Kicked Back to a Rich Family by the Real Eldest Daughter - Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Xie Xiangyi was startled by the new word Tang Jinzhi used to describe her. She was very curious but couldn’t turn around to ask why; she was trying to save face now.
But she was also unconvinced. How was she at all related to the word “Yandere”?
Just because she told Tang Jinzhi to delete a friend? Was her attitude too domineering?
Before she could think further, her eyes were flashed by the light of a phone screen. Xie Xiangyi immediately snapped out of it. Why was she suddenly self-reflecting? She was clearly supposed to be angry right now.
Her attention quickly turned to the phone held in front of her.
Tang Jinzhi was standing right beside Xie Xiangyi, quietly waiting for her to look at her chat history with Yu Feishuang, helping her recall the reply she sent a few minutes ago that had triggered such a chain reaction.
The change in Xie Xiangyi’s expression was visible. She, who was usually so composed, had once again been completely flustered by Tang Jinzhi. Before she could say anything, Tang Jinzhi quickly tapped the screen twice. The chat page switched to Lin Ai, and seeing the chat history now displayed before her, Xie Xiangyi was completely enraged.
After Tang Jinzhi’s confession, the agitated Xie Xiangyi immediately grabbed and pulled her back down onto the sofa.
“You!” Xie Xiangyi was so angry she didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t curse, but not cursing didn’t vent her frustration.
Tang Jinzhi remained still and obedient, admitting her mistake quickly, “I was wrong.”
She used such a meek tone to apologize that it rendered Xie Xiangyi unable to scold her.
Xie Xiangyi held it in, then finally let go of the person she was holding down, looking at her angrily, “Explain yourself. Explain it clearly, now.”
Her aggressive tone was filled with bottled-up frustration.
Tang Jinzhi secretly observed Xie Xiangyi but was spotted after less than two seconds and glared back at.
She gave a weak laugh and opened her phone under Xie Xiangyi’s intense gaze.
“You can’t be mad once I explain, okay?”
Xie Xiangyi snorted, ignoring her.
Explaining clearly to others was something she should do; it was separate from the fact that she had made her angry.
Seeing that Xie Xiangyi wasn’t easily fooled, Tang Jinzhi’s eyes darted around. Well, since she was already angry…
“Fine, I’ll clarify for you right now.”
Xie Xiangyi stared fixedly at her, wary of any more trouble.
Tang Jinzhi opened Yu Feishuang’s chat box, and under Xie Xiangyi’s supervision, pressed the voice message button, “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. We’re both very normal. My wife doesn’t have that problem. She’s great, just a bit clingy and can’t be without me.”
“Tang Jinzhi!”
The message sent successfully. Tang Jinzhi used her last bit of strength to shield the phone in her arms. Xie Xiangyi had already moved toward her right before the message was sent.
Xie Xiangyi frantically tried to snatch the phone from Tang Jinzhi to recall the message.
Xie Xiangyi grabbed one corner of the phone but couldn’t pull it out. She simply held it there, locking into a stalemate with Tang Jinzhi, staring directly at her and demanding, “Who is clingy? Who can’t be without whom?”
Tang Jinzhi was very compliant, “I’m clingy. I can’t be without you.”
Xie Xiangyi was momentarily stunned by her honesty, then quickly shot her a cross look.
“Then why did you lie?”
Tang Jinzhi kept a firm grip on the phone. She lifted her chin and said self-righteously, “When you’re out, you make your own reputation. They don’t know you, but they know me. What’s wrong with letting me have some face? Besides, it’s hard to explain. That explanation was just right.”
Xie Xiangyi thought it was flawed logic, but she had to admit that Tang Jinzhi’s explanation was the most appropriate. But it was all caused by her initial lies!
Tang Jinzhi continued, “What’s wrong with saying my wife is clingy? Does it bother you?”
Xie Xiangyi choked, momentarily bewildered by her righteous-sounding defense, “…I wouldn’t act like that.”
Tang Jinzhi stood her ground and asked again, “Am I speaking ill of you by saying you can’t be without me?”
Xie Xiangyi: “…No.”
Tang Jinzhi straightened up, “Then why are you still angry?”
Xie Xiangyi forced a smile, “Flawed logic. You didn’t speak ill of me, but you ruined my image. I’m not how you described me.”
Tang Jinzhi wore an expression that suggested ‘what do you know?’, saying, “But I used a positive image to salvage a negative image of yours. Although I caused it all, we still benefited. Your wife gained face and showed off our affection. It shuts up those people who keep saying we don’t have feelings, doesn’t it?”
Xie Xiangyi wasn’t stupid and wasn’t that easily fooled, but even though she knew Tang Jinzhi was trying to sweet-talk her, she accepted it after hearing her out. Tang Jinzhi was right.
She let go of the hand that was trying to snatch the phone.
“Hmph.”
Acceptance was one thing; she still had to be angry.
Tang Jinzhi understood that Xie Xiangyi would be difficult to appease tonight. She tossed the phone aside, wrapped both hands around Xie Xiangyi’s soon-to-be-removed arms, and said flatteringly, “Are you tired? Did you miss dinner? What do you want to eat?”
Xie Xiangyi minimally tugged the arm being held, not appreciative, “I don’t want to eat. I already ate.”
Tang Jinzhi: “I don’t believe you. What do you want to eat? I’ll cook. No takeout.”
Xie Xiangyi didn’t immediately refuse this time, but she also didn’t answer Tang Jinzhi.
Tang Jinzhi waited for another two seconds. Seeing that Xie Xiangyi didn’t refuse, she immediately understood her meaning.
“I’ll call Assistant Xiao Zhang out to help. Why don’t you take a shower and rest?”
Xie Xiangyi glanced at her, deep in thought.
Tang Jinzhi blinked, “Hmm?”
Xie Xiangyi reluctantly spoke, “No need to call her.”
Tang Jinzhi smiled brightly, “Then will you help me?”
Xie Xiangyi immediately pulled her hand away, stood up, and walked toward the kitchen, her tone cold, “I’m afraid you’ll poison me.”
Tang Jinzhi chuckled, stood up, and followed her, filling the air with sweet words. She was always like this, unable to resist provoking Xie Xiangyi, then going to great lengths to coax her. But she even found coaxing Xie Xiangyi interesting and didn’t feel it was her own fault.
They didn’t call Assistant Xiao Zhang during the entire meal preparation. Xie Xiangyi was mostly placated by Tang Jinzhi and could talk to her normally again.
Xie Xiangyi claimed it was only for the sake of Zhang Yueqi, who would be joining them for dinner, that she was temporarily forgiving her.
Tang Jinzhi didn’t expose the fact that she was just looking for an excuse to talk to her.
Dinner time arrived, and Zhang Yueqi finally emerged from her room.
She had been in the room for over an hour. She couldn’t imagine what the two were doing and grew more excited the more she thought about it. But when she came out and saw the dishes on the table…
Oh, they were cooking.
Zhang Yueqi’s expectation was dashed. She sighed deeply, her face visibly disappointed.
Tang Jinzhi asked, “Why are you sighing? What’s wrong?”
Zhang Yueqi looked at Tang Jinzhi, then at Xie Xiangyi, hesitating for a while before daring to ask, “How far along are you two?”
Xie Xiangyi’s eyes flickered slightly. She remained silent. Tang Jinzhi was thick-skinned enough; let her answer.
Tang Jinzhi poked at her rice, looked toward the silent Xie Xiangyi, then poked her rice again. Her eyes held a hint of resentment, but more was embarrassment.
She was actually quite thin-skinned, except when teasing Xie Xiangyi.
Zhang Yueqi saw both of them fall silent at the dinner table. She initially thought they had done everything and were just embarrassed to say it, but upon closer inspection, it didn’t look like it at all.
She tentatively said, “In those TV shows, meeting and sleeping together is common. At the very least, they’ve kissed. You two haven’t even…”
Xie Xiangyi: “…”
Tang Jinzhi: “…”
Before either of them could answer, Zhang Yueqi continued, “Oh, wait, you guys did kiss that day. I forced you to. But that doesn’t count either.”
Xie Xiangyi: “…”
Tang Jinzhi: “…”
It’s possible they didn’t even kiss that day.
Tang Jinzhi quickly condemned her, “You know that’s TV drama! Watch less of that stuff! We’re not in a TV show. Hurry up and eat!”
Zhang Yueqi persisted, “Yeah, you’re not in a TV show. You’re properly married! They aren’t even married in the show! Besides, I see so many people hook up after one or two meetings. You two have been hooking up for a month or two, and nothing’s happened yet?”
Xie Xiangyi was close to getting up.
Her cool tone was impatient. She glanced coldly at Zhang Yueqi, “Are you eating or not?”
Tang Jinzhi chimed in, “Hurry up and eat. Less gossip.”
Zhang Yueqi mumbled under her breath, “Such a big reaction. They probably only held hands…”
And she had to force them to do even that.
Tang Jinzhi: “…”
Xie Xiangyi ate her meal slowly, her expression extremely calm, as if Zhang Yueqi’s words didn’t bother her. But she secretly glanced at Tang Jinzhi out of the corner of her eye.
She was inwardly refuting Zhang Yueqi. It was more than just holding hands. She had also kissed Tang Jinzhi’s cheek once and slept holding her once.
But only once. They didn’t hold each other last night.
Xie Xiangyi didn’t voice this thought. She couldn’t let Zhang Yueqi hear that.
She looked down in contemplation. Was her relationship with Tang Jinzhi developing slowly?
Really slowly?
Tang Jinzhi was also pondering the question. She was purely reflecting on whether she was worrying too much.
Finally, she figured it out. She wasn’t wrong; Zhang Yueqi’s mind was just impure.
While her relationship with Xie Xiangyi wasn’t overly intimate yet, it wasn’t strictly platonic either; they had made progress. What else did Zhang Yueqi want? Did she expect two beginners to suddenly speed like a rocket?
The three of them had their own thoughts during the meal.
Xie Xiangyi was still thinking about it when she got out of the shower in the bedroom.
Tang Jinzhi wasn’t in the room this time. She didn’t have time to dwell on it; she was busy revising her manuscript in the study.
Xie Xiangyi checked the time—past ten o’clock.
She opened the study door and walked in. She hadn’t originally intended to talk to Tang Jinzhi, but she was going to sleep, so she reluctantly came in to check on her.
Seeing her enter, Tang Jinzhi immediately smiled, “Need the study?”
Seeing her smile, Xie Xiangyi’s strained face relaxed slightly. She shook her head, “To sleep. Aren’t you sleeping yet?”
Tang Jinzhi waved her hand, “Not yet. You go to sleep first.”
Then she stood up and said, “I’ll be a while. I’ll go take a shower first before I get back to work.”
Xie Xiangyi followed her out, thought for a moment, and asked, “What time did you schedule the meeting with that director?”
She had been angry at the time and hadn’t thought much about it.
Tang Jinzhi stopped and turned to look at Xie Xiangyi, “It’s fine. You don’t need to waste your rest time for me. I should be fine going out alone now.”
She had gone out a few times already; she should be getting used to it.
Xie Xiangyi frowned slightly, “Are you sure?”
Tang Jinzhi hesitated, then nodded, “Should be.”
Xie Xiangyi thought of something and shook her head, “I don’t trust you to go out alone. Even with a bodyguard, it’s still not okay.”
Tang Jinzhi pursed her lips, knowing what she was worried about. She thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll schedule the meeting after your exam is over.”
Xie Xiangyi’s expression softened, and her heart felt slightly settled.
“Okay.”
Tang Jinzhi smiled brightly. She wanted to tease Xie Xiangyi, but remembering that Xie Xiangyi hadn’t completely forgiven her, the words immediately died in her throat.
“I’m going to shower then.”
Xie Xiangyi lifted her chin reservedly and didn’t speak.
Tang Jinzhi’s smile deepened.
She took a quick shower in the bathroom without washing her hair. When she came out, she let down her clipped-up hair and walked to the bed, carefully observing Xie Xiangyi.
She lowered her voice and asked, “Dr. Xie, are you asleep?”
Although Xie Xiangyi hadn’t heard Tang Jinzhi’s deliberately quiet footsteps, she felt the humidity carried from the bathroom. She knew Tang Jinzhi was looking at her.
Hearing no reply, Tang Jinzhi slightly straightened up, “Should I go to the study then?”
Xie Xiangyi took a deep breath, flipped over, and said, “Go.”
Tang Jinzhi curved her lips into a smile.
She knew she wasn’t asleep.
Hearing Tang Jinzhi obediently enter the study, Xie Xiangyi frowned, huffed softly, and decided to sleep with her back to the study.
Tang Jinzhi returned to the study, saved the revised content on her computer, then felt comfortable enough to turn the computer off and walk to the door to turn off the study light.
She walked out of the study and glanced at Xie Xiangyi, who had her back to her. She smiled and walked over softly.
The bedroom light suddenly went out, and the bed abruptly dipped. Just as Xie Xiangyi opened her eyes to say something, she was enveloped by Tang Jinzhi’s strong arms, her entire back nestled in Tang Jinzhi’s embrace.
Tang Jinzhi chuckled, “Is Dr. Xie still angry?”
Xie Xiangyi pulled away the arms holding her and didn’t answer her question directly. Instead, she asked, “Didn’t you have work to do?”
Tang Jinzhi put her hands back, “To sleep with you.”
Xie Xiangyi retorted, “I didn’t ask you to.”
Tang Jinzhi batted away Xie Xiangyi’s hand, which was about to grab hers, “I want to sleep with you.”
Both were equally stubborn.
Xie Xiangyi stopped talking.
But Tang Jinzhi wasn’t done talking.
“Who was it last time who held my hand and asked me to hug her?”
Xie Xiangyi: “…”