She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 45

The crowd began to push them forward. Song Ting waved at Chi Yeyu: “See you next time! Let’s keep supporting Xiao Xue together!”

Chi Yeyu nodded slightly, watching the enthusiastic girl merge into the departing tide of people. The air around her was still thick with fragmented discussions about tonight’s performance, where the names “Shi Shuxue” and “that smile” appeared with startling frequency.

She pulled up her jacket zipper, concealing herself once more in the shadows of the crowd. Beneath the brim of her hat, however, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a complex arc.

In the backstage lounge, Shi Shuxue had just changed into casual clothes. Seeing Chi Yeyu enter, she lowered her eyes almost hurriedly.

Chi Yeyu greeted Tiangua and Ci Cheng by the door with a beaming smile. She didn’t rush over to Shi Shuxue but first asked Tiangua, “Where’s Yu Xiu? We agreed to have dinner together tonight.”

“She’s not feeling well, she’s in the restroom,” Tiangua thought for a moment and added, “Don’t eat anything spicy, it upsets her stomach.”

“Got it, I booked a Japanese place,” Chi Yeyu said.

As she approached Shi Shuxue, she noticed the girl was also clutching her stomach, her lips bitten pale, looking quite pitiful.

“Stomach ache? Did you catch a cold?” Chi Yeyu stopped beside her, squatted down, and asked with concern.

“It’s not a cold,” Shi Shuxue moved her hand away, pretending nothing was wrong. “My stomach just hurts a little. I’m fine now.”

“Should I rub it for you?” Chi Yeyu asked.

Shi Shuxue replied coolly, “No need, I’m better.”

Chi Yeyu sighed helplessly. Shi Shuxue’s ears twitched, but then she felt Chi Yeyu’s warm hands cover her lower abdomen, gently rubbing her stomach in a clockwise motion.

Chi Yeyu asked her, “Nervous?”

“I’m not nervous anymore,” Shi Shuxue said.

Chi Yeyu laughed. “Oh, so you’re not nervous now. That means you were nervous just a moment ago.”

Tiangua found it strange. “That shouldn’t be right, Xiao Xue. You’ve been on stage so many times; are you still getting nervous?”

Shi Shuxue played dumb.

Chi Yeyu said, “A kid participating in a Children’s Day gala feels different depending on whether their parents are in the audience or not.”

Hearing this, Tiangua and Ci Cheng both chuckled. Only Shi Shuxue scowled: “My stomach doesn’t hurt anymore. Get away.”

“Don’t be grumpy. It’s normal to be nervous. Actually, you played really well this set, much better than my first time on stage. Let me rub it a bit more,” Chi Yeyu coaxed in a voice so tender it could drown a person.

Tiangua had never seen Chi Yeyu speak to anyone like this in eight hundred lifetimes. She whispered to Ci Cheng, “See that? That’s exactly how a doting mother spoils a child.”

Shi Shuxue grabbed Chi Yeyu’s hand and pressed the palm against her own heart, insisting, “I’m not nervous anymore. If you don’t believe me, listen to my heartbeat. It’s normal.”

Chi Yeyu made a move to bury her head in Shi Shuxue’s chest, but was promptly elbowed away.

“I won’t be like this next time,” Shi Shuxue added.

When Chi Yeyu wasn’t there, she was the cold, impeccable bassist. But when Chi Yeyu was present, she feared she would revert into that useless child, nervously waiting for a “not bad” or “okay.”

She wasn’t afraid of being scrutinized, she was only afraid of being seen through by this person.

Seen through the clumsy fingering from a certain sixteen-year-old afternoon hidden within her virtuoso solos, seen through the melodic variations she unconsciously let flow, melodies this person had once played for her.

Chi Yeyu, unaware of her inner thoughts, took advantage of Tiangua and Ci Cheng’s distraction to steal a kiss on her chin: “I’ll come next time, too.”

Shi Shuxue’s face immediately soured.

At dinner time, one former band girl led four current band girls toward a tatami private room.

Chi Yeyu walked at the front, familiar with the route, acting more like a guide than the waitress as she pulled open the shoji door.

The others followed behind. Tiangua and Ci Cheng were discussing a game character while Yu Xiu trudged weakly. Shi Shuxue had her hands shoved in the pockets of her black hoodie, trailing lazily at the end. Her face was covered by a black mask, and a pair of large-framed grey glasses sat on her nose.

Ci Cheng asked Tiangua, “Why is she dressed like that?”

Tiangua looked back and was startled by the “superstar on the street” look. “Xiao Xue, there are no fans here. You don’t need to do that.”

Shi Shuxue gave a cold “mm,” removed her glasses with one hand, but still didn’t pull down her mask.

Tiangua was surprised. “What’s up with her?”

Chi Yeyu knew her best. She let out a chuckle and, considering the kid’s pride, whispered, “She thinks she played poorly and is too embarrassed to show her face.”

Shi Shuxue huffed softly but said nothing.

The tatami was covered with plush cushions. In the center of the low table stood a small celadon vase holding two sprigs of white chrysanthemums with dew on them, delicate and stylish.

The group took their seats. Having worked hard all day, they didn’t care about the “vibe” they only cared about eating well.

The waiter brought a pot of barley tea filled with ice. Yu Xiu took a sip, put it down in agony, and said, “Could we get a pot of boiling water, please?”

“You’re just frail,” Tiangua said.

Yu Xiu said sadly, “Before I got sick and hospitalized at age four, I was a happy little girl who could eat whatever she wanted.”

Shi Shuxue paused and turned to ask, “Were you sick?”

Yu Xiu slumped and sighed. “You bet. Acute gastroenteritis messed me up when I was little. Since then, my stomach has been made of glass. Anything cold, spicy, or oily gives me acid reflux and heartburn.”

Tiangua popped a piece of pickled ginger into her mouth and interjected crisply, “Give it a rest. Why don’t you think about that when you’re drinking and smoking? You’re blaming everything on a sickness from when you were four?”

“I started drinking when I was two or three, and I had zero problems back then,” Yu Xiu argued for the sake of it.

Shi Shuxue had originally felt sorry for her, but hearing this, Yu Xiu sounded even more reckless than Shi Xianyu, she was simply asking for trouble.

“Then drink more hot water to warm your stomach. Don’t eat sashimi later, we’ll order a pot of Sukiyaki,” Ci Cheng said.

Yu Xiu said, “You understand me. I just love eating hot food.”

After ordering, Chi Yeyu happily leaned in close to Shi Shuxue, reaching out to peel off her mask and reveal the clean, fair face underneath.

She poked her cheek and asked, “Sulking?”

Shi Shuxue glared at her and muttered, “No, I’m not.”

The waiter brought the Tamagoyaki, golden, soft rolls emitting a sweet fragrance. Chi Yeyu picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth. The sweet egg flavor melted on her tongue. She narrowed her cat-like eyes playfully. “Mmm! This is the taste.”

“You didn’t bring us here just for a bite of Tamagoyaki, did you?” Yu Xiu hit the nail on the head.

Chi Yeyu said, “Yeah, it’s delicious. Not like the ones you buy at the supermarket. Even my family’s chef can’t make it taste like this.”

She turned to Shi Shuxue, picked up a small piece, and said with crescent-moon eyes, “Come on, Xiao Xue, open up.”

Shi Shuxue took the bite, nibbling on the chopsticks, her fine eyebrows slightly furrowed. She realized why it was different, regular Tamagoyaki isn’t usually this cloyingly sweet.

She swallowed it with difficulty and chased it with several gulps of tea.

Successful in her prank, Chi Yeyu pushed a bowl of sea urchin rice (Uni Don) toward her. “This isn’t sweet. Eat this.”

Shi Shuxue looked down at the golden sea urchin in the bowl, plump grains of Uni wrapping around glistening rice, the scent of fresh sweetness wafting up.

“Ah!!!! let me feed you.” Chi Yeyu scooped a spoonful and held it to Shi Shuxue’s lips.

Yu Xiu asked in shock, “No way, Chi Yeyu. Since when did Xiao Xue regress into a baby?”

“In my heart, she’s always been… Hiss… ow, ow, ow! Easy, stop pinching!” Chi Yeyu’s maternal outburst was cut short by a vicious pinch from Shi Shuxue.

Shi Shuxue snatched the spoon herself and put the mouthful of Uni rice into her mouth. The fresh sweetness exploded on her taste buds, making the corners of her eyes curve involuntarily.

Chi Yeyu’s heart was jumping around just like her restless personality. She took a sip of cold tea and said, “I talked to one of Shi Shuxue’s fans today. That girl said Xiao Xue doesn’t like to smile.”

Tiangua said, “Well… isn’t that persona popular now? Cute looks, but a cool expression.”

Chi Yeyu said naturally, “Right? But she actually smiles quite a lot. I see her smiling so much in bed that she even gets tears in her eyes.”

Tiangua said, “That’s actually quite surprising… Wait, where did you say?”

Ci Cheng almost knocked her teacup onto Tiangua’s lap. “You two sleep in the same bed?!”

Tiangua scrambled to protect her pants.

“Not really. I just go to her room to play before bed, and she kicks me out when it’s time to sleep,” Chi Yeyu said, becoming dissatisfied herself. She poked Shi Shuxue’s arm. “Why don’t we sleep together tonight?”

Shi Shuxue finished her tea and moved on to the sake on the table. She asked curiously, “We have two huge bedrooms. Why should we sleep together?”

“The house is cold,” Chi Yeyu said.

Yu Xiu sneered, “Has the Big Miss run out of money for the heating bill?”

Chi Yeyu ignored Yu Xiu and focused on stirring the messy soup and rice in her bowl. She didn’t eat a bite, just played with it.

Suddenly, Shi Shuxue tugged at Chi Yeyu’s sleeve. Chi Yeyu turned her head in confusion and heard Shi Shuxue whisper as she leaned in closer: “Let’s sleep together from now on.”

Chi Yeyu’s pupils dilated bit by bit, like a pool of water reflecting a shattered moon. Her eyelashes fluttered. The annoying Yu Xiu, the rising steam from the water, the bubbling pot, everything faded into a blurred background.

Only Shi Shuxue’s soft, warm breath brushed against her ear. That “sleep together” was like honey, falling into the depths of her heart and sending out ripple after ripple.

She opened her mouth, a warm current seemingly surging in her throat, making her gaze forward turn dizzyingly bright.

Sleep together…!

Chi Yeyu was overjoyed. She drained her cup of sake in one go and finished her bowl of rice. She tossed all the warnings from the parenting manuals she’d read out the window; her mind was filled only with the image of a cute Shi Shuxue glaring at her on the bed.

She wanted to pounce on Shi Shuxue, calling out melodiously: “Xiao Xue~”

Yu Xiu was stunned. Staring at the empty sake cup across from her, she asked Shi Shuxue, “What kind of love potion did you give her?”

Shi Shuxue pushed her back with effort and replied, “It’s not like she just got crazy yesterday.”

“The sickness has been particularly severe lately,” Yu Xiu curled her lip, thinking of heaven-knows-what.

“Maybe she’s drunk,” Ci Cheng asked Shi Shuxue. “How are you two getting back?”

Shi Shuxue said, “She called her driver to pick us up, or we’ll get a designated driver.”

Chi Yeyu was indeed a bit tipsy, but definitely not drunk. Her alcohol tolerance had been trained since she was young, it was exceptionally good.