After arriving downstairs, Shen Moran prepared to take Sun Heng and Su Nian home. She saw them walking together, each holding one of the children. The older one was crying, and the younger one was following suit, wiping away tears while fussing over Sun Heng, who was caught in the middle.
“Sister, does it hurt? It is all my fault. Why did I have to climb the building and make you end up like this?” Su Nian sniffled with teary eyes, holding Sun Heng’s right hand as she wept.
“It is my fault.” Sang Nian’s eyes were also red. She looked up at Sun Heng with a soft, tearful expression and said, “I was too heavy. You should not have tried to catch me, boohoo.”
Su Nian said, “It is not your fault, Sang Nian. It is all because of me. I was the one who suggested climbing up there.”
Sang Nian shook her head. “It was clearly me…”
Seeing the two children about to burst into tears again, Sun Heng felt a headache coming on, yet her heart softened. She coaxed the girls gently, “It is fine. The doctor already checked, and I will be recovered in a few days.”
“But my sister said you were seriously injured and could not take care of yourself.” Su Nian looked at Sun Heng with wet, doe-like eyes and decided to take responsibility. “Sister, come live at my house. I will take care of you. I will do everything: washing clothes, folding blankets, preparing meals, and helping you bathe!”
As soon as Shen Moran entered the room, she heard her sister making such outrageous claims about bathing another woman, and her scalp went numb.
How could she say such a thing in public!
Seeing Su Nian express her sincerity, Sang Nian was not to be outdone. She tugged at Sun Heng’s sleeve, leaned in, and said hesitantly, “I, I can too. I can also accompany Sister Heng to the hospital!”
Su Nian said, “I can accompany her to the hospital too.”
Sang Nian blushed. “Then, we will both go with Sister Heng.”
Shen Moran snapped, “What can you two children do? Do not cause trouble here. Everyone, move aside.”
Hearing her sister’s familiar scolding, Su Nian looked up, blinked, and asked, “Sister, why are you so fierce? Sister Heng is hurt; can you not be a little gentler?”
Shen Moran glared at her, signaling the girl to shut up.
Sun Heng was grinning from ear to ear. She laughed and said to the children, “Moran is right. You two are still too young. You do not need to worry about taking care of me. Just remember not to climb on the roof next time.”
“We will not.” Sang Nian said earnestly, “The headmaster already had the ladder removed and installed a fence, so no one will be able to go up there again.”
“That is good.”
Although Sun Heng was chatting with Sang Nian and Su Nian, her gaze remained fixed on Shen Moran. Shen Moran was exceptionally gentle with her today, running around doing chores without a single complaint and even helping her with phone calls. Sun Heng was delighted.
As the sky grew dark, they had to return to the city.
“Is your car here?” Sun Heng asked gently.
Shen Moran felt uncomfortable with Sun Heng’s tone. She nodded slightly and said, “It is here. Let us say goodbye to the headmaster and teachers, and then we will head back.”
Look at that; she was already using the word “we.”
Sun Heng was happy inside but put on a troubled expression, frowning at her bandaged arms. “Could you take me home later? I cannot even open my own door like this.”
She looked at Shen Moran with pleading eyes. “Or, could you help me call a temporary live-in housekeeper?”
Sun Heng sounded so pathetic that before Shen Moran could respond, Su Nian jumped up. With red-rimmed eyes, she grabbed Sun Heng and said, “Sister, do not worry, I will serve you!”
Sun Heng looked at her and asked in surprise, “Is that okay? Do you not have to go to school? How can I let a child take care of me?”
Su Nian said, “I will stop going to school!”
“Su Nian!”
Shen Moran walked over menacingly, picked up the little girl, and scolded, “What does this have to do with you? Why do you want to quit school?”
Su Nian held her sister’s hand, looked up, and asked, “If I do not take care of Sister Heng, who will?”
The room fell into a heavy silence.
The three pairs of eyes were fixed on Shen Moran, who felt her face flush. After a long pause, she finally forced out the words Sun Heng wanted to hear.
“I will take care of her. Is that enough?”
Su Nian tilted her head in disbelief, while Sun Heng asked politely, “Oh, is that convenient?”
Convenient or not, it had to be done.
Shen Moran had been wavering in her heart, but she felt relieved now that the words were out. Sun Heng’s arm was broken because of her. While the left arm would take three months to heal, the right arm was not as severely injured and would likely be functional in a week or two.
By then, Sun Heng would not need her help for eating, bathing, or opening doors.
It would just be a bit tiring for the next few days.
Anyway, Shen Moran did not have any active cases at the firm, so taking care of Sun Heng would not interfere with her work.
“Why would it not be?” Shen Moran felt something was off about Sun Heng’s sparkling eyes, but she still said, “Let us go to your place first to pick up your daily necessities, then you can come back with us.”
She picked up Sun Heng’s car keys and said to Su Nian, “Pack your things quickly; it is time to go.”
Su Nian cheered. She did not have much to pack, but poor Sang Nian had red eyes and kept tugging at Sun Heng’s sleeve, reluctant to let her go as she called out “Sister.”
“It is okay.” Sun Heng lifted her two bandaged arms to reassure her. “I will be better in two days. Stop crying.”
Sang Nian kept shedding tears. Su Nian stepped forward to wipe them away with a tissue, coaxing her, “It is okay. Once I get home, I will video call you, and you can see Sister Heng then.”
Knowing she could not follow them, Sang Nian nodded.
Sun Heng said goodbye to Teacher Chen and the others. Teacher Chen felt guilty about Sun Heng’s injury and tried to offer some compensation, but Sun Heng refused.
“Everything here was funded by me. You giving me money would be no different than moving it from one pocket to the other.” Sun Heng comforted her with a smile, “Do not worry, it is nothing serious. Besides, I have health insurance.”
Teacher Chen sighed, looking at Shen Moran, who was busy loading things into the car in the background. She said worriedly, “Ms. Shen does not look like someone who knows how to take care of others. Can she really take good care of you?”
“I am sure she can.” Sun Heng nodded solemnly.
As long as she could enter Shen Moran’s home, a broken arm was a minor inconvenience; it could even be considered a blessing in disguise.
After waving goodbye to the enthusiastic teachers, Sun Heng sat in the back row and signaled for Su Nian to roll up the window.
Once the window was up, the cabin became quiet.
Shen Moran drove in the front, while Sun Heng and Su Nian were squeezed into the back. Sun Heng originally wanted to sit next to Shen Moran to have her help with the seatbelt, hoping to catch a scent of her fragrance, but Shen Moran said, “Sit with Su Nian.”
Sun Heng: “…”
It did not matter. Shen Moran had agreed to let her move into her house. Was there any difference between sitting in the front or the back?
They were both about to enter her inner sanctum.
Sun Heng felt quite pleased. She did not mind Shen Moran’s coldness and leaned back to chat with Su Nian.
“Do you have class tomorrow? How are you getting to school?”
“Does the school provide lunch? Who picks you up at night?”
“There is a milk tea shop near your school that I own. From now on, just say my name and you can drink for free. I have already told the manager.”
Su Nian’s eyes twinkled. “Sister, you are so amazing!”
Sun Heng basked in the praise and boasted about the other shops she owned, telling Su Nian, “You can bring your classmates over in the future. Everything is free; just give me a call.”
Shen Moran frowned as she listened from the front, especially when she saw Su Nian’s eyes light up like headlights in the rearview mirror. She said coldly, “Do not spoil the child.”
“I am not.” Sun Heng replied. “It is my own business. How can it be spoiling her if Niannian brings her friends over for a snack?”
Even if she brought her whole class, how much would it cost for one day?
Sun Heng smiled and said, “The profit margins in food and beverage are very high. A twenty-yuan cup of milk tea costs less than five yuan to make.” The profits from other industries were even larger. Despite being small businesses, they generated plenty of cash flow, so she would not lose much even if one of them failed. This was why Sun Heng kept opening more shops.
Shen Moran maintained her usual stance: “Food must be paid for. If she starts taking advantage of others now, she will grow up without discipline.”
Su Nian, who had suddenly become undisciplined, looked at her sister aggrievedly and muttered, “I would not…”
She was the most obedient child.
Sun Heng gave a dry laugh and decided to change the subject.
“You should connect your car’s Bluetooth so you can play music and use the navigation,” Sun Heng suggested. “It is a long way from here to the city.”
Shen Moran agreed, thinking Sun Heng was right. However, this one step was only the beginning. Shen Moran would soon discover that this woman was infiltrating every corner of her world.
The group went to Sun Heng’s home first. Su Nian had been there once and remembered the way, leading them without any fear of getting lost.
Sun Heng gave Shen Moran the password to the electronic lock and smiled. “Feel free to come in and get whatever you need later. Do not be a stranger.”
Shen Moran shot a perplexed look at the woman and decided to start packing.
She pulled out the suitcase. Seeing the underwear in the drawer, her face darkened. As Su Nian cleaned the suitcase with a wet wipe and moved to help, Shen Moran slammed the drawer shut.
Su Nian blinked her large eyes and tilted her head. “Sister?”
“Why are you standing there?” Shen Moran asked coldly, gesturing toward the door with her chin. “You do not need to help here. Go wait in the living room.”
“What about the clothes? Do I not need to pack them?” Su Nian asked.
Thinking of the drawer full of colorful underwear, Shen Moran forced herself to reply to her sister, “No, I will pack them for her.”