Transmigrated as the Scumbag Alpha’s Gorgeous Wife Who Keeps Trying to Seduce Me - Chapter 40

Both women in the room froze. In an instant, their faces turned bright red.

Chi Lengzhao quickly let go of Shen Zhixi’s leg and released her hand.
“Sorry, sorry! I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Shen Zhixi, her face completely flushed, hurriedly adjusted her nightdress and pulled the blanket tightly around herself.

Chi Lengzhao, already used to the setup, grabbed a quilt from the cabinet, spread it over the sofa, and lay down in her usual sleeping spot. Just before drifting off, she couldn’t help but explain herself again. She didn’t want Shen Zhixi thinking she was some lecherous creep and start resenting her.

“About earlier, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just messing around.”

After a while, Shen Zhixi responded softly,
“Mm.”

Since she didn’t press further, Chi Lengzhao breathed a sigh of relief.
“Let’s sleep. We have to go pick up Auntie early tomorrow.”

She turned off the floor lamp beside the sofa.

Not long after, Shen Zhixi’s bedside lamp also went out.

Chi Lengzhao turned over and was about to fall asleep when she suddenly heard Shen Zhixi ask,
“How much did you drink last night?”

Her tone was calm and even, making it hard to tell what she was feeling.

Chi Lengzhao was confused. Shen Zhixi clearly knew she had gone drinking with Pantao last night, so why was she asking about the amount?

With years of experience in business and social situations, Chi Lengzhao instantly realized that Shen Zhixi’s sudden temper and coldness today probably had something to do with her night at the bar.

“Not much. We went after dinner. Just had a few beers.”

Shen Zhixi made a quiet sound of acknowledgment. Then, after a short pause, she asked again,
“Was it just you and Pantao?”

There it was. The real question.

Chi Lengzhao immediately became more alert.
“It started with just the two of us, but someone else came later. I want to be clear—I didn’t do anything inappropriate.”

Shen Zhixi let out a short laugh and said casually,
“Must have been a pretty girl.”

Chi Lengzhao hesitated for a second, then admitted honestly,
“Yes. Someone you know.”

Shen Zhixi didn’t even need to think.
“It was Si Yu, wasn’t it?”

Chi Lengzhao fell silent.

She didn’t know whether to admire Shen Zhixi’s sharp intuition or just accept that women really did have a sixth sense when it came to these things.

When Chi Lengzhao didn’t respond, Shen Zhixi knew she had guessed right. She wasn’t sure why, but her chest suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable, as if something was stuck there. The feeling worsened when she remembered the suit jacket she had picked up that morning.

Chi Lengzhao explained quickly,
“It was her, but I really didn’t do anything. She was crying a lot, so I gave her a tissue. That’s all.”

There was no response from Shen Zhixi. Her unusual silence made Chi Lengzhao even more anxious.

“I really have no feelings for her. I’m already married. I don’t fool around anymore.”

Still no answer. Then a thought struck Chi Lengzhao. Given how irresponsible the original her was, she had likely been involved with other women before.

“I know I was awful before. I probably did mess around with Si Yu in the past… but after I got married, I haven’t done anything like that.”

Finally, Shen Zhixi replied. Her voice was calm, almost cold.
“You and I are only wives in name. What you do is your own business.”

Chi Lengzhao froze. She didn’t feel any joy from that so-called freedom. Instead, it felt like a heavy weight had settled on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

If Shen Zhixi hadn’t reminded her, she would’ve almost forgotten that this marriage was just a one-year contract.

Shen Zhixi was right. Chi Lengzhao could do as she pleased—and so could Shen Zhixi.

That thought made her heart feel even heavier. Any trace of sleepiness disappeared. She stared blankly at the ceiling. After a long while, she turned over, then again. She just couldn’t sleep. Her chest felt tight, and her thoughts were in turmoil.

Eventually, she gave up on trying to sleep. She got up, put on a jacket, and quietly stepped out of the room.

Shen Zhixi, who had been pretending to sleep the whole time, opened her eyes as soon as she heard the door close.

Chi Lengzhao turned on the light in the study and sat down at the desk.

The desktop computer left by the original owner was still sitting there. Chi Lengzhao connected the monitor and keyboard, then took the hard drive from the drawer and plugged it in. She planned to check what kind of files were inside.

But when she turned the computer on, she realized she didn’t know the username or password. For now, there was no way to access any of the old files. She removed the hard drive again and locked it back in the drawer. Then she turned on her laptop and began researching how to set up a ranch overseas.

The night was still and quiet. Hua Zi, Fangfang, and the others were already deep in sleep. Only the light in the study was still on, glowing softly like a guiding beacon for someone lost in the dark.

No one knew how much time had passed, but Chi Lengzhao eventually began to feel tired. Her eyes grew heavy. When she glanced at the time, it was already 3 a.m. She yawned and leaned forward, planning to rest her head on the desk for a while. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

The next morning, Fangfang came in as usual to clean the study and was startled to see Chi Lengzhao sleeping at the desk.

She noticed the computer was still on and couldn’t tell whether Chi Lengzhao had stayed up all night gaming or working.

Fangfang gently nudged her.
“Miss… Miss…”

Chi Lengzhao mumbled something in her sleep, refusing to wake up. Her messy hair had fallen over her face, completely covering her eyes.

“Miss, please wake up. It’s already morning.”

Bothered by the noise, Chi Lengzhao finally woke up and pushed her hair out of her face. The sunlight outside was bright and sharp, flooding into the room.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes.
“What time is it?”

“It’s almost eight o’clock, Miss. Weren’t you planning to pick up Madam today?”

Pick up Auntie!

Chi Lengzhao instantly became fully alert.
“Oh right! Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

Fangfang lowered her head and replied softly,
“The young madam said you were resting and told us not to disturb you. She said to let you sleep a bit longer, but no later than eight.”

“Where is she now?”

“She’s waiting for you in the living room.”

“Then I better hurry!” Chi Lengzhao jumped up. As she did, something fell to the floor with a soft sound behind her.

It was the blanket that had been draped over her shoulders. It had slipped off when she stood up.

She instantly recognized it. It was the one Shen Zhixi often used in the bedroom. It couldn’t have been Hua Zi or Fangfang; they wouldn’t have come into the master bedroom in the middle of the night.

There was no doubt who had placed the blanket on her.

Chi Lengzhao held the blanket in her hands and stood still for a moment. She hadn’t expected it, and her heart felt a sudden warmth.

She took the blanket back to the bedroom, folded it neatly, then rushed through a quick shower and changed into a dark formal suit before heading downstairs.

It was exactly 8:30. The drive to the hotel where her aunt was staying would take thirty minutes. That meant she would arrive right on time to pick her up at 9:00.

Shen Zhixi was already dressed. Since they were visiting the graves of her grandparents, she wore a black autumn-winter skirt suit. She looked solemn and respectful.

Breakfast had been set out on the table. Chi Lengzhao asked,
“Did you eat already?”

Shen Zhixi replied,
“I did. Do you want to eat something before we leave? We can have Xiao Song drive a little faster.”

Chi Lengzhao shook her head.
“No need. Safety first.”
She drank a glass of water, picked up a slice of toast, and took a bite.
“Let’s go. I’ll eat on the way.”

In the car, she finished the toast and drank a bit more water. That counted as breakfast for her.

Shen Zhixi sat quietly with her back straight, resting against the seat as she looked out the window. She didn’t say anything.

The silence in the car felt a bit too heavy.

Chi Lengzhao was the one to break it.
“Did you sleep well last night?”

Shen Zhixi gave a small nod.
“It was fine.”

In truth, she hadn’t slept at all. She had gone to the study door twice during the night. The third time she checked, she saw Chi Lengzhao already asleep at the desk.

It was December. Although the underfloor heating was on and the room wasn’t cold, Shen Zhixi still went back to the bedroom to get a blanket. She gently laid it over her.

She had glanced at Chi Lengzhao’s computer screen. It looked like she was researching how to invest in a ranch in Europe and set up a modern livestock and dairy processing facility.

Her gaze drifted down to Chi Lengzhao, who had fallen asleep at the desk. Compared to the Chi Lengzhao she knew in her previous life, this one seemed completely devoted to work.

Under the soft light, Chi Lengzhao was fast asleep. Her long lashes trembled slightly, and her breathing was deep. Because she was resting on her arm, her beautiful face was squished and a little out of shape.

Even so, her smooth and pale skin still glowed.

Shen Zhixi found herself staring a bit longer than she intended.

“You know I was awful before. I probably did have something with Si Yu… but after we got married, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Even Si Yu… Are you admitting the mistakes of the old you?

Shen Zhixi gave a small, ironic smile. A new thought came to her. She lowered her head and whispered softly to herself,
“When will you finally tell me who you really are?”

Chi Lengzhao noticed her gaze lingering on the air vent in the backseat and asked,
“Do you want the heater on?”

Shen Zhixi shook her head.
“No need. We’re almost there.”
Then she looked at Chi Lengzhao and asked,
“Are you tired? If you are, you should rest a little. You don’t want your father to see you looking drowsy.”

Chi Lengzhao was thrilled to get a direct glance from her.
“I’m fine. I slept a few hours. That’s enough.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. Back when she had just taken over her company, staying up all night had been a regular thing. Now, managing just one well-established business in this world felt much easier by comparison.

As they neared the hotel, Chi Lengzhao called her aunt.
“Auntie, we’re almost there. You can come downstairs now… Haha, yes, we got up a bit late. Time is tight, so Zhixi and I won’t come up.”

When the car reached the front of the hotel, Shen Moying stepped out of the lobby, also dressed in dark clothes.

Chi Lengzhao got out of the car and gave her aunt a quick hug. She helped her into the back seat before moving to the front passenger seat.

With Shen Moying in the car, the atmosphere felt much more relaxed. Chi Lengzhao enthusiastically pointed out the scenery along the road.

“Auntie, do you see that tall building? That’s the tallest in Haibin—Haibin Center. It’s 400 meters tall and just finished last year. Right next to it is the city’s busiest commercial district. Lots of well-known stores are there, like Hengfu Department Store and First Mall.”

Her aunt asked,
“Is Jinghua Road around there too?”

“Yes, it is. It’s one of the top five must-visit places in Haibin.”

“What are the five must-visit places?”

“Jinghua Road, Red Bay, Haibin University…”

As soon as she mentioned Haibin University, Shen Moying’s expression changed slightly. Her eyes showed a touch of nostalgia.

“Would you like to visit Haibin University, Auntie?” Shen Zhixi asked gently. “We could take you there after we finish the main visit.”

“Can we?”

Chi Lengzhao smiled and said,
“Of course. We’re out together, after all.”

Hearing this, Shen Zhixi gave her a subtle glare. Chi Lengzhao immediately realized she had misspoken. Today was about paying respects to their grandparents, not a casual outing.

She quickly added,
“Of course, we’ll go after visiting Grandpa and Grandma.”

In her heart, she apologized silently.
Sorry, Grandpa and Grandma. Please don’t blame your granddaughter. I got carried away. I meant no disrespect.

When they arrived at the cemetery, Chi Jintang and his family had just gotten out of their car.

Chi Lengzhao turned on her charm and called out warmly,
“Dad!”

Chi Jintang nodded slightly. His expression was calm, and his smile was the kind that came from years in business.
“This is the first time I’ve brought you here to visit your grandparents.”

Chi Lengzhao almost said she was happy, but caught herself just in time. They were here to honor the dead. Saying she was happy would be completely inappropriate. She quickly corrected herself.
“I missed Grandpa and Grandma a lot. I was so emotional last night that I couldn’t sleep.”

Chi Jintang gave a genuine smile this time. He gently patted her shoulder.
“It’s rare to see such sincerity. If your grandparents could hear you, they would be very comforted.”

Chi Lengzhao took the chance to express her loyalty. She sounded sweet and eager to please.
“Dad, I’m part of the Chi family. Of course I’m their good granddaughter.”

Chen Meishu was clearly impatient.
“Let’s go, Jintang. We should visit your parents sooner rather than later. If we miss the proper time, it won’t be good.”

Chi Jintang nodded and turned to Shen Moying.
“Sis, let’s go.”

The three elders walked ahead. Chi Yaozong followed closely behind his mother. He didn’t have much choice, Chen Meishu kept a close watch on him the entire time.

Chi Lengzhao and Shen Zhixi walked behind them at a slower pace.

From a distance, they could hear Chen Meishu constantly chattering and trying to show off.

“Yaozong cared so much for his grandparents. He even found a feng shui master to pick the best time for the ceremony, to make sure they’re at peace and happy in the afterlife.”

“Yaozong is the only male grandchild of the Chi family, and he’s an Alpha. Of course, it’s his duty to show filial piety.”

“He’s very smart, just not very motivated.”

“Auntie, it’s rare for you to come home. You really need to help me guide this child a bit. You’re all in high-tech fields—why not help lead him in the right direction?”

Chi Lengzhao, hearing this, leaned toward Shen Zhixi and whispered with a grin,
“My stepmother is starting to eye Aunt Shen’s company. She’s really greedy.”

Shen Zhixi frowned and warned her softly,
“Careful. They might hear you.”

Chi Lengzhao smiled, unbothered.
“I’m just telling you quietly. I know you wouldn’t sell me out.”

At that moment, Chen Meishu turned around and happened to see Chi Lengzhao smiling.

“Lengzhao, we’re here to pay respects to your grandparents today. What are you grinning about like that?”
She emphasized the words with a pointed tone.

“Ah, oh…” Chi Lengzhao quickly made something up.
“I was just thinking the feng shui here is great. Grandpa and Grandma resting here will surely bless the Chi family with prosperity.”

Chen Meishu gave a sarcastic snort. Turning back, she saw that her husband, Shen Moying, and her precious son had already walked ahead.

She called out,
“Wait for me!”
and rushed after them in her heels, her footsteps loud and hurried.

When they arrived at the graves of Grandpa and Grandma, Chi Lengzhao stood solemnly in front of the unfamiliar photos. She bowed with sincerity and performed the rites properly. Her behavior was flawless, without the slightest sign of disrespect.

Chi Jintang sighed with emotion. Chen Meishu’s eyes turned red as she stepped forward and said,
“Father, Mother, I’m your daughter-in-law Meishu. I’ve come to visit you today.”

Shen Moying remained calm throughout, her expression composed and distant. She didn’t show much longing, even after so many years apart. Perhaps it was just Chi Lengzhao’s imagination, but when Chen Meishu introduced herself as the Chi family’s daughter-in-law, Shen Moying’s eyes flashed briefly with a hint of restrained bitterness before returning to their usual emotionless stillness.

Chen Meishu then pulled her son forward and started talking endlessly at the graveside. Every sentence emphasized the words “grandson,” “male heir,” and “eldest grandson.”

After the visit, Chi Jintang invited his sister to come to their home for lunch. Shen Moying declined politely.
“Lengzhao and Zhixi are taking me to Jinghua Road later.”

“Jinghua Road? What’s that?” Chen Meishu asked.

Chi Yaozong rolled his eyes and said impatiently,
“It just means going there for fun, taking photos, like a little tourist trip. You’re so out of touch, it’s embarrassing.”

Chen Meishu was visibly embarrassed. She pinched her son hard on the arm.

“Ouch! Are you trying to kill me?” Chi Yaozong snapped.

Chi Jintang shot them both a cold look, and they immediately fell silent. Yaozong huffed under his breath in frustration.

“Alright then,” Chi Jintang said. “Sis, I won’t keep you. Lengzhao, make sure to take good care of your aunt and show her around a bit.”

“Of course, Dad. I’ll take good care of her,” Chi Lengzhao replied with a smile.

As they left the cemetery, Chi Lengzhao told Xiao Song,
“Let’s go to Jinghua Road, Haibin Center.”

But her aunt interrupted,
“Let’s go to Haibin University first.”

“Auntie, you really like Haibin University, don’t you? You seem quite familiar with it too,” Chi Lengzhao said curiously.
“You didn’t go to school there, did you?”

Shen Moying nodded.
“I graduated from Haibin University. Your mother and I were classmates there.”

“You were? What was your major? What did my mom study?”

“I majored in microelectronics. Your mother studied art.”

“My mom studied art?” Chi Lengzhao sounded surprised.

“Yes. She loved singing, dancing, and painting.”

“Then how did you meet my mom?”

The three of them were walking down one of the university’s main paths, speaking in soft tones.

The road was lined with ginkgo trees. This time of year, the leaves had all but fallen, and the fruits were long gone. Only bare branches remained, but in autumn, the scenery must have been beautiful, with golden leaves everywhere.

Chi Lengzhao thought for a moment and guessed,
“Did you meet in the cafeteria?”

After all, engineering students and art students rarely had overlapping classes. But everyone had to eat. Cafeterias didn’t separate people by major.

“No. We met in the dormitory building, or more precisely, outside the hallway near the engineering dorms.”

Chi Lengzhao’s curiosity was piqued.
“Tell me, Auntie.”

“You really want to hear it? That was more than twenty years ago. Young people like you may not find it interesting.”

“Come on, Auntie,” Chi Lengzhao coaxed. “Don’t keep us in suspense.”

Even Shen Zhixi looked over, clearly eager to hear the story.

Shen Moying smiled gently and began to speak.

“Back then, our new engineering dorm had just been completed. That year, there were a lot of new art students, so the school temporarily assigned half a floor of our dorm building to them.”

“During the day, everything was fine. Everyone went to their own classes. But at night, problems started.”

“Our rooms were right next to theirs. Back then, conditions were more basic. Omegas and Betas weren’t housed separately. The school cut the lights at ten p.m. sharp. Of course, some students would use flashlights or reading lights to take showers or do a bit of reading in bed. By eleven, the whole dorm would usually quiet down.”

“But the art students next door kept being loud, talking and messing around in the hallway. After a few days, our dormmates had had enough. Several times, we reported them to the dorm supervisor.”

“What happened then?” Chi Lengzhao asked.

“They stopped making noise, but they came up with something else. Every night at eleven, they’d turn on all the hallway lights, claiming they needed them for sketching. Some of our roommates were very sensitive to light and couldn’t sleep at all.”

“One night, our dorm leader, Li Aiqin, had finally had enough. She went over and said, ‘You can’t disturb other people’s rest just because you need lighting for drawing. If you must, just turn on your side’s lights. Leave ours off.’”

“But the girl on the other side refused to give in. She said, ‘You’re living in a dorm, not your own house. The lights are public. Why can’t we use them? If you’re so sensitive, go rent your own place.’”

Chi Lengzhao thought to herself, That’s such twisted logic. She broke the rules and then acted like she had the moral high ground.

“Li Aiqin was furious. She turned off the lights herself and said, ‘If the lights are public, then I can turn them off too.’”

“Then it turned into a standoff. They turned them on, we turned them off. Back and forth.”

Shen Zhixi asked,
“Didn’t the dorm supervisor step in?”

“That night, the dorm supervisor didn’t show up. She probably wasn’t on duty,” Shen Moying said, shaking her head as she recalled those chaotic student days.

“More and more people started coming out. Our class had very few girls—only two dorm rooms, eight people in total. But the art students called their classmates over, and suddenly half the floor was packed with them.”

Chi Lengzhao laughed.
“Engineering girls were always rare. There are way more girls in the arts. Auntie, you guys were definitely outnumbered.”

Shen Moying smiled.
“Yes, we were outnumbered, but even in history, the few have often defeated the many.”

“The girl leading the art students was named Zhou Meijing. She was the one arguing with Li Aiqun. Backed by their numbers, she shouted, ‘If you’re scared of the light, go rent a room off campus! No money, yet so many complaints!’”

“That really pushed us over the edge. We fired back, ‘If you have money, why are you in our engineering dorms? Go rent your own place!’”

“‘What’s wrong with me living here? I like dorm life!'”

“‘Then go stay somewhere else! Don’t take over our engineering dorms!'”

“‘Who are you to tell me what to do? The school put us here. You have no right to say anything!'”

Chi Lengzhao grinned.
“Auntie, we’re from the Chi family. You’re the eldest daughter. Why were you staying in the dorms at all?”

Shen Moying replied with a chuckle,
“I wanted to experience communal living for once. To see what it was like.”

“And? How was it?”

She smiled again.
“Very lively.”

“Just as the situation was about to turn physical, your mom came back to the dorm. She was still wearing her dance outfit, probably just finished rehearsal. Zhou Meijing rushed to her and complained, ‘Yufei, look at how arrogant those girls next door are! We just want to sketch, and they won’t even let us turn on the lights!’”

“Li Aiqun lost her temper. She shouted, ‘You’re the ones starting trouble! Who sketches in the middle of the night and shines lights at our doors, making it impossible for us to sleep?!’”

“Our engineering dorms had had enough. Everyone yelled at them to get out of our building.”

“I quickly tried to explain the situation to your mom. I said, ‘Hi, here’s the thing. We have early morning classes every day, and the hallway lights really keep us from resting. Could you turn on only your half of the hall or maybe sketch outside under the street lamps?’”

“Before she could respond, someone started the fight. And just like that, both sides were swinging.”

Chi Lengzhao’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Who won? They had the numbers. You must’ve taken a hit.”

Shen Moying laughed softly.
“They had about thirty people, yes. But some of them immediately stepped aside. They were afraid of getting their faces scratched or their hair pulled. Others stood on the sidelines, pretending to care, but only shouted once or twice for show.”

“Our side had just eight people, but everyone fought like warriors. We’d put up with their nonsense for long enough. No one cared about losing hair, breaking nails, or even getting scratched.”

“Xia Dajin from our dorm was strong. She charged forward and took on five or six girls without breaking a sweat. Zhou Meijing’s group started backing off quickly, screaming, ‘The electronics girls are hitting us!’”

Chi Lengzhao burst out laughing. Her stomach hurt from the unexpected twist. Even Shen Zhixi couldn’t hide her amusement.

“I was afraid things would go too far, so I told Xia Dajin to stop. It looked like the fighting might end there. But then Zhou Meijing, with her hair a mess, yelled angrily, ‘You ugly brutes! I’m going to report this to the teachers!’”

“At that, Xia Dajin tackled her to the ground. The whole situation spiraled out of control. During the chaos, someone bumped into your mother. They were about to hit her right in the face. If it had landed, she might’ve ended up bruised or even scarred. I pulled her out of the way just in time.”

Chi Lengzhao asked softly,
“Auntie, did you get hurt?”

“It wasn’t too bad. The blow landed on my back. The boys in the building across the way started cheering when they saw us fighting. They banged metal basins and whistled. Thank goodness there were no smartphones back then. Otherwise, someone would have filmed the whole thing and posted it online.”

“Zhou Meijing wasn’t finished. She tried to run upstairs to call for more help. Your mom finally snapped. She yelled, ‘Zhou Meijing, are you crazy? Are you really trying to get us all in trouble with the school?’”

“As soon as people heard the word ‘punishment,’ both sides stopped.”

“Zhou Meijing didn’t go get anyone else, but she kept shouting, ‘They hit us! It was the electronics girls who started it!’”

“Li Aiqun was furious. ‘You started it! Zhou Meijing, are you really going to pretend you didn’t throw the first punch?’”

“Zhou Meijing, bruised and disheveled, clutched her bleeding lip and muttered, ‘I didn’t! I just gave a little shove. What, now I can’t even do that?’”

Chi Lengzhao asked eagerly,
“What happened after that?”

“No one fought again. Your mother pulled Zhou Meijing back into their dorm. I heard her quietly say, ‘You brought this on yourself. If you hadn’t insulted them, none of this would’ve happened.’”

“And your side? Any injuries?”

“We were lucky. Li Aiqun had a few scratches on her neck. She just stuck a few band-aids on. Xia Dajin’s jeans got torn, so we all chipped in to buy her a new pair. Fang Wenling broke a nail and got kicked in the leg. She sat on her bed rubbing it, and we promised to get her a roasted pig’s foot the next day to make up for it.”

“The next day, the school found out and called both groups in. They asked if we’d been fighting. Of course, we all denied it and said it was just a shouting match. Thankfully, no parents got involved. We each got an official warning, and that was the end of it.”

“That evening, I was walking back from the library, and your mother came to find me.”

Chi Lengzhao was surprised.
“My mom came to find you?”

“Yes. She asked if my back was okay and thanked me for protecting her the night before. Then she introduced herself. She said her name was Zhu Yufei and asked if I was Shen Moying.”

“I told her I was.”

The memory drifted in like a gentle current from the past, winding and soft, but still vivid.

She could still picture the slim, radiant girl who stood out like sunlight in July. Her skin was as pale and clear as snow in winter. Her eyes sparkled with light as she looked at her and said,
“I’ve heard of you. You’re the genius from the electronics department. And a well-known beauty, too.”

She also remembered how that girl insisted on buying her breakfast for a month to thank her for stepping in and preventing her from getting hurt.

“That’s how your mom and I met. I guess you could say we became friends after a fight.”

Chi Lengzhao nodded.
“A true ‘fight first, bond later’ story. What happened to Zhou Meijing and her gang? Did they finally stop causing trouble?”

Shen Moying smiled.
“I think they did. The school moved them to the English department’s dorms.”

“And no more fights?”

“No more fights, but your mom told me later that the English majors were driving them crazy. They started shouting vocabulary words before dawn either in the hallways or under the windows. A lot of them regretted moving and said the engineering dorms were way better.”

Chi Lengzhao and Shen Zhixi both laughed.

“Auntie, what was my mom like when she was young?” Chi Lengzhao asked, genuinely curious.

Shen Moying paused. A look of warmth came into her eyes.
“She was beautiful. The kind of girl you’d notice instantly in a crowd.”

Just like that summer day, when that girl had looked at her for a long time and then softly said,
“In the middle of the crowd, I saw only you.”