Adopting Myself from the Young Heiress - Chapter 12

An Chixu had come of age.

Her mother and mama still sent her a few hundred yuan each month for living expenses.

Without Yan Ciwei, these two allowances combined wouldn’t even cover An Chixu’s monthly expenses.

Given her family’s circumstances and her parents’ level of concern, she should have stayed in her hometown or moved north to reduce the financial burden.

With plenty of acquaintances and relatives nearby, she could have relied on their support, found employment more easily, and had someone to turn to in times of trouble.

Yet she resolutely followed Yan Ciwei to S City, one of the most expensive cities in the country, where prices were absurdly high. Moreover, now that she had a girlfriend, she faced additional weekly expenses.

Yan Ciwei took her home—Yan Ciwei’s family was so wealthy that they bought a house wherever she went to study.

Yan Ciwei covered all expenses, including meals, accommodation, utilities, and even Wi-Fi, refusing to let An Chixu pay a single cent.

This truly made An Chixu feel like the spacious apartment was her home.

Occasionally, Yan Ciwei would take An Chixu shopping and buy her new clothes, calling them gifts.

An Chixu pooled all her savings to buy Yan Ciwei a gift.

Her first proper gift to Yan Ciwei was a bottle of perfume—a geranium scent they had both fallen in love with after trying it on a whim.

Occasionally, a faint discomfort and shame would prick her heart.

Compared to Yan Ciwei, An Chixu was truly impoverished. Her monthly allowance of just over a thousand yuan wouldn’t even cover a single piece of Yan Ciwei’s clothing.

Yan Ciwei reassured her, “We’re together now, and we’ll get married someday. We’ll be together forever.”

“I’ll share half of everything I have with you, and you’ll share half of everything you have with me.”

“We’re like intertwined twin flowers, our veins nourished by each other’s love. We’re Cinderella and the princess from a fairy tale. Why worry about money?”

An Chixu accepted Yan Ciwei’s words, but she still resolved to take on odd jobs to buy Yan Ciwei even better gifts.

Yan Ciwei insisted An Chixu needed a new bank account and had already made an appointment during their free time to take her to open one.

“Will it be okay without my guardian present?” An Chixu asked, nestled in Yan Ciwei’s lap, looking up like a pampered kitten.

“Of course. You’re an adult now. We’ll be fine together.” Though there might be a slight complication.

But the bank staff recognized Yan Ciwei. She had personally handled all the account opening details and explained everything to them.

Tomorrow’s events were a carefully rehearsed drama. Yan Ciwei wouldn’t allow any mistakes.

She wanted to ensure An Chixu had the smoothest possible experience.

“Besides, Gu Zhixun will be there too.” Gu Zhixun was Yan Ciwei’s close friend, two years older than them, and currently interning at her family’s bank.

Yan Ciwei had told An Chixu so much about Gu Zhixun that she felt like she knew her as well as her own friends.

An Chixu relaxed, nuzzling against Yan Ciwei.

Yan Ciwei wore the perfume An Chixu had given her. The slightly bitter rose scent enveloped An Chixu’s face.

An Chixu’s fingertips grazed Yan Ciwei’s chin. She slipped, nearly falling out of Yan Ciwei’s arms.

Yan Ciwei lowered her gaze to An Chixu’s playful fingers, then effortlessly pulled her back into her shadow.

In the shadows, Yan Ciwei’s smile was gentle, yet the darkness lent it an eerie allure.

At that time, An Chixu loved this suspicious, sinister aura. She also loved Yan Ciwei’s arms, which held her in an unbreakable embrace.

No matter what, Yan Ciwei would never let go.

Even during class on campus, Yan Ciwei would secretly reach out and tug on the petticoat she had personally chosen for An Chixu.

While An Chixu washed up, Yan Ciwei would always stand by the frosted glass, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she watched An Chixu lather soap through the misty haze.

Even when An Chixu tumbled out of bed in a daze in the middle of the night, Yan Ciwei would pull her back to safety.

At that time, An Chixu desperately needed this extreme form of love to feel secure.

The next day, she obediently transformed into Yan Ciwei’s shadow, timidly following her to the bank.

“Don’t be scared. You’ll just need to fill out some forms. I’ll handle the paperwork,” Yan Ciwei said, her hand never leaving An Chixu’s shoulder as she gently tugged her closer.

An Chixu’s body tilted toward Yan Ciwei.

For the first time, An Chixu boldly wrapped her arms around her beloved’s waist in public.

The timid cat only dared to extend a few fingers, lightly touching Yan Ciwei’s trench coat, too afraid to even brush against her waist.

It was Yan Ciwei who leaned in, forcefully pressing An Chixu’s hand down with the hand holding her bag.

An Chixu’s fingers finally touched Yan Ciwei’s waist.

They became a couple, seemingly walking toward happiness together.

As An Chixu filled out the forms, Yan Ciwei stood beside her, retrieving her documents and handing them to the bank clerk.

No one seemed to notice anything amiss.

An Chixu felt only a sense of peace, her racing heart, which had been pounding since they left the house, finally calming down.

Gu Zhixun stopped by midway. As the bank’s owner, she was curious about the person her friend was supporting. During her first meeting with An Chixu, her gaze lingered a little longer than necessary.

An Chixu had heard many stories about Gu Zhixun and wasn’t intimidated by her, but the appraising look made her feel uneasy.

Yan Ciwei’s brow furrowed slightly. She shot Gu Zhixun a warning glare.

After exchanging a couple of sharp glances, Gu Zhixun quickly raised her hands in surrender.

“Miss Yan is truly smitten,” she remarked with a cold sneer as she left. “Keeping such a tight leash.”

An Chixu felt a pang of discomfort at the remark and clutched the corner of Yan Ciwei’s sleeve.

“Ignore her,” Yan Ciwei said, her lips twitching slightly. Inwardly, she plotted how to make trouble for her meddlesome friend.

Comforted by Yan Ciwei, An Chixu finally completed her bank card application smoothly.

Unbeknownst to her, Gu Zhixun’s internship was terminated the following week.

On the day Gu Zhixun was targeted, An Chixu had just received her first payment for tutoring high school students remotely. She was nestled in Yan Ciwei’s arms, helping her choose a gift.

“What should I do, Sister?” An Chixu’s eyes sparkled with happiness, showing no trace of her earlier worries.

“Without you, I wouldn’t know how to live anymore.” She felt like she had truly become Cinderella, her sole purpose now to live happily ever after with her princess.

“…I’ll always be with you,” Yan Ciwei said, though perhaps those weren’t the words she had originally intended.

She could support An Chixu, care for her like this for the rest of their lives.

All she needed was for An Chixu to stay by her side, obediently becoming her girlfriend, her wife.

But what she ultimately said was a vow:

I’ll always be with you.

Yan Ciwei had indeed always been with An Chixu.

Even when they were apart, this remained true.

An Chixu gazed into Yan Ciwei’s eyes.

The amber irises were mournful, tinged with a crimson glow, both serene and eerie.

Only three people were in the private room. Shen Jibai huddled across the table, trembling and trying to make herself invisible, leaving only An Chixu and Yan Ciwei facing each other.

The day had been overcast from the start. In S City’s rainy season, rain could fall at any moment.

The gloomy, yellowish light cast across Yan Ciwei’s face made her usually pale complexion appear deathly.

Against this stark contrast, her ghostly eyes seemed even more desolate.

She stood silently behind An Chixu, motionless and wordless. Even her breathing seemed to vanish during their locked gaze, as if she were a human doll.

An Chixu gripped her cutlery, her gaze lingering.

Her eyes were devoid of emotion, frighteningly hollow, making it momentarily impossible for an observer to tell which of them was the doll.

The pattering rain blurred the line between two people who had once been entangled lovers, now connected by lingering threads of unresolved feelings.

An Chixu began to breathe again, and Yan Ciwei seemed to wind herself up, blinking as tears welled in her eyes.

An Chixu averted her gaze, pretending not to notice Yan Ciwei’s bloodshot eyes and the purple bruises on her clenched palms.

The fleeting glimpse of a red mole in her peripheral vision transformed into the crimson glow of a camera lens activating.

Yan Ciwei, almost desperate, transformed herself into a hidden camera, lurking in the corner to spy on An Chixu’s life.

An Chixu, unable to sever the relentless longing that poured down like monsoon rain, could only ignore her.

Yan Ciwei remained motionless.

She stood behind An Chixu, frozen in place, her gaze fixed on her.

The chilling intensity of her stare made Shen Jibai, sitting across the table, want to leap out the window and flee, even the torrential rain unable to deter her.

Yet An Chixu remained remarkably composed, calmly eating with her spoon as if oblivious to the ice-cold presence looming behind her.

Shen Jibai felt a pang of regret.

She didn’t know if she had brought trouble upon An Chixu, but she was certainly in deep trouble herself.

Yan Ciwei was the heir to the chairman of the entertainment company’s headquarters. One wrong move, and her career would be over.

Her hand trembling, Shen Jibai couldn’t suppress her fear, and her spoon clattered onto the table.

An Chixu could no longer maintain the pretense of normalcy. She set down her utensils, turned around, and deliberately avoided Yan Ciwei’s camera-like gaze.

“You’re disturbing us. Please leave,” she said, her voice colder than her eyes.

The words fell to the floor, becoming raindrops that carried away Yan Ciwei’s lingering warmth.

Yan Ciwei stood silently for three seconds.

She lowered her eyes, put on her mask, and turned to leave.

The frozen atmosphere in the private room finally began to thaw.

Shen Jibai had countless questions, but seeing An Chixu’s grim expression as she resumed eating, she hesitated to speak and simply buried her head in her hands.

Afterward, Yan Ciwei entered the private room every five minutes to refill their water glasses.

An Chixu didn’t touch the water Yan Ciwei poured for her, so Yan Ciwei began pouring for Shen Jibai instead, leaving Shen Jibai no choice but to drink until she was bloated.

Seeing they were nearly finished eating, Yan Ciwei brought out a dessert neither of them had ordered—a pistachio raspberry cake.

She placed it only in front of An Chixu, a blatant display of favoritism.

After serving, Yan Ciwei even gave a slight bow, acting every bit the perfect maid.

An Chixu stared at the cake, a silent sigh escaping her heart.

Yan Ciwei was the one who knew exactly how to manipulate her. With a single gesture, she could effortlessly shatter An Chixu’s carefully maintained composure.

This was her favorite flavor. She had once pestered Yan Ciwei to buy it for her countless times.

And… they had played with it countless times too.

On An Chixu’s face, on Yan Ciwei’s chest.

Just seeing it brought back vivid memories of the wetness of Yan Ciwei’s tongue.

An Chixu couldn’t resist opening the accompanying utensils.

A paper butterfly fluttered out, drifting gently downward.

An Chixu’s fingertips recoiled as if shocked, a sharp pain piercing her heart.

After a long moment, she set the butterfly aside and silently picked up her spoon to eat the cake.

She took tiny bites, her head sinking lower with each mouthful.

It tasted exactly as she remembered.

An Chixu swallowed the last bite, set down her spoon, and could no longer lift her head, letting tears well up in her eyes.

“Um, I’m sorry, Sister An…” Shen Jibai was genuinely terrified by Yan Ciwei.

Even without considering Yan Ciwei’s status, the fact that she had stood behind An Chixu like a ghostly presence for ten minutes was enough to send the sheltered Shen Jibai running back to her grandmother’s house.

Moreover, their hierarchical relationship was clear: Yan Ciwei had the authority to dispose of Shen Jibai at will.

“It’s okay. Having feelings is normal. Don’t hate yourself for it,” An Chixu said, having regained her composure.

She didn’t take the paper butterfly, and there was no trace of red in her eyes, as if Shen Jibai had imagined the single tear earlier.

“I hope you find the right person someday,” An Chixu said, patting Shen Jibai’s shoulder.

An Chixu paid for the meal. Even though Shen Jibai’s salary was far lower than hers, she would never let a sixteen-year-old treat her.

However, when she went to pay, the receptionist informed her that the private room had already been paid for.

Clutching her phone, An Chixu returned to the room.

“As for work, seize this great opportunity. Strive to get rid of me as soon as possible,” An Chixu said, pulling herself out of her thoughts and smiling to reassure Shen Jibai.

“I’ll miss you,” Shen Jibai said. “Sister An, could you try harder too? Let’s get promoted together!” Even without romantic feelings, An Chixu was an excellent planner.

Shen Jibai didn’t want to remember her previous character designer. Their collaboration had left her physically and mentally exhausted.

“Of course I’ll work hard,” An Chixu winked at Shen Jibai, “just not this month.”

Shen Jibai’s mood visibly brightened. After saying goodbye to An Chixu, she left the restaurant.

An Chixu gazed at the rain outside. What had been a downpour had now softened into fine, misty lines, like tiny needles.

She pulled out her umbrella and waited a few minutes before stepping out.

The restaurant was located in a quiet area, and there weren’t many people out on a weekday afternoon.

So when she heard familiar footsteps, An Chixu paused.

The footsteps hesitated, then resumed.

Each step resonated in her heart.

Though soft, they pierced through the rain and mist, forcefully pounding into her mind.

An Chixu lifted her head. The sky was a chaotic gray.

A raindrop landed in her eye.

Yan Ciwei had caught up.