Pei Yanqiu’s eyes instantly darkened.
He had dragged her down with him—now she could only take the bus when going out.
And this time, it was even to visit his mother.
He felt a pang of heartache. “Then I’ll take off my coat for you to sit on…”
With a down jacket as padding, the seat shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Shen Xingyao was exasperated. This guy really was stubborn as a mule.
Recalling the original owner’s approach over the past month, she put on a stern face and said, “Stop whining! Do whatever I tell you to do!”
That familiar tone!
Hearing this, Pei Yanqiu didn’t dare mention padding the seat again. Without a moment’s hesitation, he followed her instructions.
His long legs extended well beyond the seat when he sat down, making his thighs the perfect makeshift chair.
Shen Xingyao unceremoniously sat on his lap, not forgetting to pile on the pressure. “See, if you’d done this earlier, I wouldn’t have had to suffer the hard seat.”
As she spoke, she shifted her precious bottom from side to side, making Pei Yanqiu’s heart flutter along with her movements.
Over the past month, Shen Xingyao had often scolded him like he was a dog, and sometimes even he found it hard to bear.
But his bank card had been frozen, and before that, he had transferred a significant amount to her account.
Not only did he rely on her for daily expenses, but she also had to cover his mother’s hospital bills.
Even if he could borrow money from friends, he’d need someone to receive the funds—he couldn’t exactly ask his gaming-addicted buddies to withdraw cash for him.
He also didn’t dare let his mother know about this situation, fearing it might be too much for her health.
Until now, Pei Yanqiu had gritted his teeth and endured it, rarely talking back even when scolded or hit.
But today, even though Shen Xingyao was still scolding him, her tone was completely different—soft, like two little robots arguing in a bank.
She clearly didn’t know how to scold people properly, yet she was pretending to berate him!
Pei Yanqiu recalled how Shen Xingyao used to curse at him, repeating the same few vulgar insults over and over—probably learned from her gaming partner.
Now, in a different setting, she didn’t know how to curse anymore. It seemed she had deliberately learned those words before just to scold him, hoping to snap him out of his slump.
She was good, he was bad!
Pei Yanqiu’s heart was soaked in guilt, afraid she might be uncomfortable. “Xingyao, how’s this angle? Do you need me to adjust it?”
He subtly stretched his legs forward a little, making her sit more comfortably.
Shen Xingyao’s face flushed at his question.
Damn, anyone who knows would think you’re asking about the angle of your legs.
Anyone who doesn’t would think you’re asking about something else entirely!
And this is on a bus!
Shen Xingyao rolled her eyes, though it lacked any real intimidation. “This is fine. Don’t move, and shut up!”
Three commands in one sentence successfully made Pei Yanqiu shut his mouth, looking pitiful.
Hearing no movement behind her, Shen Xingyao felt she might have been a bit too harsh.
The kid just had a strong sense of service—it wasn’t some major issue of principle. Her temper might have been a bit too fiery.
She mumbled softly to make amends: “Aren’t you tired? Look at those dark circles under your eyes—they’re deep enough to cosplay a panda.”
“Anyway, it’ll take another hour and a half to get to the hospital. You should catch some sleep first.”
“Otherwise, Auntie will worry unnecessarily when she sees you!”
So that’s what it was!
So Xingyao was concerned about his health!
Pei Yanqiu’s lips curled into a smile again, and not a trace of grievance remained.
Life’s good again, bro!
“Alright, I’ll sleep for a bit,” Pei Yanqiu’s voice softened slightly. “If you feel uncomfortable sitting, just wake me up.”
Seeing that he was no longer sulking, Shen Xingyao finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Go to sleep!”
Pei Yanqiu was truly exhausted—not just physically, but mentally as well.
When he returned to that cramped rental apartment today and saw Shen Xingyao still playing games, he even thought about giving up.
They didn’t really have any feelings for each other. Was it really a good idea to be tied together like this?
And after Shen Xingyao told him she had run out of money, his first instinct was to turn around and leave.
It was his strong sense of responsibility that stopped him. After all, she had endured these tough times with him for so long. It wouldn’t be right to abandon her now just because she was broke.
But at that moment, he felt utterly disheartened. He even considered staying up all night doing paid gaming to earn money, just to let her go hungry for a night and learn her lesson.
Yet when she looked at him with those bright, pleading eyes and asked what they should do, he couldn’t bring himself to be harsh.
Forget it… she probably knew she was wrong by now.
The bus swayed and jolted, the air inside thin and stuffy. Pei Yanqiu hugged the small human-shaped pillow and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Shen Xingyao gazed out the window at the unfamiliar city, finally feeling the vivid reality of this world.
Whatever twist of fate had brought her here, she was now Shen Xingyao in this world.
She had always been like a weed—blown by the wind, she would seize the opportunity to take root wherever she landed.
Otherwise, how could a girl from a small, backward village that favored sons over daughters have made it through university and stayed in a big city?
She would have ended up like the other girls from her village—working in factories at a certain age, earning money for her family for a few years, then being sold off for a dowry and muddling through life in a daze.
Now, she had a new identity. Even though it was that of a junior high school dropout and a troublemaker, knowledge and refinement were things no one could take away from her. Once she learned them, they were hers for life. All she lacked now was a diploma.
The original host had no parents, and her only grandmother had passed away last year—which was actually better than Shen Xingyao’s own previous life.
At least now, there were no so-called relatives holding her back.
Besides, the original host had signed with a talent agency, so she could at least earn some money to support herself.
Not to mention, Pei Yanqiu was now her boyfriend. A man like him—she might not have actively pursued him, but if he was already served to her on a platter, would she be a fool not to take a bite?
Who would refuse meat and choose to eat shit instead?!
Shen Xingyao slandered cute dogs a little and nearly laughed at herself.
“The bus is departing. Please hold on. Next stop: XXX Hospital…”
Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard the announcement for the next stop.
Although she didn’t catch the hospital’s name clearly, this bus only went to one hospital—the private hospital where Mother Pei was staying.
“Pei Yanqiu, wake up” Shen Xingyao turned to call the still-sleeping man.
He really slept well—not moving at all, and not snoring either.
Hearing her call, he opened his eyes, looking at her drowsily.
Hiss
That dazed, just-woken-up gaze was so intense it felt like it could pull you in and drown you.
Pei Yanqiu blinked. “Hmm? Are we there?”
Shen Xingyao silently repeated “form is emptiness” several times to steady her mind. “Yes, almost. Wake up properly so you don’t catch a chill from the wind right after sleeping.”
After a long journey, the two arrived at the hospital and headed straight for Mother Pei’s ward.
Fortunately, Pei Yanqiu had come along, otherwise Shen Xingyao wouldn’t have known which room she was in.
As they reached the door of the ward, before even pushing it open, they could hear muffled sobbing from inside.