The Fake and Real Heiresses Fell in Love (GL) - Chapter 13

The next day, the sky was clear and sunny.

The pink flowers on the windowsill were delicate and vibrant. Yao Yanyan squinted as she woke up and lazily shuffled in her slippers to water the flowers.

“I’m so sleepy…” she mumbled quietly, then sat on the sofa and picked up her phone.

The screen lit up, showing a page full of messages from different contacts. Yao Yanyan scrolled with her finger. Hong Xiaonuan had sent her four messages.

The first was: [Sister Yanyan, where are you?]

A little later: [Sister Yanyan… are you angry?]

Then: [Sister Yanyan, is Cheng Xuan okay?]

Finally: [Sister Yanyan, good night (kneeling-and-apologizing emoji)]

Yao Yanyan let out a small, amused snort. However, considering Hong Xiaonuan was still somewhat useful, she thought for a moment and sent a message asking: [Why were those weirdos chasing Cheng Xuan yesterday? Is anyone else bullying Cheng Xuan besides them?]

Just as she sent the message and was about to put her phone down, the screen lit up. Hong Xiaonuan replied almost instantly: [(Crying-and-moved emoji) I asked my classmates yesterday, Sister Yanyan. They just simply can’t stand Cheng Xuan. It’s because Cheng Xuan doesn’t have a very good reputation at our school.]

Yao Yanyan frowned: [Why does she have a bad reputation?]

Hong Xiaonuan: […Hiss, how should I put it? Cheng Xuan’s family situation isn’t great, which you probably know, Sister Yanyan. And last year in the first year of high school, her family kept causing trouble at school.]

Yao Yanyan: [Trouble?]

Hong Xiaonuan: [Yes, it seems like her family didn’t want Cheng Xuan to continue her studies, and her mom would scold anyone she saw. Plus, Cheng Xuan seems to be quite unhygienic… I don’t know for sure; that’s just what the classmates say.]

Hong Xiaonuan: [Then, slowly, Cheng Xuan started being bullied. But because she’s unpopular, and the teachers at school were also scolded by Cheng Xuan’s mother, no one ever helped her.]

So that’s how it is.

Yao Yanyan’s heart ached with a dense, prickly pain. She chatted with Hong Xiaonuan a few more times, then opened WeChat to distract herself.

Yao Wu had sent her several messages last night, all asking what she was doing.

Yao Yanyan couldn’t help but smile when she saw the little penguin emoji Yao Wu sent. Her sister was truly adorable.

Yao Yanyan: [Just woke up.]

After sending this, she expected Yao Wu to reply a little later, but instead, Yao Wu immediately sent a voice call.

Yao Yanyan was startled and pressed the connect button.

Yao Wu’s slightly high-pitched voice came through the receiver: “Sis!”

A smile crept onto Yao Yanyan’s face. Hearing the sound of wind around Yao Wu, she asked curiously: “Where are you?”

Yao Wu laughed: “I’m riding my bike!”

Yao Yanyan’s heart skipped a beat: “Riding a bike and using your phone! Hang up the phone immediately!”

It seemed Yao Wu hadn’t talked to Yao Yanyan in a while. Hearing Yao Yanyan scold her, she wasn’t angry at all, but rather sweet, chuckling foolishly on the other end: “Aww, hehehehehe.”

Yao Yanyan: …This silly kid seems to have something wrong with her.

Yao Wu: “It’s fine, I’m wearing headphones, and I’m riding very slowly.”

“Sis, when are you planning to come back? Song Bairuo asked me yesterday.” Yao Wu’s voice was a bit hard to hear over the wind.

Yao Yanyan had been feeling warm inside, but the moment she heard the name Song Bairuo, she frowned: “Why did she ask about me?”

“I don’t know,” Yao Wu sounded a little worried, sensing her sister’s change in tone. “What’s wrong, Sis?”

“Nothing is wrong, Sis.” Yao Yanyan tried hard to control her slightly trembling hands.

“That’s good. Sis, I miss you. When are you coming back?” Yao Wu asked.

Yao Yanyan was happy to be missed, but she couldn’t go back yet: “Mmm… I’ll think about it later.”

Yao Wu was confused: “Seriously, I’m just curious, what’s so great about that crummy village that you can’t bear to leave?”

Yao Yanyan’s answer was dismissive: “Just don’t worry about it.”

“Why not!” Yao Wu stopped her bike and shouted loudly. Passersby all turned to look at her. Yao Wu frowned and yelled arrogantly: “What are you looking at!” She picked up her phone, only to realize the call had been disconnected.

“…She’s driving me crazy!” Yao Wu stamped her feet a couple of times. She was about to dial the number back, but time no longer allowed it.

“Bad sister, I’m never talking to you again!” she cursed at her phone, then hurried up the steps toward the art class building.

Yao Yanyan’s face was a little pale.

“Song Bairuo.” She lowered her gaze, her lips touching as she spoke the name she had almost forgotten.

The original Yao Yanyan had never really taken her average-family cousin seriously.

She vaguely remembered her as having an unremarkable appearance, always carefully following behind her and Yao Wu, stammering whenever asked a question, yet sticking around like an annoying piece of gum she couldn’t shake off.

In the novel, Yao Yanyan was very generous to Song Bairuo because Song Bairuo was obedient, and her ordinary looks greatly satisfied the book’s Yao Yanyan’s vanity.

It’s fair to say Yao Yanyan had never wronged her.

Yet, this was the person who was secretly consumed by jealousy towards Yao Yanyan. She was the first to loudly spread the news when she accidentally found out Yao Yanyan wasn’t the biological child of the wealthy family. After Yao Yanyan was kicked out of the mansion, she relentlessly pursued her, baiting her into taking out loan sharks and hiring people to beat her up. Even after Yao Yanyan died of illness, Song Bairuo went to her grave and openly mocked her.

The most disgusting thing was that later in the novel, she even got plastic surgery to look exactly like Yao Yanyan. Yao Wu was furious when she saw her face, her eyes red as she vowed to kill her, but Song Bairuo just covered her face and laughed.

“This face should have been mine all along. Yao Yanyan didn’t deserve it.”

Moreover, in the novel, Song Bairuo was also subtly hinted to have some sort of special affection for Cheng Xuan.

She often said that she and Cheng Xuan were the same, that they were kindred spirits. While secretly looking down on Cheng Xuan, she fantasized about them mutually licking the wounds inflicted by their dysfunctional families. However, Cheng Xuan, as the no-romance protagonist, never gave her the time of day.

Yao Yanyan got a headache thinking about Song Bairuo. If only to stay far away from this abnormal woman in the future, she needed to complete her mission quickly.

With that thought, Yao Yanyan sat up from the sofa.

Currently, her communication with Cheng Xuan was limited to when they were both at home. If Cheng Xuan came home late, like today, Yao Yanyan had no idea where she was.

But it would be different if Cheng Xuan had a cell phone.

A light bulb went off in Yao Yanyan’s head. She went to the bedroom to look for an old phone she had used.

She had prepared to live in Fengkang Town long-term, so she brought many things. Rummaging through the cabinet, she actually found a spare phone.

It even had a SIM card inserted and was practically new.

Yao Yanyan knelt on the floor, plugged the phone in to charge, opened various apps, and deleted all her personal information.

Now all she had to do was wait for Cheng Xuan to come home and give her the phone.

Yao Yanyan smiled faintly. Little did she know that this wait would stretch until after 4:00 PM.

The sound of the door opening downstairs echoed. Yao Yanyan hastily stripped off the apron stained with paint and rushed downstairs.

A smile she didn’t even notice was on her face.

Cheng Xianshun was changing her shoes in the entryway. Hearing the “thump, thump, thump” of footsteps from upstairs, she instinctively looked up.

Yao Yanyan clearly saw her. A feeling of disappointment washed over her: “You’re back.”

Cheng Xianshun flashed a sycophantic smile: “Mhm.”

“Why isn’t your older sister back yet?” Yao Yanyan asked directly.

Cheng Xianshun: “My sister?”

“She seems to have gone to work in the fields today.”

Yao Yanyan: ?

“What? In the fields?”

Yao Yanyan glanced outside the window.

It was 4:00 PM, the hottest part of the day. The sun was baking the earth, and it felt like a giant steamer outside. Just looking at it made you feel suffocated.

On such a hot day, Cheng Xuan is still out working in the fields?

“Yeah, my sister usually comes back quite late when she goes to the fields.” Cheng Xianshun wiped her sweaty neck and started walking inside.

It was too hot outside. She needed to get back inside and enjoy the air conditioning.

But her arm was suddenly grabbed. Yao Yanyan, who had been on the stairs, was now standing behind her, her pale hand gripping her arm.

Cheng Xianshun was startled and turned back.

Yao Yanyan’s expression was serious, her brows slightly furrowed. Her fluffy honey-colored hair was spread over her body, and her amber eyes held a visible anger: “Where is Cheng Xuan working? Take me there.”

“Huh?” Cheng Xianshun was confused.

“I said, where is Cheng Xuan working? Take me there,” Yao Yanyan repeated, gripping her arm.

“This…” Cheng Xianshun’s first thought was to refuse. She had just returned from outside and didn’t want to go back out. “My sister will be back later. It’s so hot outside…”

Yao Yanyan’s dissatisfaction grew: “You know it’s hot outside, too?”

She didn’t want to lose her temper at Cheng Xianshun. Cheng Xuan didn’t have much affection for anyone in this family, but she still retained some sisterly feeling for Cheng Xianshun.

Yao Yanyan let out a breath: “Can’t you just take me there and then come back?”

She thought for a moment and added: “I’ll buy you a smoothie on the way. Can I do that?”

Cheng Xianshun was hesitant, but the mention of a smoothie made her mouth water.

Any delicious food at home always went to Cheng Shibao first. She couldn’t even get an ice cream bar, let alone a smoothie.

With that thought, Cheng Xianshun nodded.

“I want a strawberry smoothie…” she whispered. She really wanted one after seeing her classmate eat one last time.

“You got it.” Yao Yanyan agreed, went upstairs to grab a parasol, and then left the house with Cheng Xianshun.

She first took Cheng Xianshun to buy the smoothie.

The little smoothie shop was right outside Cheng Xianshun’s school. Across the street from the school was a cram school, and at this time, many students who weren’t studying were loitering on the street.

Yao Yanyan held a parasol, dressed in a skirt, and was exquisitely made up. She looked like a swan that had accidentally landed in a duck pond, standing out among the dusty students. Everyone was secretly looking at her, yet she showed no self-consciousness, only a furrowed brow of impatience as she said sweetly to the girl she was holding: “Order whatever you want. It doesn’t matter how much you order.”

“…Really?” Cheng Xianshun was led by her, smelled her perfume, and felt the eyes of everyone around her. Her face couldn’t help but feel hot, and she was slightly excited.