Chapter 017 Chapter 17
Chapter 17 Adopting a Child
This was the second time Shen Baili met her stepfather Xie Chengyue's biological sister, Xie Liuzheng, the eldest daughter of the Xie family, after the family dinner.
This young lady perfectly fulfilled all her childhood fantasies about a pianist.
She is cold and stubborn, full of talent, and as beautiful as a fairy from heaven.
Time has not left many traces on her face; her eyes are clear and bright, reflecting an artist's purest expectations and projections of the world.
Shen Baili has never seen Xie Liuzheng's piano concert in person, but she can feel her musical talent just from the video.
"Hello, Aunt Xie, and Uncle." Shen Baili walked closer and greeted them politely.
"Hello." Xie Liuzheng looked into her eyes and quietly gently, without any friendly attitude.
She didn't dislike her brother's stepdaughter, who was quiet, well-behaved and energetic, but she wouldn't get close to her either.
Duan Xing was more thoughtful: "I heard that you were hospitalized some time ago. How is your recovery?"
Xie Liuzheng mentioned this to Duan Xing once, and he remembered it and showed care at the right time.
Compared to Xie Liuzheng's coldness, Duan Xing is very gentle and considerate, and he always easily wins the favor of others.
Shen Baili: "I'm fully recovered now. Thank you for your concern."
Different from the tough and domineering handsomeness of the men in the Xie family, Duan Xing gives people a very gentle feeling. He has a light complexion and does not give people any offensive feeling.
Based on the information about the wealthy family and the gossip from the servants, Shen Baili roughly understood the love story between the two.
Duan Xing fell in love with Xie Liuzheng at first sight, and then began a series of romantic pursuits.
Afterwards, Xie Liuzheng fell in love and married Duan Xing at the peak of her career. After marriage, Duan Xing did not let her give up her career. Instead, he quit his high-paying job in the Internet industry and accompanied his wife to perform around the world.
Later, Duan Xing opened an art training school, which made considerable profits and became well-known among wealthy people, thus gaining both fame and fortune.
Xie Liuzheng and Duan Xing sat together. When they were in the same frame, they were both talented and beautiful, and they looked quite a match.
During the conversation, Duan Xing naturally took care of Xie Liuzheng and was able to guide the topic well. He was a good listener and conversationalist.
Xie Liuzheng was beside Duan Xing, looking very relaxed, with a faint smile on her face, immersed in love.
Shen Baili stayed in the living room and chatted for a while, then went upstairs to do her homework, and she only finished it when dinner time came.
As her studies progressed, the amount of homework increased, and she studied very hard.
There are top geniuses in the world who understand things as soon as they learn them, can use them as soon as they put pen to paper, and have perfect comprehension abilities.
But Shen Baili is not like that. She is just a little smart, and hard work can make up for her shortcomings, so she can stand out among the countless candidates in Haicheng.
After entering high school, she did not slack off because her living environment had improved. Instead, because she no longer had to work part-time, she had more time to study. Studying was very tiring, and sometimes she would secretly wipe away tears because of the difficulty of chemistry problems.
But she always finds a way, she always comforts herself like this.
She looked at the small check marks on the test paper and was very satisfied. She drew a cute smiley face in the name column.
“Sui Sui is amazing!”
***
At dinner time, the family sat together.
The position of the dining table has changed a little.
Xie Zhiyu took the initiative to sit next to Shen Baili, while Xie Liuzheng sat next to Xie Chengyue.
Duan Xing noticed this detail and sat down next to Xie Liuzheng.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was pretty good. Duan Xing always managed to subtly bring up topics that interested everyone and never left anyone out.
Xie Zhiyu picked up some vegetables and seafood for Shen Baili, who was already used to it and buried her head in her eating.
Shen Wan and Xie Chengyue who were present saw it and took it for granted.
Xie Liuzheng was very surprised when she saw this scene. She knew her nephew's character. He was always very indifferent to people he didn't care about.
In the Xie family, the act of picking up food for others is extremely heartwarming.
Duan Xing put some pork ribs and corn into her bowl: "Wife, you have lost weight recently, eat more."
Xie Liuzheng felt a little warm in his heart: "Yeah."
Shen Wan saw their interaction, smiled slightly, and when she lowered her eyes, she saw a few more pieces of stir-fried beef in the bowl.
She looked at Xie Chengyue, who was drinking soup, and she couldn't see his expression.
Shen Wan's lips curled up slightly.
With two more people at the table, there is more warmth.
…
After dinner, Xie Liuzheng learned from Shen Wan that the engagement had been canceled.
"They're going too far!"
Xie Liuzheng was very angry. She didn't expect Sang Ya to do such a shameless thing and hurt her nephew's feelings.
She found Xie Zhiyu alone, and all the caring words she wanted to say to her nephew were blocked on her lips. She was silent for a few seconds: "If you want to drink, you can find me."
"We can chat, too," she added.
Xie Zhiyu reacted almost instantly: "You know I broke off the engagement?"
"Yeah." Xie Liuzheng nodded: "Why don't you call me?"
She wanted to pat her nephew on the head, but he was too tall, so she changed her hand and patted his shoulder: "Don't be sad."
"Sang Ya is not worth your pain."
Her words of comfort were very dry. Xie Liuzheng or the Xie family were not very used to warm situations. They were all trained in an elite way, but were not very good at expressing their emotions to their family members.
Xie Zhiyu: “I know.”
"Don't worry, aunt."
Xie Liuzheng: "That's good."
They were speechless.
Xie Zhiyu took the initiative to speak: "Aunt, I haven't congratulated you on the successful conclusion of your world tour yet."
He looked at Xie Liuzheng and said solemnly: "Congratulations, Ms. Xie Liuzheng, an outstanding pianist in China."
Thinking of the words that Shen Baili and the others were not good at expressing to their family, Xie Zhiyu pursed his lips and prepared himself mentally.
"I am so proud of you, Ms. Xie Liuzheng."
Xie Liuzheng widened his eyes slightly, unable to hide the surprise on his face: "Zhiyu you..."
She hugged her nephew and said, "It's okay if you want to cry."
Does my nephew like mulberry buds so much?
He's been injured so badly that his behavior has become strange.
Xie Liuzheng was both angry and distressed: "How about... I introduce you to someone? The girls in our band are all very good... What kind of girls do you like?"
Xie Zhiyu's abnormal behavior made the usually cold Xie Liuzheng become talkative.
Xie Liuzheng disagrees with the idea that the quickest way to heal a broken heart is to jump into another relationship.
But it's good to walk around more and meet new friends. I can take this opportunity to relax and have a good rest.
Xie Zhiyu: “…No need.”
He said helplessly: "I am not emotionally hurt, aunt."
Xie Liuzheng let him go and carefully confirmed that he was not forcing a smile.
"Then why are you acting so strange?" Xie Liuzheng asked, "Do you have a cold?"
"I'm not sick." Xie Zhiyu confessed: "I just wanted to compliment you, that's all."
Xie Liuzheng obviously didn't believe it.
"There's something wrong with you."
"You got into trouble? You want me to say something good for you?"
Xie Tingsi has done this kind of thing many times, but it is too rare for it to happen to Xie Zhiyu.
"Sure." Xie Liuzheng agreed straightforwardly without asking any questions.
Xie Zhiyu: “…”
"I didn't do any harm."
Xie Liuzheng folded his hands over his chest: "Really? I don't believe it."
“…”
Xie Zhiyu supported his head and said, "I really have something to ask of you."
"I heard that one of your students' father is a high school chemistry teacher. I want to find a chemistry tutor for Shiraki... Shiraki. Can you give me the teacher's contact information?"
In fact, Xie Zhiyu has already found several chemistry tutors, but he is not very satisfied with any of them.
Xie Liuzheng: "Chemistry teacher?"
She had mixed feelings: "Are you looking for a chemistry tutor specifically for your step-sister whom you just met?"
"Why don't you let your assistant handle this kind of trivial matter?" Xie Liuzheng was puzzled.
She had only been on tour abroad for a few months, but it felt like she hadn't been back for ten years. The atmosphere at home had changed drastically.
Xie Liuzheng couldn't tell whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Was there something important being hidden from her?
"Besides the broken engagement, did anything else happen in the Xie family?" Xie Liuzheng looked solemn.
Xie Zhiyu: “No.”
"Why do you ask?"
Xie Liuzheng smiled and shook her head. She knew she couldn't get anything out of him, so she decided to observe for herself: "It's okay."
"I'll send you the contact information later."
"Thank you, auntie."
***
On the way back, Xie Liuzheng couldn't help but talk about this matter with Duan Xing.
Duan Xing heard this and said: "Zhi Yu has a strong sense of responsibility. My eldest brother is busy with work, so he is in charge of all the affairs of the Xie family."
"But he was pretty nice to Bai Li."
Xie Liuzheng agreed with her point of view: "Hubby, you have a good impression of my step-niece."
Duan Xing looked ahead and said casually, "She is quite quiet."
Being quiet and refined means sticking to one's duty, not dreaming of things that one should not have, and not meddling in other people's affairs.
Xie Liuzheng: "She is indeed very quiet."
"I quite like her. She's pretty and cute."
Duan Xing was surprised and said, "I thought you prefer cheerful and lively girls."
Xie Liuzheng curled up the corners of his mouth, not disguising his strict nature: "She is beautiful."
"I like all beautiful things. Seeing them makes me feel good."
"Then does my wife like me?" Duan Xing smiled.
"I like it." Xie Liuzheng said without hesitation.
If it weren't for the fact that President Duan was handsome and provided sufficient emotional value, Xie Liuzheng would not have chosen him among all the outstanding suits.
"Then I have to take good care of my face and not let my wife dislike it." Duan Xing joked.
Xie Liuzheng laughed out loud: "Then our future is in your hands, husband."
Duan Xing smiled at her, his narrow eyes filled with her: "Leave it to me."
…
Xie Liuzheng thought about it and suddenly said, "Husband, let's adopt a child."
Duan Xinggang parked the car in the underground garage and turned around suddenly: "Wife, what did you say?"
Xie Liuzheng turned around, held his face with both hands and squeezed it: "I said, I agree."
"Let's go to the orphanage and adopt a child."
"I'm sorry for making you bear so much." Xie Liuzheng felt a little disappointed. She really wanted to have a child of the same blood as her lover.
But she had difficulty conceiving and tried many in vitro fertilizations but failed.
When Xie Liuzheng was diagnosed with physical problems, she discussed the matter seriously with Duan Xing. He cared more about her than the child.
After Xie Liuzheng's career became stable, she also wanted to have a child, but she tried for several years without success. Duan Xing comforted her and endured the pressure from her in-laws.
Duan Xing is the only son in the family. His parents are both civil servants with relatively traditional ideas. You can imagine the pressure he is under.
Duan Xing's relatives had been urging them to adopt a child, but Xie Liuzheng had refused. Duan Xing respected her opinion and convinced his parents.
In this marriage, he gave more and always tolerated her selfishness and temper.
"Wife, being with you is the greatest happiness of my life." Duan Xing hugged her and said, "It doesn't matter if we don't have children. We can live happily together for the rest of our lives."
"I don't want you to be wronged."
Xie Liuzheng stroked his short hair and said, "I don't feel wronged. I want to raise a child with you and treat her as our own."
"Let's go to the orphanage some other day."
Duan Xing hugged her tighter: "Thank you, my dear wife."
Xie Liuzheng hugged him back: "Do you like boys or girls?"
Duan Xing: "Where are you, wife?"
"I like what you like." Xie Liuzheng thought for a moment and insisted on his attribute of being obsessed with looks: "Whatever suits my taste."
"Yes!" Duan Xing kissed her hair: "I will listen to my wife."
Xie Liuzheng's eyebrows curved, and her cold and beautiful face became bright.
***
A hospital in Haicheng.
Sang Ya lay on the hospital bed, sweating coldly from the pain. She felt like she was suffering these past few days.
When the medical staff saw her injuries, they were shocked and thought she had been subjected to domestic violence. They quietly asked her if she needed help.
Sang Ya hesitated and refused their help, saying that it was just carelessness.
The patient disagreed, and the medical staff had no choice but to pay more attention to her to prevent her from suffering secondary injuries in the hospital.
During the days in the hospital, Gu Yeliang wanted to come and see Sang Ya, but she refused.
Grandpa was angry, and seeing that Gu Yeliang must be angry, she didn't want to be beaten.
The injury on my back is very inconvenient. It hurts when I move, and I can't put pressure on it.
She could only sleep on her stomach, and she couldn't sleep well every day, and she looked much more haggard.
Sangzhi came to visit her and looked at her as if she were a magical creature.
Sang Ya drank the milk tea that her cousin secretly bought for her. The sweet taste made her feel much better.
"Cousin, is there something dirty on my face?"
"You look so weird."
Sang Zhi moved a stool and asked in a low voice: "You and Xie Zhiyu broke off the engagement? Because of an illegitimate child?"
Sang Ya subconsciously asked, "How do you know?"
Sang Zhi got the answer from her response: "You..."
She couldn't think of any words to describe her: "Are you okay?"
"What do you see in that bastard?"
Sang Ya didn't like her tone: "Aye is very good, he is no worse than Xie Zhiyu."
Xie Zhiyu just had a good family background. If he were put in Gu Yeliang's situation, he might not do better than A Ye.
"????" Sang Zhi's face was full of question marks: "Where is it good?"
"You won't be bewitched by him, will you? "
Sang Ya frowned: "If you continue like this, I will get angry."
"You are not still in contact with Gu Yeliang, are you?" Sang Zhi felt something was wrong when she heard her words.
"You've made your grandpa so angry that he was hospitalized, and you haven't broken up with him yet?"
The mulberry branches felt that the mulberry buds had become strange.
Sang Ya's eyes dodged: "Cousin, please don't tell grandpa, please."
Sang Zhi rolled her eyes and said, "Then you have to pay me hush money. I really like the new bag from L family."
Sang Ya knew that this time her wallet would bleed a lot: "I'll buy it for you! Please, cousin."
Sang Zhi nodded reluctantly: "Okay, who said I'm your sister?"
Sang Ya and Gu Yeliang are together, she is so happy, how could they be separated?
Sang Zhi thought happily, since Xie Zhiyu and Sang Ya had broken off their engagement, would he get engaged to her? She was also Grandpa's granddaughter.
Grandpa is so biased that he gave such a good marriage to Sang Ya, but the idiot doesn't know how to cherish it.
With wealth, status, and a handsome husband, Sang Zhi couldn't even imagine how happy she would be if she got this marriage contract.
But these were all mulberry buds before, and the other party did not cherish them.
When Sang Zhi thought of this, she immediately felt unhappy. She handed the milk tea to Sang Ya's mouth and said, "Don't waste it."
Sang Ya took a sip and pointed at herself to explain, "It's not convenient for me to hold the milk tea cup while I'm lying down."
Sang Zhi curled her lips and complained: "Can't you just sit up? If others don't know, they would think your leg is broken."
"Forget it, I'll hold it for you. Drink it quickly. If my mom finds out, we'll all be scolded."
Sang Ya smiled brightly and said coquettishly, "Okay, cousin, you are the best."
Sang Zhi smiled as she drank the milk tea in big gulps, saying sweetly, "You are my sister, who else should I love if I don't love you?"
She thought viciously in her heart that milk tea was not good for wound healing and would easily leave scars.
"Drink more." Leave more scars on your back.
Sang Ya suddenly remembered: "Cousin, how did you know that I broke off the engagement?"
She felt wronged and thought her grandfather would keep it a secret, but then she changed her mind and thought it wouldn't matter if her cousin knew about it.
Anyway, my cousin is on the same side as her.
"I heard what grandpa said to my parents." Sangzhi replied casually with a smile as he watched Sangya finish his milk tea.
"When do you think Grandpa will calm down?" Sang Ya sighed.
Mr. Sang refused to see Sang Ya and asked her to reflect on herself.
Sangzhi was lost in thought: "Someday."
Sang Ya: "Alas, it's my fault."
She tried to get up, but ended up pulling the wound on her back, causing her to gasp in pain.
Sang Ya was startled: "Are you okay?"
Seeing her cousin's ferocious appearance, she felt secretly happy.
Hahahaha, you've come to this day! Grandpa will never forgive you! Fool!
However, his parents are coming to apologize tomorrow. What reason do she have to go with them?
Sang Fang brought his cousin Sang Yue into the ward. The chubby Sang Yue noticed the milk tea on the bedside table at first sight and shouted, "You guys are eating alone! You're drinking milk tea without me. I'm going to tell Mom and Dad!"
He was overweight and had to strictly control his diet these days. Sang Yue was so hungry every day that he felt anxious. As a result, his two sisters ate secretly without taking him with them.
Sang Yue felt aggrieved and wanted to complain loudly.
Sang Ya and Sang Zhi were startled by her shout. Just as they looked over, the clever little fat boy had already run to the corridor and shouted.
Finished!
…
It's really over.
Ten minutes later, the two sisters Sang Ya and Sang Zhi were scolded and both had their pocket money deducted.
Sang Yue was criticized by the doctor for making a big noise in the hospital and was spanked by his father, crying loudly.
Sang Fang: ...
The world is in such a mess and I really want to go home.
***
When Uncle Sang Ya came to apologize, Shen Baili was in physical education class at school.
Previously, the geography class took up the time of the physical education class, so this time the geography teacher gave the time to the physical education teacher.
So in the afternoon, Class 1 and Class 2 have physical education class together.
The physical education teacher said: "Students, let's follow the custom and run two laps to warm up."
"All of them, turn left."
"Running again?" Zhu Zhitao complained quietly, "Should we hide secretly?"
Joey: "I want to exercise."
Shen Baili: "Me too."
Sang Fang: “I refuse.”
Zhu Zhitao: "Okay, you guys cover for me."
After saying this, Zhu Zhitao and several classmates hid under a big tree while the physical education teacher was not paying attention. When it was time for the second lap, they returned to the team.
Looking at her breathless classmates, she gave herself a thumbs up for her wit.
After the whole class finished running, the physical education teacher arranged for the physical education committee to take a few students to the equipment room to get sports equipment and let the students choose their own exercise methods.
"Disband, free movement."
Shen Baili and a few others went to the canteen to buy popsicles and came back to find the playground was full of people.
"Wow, Sang Fang is playing basketball!" Zhu Zhitao spotted Sang Fang running on the court.
"The boys from Class 1 and Class 2 are playing a basketball game."
They stood on a slope and could see the whole scene.
Zhu Zhitao exclaimed: "Oh my god, two of the best male stars in No. 1 Middle School are also playing basketball!!!"
Qiao Yi and Shen Baili looked at the excited girl and asked in confusion: "What male god?"
"Meng Jiuan and Lu Mingqian from Class 2! You guys don't even know this, do you??"
Zhu Zhitao enthusiastically educates her friends about science.
"They are so handsome. Many female classmates in our class say that they are the male protagonists from novels, the gentle white moonlight school hunk and the unruly sunny school bully."
"Everyone is talking about this on the forums. Students are arguing every day about who is the most handsome boy in No. 1 Middle School, Meng Jiuan or Lu Mingqian."
"They are all so pleasing to the eye. They are so handsome that they attract attention wherever they go."
Shen Baili took a bite of the popsicle; it was cool.
She looked toward the playground.
The young men were running in the sunshine, sweating profusely, full of youth, and even the air seemed to become hot.
Shen Baili locked onto two "male gods" at first sight. She knew Lu Mingqian. They were both class leaders and they would occasionally communicate with each other.
Lu Mingqian does fit the description of gentle white moonlight, but the other one...
The young man on the court was strong and agile. He dribbled the basketball around his opponent, passed through many obstacles, suddenly jumped up, and made a handsome blocked dunk.
The whistle blew and the game ended.
Class 2 won.
He let go of the basket, jumped lightly, and landed steadily on the ground. It was an ordinary action, but it looked particularly charming when he did it.
There were cheers coming from the stadium. Meng Jiuan and Lu Mingqian walked together, chatting and laughing as they walked off the court.
Lu Mingqian wiped his sweat with the towel handed to him by his teammates. The sweat slightly wet his forehead, giving him a kind of abstinence-like sexiness.
Meng Jiuan lifted the hem of his clothes and casually wiped the sweat off his body. His well-defined abdominal muscles were exposed to the air, and the sweat slid down along the ravines, which was both sexy and seductive.
The spectators outside the stadium screamed in amazement at the actions of the two handsome guys.
The two people just standing there formed the most beautiful landscape.
The sun is shining and the young people are full of vigor and vitality.
"So handsome, so handsome!" Zhu Zhitao jumped up and down on the spot: "Why does Class 2 have two handsome guys? Can't we give one to our class?"
"Seeing their handsome faces every day motivates me to study harder."
Qiao Yi and Shen Baili: "..."
As if sensing their gazes, Lu Mingqian and Meng Jiuan raised their heads at the same time and looked towards Shen Baili.
Lu Mingqian spotted Shen Baili and waved to her.
Shen Baili nodded lightly as a response, and inadvertently met those defiant eyes, then calmly looked away.
Zhu Zhitao: "Oh my god, they are looking at us. Ahhh, I am a little dizzy."
Joey: "Then I'll support you."
"…You should read less novels and more textbooks."
"I'm afraid you'll go crazy."
Zhu Zhitao Xizi held her heart and said: "This is spiritual food! Spiritual food!"
"Studying is hard enough, I need to look at some handsome guys to replenish my energy."
Shen Baili secretly memorized Meng Jiuan's appearance, thinking about something.
What they didn't know was that the boys on the playground started a discussion because of Shen Baili.
"Shen Baili is so beautiful."
"She is the undisputed school beauty of No. 1 Middle School, my goddess!"
"In the forum's campus beauty poll, Shen Baili received the most votes, and I contributed to that."
"Why isn't she in our class? It shouldn't be difficult for us to transfer from Class 1 to Class 2, right?"
Meng Jiuan thought of the gaze of the girl not far away, and he pricked up his ears to listen.
Ji Qi ran over with a bag and threw a bottle of water to him, which he caught.
"Why are your ears so red?" Ji Qi noticed the highlight.
Meng Jiuan gulped down half a bottle of water: "Hot."
Ji Qi handed the remaining bottle of water to Lu Mingqian and said, "It's really hot. You deserve it. You didn't play ball indoors but had to come to the playground."
Lu Mingqian took the water and said, "Thank you."
"It was windy outside, so it was fun to play," he explained.
Meng Jiuan touched his mineral water and smiled: "I agree."
Ji Qi rolled his eyes: "What's wrong."
Then he got hit with two big slugs.
Ji Qi was angry but dared not say anything: "By the way, Anzi, is your grandfather's birthday coming soon?"
Meng Jiuan: "Well, there will be a birthday party on November 9th."
"That means there's only a little over a month left!" Ji Qi calculated the time.
Lu Mingqian: "My dad lost a lot of hair recently while preparing for his birthday."
"Hahaha, my dad is the same. He's almost bald." Ji Qi laughed.
Meng Jiuan: "I'm also thinking about a birthday present for Grandpa."
"How about I give you a pair of limited edition sneakers?"
"Not very good."
“…This time I agree with Ji Qi’s opinion.”
Meng Jiuan: “…”
***
A few days passed.
After school, Shen Baili went to pick cherry tomatoes with Shen Wan.
Shen Wan suddenly talked about Xie Liuzheng and felt a little worried.
Xie Liuzheng is very easy to get along with. These days, he often has afternoon tea with Shen Wan and talks about Xie Chengyue's childhood.
Today, her sister-in-law left her with a big problem.
Shen Baili asked curiously, "What happened to Aunt Xie?"
Shen Wan said softly, "Liu Zheng and Duan Xing are going to the welfare home to adopt a child. Please ask me to test your uncle Xie's attitude."
"bite!"
Shen Baili triggered a key plot.
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