She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 30

Chi Yeyu: I really don’t like her!! (This chapter contains a key turning point)

Shi Shuxue’s breath hitched. She had seen the posters and knew Chi Yeyu had a performance underground tonight, but she had never heard that this was the final show and she certainly never imagined Chi Yeyu would be quitting the band.

The fan’s words were like a heavy blow. She stood frozen in place, her entire body trembling. Her blood felt like an icy backflow, crashing violently through her limbs.

The boisterous crowd and dazzling lights around her lost their sound and color in that instant, warping into a blurry background. At the center of the world, there was only that band poster stuck to the wall.

Chi Yeyu was giving up the band?

Why? Even during her busiest work periods, she had never spoken of leaving. Why now, so suddenly?

Is she leaving? Where is she going? How long will she be gone?

Questions exploded in her mind like a drumbeat. A chilling thought surfaced, and though she didn’t want to think it through, the details she had deliberately ignored began to link together logically.

A while ago, when they were talking about school, Chi Yeyu suddenly asked, “Do you want to study abroad?” She had thought it was just casual small talk. Looking back now, was that really just a suggestion?

She was no longer as calm as she had been moments ago. A massive wave of panic swept over her. She forgot how to breathe normally, her hands clenching tightly against her chest.

Ci Cheng noticed something was wrong and grabbed Shi Shuxue’s swaying shoulders, trying to shout over the roaring noise in her ears.

“Shi Shuxue, calm down! Focus on your breathing!” Ci Cheng had never seen Shi Shuxue so flustered. She pressed her hand against the girl’s back, guiding her breath.

Not far away, as if sensing something, Chi Yeyu suddenly turned her head. Her gaze pierced through the crowd, landing directly on them.

She had been comforting fans and answering one question after another, but the moment she looked over, every other task was replaced by something far more important.

In the shadows by the wall, a figure looking exactly like Shi Shuxue was being cornered by a girl. The girl was elegantly dressed in a long gown with exquisite makeup, looking down at Shi Shuxue. The latter was almost circled in her arms, her back against the wall. The two were extremely close, well beyond a normal social distance.

Chi Yeyu’s pupils contracted sharply. Who was that girl? The words Shi Shuxue had said in the car recently about a “person she liked” and “someone she admired” flashed through her mind. She pushed through the crowd, leaving the fans behind without a word, and strode toward them.

The hem of her cargo jacket fluttered in the wind. When she reached them, she found the person held in that “embrace” really was Shi Shuxue. When Shi Shuxue looked at her, her eyes were brimming with wet tears, her rims red, her usually indifferent dark eyes filled with raw emotion.

Skipping class? Puppy love? A breakup drama?

When Chi Yeyu had just stepped off stage, she had seen a transaction notification on her phone. She had been happy that Shi Shuxue was finally willing to spend her money on a purchase. Now it seemed Shi Shuxue had swiped her card to buy a gift for her crush!

Her kid’s first big expenditure was used to woo a partner!!

A nameless fire smoldered in her heart. Restraining herself and ignoring the stranger, Chi Yeyu asked Shi Shuxue, “What are you doing here?”

Shi Shuxue’s face was pale, like someone just pulled from the water after nearly drowning. Her pitch-black eyes were devoid of warmth. “Why didn’t you tell me you were quitting the band?”

“You found out?” A flash of surprise crossed Chi Yeyu’s eyes. Seeing her overreaction, she frowned but explained anyway, “It’s not that important. I originally planned to tell you this weekend and have a proper talk.”

A proper talk. Shi Shuxue repeated those words in her mind. “Not that important” and “proper talk”… Truly typical of Chi Yeyu.

“And you? Aren’t you going to explain why you aren’t in school?”

Facing Chi Yeyu’s questioning, Shi Shuxue didn’t look her in the eye. She turned to Ci Cheng and said, “You go back first. I have things to discuss with her.”

Ci Cheng had already realized the atmosphere was wrong. She looked at the pale Shi Shuxue, then at the bristling Chi Yeyu, and whispered, “What about you? Are you okay?”

“I’m just going to talk to her here. What could happen?” Shi Shuxue said with a flat expression.

Ci Cheng hesitated for a moment, gave her a worried look, and then turned to head back to the private room.

The way the two of them acted was like a pair of “star-crossed lovers” being forcibly separated by a feudal patriarch. Chi Yeyu laughed out of sheer anger, crossing her arms and coolly eyeing Shi Shuxue, demanding an explanation.

Only after Ci Cheng’s figure disappeared did Shi Shuxue sigh, suppressing her thoughts. She said calmly, “I skipped class to celebrate a classmate’s birthday.”

“Classmate? What kind of classmate? A ‘normal’ classmate that you hug, cuddle, and touch?” Chi Yeyu asked.

Shi Shuxue froze. For a second, she didn’t understand the words. Then, realizing the misunderstanding, she said, “There’s none of that mess. We didn’t do anything. We’re just normal classmates.”

Chi Yeyu didn’t believe her. Thinking back to that girl, she matched every trait Shi Shuxue had previously described.

Except for that “mysterious smile.”

But of course, she wouldn’t be smiling, she’d just been caught red-handed by her guardian!

“I was feeling unwell just now, and she just supported me for a moment. I don’t like her,” Shi Shuxue added, seeing the disbelief.

“You’re unwell?”

“I’m fine. Maybe I’m just hungry because I didn’t eat dinner.”

Chi Yeyu pulled out her car keys, grabbed her wrist, and said curtly, “Let’s go. I’m taking you to eat.”

Shi Shuxue was pulled forcefully, stumbling slightly. Sensing the anger in the movement, she struggled to keep up. “Chi Yeyu, I really don’t like her.”

Chi Yeyu didn’t look back. “I don’t believe you! Unless you tell me who you do like.”

“I…” Shi Shuxue was speechless.

“See? You can’t say it.” Chi Yeyu said sadly, “You weren’t like this before. You used to be willing to tell me everything.”

The period Chi Yeyu described didn’t exist at all. Shi Shuxue stared numbly at her unreasonable silhouette, letting her wrist be held tightly.

They found a restaurant without a wait. Chi Yeyu sat opposite her, still preoccupied. She tossed the menu to her and said poutily, “Eat. Eat your fill. Just don’t fall into anyone else’s arms next time.”

“I really don’t like her. Just let it go.” Shi Shuxue helplessly took the menu, flipping through it absentmindedly and ordering several dishes from the server.

Living together for so long, she had long ago mastered Chi Yeyu’s tastes knowing what she loved, what she hated, and what she was allergic to. She ordered for both of them.

Chi Yeyu didn’t add anything. She blinked at her, confirming, “You and that Ci-whatever really have nothing going on?”

“We are deskmates. There is no other relationship. Besides, even if I did date, didn’t you say you support my freedom to love?” Shi Shuxue turned her gaze to the window. It had rained yesterday as a gust of wind blew, autumn leaves swirled and fell into puddles, and pedestrians huddled into their coats.

Chi Yeyu drummed her fingers on the table, her legs practically shaking with restless energy. She spoke rapidly: “I don’t support it anymore. I oppose your freedom to love. You can’t date until you’re an adult. And before you date, you have to bring them home for me to inspect. If I’m not satisfied, you break up. Don’t let some random person waste your time.”

Shi Shuxue stared at her for a while. “You’re going back on your word.”

Chi Yeyu said righteously, “I am exactly that kind of person who goes back on her word.”

She was wearing makeup today. Her naturally upturned cat-like eyes were elongated by eyeliner, emphasizing that small mole and making her look exceptionally cunning. As her gaze shifted, the blue-pink glitter on her lids scattered light like phosphorus. Her cobalt-blue hair brushed her brow, resembling stars seen through a window on an autumn night.

Shi Shuxue sat silently watching her. Her eyes were like a deep pond covered in thin ice, calm on the surface, but with surging waves beneath. After a long pause, she spoke: “Chi Yeyu, how long are you leaving for?”

The vivid expression on Chi Yeyu’s face froze instantly.

Shi Shuxue lowered her head slightly, her black hair falling by her cheek, obscuring half her eye and leaving only the line of her jaw visible.

Chi Yeyu reached across the table, slowly tucking a strand of hair behind the girl’s ear. She said softly, “Shi Shuxue, you’re too smart. I don’t even need to explain; you’ve guessed everything.”

“So you really are leaving. Going abroad, right?”

Chi Yeyu hummed in affirmation. “The family wants to train me. They want me to use the Chi family resources to build up a project overseas. As for how long, I’m not sure. But I can’t keep playing with the band. Of course, when I say ‘end,’ I only mean I’m leaving. Without me, Screaming Goldfish will still live on. Yu Xiu and the others will find a new member. Member changes are inevitable, you don’t need to worry about them. And even if I’m abroad, it’s impossible for us to lose contact. I’ll keep people in charge of your grandmother’s treatment, and I’ll arrange for people to take care of your life so it doesn’t interfere with your senior year studies…”

Dishes were served one by one. She paused, moving the food Shi Shuxue liked closer to her.

“We can video call often,” Chi Yeyu said, then stopped. She noticed Shi Shuxue was crying.

The girl’s eyelashes trembled. She kept her lips pressed tight without a sound, but tears pooled at the roots of her lashes and slid down her delicate skin, pitter-pattering onto the table.

She didn’t look up, tucking her chin into her collar, hiding her face in the shadow. Even her crying was cold and restrained.

Once her emotions stabilized, she reached out to pick up a rib with her chopsticks. Her voice was strained as she asked, “When do you leave?”

The food on the table was still steaming. Chi Yeyu looked at the black hair falling from the top of her head, and at the hand gripping the chopsticks that was still slightly shaking. She said softly: “Next weekend’s flight.”

The parting was coming too fast. Shi Shuxue’s mind went blank. She didn’t know what expression to make; her features felt dead. She let out a hollow “Oh.” She wanted to demand why Chi Yeyu hadn’t told her sooner. She wanted to ask why Chi Yeyu was breaking her promise to always stay with her.

Liar.

But in the end, she said nothing.

At the airport check-in hall, the speakers looped boarding announcements. Suitcase wheels clicked across the floor as travelers hurried by. Chi Yeyu wore a navy blue trench coat unusually, she wore no jewelry on her ears or hands, giving her a more reserved, soft appearance.

Shi Shuxue stood half a step behind her, one hand in her pocket, not helping with the luggage, just staring coldly down at her phone screen.

She had been exceptionally silent on the way there. Chi Yeyu knew things were bad and didn’t want to leave on a sour note. She tried everything to make her smile, but Shi Shuxue barely spoke.

Chi Yeyu handed her passport to the staff, and her suitcase was sent onto the conveyor belt.

“Anything else to say?” Shi Shuxue finally spoke. Her voice was quieter than usual, laced with a chill.

Chi Yeyu turned back, reaching out to touch the girl’s fingertips. She smiled. “Didn’t you hear enough of my nagging on the way here?”

Shi Shuxue curled her fingers.

Chi Yeyu leaned down slightly to meet her eyes, tidying the girl’s wind-mussed hair. Even though Shi Shuxue remained impassive, Chi Yeyu felt she had grown much taller recently. Next time they met, she’d surely be a grown woman.

“Live well, study hard. There’s something I’ve wanted to say since our talk in the car. Xue, you don’t need to walk the same path I did.” Chi Yeyu’s voice was rarely this gentle, like a lingering mist on a cold night, carrying a hint of reluctance.

Even at the moment of parting, Shi Shuxue kept her disinterested, stoic face. Chi Yeyu had tried coaxing and teasing, but nothing worked. She figured she’d have to leave the difficult task of cheering her up to Li Lingling and the others. Finally, she brushed the back of the girl’s hand, forced a bright smile, and turned to walk away.

She hadn’t gone far when Shi Shuxue suddenly raised her voice, calling out: “Chi Yeyu!!!”

Chi Yeyu had never heard such a powerful shout come from Shi Shuxue. Her footsteps stopped abruptly.

The blue head in the crowd turned around. Shi Shuxue ran up to her and tossed something at her.

“What’s this?” Chi Yeyu caught the box, startled.

Shi Shuxue looked away. “For you.”

She opened the box to find a Mobius strip ring. The craftsmanship was exquisite, clearly expensive. “You’re giving this to me?”

“I swiped your card for it,” Shi Shuxue said stiffly.

Chi Yeyu thought it was beautiful and matched her style perfectly. Surprised, she asked, “Why give me this?”

Shi Shuxue snapped, “It’s for decoration. They say it brings in wealth.”

Used to her occasional temper, Chi Yeyu didn’t push further. She smiled and put it on.