My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 38

Zheng Yao fell silent.

Had she just been tricked by Shen Baiyi?

Shen Baiyi was all smiles, deliberately hooking her pinky finger before she could react, giving it a quick shake. “Pinky promise, a hundred years no changing! Done.”

She tilted her head up, her pretty face full of mischief. “Whoever breaks it is a puppy. If you don’t want to turn into the dogs you hate most, then you have to keep liking me forever.”

Zheng Yao burst out laughing. “Is this what you’ve been learning at school?”

Shen Baiyi stared at her without saying a word.

“How childish.” Zheng Yao flicked her forehead. “If your homework is too light, I can talk to your teacher and ask her to assign you more.”

Then, remembering Shen Baiyi’s earlier threat, she snorted. “You’re the puppy here.”

She poked Shen Baiyi’s swollen right cheek. “Right now, you look exactly like those dogs in short videos that got stung by bees.”

With that, she couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Her eyes crinkled with mirth, her beautiful face radiant.

Shen Baiyi wasn’t angry. Watching her sister like this, she couldn’t even bear to blink, wishing she could freeze this moment forever.

But of course, that was impossible.

Lowering her head, she carefully ate her noodles, but the tooth that had started feeling better was irritated again, soon throbbing with dull pain.

This toothache wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Though she wanted to stay with her sister, the impending college entrance exams weighed on her mind. In the end, she suggested going back to school for afternoon classes.

Lying around only made the pain worse, it was better to distract herself.

Zheng Yao initially disagreed but was eventually persuaded by Shen Baiyi’s reasoning. She personally drove her back to school.

Handing the medicine to Shen Baiyi, she couldn’t help but worry. “Remember to take your meds after meals. If it hurts too much, have your teacher call me. I’ll come pick you up.”

She said it so naturally, as if she’d completely forgotten how resistant she’d been to bringing Shen Baiyi home just two months ago.

Though Shen Baiyi obediently agreed, Zheng Yao never received another call from her homeroom teacher.

For the next few days, Zheng Yao returned to the routine she’d had when Shen Baiyi first started school dropping her off in the mornings and picking her up in the evenings until the toothache finally subsided.

Shen Baiyi’s ordeal lasted three full days.

During that time, her food intake dropped drastically because of the pain. In no time at all, the little weight Zheng Yao had painstakingly helped her gain with nourishing soups vanished completely.

Just three days.

Only three short days.

At the dinner table, Zheng Yao’s expression darkened as she stared at Shen Baiyi’s gaunt face, her whole demeanor gloomy.

“Sister?” Sensing her gaze, Shen Baiyi asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

She reached up to touch her face.

Had she gotten rice stuck on it?

“Nothing.” Watching her, Zheng Yao couldn’t help but chuckle. “Stop touching. There’s nothing on your face except how pretty you are.”

“You think I’m pretty?” Shen Baiyi’s eyes lit up.

“Hmm?” Zheng Yao was puzzled by her delighted reaction, as if it were the first time she’d ever been complimented. “Has no one at school ever told you you’re good-looking?”

Shen Baiyi shook her head. “They have.”

In fact, within less than two months of arriving at First High School, she had already lost count of how many love letters she’d received.

But this was the first time her sister had praised her for being pretty.

At this thought, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

“That girl you mentioned before has she stopped bothering you?” Zheng Yao suddenly recalled the incident from when Shen Baiyi had first enrolled, instantly growing wary. “Has she been pestering you again, trying to get you to date her?”

When her sister brought up Lin Weiwei, Shen Baiyi’s expression turned slightly uneasy. “No.”

It was true that Lin Weiwei hadn’t been pestering her, but ever since that time she was caught kissing someone, the girl had grown increasingly brazen in front of her. More than once, Shen Baiyi had spotted her in various corners of the campus.

Lin Weiwei seemed to be getting more and more explicit, practically treating the classroom like a hotel. Sometimes, Shen Baiyi even wondered if the girl was about to strip naked right in front of her and put on an R-rated show.

But she could handle it herself she didn’t want to disgust her sister with these things.

Lin Weiwei had the confidence to act so recklessly at school. Aside from coming from a wealthy family, her grades were decent, and with the college entrance exams approaching, the teachers weren’t as strict with them anymore.

The teachers had done all they could, the rest was up to the students themselves.

Shen Baiyi endured in silence, while Lin Weiwei grew more audacious but not without consequences.

Take the last mock exam, for example. Shen Baiyi had improved by three places, while Lin Weiwei had dropped ten. Her grades were slipping fast, and if this continued, who knew how she’d fare in the actual exams?

Shen Baiyi wouldn’t even need to lift a finger Lin Weiwei would suffer the consequences on her own.

At this thought, her eyes curved into crescents as she reassured her sister, “I’d never date any of them. None of them are as good as you.”

Zheng Yao felt a little lightheaded from the praise but scoffed. “Little flatterer. Who could possibly outdo you in sweet talk?”

A year ago, she would never have guessed that Shen Baiyi could be such a smooth talker, with a whole arsenal of charming words. Even though she knew the girl was just buttering her up, she couldn’t help but feel delighted.

She couldn’t resist sighing softly.

Truly, no one was immune to sweet nothings.

She couldn’t even imagine what Shen Baiyi would be like in a relationship, how thoroughly would her little boyfriend be wrapped around her finger?

“I’m not a flatterer,” Shen Baiyi protested earnestly. “I’m telling the truth.”

Seeing her seriousness, Zheng Yao matched her tone. “Baiyi, don’t feel so indebted just because someone shows you a little kindness that you’d give them everything you have.”

This was something Zheng Yao had told Shen Baiyi long ago, but the girl never seemed to take it to heart.

“I know, Sis,” Shen Baiyi lowered her head, not arguing back like last time.

But she didn’t look like she’d truly taken the words to heart.

After a moment’s thought, Zheng Yao added, “Always put yourself first, Shen Baiyi. Be selfish.”

Other people would always just be other people.

“The person who loves you most in this world will always be yourself.”

Only you can truly rely on yourself, others are just seasoning in your life.

This heart-to-heart ended quickly, thanks to Shen Baiyi’s obedient response.

Though she wasn’t sure if the girl had really listened, she’d said all she needed to. Whether Shen Baiyi took it to heart was up to her.

As Shen Baiyi’s temporary guardian, Zheng Yao only needed to take care of her until the college entrance exams making sure she ate well, slept well, and hopefully gained a few pounds.

The thought of Shen Baiyi’s increasingly thin face made Zheng Yao feel uneasy all over.

To address this, she deliberately bought a weighing scale and placed it in the living room.

Every time Shen Baiyi came home, Zheng Yao would make her step on it to check her weight. She even hung a small notebook beside it to record each measurement.

At noon every day, she would also prepare and deliver meals to Shen Baiyi.

Though the taste wasn’t great, the meals were nutritious.

Raising Shen Baiyi was something she took seriously.

So much so that when her editor reached out, she realized she had long forgotten about her novel.

[Qinghu Culture—Meisheng]: Author, say something!

[Qinghu Culture—Meisheng]: You haven’t ghosted me, right? Right? Sister Guanmu!

[Qinghu Culture—Meisheng]: I believe our gorgeous author must be busy writing, which is why she hasn’t replied to me~

Still wearing her apron, Zheng Yao coughed lightly and rubbed her nose guiltily when she saw the messages.

Writing was out of the question lately, she had been learning how to cook.

After a moment’s hesitation, she lowered her gaze and typed.

[Guanmu]: Sorry, I’ve been occupied lately and can’t start the new story yet. I’ll let you know when I do.

The weather was getting hotter, and her entire body felt lazy. Between studying recipes, cooking, and taking care of two kittens, she truly had no time.

But since she had previously acted as if she were about to start writing, backing out now might seem like she was toying with her editor. So she invited Meisheng out for a meal.

They had worked together for a long time and had met offline before, making them fairly close online friends.

[Qinghu Culture—Meisheng]: Sure! I’ll bring the signed sheets for you.

Zheng Yao grimaced at the message.

They were the autograph sheets for her last published book, Ji’an. Thousands of copies needed signing, she’d be busy for days.

–

The meal with Meisheng was scheduled for Thursday.

Meisheng’s real name was Zhou Meilin, a few years older than Zheng Yao. Online or offline, she was easygoing.

Noticing the lunchbox Zheng Yao was carrying, Zhou Meilin raised an eyebrow. “Who’s the meal for, Author Guanmu?”

A suggestive smile crept onto her face. “Boyfriend?”

“Don’t jinx me,” Zheng Yao replied with a strained smile. “Boyfriend? What a vile word.”

“What’s the big deal?” Zhou Meilin chuckled. “Sure, some men are trash, but there are still a few decent ones out there.”

Zheng Yao didn’t argue. Instead, she pulled up a recent news headline about a husband murdering his wife. “Here, your daily dose of marriage horror stories.”

The case was quite shocking. Zhou Meilin glanced at it and shook her head. “Why does everyone seem so full of rage lately? Even trivial matters escalate like this.”

Zheng Yao put her phone away. “It’s always been like this. The internet just exposes it more now.”

Which was why living alone was the most carefree option.

Solve the problem at its root.

Zhou Meilin suddenly remembered. “You still haven’t told me who the food is for.”

Then, feigning flattery, she added, “Could it be a lovingly prepared lunch for me by Author Guanmu?”

“Nutritional meals for the kid at home,” Zheng Yao said offhandedly.

Zhou Meilin froze. “You have a kid?”

After a beat, she reconsidered. “A relative’s child?”

Zheng Yao shot her an amused look. “Since when did you switch careers to census-taking?”

Zhou Meilin shrugged. “What can I do? My beloved Teacher Guan isn’t writing anymore, so I had to find a side gig.”

The two joked it off, and Zhou Meilin didn’t press further.

But as she watched the girl emerging from the school from her car, she couldn’t help but be startled.

She had thought Teacher Guan was already exceptionally good-looking, but the child from Teacher Guan’s family was even more stunning so beautiful she seemed like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.

Unable to resist, she rolled down the car window to get a better look.

Suddenly, the pretty young girl turned and looked straight at her from a short distance away.

Her gaze was deep and chilling.

Zhou Meilin’s heart skipped a beat. Under that stare, her scalp prickled, and she instinctively rolled the window back up.

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