Kicked Back to a Rich Family by the Real Eldest Daughter - Chapter 31.1
Chapter 31.1
“I don’t want to become a workhorse that’s busy every day. When I’m tired, I rest. I don’t accept exploitation.”
The “workhorse” Xie Xiangyi’s eye twitched. She had reason to suspect Tang Jinzhi was mocking her in a roundabout way.
Xie Xiangyi tried to convince both herself and Tang Jinzhi, “I’m not working right now; I’m studying. This doesn’t count as being a workhorse.”
Tang Jinzhi burst out laughing, “Have you ever heard people discuss a question before?”
Although Xie Xiangyi was annoyed that Tang Jinzhi was laughing at her, she cooperated: “What question?”
Tang Jinzhi shrugged and laughed for a moment before saying, “Which is harder: going to school or working?”
Afterward, she looked at Xie Xiangyi with a smile, “I think you, who have to manage both, are the one with the hardest life.”
She didn’t even have a moment to catch her breath, yet she was trying to brainwash herself that it wasn’t that hard.
Xie Xiangyi forced a bitter smile. She was strong and not easily defeated.
But she had an inexplicable urge to punch Tang Jinzhi.
She turned her head away from Tang Jinzhi and muttered to herself, “It’s fine, I’ll just bear with it a little longer, and it will all be over.”
Tang Jinzhi, possibly a professional mood-breaker, laughed and followed up on her words, “You’ll catch your breath and find you still have more to endure.”
Xie Xiangyi: “…”
At this moment, she internally questioned herself again about why she chose to study medicine.
Tang Jinzhi stopped teasing her, picked up a book, walked over to the tatami area, and sat down, half-leaning against a cushion. She talked to Xie Xiangyi, “Why are you still wearing such stiff clothes at home? You should change into something comfortable. I’ve already changed into my pajamas.”
Xie Xiangyi spun her chair around to face her: “You were the one who pushed me straight in here.”
She hadn’t offered her a break or a rest.
Tang Jinzhi blinked, “Oh, did I?”
Xie Xiangyi got up from the chair and walked over to Tang Jinzhi, staring down at her. Tang Jinzhi felt a shiver run down her spine, wondering if Xie Xiangyi was about to settle the score.
Her mind raced with messy thoughts, but she belatedly realized Xie Xiangyi’s gaze had moved to her hands.
Tang Jinzhi followed her line of sight.
Xie Xiangyi was looking at her hand.
Ah, no, she was looking at the book in her hand.
Xie Xiangyi finally spoke: “Are you interested in Chinese medicine?”
Tang Jinzhi quietly closed the book she had opened, sat up straight, and handed the book back to Xie Xiangyi.
She answered Xie Xiangyi’s question with her action.
She preferred reading novels to textbooks.
The smile in Xie Xiangyi’s eyes was hard to hide. She took the book, flipped through a couple of pages, and asked, “Why aren’t you watching TV outside?”
Before, when she took breaks, she and Zhang Yueqi watched dramas together every day.
This behavior was unusual today.
Tang Jinzhi smiled brightly: “Of course, I’m here to keep you company.”
Xie Xiangyi froze: “What?”
She didn’t recall saying she wanted Tang Jinzhi to keep her company.
Tang Jinzhi’s smile held a hint of helplessness, as if she couldn’t help but humor Xie Xiangyi: “Even though we didn’t go to the cinema, you still wanted me to accompany you. Being here is the same. Watching a movie outside is just sitting together; it’s even more relaxed at home without outsiders.”
Xie Xiangyi’s cheeks flushed red, and she grew slightly agitated: “Did I say I wanted you to accompany me?”
She simply wanted them to spend more time together and cultivate their feelings. That was completely different from being clingy, as Tang Jinzhi made it sound!
Tang Jinzhi was deliberately misinterpreting her.
Tang Jinzhi pressed her lips together and suppressed her smile: “No, you didn’t say that. I wanted to accompany you, but if you don’t want me to, I’ll leave.”
Her tone sounded like she was coaxing someone.
Xie Xiangyi couldn’t stand it anymore. She reached out and angrily pushed Tang Jinzhi’s shoulder.
Tang Jinzhi tilted sideways. The smile on her face finally became uncontrollable. She couldn’t stop laughing, amused by Xie Xiangyi’s childish action.
If Xie Xiangyi weren’t generally mature and stable, she would have expected her to say, “I hate you, I’m not playing with you anymore,” in the next second.
Tang Jinzhi laughed and continued to tease her: “Alright, don’t be mad. I won’t leave. I’ll stay right here with you.”
Xie Xiangyi: “…”
“If you want to stay, just stay. Why say so much?”
They had stayed in the study together before, but both were usually busy, so it wasn’t a case of one person specifically keeping the other company.
Xie Xiangyi didn’t continue the childish argument with Tang Jinzhi. She knew she couldn’t out-argue the shameless Tang Jinzhi. The other party’s mischievous habit of teasing her was truly exasperating.
Tang Jinzhi leaned back against the cushion, her smile unrestrained, but her words were finally normal. Her tone was lazy, “Mhm. Now, go quickly and change your clothes.”
Xie Xiangyi ignored her, turned, and walked out, temporarily leaving the study.
When she returned, Tang Jinzhi had changed her posture. She was kneeling on the tatami, looking out the half-open window. She only turned her head to look at Xie Xiangyi when she heard her come back.
Tang Jinzhi’s eyes lit up.
Her cool and aloof wife, who was both sassy and aloof, had instantly softened her whole demeanor after changing into pajamas. The oppressive feeling around her lessened. Tang Jinzhi raised an eyebrow, sensing that Xie Xiangyi was easier to bully now.
In Tang Jinzhi’s eyes, Xie Xiangyi was a pure and soft pushover, easily controlled by anyone.
Unaware of Tang Jinzhi’s thoughts, Xie Xiangyi examined her with a look of suspicion. She didn’t understand why Tang Jinzhi kept staring at her; she had worn these pajamas before.
Seeing the increasingly excited expression on Tang Jinzhi’s face, Xie Xiangyi felt strange. She took two steps closer and waved her hand in front of her.
“Why are you staring at me?”
Tang Jinzhi blurted out: “Because you look good.”
Xie Xiangyi’s eyes flickered. She instinctively touched her face and, driven by an impulse, asked, “You like it?”
“Like it? Of course, I like it. Everyone must like it.”
Tang Jinzhi nodded and answered quickly, openly admitting her fondness for Xie Xiangyi—not just her appearance, but her characteristics in all aspects. Tang Jinzhi liked her a lot.
Xie Xiangyi pulled up a smile, “Then I like you too.”
Tang Jinzhi froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat, but she quickly realized Xie Xiangyi was referring to liking her face.
She almost misunderstood.
Xie Xiangyi also realized the ambiguity in her words. Her cheeks flushed. She turned around awkwardly, hastily sitting down at the desk.
She didn’t offer an explanation. After all, their relationship didn’t require a specific explanation of what she liked. Even if Tang Jinzhi misunderstood, it didn’t matter.
Before she could say anything else to change the subject, Tang Jinzhi started acting narcissistic, touching her chin with her hand, her tone utterly confident: “I knew you liked me. I’m this good-looking. Anyone who says they don’t like me needs to get their eyes checked.”
Xie Xiangyi covered her face. She spun her chair around again and slid closer to Tang Jinzhi, crossing her arms and studying her face: “Are you always this narcissistic?”
Tang Jinzhi was displeased, giving her a side-eye: “How am I narcissistic? Isn’t that the truth? Didn’t you just say you liked me?”
Xie Xiangyi said: “It is the truth, but it sounds very arrogant.”
Tang Jinzhi narrowed her eyes, raised her hand in front of Xie Xiangyi, slightly stretched her fingers, and then fiercely clenched them into a fist: “I’ll give you one more chance. You, speak nicely.”
Xie Xiangyi pursed her lips and chuckled. Pressured by Tang Jinzhi’s “tyranny,” she actually cooperated, responding childishly: “Fine. You really are too good-looking. No one would dare to claim the number one spot if you’re number two.”
The compliment was technically lacking in substance.
But Tang Jinzhi listened, beaming with joy.
Xie Xiangyi is so much fun. Where is she cold? Zhang Yueqi talks nonsense.
She waved her hand with a shy smile, “That’s an exaggeration, an exaggeration. Be humble. If I’m number one, you’re definitely qualified to be number two.”
She spoke of humility, but her words were anything but modest.
Xie Xiangyi: “…”
If she could, she didn’t want to participate in this ranking.
She simply skipped the childish topic: “Wake up early tomorrow. You’ll go to the hospital with me then.”
Tang Jinzhi was stunned. Why was she going to the hospital?
Her mind worked quickly, and she soon understood. It was time for her to go to the hospital.
But…
Tang Jinzhi looked up at Xie Xiangyi, the sly smile in her eyes completely unconcealed. She opened her mouth and spoke another teasing remark, “Is our Dr. Xie so clingy that she needs her wife to accompany her to work now?”
Stared at by Tang Jinzhi’s mischievous smile and constantly teased, Xie Xiangyi finally snapped. She angrily picked up the plate of grapes Tang Jinzhi had brought in, took one, and shoved it into Tang Jinzhi’s mouth.
All talk!
Xie Xiangyi said indignantly: “Shut up! It’s time for your check-up.”
She worried too much about her.
Seeing Xie Xiangyi’s aggressive stance, Tang Jinzhi decided to open her mouth. If she didn’t, the grape juice would likely spill all over her mouth. She deftly ate the grape.
The grape was easy to eat without peeling. Tang Jinzhi chewed, and the grape’s sweetness burst in her mouth. Tang Jinzhi’s eyes sparkled. After a second of hesitation, she asked, “Another one?”
Xie Xiangyi grabbed two and continued to feed her. Tang Jinzhi ate them as usual. She wasn’t talking now, but the expression on her face was very much enjoying it.
The situation was slowly becoming strange.
Xie Xiangyi fell silent.
She had suddenly become the one feeding Tang Jinzhi grapes, even though she had been angry just moments ago.
After feeding several grapes in a row, Xie Xiangyi was numb, but as the numbness wore off, her cheeks began to blush again. Her fingers inevitably touched Tang Jinzhi’s lips, and her gaze was involuntarily drawn to them.
After feeding one more grape, she didn’t withdraw her finger. Her fingertip pressed against Tang Jinzhi’s lips, gently rubbing them.
Tang Jinzhi, immersed in the thought that Xie Xiangyi was being very interesting, froze. Her chewing stopped. She looked down and met the eyes of Xie Xiangyi, who had just looked up.
Their eyes only met for a brief second before both simultaneously looked away. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became ambiguous and tense.
Tang Jinzhi swallowed the juice in her mouth, feeling a sudden nervousness.
She felt Xie Xiangyi’s recent action was full of suggestion.
She felt like she had played too much.
In that sudden moment of eye contact, she saw desire in Xie Xiangyi’s eyes—a desire for her. Tang Jinzhi hoped she had seen wrong. She felt a bit at a loss, yet vaguely excited.
Tang Jinzhi was internally conflicted. She wasn’t completely opposed to kissing Xie Xiangyi, but since she’d never done it before, she was inevitably nervous.
She hadn’t even thought she would skip the dating process and jump straight into marriage. She was completely inexperienced.
Tang Jinzhi was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice her face was gradually turning red.
However, if Xie Xiangyi really wanted to kiss her, she wouldn’t refuse. That would be too rude.
Xie Xiangyi lowered her gaze, shoved the plate of grapes into Tang Jinzhi’s lap, and said coolly, “Eat them yourself.”
Afterward, she turned and returned to the desk, smoothly opening her notes.
Tang Jinzhi snapped back to reality, holding a plate of grapes, her face full of question marks.
What? That’s it?
She hadn’t even played hard-to-get yet. Was there no kiss?
She hadn’t said no!