She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 48

There is no obligation to stay dry.

“Can I really speak well? What if someone asks a sharp question and I can’t answer? If I don’t play the bass, why would they even come to watch?”

Chi Yeyu’s annoying voice suddenly drifted into her ear. She deliberately pinched her throat, pitching her voice high like a lark. After speaking, she glanced at Shi Shuxue. “I bet that’s what you’re thinking.”

Shi Shuxue: “…”

Chi Yeyu reached out to ruffle her hair, her tone gentle: “What are you afraid of? Just tell the truth. Saving someone is a fact, and not hyping it up is also a fact. Say what’s on your mind. If someone looks for trouble on purpose, I’ll handle it for you.”

She took Shi Shuxue’s phone, opened the livestreaming app, and helped her adjust the stream parameters. “Think about your opening lines first. Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Time ticked away, second by second.

Shi Shuxue took a deep breath. Her fingertip hovered over the “Go Live” button for three seconds before she gritted her teeth and pressed it.

The screen lit up, and the influx of comments almost drowned out the picture. She looked at her own clean, makeup-free face in the camera, her voice half a notch lower than when she usually performed on stage: “Hello everyone, I’m Shi Shuxue.”

The comments flashed by at lightning speed, a dense, rolling mass.

[Help!! Xiaoxue actually started a solo stream!]

[Sister isn’t holding her bass today? Did the sun rise in the west?]

[Is that background a hotel? Is she away?]

Shi Shuxue reached up to smooth the stray hairs on her forehead, replying to the comments: “Yes, I’m traveling. Taking some time out to relax for a few days.”

“I’m not playing bass today. I didn’t bring it.”

“What am I doing if not playing bass? Just chatting. I’ll read the comments. You can ask me some questions.”

The chat immediately flooded with a mess of random questions. Some asked what she ate for dinner, some asked about the other band members, and others asked if there was someone next to her.

Ignoring the comments asking about Chi Yeyu, she first responded to the simplest question, counting on her fingers: “I had fish, the meat was very tender. Also matcha ice cream, it wasn’t very bitter. I also tried a bite of the chestnut flavor, it was cloyingly sweet.”

Someone teased her about whether she had secretly gained weight. Her tone carried a hint of helplessness: “I haven’t. My… ‘eating’ friend ate half for me. She eats more than I do.”

“Sister Yu Xiu and the others didn’t come along. Sister Tiangua has been very busy lately, and Ci Cheng isn’t on break yet.”

She paused, her gaze landing on the words “New Song” which were spamming the chat. Suspecting it was “water army” shills arranged by her manager, her tense shoulders slowly relaxed. “The new song is still being polished, don’t worry. I haven’t been idle while out playing, two lines of melody popped into my head last night, and I jotted them down in my phone’s notes.”

The fans instantly exploded. Someone pressed to know what the melody was, while others spammed “Sing a few lines.”

Wrapped in the enthusiasm of the chat, Shi Shuxue hesitated for two seconds before lowering her voice toward the camera: “Just two lines. No lyrics yet.”

She cleared her throat, her fingertip unconsciously tapping a light rhythm on the edge of the table as she hummed a fragmented, gentle melody. The tune wasn’t complex, carrying a touch of springtime laziness, like cherry blossoms falling on one’s shoulder.

After humming the final note, she felt a bit embarrassed and said coolly, “It hasn’t been polished yet.”

The chat was already flooded with “So beautiful to hear.”

[This tune is so healing! The style is completely different from before.]

[Little sister’s casual humming is already top-tier.]

[Help, this melody is carved into my DNA. When will it be released?]

[Secretly saying, this is even more to my taste than the previous songs!]

“You guys are too good at flattering me,” Shi Shuxue said.

Five minutes slipped away in this kind of banter. The number of people online continued to grow, and discordant voices began to mix into the chat.

[Didn’t they say she saved someone? Why only talk about songs? Isn’t this just hype?] [Starting a stream right after hitting the trending searches, this wave of clout-chasing is too obvious.]

Seeing those words, the ease in Shi Shuxue’s expression faded. Her tone was calm, devoid of emotion: “I did indeed save a child before. He was squatting under a chandelier to pick up a toy. The lamp was shaking violently and looked like it was going to fall, so I gave him a pull.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. There’s no need to specifically talk about it.”

As soon as she said this, the anti-fans in the livestream became even more emboldened, posting cynical comments one after another.

[Giving a pull can get you on the trending searches? It must be staged.]

[This is called saving someone?]

[Do independent bands rely on these tactics to get attention now?]

All sorts of similar comments flooded the screen, and even some uninformed bystanders began to follow suit and voice their doubts.

Shi Shuxue pursed her lips. Just as she was about to speak, a well-defined hand reached out from the side and took the phone she was holding.

In the next second, Chi Yeyu’s face appeared abruptly in the frame.

She was wearing a loose white shirt with her hair tied up casually. Her eyes swept over the comments on the screen, and the softness in her brows instantly turned cold, carrying a trace of nonchalant aggression.

“A pull? To pull that child, her shoulder was slashed by the corner of the chandelier, leaving a gash over ten centimeters long. They spent nearly an hour picking glass shards out of her flesh. She’s been recovering for nearly half a month, she has to be careful even when getting dressed, and it hurts just to turn over. If that kid hadn’t been saved by her, he would have been smashed into meat paste long ago. You don’t call that saving someone?”

Shi Shuxue turned her head sharply to look at her, her eyes filled with a bit of shock and panic as she reached out to grab her phone back: “Don’t talk nonsense…”

“I’m talking nonsense?” Chi Yeyu raised an eyebrow, gripped her wrist, and tilted her chin toward the camera, her tone dripping with mockery. “The silk banner of thanks should have been sent to her long ago. This trip was a privately scheduled itinerary, it just so happened to coincide with someone taking a secret photo. She doesn’t like talking about these things because she doesn’t want to use her wounds to win sympathy, but that doesn’t mean you can just make things up about her.”

“That kid even sent her a voice message yesterday for New Year’s greetings and thanks. Do you want me to play the recording for you?”

The comments in the livestream went insane instantly, the cynical remarks from earlier immediately buried.

[! Holy crap, it’s Chi Yeyu! They really are traveling together!]

[Heavens, a ten centimeter gash. That’s too cruel for Teacher Xiao Xue who is practically grown onto her bass, ugh.]

[Haters shut up! Getting cursed for saving someone, and getting cursed for being secretly photographed. Does your conscience not hurt?]

[Chi Yeyu ahhh!! how long has it been since I last saw her!]

[You two! Staying in one room! Sleeping in one bed!]

[Chi Yeyu you love her so much, you even came on camera to speak for her after retiring, I’m crying.]

Shi Shuxue looked at the scrolling comments. Chi Yeyu’s name appeared with high frequency. She let out a deep sigh.

Chi Yeyu was clearly no stranger to this kind of spotlight, saying naturally: “Of course, I definitely love her. I love my family very much.”

The tips of Shi Shuxue’s ears turned bright red. She kicked her and whispered, “Shut up.”

This sentence was also picked up by the stream.

[Xue is completely like a child in front of this person.]

[Her expression looks so flustered hahahaha.]

“Alright, alright, I won’t steal the show. I’m leaving the stream to Xiaoxue. I’m going to go play on my phone.” Chi Yeyu knew when to quit while she was ahead, returning the phone to Shi Shuxue.

Countless viewers in the chat sent comments trying to make her stay, but the heartless Chi Yeyu decisively left, replaced by the even more heartless Shi Shuxue taking charge of the stream.

She cleared her throat and changed the subject, talking about the various sights she saw on the streets, the cities the band wanted to visit for their next tour, and responding to several questions about instrument maintenance.

Half an hour later, after saying goodbye to the audience, the stream ended.

Chi Yeyu said impatiently, “Finally over. Xiaoxue, hurry, let’s soak in the hot spring together.”

Shi Shuxue’s battery was drained. Her forehead hit the table with a thud.

“Xiaoxue! Xiaoxue!” Chi Yeyu called her, going over to shake her arm.

Shi Shuxue looked up and said, “I haven’t showered yet.”

After showering, she saw Chi Yeyu wrapped in a padded coat, rocking back and forth on a lounge chair in the courtyard.

There were two woven rattan lounge chairs by the edge of the pool, along with a small wooden table holding a set of unglazed ceramic tea tools and two cans of plum wine.

Shi Shuxue crouched by the hot spring, her fingertips grazing the water to test the temperature before she gently stepped into the water.

Chi Yeyu watched as that slender, straight section of her calf disappeared into the water, followed by her fair thighs, and further up…

The hot spring steam billowed up, blurring the texture of the skin, yet making the ambiguity even more pronounced.

Chi Yeyu first touched under her nose to make sure it was dry before walking to her side.

Shi Shuxue reminded her softly: “Chi Yeyu, the stones here are slippery.”

Chi Yeyu didn’t listen. She tore off her coat and plunged into the water with a plop, sending up a spray of water.

Shi Shuxue got a face full of it. She wiped her face and said irritably, “Chi Yeyu! Do you think you’re in a diving competition?”

“My foot slipped, it wasn’t on purpose.” Chi Yeyu’s eyes crinkled as she went over to snuggle against her. “You always call me by my full name.”

“I just like calling you that.” Shi Shuxue glanced at her indifferently.

Chi Yeyu said, “Mm, just keep calling me that then.”

Actually, she felt that no matter how Shi Shuxue called her, it was very evocative. Especially when she was angry, setting her face, chin slightly lifted, those thin willow-leaf brows raised… it was particularly… erotic.

Shi Shuxue moved further into the depths of the hot spring. The hot water reached her waist and abdomen, the warmth seeping through her pores into her bones, loosening most of the tension from the past few days.

She looked back at Chi Yeyu. The other woman was soaking in the steaming spring, revealing a section of her fair neck. Her features were bathed in the dim yellow courtyard light, looking so beautiful it didn’t seem like her usual eccentric self.

A flash of hard to decipher emotion flickered in those cat-like eyes. She heard Chi Yeyu say with great seriousness, “I want to hug you.”

“Mhm, just right.” Shi Shuxue responded, treading through the water into her arms.

Chi Yeyu naturally pulled her in, her two arms wrapping around her waist and resting on her lower abdomen, whispering, “So thin.”

“The fans say I’ve gotten fat,” Shi Shuxue said.

Chi Yeyu curled her lip. “I’m a fan too. You should listen to me.”

Shi Shuxue reached out to scoop up a dried cherry blossom floating on the water. She twirled it gently between her fingers, then looked back at her, her eyes curving slightly: “Fine, I’ll listen to you.”

Chi Yeyu’s heart felt a wave of crisp sweetness. Shi Xianyu, what kind of worldly precious creature did you give birth to!!

Shi Shuxue tucked that dried cherry blossom behind her ear. The petals brushed against her earlobe, ticklish.

The heat of the spring rose with the faint scent of plum wine, tinting the breath of both women with a bit of sweetness.

Chi Yeyu’s gaze slid from her flushed cheeks to her collarbone submerged in the water, murmuring to herself, “I’m so afraid I’ll bleed.”

Shi Shuxue’s brow furrowed. “Are you on your period?”

“No,” Chi Yeyu said.

Shi Shuxue was puzzled. “Then why are you afraid of bleeding? I’m not going to hit you.”

Chi Yeyu couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her shoulders trembling as she rubbed wildly against Shi Shuxue, burying her face in the crook of her neck, her warm breath brushing against the skin.

Shi Shuxue asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Chi Yeyu said nonsensically, “I’m a bit sleepy from soaking so long.”

“So you’re laughing because of that?” Shi Shuxue turned around in her arms, her chin lifting slightly as she looked at her. “I’ll carry you up.”

Chi Yeyu teased her: “Try it.”

Shi Shuxue tightened her arms, attempting to support the bend of her legs. She exerted all her strength but failed to stand up, instead slipping back into the water with a splash.

Glub glub glub…

Chi Yeyu hurriedly fished her out.

Shi Shuxue had choked on the water. The water sucked into her nose had traveled to her mouth; it felt terrible. She coughed for a long time before asking, “How much do you weigh?”

“Over a hundred pounds,” Chi Yeyu said modestly.

Shi Shuxue asked, “One hundred and fifty?”

She said “one hundred and fifty” with the tone of calling someone an idiot. Chi Yeyu suspected she was trying to insult her.

“Much lighter than that,” Chi Yeyu said. “How about you start working out with me?”

Shi Shuxue refused: “Absolutely not. I hate sweating.”

She climbed onto the shore in humiliation, dried herself off, wrapped up in her clothes, and leaned over to pick up the unglazed cup on the table. She poured half a cup of plum wine and downed it in one go.

“Drink less, don’t get drunk again,” Chi Yeyu said.

“Drinking a bit warms the body. This place’s plum wine isn’t strong. I can handle it.” The corners of Shi Shuxue’s eyes were tinged with a damp red. The steam had moistened the ends of her hair, and a few stray strands clung to the side of her neck, making it look even more slender and white.

Ten minutes later, after returning indoors, Chi Yeyu was suddenly called by Shi Shuxue.

“Chi Yeyu.” Shi Shuxue’s voice was low.

Chi Yeyu was blow-drying her hair. Hearing this, she turned off the dryer and looked back at her. “What’s wrong?”

Shi Shuxue faced her and naturally pulled open the down jacket she was wearing. Underneath, she was empty, naked.

“Do you want to do it?” Her voice was very light, the end trailing upward with a hint of seduction.

Clack!

The hairdryer in Chi Yeyu’s hand dropped onto the dressing table. Her gaze climbed inch by inch from the hem of Shi Shuxue’s open jacket, finally landing on her candid face.

Her breathing lost its rhythm. She took a few steps forward and quickly pulled the down jacket back together, wrapping the person tightly like she was swaddling an infant.

Shi Shuxue looked up at her, her eyelashes not flickering once. She reached out to hook her arms around her neck and pull her down. The down feathers of the jacket brushed against her skin, burning hot.

Her nose brushed against Chi Yeyu’s, their breaths intertwining, mixed with a faint scent of shampoo.

“You don’t want to?”

Chi Yeyu held onto her crumbling sanity. Her hands tightened suddenly, bunching the jacket even closer, holding the girl firmly in her arms.

“You’re still too young,” Chi Yeyu said in a muffled voice.

Shi Shuxue said calmly, “But I’m already an adult.”

Chi Yeyu said, “You’ve only just become an adult. What’s the rush? Wait a bit longer.”

Being held by her, Shi Shuxue gazed blankly toward the ceiling, saying softly: “Chi Yeyu, I will always be nine years younger than you. Even if we wait ten or twenty years, that won’t change.”

Chi Yeyu said, “What about fifty or sixty years from now?”

“You just love saying weird things.” Shi Shuxue was annoyed.

Chi Yeyu sighed and rubbed the back of her head.

Shi Shuxue asked again, “You really won’t do it with me?”

“No,” Chi Yeyu answered decisively.

“…Are you still treating me like a child? A child you watched grow up proposed to date you, and you humored her and agreed. Then she proposed to kiss you, and you cooperated and agreed. Finally, she wants to do it with you, and you can’t bring yourself to ‘swallow’ her.”

Chi Yeyu’s eyebrows gradually tied themselves into a knot.

Shi Shuxue continued gloomily: “Because you don’t like Shi Shuxue at all. You only have pure mother-daughter affection and sisterly love for Shi Shuxue. Even though you’ve given her the title of girlfriend and exchanged saliva with her, in your heart, the relationship between Shi Shuxue and you is like a small animal and its owner, a daughter and her mother, a younger sister and an older sister…”

“Stop, stop, stop! Shi Shuxue! How can you think like that?” Chi Yeyu was shocked. “I clearly said I liked you from the very beginning. Why don’t you believe me?”

Shi Shuxue: “Then do it with me.”

“That won’t do.”

Shi Shuxue pushed Chi Yeyu away, looking at her with an “as I thought, you just don’t like me” expression.

Chi Yeyu nearly had a heart attack.

Shi Shuxue kicked off her shoes, threw herself onto the bed, snatched the only bundle of blankets to wrap herself in, and fell asleep immediately.

Chi Yeyu looked at the hairdryer plugged in by the table, rubbed her half-dried hair, and moved to the side of the soundly sleeping Shi Shuxue, saying resentfully: “You little heartless thing, you really shouldn’t have been drinking.”