Pampered and Kept by a Gloomy Younger Lover - Chapter 5

Setting aside the malice in his tone, Wen Zhao felt the description was quite fitting at this moment. More often than not, Wen Zhao referred to herself as Qin Zhuyu’s… page boy.

Today, Wen Zhao needed to accompany Qin Zhuyu to complete an investigation report.

While Wen Zhao sat to one side playing on her phone, she would occasionally glance at Qin Zhuyu from the corner of her eye. Even the glamorous young lady of the Qin family was being worn down to the bone by her social practice assignment.

“If I had known, I would have listened to my parents and gone abroad to study,” Qin Zhuyu grumbled, resting her chin on the table with an expression that looked as if her soul had left her body.

Wen Zhao thought she could almost see a tiny ghost drifting out of the girl’s mouth.

“Eat something and take a break,” Wen Zhao said with a faint smile, pushing a red velvet cake toward Qin Zhuyu.

A twenty-year-old girl was at the peak of her appetite.

Before her transmigration, Wen Zhao had already worked for several years. After transmigrating, although her age was uncertain, she always placed herself in the role of a self-sacrificing caregiver.

Zheng Miaoning was the same age as Qin Zhuyu. However, Zheng Miaoning had been “forced to grow up” for too long; she was overly guarded and had long since ceased to act like a child.

Wen Zhao could sense it—the day they met at the flower shop, Zheng Miaoning had actually been desperately craving her care. Having studied abroad alone for two years, Wen Zhao felt a deep ache in her heart for her.

Precisely because she felt for her, Wen Zhao was determined to stay away from her.

Qin Zhuyu scooped a piece of cake into her mouth, looking at Wen Zhao’s calm profile with a hesitant expression.

Wen Zhao had promised Yu Xin that she would periodically substitute for a class at the orphanage’s “Bean Class,” and she was currently preparing her lesson plan. She keenly sensed Qin Zhuyu’s gaze.

“Ask whatever you want to ask. After a short break, get back to your homework. Once it’s finished, we’ll go for dinner and have some fun tonight.”

“Um… alright. I wanted to ask… why are you unwilling to let me get to know you?”

The only time she had definitively learned about Wen Zhao’s preferences was because of Zheng Miaoning. Wen Zhao had already explained to her that Zheng Miaoning’s reason for doing that was to make Wen Zhao think of her every single moment—an idea that had thoroughly disgusted Qin Zhuyu.

Qin Zhuyu was an only child. In the early years, her family wasn’t as wealthy as they were now, but they weren’t poor either. Not to mention, during her middle school years, her parents hit a stroke of luck, their assets skyrocketed, and the family achieved a sudden leap in social class overnight.

She had never suffered any hardships. She had also never truly considered what kind of person she would spend the rest of her life with.

But having been bound to Wen Zhao by chance, Qin Zhuyu found herself thinking: if Wen Zhao could stay by my side, protecting and loving me, it would be wonderful if life could go on like this forever.

The Qin family were “nouveau riche,” and many people in their circle looked down on them. Since middle school, it had been difficult for Qin Zhuyu to make friends within the same social stratum. Parental love could not compensate for the lack of friendship.

The Qin Zhuyu of the past was indeed arrogant and malicious. The more people looked down on her, the angrier she became, arguing with them only to make a bigger fool of herself and face more ridicule. She felt she had to raise her thorns to protect her self-esteem.

For two years, Qin Zhuyu had enjoyed Wen Zhao’s care and companionship.

Initially, Qin Zhuyu had wanted to torment and bully Wen Zhao to vent her frustrations—after all, Zheng Miaoning was the absolute center of their peer group, and Wen Zhao had been such a “simp” for her.

But Wen Zhao was simply too gentle.

No matter how rude the request, Wen Zhao would do her best to fulfill it. No matter how overboard the joke, Wen Zhao would let it slide with a smile. She remembered everything and would turn around to ask: Did you sleep well yesterday? Did you like this morning’s breakfast? Are you having a happy day?

When Qin Zhuyu said “no,” Wen Zhao would sing a simple rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” to coax her into a nap, or take her to do all the things that usually required a friend’s company to feel less lonely.

Gradually, Qin Zhuyu reached a point where she could reluctantly say, “Everything is alright,” every day.

Once, when she overheard classmates spreading lewd rumors about Wen Zhao in the restroom, Qin Zhuyu had dumped a basin of water over them, resulting in her having to stand in detention late at night with Wen Zhao.

Standing under the moonlit flower gallery, quietly apologizing to Wen Zhao, Qin Zhuyu had completely forgotten. She forgot that her original intention for getting to know Wen Zhao was to torment her.

Qin Zhuyu didn’t know when she had fallen in love with Wen Zhao.

Maybe it was when the afternoon sun hit Wen Zhao’s hair and shoulders while she sang with eyes full of tenderness. Maybe it was when Wen Zhao, wearing an apron, brought over a meticulously prepared breakfast and asked if it tasted good. Maybe it was when Wen Zhao accompanied her on the pirate ship at the amusement park, their hair intertwining in the wind.

Perhaps there were many “maybes.” But amidst countless maybes, there was one certainty: Qin Zhuyu liked Wen Zhao.

Wen Zhao was like a soft spring breeze. This meant she was forever warm and gentle, bringing life, but no one had the power to catch the wind.

Qin Zhuyu crossed her hands, resting her face on the back of her hands, and asked aggrievedly, “Why is it? You never allow me to understand you.”

But everything I don’t know, Zheng Miaoning knows it all.

Wen Zhao froze for a moment, then lowered her head. A bitter taste rose in her mouth as she smiled. “Why be so obsessed with understanding me? Isn’t it good the way we are now?”

“It’s not!” Qin Zhuyu blurted out.

Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Qin Zhuyu covered her mouth and stammered to fix it: “I… I didn’t mean it like that. It is good now, but Wen Zhao, I want to know you.”

In just one year, Qin Zhuyu’s thoughts had shifted from “it’s not bad having her by my side” to “I want to be just as good to her.” This unequal distribution of effort made it impossible for Qin Zhuyu to enjoy Wen Zhao’s care with a clear conscience; she was desperate to give back just as much.

The look in Qin Zhuyu’s eyes now was one Wen Zhao was all too familiar with. Looking at her, Wen Zhao couldn’t help but think of that gorgeous face that used to look at her with such hostility.

Wen Zhao had once believed Zheng Miaoning was sincere when she said she wanted to understand her. And what was the result?

Wen Zhao hardened her heart and looked away. “There’s no need. There are only two months left until our agreement expires.”

“The fact that you stay by my side and warm me day after day… is it all just because of that forced agreement?” Qin Zhuyu asked sadly.

The start of their relationship was so unseemly. There were so many moments of warmth between them that they both deliberately avoided that beginning. Qin Zhuyu had almost forgotten it, and she wished Wen Zhao would forget it too, so she could rightfully possess Wen Zhao for much, much longer.

Wen Zhao didn’t answer. This silence was as good as an admission.

Qin Zhuyu refused to give up. “When you leave me, whose side are you going to? Miss Li? Miss Wan? You said things were good as they are, so why are you still thinking about leaving?”

“Because I came here specifically to leave,” Wen Zhao said suddenly, words that left Qin Zhuyu baffled.

Realizing that “the more said, the more lost,” Wen Zhao remembered her lesson. She quickly changed the subject. “We’ll discuss this in two months. For now, let’s focus on your practice report, Little Miss.” The last two words sounded quite helpless.

As she shifted her gaze, she caught Qin Zhuyu’s confused and mournful look. Wen Zhao was startled. Since when had she, like Zheng Miaoning, started thinking about escaping the moment a problem arose?

For a moment, both people in the private study room felt restless.

Wen Zhao took a deep breath, adjusted her mood, and decided: “You’re clearly not in the mood for the report anymore. Let’s go. What do you want for dinner?”

“I don’t feel like eating right now.”

Qin Zhuyu was in a bad mood and didn’t want to cooperate at all. This was no challenge for Wen Zhao; she pulled out her phone and checked the map.

“Then let’s find a place to kill some time and energy. Hmm, a new Perler bead shop opened in the office building above the mall. Want to check it out?”

Wen Zhao waited while Qin Zhuyu struggled with herself for a long time. Eventually, the desire to play overcame her temper, and Qin Zhuyu nodded.

Wen Zhao’s words were to “kill some time and energy.”

At 10:30 PM, the shop owner, smiling as she helped with the ironing and timing, said, “Ladies, we are about to close for cleaning, so…”

Wen Zhao looked at the time on her phone, bit her lip, and nudged Qin Zhuyu with her elbow. “Zhuyu, it’s time to go home.”

Once they started “beading,” they became possessed, forgetting everything else.

The two of them hadn’t even eaten dinner. At 10:40 PM, they stood by the roadside, each carrying a bag of finished Perler bead keychains, waiting for the family driver to pick them up.

It wasn’t until Wen Zhao got out of the car that she realized Qin Zhuyu had, at some point, clipped a pixelated stamp-style bead keychain onto her bag. The colorful keychain stood in sharp contrast to the dull black bag.

In silence, Wen Zhao tucked the keychain into the zipper but did not remove it.

She didn’t know how much of her words from the afternoon Qin Zhuyu had taken to heart. Seeing Qin Zhuyu’s growing dependence on her, Wen Zhao—who had been wavering—made up her mind: the moment the agreement ended, she would leave immediately.

She couldn’t let Qin Zhuyu become the second Zheng Miaoning.

Wen Zhao’s home was in the Second Ring Road of B City. With the help of her “golden finger” (cheat), she had easily moved into a famous luxury residential area. Even now, a large group of people believed that Wen Zhao’s ability to live in Bishan Tiandi was due to Zheng Miaoning.

Wen Zhao didn’t care about the various rumors. Such gossip couldn’t affect her in any tangible way; it wasn’t even a tenth as harsh as the environment she had grown up in. She could naturally ignore it.

She saw two people walking toward her. They were of similar height and age, and their beauty was equally matched. Wen Zhao looked away the moment her eyes met theirs, focusing on the path beneath her feet.

The streetlights pulled Wen Zhao’s shadow long and thin.

Shortly after they crossed paths, a sneer came from behind her.

What were they laughing at? Laughing that she was a loser (beaten dog)?

Even hearing the malicious laughter of an acquaintance, Wen Zhao only raised an eyebrow and pretended not to hear. She was almost home; she would take a hot bath and then dive into her warm bed. All of that was far more meaningful than dwelling on an ambiguous laugh.

Xu Qingshi did not hide her malice, even with Zheng Miaoning standing beside her, because Zheng Miaoning had never stopped her before. Now that Wen Zhao belonged to the Qin family, she felt even less need to hide it.

Zheng Miaoning, who had let Wen Zhao walk away, frowned uncomfortably. “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at… a drowning dog,” Xu Qingshi said with a playful wink, glancing meaningfully behind her.

Zheng Miaoning stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean?”

Xu Qingshi gave Zheng Miaoning a reproachful look, as if to say ‘you clearly understand, why ask me?’

Zheng Miaoning took a step back, her polite smile freezing on her lips. The air seemed to solidify for two or three seconds. Xu Qingshi slowly began to realize something was wrong.

“Wasn’t she originally your canary? Before, she used to boss you around as your ‘golden manager,’ but as soon as you went abroad, she immediately climbed onto the Qin family girl. Hmph, now that you’re back, cousin, how much longer will that Qin girl dare to keep her? A person like her… once Qin Zhuyu gets bored of her, she’ll have no choice but to slink away like a loser.”

However, Xu Qingshi didn’t realize that much.

Having listened patiently to the end, Zheng Miaoning understood that someone had taught her this. Or rather, it didn’t need to be taught; it had already spread throughout the entire circle.

Xu Qingshi was the adopted daughter of Xu Hexuan’s sister.

Repeating the name in her heart, Zheng Miaoning nodded with interest, neither confirming nor denying. “Let’s go.”

She had gone abroad out of spite, originally planning to bring Wen Zhao with her. Zheng Miaoning had waited a long time but never received a message from Wen Zhao seeking reconciliation. When she called her parents to ask, Zheng Miaoning learned that Wen Zhao had long since left the Zheng family and had declared she wanted nothing more to do with her.

At the time, Zheng Miaoning had instructed Xu Hexuan never to tell her any news about Wen Zhao again.

Alone in a foreign land, Zheng Miaoning often missed Wen Zhao. But she was unwilling to bow her head. All she could do was study harder and harder, finishing her degree early so she would have a legitimate reason to return home.

Zheng Miaoning never expected to hear the news that Wen Zhao was being “kept” by Qin Zhuyu. Even though she knew the word “kept” in the rumors was questionable, she couldn’t help but think: Wen Zhao, how dare she? How could she?

Clearly, the one who had told her “I love you” over and over again was Wen Zhao. How could it be that Wen Zhao was the one who gave up on her first?

“Everyone is saying this?” Zheng Miaoning asked casually before seeing Xu Qingshi to her car.

The question was abrupt and made little sense. It took Xu Qingshi a moment to react before she said as a matter of fact, “Yes, everyone knows. Actually, even before you went abroad…”

Her words came to an abrupt halt.

Xu Qingshi awkwardly fanned herself with her hand as if she had bitten her tongue. She quickly instructed the driver, “Quick, let’s go, I need to rest. Um… goodnight cousin, see you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow,” Zheng Miaoning said, one word at a time, toward the car’s taillights.

If Wen Zhao were here, she would definitely be able to tell: this was a sign that someone was about to be finished.

Note: “Finished,” not just “having bad luck.”