She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 11

“Encore! Encore! Encore!!!”

Shi Shuxue refused to give in to her. She lowered her head to look for her shoes, but Chi Yeyu secretly hooked her leg and kicked Shi Shuxue’s slippers under the bed.

Noticing the small movement, Shi Shuxue looked at her silently. “…How old are you?”

“Nine years older than you?”

“Am I supposed to sleep here?” Shi Shuxue asked helplessly. She pulled her dangling legs back from the edge of the bed and sat half-kneeling on the soft quilt, surveying her surroundings.

Cosmetics were piled messily on the dressing table, a jacket was draped over the back of a chair, and the floor to ceiling glass window looked out onto the night view of the courtyard. Moonlight fell upon a book resting on the nightstand.

This clearly wasn’t a guest room; it was Chi Yeyu’s bedroom.

Chi Yeyu’s bedroom.

Why did she bring her to the bedroom? Was this massive villa unable to provide a single guest room?

Shi Shuxue’s hand unconsciously gripped the quilt on her lap. Suddenly, with a thump, Chi Yeyu sank into the bed. As she plummeted, she extended an arm, pulling Shi Shuxue down onto the quilt with her.

“So sleepy, let’s sleep together,” Chi Yeyu said. She remained face-down, her voice muffled as it drifted out from the gap between the quilt and the pillow.

Shi Shuxue lay pillowed beside her, her head pressing down on a small lock of Chi Yeyu’s hair. They were so close that she could smell a faint woody fragrance perhaps perfume, or maybe the scent of shampoo.

Staring at the dark ceiling, Shi Shuxue said, “I don’t want to sleep.”

Chi Yeyu turned her head to face her. Her warm breath brushed against Shi Shuxue’s neck, sending a wave of goosebumps across her skin.

“Is it that you don’t want to sleep, or you don’t want to sleep with me?” Chi Yeyu hummed softly. “Do you find me annoying? You were sleeping so soundly on my desk just a moment ago.”

“I don’t find you annoying,” Shi Shuxue replied.

“Then why are you staring at the ceiling without even looking at me?”

Dissatisfied, Chi Yeyu pinched her chin and tilted Shi Shuxue’s face toward her. The two stared at each other in the dim light until Chi Yeyu, finally satisfied, rubbed the back of her head.

“You know what?” Chi Yeyu used an opening line common among elementary schoolers.

Shi Shuxue said calmly, “I don’t know.”

“Let me finish,” Chi Yeyu said. “Actually, ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of sharing a bed with someone huddling under one quilt, looking at the stars outside, playing games until dawn, and watching the sunrise together.”

“That’s not called sleeping,” Shi Shuxue corrected. According to Chi Yeyu’s description, that sounded more like two people pulling an all-nighter in bed.

She glanced out the window from the corner of her eye. There was only the moon tonight; not a single star was visible. Chi Yeyu’s dream was impossible from the start.

“Fine, then let’s have a real sleep together.” Chi Yeyu closed her eyes, still holding her, her hand resting gently on Shi Shuxue’s back.

“I’m actually exhausted. I was looking at projects until midnight after the meeting last night. My hands were shaking a bit while drumming today… I accidentally hit Yu Xiu with a drumstick and got teased by the others.”

Her voice gradually grew quieter as if she were about to drift off.

Right then, Shi Shuxue’s stomach let out a growl.

Chi Yeyu’s eyes snapped open. “What do you want to eat? Delivery? Or how about I show off my skills and cook for you!”

Shi Shuxue thought: Wasn’t she dying of exhaustion? How did she get so energetic all of a sudden?

The next evening at 7:00 PM, Chi Yeyu and Shi Shuxue arrived at the livehouse. They had dinner at the mall earlier. Chi Yeyu had insisted on a Sichuan restaurant, only to end up rinsing every bite of food in a bowl of plain water. Meanwhile, Shi Shuxue’s lips were bright red from the spice, looking as though she were wearing vivid lipstick.

At the entrance, audiences gathered in small groups. Some wore “inappropriate” ripped jeans and printed T-shirts, some held ice-cold beers, and girls had their hair in various bright-colored braids. The sound of laughter and chatter was endless.

Shi Shuxue slowly adjusted her white windbreaker and hoisted the straps of her backpack. She didn’t feel at all awkward about being out of place to her, wearing the outfit Chi Yeyu had picked out before they left would have been the real embarrassment.

Chi Yeyu accompanied her in line to get a wristband. She seemed to know the staff member distributing them, smiled at them, and took a green fluorescent wristband. She tilted her chin, signaling for Shi Shuxue to reach out.

“Why are you standing so far away?”

Chi Yeyu walked up to her. Because she was wearing a mask, her voice was lower than usual.

Shi Shuxue held out her hand. She watched as the other woman pinched the wristband and gently looped it around her wrist. Both the fingers and the wristband felt cool. Chi Yeyu purposefully turned the clasp to the inside: “Don’t let it snag your clothes.”

Shi Shuxue gave a soft “oh” and asked, “Aren’t you going backstage to prepare?”

“So eager to kick me out? I just wanted to spend more time with you,” Chi Yeyu said. She said these things so naturally, without a hint of shame. Shi Shuxue figured this was a talent of sorts.

“It’s not really necessary,” Shi Shuxue said.

“Tsk, so dishonest.” Chi Yeyu rubbed her small head, her hand jewelry jingling against her hair.

Just as Shi Shuxue was about to grab the chain on her wrist, Chi Yeyu patted her ear as if she were a doll. Then, she pulled a cute cartoon earplug case from her pocket and pressed it into Shi Shuxue’s palm.

“If it gets too loud later, don’t just stand there like a dummy. Put these in,” Chi Yeyu said.

Shi Shuxue was surprised by her thoughtfulness. She always managed to redeem her “unreliable adult” image in the most unexpected ways.

Since they arrived early, after Chi Yeyu left, Shi Shuxue found a spot near the front. The two girls to her left were huddled together discussing tonight’s set list, their nails painted a sparkly red. Although Chi Yeyu loved wearing all sorts of messy accessories on her hands, Shi Shuxue had never seen her with a manicure.

The air smelled faintly of beer and the cloying sweetness of popcorn. In contrast, Shi Shuxue still preferred the woody scent she had smelled on Chi Yeyu earlier.

She had seen that bottle of perfume on the table in Chi Yeyu’s bedroom this morning. Chi Yeyu had told her that “kids shouldn’t wear perfume” and that the scent of laundry detergent and body wash was enough.

In reality, there wasn’t a huge age gap between them, and Chi Yeyu didn’t act much like an “adult” either.

Shi Shuxue pulled up the collar of her windbreaker, burying half her face in it, breathing slowly.

The stage was surrounded by people. The colored spotlights overhead were dizzying. It wasn’t until the sound of drumsticks hitting the rim of a drum echoed from backstage, short and powerful that she looked up. She reflexively put in her earplugs as the venue lights suddenly cut out.

Cheers exploded instantly, making the floor vibrate. She subconsciously gripped the green wristband on her wrist.

A beam of white light hit the left side of the stage. Yu Xiu stood there holding her guitar, her brown high ponytail tracing a sharp arc as she tossed her head. The moment her fingertips touched the strings, her raspy, explosive voice spread through the speakers: “First song tonight, Cicada Sloughs Hanging on the Telephone Pole, dedicated to everyone who isn’t sleeping!”

As soon as she finished, Chi Yeyu’s drum beat crashed down. The heavy kick drum made the ground tremble. Sitting behind the kit, her wolf-cut hair swayed slightly in the stage fans. Between the rise and fall of the sticks, the crisp snare and heavy bass drum pounded into Shi Shuxue’s ears. Because of the earplugs, it wasn’t as loud as she expected instead, it felt like a rhythmic heartbeat traveling from the ground to the soles of her feet.

Shi Shuxue stared at the person on stage. Chi Yeyu sat further back, her face occasionally partially obscured. Compared to the noisy atmosphere all around, Chi Yeyu exuded a strange sense of coolness.

Her blue-gradient sideburns brushed against her ears, which were adorned with several silver rings. Having shed her jacket, she wore a black utility vest, revealing sharp and beautiful arm lines. Her upturned eyes were slightly lowered, making her expression look even more cold and aloof.

Before the show, Shi Shuxue had heard the girls nearby discussing the band members. They said Chi Yeyu’s stage presence was “cool.” Shi Shuxue had found it hard to imagine given that cheeky, smiling face, but now she truly understood why they said that.

Perhaps Chi Yeyu shouldn’t speak, she was enough just silently drumming in the back.

At that moment, as if sensing something, Chi Yeyu looked toward the crowd. Seeing Shi Shuxue, her eyes brightened slightly, and she instantly broke into a radiant smile.

Is she smiling at me? Shi Shuxue dazed. The image of Chi Yeyu’s crinkled eyes remained frozen in her mind. The music washed over her like waves, and her thoughts became a jumbled mess. By the time she snapped out of it, the song had ended.

The second song had an even tighter rhythm. The lights hit the bassist on the right; the strings of her bass were taut, and her twin braids swung wildly. During the bridge, the lights suddenly cut to the keyboard. Tiangua stared at the keys, the melody from her fingertips blending perfectly with the drums, bass, and guitar.

The audience sang along. Shi Shuxue hadn’t heard this song before and didn’t know the lyrics. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have joined in. Instead, she just stood there quietly, looking toward Chi Yeyu with an unreadable expression.

Sensing her gaze, Chi Yeyu frequently glanced in her direction, her eyes full of laughter.

The girl next to Shi Shuxue let out a scream, took a deep breath, and sang even louder.

The show ended to thunderous applause and cheers. The band members bowed together and retreated backstage amidst a chorus of “Encore!”

The house lights came up, but the crowd’s shouting didn’t stop. Instead, it became more rhythmic and powerful. Shi Shuxue stood in place. The earplugs dampened the surrounding noise, but they made the vibrations in her chest clearer. She looked at the empty stage, a strange sense of loss quietly spreading within her.

Just as the shouting reached its peak, the stage lights dimmed again. A few soft, white lights resembling moonlight shone once more, illuminating the band members as they returned. Chi Yeyu didn’t sit back down behind the drums. Instead, she walked to the front of the stage with a microphone in hand. Yu Xiu and the others took their positions without surprise clearly, this had been planned.

An even louder scream erupted in the venue.

Chi Yeyu raised her hand slightly. Once the noise died down, she spoke into the mic. her voice came through the speakers with a hint of a different, almost gentle rasp: “Thank you, everyone. For the next part, we’re adding one more song.”

The moment the title was announced, Shi Shuxue’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.