Picked Up a White Cut Black Wife - Chapter 11

The policewoman stood idly by, her gaze darting between the two women. Are beautiful women these days all about internal consumption? she mused. Still, they’re quite the sight. Worth coming to work early and bumping my head for.

Noticing the policewoman’s hesitation, Shen Zhao spoke up. “Hello, is this okay now?”

“Yes, yes, it’s fine,” the policewoman snapped out of her reverie and approached the camera. “Sit still and don’t move. Good, tilt your head a little to the left—too much, too much—now a little to the right. Shoulders…”

Click!

The flash startled the girl, causing her to reflexively close her eyes. The photo was ruined.

“Let’s try again. Don’t move this time,” the policewoman instructed, but she noticed the girl’s tense posture and pale complexion in the viewfinder.

Shen Zhao, who had been glancing at the girl periodically, also noticed her distress. After apologizing to the policewoman, Shen Zhao knelt down to check on her.

“No problem,” the policewoman said. “She looks a bit unwell. I have some candy here. Would you like some?”

“Thank you,” Shen Zhao replied, accepting the candy and draping her jacket over the girl’s shoulders. “Are you feeling dizzy? Could it be low bl00d sugar?”

The girl’s eyes were unfocused, her breathing shallow and rapid. Cold sweat streamed down her nearly translucent face, and the palms of her hands were frighteningly cold.

She seemed trapped in a terrifying nightmare. White flames danced wildly in the wind, clawing and snapping as they surged from all directions, relentlessly devouring her flesh and soul. Her body was consumed entirely, leaving not even charred bones behind.

Her soul felt imprisoned in the deepest hell, ravaged by flames. Her stiff limbs refused to move, as if she were exiled to a frozen wasteland, caught between the extremes of ice and fire.

Suddenly, she felt something warm cover her hand, banishing both the cold and the flames, leaving only gentle warmth.

The scene before her cleared. “Wife.”

Seeing this, Shen Zhao let out a sigh of relief, touching her forehead. Her hand came away damp and cold. “Where does it hurt? Are you feeling better now?”

The girl stared blankly at the person kneeling before her, both real and dreamlike, hesitant to touch him. “Wife?”

“Are you okay?” Shen Zhao asked, relieved to see her breathing had calmed. “Still feeling unwell? I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“Wife!” Finally convinced the person beside her was real, the girl threw herself into Shen Zhao’s arms, mumbling, “No, I’m fine now.”

“Really?” Shen Zhao asked.

The girl nodded. “Mm, really.”

Afraid of keeping the police waiting, Shen Zhao gently pushed the girl away. She noticed the girl’s complexion had improved significantly, though her lips remained a bit pale. Shen Zhao quickly pulled a light-colored lipstick from her bag, cupped the girl’s chin with one hand, and swiftly applied the lipstick with the other.

The photos were soon taken. The policewoman admired her work, remarking, “As expected, a beauty is a beauty! Even her ID photo looks this good!”

“Now, we need to register your information. Please show me your household registration booklet.”

“Household registration booklet?” Shen Zhao had completely forgotten about that. Judging by the girl’s blank expression, she probably didn’t even know what a household registration booklet was. Helpless, Shen Zhao said, “I’m sorry, I forgot to bring it today. We’ll come back another time.”

“Alright,” the policewoman replied.

So, we came all this way for nothing? Shen Zhao thought, feeling frustrated as she left the police station. The moment they stepped outside, the girl tugged on her sleeve and asked, “Wife, what’s a household registration booklet?”

“Something you don’t have,” Shen Zhao replied dismissively, already deciding to call a friend for help.

“Hello, Uncle Jiang. Yes, this is Xiao Zhao. I need your help with something,” Shen Zhao said as she walked. When she reached the parking lot, a cold, damp air rushed at her. She quickly ducked into her car and continued, “It’s about a friend of mine. Her name is…”

Suddenly remembering that her friend was a nameless wild child, Shen Zhao paused for a second. “I’ll text you the details later, Uncle Jiang. Thanks for your help.”

After hanging up, Shen Zhao noticed that the burning gaze that had been fixed on her was gone. The girl in the passenger seat was staring intently at something, her small face tense.

Curious, Shen Zhao looked in the same direction. A white plastic bag was being blown by the wind, but there was nothing else to see.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Shen Zhao asked, gently nudging her.

“Wife, it’s cold. Let’s get out of here,” the girl said, turning to look at her, her expression returning to normal.

Cold?

Shen Zhao frowned in confusion. The car’s air conditioning was on, set to a comfortable temperature. The girl was wearing a padded jacket—if anything, she should be feeling warm, not cold.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Shen Zhao touched her forehead, which felt slightly cooler than usual. “I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“No, Wife, let’s go quickly,” the girl pleaded, clutching Shen Zhao’s hand.

Shen Zhao glanced at her, reassured that she was temporarily fine, before driving out of the underground parking garage.

As they emerged, the girl seemed to finally feel the heat. She clumsily unwrapped her scarf and struggled to remove her coat, making quite a fuss.

Shen Zhao watched her out of the corner of her eye, amused. She can’t stay still for a moment, like a hyperactive child.

Once she’d settled herself, the hyperactive child turned her attention to Shen Zhao. The spacious seat wasn’t enough for her; her legs swung back and forth, occasionally brushing against Shen Zhao’s.

Still driving, Shen Zhao couldn’t be bothered to scold her. But this leniency only emboldened the girl. She pressed half her body against Shen Zhao, leaned her head on her shoulder, and stared blankly at her with her dark, wide eyes.

At her breaking point, Shen Zhao snapped, “Sit properly. One more fidget and I’ll dump you on the highway.”

“Wife…”

“And don’t speak.”

The girl immediately slumped, gazing at her listlessly.

“What’s wrong? What do you want to say?” Shen Zhao asked.

“When will I get my ID card?” the girl blurted out eagerly.

“It’s still a long way off. We need to get your household registration first, then we can apply.”

“Household registration? What’s that?”

Is this person from some primitive world? She knows nothing and is so noisy.

“What’s this?” the girl asked, pointing at the navigation app on Shen Zhao’s phone, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

“Do you want it?” Shen Zhao asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Alright. Sit up straight, don’t talk, and I’ll buy it for you,” Shen Zhao said with a faint smile.

The girl’s gaze lingered on the phone. “Can I call my wife with it too?”

Shen Zhao didn’t reply, quietly watching the girl’s chattering lips.

Understanding, the girl straightened her posture, clamped her mouth shut, and only occasionally glanced at Shen Zhao.

With the annoying chatter gone, Shen Zhao quickly drove to the underground parking garage of a shopping mall. It was still early, so they could browse around before having lunch.

“Hey, do you have any dietary restrictions?” Shen Zhao asked as she parked.

The girl shook her head.

“Then is there anything you want to eat?” Shen Zhao asked.

The girl shook her head again.

“Are you mute?” Shen Zhao sighed in exasperation. “You can talk now.”

“Wife!” As if released from a spell, the girl grabbed Shen Zhao’s hand. “I’ll eat whatever Wife eats. I’ll do whatever Wife says.”

Shen Zhao’s head throbbed. She quickly cut off the conversation and suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right, try to remember your surname. If you really can’t, just pick a temporary one.”

Without hesitation, the girl replied, “Can I take Wife’s surname?”

“No.” Shen Zhao searched for the Hundred Family Surnames on her phone and handed it to the girl. “Here, any surname except Shen…”

“Shen? Then I’ll be Shen Qiao.”