She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 46

Shi Shuxue: In. Your. Dreams.

Shi Shuxue was deeply intoxicated, the bedroom held only the sound of shallow breathing. Her head felt as if it were wrapped in damp cotton, heavy, groggy, and impossible to open her eyes.

Suddenly, someone gently shook her shoulder. The force wasn’t heavy, but the persistence was clingy.

She pried open a sliver of an eye. Her vision blurred into a halo of light, making it impossible to see the figure clearly, but she heard that familiar voice repeatedly calling by her ear: “Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue…”

So noisy.

She gave a muffled groan and buried her head deep under the pillow, attempting to shut out the annoying sound.

Chi Yeyu turned the framed photo of Shi Xianyu on the nightstand face down, then lifted a corner of the quilt and slipped inside. Her warm breath brushed against Shi Shuxue’s ear as she whispered, “I can’t sleep soundly alone.”

The pillow still carried the faint scent of her shampoo, mixed with the indoor fragrance, brewing into a warm, cozy atmosphere within the narrow confines of the bed.

Shi Shuxue’s consciousness was still mired in chaos. Hearing the whisper by her ear, she mumbled incoherently, “Just sleep…”

Chi Yeyu didn’t speak further. She squeezed closer, her arm resting loosely across the other’s waist. Her palm felt the warmth of the body heat seeping through the thin pajamas, allowing her restless heart to finally settle.

Cradling Shi Shuxue in her arms, she buried her face in the other’s neck, pressing a gentle kiss against the skin as soft as white tofu: “Happy New Year, Xiao Xue.”

Shi Shuxue didn’t respond, her breathing remained even and long. Inside the covers, the warmth was thick, and their breaths gradually synchronized.

On the first day of the New Year, Shi Shuxue woke up feeling sore and weak all over. Her brain was as dull as rusted metal. She washed her face with cold water before finally feeling somewhat awake.

She had been drunk last night, and the side effect was a memory gap. The last image in her mind was of Chi Yeyu nearly blurting out the truth about their relationship.

She didn’t say it, did she? Worried, she hurried out of the room to find Chi Yeyu downstairs. The fewer people who knew about their relationship, the better.

However, Chi Yeyu was nowhere to be found in the first floor living room. The housekeeper came out of the kitchen with breakfast, smiling, “You’re up, Xiao Xue. Perfect timing for breakfast.”

Breakfast was Chinese style porridge and soup dumplings. Shi Shuxue walked over and asked, “Where did Chi Yeyu go?”

“Miss Chi said she had things to handle and left early this morning. She told you to pack your luggage this afternoon if you’re free, you’re leaving tomorrow morning.” The housekeeper poured her some warm water and handed it over. “Are you two going on a trip?”

Shi Shuxue held the cup, dazed, and replied slowly, “Yes, going on a trip.”

Chi Yeyu had wanted to travel with her for a long time, but their schedules never aligned. It wasn’t until this New Year break that they managed to piece together enough time for an overseas trip.

The housekeeper urged, “It’s cold lately. Remember to bring thick clothes, don’t catch a cold.”

Shi Shuxue nodded slowly: “Okay.”

“Dress warmly when you leave too. What time are you heading out tomorrow? How about I make some snacks for you to take along?”

Shi Shuxue shook her head slowly: “It’s fine, no need to trouble yourself. I don’t know what time we’re leaving either.”

The housekeeper laughed, “Have you not woken up yet? It looks like your eyes are about to close any second.”

“…Yeah, a bit sleepy.” Shi Shuxue listlessly stuffed a soup dumpling into her mouth. She had eaten too much the night before and wasn’t hungry at all.

Thinking she had stayed up late playing on her phone, the housekeeper said, “Then go back up and sleep some more after you eat.”

After a while, Shi Shuxue replied, “Okay.”

After breakfast, she washed her face with cold water again. Finally fully awake, she lay on the sofa and sent a message to Chi Yeyu, asking what she was doing.

Chi Yeyu replied about twenty minutes later: Back at the Chi family place.

[Shi Shuxue: Then stay busy.]

[Little Sister Chi: Chat with me for a bit, they’re so annoying.]

Shi Shuxue stared at the contact name “Little Sister Chi” for several seconds.

[Shi Shuxue: When did you change the nickname?]

[Little Sister Chi: Last night when you forgot to lock your screen.]

[Shi Shuxue: …Did you do anything else?]

[Little Sister Chi: No! I swear to heaven, I only changed the nickname, I didn’t look at anything else.]

[Little Sister Chi: Don’t you think giving the person you like a nickname like ‘Annoying Adult’ creates negative psychological suggestions?]

[Shi Shuxue: I never thought of it that way.]

Chi Yeyu stopped messaging, likely called away by someone. Seven or eight minutes later, she messaged again, complaining about how annoying various family members were. Out of the long list of names, Shi Shuxue only remembered one: Chi Jin.

Chi Yeyu mentioned that Chi Jin still owed her a commendatory banner; Shi Shuxue hadn’t expected her to remember that for nearly two years.

[Shi Shuxue: I don’t want a banner, and you’re not allowed to ask for it back to hang at home.]

[Little Sister Chi: She promised.]

[Shi Shuxue: ?]

A single question mark wasn’t enough to express her confusion. Shi Shuxue sent several more, but received no reply from Chi Yeyu.

In the evening, Shi Shuxue packed her luggage at home. Even if she didn’t show it clearly, she felt a spark of excitement and anticipation for her first trip with Chi Yeyu.

The sunset light cut diagonally across the floor to ceiling window. She squatted before her suitcase and tossed in a light grey windbreaker. The wardrobe door stood open, with neatly folded clothes lined up in two rows.

On the left were her linen shirts and knit cardigans; on the right were dark hoodies and windproof jackets. She leaned over to tuck her camera bag into the gaps and added two pairs of noise-canceling headphones.

Once everything was arranged, the suitcase was packed full but not messy. She lay back on the bed, waiting for the sun to rise the next day.

Chi Yeyu hadn’t come home yet, and Shi Shuxue’s “elementary school field trip syndrome” kicked in, she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. She unlocked her phone and switched to her alt-account to post on Weibo.

[Spring is the season of encounters. I want to be a cherry blossom petal landing on your shoulder, pulling out a piece of spring.]

The moment the post went up, she gave herself a lonely like and closed her eyes to sleep peacefully.

At 4:00 AM, she was jolted awake by a WeChat voice call.

Shi Shuxue answered in a daze, hearing Chi Yeyu’s light breathing on the other end, followed by a laugh.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Shuxue asked, half-asleep.

“Just notifying you,” Chi Yeyu said.

Shi Shuxue checked the time, confused: “Huh?”

“Three hours until it’s time to get up,” Chi Yeyu said.

“…Are you sick?!” Shi Shuxue snapped.

Chi Yeyu, seemingly refreshed by being scolded, soothed her: “Go back to sleep. I’ll pick you up at dawn, and we’ll head to the airport together.”

Shi Shuxue hung up decisively and closed her eyes.

The next morning, she was pounded awake by knocking. Chi Yeyu knocked haphazardly a few times and, without waiting for a response, pushed the door open and yanked the curtains wide.

“Wakey-wakey, time to go!”

The sky was just beginning to brighten, with faint morning mist swirling outside. Shi Shuxue rubbed her aching temples. As she sat up, her hand pressed down on a few strands of hair, causing a sharp tug.

Chi Yeyu stood by the bed holding two cups of hot soy milk, a hint of uncontainable laughter in her eyes.

“Morning!” She handed one cup over. “How did you sleep last night?”

“You have the nerve to ask?” Shi Shuxue didn’t take the soy milk, giving her a cold glare. “Call me at 4:00 AM again and I’ll block you immediately.”

She got out of bed to wash up, hearing the noise of Chi Yeyu sipping soy milk behind her: “Don’t block me. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d harass you a bit.”

After they finished getting ready and grabbed their suitcases, they headed out together.

When the plane took off, Chi Yeyu leaned against the headrest and fell asleep quickly. Shi Shuxue was also tired; she pulled a blanket over her knees, her eyelids growing heavier. She closed her eyes to the steady hum of the engines, her head tilting to the side as her consciousness drifted into a peaceful slumber.

Sometime later, the plane landed smoothly. After clearing customs and exiting the airport, they were met with a damp breeze. Unlike their cold point of departure, the temperature here was warmer, and the sunlight wrapped around them comfortably.

As soon as they got into the car, Shi Shuxue switched to her local data card, and a video call came through.

Chi Yeyu finished communicating with the driver and turned to ask, “Who is it?”

Shi Shuxue showed her the screen: “Sister Lingling.”

Chi Yeyu hit accept.

Li Lingling immediately saw a large face wearing sunglasses dominating the screen: “Chi Yeyu? Why is it you? Where’s Xiao Xue?” Her face wrinkled like a crumpled rag.

Chi Yeyu said displeasedly, “Hey, what’s with that face? Am I that hideous?”