Chapter 13: I’ll Stay Until You Do

The three of them ate breakfast together. The atmosphere was calm, yet something about it felt subtly strange.

Meng Zhenyue’s neck was sore from sleeping at the table; she tilted her head slightly to stretch it. Yun Zhixue held her cup of milk with both hands, drinking quietly. Yun Jing ate her steamed dumplings and glanced at her daughter from time to time.

Meng Zhenyue wasn’t in favor of Zhixue returning to school so soon. The environment wasn’t ideal—teachers calling her in, classmates whispering—it would only add pressure.

But Yun Jing was strict about academics. “There’s no laboratory at home,” she said flatly.

Zhixue had attended international schools through primary and middle school. Yun Jing had originally planned an overseas route for her. Yet Zhixue had shown little talent in music or the arts, while repeatedly winning gold medals in physics and chemistry competitions. She had been directly included in the national foundational science talent program.

Her participation in the college entrance exam was part of a specialized track, with further multidimensional assessments in theory and experimentation awaiting her. Yun Jing valued real ability over polished résumés. For now, there were no plans to send her abroad.

According to Yun Jing’s blueprint, Zhixue would undergo dual-track cultivation in university—deep theoretical study paired with intensive research. By sophomore year she could enroll in graduate-level courses, enter a top-tier lab, and eventually move straight into the company’s core R&D division.

When it came to academics, Yun Jing never compromised. Her standards were almost harsh.

Zhixue sat on the stairs tying her shoelaces. “Mom, can I come home at night? I don’t want to stay at school overnight anymore.”

Meng Zhenyue looked over first. “There’s no one at home either. I’ll be at the studio most of the time, and your mom will be at the company. Can you stay alone?”

“Aren’t you two together?” Zhixue asked.

Meng Zhenyue softened her tone. “We’ll make time.”

Zhixue’s expression tightened almost imperceptibly.

Yun Jing’s gaze dropped to the red cord bracelet on her wrist. “Who gave you that? Are you dating someone?”

The sharpness in her mother’s eyes made Zhixue’s breath hitch. She instinctively looked toward Meng Zhenyue.

“I gave it to her,” Meng Zhenyue said calmly. “Registered her name with the gods, so she’ll be protected wherever she goes.”

“You believe in that?” Yun Jing asked.

Meng Zhenyue shook her head. “Not really. I just… wanted to do something.”

Zhixue’s hand instinctively moved behind her back, clearly reluctant to remove it.

Yun Jing didn’t pursue the matter further. Meng Zhenyue smiled and said to her, “From now on, you’ll be a child protected by the gods, and the gods will take care of you for life.” Yun Zhixue paused.

****

Before Zhixue got into the car, Meng Zhenyue walked over and gently pinched her cheek. “Don’t overwork yourself. Eat properly. Remember your vitamins.”

“Mm… thank you…” Sister? Mommy? The right word caught in her throat.

“Still don’t want to go?” Meng Zhenyue asked softly.

This time, Zhixue didn’t pretend. She nodded.

“Your old-fashioned mother is quite annoying. I’ll visit when I can,” Meng Zhenyue said. “I’ll tell you beforehand.”

At school, Chi Ruishu from next door sought her out daily, firmly convinced Meng Zhenyue was her “stepmom,”, always taking the initiative to invite her to dinner and chat about the relationship between a stepdaughter and a stepmother.

The next day was the mock exam.

Zhixue kept checking her phone, but Meng Zhenyue hadn’t messaged. Even during the exam, her thoughts drifted. She forced herself to focus, but time slipped away too quickly.

She knew the moment she finished…

She’d made mistakes.

When the results came out, she had dropped a rank. It had never happened before. Anxiety gripped her. She had to pinch herself hard just to steady her thoughts.

The school was tense lately. Surveillance footage had been retrieved. The homeroom teacher was suspended. Students involved in bullying were called in for statements. Even minor incidents had been scrutinized. Rumor had it Yun Jing had hired professionals to analyze every frame of video.

Whispers spread privately: her biological mother rarely intervened, but her “stepmother” fiercely protected her.

Zhixue grew quieter, weighed down by her exam result.

Chi Ruishu found her designing a mechanical lock on scratch paper. “Are you building a prison door?” she joked. “Nothing in, nothing out.”

No response.

“Are you missing your stepmom?” Chi teased.

Zhixue quietly gathered her drafts. “No.”

“You can call her, you know.”

“…Call her?”

“My goodness. How else do people communicate?”

That evening, Zhixue skipped dinner. She stared at her phone for a long time.

Her room still looked the same as that night—the sofa slightly rumpled from being slept on, the pillow now moved to the bed. She tidied up, placed her latest exam paper neatly on the desk beside past competition trophies.

Half an hour later, she made the call.

“Hello, this is the center of the universe. Which little friend is calling?” came the familiar voice.

Zhixue’s nose stung.

“Wrong number? If you don’t speak, I’m hanging up-”

A faint sob slipped out.

“Hey, hey… what’s wrong?” Meng Zhenyue’s tone immediately softened. “Did someone bother you?”

“No… nothing happened.” Her voice trembled. “Will you… pick me up on Friday?”

“It’s only Wednesday,” Meng Zhenyue said gently. “Don’t cry first.”

“Okay.”

“Turn on video.”

After fumbling once, Zhixue managed to connect.

Her eyes were red, lashes damp. Meng Zhenyue’s heart tightened at the sight.

“I’m here,” she said softly.

Zhixue stared at her through the screen. “I’m… scared.”

Meng Zhenyue was busy, but she set her work aside. “You’re safe. Talk to me.”

They stayed connected. Meng Zhenyue asked if she had eaten, if she was sleeping well.

Not really. She had messed up the exam too.

“I’m sorry,” Zhixue whispered.

“For what?”

No answer.

Meng Zhenyue gently reminded her to wipe her tears. Then she ordered food for her, yogurt and a proper meal.

Zhixue ate while Meng Zhenyue watched, cheeks puffed slightly. When another tear slipped down, Meng Zhenyue half-joked, “If you keep skipping meals, I’ll be angry.”

Yun Zhixue took her phone to the bed, carefully placed it under the thin blanket, and secretly tucked her legs under her nightgown. The faint scent of gardenias seemed to fill her nostrils, as if she were hugging Meng Zhenyue.

Meng Zhenyue, oblivious to everything, reached out and hugged the garment tightly. She didn’t hang up the video call.

“Sleep,” Meng Zhenyue said softly. “I’ll stay until you do.”

Wrapped in her blanket, Zhixue closed her eyes. The faint scent lingering in the room felt comforting.

On the screen, Meng Zhenyue continued working quietly.

Zhixue drifted into sleep at last.

Even in sleep, her brow was faintly furrowed. Meng Zhenyue watched for a moment longer before returning to her documents, the soft tapping of keys steady and reassuring in the quiet night.

She was dreaming.

In her dream, Yun Zhixue was hugging Meng Zhenyue, biting something, swallowing hungrily. This time, there were other things in the dream, but the dream was chaotic. She suddenly ran to Yun Jing and asked, “Mom, what do I do next?”

Yun Jing told her, “Get lost!”

She put her fingers in her mouth and sucked gently to relieve her thirst.

Her cheeks flushed, and her body felt hot.

She opened her eyes hazily. Meng Zhenyue was still working, her profile beautiful, her red lips pursed, her slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the keyboard. She murmured sleepily, “Mommy… finger…”

Meng Zhenyue paused, thinking she had disturbed her with her typing. She gazed at her tenderly, her voice softening unconsciously, “Okay, I’ll be quiet.”

The dream continued to sink deeper.

She hugged Meng Zhenyue warmly, asking what her mother should do. Right in front of Yun Jing, Meng Zhenyue put her finger in her mouth…