Chapter 39: Be Good From Now On, Don’t Run Around

Tang Shu was still lost in her complicated thoughts. She froze for two seconds before coming back to her senses and responded vaguely.

“Huh? Oh… I’m fine.”

“Why did you suddenly call, Brother? Don’t you have classes over there?”

“I just finished class. Did something happen after you got home that made you unhappy?”

Every time Tang Shu returned to her hometown, her mood always seemed to worsen.

He had heard his mother mention before that Aunt Tao only had one daughter—Tang Shu.

The entire family doted on her dearly. Logically speaking, she shouldn’t have so many troubles weighing on her mind.

Tang Shu rolled over and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as she spoke softly.

“It’s really nothing serious. It’s just that too many messy things happened today. I’m a little tired, that’s all.”

Shi Zhiyu’s tone tightened slightly, full of concern.

“Did someone bully you?”

Tang Shu subconsciously pouted.

“I guess you could say that. But I talked back and dealt with it. Nobody actually succeeded in bullying me.”

“Every family has difficult problems to handle. Everything’s already been settled, so don’t worry about me.”

On the other end of the call, Shi Zhiyu fell silent for a moment and quietly stored the matter away in his heart.

“When are you returning to Jiangcheng?”

“Probably tomorrow.”

Tang Shu sighed helplessly.

“My mom wants me to go back to school early.”

“Isn’t there still two days left of your vacation? Why is she suddenly urging you to return ahead of time?” Shi Zhiyu asked, puzzled.

Tang Shu laughed helplessly and teased casually.

“My mom says she wants to send me away early so I don’t turn the house upside down.”

A low, pleasant chuckle came through the receiver.

“So my Shu Shu is actually a little troublemaker.”

“I’m not!”

Tang Shu immediately protested, sounding slightly proud.

“I’ve been a good girl ever since I was little. Obedient, sensible, and never causing trouble.”

At those words, Shi Zhiyu laughed softly.

The image of a soft and adorable little girl instantly appeared in his mind.

He remembered that she had been especially mischievous as a child.

She would secretly sneak out of her room in the middle of the night and crawl into his bed, stubbornly refusing to leave.

Aunt Tao would search everywhere for her in a panic after discovering she was missing.

“You were very naughty when you were little.”

Tang Shu’s face instantly stiffened.

Her cheeks flushed red, and she was so embarrassed her toes practically curled against the bed.

Her memories of childhood were already blurry.

But she did remember being rather mischievous, often fighting and causing trouble with children her age.

She coughed twice and forcefully hid her embarrassment.

“That was because I was young and didn’t know any better!”

“People change, okay? I’m super obedient now. A perfect model daughter in every parent’s eyes.”

Shi Zhiyu’s gentle voice sounded again.

“Mhm, I know.”

“From now on, be good and don’t run around.”

Tang Shu froze.

“Huh?”

“Stay in Jiangcheng and wait for me to come back, okay?”

Shi Zhiyu spoke each word slowly, and every syllable reached Tang Shu’s ears clearly.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Even the tips of her ears grew hot.

She remembered that Shi Zhiyu had mentioned before that he would finish his overseas studies and return to China in less than two months.

Panic flashed through her heart.

Once he returned, this fake-couple mission would come to an end.

By then, the two of them would go back to being strangers.

Yet listening to his gentle voice now, she still answered sweetly,

“Okay. I promise I’ll be good.”

“I’ve been attending school the whole time anyway. There’s nowhere for me to run off to.”

“Good.”

The two chatted for a long while afterward.

Shi Zhiyu quietly listened as she complained about the trivial frustrations of her day, patiently and gently soothing every bit of her low spirits.

While talking, Tang Shu slowly got up and packed her luggage for returning to school.

Without realizing it, her mood gradually settled.

By the time the call ended, the night outside had grown darker.

The sound of a key turning in the front door lock came from downstairs.

Tao Qingrou lightly knocked twice on her bedroom door.

“Shu Shu, are you asleep?”

“Not yet,” Tang Shu answered.

As soon as she spoke, the door was gently pushed open.

The first thing Tao Qingrou noticed was the neatly packed suitcase standing beside the bed.

A silent sigh spread across her features as she slowly walked in.

“Finished packing everything?”

Tang Shu nodded, unconsciously fiddling with the zipper on her suitcase.

“Mhm, just finished.”

Tao Qingrou sat down beside the bed and firmly held Tang Shu’s hand.

Her palm carried the thin calluses of a day filled with hard work.

“Shu Shu, go back to school without worry. Give your father and me two more months. As soon as summer vacation begins, we’ll move to Jiangcheng and stay with you.”

A shadow crossed Tang Shu’s eyes.

Worry lingered there.

“Can’t you leave earlier?”

Tao Qingrou paused before letting out a long sigh.

“Your father has run this hotpot restaurant for so many years. Half his life’s efforts are tied to this place.”

“It’s not easy to simply walk away from it. He needs some time to adjust.”

“But as long as we stay here, Uncle’s family will keep coming to cause trouble again and again…”

Tang Shu stopped midway through her sentence.

There was no need to continue.

Both of them understood.

Tao Qingrou raised a hand and gently rubbed her daughter’s head.

“Those troublesome matters are burdens for us adults to carry. Don’t keep worrying about them.”

“Just return to Jiangcheng and focus on your studies.”

“As for the money you used to repay our debts, your father and I will slowly earn it back through business and save every bit of it.”

“We’ll keep it all for your dowry in the future.”

Tang Shu raised her head, her eyes earnest and gentle.

“Mom, don’t save that money just for my sake. Spend it when you need to.”

“And the money owed to Uncle’s family must be repaid too.”

Tao Qingrou lightly patted the back of her hand.

“We know what we’re doing. We’ll never gamble with your future happiness.”

“Treat this money as a loan to us. We’ll definitely repay every cent.”

The moment she heard those words, a trace of grievance immediately appeared in Tang Shu’s eyes.

She pouted.

“We’re family. Why are you talking about borrowing and repaying?”

“Besides, I can earn money now too.”

“The Sister Qiao you met tonight is opening an art studio in Jiangcheng. She specifically invited me to work part-time as her assistant.”

“I’ll have a salary every month after that.”

“You really don’t need to worry about money.”

Tao Qingrou looked steadily at her sensible daughter.

Her eyes were filled with affection and reluctance to part.

She pulled Tang Shu into her arms and gently patted her back.

“Our Shu Shu has truly grown up.”

United States.

After ending the voice call with Tang Shu,

Shi Zhiyu immediately made another call.

At the same time—

The Shi Family Residence, Jiangcheng.

Qiao Yaxin was lazily curled up on a soft sofa, thoroughly engrossed in watching short dramas on her phone.

Suddenly, her ringtone rang.

The name Shi Zhiyu appeared on the screen.

She immediately frowned and turned to look at her husband, who was reading a book across from her.

Tilting her head, she asked in confusion,

“Husband, since when has our son been calling home this often?”

Shi Hengjun slowly raised his eyes.

“No need to think about it.”

“Nine times out of ten, it’s because of that girl Tang Shu again.”

Qiao Yaxin curled her lips and sighed in agreement.

“Exactly.”

“We really should hurry up and find him a wife.”

“At least then he’d remember he has a home to call.”

As she spoke, she answered the call and deliberately adopted an impatient tone, pretending to complain.

“Hello, you little brat.”

“It’s already the middle of the night in China. Don’t you know your elders need to sleep?”

“You call every night and keep disturbing our peace and quiet?”

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