Chapter 42: What is with Your Attitude?

Gao Cheng was afraid that these two fellows would scare off his wifey, whom he had finally managed to get back.

Protecting his phone screen with one hand, he extended his leg and kicked outward cleanly—one kick for each person, completely unbiased.

He raised his hand to point toward the door, his mouth moving silently as he mouthed the command: “Get out!”

Jiang Zhexi and Jiang Chengshuo still wanted to linger there, but the way Gao Cheng glared at them was somewhat terrifying.

The two of them also knew how miserable Gao Cheng had been during these past two weeks, and now that he had finally heard from his girl, they still sensibly put their arms around each other’s shoulders and walked out of the private room sluggishly.

Leaving the space entirely to Gao Cheng.

Once they walked out, the private room instantly became very quiet.

***

Shi Kezhen hadn’t originally planned on a video call tonight, so she had hesitated to connect her Bluetooth earphones in advance.

Cheng’s voice came through the phone’s speaker, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Although the insulation of the Shi residence was decent, she still felt a bit guilty, like a thief.

She rummaged through her nightstand drawer, pulled out her Bluetooth earphones, and connected them.

His voice came through the earphones once more, sounding closer, as if he were whispering right in her ear.

– “Wifey.”

He called out to her once more.

Shi Kezhen gave a soft response.

– “Mm.”

– “You really can’t go disappearing on me again in the future.”

– “…Alright.”

– “Let’s meet up. I really want to see you.”

Shi Kezhen didn’t say anything, and the earphones fell silent for two seconds, with only the sound of each other’s breathing audible.

– “Tell me where you are. Can I go find you?”

Shi Kezhen still did not speak.

Gao Cheng waited on his end for a few seconds; as if accustomed to her silence, his tone softened.

– “Fine, since it’s not convenient for you to talk, get some rest early tonight.”

– “Remember to video-call me tomorrow.”

She gave a soft response.

– “Mm.”

***

Early the next morning, Shi Kezhen went down the stairs carrying her bag.

Her attire was as conservative as usual, with a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt on top and a matching long skirt below, her collar buttoned up to the very top.

Her hair was simply tied into a low ponytail, and she wore no makeup on her face.

She walked into the dining room, sat down, and began eating breakfast.

When Shi Yanzhou entered the dining room and saw the bag hanging on the back of her chair, he raised his brows and asked.

“Are you returning to school today?”

“Mm.”

Shi Yanzhou looked at her, then looked at Mother Shi, wanting to ask something; his mouth twitched, but in the end, nothing was spoken.

Mother Shi set down her porridge bowl.

“Kezhen, since you are returning to school, you must rein in your wild heart.”

“Once you are at school, you still have to take good care of Yanzhou just like before, do you understand?”

“Understood.”

Shi Kezhen replied faintly, lacking her usual respect and submissiveness, carrying a trace of perfunctoriness.

Such an obvious transformation was plain for everyone in the dining room to see.

The servant who was currently setting tableware for Shi Yanzhou paused their movements.

Butler He stood to the side, his eyelids twitching slightly.

Shi Yanzhou’s hand holding an egg also paused, and he looked at Shi Kezhen in astonishment, as if meeting her for the first time.

Mother Shi set down her porridge bowl, her eyes narrowing.

“What is with your attitude?”

“Have you forgotten what you guaranteed me yesterday?”

Shi Kezhen raised her eyes to look directly at Mother Shi, those eyes no longer lowered or submissive.

“I only guaranteed that I would stay obediently and behave myself in the Shi family,” she said, enunciating each word.

Mother Shi let out a cold sneer.

“Heh, it seems you are still unwilling to submit, aren’t you?”

“No,” Shi Kezhen’s tone was very calm.

“I know that an arm cannot match the strength of a thigh; unless the Shi family actively sets me free, I can only rot away in this family for the rest of my life.”

Mother Shi stared at her for a while, and after a long pause, she squeezed a sentence through her teeth.

“As long as you understand that.”

“Then what is the meaning of your current attitude?”

Mother Shi felt her authority was being provoked.

Shi Kezhen didn’t answer immediately; she cast a glance at Shi Yanzhou, a glance that held many unspoken words.

She then turned back to face Mother Shi once more, her voice not loud, but every word was crystal clear.

“Before, I believed I was the Shi family’s daughter-in-law.”

“Even if Yanzhou temporarily refused to accept me, we would still end up together in the future; after all, we performed the wedding ritual.”

She paused before continuing.

“Therefore, I did my best to align myself with your demands, meeting the standards of the Shi family’s Young Mistress in your mind to be an obedient and sensible daughter-in-law.”

“But now…”

She let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Since you have already forced me to face reality, there is no longer any need for me to hold myself to those previous standards.”

Mother Shi’s face turned from pale to green, then from green to pale.

“So you’re saying that for all these years, your behavior in front of us… was all an act?”

“Think whatever you like,” Shi Kezhen said.

“I have already promised you that I will stay obediently in the Shi family.”

“Surely you can’t have such high expectations for an adopted daughter who will never marry out?”

Shi Yanzhou was extremely surprised, staring at Shi Kezhen in shock as if looking at a total stranger.

For ten years, this was the first time he had seen her like this.

Not the Shi Kezhen who kept her eyes lowered and was as lifeless as a shadow trailing behind him.

But a living, flesh-and-blood person who would look him straight in the eye and retort with a cold voice.

He suddenly felt that this version of her was far more pleasing to the eye than before.

Mother Shi’s face looked very unsightly, but with things already having reached this point, she truly couldn’t shut Shi Kezhen’s mouth.

After all, she was the one who had said herself that Kezhen could only be an adopted daughter to the outside world, and could never truly become the Shi family’s Young Mistress.

Since she was trapping her in the Shi family under the status of an adopted daughter, she could no longer demand that she meet the standards of a daughter-in-law.

Thinking of this, Mother Shi didn’t dwell too much on her attitude.

After all, since the Shi family wanted to trap her for the rest of her life, it was understandable for her to harbor a trace of reluctant rebellion.

“Go to school after finishing breakfast; it’s getting late,” Mother Shi said.

Shi Kezhen set her bowl down, picked up her bag, and stood up.

She did not wait for Shi Yanzhou, nor did she say goodbye to Mother Shi, turning and exiting the dining room first.

Mother Shi was thoroughly incensed by her completely different attitude, letting out a cold snort.

***

Shi Yanzhou followed her steps out the door, and the two sat into the car one after another.

Along the way, Shi Kezhen kept her face turned toward the window, not sparing a single glance at Shi Yanzhou, nor having any intention of speaking to him.

Shi Yanzhou endured it for over ten minutes before turning sideways to look at her cold, elegant profile.

“Shi Kezhen, so your previous submissiveness and obedience were all fake?”

“You really can put on an act.”

Shi Kezhen did not respond, as if she couldn’t hear him speak.

“Why aren’t you speaking?”

Still, there was no response.

“Hey… I’m talking to you, do you hear me?”

Shi Kezhen didn’t turn her head, merely speaking with some impatience.

“You’re noisy.”

Shi Yanzhou was choked by her words.

“You…”

He took a deep breath, his face flushing slightly, thoroughly incensed by her.

“As if anyone wants to talk to you!”

“Who cares to pay attention to you!”

He violently turned his head back, leaning heavily against the seat with his arms crossed over his chest.

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