She’s Being Naughty - Chapter 28

The afternoon sun filtered through the sheer curtains into the living room, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow across the floor.

Xu Zhaoyi sat at the desk in her study, a stack of documents awaiting her signature spread out before her.

Three months.

It had been three months since her father passed away.

These past three months had felt like a roller coaster, the funeral, the reading of the will, the corporate handover, one wave of events followed another relentlessly.

Fortunately, she wasn’t alone.

Jiang Yao had been by her side the entire time.

Lawyer Lin from the corporate legal department tapped lightly on the door. “President Xu, these are the divorce agreement documents that require your final confirmation.”

Xu Zhaoyi looked up, momentarily failing to register the words. “What divorce agreement?”

“Regarding your father’s… estate inheritance,” Lawyer Lin pushed up his glasses. “According to legal regulations, the marital relationship between Miss Jiang and your father must be formally dissolved for you to fully inherit the Xu family industries.”

Only then did Xu Zhaoyi remember.

After her father’s death, she and Jiang Yao were still legally stepmother and stepdaughter.

This meant Jiang Yao was entitled to a portion of the inheritance, and Xu Zhaoyi would have to wait for the division of assets to be finalized before she could completely take over the company.

But now, Jiang Yao had chosen to waive her inheritance rights, using the divorce agreement to dissolve this legal familial bond.

“Miss Jiang has already signed,” Lawyer Lin handed the document over. “She said that once you sign, these documents can be submitted to the court today.”

Xu Zhaoyi took the file, her fingers tightening slightly.

Jiang Yao’s signature on the paper was clear and beautiful, written with her usual elegance.

This meant… starting today, she and Jiang Yao would no longer be stepmother and stepdaughter.

That specific relationship, in the eyes of the law, would cease to exist.

This realization brought a strange surge of emotion to her heart.

A bit empty, yet also a subtle, inexplicable sense of… relief?

“President Xu?” Lawyer Lin’s voice pulled her back to reality. “Is there a problem?”

Xu Zhaoyi shook her head and picked up the pen to sign her name.

Lawyer Lin collected the documents and left.

Xu Zhaoyi sat in the study alone for a long time, staring blankly at Jiang Yao’s signature.

Over these three months, Jiang Yao had become the person she relied on most.

She stabilized the situation at the company, took care of her daily life at home, and even stayed quietly by her side on the nights when she couldn’t sleep from missing her father.

That tenderness and consideration were all very real.

But now, their legal connection was about to be severed.

What would they become?

Friends? Family? Or… something else?

Xu Zhaoyi’s heartbeat suddenly quickened.

Just then, the study door was pushed open again.

It was Jiang Yao.

She was wearing a pale apricot dress today, her hair loosely pinned back, and her makeup was light, making her look soft and gentle.

“Finished signing?” she asked softly, walking over to Xu Zhaoyi’s side.

Xu Zhaoyi nodded. “Mm.”

“That’s good,” Jiang Yao smiled slightly. “From now on, you are the true person in power at the Xu Group.”

She paused. “And I…”

“And you what?” Xu Zhaoyi looked up at her.

“And I,” she said softly, “have become a free, ordinary person.”

The answer was strange.

But Xu Zhaoyi understood what she meant.

Initially, Jiang Yao had married into the Xu family to seek protection and to fight against the Jiang family.

Now that her father was gone and their legal bond was dissolved, Jiang Yao could choose to leave.

The thought made Xu Zhaoyi’s heart tighten painfully.

“Are you going to leave?” she heard herself ask, her voice strained.

Jiang Yao tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. “If I left, would you be sad?”

Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip.

If this were three months ago, she might have stubbornly said, “Suit yourself.”

But now, she didn’t want to lie.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Jiang Yao’s eyes lit up.

She reached out and gently pinched Xu Zhaoyi’s cheek. “Such an honest, good girl.”

The gesture was so intimate that Xu Zhaoyi’s face flushed instantly.

“Don’t treat me like a child,” she muttered, turning her head away.

“Alright, not a child,” Jiang Yao laughed. “Then what should I treat you as?”

The question stumped Xu Zhaoyi.

As what?

A friend? A partner? Or…

She didn’t dare think about that possibility, at least not yet.

“I don’t know,” she said, abruptly changing the subject. “Why are you dressed like this today?”

Usually, Jiang Yao wore either sharp professional suits or casual loungewear. She rarely wore such… gentle clothes.

Jiang Yao twirled around, her skirt flaring out in a soft arc. “Does it look good?”

The sunlight filtered through her hair, tracing a soft golden halo around her.

Xu Zhaoyi stared, slightly mesmerized.

“It’s okay,” she looked away, pretending not to care.

Jiang Yao chuckled softly, not teasing her further.

“Anyway, let’s not talk about that.” She sat down in the chair opposite Xu Zhaoyi. “I have good news for you.”

“What good news?”

“The Jiang family’s side,” a flash of victory sparkled in Jiang Yao’s eyes. “We won.”

“Won?” Xu Zhaoyi was startled. “What do you mean?”

“It means,” Jiang Yao smiled, “the evidence worked. Three senior executives of the Jiang family have been placed under investigation, including the mastermind who caused my uncle’s death years ago.”

The news came so suddenly that Xu Zhaoyi couldn’t react for a moment.

“Really?”

“Really,” Jiang Yao nodded. “I just got a call from the lawyer. Those people have been taken in for questioning. Although we still have to wait for the court’s verdict, basically… the situation is settled.”

Xu Zhaoyi blinked, suddenly realizing why Jiang Yao looked so happy today.

Ten years of persistence had finally yielded a result.

“Congratulations,” she said sincerely.

Jiang Yao looked at her, her gaze suddenly turning soft. “Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me?”

“Thank you for your company during this time,” Jiang Yao said softly. “I couldn’t have made it this far without you.”

Xu Zhaoyi looked down at the desk awkwardly. “I didn’t really do anything…”

“You did more than you realize.” Jiang Yao reached out, gently resting her hand over Xu Zhaoyi’s. “Zhaozhao, do you know? Sometimes just watching your strength gives me courage.”

Her hand was warm, and the temperature from her palm spread through Xu Zhaoyi like an electric current.

Xu Zhaoyi froze, not knowing how to respond.

Fortunately, Jiang Yao didn’t make it difficult for her for long.

She quickly withdrew her hand and stood up. “Alright, enough of that. What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll go prepare it.”

Xu Zhaoyi felt relieved, but also a faint, hidden sense of loss.

“Whatever,” she said. “You decide.”

Jiang Yao nodded and turned to leave.

At the doorway, she suddenly stopped and turned back. “By the way, Zhaozhao, is there anything you want to wish for?”

“A wish?” Xu Zhaoyi was stunned.

“Mm,” Jiang Yao leaned against the doorframe, the sunlight creating a soft silhouette behind her. “I promised myself that after all this was over, I would properly thank you.”

Xu Zhaoyi racked her brain for a long time but couldn’t think of any specific wish.

The things she wanted, Jiang Yao had already given her.

Companionship, support, trust…

These things were more precious than any material item she could want.

“I haven’t thought of anything yet,” she finally said. “I’ll tell you when I do.”

Jiang Yao smiled. “Alright, the offer is open anytime.”

With that, she left, her footsteps gradually fading away.

Xu Zhaoyi sat in the study for a while and suddenly remembered something.

She took out her phone and scrolled to a rarely contacted number.

It was Lin Chen’s number.

The network security expert who helped her investigate the Jiang family last time.

“Mr. Lin,” she sent a message, “I want to ask for a favor.”

The reply came quickly. “What is it?”

“I want to look into someone’s…” Xu Zhaoyi hesitated, typing and deleting, and finally sent it. “Look into someone’s past.”

“Who?”

“Jiang Yao.”

Immediately after sending it, she added, “Not the dangerous stuff. Just… her past life.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“Miss Xu,” Lin Chen replied, “may I ask why?”

Xu Zhaoyi bit her lip and thought for a moment.

Why?

Because she wanted to know Jiang Yao’s past?

Because she wanted to better understand the person who always protected her?

Or because… she could no longer lie to herself?

She liked Jiang Yao.

Not as a stepmother, not as a friend.

But as a woman likes another woman.

This realization made her heart race and left her feeling lost.

After all, they once had that special relationship.

Even if it was now legally dissolved, that boundary had once existed.

“Because I…” she weighed her words, “I want to help her fulfill some wishes.”

It was a half-truth.

She wanted to know about Jiang Yao’s past precisely because she wanted to know if there were any unfulfilled wishes.

But at the same time, she simply wanted to know more about Jiang Yao as a person.

Everything about her.

“Alright,” Lin Chen replied. “But the information I found for you last time was already the most comprehensive. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless you ask her yourself,” Lin Chen said. “Sometimes the simplest way is to ask directly.”

Xu Zhaoyi stared at the message for a long time.

Ask directly?

How was she supposed to start?

“Jiang Yao, have you ever liked anyone before?”

“Jiang Yao, do you like anyone now?”

Just thinking about these questions made her face heat up.

No, she didn’t have the courage to face that yet.

Just then, there was another knock on the study door.

Jiang Yao walked in carrying two cups of hot cocoa. “Tired? Take a break.”

She handed one to Xu Zhaoyi. “I added the caramel you like.”

Xu Zhaoyi took the cup and whispered a thank you.

Jiang Yao sat down next to her, holding her own cup and gently blowing on the steam.

The sunlight fell on her long hair, plating it with a layer of gold.

She kept her eyes down, her long lashes casting shallow shadows on her face.

She was as quiet as a painting.

Xu Zhaoyi watched her intently, then suddenly remembered something.

“Jiang Yao,” she asked softly, “do you have any… unfulfilled wishes?”

Jiang Yao looked up, her eyebrows arching slightly. “Why the sudden question?”

“Just…” Xu Zhaoyi scrambled for a reason, “You said you’d help me fulfill a wish, so I want to help you fulfill one too.”

Looking at Xu Zhaoyi’s flustered state, Jiang Yao suddenly laughed.

The smile was very gentle, carrying a trace of imperceptible indulgence.

“My wishes…” she pretended to think. “Actually, they’ve almost all come true.”

She paused, her gaze softening. “But if I had to say one…”

“What?”

“I want to see the Northern Lights,” Jiang Yao said softly. “When I was a child, my mother told me that people who see the Aurora find eternal happiness.”

Her eyes were bright as she spoke, as if she had returned to her childhood.

Watching her look of yearning, Xu Zhaoyi silently made a note of this wish.

One day, she would take Jiang Yao to see the Northern Lights.

Not as a repayment, not as a gift.

But as… a promise.