That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 31

No One Will Ever Snatch You From My Hands.

Yu Xi’s sudden, wild kiss, with no regard for the occasion, truly frightened Yuan Yue. It was the first time she had so profoundly experienced Yu Xi’s fierce and untamed side. Her mouth could not speak, her hands could not move; she could do nothing but gasp for air.

If her phone hadn’t suddenly rung, Yuan Yue feared Yu Xi would have kissed her into a daze.

The abrupt ringtone spread through the empty gym. Yu Xi abruptly regained her senses and reluctantly pushed her away.

Both of them were breathing raggedly. Yuan Yue’s face was flushed crimson. Looking at Yu Xi, whose expression was cloudy and uncertain, she had no time to argue with her for the moment.

Yuan Yue turned and took her phone from her bag. Seeing it was a call from Yuan Xi, she steadied her breath and answered in front of Yu Xi.

“What is it, ge¹?”

“Old ma² is here. She’s at my place right now,” Yuan Xi said concisely.

Yuan Yue was stunned. “What is old ma doing here?”

Yuan Xi sighed. “It’s all my fault. This morning when I called old ma, my tongue slipped, and I told her about Xiao Xi being sick. As soon as she got anxious, she took leave and rushed over.”

Jiang Yan had only this one grandson and doted on him dearly. It would be strange if she didn’t worry upon hearing he was sick. Yuan Yue understood her old ma’s personality through and through, and she knew the intent behind Yuan Xi’s call. “I know,” she said quickly. “I’ll head over later.”

After hanging up, Yuan Yue finally had time to settle accounts with Yu Xi, but Yu Xi struck first to gain control³. “If you have something to do, you should go.”

Yuan Yue was in no hurry. She questioned her in frustration, “Were you insane just now?”

This was the lounge area; someone could come over at any moment. Yuan Yue subconsciously glanced left and right. Seeing no one else for now, she let out a long sigh of relief. She turned back to Yu Xi, and when their eyes met, her heart tightened.

Yu Xi watched her quietly, her gaze somewhat hurt. “You’re starting to find me disgusting.”

Where did this come from? Yuan Yue froze and quickly retorted, “I don’t find you disgusting!”

Yu Xi’s brow was furrowed with sorrow. “You have already started to reject my touch.”

“When did I do that?” Yuan Yue cried out. “I’ve been wronged!”

Yu Xi accused her unhurriedly, “You wanted to push me away just now.”

Yuan Yue was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yu Xi was correct on this point. The thought that they were in the gym made Yuan Yue afraid of being seen, which was why she wanted to push Yu Xi away.

Yuan Yue deliberately lowered her voice to explain, “Wasn’t I just afraid of being seen? This is China, after all. It’s not as open as foreign countries.”

Yu Xi reluctantly accepted this explanation but then said with a deadpan expression, “The moment Jie Ran appeared, I was no longer in your eyes.”

The situation earlier had been a bit special, and even now, it felt somewhat unreal to Yuan Yue. She had probably been momentarily overwhelmed, which was why she had been staring at Jie Ran in such a flower-idiotic way.⁴

Feeling guilty, Yuan Yue squeezed Yu Xi’s hand and said in a softer tone, “It was my first time seeing a big celebrity, and he’s my idol. It’s inevitable that I’d get a little excited…”

Yu Xi’s eyebrows shot up as she cut her off without a trace of mercy, “A little excited?”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yuan Yue carefully put on a placating smile and coaxed her good-naturedly, “I’m sorry, my dear, I was wrong. I will definitely watch my words and actions next time.”

Yu Xi’s face remained cold. “No. I want you to guarantee it.”

Yuan Yue certainly was not foolish enough to ask what Yu Xi wanted her to guarantee. Without blinking, she began to speak, “I guarantee I will never have a change of heart. I want no one but you.”

“You…” Yu Xi was somewhat shaken. “Do you know what ‘forever’ means?” she asked, uncertain.

Without thinking, Yuan Yue said, “I know. It means I have to be with you for a lifetime.”

Yu Xi was used to the usually playful Yuan Yue who loved to beat the horse’s careless eye⁵ at critical moments. She had never expected her to say such deeply moving words in this situation.

The normally eloquent Yu Xi suddenly didn’t know what to say. She could only hold Yuan Yue’s hand tightly and gaze at her with deep affection. “You need to think this through. A lifetime is very long. You won’t regret it?”

Yuan Yue shook her head and said resolutely, “I never regret the decisions I make.”

Yu Xi raised her hand to her lips and kissed it. She looked into the other’s eyes and said sincerely, “My dear, I will not let you regret this.”

The distance between them was closing again, and disaster was imminent. This time, it was Yu Xi who timely braked.

Yuan Yue again looked around suspiciously. She inadvertently saw the spilled food on the floor. “It’s all spilled,” she said with regret. “You didn’t even have a few bites.”

Yu Xi also felt it was a waste but comforted her helplessly, “It’s fine, I don’t need to eat too much.” The mess on the floor was an eyesore. She was about to get tools to clean it up when something occurred to her. “Didn’t you have something to do just now?”

Her reminder brought the contents of the phone call back to Yuan Yue’s mind. Although Yu Xi didn’t ask for the reason, Yuan Yue had already taken the initiative to explain. “It’s nothing urgent. Xiao Xi is sick, so my ma came to see him. I have to go to my ge’s house in a bit.”

Yu Xi had played with Yuan Xi’s two children during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Hearing Yuan Yue’s words, she couldn’t help but ask with concern, “What’s wrong with Xiao Xi?”

“A slight fever.”

Yu Xi thought for a moment and said, “Are you going now? Why don’t I go with you?”

Yuan Yue hesitated. “Don’t you still have to work?”

Yu Xi said nonchalantly, “You forgot? I told you last time that my work hours are flexible. If I want to leave, no one can stop me.”

Yuan Yue certainly hadn’t forgotten. She had thought Yu Xi had just said that to accommodate her last time, not that it was actually the truth.

Yuan Yue was naturally happy to go with Yu Xi. “In that case,” she said, “you go get changed now. I’ll clean up here.”

Yu Xi didn’t stand on ceremony with her. She told her where the broom and dustpan were, then turned and went to the locker room to change.

Yuan Yue’s car was parked in the underground garage, so the two took Yu Xi’s car. Yuan Yue was still thinking about Yu Xi’s stomach. “When we get to my ge’s house, I’ll have my saozi⁶ make you a bowl of noodles.”

Yu Xi didn’t want to be such a bother and refused. “It’s fine, I’m not hungry.”

Yuan Yue looked at Yu Xi’s small frame with envy. “You eat so little. No wonder you’re so thin.”

Yu Xi smiled but said nothing.

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Yuan Yue’s family all welcomed Yu Xi’s arrival, especially Jiang Yan. Seeing her was like seeing her own dear daughter. She came right up and gave her a hug, her mouth full of praise. “Yu Xi is getting more and more beautiful.”

Yuan Yue joined in on the fun. “What about me?”

Jiang Yan glanced at her and said bluntly, “You’re beautiful too, just a little less than Yu Xi.”

This was truly something only one’s own ma would say. Yuan Yue was speechless, her self-esteem damaged. She cleverly changed the subject. “Ma, Xiao Xi just has a fever. You specially took leave and rushed up here. Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”

Jiang Yan shot her a look and said irritably, “What do you mean ‘just a fever’? If I don’t come up to watch him, I can’t eat or sleep.”

Yuan Yue had always known Jiang Yan doted on Xiao Xi. She rolled her eyes toward the heavens and decided to shut her mouth.

Jiang Yan then said to her, “I told your dad before I came. This time, I’m going to wait until Xiao Xi is completely well before I go back.”

She could do whatever she wanted; it wasn’t like anyone’s opinion would be effective anyway. Yuan Yue nodded her head repeatedly in agreement, when she was suddenly caught off guard by Jiang Yan’s words. “Your ge’s house has too much stuff and is too messy. I’m going to stay at your place for a night.”

“Ah?”

“Is that not okay?” Jiang Yan looked at her suspiciously.

It wasn’t that it wasn’t okay, but the decision was so sudden that Yuan Yue hadn’t had a moment to recover. She couldn’t help but look at Yu Xi and said with a guilty conscience, “You’re my ma, how could it not be okay!”

Only then was Jiang Yan relieved. She mumbled, “I thought you were hiding another man in your room and it wasn’t convenient.”

A man was impossible, but hiding a beautiful maiden was the truth. Yuan Yue and Yu Xi looked at each other, a tacit understanding passing between them that needed no words.

Since Jiang Yan had made a rare trip, Yuan Yue stayed at Yuan Xi’s house to accompany her. In the blink of an eye, it was evening.

Jiang Yan personally cooked a table full of good food. She first went to the children’s room to feed Xiao Xi and have him take his medicine, then closed the door and came out to eat with everyone.

Xiao Mi had just returned from kindergarten and was very excited to see her grandmother. She stretched out her two small, stubby arms, wanting her grandmother to hold her, but Wang Shasha, being considerate of her mother-in-law’s hard work, didn’t let Xiao Mi bother her.

Jiang Yan picked up her rice bowl and said to Yu Xi with a broad smile, “You need to eat more. You’re too thin.”

Yuan Yue’s gaze moved back and forth between Jiang Yan and Yu Xi, finding the scene more and more interesting. Although Jiang Yan was showing more care for Yu Xi than for her this time, Yuan Yue wasn’t the least bit jealous. In fact, the more Jiang Yan liked Yu Xi, the happier Yuan Yue felt inside.

Her joy was hard to describe. Yuan Yue took the opportunity to add a piece of meat to Yu Xi’s bowl, instructing, “Seeing how much my ma dotes on you, you have to eat more and get fatter.”

Yu Xi gave her a meaningful look and obediently ate the piece of meat.

Jiang Yan was very satisfied to see this. She said delightedly, “I don’t know why, but as soon as I see Yu Xi, it’s like I’m seeing another daughter of my own. I feel a special closeness.”

Yu Xi paused her actions and chimed in, “When I see auntie, it’s also like seeing my own ma.”

“Then how about I recognize you as my goddaughter?”

“Cough cough—” Yuan Yue didn’t see that coming and choked on a mouthful of soup.

Yu Xi quickly freed a hand to help pat her back. “How are you so careless?”

Yuan Yue had no time to respond to Yu Xi and couldn’t help but complain, “Ma, why are you randomly recognizing relatives?”

Jiang Yan was displeased. “I just feel I have a fate with Yu Xi. How am I randomly recognizing relatives?”

Yuan Yue didn’t care if she was being disrespectful. She said in a deep voice, “In any case, you cannot recognize her as your goddaughter.”

What kind of joke was this? If Yu Xi and she became sisters, wouldn’t their relationship be thrown into chaos?

Jiang Yan, however, thought she was just being jealous and chided her for being immature. “Yu Xi hasn’t even said if she agrees or not. Why do you have such a strong opinion?”

Yuan Yue said firmly, “If I say no, it means no. And Yu Xi won’t agree either, right?”

Yuan Yue looked at Yu Xi with pleading eyes.

At this moment, the long-silent Yuan Xi finally chimed in. “Right about what? What’s your opinion? Yu Xi has already called me dage⁷ before. There’s nothing wrong with her recognizing our ma as her godmother now.”

“There’s this matter too?” Jiang Yan said in amazement. She looked at Yu Xi, full of anticipation. “Yu Xi, why don’t you say something?”

Yuan Yue desperately made eye signals at Yu Xi, hoping she would not agree. However, Yu Xi was unmoved, as if she couldn’t understand her hints.

Yu Xi shifted her gaze away and, when she looked at Jiang Yan opposite her, put on a smiling face, her words shocking. “I am very willing.” She deliberately paused, then called out sweetly, “Ma.”

“Ai!” Jiang Yan responded affectionately, but she soon sensed something unusual. She asked in confusion, “Child, why are you calling me ma? You should be calling me godmother.”

Yu Xi, her face not red, her heart not pounding, said, “Calling you ma is more natural. It’s more intimate, too.”

Although this explanation was a bit forced, how could Jiang Yan not be happy to have picked up a daughter for no reason? Still, she had some reservations. “You call me ma, but won’t your own ma have an opinion?”

Yu Xi smiled and said, “Of course not. With one more person to dote on me, she wouldn’t have time to be anything but happy.”

Jiang Yan smiled so wide her mouth couldn’t close. “Good, good! Then from now on, you can call me ma just like Yuan Yue and the others! Eat, eat!”

The family seemed to be harmonious and happy, but Yuan Yue was not happy at all. She deliberately leaned over and questioned in a voice only the two of them could hear, “What are you doing? You recognized her as your godmother, so what does that make you and me?”

Yu Xi said with a composed expression, “I never agreed to recognize her as my godmother.”

“What?” Yuan Yue was confused. She carefully recalled what Yu Xi had just said. It seemed she indeed had not explicitly said she would recognize Jiang Yan as her godmother. That “ma,” however, had been called out quite crisply.

Yu Xi whispered in her ear, “Are you stupid? If we get married in the future, I’ll definitely have to call her ma just like you. Isn’t calling her that sooner or later the same thing?”

Yuan Yue was suddenly enlightened. She couldn’t help but admire Yu Xi. She never thought that someone who had lived abroad since childhood could play with the Chinese language so skillfully.

“What secrets are you two talking about? Hurry up and eat!” Jiang Yan saw the two of them biting each other’s ears⁸ and couldn’t help but nag.

After hearing Yu Xi’s explanation, Yuan Yue instantly felt much more relaxed and picked up her bowl and chopsticks with peace of mind.

Yuan Xi looked up at the two people stuck together opposite him, a plan forming in his heart. Since both parties were present, he might as well make some topics public. He got straight to the point. “Yu Xi, you and Yuan Yue are both still single. Don’t you two have any plans at all?”

Yuan Yue was greatly alarmed. She never thought Yuan Xi would mention this now. She glared at him viciously. “Ge, can’t you let people eat a meal in peace?”

Yuan Xi was completely oblivious to her. He locked his gaze onto Yu Xi, and without caring whether she answered, he continued, “Yuan Yue is twenty-eight this year. She has never had a single boyfriend in her entire life. If you were me, would you not be anxious for her?”

Yu Xi and Yuan Yue exchanged a look. “It is quite worrying,” Yu Xi said without a change in her expression.

Yuan Yue’s eyes stared straight at her.

“I have a high school classmate named Xu Ming. He’s a particularly good person. I want to introduce him to her, but she keeps refusing without even meeting him. What do you think about this?” Yuan Xi pressed on relentlessly, refusing to let Yu Xi go.

Yuan Xi’s intentions are truly sinister and dangerous, Yuan Yue thought. The moment Yu Xi called Jiang Yan “ma,” he was already rushing to pull her to his side, his goal being to get Yu Xi to help him persuade Yuan Yue.

Trying to force her to submit? Not even a door⁹!

Yuan Yue believed that Yu Xi was definitely of one heart with her. She looked at Yu Xi’s profile, quietly waiting for her answer. However, Yu Xi gave her an answer that was beyond her expectations.

Yu Xi turned her head to look straight at her, her gaze unreadable. “I feel that constantly refusing is not a solution. That Xu Ming, why not find a chance for you two to meet?”

Pa pa, two consecutive sounds were heard as both bamboo chopsticks fell from Yuan Yue’s hands. She stared at Yu Xi, saying in disbelief, “Are you certain?”

Yu Xi slowly nodded. “I am very certain.”

Yuan Yue’s face suddenly changed. Disregarding the several pairs of eyes on her at the dinner table, she quickly said to the others, “Excuse me, I need to discuss something with Yu Xi.”

Without waiting for anyone to respond, Yuan Yue yanked Yu Xi up and pulled her to the side, whispering in her ear, “Are you insane again? My ge is introducing a boyfriend to me, why are you getting involved too?!”

Yu Xi leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Dummy. Of course I know. But you can’t just keep avoiding it.”

“You’re going to ruin me!”

“How could I possibly ruin you? I’m here, don’t be afraid.” Yu Xi gave her a warm smile and said, full of confidence, “No one will ever snatch you from my hands.”

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The author has something to say:

My earnings have plummeted recently. Does everyone dislike watching the plot? Well, there’s nothing to be done. A novel cannot just be about the two female leads being cloyingly sweet and distributing candy¹⁰ all the time. I’ll distribute more candy tomorrow (I don’t even know what candy is anymore). I wanted to write six thousand characters but it got too late…….

This chapter has the sense of a domineering CEO¹¹ again ←_←

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