The Tragic Heroine Fell in Love with Me - Chapter 51

Finally, it was the weekend. After driving practice ended, Xiao San brought Zheng Qi home with her.

Nowadays, Xiao San always brought Zheng Qi along whenever she returned home. After all, every time Xiao San mentioned her family, Zheng Qi would inevitably show that sorrowful expression. Xiao San knew about Zheng Qi’s family situation, so she could only try even harder to let Zheng Qi experience the genuine kindness and beauty in the world, to let her feel more of life’s goodness. That way, Zheng Qi wouldn’t keep thinking about Shen Lin.

Yes, Shen Lin.

Shen Lin and Zheng Qi had already broken up, and their engagement was called off.

But recently, for some unknown reason, Shen Lin had gone crazy and started sending flowers to Zheng Qi every day.

Xiao San strongly suspected that Shen Lin, seeing Lin Nuanyan imprisoned, was trying to get a letter of understanding from Zheng Qi.

Huang Xi had tried the same thing before.

Well, no wonder they were good brothers neither of them was a good person.

Xiao San had considered writing such a letter of understanding, but only if Lin Nuanyan had wronged her personally. She didn’t want Zheng Qi to sacrifice her own feelings just to accommodate Shen Lin.

“Mm-hmm, I know, I won’t like Shen Lin anymore,” Zheng Qi nodded repeatedly, afraid that if she answered even a second too slowly, Xiao San would start questioning her again.

Zheng Qi had no choice but to respond with “Mm-hmm, okay, okay” every time.

But Xiao San still didn’t believe her.

After all, Zheng Qi had a track record.

Xiao’s mother still remembered Zheng Qi, that gentle and diligent girl. The moment she saw Zheng Qi, she doted on her as if she were her own daughter. These days, it seemed like Xiao’s mother and Zheng Qi were the real mother and daughter, while Xiao San had become the outsider.

As soon as they got home, Xiao’s mother pulled Zheng Qi aside to ask if she had lost weight, whether work had been exhausting lately, and if she was eating on time. In contrast, she paid far less attention to Xiao San.

Feeling a bit jealous, Xiao San said, “Ah, as expected, people always favor the new and forget the old. You don’t even care about me anymore.”

Xiao’s father, sitting nearby and cracking sunflower seeds, laughed heartily.

“Your mom has always been like this loving the new and neglecting the old. At least you’re still the ‘old.’ Me? I’m nothing at all.”

Xiao’s mother shot him a glare. “You and your big mouth. Even a handful of sunflower seeds can’t shut you up.”

Xiao San sat down dejectedly beside her father. “Oh, us poor father and daughter, how pitiful we are.”

Xiao’s mother was even more exasperated. She pulled Zheng Qi to sit down. “Don’t just focus on her. You need to take care of yourself too. Your job is much busier than Xiao San’s, you have to remember to eat on time.”

Xiao San raised her hand. “Mom, I make sure she eats on time every day!”

“Alright, you’ve done well this time.”

Xiao San immediately looked crestfallen. “Only ‘well’?”

Zheng Qi reached out and patted Xiao San’s shoulder. “You’ve always been good.”

Xiao San quickly pushed her hand away. “Whoa, you sound like a leader on an inspection tour. So scary!”

Xiao’s mother gave Xiao San a helpless look. “You’re never serious, just like your father cut from the same cloth.”

“Isn’t that why you like him? If Dad weren’t like this, how could he have won over a beauty like you?” Xiao San stood up and hugged her mother, shamelessly acting spoiled.

As Zheng Qi watched, Xiao’s father handed her a handful of sunflower seeds. “Have some.”

Zheng Qi nodded in thanks and accepted them.

Even though she had visited many times, Zheng Qi still hadn’t fully adapted to the way Xiao’s family interacted with each other.

They could always laugh and play like friends, which for Zheng Qi was a novel experience no matter when.

When mealtime came.

Xiao San pulled Zheng Qi into the kitchen to cook, while Xiao’s mom and dad watched TV in the living room.

In the past, cooking was always done by Xiao’s dad, but now that he had lost his leg, it was Xiao’s mom who took charge in the kitchen.

Although Xiao’s mom’s cooking was decent, it was merely passable.

Since Xiao Gai had gone to college, he was usually not at home. So when Xiao San and Zheng Qi weren’t around, only Xiao’s mom and dad remained. The two of them often went downstairs to run their shop, so it wasn’t too lonely.

But at this moment, watching her daughter bustling about in the kitchen, Xiao’s mom couldn’t help but feel her eyes well up with tears.

“Ah, having a daughter is wonderful, especially since you have two. How nice,” Xiao’s dad chimed in beside her.

Xiao’s mom had just begun to feel a little sentimental when his words made her laugh. “Go away, always speaking in that Donald Duck voice. Isn’t it annoying?”

“If I weren’t annoying, how could I have won over a beauty like you?” Xiao’s dad said playfully, mimicking Xiao San’s earlier tone as he cooed to Xiao’s mom.

Xiao’s mom rolled her eyes at him again.

“Wait a second,” Xiao’s dad suddenly said.

Xiao’s mom froze. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve noticed…”

“What have you noticed?”

“I’ve noticed you have more white in your eyes. Stop rolling them so much, I’m afraid one day you’ll only have the whites left.”

As soon as he finished, Xiao’s mom smacked him several times. If Xiao San hadn’t come over to call them for dinner, Xiao’s dad might have been beaten to death that day.

The meal was filled with joy. It could be said that every moment in the Xiao household was happy and cheerful, as if all unhappiness and displeasure could be completely forgotten.

After dinner, Zheng Qi and Xiao San washed the dishes, then went for a walk in the neighborhood.

Naturally, Xiao San held Zheng Qi’s hand, swinging it back and forth as she strode along the path, feeling the cool evening breeze. If only this moment could last a lifetime.

Zheng Qi looked up at the moon in the sky, its light rippling gently like water.

The moonlight bathed them, free from the day’s heat, leaving only a refreshing, romantic afterglow.

“The moonlight is so beautiful tonight,” Zheng Qi said, looking at Xiao San.

Xiao San’s eyes lit up immediately. She showed off her knowledge, saying, “I know this phrase, it’s like an allusion. Apparently, when translating, it should mean ‘I love you,’ but the translator thought ‘I love you’ was too direct, so they translated it as ‘The moonlight is so beautiful tonight!'”

Zheng Qi’s gentle smile faded, the muscles at the corners of her mouth seeming to freeze.

She didn’t look at Xiao San anymore but fixed her gaze on the moon, as if continuing to watch it could rekindle the tenderness in her heart.

Xiao San, however, was completely unaware of the sudden shift in atmosphere.

She shivered. “Wow, I didn’t expect it to be so chilly at night. Let’s finish our walk quickly and go home.”

With that, she pulled Zheng Qi along at a brisk pace, as if the stroll were merely a task to be completed.

Since it was already done, they might as well hurry back.

Zheng Qi was dragged along quickly, having completely given up struggling.

By the time Xiao San and Zheng Qi lay down on the bed, Zheng Qi was almost asleep when she couldn’t help but recall Xiao San’s earlier boasting. Covering her eyes, she suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ah, Ah Qi, you’re not asleep yet…” Xiao San was already drowsy and on the verge of sleep. Hearing Zheng Qi’s voice, she reached out and gently patted her. “Go to sleep early, or you’ll get wrinkles from staying up late.”

“Mm.”

Zheng Qi grabbed Xiao San’s hand, tucked it under the blanket, and then imitated Xiao San’s gesture, gently patting her back. “You should sleep early too. Goodnight.”

The next morning, Xiao San woke up full of energy and started making breakfast.

Every day, Xiao San was spirited and energetic. No matter what happened, she could face it calmly, and no matter how much sadness she felt, a good night’s sleep would make it all better.

But this morning, she had to tell Xiao San that this woman claiming to be Zheng Qi’s grandmother. Could it be a ghost?

Lately, both Xiao San and Zheng Qi had been quite busy with work. Zheng Qi, in particular, had been staying out all night, practically treating the company as her home. Xiao San, on the other hand, would return late at night, sleep until noon, wash up, and then head back to the office to continue working overtime.

But unexpectedly, just as Xiao San had finished getting ready and was about to leave, she was stopped by an elderly woman, around sixty or seventy years old, who could barely walk steadily. Without a word, the woman pushed her way inside.

“This is my granddaughter’s home. Why can’t I come? Who are you? What right do you have to kick me out?”

Xiao San looked at the old woman in confusion. Even though she was quite elderly, Xiao San could still see a faint resemblance to Zheng Qi.

What confirmed to Xiao San that the old woman was indeed Zheng Qi’s biological grandmother were her next words.

“Where is that jinx? I raised her all these years, and now her grandmother comes, and she doesn’t even offer a glass of water? She even has this ugly thing blocking the door. Where is she?”

Xiao San silently closed the door, shutting out the noise from outside.

Sorry for being the ‘ugly thing’ who opened the door for you. Xiao San thought helplessly.

“Granny, are you sure you have the right house? What’s your granddaughter’s name? Should I call the police for you?”

“Call the police? Trying to get rid of me again, huh? I finally found where she lives this time, and I’m not leaving even if I die.” She glared at Xiao San, stubbornly plopping down on the floor. “Get Zheng Qi here. That jinx, let her come. If she has the guts, she can throw me out. Otherwise, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Zheng Qi really is….” Xiao San’s eyes widened in shock.

Ah Qi, your grandmother has come back to life.

If she could make a phone call at that moment, Xiao San would definitely have said those words.

But the person in front of her was clearly a living, breathing human being.

If the old woman wasn’t lying, then the one who had lied must have been Ah Qi.

But how could Ah Qi lie?

Xiao San found it strange.

“Do you have any proof that you’re Zheng Qi’s grandmother? Granny, we need evidence when we speak. If you don’t have any, I’m going to call the police.” Xiao San was kind, but she wasn’t a fool.

“Evidence, what evidence? I’ve been raising her since she was bare-bottomed. I’m her grandmother, what evidence do I need? I gave birth to her mother, and she was born to her mother. I’m her mother’s mother, what evidence, what evidence do I need!”

Xiao San was completely overwhelmed by the barrage.

With that lung capacity, she could easily pass for a young woman in her twenties. For an elderly person of her age to have such strong lungs, anyone who witnessed it would have to praise her as impressive.

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