The Foolish Wife Turned Scheming After Her Recovery - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: How Could She Keep Hurting This Fool Again and Again

Lu Zhili stared blankly at Yu Yao, quietly standing off to the side with a dazed expression. Her hands, hanging by her sides, unconsciously rubbed the raised spiral pattern of her sleeves.

There were plenty of noisy sounds around her, but she couldn’t hear a thing. Her mind drifted back to that night when Yu Yao made her request. It suddenly dawned on her that A-Yao didn’t want to reveal their relationship to her younger sister.

Whatever Lu Zhili agreed to, she always fulfilled. She shifted her gaze to the face that shared about seventy percent similarity to Yu Yao’s, then nodded dazedly and pursed her lips, saying, “Mm… A-Yao and I are good friends.”

Even if she couldn’t admit they were dating, she didn’t want to reduce their relationship to mere “friends.” Adding the word “good” was her last bit of stubbornness.

But she didn’t understand why her nose felt stuffy, why her eyes were warm, and why her heart felt like it had swallowed an entire lemon, endlessly souring from the inside.

Yu Yao kept her eyes on her sister’s face, but her ears were sharply tuned to every movement Lu Zhili made. Only when she heard her admit they were friends did the anxiety stuck in her throat finally ease.

But… why couldn’t she bring herself to look at Lu Zhili?

Was it guilt?

Yes, it was guilt.

At that moment, Yu Yao felt like one of those villains in a novel, bullying someone just because she was a fool. If that fool ever recovered, she’d probably be the first one to get revenge.

“Alright then. I thought this beautiful sister was your girlfriend,” Yu Ling sighed with slight disappointment, completely unaware of the emotional undercurrents between the two women.

Just then, Yu Ling’s best friend rushed over. Seeing the two stunning beauties in front of her, she couldn’t hide the delight on her face. With a very friendly demeanor, she greeted Yu Yao, “Sister! You must be Yu Zai’s real sister! You two look so alike! And both so beautiful!”

Suppressing the discomfort in her heart, Yu Yao smiled naturally and responded to the girl, “Hello. Thank you for the compliment. You’re very cute and pretty too. Are you Yu Ling’s best friend?”

The girl nodded enthusiastically. “Mm-hmm! I’m Xu Jiafan, Yu Zai’s deskmate and bestie!”

Yu Yao rarely knew much about her sister’s school life. When Yu Ling had access to a phone, their chats mostly revolved around grades and future university plans. So now that she had a chance to chat with Xu Jiafan and learn more, she was happy to engage.

Noticing Xu Jiafan sneaking glances at Lu Zhili, Yu Yao took the initiative to introduce, “This is my friend. You can just call her ‘sister’ too.”

It was the second time she introduced Lu Zhili as her friend. Somehow, Yu Yao could finally say it without feeling guilty—but she still didn’t dare look at Lu Zhili’s expression.

Lu Zhili stood quietly beside her, hearing Yu Yao refer to their relationship once again. She paused, then repeated softly, “We’re… good friends.”

Xu Jiafan loved chatting and making friends with pretty girls. She immediately beamed and said to Lu Zhili, “Hello, sister! You’re really beautiful too!”

“Thank you,” Lu Zhili smiled politely and fell silent again.

Yu Yao and Xu Jiafan chatted at the school gate for quite a while. When Xu Jiafan’s parents finally showed up, they waved goodbye and prepared to head home.

“Bye, Sister Yu! Bye, Sister Lu!” Xu Jiafan waved at them.

Lu Zhili, however, wasn’t looking at her. She was staring blankly at something behind them, seemingly in a daze.

Yu Yao couldn’t help but glance at her and gently patted her on the shoulder. “Zhili, what’s wrong?”

Lu Zhili turned her head. Seeing the three of them watching her, she pursed her lips and said, “That girl was looking at us just now. Is she your classmate?”

Xu Jiafan and Yu Ling turned to look, catching sight of a slim girl in a school uniform, carrying a faded denim backpack.

“She looks like Bai Xi,” Xu Jiafan whispered as she nudged Yu Ling.

Yu Yao didn’t ask further. She figured this was probably a secret between her sister and her friend.

Yu Ling smiled and said, “Nothing. Probably just a girl from the next class who thought you both looked too pretty and couldn’t help staring.”

Lu Zhili nodded silently and said nothing more.

After saying their goodbyes to Xu Jiafan, the three walked home. The apartment was a three-bedroom unit Yu Yao had rented especially so that Yu Ling could attend school nearby. Their mom lived there full-time and occasionally brought snacks to school for Yu Ling to enjoy on her days off.

As for their actual hometown, it wasn’t in the city but a small town in Hechuan County. Yu Yao had left that house to Yu Zhujun.

To keep Yu Zhujun from bothering her mom and sister, she chose an apartment right next to the local police station. Just opening the window and shouting would alert the officers inside.

Because of this, Yu Zhujun hadn’t shown up in years—just made a few phone calls to Yu Yao asking for money. The worst he’d done was go to her old studio in Yanjing and cause a scene.

The apartment was in an older community, but the facilities were well-maintained, and the property management was excellent.

Yu Ling unlocked the door. The moment they stepped in, they were hit with the mouthwatering aroma of stir-fried dishes.

“Mom! Look who’s home!”

Lu Zhili had stayed quiet the whole way. She couldn’t handle complicated emotions and had spent the walk back calming herself down.

“Wow, it smells so good,” she said. She and Yu Yao had eaten lunch on the train, but it had been a long day, and they were starving again.

Hearing voices from the door, someone emerged from the kitchen holding a spatula. The moment Yu Xiulan saw her eldest daughter behind Yu Ling, her eyes turned red.

“Yao Yao! Why didn’t you call me ahead of time if you were coming home!” she said, handing the spatula to Yu Ling and rushing over to take Yu Yao’s hands, looking her over from head to toe.

“I had a business trip in Su City, and since I had some time, I thought I’d bring Yu Ling to Yanjing for a visit. It was a last-minute decision, so I didn’t call.”

They’d just seen each other at New Year’s, and they occasionally video-chatted. Still, Yu Xiulan always felt guilty about her eldest daughter, believing she’d never return to Hechuan again.

Yu Ling held the spatula awkwardly. “Mom, why’d you give this to me? I don’t even know how to cook!”

Lu Zhili immediately volunteered. “I can cook really well. Give it to me.”

As soon as she spoke, Yu Xiulan noticed the beautiful girl beside her. “And this is…?”

Before Yu Yao could respond, Lu Zhili introduced herself. “Hello, Auntie. I’m A-Yao’s good friend. My name is Lu Zhili.”

Yu Yao opened her mouth but swallowed her words. She had introduced Lu Zhili this way before, but hearing her say it now made her heart ache.

Yu Yao had come out to Yu Xiulan years ago. Though shocked, Yu Xiulan felt she had no right to interfere and just let it be.

Now, looking at Lu Zhili’s stunning face, she couldn’t help but wonder silently: “Is she your…?”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but Yu Yao understood and quietly shook her head.

Yu Xiulan got the message but still felt a twinge of regret. The girl was so beautiful.

Lu Zhili reached out to take the spatula from Yu Ling and headed to the kitchen, but Yu Xiulan quickly grabbed it back.

“Oh no, you’re a guest! How can we let you cook?” she said, nudging Yu Ling. “Take your Sister Lu to the living room and sit for a while. Bring out some fruit and snacks—dinner’s almost ready.”

Then she disappeared into the kitchen again.

Lu Zhili still wanted to help, but Yu Yao gently tugged her wrist. “Come on, let’s sit down. My mom’s cooking is actually pretty good.”

“Oh,” Lu Zhili replied softly, letting herself be led to the sofa.

Yu Ling brought out a fruit platter and narrowed her eyes at the backs of her sister and Lu Zhili.

She didn’t fully buy her sister’s story. A sister this pretty, brought all the way home—could they really just be simple friends?

Yu Ling cared a lot about her older sister. When Yu Yao came out to their mom, she was the first to understand. With the kind of father they had, being disappointed in men made perfect sense.

Even though Yu Yao was now successful in Yanjing—owning a car and a house—Yu Ling always worried about her being lonely.

She’d seen her sister’s apartment. The cold industrial style made it feel like no one lived there at all—completely lifeless.

Seeing Lu Zhili now, she was more than satisfied. If this girl could date her sister, she’d fully support it.

Yu Ling kept these thoughts to herself, unaware that Lu Zhili had already unknowingly passed her silent inspection.

Dinner was served soon, and Yu Yao, still holding Lu Zhili’s hand, led her to the table.

“Good thing I made a lot today,” said Yu Xiulan. “Otherwise, we’d have had to eat out.” She always stocked the fridge well on Yu Ling’s monthly breaks, ensuring her daughter had nutritious meals.

The four of them enjoyed a lively dinner. Yu Ling happily shared stories from school, and Yu Xiulan chimed in with childhood tales.

Lu Zhili listened with great interest, but Yu Yao remained unusually quiet. If not for her composed expression, Lu Zhili might have thought she was in a bad mood.

She wasn’t upset—just unsure how to face a mother who knew everything about her younger daughter, yet remembered so little about her.

All her childhood photos had been burned. None of her memories were kept by Yu Xiulan.

She knew her mother felt guilty, but it was as if that guilt had all been poured into raising Yu Ling, nourishing her into a bright, happy girl.

Meanwhile, her own youth had rotted in that gloomy town middle school—beaten down by Yu Zhujun’s fists and Yu Xiulan’s repeated silence.

That’s why she never wanted to return to Hechuan. Every time she did, those discarded memories clung to her like parasites.

Lu Zhili sat beside Yu Yao. The dishes were cleared away. Under the table, she gripped Yu Yao’s hand tightly.

Yu Yao froze. She set her chopsticks down and sat up straighter, pretending to still listen to Yu Ling—but all her focus was on the hand in hers.

A moment later, she felt something trace across her palm. After a second, she realized Lu Zhili was writing.

[Be]

[Happy]

[Okay]

She was trying to cheer her up, but it only made Yu Yao want to cry.

How could she be so cruel—hurting this fool again and again, when the one who treated her best was this fool?

Yu Yao turned her head to look out the window, forcing down her emotions as the inky night sky reminded her of the fear she used to feel every time she came home from school.

Their house almost never had lights on. Yu Zhujun thought it was a waste of electricity and would beat them if he saw it.

Yu Xiulan had no choice but to switch off the lights every evening after dinner and wait quietly for the darkness to settle.

“Bang bang bang—”

Suddenly, a knock on the door snapped Yu Yao out of her thoughts. She looked toward the door, already knowing who it was.

She’d rejected Yu Zhujun’s calls three times in Su City—it was no surprise he’d come looking.

“I’ll get it.” Yu Yao stood up calmly and walked to the door.

Sure enough, the face she hated seeing most appeared.

“What are you doing here?”