(I’m begging you, the teenager in this chapter is the female lead’s younger brother, not the male lead. How can anyone still think I’m writing about incest?!)
As soon as she reached the first floor, Shen Zhili saw a delicate-looking teenager, about fifteen or sixteen years old, sitting quietly in the dining room, eating breakfast at the table.
On the seat next to the teenager, a carefully prepared meal and a glass of milk were still steaming faintly.
It was obvious that the extra portion was left for Shen Zhili.
Shen Zhili thought back—during this period of her life, she never ate breakfast at home. Every time she saw it, she would simply ignore it.
Because she didn’t want to see Shen Zhiyu.
But Mom Liu, the nanny, worried about losing her job, would unfailingly set out a breakfast for her every day, as if it were her own employment insurance.
Looking at the teenager’s figure, Shen Zhili felt a little dazed.
How long had it been since she last saw Shen Zhiyu?
Mom Liu was just coming out of the kitchen when she saw Shen Zhili standing neatly dressed at the top of the stairs. She was so startled that she nearly dropped the plate in her hands.
She glanced at the clock in the living room—it was only half past seven.
“Miss, why are you up so early today?”
How strange. Usually, Shen Zhili would never get out of bed before eight or nine o’clock.
She had even said before… that waking up felt like having the lid of a coffin pried open, filled with rage.
While Mom Liu was still stunned, Shen Zhili casually replied:
“If I don’t get up, who’s going to keep the young master company for breakfast?”
With that, she walked over to her seat at the dining table and sat down.
As soon as these words were spoken, both Mom Liu and Shen Zhiyu paused simultaneously.
Separated by the dining table, they quickly exchanged a glance, each seeing disbelief in the other’s eyes.
What in the world?
Shen Zhili was actually willing to have breakfast with Shen Zhiyu of her own accord?
…And even said something like that?
Shen Zhiyu frowned, thinking that something unusual must be afoot.
He spoke bluntly: “What trick are you trying to pull now?”
“No tricks.”
Shen Zhili pulled the plate in front of her and replied casually.
But Shen Zhiyu clearly didn’t believe her.
His voice grew low: “I’ve already agreed to you—I can drop out of Qinzhou Academy.”
“Besides, no one knows I’m an illegitimate child now, so I won’t embarrass you… What more do you want?”
Shen Zhili didn’t look at him. Instead, she casually picked up a blueberry, tossed it leisurely into her mouth, and began chewing.
“No need to drop out. Just stay at Qinzhou Academy like you’re supposed to.”
After a pause, she seemed to think of something and muttered to herself: “But what you said makes sense…”
Hearing this, Shen Zhiyu immediately raised his internal alarm.
Here it comes.
There’s definitely a catch.
He stared at Shen Zhili with a stern face, waiting for her to say something humiliating.
However…
“The matter of being an illegitimate child isn’t exactly honorable. Alright, if someone really finds out you’re an illegitimate child, just say… both the original wife and the second wife of our Shen family have passed away, and your household registration is already settled, so there’s no such thing as an illegitimate child.”
Shen Zhiyu: “…?”
Is she sick?
Where did the person who pointed at his nose and cursed him from head to toe yesterday go?
Shen Zhiyu was utterly shocked.
It was as if Shen Zhili had forced him to eat shit, and runny shit at that.
Shen Zhili saw right through him, but she couldn’t be bothered to explain.
Nor could she explain.
She couldn’t very well tell him that she had returned from eight years in the future, her soul already replaced, and that the old, stale hatred she once held for him had long since vanished into thin air.
The current her had come to understand Shen Zhiyu.
He was two years younger than her, just a little brat—what was there to blame him for?
If anyone was to blame, it should be their shared father.
After downing the cup of hot milk on the table in one go, Shen Zhili casually pushed the half an avocado and handful of nuts she hadn’t touched on her plate toward Shen Zhiyu.
“Eat these.”
Her voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
“You’re still growing. Eat more so it doesn’t go to waste.”
Shen Zhiyu, who had just been about to wipe his mouth: “?”
He stared at the green avocado and scattered almonds on the plate, unconsciously swallowing.
“Did you poison it?”
Shen Zhili: “?”
She leisurely wiped her fingers with a napkin.
“Haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
Shen Zhili paused, then raised her eyes, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of her lips.
“But if you don’t eat it, I’ll go upstairs right now and slaughter that cat you’ve hidden in the cardboard box in the third-floor storage room.”
Shen Zhiyu looked as if he’d been struck by lightning.
“!!!”
How did she know?!
He had hidden it so carefully, only daring to sneak up late at night when everyone was asleep to feed it a little cat food and water.
Seeing Shen Zhiyu’s expression, as if his eyeballs were about to pop out in shock, Shen Zhili raised an eyebrow.
This little fool.
His face was practically screaming, “How do you know everything? Are you spying on me, you creep?”
He couldn’t hide a thing.
It seemed she’d have to find time to teach him a lesson later.
Just as she expected, Shen Zhiyu’s mind was in complete chaos right now.
More chaotic than the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties combined.
The more he looked at Shen Zhili’s half-smiling face, the more he felt she was like the wicked queen from the fairy tale, holding out a poisoned apple to trick Snow White.
Shen Zhiyu took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
“I’ll eat it. Just don’t touch Truck.”
Shen Zhili: “…?”
The cat was named Truck?
She remembered it was a Ragdoll with excellent markings and pure bloodline.
…For an American breed, it wasn’t very sophisticated at all.
Just as Shen Zhili was about to say something, she saw Shen Zhiyu suddenly reach out, grab a handful of nuts as if facing certain death, and shove them into his mouth.
Chewing with puffed-out cheeks, he mumbled threateningly, “If you spare Truck, I won’t tell Dad about your relationship.”
At that, Shen Zhili was utterly baffled.
“Huh?”
She tilted her head as if to hear better.
“My relationship?”
“Don’t pretend. It’s the second son of the Xie family, isn’t it?”
Shen Zhiyu tried to put on a stern face, hoping to make his threat carry more weight.
“He deliberately drives out of his way every morning just to go to school with you. I’ve seen it all.”
Shen Zhili rolled her eyes. “Whether you’ve seen it or not is one thing, but stop making that face. It’s hideous.”
Shen Zhiyu’s expression froze instantly.
As he struggled to regain a normal expression, he wondered to himself.
This Shen Zhili… why did she seem like a different person today?
Before, whenever she saw him, she couldn’t even be bothered to open her mouth. And if she did open it one day, it was either to tell him to get lost or to hurl all sorts of sharp, cutting insults.
Today, even though her words weren’t exactly pleasant either… the feeling was different.
Seems a bit… nicer?
No.
Shen Zhiyu immediately became alert.
She must have thought of some new way to disgust him again.
Shen Zhili ignored his inner monologue, casually adjusting the cuffs of her jacket with an elegant posture.
“Threatening me is useless.”
She spoke lightly, her tone completely indifferent.
“I don’t like Xie Yuchi.”
Besides, even if he went to complain, it wouldn’t matter. If her father hadn’t tacitly approved of Xie Yuchi picking her up for school… she wouldn’t have been able to get into his car in the first place.
This Shen Zhiyu was still too naive.
“Don’t like?”
Shen Zhiyu’s frown deepened.
If she doesn’t like him, why does she go to school with him every day?
Moreover, the entire Qinzhou Academy was now buzzing with rumors that Xie Yuchi, the second son of the Xie family, was madly pursuing the eldest daughter of the Shen family.
Shen Zhili didn’t bother explaining further.
She stood up, casually pushing the dining chair back under the table, then placed both hands on the back of the chair and leaned forward slightly.
A faint but incredibly pleasant fragrance of perfume drifted over.
Shen Zhili stared at this boy who shared half her blood, her beautiful eyes filled with complex, hard-to-read emotions.
“Go upstairs and get your bag.”
Shen Zhiyu stiffened: “…Why?”
“I’ll have the driver take you to school.”
As if afraid he might refuse, Shen Zhili looked at his instantly stunned face and leisurely added:
“You can refuse. I’ll just remove the tires from the Truck.”
Shen Zhiyu, who had been forced by Shen Zhili not to have a driver or car and had to take the bus and then the subway to school every day: “…?”
This person must have been possessed by something unclean.
Right?