She Adopted Me After My Biological Mother Passed Away - Chapter 6

A One Week Vacation

It was happening again, that same annoying attitude.

Ci Cheng clenched her fists so hard her nails dug deep into her palms. Her chest heaved as she called out to Shi Shuxue just before the girl disappeared from sight: “Shi Shuxue! What are you even doing back at school? Coming to get scolded in the office?”

She intentionally raised her voice, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Their reactions varied, but one thing was certain: by the time they returned to the classroom, Shi Shuxue would be the hottest topic of gossip during the next break.

Shi Shuxue turned back, looking at her calmly.

Chi Yeyu stopped in her tracks as well, glancing toward the shouting girl.

The two of them moved with eerie synchronicity even the way they tilted their eyes and cast their gazes was identical. An inexplicable sense of irritation rose within Ci Cheng.

“Shi Shuxue, is she the ‘parent’ you went and found?” Ci Cheng spat out the words “went and found” with heavy emphasis.

Ci Cheng knew everything about Shi Shuxue’s social circle or lack thereof. She knew the girl hated socializing, had barely any acquaintances, and only cared about the elderly woman back at her home.

She had never heard of this woman standing beside her now.

Shi Shuxue remained silent. Instead, it was the “reliable adult” beside her who spoke up proactively: “Hey, I didn’t get paid for this!”

Ci Cheng froze.

Chi Yeyu took two long strides, closing the distance between them. Leaning down slightly, she scanned Ci Cheng’s expression with a grin. “Yo, hello there. I’m Xiaoxue’s guardian. And not the ‘playing house’ kind, we’re talking legally recognized. Are you her friend from school?”

The light in Ci Cheng’s pupils flickered wildly, as if her eyes were about to pop out of her head, held back only by sheer force of will.

“I…” The woman looked too young. She could pass for an older sister, perhaps, but how could she possibly be Shi Shuxue’s guardian?

“How is Xiaoxue doing at school? I’m always worrying about her. She’s so stubborn, is she fitting into dorm life? Does she get into fights with her classmates? I’m so worried! That’s why I’m going to talk to her homeroom teacher. It would be great if you could tell me more about her school life.”

Her words were fast and light, like musical notes dancing to a brisk tempo. Ci Cheng found herself speechless, her brain stalling.

Wait, what is this person even rambling about?!

Shi Shuxue grabbed the hem of Chi Yeyu’s clothes, suppressing the urge to forcibly drag her away. She hissed under her breath, “Let’s go, class is starting soon.”

“Class? You don’t need to go to class.” Chi Yeyu curled her lips into a smile and suggested, “How about we hold a ‘Xiaoxue’s Extracurricular Life’ interview column during the break?”

“!” Shi Shuxue’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t believe Chi Yeyu would come up with something so agonizing.

She tugged at Chi Yeyu’s sleeve, her hand accidentally brushing against the other woman’s skin. Chi Yeyu took the opportunity to catch her wrist, taking her hand firmly.

“Just kidding. I wouldn’t dream of embarrassing you. Let’s stop playing around and find the teacher.” Chi Yeyu swung their joined hands, the faint calluses at the base of her fingers rubbing against the girl’s skin.

Shi Shuxue couldn’t break free and was led away. Students in the hallway stared as they passed. Despite Chi Yeyu’s flippant words, her aura was undeniable. Her bold, cool style was strikingly out of place, making her look like a movie star who had wandered onto the wrong set.

As they walked hand in hand, Shi Shuxue felt like every eye in the building was glued to their grip.

This is so embarrassing…

Shi Shuxue lowered her head in a gesture of pure avoidance, watching the floor tiles retreat beneath her feet.

Her entire reputation at school was being dismantled by Chi Yeyu.

In the Office

As class was about to begin, Ms. Wei, the homeroom teacher of Class 11, turned on the monitors to check on her students. Just then, she heard three knocks at the door.

Thinking it was a student, she picked up her teacup and said casually, “Come in.”

“Hello, Teacher. I’m Shi Shuxue’s guardian.”

A magnetic, unfamiliar female voice rang out. Ms. Wei paused with the teacup halfway to her mouth and looked toward the door.

Backlit by the hallway light, a woman approached her step by step, holding her student Shi Shuxue by the wrist. As the woman came into focus, Ms. Wei saw a young, beautiful face and a rebellious hair color. There was a wildness in her that hadn’t been smoothed over by rules, an edge sharper than even the most precocious kids in her class.

“You are Shi Shuxue’s…” Sister? Ms. Wei left the word hanging, waiting for a confirmation.

“I’m her guardian. Teacher, let’s talk.” Chi Yeyu sat down unceremoniously on the small sofa against the wall, while Shi Shuxue stood awkwardly to the side.

Ms. Wei felt like this woman needed a parent-teacher conference more than Shi Shuxue did.

Sitting across from Chi Yeyu, Ms. Wei glanced at Shi Shuxue who had been pulled down to sit beside the woman and asked, “May I ask, are you her older sister? Do you have a job?”

“In a way. I have a formal job,” Chi Yeyu replied.

Ms. Wei pressed her hands against the edge of the desk, her tone turning serious. “The situation is this: Shi Shuxue’s grades used to be very stable, especially in math. Her problem-solving logic was exceptional. But in the last monthly exam, her grades dropped severely. She didn’t even get half her usual math score. There were huge blanks on the paper, and she even messed up the basic questions.”

Chi Yeyu nodded with mock solemnity.

The teacher paused, pulled out an attendance log from her drawer, and flipped to a page marked with red ink. “It’s not just grades. Her attendance has become an issue this semester. In three weeks, she’s skipped seven evening self-study sessions and two morning reads. Last Friday, she missed morning exercises entirely. We checked the surveillance and found she had climbed over the back wall to go buy groceries.”

Chi Yeyu stifled a laugh. Shi Shuxue gave her a sharp pinch.

Unaware of their interaction, Ms. Wei looked up at Chi Yeyu, her brow furrowed.

“Shi Shuxue is an excellent kid. She’s usually quiet and never causes trouble. For her to act out like this suddenly… is there something happening at home? At her age, she should be focusing on her studies. Running off like that is dangerous. If something were to happen, neither the school nor the family would want to see that.”

“You’re right, Teacher. It is dangerous and it’s a hassle for the school. I’ll make sure to educate her properly when we get back,” Chi Yeyu said.

Ms. Wei nodded. “Then please put in some extra effort to supervise her at home. She’s a bright student, seeing her rank drop like this, all the subject teachers have come to me. If there’s something going on with the family…”

Chi Yeyu suddenly interrupted: “Does she have room to fall further?”

Ms. Wei blinked, confused. Shi Shuxue was a top-tier student, before the streaming of classes, she was in the top ten of her grade. After choosing her subjects in the second half of her first year, she had shot up to rank number one and stayed there until the last exam.

Even with her “failed” exam, her overall rank was still among the top. Room to fall? There were over six hundred students below her.

“Well, yes, technically…”

“Then it’s not that bad yet.” Chi Yeyu’s eyes crinkled as she reached out to ruffle Shi Shuxue’s hair. When her fingers brushed behind the girl’s ear, Shi Shuxue shivered almost imperceptibly.

Chi Yeyu tapped her fingers lightly on the sofa armrest. “I’ve noted the grade issue. I’ve been too busy with work lately and haven’t kept an eye on her schoolwork. I’ll handle that. As for the wall-climbing, I don’t think she’ll be doing that again.”

She cast a sidelong glance at Ms. Wei, her nonchalance sharpening into something more focused. “You still have my kid’s phone, right? Please give it to me, I’ll keep it safe for her.”

Ms. Wei took the phone from her drawer and handed it over. “Student Shi Shuxue violated school regulations by bringing a prohibited item. Since it’s her first time, we won’t put it on her permanent record, but a home suspension is mandatory. I hope you understand.”

“How long is she suspended?”

Ms. Wei replied, “One week.”

“Understood,” Chi Yeyu nodded sagely.

A Sudden Break

The moment they left the office and moved a few steps away, Chi Yeyu burst into a fit of ecstatic laughter. “Holy crap! A one week vacation! Xiaoxue, quick, think! Where should we go?”

Shi Shuxue’s expression was numb, she had clearly expected this reaction. “Please, keep your voice down.”

“Quick, think! Where do you want to play? A sudden vacation like this doesn’t happen often in life! How about Hokkaido? Egypt? Paris? Or maybe Africa to watch the Great Migration?” Chi Yeyu began her specialty: listing a series of wild, outlandish ideas.

Shi Shuxue maintained a flat expression. “I’m not going to any of those places.”

Regardless of anything else, those places were too far and the idea was too absurd.

Shi Shuxue had originally planned to use this time to care for her grandmother. However, the live-in nurse and housekeeper Chi Yeyu had hired had already solved that problem. Now, she didn’t know what to do with herself.

One thing was for sure: she was absolutely not flying overseas for a vacation, especially with a “highly hyperactive adult” in tow. The very thought made her head ache.

“Don’t just keep saying no. Kids should listen to adults and learn how to enjoy themselves,” Chi Yeyu said.

“Is that something an ‘adult’ should say?” Shi Shuxue kept her eyes down, walking with her head tucked. Her voice was flat. “Don’t you have a lot of company business to handle? You don’t have to look after me. I’ll find something to do on my own.”

“And what will you do alone? You don’t want to study, you brought an empty backpack home. Were you planning to play the role of ‘Shi Xianyu’ for the old lady for seven days?”

Shi Shuxue’s pace faltered. her face paled slightly because that was exactly what she had planned.

Chi Yeyu, who had been walking ahead, suddenly spun around and gripped Shi Shuxue’s shoulders. The silver chain on her ear swayed slightly, but her gaze had turned unusually clear and calm.

“Shi Shuxue, your worries are too deep, and the burden you’re trying to carry is too heavy. This isn’t something a child should have to shoulder. You don’t need to skip class for family matters anymore. I will handle everything at home. You don’t need to feel any psychological burden because this is what I, as your guardian, am supposed to do.”

Her index finger brushed against the fold of Shi Shuxue’s school uniform collar, then slowly rose to tap the tip of the girl’s pale, slightly reddened nose.

“Why not try trusting me?”

Shi Shuxue froze in place. Her only reaction was a reflexive blink when the finger touched her. In those eyes pale like glass, she saw a clear reflection of her own bewilderment.