She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 15

“Something wrong?”

Chi Yeyu said casually, “It’s nothing, just a work call. Is the cake good?”

“It’s not bad. Not as sweet as I imagined.” Shi Shuxue shifted her gaze to the cake. The layers were filled with refreshing, sweet and sour lemon and blueberry pulp, perfectly neutralizing the richness of the cream, leaving only a silky texture and a pleasant aftertaste.

“That’s good. Let me have a bite too.”

Chi Yeyu ignored the large slice sitting on the table and leaned in as if to steal a bite of hers. Shi Shuxue shielded her plate and pushed the other woman’s face away. “Stop messing around. Are you really okay?”

“What could possibly be wrong with me?” Chi Yeyu asked, sounding surprised.

Shi Shuxue cut another piece of cake for her and said softly, “I just saw a lot of nasty things online.”

Chi Yeyu blinked. “You don’t need to pay attention to those. They’re just hired internet water armies. I’ll handle it, they’ll be gone in a few days.”

Shi Shuxue recalled the malicious rumors she had seen. A flicker of worry crossed her eyes. Because of the deliberate manipulation by that man, someone she had barely met most of the vitriol was directed at Chi Yeyu. Shi Shuxue found it absurd, the one who had truly been treacherous and unfaithful was clearly her biological father, yet based solely on the few words he chose to say publicly, the spearhead of public opinion had shifted targets.

“Can you really solve it?” Shi Shuxue confirmed.

Chi Yeyu leaned down and tapped her forehead, a playful smirk curling her lips. “No way, you’re underestimating your guardian a bit too much.”

Shi Shuxue knew Chi Yeyu was very wealthy, but she wasn’t sure if money could solve everything. Seeing her so confident, she could only choose to believe her for now.

On Friday morning, Shi Shuxue woke up to find that Chi Yeyu wasn’t home. A message on her phone said she was busy with work and had arranged for a driver to drop her off at the school gates.

Only then did Shi Shuxue realize that Chi Yeyu actually had a driver.

After getting into the car, she habitually sat in the front passenger seat. The driver, a woman, seemed a bit surprised and hesitated. “Miss Shi, the back is more spacious. Would you like to sit in the rear? I’m afraid the visibility is low in the front and you might be uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine,” Shi Shuxue said.

“My surname is Li, you can just call me Sister Li.” The woman adjusted the front passenger seat back for her and took an insulated bag from the storage compartment. “There’s a sandwich and hot milk inside. CEO Chi specifically had the kitchen make them this morning.”

Shi Shuxue took the bag, feeling the warmth through the material. “Mm, thank you.”

Sister Li smiled. “No need to be so polite.”

As they neared the school gate, the car slowed down ahead of time. Sister Li said, “It’s hard to park up front. Should I drop you at the intersection? CEO Chi said you don’t like trouble and prefer not to let your classmates see you being chauffeured. If you want to get out early, just say the word.”

Shi Shuxue looked toward the school gate; there weren’t many students around yet. She shook her head. “It’s no trouble. The intersection is fine.”

When she got out, Shi Shuxue thanked her again. Sister Li waved her off with a smile. “Why so polite with me? Go on in. I’ll be waiting here for you after school.”

She watched Shi Shuxue’s retreating figure before starting the car.

She remembered how CEO Chi had repeatedly nagged her this morning: “Remember to let the milk cool down a bit before packing it,” and “She might nap in the car in the morning, so don’t play any music.” She really seemed to care as if she were raising her own child.

CEO Chi had even told her with rare seriousness: “You must treat Shi Shuxue as if she were my own biological daughter.”

Even though she knew CEO Chi couldn’t possibly have an illegitimate daughter that old, Sister Li had still been startled. In all these years, she had almost never seen CEO Chi so serious outside of a professional setting.

Just who is this kid…

In the early winter of W City, the days were mostly overcast and the weather was dry and cold.

During the long break at ten in the morning, students trickled onto the playground for morning calisthenics. The sky remained a gloomy gray. Someone at the school radio station had requested “Powder Snow Swing,” and a low, magnetic female voice echoed across the campus.

The restrooms were a perpetual gossip hub. While students chatted outside, Shi Shuxue was in a stall scrolling through her phone. Chi Yeyu hadn’t harassed her today, the chat window was quiet, without a single red notification.

Her brow furrowed as she scrolled through several news pieces about Shi Xianyu and Chi Yeyu. Most of them called Chi Yeyu an “ungrateful wolf,” claiming she had been raised by her captain only to backstab and exploit him, sucking him dry for the sake of fame. There were some fans of the current Screaming Goldfish band trying to clear her name, but they were outnumbered and suppressed by the invisible hand guiding the narrative.

Some comments even led back to Shi Xianyu’s daughter. People were asking about the daughter mentioned in the interview. Netizens followed the trail, found the replay of the band’s livestream from that day, and immediately doxxed Shi Shuxue’s identity.

So what happened to Shi Xianyu’s daughter? She was taken away by the current band leader who backstabbed him. She’s raising her as her own.

Netizens were calling it a “Sima Zhao’s heart” move an obvious ulterior motive. Since the child was young when she was taken, wouldn’t all of Shi Shuxue’s inheritance and benefits fall into Chi Yeyu’s pockets?

Shi Shuxue stared at a particularly aggressive comment, held back her anger, and realized time was running out. She locked her phone and prepared to head out.

The restroom was mostly empty, but two girls were still chatting leisurely by the sinks.

“Why isn’t our class monitor in a hurry for calisthenics today? Doesn’t she usually get there first?” a slightly shrill voice asked.

“Not feeling well, I took leave,” Ci Cheng’s voice replied.

“Oh, well, I’m skipping. Don’t mark me down.”

“That’s not my responsibility.”

Shi Shuxue recognized them as Ci Cheng and Qiao Zina, a girl who sat in the back row near the door. She thought to herself, Of all the people to run into… It would be awkward to leave now.

“Truly my bestie,” Qiao Zina laughed. “What’s that in your hand? Don’t hide it, I saw it already. Is it in your sleeve? I won’t steal it, just let me see. Wow, what a pretty box. What’s inside?”

Ci Cheng said, “I can’t open it. It’s for someone else.”

“Oh~ I get it. You’re too embarrassed to give it in person, so you took leave to sneak it onto their desk during the break?”

“…………”

“Which handsome guy in our class has made you so hesitant? Wait, there are no handsome guys in our class. Is it someone from another class? Do you want me to deliver it? I’ve got a wide network.”

“…Shut up. Is your head filled with nothing but romance?”

After they left laughing, Shi Shuxue finally came out of the stall and rushed to the playground. After calisthenics, she returned to the classroom only to find a blue and white striped gift box on her desk.

No way.

Shi Shuxue froze. She didn’t touch the box but looked around. Ci Cheng wasn’t in the classroom, the next period was math, and she had been called by the teacher to help carry papers. However, she locked eyes with Qiao Zina in the back row.

The other girl pretended not to care and looked away, chatting with a boy in front of her. Shi Shuxue felt a headache coming on. This was trouble… dealing with interpersonal relationships was her weakest suit. She picked up the box and gave it a small shake, but couldn’t tell what was inside. She didn’t open it and placed it in her desk cubby for now.

Ci Cheng followed the teacher into the room and began handing out the previous weekly test papers. Their school was strict, they had small subject tests from Monday to Saturday, a full mock exam every half-month, monthly exams, and joint exams with branch schools for midterms and finals.

The paper soon reached her. Before Shi Shuxue could even see her grade, the math teacher walked to her desk and said with a smile, “Found your form again? You did well this time.”

Ci Cheng’s habitually cold voice sounded from above: “You got a perfect score.”

Shi Shuxue silently swallowed the words “the test was easy this time.”

After class, Shi Shuxue stopped Ci Cheng as she was heading to the restroom. She took the item from her desk, walked to the back door, and asked, “Did you give me this?”

Ci Cheng gave her a strange look. “What?”

“Maybe a birthday gift? Thank you, but I can’t accept it.”

Shi Shuxue tried to return it, but Ci Cheng wouldn’t take it. Her thin eyelids narrowed as she looked at her in surprise. “You thought I gave it to you? I really don’t understand the logic of you top students. There are so many people in class, and I didn’t even know it was your birthday.”

Shi Shuxue’s face remained expressionless as she held out the gift, staring at her intently.

“I need to go to the bathroom. Don’t dump your trash on me. If you don’t want it, find a trash can yourself.” Ci Cheng pushed past her and walked quickly down the hallway.

Shi Shuxue watched her retreating back for a moment, hesitated, then returned to her seat and tucked the gift box into Ci Cheng’s backpack.

When the final bell for self-study rang out, the sky outside was already half-dark. Shi Shuxue stuffed her politics study guide into her bag, zipped it up, and headed out.

Students who had finished packing were flooding out of the classroom. Qiao Zina walked over from the back row. As she passed Shi Shuxue, her pace faltered slightly. Her eyes swept over the bag in Shi Shuxue’s hand, a smirk playing on her lips, but she said nothing as she followed the crowd.

Shi Shuxue didn’t notice anything unusual and walked slowly toward the school gate. Chi Yeyu’s car usually parked under the poplar trees a distance away. Since Chi Yeyu was busy today, she had instructed Sister Li to pick her up.

Perhaps because it felt like snow was coming, the old man who sold roasted sweet potatoes hadn’t shown up. Just as she passed the mouth of an alley, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by a cold hand and she was pulled inside. The force was so great she let out a sharp hiss of pain.

“Walking so slowly… were you waiting for us to come and invite you?” Qiao Zina’s voice came from behind her, mocking and provocative.

Shi Shuxue turned around and saw Qiao Zina standing among three girls who weren’t wearing school uniforms. They stood in various poses, blocking the alley and cutting off what little light remained.

“Something wrong?” Shi Shuxue asked, shaking her wrist.

Qiao Zina stepped in front of her, arms crossed, looking at her with disdain. “Shi Shuxue, do you think you’re so great just because your grades are good? Ci Cheng is polite to you, but I don’t have such a good temper. I just want to ask you today, what gives you the right to treat her like that?”