Chapter 21

On the way home, Meng Jiu tightly held Meng Shi’s hand, as though afraid she would disappear the moment she let go.

She could no longer remember how long it had been since she had last held Ah Shi’s hand like this.

Ever since she began working, she had rarely had time for her family. The last time she had held Meng Shi’s hand and walked her home, Ah Shi seemed to have still been shorter than her.

Time truly passed quickly.

Without realizing it, she had missed far too many wonderful moments.

Meng Shi secretly observed Meng Jiu’s expression.

She could not determine what Meng Jiu was thinking. She worried that once they arrived home, this woman would return to her fierce, terrifying self and beat her again.

Meng Shi considered the situation.

A great general had to know when to bend and when to stand firm.

At a critical moment, one should admit defeat when necessary.

“Sister, don’t pull so hard. My hand hurts…”

General Ah Shi abandoned her usual steady demeanor.

She pursed her lips, lowered her head slightly, and blinked her eyes, looking exceptionally aggrieved.

Her voice was soft and sweet.

Had the older woman heard it, she probably would have pounced on her right there.

Meng Jiu’s thoughts had been in turmoil.

Hearing Meng Shi say this, she hurriedly released her hand and lifted it for inspection.

“Does it hurt badly?”

“Mm~”

Seeing Meng Jiu frowning with concern, Meng Shi secretly sighed in relief.

She suddenly felt that being injured was wonderful.

Looking somewhat guilty, Meng Jiu lowered her hand.

“Let’s go home first.”

She turned and continued walking.

Seeing this, Meng Shi quickly took two steps to catch up and voluntarily placed her left hand into Meng Jiu’s.

“This hand doesn’t hurt. I like it when you hold my hand.”

…

When they returned home, their mother was cooking.

“Huh? Why did the two of you come home together?”

Meng Jiu ignored her and entered her room.

Meng Shi looked at her lonely figure in confusion and scratched her head.

“Uh, Mom, continue with what you’re doing. I’ll go check on Sister.”

She knocked on the door.

There was no response, so she pushed it open directly.

At a glance, she saw Meng Jiu lying facedown on the desk.

Was she…

C-crying?!

“Sister? What… what’s wrong?”

Seeing Meng Jiu’s slender body trembling, Meng Shi rubbed her head and felt an enormous headache coming on.

After a while, she walked over, bent down, and placed an arm around Meng Jiu’s shoulders.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

“Am I an especially incompetent older sister?”

“Uh?”

“I didn’t know when my younger sister learned to box.”

“I didn’t know when she was beaten until her whole body was covered in injuries.”

“I didn’t know how helpless she must have felt when she abandoned her dream and chose such a dangerous job merely to help reduce my burden.”

“I…”

Whenever Meng Jiu remembered Meng Shi telling her that she had found a job and that she should stop pushing herself so hard because Meng Shi would also help support the family, her heart hurt as though it had been stabbed with needles.

Had she known at the time that Meng Shi had found this kind of job, she never could have been happy about it.

Then she remembered what Xiang Xiaoyan had told her that day.

Ah Shi lacked some of the childishness appropriate for her age and was overly mature.

That was not necessarily bad, but she must have experienced something that caused her to habitually disguise herself around others and behave with constant caution.

Meng Jiu naturally blamed herself for everything.

Meng Shi scratched her head.

As for when her younger sister had learned boxing, even the original owner of this body probably would not have known the answer…

Meng Shi sighed, crouched down, moved closer to Meng Jiu, and wrapped her arms around her waist.

“Would you like to hear my evaluation of you?”

“Mm.”

Meng Jiu sniffed.

“You genuinely worry whenever I return home late.”

“When I’m injured, you truly feel heartbroken.”

“You shout at me, speak harshly, and even beat me.”

“In my eyes, all of that is extremely precious.”

Meng Shi spoke sincerely.

However, Meng Jiu reached out and placed a hand against her forehead.

【Meng Jiu: Did I frighten this child stupid?】

Black lines covered Meng Shi’s face.

She held Meng Jiu’s hand.

“Compared with false smiles and insincere concern, everything you give me is far more genuine.”

Meng Shi rested her head against Meng Jiu’s side and held her for a while.

“False smiles and insincere concern? Who are you talking about?”

“Hmm? You… don’t know them…”

“Lian Xiu, He Duo, Fu Min, or Wen Yan?”

Meng Shi froze and looked at her in surprise.

How could this woman possibly call herself incompetent?

She had remembered several names Meng Shi had mentioned only casually.

Meng Shi smiled helplessly.

“You’re already wonderful. You don’t need to change anything.”

“Really?”

“Mm.”

Meng Shi raised a hand and wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye.

“Actually, working at the boxing gym isn’t as dangerous as you imagine.”

“Sister Xiaoyan genuinely takes excellent care of me. She assigns me only simple, easy work. There’s hardly any danger.”

“Then where did all the injuries on your body come from?”

“Uh…”

Meng Shi pursed her lips.

She felt as though she had accidentally dug a hole for herself.

“Hmm? You weren’t injured while working?”

Meng Jiu sensitively detected that something was wrong.

“Uh…”

Meng Shi scratched her cheek.

How was she supposed to explain this?

If she admitted she had participated in underground boxing matches, would Meng Jiu skin her alive?

Wait.

Perhaps Meng Jiu did not know what underground boxing was.

Meng Jiu narrowed her eyes, her expression turning hostile.

The tearful, pitiful woman from moments ago had completely disappeared.

“Did you get into another fight?”

“Uh…”

Meng Shi half-covered her face and rubbed her forehead.

That was almost entirely correct…

“Well done, Meng Shi!”

“You fought someone again and came back covered in injuries?”

“You’ve really become capable, haven’t you?!”

Meng Jiu shouted furiously.

She turned and began searching the entire room.

The moment she saw the feather duster beside the bed, she picked it up.

“Hey! I take back what I just said about you not needing to change!”

“You need to change that temper. You absolutely must change it!”

Meng Shi panicked.

“Too late!”

Meng Jiu’s eyes widened as she charged toward her furiously.

“Hey! Don’t!”

“Sister!”

“That hurts—!”

…

【Yan Qing: Don’t damage my little girl’s bottom! It’ll ruin the texture. It won’t feel springy anymore!】

【Meng Shi: Are you really my wife?】

…

Meanwhile, after speaking with Meng Jiu, Xiang Xiaoyan’s emotions were rather complicated.

She could tell that Meng Jiu genuinely opposed Meng Shi’s job.

In truth, Xiang Xiaoyan could understand her concerns.

However, Meng Shi had practically become the living advertisement of the boxing gym. Many customers came specifically because of her.

Furthermore, Xiang Xiaoyan truly could not bear to let such an outstanding employee leave.

And such an adorable little girl…

Hmm…

…

That evening, Meng Shi finished showering and lay on her side in bed.

She was about to pick up her phone and play with it when she heard footsteps outside.

The bedroom door opened.

Judging from the sound, it should be Meng Jiu.

Meng Shi hurriedly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, assuming she would merely glance at her and then leave.

Unexpectedly, the woman quietly climbed onto the bed!

“Hey…”

Meng Shi turned and saw that half of Meng Jiu’s body was already lying on the mattress.

“Move farther inside.”

Meng Jiu naturally lifted the blanket and climbed into Meng Shi’s bed.

Meng Shi panicked again.

What was she doing?

She hurriedly scooted inward until she was almost pressed against the wall.

After waiting for a long time, Meng Jiu showed no sign of leaving.

“It’s very hot.”

Meng Shi truly was hot.

Two people were squeezed onto a single bed, almost completely pressed together.

Furthermore, Meng Jiu had placed one leg over her body.

“Mm. The air conditioner in my room is broken. I’m borrowing yours for the night.”

“I’ll go take a look.”

Meng Shi was about to get up when Meng Jiu pressed her down.

“Lie down. Sleep.”

How was she supposed to sleep like this?

Meng Shi rarely shared a bed with anyone, especially while pressed so closely together.

She felt uncomfortable all over.

Particularly because of Meng Jiu’s hand…

“Could you… stop touching my bottom?”

Meng Shi could no longer tolerate it.

Meng Jiu had pinned half of her body beneath one leg, while one hand openly rubbed her bottom.

This was far too strange!

“I’m massaging it because I’m worried it hurts.”

“Why are you so ungrateful?”

Meng Jiu sounded dissatisfied.

“It had already stopped hurting. Now that you’re rubbing it, it hurts again.”

Meng Shi felt extremely wronged.

Meng Jiu helplessly rewarded her with a slap.

“All right, all right. Go to sleep.”

Meng Shi did not know how she convinced herself to tolerate Meng Jiu maliciously occupying her bed.

However, this woman’s hands truly refused to behave!

“Huh? Where did your little belly go?”

“You’ve developed muscles. They’re quite firm!”

“…Did you think I was like you, abandoning all restraint every day?”

“Tsk. You little brat!”

“All right, all right. Go to sleep.”

Meng Shi closed her eyes and gradually became drowsy.

Her phone rang.

“Is that your phone?”

Meng Jiu casually took it from the desk and prepared to hand it over.

She glanced at the screen curiously.

“‘Her Majesty the Queen’? Who is that?”

“Hmm?”

Meng Shi was half asleep and did not even open her eyes.

“I don’t know.”

“Then I’ll answer it for you.”

Meng Jiu pressed the answer button.

“Hello. May I ask who’s calling?”

Silence came from the other end of the phone.

After a long while, a cold yet somewhat astonished female voice finally spoke.

“Isn’t this Meng Shi’s phone?”

The moment Meng Shi heard the voice, her eyes abruptly opened wide.

“Yes. She’s sleeping…”

Meng Shi snatched the phone away and glared angrily at Meng Jiu.

Yan Qing did not speak again.

Because Meng Jiu was beside her, Meng Shi merely said goodnight into the phone and hurriedly ended the call.

“Who was that?”

“Her Majesty the Queen?”

“What queen?”

Seeing how nervous Meng Shi became over this “Queen,” Meng Jiu immediately grew interested.

Meng Shi buried her face beneath the blanket and ignored her.

Meng Jiu could no longer sleep.

The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Meng Shi’s reaction, combined with that contact name, was far too suspicious!

She abruptly sat up and pulled away the blanket.

“Meng Shi, are you hiding something from me?”

“No. Hurry up and sleep!”

“No. Get up and explain clearly.”

“Where did this queen come from? What kind of queen? You little brat—”

“Mom! Sister is trying to beat me again!”

Annoyed beyond endurance, Meng Shi raised her voice and called for help.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Meng Jiu was startled and hurriedly covered her mouth.

She listened carefully.

From outside came the sounds of someone searching through drawers and cabinets, accompanied by Xie Ping’s dissatisfied scolding.

“You spend every day bullying your younger sister!”

“You’re only taking advantage of Ah Shi because she has a good temper and is easy to bully.”

“If you touch her without reason again, I’ll let you experience the feather duster yourself!”

Xie Ping pushed open the door and stood beside the bed holding the feather duster, pointing at Meng Jiu while scolding her.

“Yes, yes. I was wrong.”

“I was merely joking with her.”

“Please go back and rest.”

Meng Jiu immediately lost all her anger and did not dare breathe too loudly.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, a certain older woman stared at her phone with shock, shock, and even more shock.

She had happily called before sleeping because she wanted to hear Meng Shi’s voice.

Instead, what the hell had she just heard?

They had been apart for only half a day, yet that little brat had already hooked up with another young woman?

And they were even sleeping together?

She had said goodnight?

How the hell was Yan Qing supposed to have a good night now?!

Author’s Note:

【Yan Qing: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ Where is my little whip? The chili water? The tiger bench?!】

【Meng Shi: So wronged I’m becoming deformed o(╯□╰)o】

The story becomes VIP in the next chapter! It’ll update on Monday, and a ten-thousand-character chapter is already prepared!

You must love me!