She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 24

“Yes, I Plan to Support Her for a Lifetime.”

Shi Shuxue’s head felt a bit heavy and dizzy. Her face was being squished by Chi Yeyu’s hands, causing her cheeks to puff out slightly. Her eyes, dark as ink, remained calm without a ripple of emotion. “I want to hug it,” she said, her voice steady.

Chi Yeyu was stunned. She pressed her palms against Shi Shuxue’s cold cheeks and leaned in until their foreheads touched. Fortunately, there was no fever. Shi Shuxue’s forehead wasn’t much warmer than her own.

“Don’t hug the snowman. Why don’t you hug me instead? At least I won’t turn into water,” Chi Yeyu said.

Her dark eyelashes fluttered slightly. Shi Shuxue lifted her chin just a fraction, and their noses bumped together.

Chi Yeyu clutched her nose and stumbled back a few steps. Her foot caught on the curb, and losing her balance, she fell backward with a thud into a snowbank. Soft white powder sprayed into the cold night air.

“You attacked me?!”

Seeing Chi Yeyu’s rare, disheveled state, a hint of irrepressible amusement seeped into Shi Shuxue’s voice, though she feigned composure. “My nose was itchy. I wanted to sneeze.”

“Fine, you’re something else.” Chi Yeyu propped herself up on her arms, struggling to rise from the snow. Shi Shuxue reached out an arm to help, but Chi Yeyu grabbed her hand and gave a sharp tug. She had intended to use the leverage to stand, but instead, she pulled Shi Shuxue right down on top of her.

Chi Yeyu didn’t think she had used that much force, but with Shi Shuxue’s weight pressing down on her, her upper body fell back again, her head sinking into the snow. Shi Shuxue lay against her chest, her eyelashes dusted with a few flakes of snow, looking like a silent black cat.

If they kept messing around like this, they were bound to get sick tomorrow. Chi Yeyu was used to being reckless, but she didn’t want Shi Shuxue to suffer the consequences. She quickly half-held, half-pushed Shi Shuxue off her and led her toward the house with an arm around her shoulder.

The Winter Solstice passed, and the Lunar New Year approached. With final exams looming, Shi Shuxue returned to school to study while Chi Yeyu was busy at the company. The two hadn’t seen each other for over a week until the New Year holiday began. Shi Shuxue returned with a backpack full of homework to find Chi Yeyu sitting cross-legged on the living room rug, typing away on a laptop.

Seeing her return, Chi Yeyu tossed aside her work and walked over. She took the backpack and weighed it in her hand, surprised. “You brought this much back this time?”

“They’re all exam papers,” Shi Shuxue said while taking off her coat.

Chi Yeyu offered words of pity: “This is too heavy. How long is it going to take you to finish?”

Her pupils were round, and the corners of her eyes curved in a relaxed, smiling arc. She didn’t sound worried, she sounded like she was gloating. “I was planning to take you out to play. Looks like you’ll have to do your homework in the car.”

“Math and English are done. Chinese and Politics require a lot of copying. I can finish those tonight.” Shi Shuxue ignored her teasing tone and went to the sink to wash her hands. It was flu season, and her cold hadn’t fully recovered, so she sprayed herself with a bit of disinfectant.

Chi Yeyu stood nearby, watching the back of her head. “You definitely want to spend the New Year with the elders, right? Then I’ll take you back to the Chi family home tomorrow? I’ll tell them tonight. Or maybe I won’t say anything and give them a surpri…”

“Don’t give them a surprise,” Shi Shuxue interrupted. Although she only had a vague understanding of Chi Yeyu’s family background, she could guess that a clan like theirs likely had many rules and wouldn’t appreciate a sudden guest. Especially given her awkward status. Chi Yeyu’s parents might not tolerate her bringing a child home so willfully.

She dried her hands and turned around, her dark eyes reflecting a calmness beyond her years. Chi Yeyu blinked, then gave a bright smile. “Don’t worry, I’m joking. I’ll definitely let them know. Don’t feel pressured. It’s just a normal dinner. If they aren’t nice to you, I’ll take you and we’ll make a run for it.”

The next afternoon, the black SUV drove into the mid-mountain villa district. The iron gates slowly opened to reveal a European-style villa half-hidden behind greenery. As the car stopped at the porch, Chi Yeyu unbuckled her seatbelt and glanced at Shi Shuxue in the passenger seat. She was looking down, finishing her homework. The winter sun outlined her calm profile, making her look peaceful and soft.

“We’re here. Want to finish the rest when we get back?”

“Mm,” Shi Shuxue hummed. She didn’t stop immediately, finishing the last line before looking up. “Done. Let’s go.”

The entrance hall was bright, the marble floor polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting the light from a massive source directly above. Shi Shuxue instinctively looked up. The living room had a vaulted ceiling, and a massive crystal chandelier hung from the third-floor dome, occupying half the overhead space like an inverted crystal crown. Its layers of pendants refracted a dazzling light.

Its grandeur stood in stark contrast to the quiet, somber atmosphere of the villa.

Chi Yeyu followed her gaze and remarked casually, “That old antique. It’s blinding when the lights are on.”

A nearby maid smiled. “Miss, Madam and Sir are in the second-floor study. I’ll go tell them you’ve arrived.”

Chi Yeyu looked at her. It was a young, unfamiliar face likely a new hire. She nodded. “Those two are still so close. What’s for dinner tonight?”

“Madam gave special instructions this morning. We’re having your favorite, Crispy Pigeon with Bayberry, and Fermented Rice Ball Soup. Dinner will be ready soon.” The young maid had a pleasant smile.

“Mm…” Chi Yeyu didn’t look particularly pleased. She sat in the center of the sofa like a lord, leaning back with her chin slightly raised. “Why is everything sweet? What else is there?”

The maid was meeting the eldest miss for the first time. She had heard she was a refined lady skilled in the arts, but she hadn’t expected such a difficult personality. Her attitude was grander than the Chairman’s, and her rebellious blue hair made her look like a street rapper. In contrast, the young girl in the white puffer jacket beside her looked quiet and gentle.

For a moment, the maid wondered if she had welcomed a hooligan into the house by mistake.

“The other dishes are…”

Just then, a gentle female voice drifted down from the second floor: “Don’t you love sweets? Are you unhappy with those two?”

Shi Shuxue followed the voice. A woman in her middle age, elegantly dressed and of high status, stepped out from a door on the second floor. She wore a perfectly tailored dark green qipao with a cashmere cardigan draped over her shoulders. Her face was thin, her cheekbones high and prominent, and her expression was notably detached.

She walked down the stairs slowly, her hand on the carved railing. Her gaze lingered briefly on Chi Yeyu’s messy, multi-toned blue hair before turning to Shi Shuxue.

“I’m happy. I was just wondering if you two want to get high blood pressure or diabetes eating like me at your age.” Chi Yeyu turned and gave her a standard eight-tooth grin. She didn’t get up, merely sat up a bit straighter and chirped, “Mom.”

Shi Shuxue greeted softly, “Hello, Auntie.”

“So this is Shuxue?” Chi Xin walked closer, her eyes on the girl. Her tone was neutral. “A good child.”

Chi Yeyu curled her lip, stood up, and naturally put a protective arm around Shi Shuxue’s shoulder. She said to Chi Xin, “Right? I think so too.”

This obvious protective gesture caused Chi Xin’s eyes to flicker. “I didn’t know the child’s taste; you never mentioned it. I thought all children liked sweets, so I ordered more sweet dishes.”

“She has a light palate. Add a clear soup and some seasonal vegetables,” Chi Yeyu said.

Chi Xin didn’t look at her, only instructed the maid: “Do as the Miss says. Add a pot of Matsutake Chicken Broth and a dish of poached hearts of bok choy.”

The maid bowed and left. At that moment, another sound came from the study upstairs. Two maids in dark uniforms carefully supported a man as they walked out. The man’s face was the pale color of long-term illness, and his clothes hung loosely on his frame. Every step was accompanied by a thin cough.

This was the current head of the Chi family…Chi Liting.

Chi Yeyu remained polite but distant. After greeting him, she kept her arm around Shi Shuxue and introduced her: “This is Xiao Xue. I mentioned her to you a while ago.”

Shi Shuxue nodded and gave her greetings.

Father Chi gave a faint “Mm” and was helped into the main sofa. As soon as he sat down, he began to cough. A maid quickly handed him a glass of warm water, worriedly saying, “Drink slowly.”

“Be careful, don’t choke to death. It’s cold downstairs. I told you not to come down, but you wouldn’t listen,” Chi Xin said, though her words were colored with concern.

Chi Yeyu said with a smile, “Mom, your words might choke Dad to death before the water does.”

Chi Xin crossed her arms and glared at her coldly in warning.

“The child is here, I had to come down and see.” Chi Liting said after a sip of water, his breathing steadying. He looked heavily at Shi Shuxue. “So this is the daughter of that friend of yours? You’re living together?”

Like Chi Xin, he assumed Shi Shuxue was merely a junior being looked after temporarily. A hint of rakish amusement played on Chi Yeyu’s face. Her arm rested casually on the back of Shi Shuxue’s chair, effectively circling her. “Yes, we live together. And we will in the future, too. I plan to support her for a lifetime.”

Sensing something, Chi Xin frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, you don’t understand? It’s literal.” Chi Yeyu met her mother’s gaze, her calm expression now looking more like a provocation. “I’ve adopted her. She’s like my own daughter. She’ll stay with me. I won’t be having any other children in the future.”

“What did you say?” Chi Xin’s voice spiked. Chi Liting began to cough violently again, his eyes bulging as if he were about to cough up his internal organs. “Chi Yeyu, are you mad? How old are you? Twenty-four! You haven’t even settled down yourself, and you’re adopting a child? Besides, you are the only daughter of the Chi family. You have to take over the family business. How can you just raise an outsid…”

Realizing the young girl was still present, she cut herself off and said angrily, “You cannot be without heirs. Neither your father nor I will allow it.”

Chi Liting closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they held a sliver of authority. “Yeyu, you are a good child. I taught you to speak with caution, have you forgotten? You are the only heir to the Chi family. Instead of considering marriage and children, you adopt an unrelated child? What will happen to the Chi family lineage?”

Shi Shuxue didn’t know how Chi Yeyu had described her to the elders beforehand, but it was clear now that she hadn’t made things clear, she was planning to cause a scene.

She couldn’t help but glance toward the door. Even though Chi Yeyu had warned her before they entered, she felt they should make their escape early. This dinner was not going to happen.