My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 25

“No.” Zheng Yao refused without hesitation.

Her rejection came too quickly, leaving Shen Baiyi feeling hurt. “Why? I won’t be freeloading at your place. I’ll give all that money to you. You don’t need to buy me anything, I won’t get sick again, I’ll eat very little, and I can just wear your old clothes. It won’t cost much.”

When Zheng Yao remained silent, Shen Baiyi continued, “After the college entrance exams, I’ll work part-time during the summer break. I’ll work every winter and summer vacation to earn money, all of it will go to you.”

She racked her brain for bargaining chips to convince Zheng Yao to let her stay, but before she could say more, the other woman shut her down mercilessly again. “Drop it. What’s yours stays yours.”

Not even money could sway her sister. Shen Baiyi’s face fell with defeat. “But I really want to give you the money. And I really want to stay with you.”

More than money, she wanted a home.

She loved being here, with Zheng Yao, it felt like having someone to rely on, like family.

She wasn’t freeloading.

During school breaks, she could work part-time. Once she started working, she’d hand over every penny she earned to Zheng Yao. She would never take advantage of her.

And in the future, she would treat Zheng Yao well too.

But now, Zheng Yao was telling her that even if she had a million yuan, she still wouldn’t let her stay.

Tears welled up uncontrollably in Shen Baiyi’s eyes. This time, her sadness was real. She couldn’t even eat, biting her lip hard to keep the tears from falling.

Zheng Yao’s gaze never left her. Seeing Shen Baiyi on the verge of biting through her soft, pink lips, she slammed her chopsticks down with a sharp clack, irritation flaring. “What are you sulking about? Huh? Do you think I’m after your money? That I’m some kind of fortune-hunter?!”

The outburst startled Shen Baiyi. Her head jerked up, and the tears she’d been holding back finally spilled over. “No!” she denied quickly.

She didn’t know what “fortune-hunter” meant, but it definitely wasn’t a good thing.

And Zheng Yao seemed genuinely angry.

At that thought, her breath hitched.

But, she was truly heartbroken.

This wasn’t like before, when she’d pretended to be pitiful. This time, the pain was real heavy, like a boulder pressing on her chest.

Not wanting Zheng Yao to see her cry, she turned her face away and muttered, “I never thought you were after my money. I don’t think you’re a fortune-hunter. I just wanted a home with you.”

“…”

Zheng Yao fell silent.

Did Shen Baiyi even realize what she was saying?

After a long pause, Zheng Yao finally spoke. “I’m sorry. I can’t give you that.”

A home?

That wasn’t just some casual word. It carried weight, a meaning she couldn’t give Shen Baiyi. In a way, she didn’t even have a home herself. How could she give one to Shen Baiyi?

Besides, their relationship wasn’t close enough for that.

The fact that they weren’t on bad terms was already the result of a year’s worth of cooling off.

But the memory of Shen Baiyi’s tearful face lingered in Zheng Yao’s mind, her frown deepening. For some reason, it bothered her. Shen Baiyi had seemed unusually devastated.

Especially when she said she couldn’t give her a home, the sorrow on Shen Baiyi’s face was particularly vivid.

Zheng Yao couldn’t help stealing several more glances at Shen Baiyi.

Unlike previous times, Shen Baiyi cried discreetly this time, keeping her head down and avoiding her gaze. When she finally looked up again, though her eyes were moist and the corners reddened, she seemed to have composed herself, no longer continuing to cry.

But this only made her appear all the more aggrieved.

Zheng Yao ate without appetite, and Shen Baiyi didn’t eat much either, leaving more than half a bowl of rice untouched, picking at it for a long time without making any progress.

Clearly, she had no appetite and didn’t want to eat anymore.

She might have been a bit too harsh earlier. Shen Baiyi hadn’t really done anything wrong wanting a home was a perfectly normal desire. This girl was even willing to give up that million yuan for the sake of a so-called home, foolish to the extreme.

But it also fully demonstrated how starved Shen Baiyi was for love.

Even though Zheng Yao had treated her so poorly, Shen Baiyi still wanted to be with her. It showed just how desperate she was for affection, amplifying even the slightest kindness from others a hundredfold.

This kind of personality was dangerous.

People starved for love were always easier to deceive.

Moreover, such people tended to be overly sensitive. Realizing this, Zheng Yao glanced at Shen Baiyi again, unable to stop herself from reflecting.

She really had been too harsh earlier.

Not only had her tone been bad, but she’d also slammed her chopsticks, clearly frightening Shen Baiyi. Right now, she was probably heartbroken, likely imagining all sorts of things.

The more she thought about it, the heavier her guilt grew.

“Ahem.” Zheng Yao cleared her throat, deliberately trying to lighten the mood. “If you can’t eat, then don’t force yourself.”

As soon as she said it, she felt it sounded off.

Did that come across as impatient?

She awkwardly added, “Have some soup. I ordered it especially for you.”

No sooner had she spoken than Shen Baiyi, who had been keeping her head down, looked up, her eyes brightening yet she asked cautiously, “Really? You ordered it just for me?”

So easily pleased?

Like a puppy wagging its tail at the slightest treat.

See, Shen Baiyi was exactly the type of naive girl who’d follow someone home for a pack of spicy snacks.

With her like this, how could Zheng Yao rest easy letting her leave without supervision? So easily swayed, no matter how much money she had, someone would sweet-talk her out of it.

Zheng Yao’s thoughts were complicated, but her expression remained neutral as she nodded. “Mhm, it’s nutritious.”

Shen Baiyi looked delighted. “Thank you, Jiejie.”

Her eyes were still red-rimmed.

Zheng Yao’s heart softened. She picked up the ladle and served Shen Baiyi a heaping bowl of soup before stopping, speaking gently, “Eat up.”

“I’ll serve you too, Jiejie.” Shen Baiyi stood up, holding the ladle but not reaching for Zheng Yao’s bowl, instead hesitantly looking at her.

Zheng Yao’s heart stirred, and she handed her bowl over. “Alright.”

A relieved smile instantly appeared on Shen Baiyi’s face. She ladled the soup with care, picking out the most delicious and nutritious parts to pile into Zheng Yao’s bowl.

“Alright, alright, I can’t eat that much.”

The soup was practically overflowing, yet this girl was still meticulously selecting the best bits.

Zheng Yao lowered her head and took a sip.

The soup lived up to its price, it tasted pretty good.

She couldn’t resist glancing at Shen Baiyi across the table, only to find the other girl sneakily looking back at her.

Zheng Yao raised a brow. “What are you looking at?”

Shen Baiyi blushed and shook her head, then quickly lowered her gaze.

Zheng Yao’s eyes flickered with amusement.

The meal had transitioned from initial tension to a warm harmony in what seemed like no time at all. Zheng Yao had a fiery temper that flared up easily, but when faced with Shen Baiyi’s pitiful little expression, her anger dissipated just as quickly.

Yet she knew their current harmony was merely an illusion.

If that earlier topic were brought up again, the conflict would still be there, and they would inevitably clash.

For now, though, both of them tacitly avoided mentioning it, maintaining this fragile peace.

Even if they didn’t discuss the money issue, Zheng Yao knew she’d have to talk to Shen Baiyi another day. Shen Baiyi’s overly submissive nature made her an easy target for exploitation, she needed to change.

But for the moment.

Zheng Yao didn’t want to ruin the mood again.

Lecturing someone was always a headache, and she wasn’t keen on playing the villain.

After all, she had been that age once too.

As a child, she had hated it when her father lectured her with that serious tone, the more he preached, the more rebellious she became. There was even a time when she resented him for it.

She never expected Shen Baiyi to like her, but at the very least, she didn’t want to be met with resentment or resistance.

If Shen Baiyi was going to resent her, it should at least be after Zheng Yao had given her all that money.

At that thought, Zheng Yao lowered her eyes.

When you dislike someone, you reject everything associated with them.

Just like how she refused to accept Bai Yuanzhu’s compensation.

–

Aside from the soup, most of the lunch dishes remained untouched. Fortunately, the cold weather meant they could be saved for dinner without spoiling.

After lounging on the sofa and petting Bububu for a while, Zheng Yao glanced at Shen Baiyi, who was reading nearby. “Do you recognize all the words in that book?”

Shen Baiyi nodded. “Mm.”

Zheng Yao was surprised. Shen Baiyi’s amnesia seemed almost nonexistent. She beckoned. “Come here. Let me test you.”

Without hesitation, Shen Baiyi stood and walked over, her heartbeat quickening with each step.

She carefully sat beside Zheng Yao but kept a slight distance between them, timidly handing over the book.

Her nerves were undeniable.

She worried about making mistakes, about failing to meet her sister’s expectations.

Taking the book, Zheng Yao glanced at the gap between them and sighed inwardly. “Why are you sitting so far away?”

Did she think Zheng Yao would bite her?

Despite the sharp tone, Shen Baiyi’s eyes suddenly brightened, and she cautiously scooted closer.

This time, their clothes pressed together, leaving no space between them.

“……”

Well, that was a bit too close.

But Shen Baiyi still looked nervous, so Zheng Yao swallowed her words, suppressing the inexplicable discomfort, and randomly pointed to a passage. “Read this.”

Shen Baiyi’s gaze followed, but her attention was immediately captured by Zheng Yao’s fingers.

Zheng Yao’s hands were the kind that clearly belonged to someone well-cared-for pale, slender, and delicate, with faintly visible veins, breathtakingly beautiful.

Shen Baiyi was mesmerized, frozen in place.

Zheng Yao blinked, watching Shen Baiyi’s dazed expression before following her line of sight to the text.

They were simple, basic words not even classical Chinese. Had she forgotten these too?

Her eyelid twitched.

How is she supposed to take the college entrance exam like this?

She closed the book and checked the date again. There were less than a hundred days left until the exam. With such a tight schedule, it was impossible for Shen Baiyi, who was as blank as a sheet of paper to successfully get into university.

Shen Baiyi wasn’t a prodigy, after all.

Maybe she should just arrange for Shen Baiyi to repeat the second year of high school?

But if Shen Baiyi couldn’t even recognize basic characters, would repeating a grade even help? High school was a place filled with all kinds of overachievers. Could Shen Baiyi ever catch up? But sending her back to elementary school was out of the question, right?

Starting from scratch?

The more she thought about it, the more her head hurt.

Finally snapping out of her thoughts, Shen Baiyi noticed Zheng Yao had closed the book and couldn’t help but freeze. “Sister, do you want me to recite the entire text?”

Support