My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 29

She actually seemed less nervous than she had been at home, quietly following the teacher outside with what appeared to be a confident demeanor.

Zheng Yao secretly took a deep breath. If Shen Baiyi herself wasn’t nervous, why should she be?

While Shen Baiyi was taking the exam, Zheng Yao pulled out her previous academic records. “She used to have excellent grades and was very diligent. Although she’s suffered a head injury and forgotten many things, I believe that with the teaching environment and resources of this school, combined with her own hard work, she can catch up to the other students.”

Shen Baiyi had performed well in school before, consistently ranking first in exams. She was both academically outstanding and well-liked, receiving high praise from teachers and classmates alike.

By all accounts, Shen Baiyi was an excellent student, and the school wouldn’t regret admitting her.

Seeing the teachers’ satisfied expressions, Zheng Yao relaxed slightly, though she wasn’t entirely at ease.

No matter how impressive her past achievements were, they were still just that past achievements. They could only serve as a reference. What truly mattered was how she performed in the current placement exam.

The wait was excruciatingly long. By the time Shen Baiyi returned with the teacher, an hour had passed.

The teacher’s expression was calm, but Shen Baiyi looked serious, her brows tightly furrowed as if she hadn’t performed well.

“Sister.”

Shen Baiyi’s voice sounded listless.

Zheng Yao’s expression remained unchanged as they both waited quietly in the reception room for the results from the academic office.

Fortunately, the school didn’t keep them waiting too long. The comprehensive test was graded quickly, and the results were decent. However, Shen Baiyi did show some subject weaknesses. Luckily, her English wasn’t as far behind this time, but her performance in the short essay section of the Chinese exam was lacking.

Her math and physics scores were nearly perfect. Though the test wasn’t extensive, it was enough to prove that Shen Baiyi’s foundation was solid.

With this relatively outstanding test result, the transfer process was quickly completed.

While the procedure went smoothly, it wasn’t entirely without issues at least for Zheng Yao, there was still one major headache left to resolve.

Accommodation.

Because they had arrived too late, there were no available dormitory spots left, meaning Shen Baiyi could only enroll as a day student.

In other words, Shen Baiyi would have to stay at her house every day. Zheng Yao’s hope of leaving her at school and only hosting her during holidays had been dashed.

Because of this, Zheng Yao’s mood instantly plummeted.

Shen Baiyi was a sensitive person.

Noticing her sister’s low spirits, she pressed her lips together and remained quiet the entire way, not daring to make a sound.

Zheng Yao didn’t take her straight home.

After parking the car, she unbuckled her seatbelt and said, “Get out.”

“Sister, where are we going?” Shen Baiyi felt uneasy, instinctively reluctant to step out anywhere other than home.

“You start school officially tomorrow. Don’t you need school supplies and daily necessities?” Zheng Yao paused, then added, “We’ll also get you a bank card. All your expenses will be deducted from it from now on.”

“Sister, you’ve thought of everything.” The gloom lifted, and Shen Baiyi couldn’t help but smile again. “I wouldn’t have considered all that.”

This time, she obediently followed her out of the car.

Zheng Yao was a woman of action. In no time at all, she had gathered everything Shen Baiyi needed.

Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her that it was mealtime. Zheng Yao decided to take Shen Baiyi out to eat.

Considering Shen Baiyi’s health, she avoided anything too greasy or spicy and ordered her a chicken drumstick rice bowl. Then, Zheng Yao stood up. “Eat first. I’ll go buy something outside.”

Shen Baiyi immediately rose to her feet. “I want to go with you.”

But when it came to standing her ground, Zheng Yao was firm. Without another word, she fixed Shen Baiyi with a cold stare.

Within seconds, Shen Baiyi relented. “Fine… I’ll wait here. But you have to come back.”

As she watched Zheng Yao disappear from the restaurant, Shen Baiyi lowered her head slightly, a hint of dejection in her posture.

She should have been reassured.

Zheng Yao had already bought her so many things and even handled her school transfer. The likelihood of her being abandoned was slim.

But the trauma of being left behind at the hospital last time still lingered she couldn’t shake the fear that Zheng Yao might vanish at any moment.

“Holy shit!”

A sudden exclamation made Shen Baiyi frown and look up. A strangely dressed girl with wide, shocked eyes was staring at her.

Not only did she have a bright red afro, but her neck was covered in tattoos. Even weirder, she had a metal ring pierced through her lip. The more Shen Baiyi looked, the more unsettling the girl seemed.

She didn’t know her. She didn’t want to engage.

Shen Baiyi lowered her head again, but the girl pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down, asking in surprise, “You’re still here?”

Shen Baiyi lifted her gaze, studying the stranger calmly.

She had no memory of this person. According to Zheng Yao, she had been living in her hometown all this time, how could she possibly know someone who looked so bizarre?

Unless…

Unless she had deceived everyone and, in secret, had been someone just like this girl.

Birds of a feather flock together.

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” she said coldly before looking away.

She didn’t care about her past. From now on, she would be the well-behaved student Zheng Yao wanted her to be.

“Huh?” The girl looked baffled. Mistaken? That didn’t seem possible Shen Baiyi’s face was too distinctive to confuse with anyone else’s.

She wanted to ask more, but her phone kept buzzing with urgent messages. Remembering the person waiting at home, she had no choice but to grab her takeout and leave, glancing back repeatedly as she went.

–

By the time Zheng Yao returned with fried chicken and milk tea, over half an hour had passed.

The moment she sat down, Shen Baiyi gave her a pitiful look. “You’re finally back. There was this really weird person earlier, I was so scared.”

“Weird person?” Zheng Yao instantly tensed. “Man or woman? What was weird about them?”

“A girl. Red afro, covered in tattoos,” Shen Baiyi said, biting her lip. “And she had this metal ring in her lip. It was terrifying.”

“That’s called a lip ring.” Zheng Yao frowned. “Way too edgy. Probably a delinquent. Stay away from people like that.”

“I didn’t talk to her.” Seeing Zheng Yao’s reaction, Shen Baiyi smiled, her eyes curving happily. “I only want to be with you.”

She had known Zheng Yao wouldn’t approve of that type of person.

“What nonsense are you talking? You can make friends with others, but keep your eyes sharp. Don’t follow bad influences. The most important thing for you right now is the college entrance exam.” By this point, Zheng Yao’s frown had deepened.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that Shen Baiyi looked too easy to bully.

Being a transfer student on top of that made her an easy target.

“I’ll listen to you, sis.” Shen Baiyi nodded without hesitation, then reached out to touch Zheng Yao’s furrowed brow. “Don’t frown, sis. I won’t let you down.”

Of course, she didn’t succeed.

Zheng Yao leaned back to avoid her. “Talk if you want to talk. What’s with the touching?”

Just like earlier in the office, she’d even tried to hold her hand. Back when Zheng Yao was in school, she’d never held hands with friends, not even to go to the bathroom. Yet now, Shen Baiyi had done it.

Shen Baiyi pressed her lips together and stayed silent.

Her chicken drumstick meal was finally ready. Seeing that her sister was only eating takeout, Shen Baiyi couldn’t resist picking up the drumstick. “Here, sis.”

She held it up to Zheng Yao’s lips.

The move was so sudden that Zheng Yao didn’t have time to react before the fragrant drumstick was pressed against her mouth.

“…”

Her face darkened as she leaned back. “Mind your own business. Eat your own food.”

“Okay.”

Seeing her sister’s cold attitude, Shen Baiyi felt a pang of disappointment. Looking down, she noticed a new color on the drumstick and froze for a moment.

She glanced up, stealing a look at her sister’s lips.

Today, her sister was wearing lipstick, a very pretty shade that made her lips look red and soft, almost tempting enough to kiss.

Realizing this, Shen Baiyi quickly lowered her gaze.

Why was she having such strange thoughts?

Her eyes fell back to the drumstick.

This was the drumstick her sister had touched.

At that thought, her eyes flickered, and she began nibbling at the drumstick in small, careful bites.

It tasted delicious.

Soon, a few cleanly gnawed bones lay on the table.

It was a satisfying meal.

–

By the time they got home, it was past one o’clock.

Watching Shen Baiyi immediately start tidying up as soon as they entered, Zheng Yao grew thoughtful.

Since she’d decided to let Shen Baiyi stay temporarily, she might as well take it seriously.

She motioned for Shen Baiyi to sit at the dining table.

Shen Baiyi looked uneasy. “What’s wrong, sis?”

“Sit properly. There are some things I need to make clear to you in advance.” Zheng Yao’s expression was stern.

Hearing this, Shen Baiyi immediately straightened up like a model student, her face serious. “Go ahead, sis. I’ll listen to whatever you say.”

She hadn’t even heard anything yet, and she was already agreeing? Zheng Yao scoffed. “Don’t just say you’ll listen to me. I know you stubborn as a mule when you want to be. Now you’re all sweet talk.”

Shen Baiyi’s face flushed slightly. “Mhm, sis knows me best.”

“…”

No wonder she was weak in Chinese and English. With comprehension skills like this, how could she expect good grades?

Zheng Yao pinched the bridge of her nose and got back on track. “Even though you’re staying with me for now, I want to remind you, I’m not your real sister. Keep that in mind. Don’t think just because you’re helpful or sweet-talking, you can stay here forever.”

Shen Baiyi’s eyes sparkled.

Sweet-talking? Did that mean her sister thought she was charming, that her words made her happy?

At that thought, a hint of a smile crept into her eyes. She cautiously asked, “Then how long will this ‘temporary stay’ with sis last?”

“At least until your college entrance exams are over,” Zheng Yao said.

That meant at least three more months.

Not three days, but three whole months.

Realizing this, Shen Baiyi’s lips curled into a smile as she nodded. “I understand, sis.”

The way Shen Baiyi’s eyes sparkled made it clear she hadn’t really taken the words to heart.

Zheng Yao simply turned her head away, opting for the “out of sight, out of mind” approach, and continued, “During this time, you’ll serve as material for my novel. I’ll be observing you. Of course, objections are invalid this is the condition for you staying at my place.”

“I don’t object. I’d be happy to help you, sis!” Shen Baiyi shook her head, her gaze brimming with even more admiration. “Are you a writer? That’s amazing!”

This girl always missed the point.

Zheng Yao pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing the conversation back on track. “I’ve decided my next book will be about a single mother, so I need to experience how a single mother takes care of a child. All you have to do is act like an ordinary kid, no need to fuss over chores at home.”

Shen Baiyi froze, her brows knitting together in resistance. “Does that mean, I’ll have to call you ‘Mom’ from now on?”

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