She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 23.2

Chi Yeyu even had a guidebook called How to Be a Qualified Parent by her bedside. She would flip through it from time to time, taking notes and writing down her reflections. For example, when Shi Shuxue was bullied at school and didn’t tell her, the book had mentioned earlier that one must walk into a child’s heart step by step and not rush for results.

She had read that chapter before and thought Shi Shuxue wouldn’t be like that, but it turned out the situation matched the book exactly. It was truly a case of “learning something new every time you read it.”

Yu Xiu was amused, stirring her sesame sauce. “You’ve changed so much. We never thought you were the type who would enjoy taking care of a child.”

“Yeah, with your bratty attitude, if we put you in a kindergarten, you’d probably end up being the leader of the kids,” Li Lingling said.

Tiangua remarked, “It seems you really like this child.”

“That’s for sure.” Chi Yeyu pretended to think, then said casually with a mix of truth and jest, “Actually, it’s quite miraculous, isn’t it? I did look after her for a while when I was in high school. But at the beginning, I didn’t really like her that much. We fought all the time. I only treated her as the captain’s daughter and took care of her out of a sense of duty. But later… ah, let’s not mention that. Even later, I don’t know why, but that day when I passed her high school playground and caught a glimpse of her, somehow..”

Tiangua: “Somehow?”

Chi Yeyu recalled the scene from that day. It must have been before the morning exercises, students were lined up, either holding books to memorize or chatting with those around them. Shi Shuxue stood in the back row, doing nothing, just quietly looking up at the sky. Having lost her childhood baby fat, the girl’s jawline was sharp and beautiful, her figure slender, and her uniform was worn perfectly straight. It was as if she were detached from the world of her peers.

In that moment, Chi Yeyu had thought: I need to settle things with Zhao Qingyuan quickly and get legal guardianship.

“Just what?” Yu Xiu asked as well.

“Just felt… that she wasn’t living very happily, and that I should go fetch her as soon as possible.”

Outside the window, the snow fell heavier and heavier, thick flakes battering the glass, there was no sign of it stopping even by the afternoon. The sky was gloomy, and a blizzard warning flashed on the phone. The alcohol finally hit Chi Yeyu, and she leaned back lazily on the long sofa, falling fast asleep.

During the break between online classes, Shi Shuxue went downstairs to grab a bottle of milk, only to find the living room in total silence. Li Lingling and the others had likely gone to the rehearsal room to practice. She assumed Chi Yeyu had gone down with them, but as she walked behind the sofa, she spotted the person sleeping soundly.

Chi Yeyu was taking a nap.

The person who was usually so flamboyant, restless, and bursting with energy was now tucked between soft sofa cushions, as serene as a doll buried in pillows. A few strands of gradient blue hair fell across her forehead and cheeks, fluttering slightly with her long, even breaths, making her complexion look even fairer.

The heater was running continuously, and she seemed a bit hot in her sleep, a corner of her top was hiked up, revealing a slim stomach and smooth skin.

Shi Shuxue called her name softly. Seeing no response, she stepped forward quietly and squatted by the sofa. she reached out to touch that beautiful muscle as expected, it felt firm and smooth to the touch.

She didn’t cover Chi Yeyu’s stomach instead, she tucked the shirt up a bit more. Chi Yeyu seemed to feel a tickle her face, pressed into the gap between two pillows, turned instinctively, causing one pillow to slide onto the carpet.

Long, thick eyelashes cast small fan-shaped shadows under her eyes. Without the sharp edge she carried when awake, she looked a few degrees softer and more defenseless. Chi Yeyu’s lips were naturally a deep red, slightly pursed and moist, as if she were wearing lip gloss.

Shi Shuxue locked her gaze on her with a blank expression. Chi Yeyu’s sleeping face was breathtaking, and Shi Shuxue was far from being as calm as she appeared on the surface. The milk was long forgotten. The living room was so quiet that one could hear the rustle of falling snow outside and the increasingly fast, loud thudding of her own heart.

A sudden, overwhelming impulse seized her without warning.

Like the moon pulling the tides, she was under a spell. Holding her breath, she leaned down extremely slowly. A woody fragrance mixed with a faint scent of alcohol swirled in her nose, invading her senses as the distance closed.

The world seemed to hit pause in that instant, leaving only the deafening beat of her heart echoing in her ears.

A kiss as light as a snowflake landed softly on the corner of Chi Yeyu’s lips.

The sensation was incredibly soft. Chi Yeyu showed no sign of waking up. However, just as Shi Shuxue was about to pull away..

The sound of a door opening came from the direction of the kitchen.

Shi Shuxue froze, her body snapping upright as her heart raced. She turned her head and met Yu Xiu’s brown eyes, which were filled with clear understanding.

“Oh, what bad timing. Caught red-handed,” Yu Xiu said composedly, a slight curve at the corner of her mouth. She held a glass of milk with white steam rising from it.

Shi Shuxue’s face instantly burned. Her fingers curled, and a thousand excuses flashed through her mind, only to get stuck in her throat. She felt utterly exposed, her secret laid bare.

She glanced at the snoring Chi Yeyu and even considered waking her up. In the end, she didn’t nudge her. Giving up on any pretense, she said to Yu Xiu, “Haven’t you ever kissed a woman? What’s there to be surprised about?”

Yu Xiu shrugged. “I’ve certainly never kissed my mom like that.”

She gestured for Shi Shuxue to follow her into the kitchen. Once inside, she poured Shi Shuxue a glass of warmed milk and said leisurely, “Hot drinks are a must in winter.”

Shi Shuxue was in no mood for milk. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. After a long pause, she finally said, “Sister Yu Xiu, I think I’m just like you.”

“You and I are not the same. I wouldn’t like a chaotic devil like her.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Shi Shuxue stared back at her with a clean, pale face, her expression stubborn.

Yu Xiu suddenly realized her first impression of the girl might have been wrong. This child wasn’t “obedient” at all, she was clearly hiding thorns.

“If Chi Yeyu found out about this, do you think she’d keep raising you like this?” Yu Xiu asked.

Shi Shuxue countered, “Found out about what?”

Yu Xiu said playfully, “For instance, that you like her? Especially that you want to kiss her?”

Shi Shuxue replied flatly, “That’s just your interpretation.”

Yu Xiu had intended to tease her more, but seeing how exceptionally calm the girl remained, she lost some of her mischievous intent and laughed in spite of herself. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. Chi Yeyu is far too smug. I’d love to see her face when she finally trips up.”

Shi Shuxue stared at the snowy scenery outside. The flakes swirled, torn into fine grains by the gale, rustling against the glass. She remained silent for a long while. Seeing that Yu Xiu was still standing there with her, she finally opened her mouth: “She’ll find out sooner or later.”

Yu Xiu asked, “Shouldn’t you be begging me to help you hide it? Why are you so eager to let it out?”

“Can it be hidden for a lifetime? If I keep hiding it, she’ll truly treat me like an adopted daughter,” Shi Shuxue said coolly.

“How interesting, hahaha…” Yu Xiu laughed so hard she couldn’t stand straight, wiping tears from her eyes. “Well then, wait until you’re an adult. When you’re in university and of age, go pursue Chi Yeyu. Honestly, I don’t think you’ll even have to try. If you just tell her you’ll die if you don’t sleep with her, she’ll definitely stay with you for the rest of her life.”

She spoke with an air of detached schadenfreude, and Shi Shuxue looked at her with a gaze full of silent condemnation.

Outside, Chi Yeyu was woken up by a phone call. After hanging up, she shuffled her slippers and pushed open the kitchen door. “What are you two doing in here?”

Shi Shuxue said, “She’s teaching me how to sing.”

Chi Yeyu raised an eyebrow. “Singing what?”

Shi Shuxue sang a few random lines, walking out as she sang. As she passed Chi Yeyu, the latter, not knowing the lyrics but liking the tune, started humming along aimlessly: “Hum hum hum, hum hum hum hum ha~ hum hum mmm mmm…”

The city was hit by several consecutive heavy snowfalls. Initially, students cheered for the suspension of classes, enjoying the apocalyptic beauty, but life had to go on. Before the old snow could melt, a new solar term arrived on schedule. The world outside the window was a cold, quiet gray. People took a breather from the chaos of working and living at home, only to realize the calendar had turned to the Winter Solstice.

Chi Yeyu drove Shi Shuxue to visit her maternal grandmother. She had once suggested the old woman move to the city, but having lived in the old house for decades, the grandmother was naturally unwilling, so the idea was dropped.

Lately, the old woman had fewer moments of clarity. Illness was like a damp fog shrouding most of her life’s memories, leaving her in a daze most of the day, occasionally calling out her daughter’s name.

The heater in the old house was set high, and the window glass was covered in a layer of white mist, sealing out the external cold. Freshly cooked dumplings sat on the table, emitting curls of white steam.

Hearing the door open, the caregiver smiled and came out to greet them. “Miss Chi, Shuxue, you’ve come at the perfect time. A pot of radish and mutton dumplings is almost ready.”

Shi Shuxue changed her shoes and walked over to the chair where her grandmother sat listening to music, an old blanket draped over her knees. Seeing her, the old woman’s cloudy eyes brightened, and she reached out to grab her. “Xiao Yu, you’re back from school! Is it cold outside?”

Shi Shuxue squatted down, letting her grandmother clutch her hand, and replied softly, “It’s not cold.” She was long used to being mistaken for her mother. At first, she would deny it, but after realizing her grandmother’s memory was stuck over a decade in the past, she stopped corrected her.

She reflexively smoothed her grandmother’s stray silver hair and tucked the hand warmer provided by the caregiver into the woman’s other hand.

Chi Yeyu asked quietly, “Has she been lucid lately?”

“She was awake for a bit last week morning, murmuring the name ‘Shi Xianyu.’ She wasn’t sleeping well, and then she got confused again.” The caregiver replied while heading toward the kitchen. “She said she wanted pork and cabbage dumplings. I made them quite light with less salt.”

That evening, they all ate dumplings together. After dinner, Shi Shuxue spent some time chatting with her. During the conversation, the old woman suddenly asked, “Xiao Yu, do you still see him?”

“Who?”

“That young man you brought home before. Was his name Zhao Qingyuan? He’s good-looking, but he’s not steady… Sigh, you too, it’s still too early for the both of you.” The grandmother rambled on. Seeing that the girl didn’t speak, she thought she had made her unhappy and changed the subject: “Didn’t you say you were learning to sing? How is it going? Even though your father doesn’t support you, you don’t need to mind him. He just has that foul temper. If he tries to hit you, just avoid him. He’ll be fine once his anger cools down.”

Shi Shuxue looked at their interlaced hands, her eyelashes trembling. She forced her expression to soften and began to hum a melody.

It was something Li Lingling had recently taught her a tune that was lighthearted but tinged with a hint of casual melancholy. It was also an old work written by Shi Xianyu years ago when she was the lead singer of the band.

As the singing drifted through the air, the grandmother’s perpetually cloudy eyes suddenly seemed to clear up, focusing sharply on Shi Shuxue’s face.

Her gaze was no longer looking through Shi Shuxue at someone else; instead, she looked at her granddaughter with confusion and whispered, “…Xiao Xue?”

Shi Shuxue’s humming stopped abruptly.