transferred over the past year had gone to waste? She’d just sent Shen Baiyi another 5,000 yuan two days ago!

What made it even more frustrating was that the police couldn’t do anything about it, they could only see if a lawsuit might recover some of the losses.

Zheng Yao’s head was spinning, while Shen Baiyi’s mind was in turmoil. She knew she came across as weak and spineless to outsiders, but she hadn’t realized she was that pathetic.

Yet something felt off.

A strong sense of dissonance nagged at her.

It felt like this shouldn’t have happened.

How could she have just swallowed this injustice?

If the Tan family made her suffer, why would she let them off easy?

Seeing Shen Baiyi stay silent, Zheng Yao figured the girl must be devastated after learning the truth about her origins. Biting back her frustration, Zheng Yao forced herself to hold back.

On the phone, the officer continued.

Fortunately, there was soon a twist.

After getting their hands on that huge sum of money, the Tan family hadn’t ended up any better off. Every one of them was greedy, and in the fight over the money, they’d even turned violent in the end, the youngest daughter of the Tan family had stabbed Tan Bin with a knife.

That knife strike nearly cost Tan Bin half his life, leaving him hospitalized for over a month while all the family’s money remained firmly in Tan Baosheng’s grasp.

With the sudden windfall, Tan Baosheng quickly lost his bearings and somehow developed a gambling addiction. By the time Tan Bin was discharged, Tan Baosheng had already squandered the entire family fortune, leaving the household in shambles and drowning in debt.

Hearing this, Zheng Yao finally felt a little better at least she wasn’t the only one suffering.

Unfortunately, the police had merely reiterated that Shen Baiyi had no money, no property, no relatives, and was already over eighteen, meaning she no longer required any legal guardianship.

After hanging up, Zheng Yao turned to Shen Baiyi.

The girl’s face had gone deathly pale upon hearing the officer’s final words.

Zheng Yao fell silent, unsure of what to do next. Now that she knew Shen Baiyi wasn’t Shen Sanguang’s biological daughter, her resentment toward the girl had lessened considerably.

She hadn’t disliked her that much to begin with, and with her resistance fading, she found it even harder to be ruthless.

Legally, she could kick Shen Baiyi out right this moment but morally, doing so would make her utterly heartless.

Given the circumstances, Shen Baiyi would end up homeless the second she was forced out.

And she hadn’t even finished high school.

If Zheng Yao remembered correctly, Shen Baiyi had been a good student.

“Jiejie.”

Shen Baiyi suddenly spoke up. Zheng Yao lifted her gaze, her expression complicated.

Honestly, Shen Sanguang was truly despicable. Knowing he hadn’t gone through the proper adoption procedures, why hadn’t he at least left a will?

He’d died without a care, leaving her with this massive mess. Had the Zheng family owed him in a past life or something?

“Can I leave tomorrow instead?” Shen Baiyi’s voice was quiet, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “It’s so late now. Could you wait until tomorrow to kick me out?”

The request caught Zheng Yao off guard. She’d expected Shen Baiyi to beg her not to send her away.

Instead, the girl had taken the opposite approach yielding first to gain ground later voluntarily offering to leave.

If Shen Baiyi had shamelessly clung to staying, Zheng Yao could’ve righteously thrown her out.

But now, faced with the girl’s pitiful plea for just one more night, her resolve wavered.

Her mind was a tangled mess.

“Fine. Go take a shower first.”

Overwhelmed, she answered distractedly. There was no way she could kick her out tonight anyway she’d figure things out tomorrow.

As she reached the door, she couldn’t help glancing back. “Don’t take too long. Dry yourself properly after.”

Shen Baiyi blinked, then nodded obediently. “Okay.”

The picture of docility.

Zheng Yao sat on the sofa, rubbing her temples, forcing herself to calm down and sort through the situation.

The reality was this: Shen Baiyi was genuinely homeless, hadn’t even completed high school, missed the graduation exams, and thus had no diploma.

All she had was a middle school education.

Even if Zheng Yao gave her money, it would only delay the inevitable not a sustainable solution.

Education was her only real way out.

Without even a high school diploma, what company would hire her? Even factories were starting to demand qualifications these days.

If left to fend for herself, Shen Baiyi’s chances of a decent future were slim.

Moreover, Shen Baiyi is still in a state of amnesia, blank as a sheet of paper, extremely susceptible to being deceived and taken advantage of.

Shen Baiyi used to be a top student.

Unconsciously, Zheng Yao recalled the last time she saw Shen Baiyi the previous year. The girl had walked into the school campus in her uniform, back straight, as radiant as the moon and refreshing as the breeze.

Could someone so outstanding in both character and academics really end up spending her days waiting tables in a restaurant?

That simply wouldn’t do.

Zheng Yao immediately dismissed the possibility.

Shen Baiyi had to continue her education. The school year had just begun, and it wasn’t too late for her to return. If she couldn’t make it for this year’s college entrance exams, she could prepare for next year’s. In any case, Shen Baiyi absolutely had to take those exams.

A sound came from the bathroom.

Zheng Yao looked over to see Shen Baiyi emerge, still wearing that thick hoodie of hers. The loose fit made her appear even more frail.

Just the sight of her gave Zheng Yao a headache. Before the other could speak, she pointed toward the guest room. “Go to sleep.”

She needed time alone to sort things out.

“Okay.” Shen Baiyi pressed her lips together and took a few steps toward the guest room before turning back. “Goodnight, sis. You should rest early too.”

“Goodnight.”

Zheng Yao’s reply was stiff and awkward.

How strange this guilty, remorseful feeling was unfamiliar.

She hadn’t even dared to meet Shen Baiyi’s gaze.

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