My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 28

She was truly grateful to her sister.

Her sister was a very good person.

Although she had completely forgotten her own past, even the police had said that her sister could have simply kicked her out. It was only because of her pitiable background and her sister’s kindness that she had been taken in out of pity.

At this thought, Shen Baiyi lowered her eyes pensively.

So, if she kept acting pitiable in front of her sister, her sister would continue to soften toward her, right?

Teacher Fu graded the test papers quickly, returning them shortly after.

Seeing that only two questions had been circled in red, Zheng Yao hadn’t even fully processed it when Teacher Fu’s voice call came through.

She hurriedly answered.

“Zheng Yao, your little sister is something else,” Teacher Fu’s voice brimmed with excitement. “This test was quite difficult, the highest score in my class last time was only 138, but your sister scored 141!”

Hearing this, Zheng Yao’s gaze flickered slightly.

She had known Shen Baiyi had good grades before, but she hadn’t expected them to be this impressive.

Still, she remained modest. “We’ll have to see how she does in tomorrow’s placement test.”

“True,” Teacher Fu agreed, calming down before adding a few more reminders and hanging up.

Wang Yong soon sent over Shen Baiyi’s previous academic records as well. Zheng Yao skimmed through them quickly surprisingly, Shen Baiyi had been a science student.

Her science subjects were nearly all excellent, with only Chinese and English dragging her down. Ironically, Zheng Yao had been the opposite, she had leaned toward liberal arts, with strong scores in Chinese and English, while her math had been disastrous. It was only after frequent tutoring that she managed to keep math from holding her back.

What a coincidence.

They complemented each other perfectly.

With this in mind, she took out the printed English test and placed it on the table outside.

“Do this set,” she said succinctly.

“Sister, how did I do just now?” Shen Baiyi asked curiously.

“You did very well,” Zheng Yao didn’t withhold her praise, stating the facts. “I heard you used to have excellent grades, a real academic ace.”

She didn’t mention Shen Baiyi’s weakness in English, simply pushing the test toward her.

Joy was unmistakable on Shen Baiyi’s face.

Watching her beautiful eyes curve into crescents, Zheng Yao’s mood inexplicably brightened.

While Shen Baiyi worked on the test, Zheng Yao began preparing dinner. There had been plenty of leftovers from lunch, but Shen Baiyi didn’t seem fond of them.

After some thought, Zheng Yao decided to make noodles for the evening.

The leftover broth from lunch would serve as the base, no waste and nutritious.

By the time Shen Baiyi finished most of the test, Zheng Yao’s noodles were ready.

“Alright, eat first.”

Setting the bowl on the table, Zheng Yao glanced down at Shen Baiyi. Steam rose between them, softening Shen Baiyi’s features into a hazy glow.

Zheng Yao froze for a moment.

She remembered the time at the Shen household when Shen Baiyi had brought her a bowl of noodles.

Truly… what goes around comes around.

“Thank you, Sister,” Shen Baiyi said delightedly, setting down her pen. “It looks delicious.”

Then she handed the test back to Zheng Yao.

“I feel like there were so many questions I didn’t know,” she added, a hint of embarrassment coloring her expression. “Maybe it’s been too long since I studied, I must’ve forgotten everything.”

Before Zheng Yao could speak, Shen Baiyi clenched her fists and added earnestly, “But don’t worry, Sister! I’ll work even harder and strive to improve!”

Her serious expression with tightly clenched fists was inexplicably adorable. Zheng Yao resisted the urge to reach out and pat her, turning her head away instead. “Mm, do your best,” she said, then pointed at the noodles. “Eat them while they’re hot, or they’ll get soggy.”

“Okay!”

Shen Baiyi had mixed feelings about the bowl of noodles delighted that she could eat something her sister had cooked again, yet disappointed that she couldn’t showcase her own skills.

She wished it were her sister growing fonder of her, not the other way around.

But now, it seemed the opposite was happening.

What a headache…

If she kept growing fonder of her sister, she’d want to cling to her forever.

–

Zheng Yao didn’t hand Shen Baiyi’s English test to Teacher Fu. Instead, she found the answers online and checked them herself.

Sure enough, Shen Baiyi had gotten a lot wrong. Without the listening section, she’d already lost thirty points, and with the other mistakes, her final score was only seventy.

Even if she’d aced the listening, she’d only have scored a hundred, out of a possible hundred and fifty.

Holding the test paper, Zheng Yao spaced out for a moment.

Before she could gather her thoughts, her editor suddenly sent a message.

[Qinghu Culture, Meisheng]: Keep it up, Teacher Guanmu! This book is going to be a smash hit! Even on break, don’t forget about your new book~

After finishing each book, Zheng Yao would take some time off, but the timing for starting a new one was unpredictable. Sometimes she’d begin a new project after just a month, other times a whole year would pass without any movement.

By all accounts, this period should have been her vacation. But now, reading her editor’s message, she had a sudden flash of inspiration.

She could make full use of this break.

Taking in Shen Baiyi had cost her so much emotional energy, it was only fair to get something in return, right?

Like observing Shen Baiyi as material for her next book?

It had been a while since she’d written a campus-themed suspense novel.

Especially one with a pitiful character like Shen Baiyi she’d rarely written protagonists with such a personality.

But if she used Shen Baiyi as inspiration, should she make her the victim or the perpetrator?

The perpetrator would probably create more contrast, right?

Zheng Yao imagined the scenario and, admittedly, it felt pretty compelling. Writing something she hadn’t tried before would be more challenging, and she couldn’t stay in her comfort zone forever.

But having her as the protagonist could also be interesting.

A fragile, pitiful little thing standing up against a ruthless killer… that had its own appeal, didn’t it?

Wait in that case, making the protagonist a single mother would probably add more depth, right? Wasn’t she essentially experiencing a no-pain version of motherhood now, getting a taste of what it was like to be the parent of a high school senior?

She’d have plenty of material to draw from.

The more she thought about it, the more inspired she became. Zheng Yao let out a long exhale, her mood lifting considerably.

–

The next day, Zheng Yao woke up unusually early.

But it seemed she could never outpace Shen Baiyi. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Shen Baiyi bustling around the living room with a mop.

Her hair was loose, swaying with each sweeping motion.

Shen Baiyi noticed her quickly and looked up with a sweet smile. “Good morning, Sister.”

Bright and radiant, the smile was impossible to resist. Zheng Yao nodded reflexively. “Morning.”

Glancing at the mirror-like floor again, she rubbed her temples. “You don’t need to mop every day. It’s unnecessary just a waste of time.”

“I don’t think it’s a waste of time,” Shen Baiyi shook her head. “Just knowing I’m mopping the floor for my sister fills me with a sense of accomplishment.”

Really?

Zheng Yao was skeptical.

She hated household chores the most. Every time she was asked to do them, it felt like torture. Sometimes she’d rather hire a cleaning lady than lift a finger herself.

But whether it was true or not, the immediate priority was preparing for the upcoming assessment test.

She got straight to the point: “We’re leaving for school at 8:30. Whether you can attend No.1 High depends entirely on this assessment, so stop trying to win me over with chores. What you should be doing is reviewing.”

With that, she stepped forward, snatched the mop from Shen Baiyi’s hands, and tossed it aside. “Go study,” she said coldly.

Shen Baiyi’s face burned. Had her sister really noticed she was trying to please her?

It seemed she’d been too obvious.

Lowering her eyes in thought, Shen Baiyi resolved to be more careful in the future.

–

Zheng Yao clearly took the school “interview” very seriously. After applying delicate makeup, she even grabbed a hair tie and walked behind Shen Baiyi.

Shen Baiyi instinctively turned her head.

“Stay still,” Zheng Yao pinched her cheek and turned her head back. “I’m putting your hair up.”

Sister smells so nice.

Shen Baiyi’s heart raced wildly. When she felt Zheng Yao’s index finger brush against her lips, she unconsciously parted them before quickly closing again, lightly sucking on the fingertip.

A feather-light kiss landed there, and Shen Baiyi’s cheeks secretly flushed.

Zheng Yao quickly withdrew her hand.

She hadn’t noticed Shen Baiyi’s little action, only discovering by accident when gathering Shen Baiyi’s hair that the ears hidden beneath were burning red.

“Are you running a fever?”

She paused, brows already furrowing.

Forgetting about the hairstyle, she pressed her palm against Shen Baiyi’s forehead to check.

The temperature didn’t feel high.

“No fever,” Shen Baiyi said, her face completely red now. Sister’s palm felt so warm.

Zheng Yao wasn’t entirely reassured. “Tell me if you feel unwell.”

“Understood.”

Shen Baiyi responded obediently, unable to resist grabbing her sister’s hand and bringing it to her nose. “What did you put on, sister? It smells so nice.”

Not only did sister smell wonderful, she felt amazing to touch too.

Unlike her own rough hands, sister’s were soft and tender, like sponge.

Feeling Shen Baiyi’s scorching breath on her hand, Zheng Yao quickly pulled away. “Are you a dog?”

Sniffing her hand like that?

“Sister just smells too good,” Shen Baiyi lowered her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. “I love your scent. It’s sweet.”

“It’s just hand cream, but even if you like it, you can’t use any,” Zheng Yao snorted. “You’re still a student. None of this nonsense.”

“I know,” Shen Baiyi nodded. “I won’t use any. I’ll just smell sister’s instead.”

Zheng Yao felt there was something off about that.

But she couldn’t exactly argue – Shen Baiyi really couldn’t use it, so smelling hers was the only way to quench that desire.

Putting it out of mind, she quickly tied Shen Baiyi’s hair into a ponytail.

The hairstyle added some liveliness, especially after making Shen Baiyi wear her old canary yellow down jacket. She finally looked more spirited.

Satisfied, Zheng Yao took her out the door.

–

When they arrived at the school, classes had already started. Teacher Fu had given prior notice, so Zheng Yao smoothly brought Shen Baiyi inside and headed straight for the academic affairs office.

Even after so many years, Zheng Yao recognized Teacher Fu at a glance and immediately greeted, “Hello, Teacher Fu.”

As she spoke, she reached to the side, grabbing Shen Baiyi’s sleeve and giving it a tug.

Shen Baiyi caught on quickly, promptly bowing politely. “Hello, Teacher Fu.”

Zheng Yao was satisfied and was about to withdraw her hand when Shen Baiyi suddenly reached over. Caught off guard, Zheng Yao let Shen Baiyi seize the opportunity to grasp her fingertips.

Shen Baiyi’s hand was a little cold.

Just as Zheng Yao was about to pull her fingers free, she noticed this, and her movements froze for a split second.

The moment to break free passed in an instant.

Shen Baiyi tightened her grip and leaned closer, as if frightened by the unfamiliar environment and instinctively seeking comfort from her.

In front of a group of school administrators, Zheng Yao had no choice but to endure Shen Baiyi clinging to her. She pressed her lips together, forcing herself to shift roles from student to guardian and summoned an air of confidence to avoid showing weakness.

Fortunately, the school didn’t engage in overly complicated formalities. The head teacher handed Shen Baiyi a comprehensive test paper and sent her straight to the study hall to take the exam.

Hearing this, Zheng Yao finally managed to pull her fingers free from Shen Baiyi’s grasp. Softly, she said, “Do your best.”

“I will, sis,” Shen Baiyi replied, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

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