The Foolish Wife Turned Scheming After Her Recovery - Chapter 7

Chapter 8: She Rubbed Her Thumb Gently Against That Cool, Delicate Patch Of Skin.

All the restaurants in the mall were gathered on the fifth floor, so the two of them stepped onto the escalator again, standing side by side on the same step.

Lu Zhili clutched the strap of her bag, the joy in her heart bubbling like a kettle of boiling water—if one stood close enough, they could almost hear the gurgling. The initial awkwardness and discomfort that Yu Yao had felt gradually faded. She seemed to be slowly infected by that “bubbling” energy, and a smile began to appear on her face.

“Yu—” Lu Zhili had just started to speak when she caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of three or four teenage girls rushing up behind them. Judging from their appearance, they were likely still in high school.

“Excuse us, our movie’s about to start, please let us through!” the girl in front called out loudly, charging ahead without even checking if anyone was in front.

Lu Zhili instinctively grabbed Yu Yao’s wrist and, without waiting for a response, yanked her to her side. “Careful—”

Before Yu Yao could react, she found herself pulled into an embrace that smelled faintly of lime. A warm hand was wrapped around her waist, its heat obvious even through the fabric. Lu Zhili’s breath grazed the skin near her ear, sending goosebumps down Yu Yao’s spine as her cheeks grew warm.

Still holding her wrist, Lu Zhili felt the once-cool skin rapidly heating up in her palm. She couldn’t resist and gently rubbed her thumb over it, brushing against that smooth, delicate skin.

The teenage girls rushed past them in a flurry, repeatedly apologizing as they went.

Only after they had left did Lu Zhili let go of Yu Yao with an indignant huff.

The scent of lime faded from Yu Yao’s nose, but the lingering tingling sensation on her wrist remained, growing even more noticeable now that Lu Zhili had let go. Yu Yao almost wanted to scratch it herself.

“Yu Yao, are you okay? Did they bump into you?” Lu Zhili asked with concern, muttering as she glanced at the students, “They were so rude. You’re not even supposed to run on escalators.”

Seeing her childlike outrage, Yu Yao couldn’t help but chuckle and gently patted her shoulder in reassurance. “That’s ‘rude’ to you? They apologized, didn’t they? Don’t be mad, I’m fine.”

Lu Zhili clearly didn’t agree, but she didn’t want to argue either. She grumbled, “Running on escalators wears them out. What if you’d fallen or something…”

Yu Yao was stunned for a second before it clicked. “You’re right. They were in the wrong.” She realized Lu Zhili wasn’t angry at the students per se, but rather afraid that their actions might have harmed her.

Lu Zhili was just worried about Yu Yao.

Yu Yao’s chest rose and fell noticeably. She tried to suppress the faint stirrings in her heart and chided herself.

It was such a small thing—why was she reacting this way?

Thankfully, the escalator ride wasn’t long. Before Yu Yao could finish sorting out her thoughts, they had already arrived on the fifth floor.

The Thai restaurant really was quite well-known in the mall. Yu Yao had passed by it several times but had never gone in. It wasn’t a bad opportunity to try it now. On the other hand, Lu Zhili wandered about aimlessly like a headless chicken.

“Miss Lu, wrong way. The restaurant’s over there.” Yu Yao gently tugged her wrist and steered her in the right direction. “Didn’t you say you’ve eaten there before?”

Lu Zhili nervously bit her lip and whispered, “I haven’t. I just heard about it from my coach…”

“You then—” Yu Yao cut herself off, suddenly realizing the reason. Lu Zhili had mentioned the restaurant just to have an excuse to ask her to dinner. Whether it tasted good didn’t matter. What mattered was eating with her.

Yu Yao sighed inwardly, unsure how to respond. After a pause, she simply pulled Lu Zhili along and said, “Let’s go. I know where the restaurant is.”

Being led by Yu Yao, all of Lu Zhili’s nervousness disappeared, replaced by excitement and joy.

The princess is so kind!

They arrived at the restaurant in silence. The dining area was full, but they were lucky—just as they arrived, a party in one of the booths was leaving. Neither minded whether they sat in the open or in a private booth, so they followed the waiter to the table.

Lu Zhili wasn’t fond of sweet and sour dishes, so she only ordered a bowl of signature udon noodles. Yu Yao, however, ordered nearly all of the restaurant’s recommended specialties.

By now, Lu Zhili had long since shaken off the negativity from earlier. She now gazed at Yu Yao with shining eyes as she neatly wiped down the table with a napkin.

Her gaze was so intense, so heated, that even though Yu Yao tried to ignore it, that face—paired with eyes like a puppy’s—was too much to bear.

Yu Yao tossed the napkin into the trash, crossed her arms on the table, and looked at her calmly. “Why do you keep staring at me? Is there something on my face?”

Lu Zhili shook her head with a smile. “You’re really pretty. Like a princess.”

It wasn’t the first time Yu Yao had heard her say that, so she took the chance to ask, “You said that back at the bar too. I never asked—why do you think I’m like a princess? Don’t princesses usually have that noble, ladylike, untouchable air?”

Lu Zhili frowned at that. She thought for a bit, then said, “Not at all. Princesses are brave, free, and beautiful. All the best words can describe them—and you.” She smiled shyly.

Then she pulled out her phone, opened the screen, and held it up to Yu Yao. “Look! This is Ariel. You two are really alike.”

Yu Yao looked at the screen. It was a still from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid, showing Ariel in a pink gown with wavy burgundy hair.

She immediately understood. Twisting a strand of her own chest-length hair between her fingers, she realized her hair had brought her this… chance encounter?

Yu Yao asked, “So you think I’m Ariel just because of my hair?”

Lu Zhili nodded. Then quickly shook her head.

Yu Yao: “…”

Lu Zhili recalled what Xie Yanqing had told her: if you like Princess Yu Yao, you have to respect her name. So she knew fully equating Yu Yao with Ariel wasn’t respectful.

“I thought you were Ariel when I first saw you. But not anymore. When you caught me and Little Cake under that tree, you were so amazing—just like a real princess!” Lu Zhili explained earnestly, afraid Yu Yao might misunderstand.

She really wanted to be friends with Yu Yao—like Qin Yue and Xie Yanqing were. That’s why she sought advice and tried to get closer to her.

Lu Zhili wanted to say more, but the waiter arrived with the food cart. She had to swallow everything she wanted to say.

Yu Yao didn’t show much expression, as if she didn’t take Lu Zhili’s words seriously. But only she knew how unbelievable those words truly felt.

After entering the workforce, Yu Yao had received many benefits—and trouble—because of her beautiful face. Early on, people only remembered her for her looks. “Beauty” was the biggest label stuck to her.

Even after her career took off and people began to recognize her intellect, that label still dominated. People who didn’t know her still said:

“Oh, Yu Yao? Yeah, she’s that beautiful brand director.”

She had never denied the advantages her looks brought, but now, sitting across from her, was a girl who said she was brave, free, and amazing—just like a real princess.

For the first time, those positive words outshone the label of “beauty.”

The steaming tom yum soup sat before her, but her hand holding the spoon trembled slightly. She looked up and saw Lu Zhili nibbling at a noodle strand with her chopsticks.

“You said a princess (chew chew chew)… needs to (chew chew chew chew)… not get mad (chew chew chew chew)… sigh (chew chew chew).”

Lu Zhili swallowed the noodle, wiped her mouth, then looked apologetically at Yu Yao. “Yu Yao, I’m sorry… Everyone is unique and special. I shouldn’t have called you Ariel. I hope you can forgive me.”

Looking at the pretty, aggrieved face across from her, Yu Yao almost wanted to reach out and comfort her. Who would make such a beautiful girl so upset! Who!

Oh. Me. Never mind, then.

Yu Yao shoved away her wild thoughts and set down her spoon. She cleared her throat and said, “I know you didn’t mean any harm. Don’t feel too guilty. Besides—”

“I really like it when you compliment me.” She ducked her head slightly, suddenly feeling a bit childish.

Yes, she, Yu Yao, was that kind of person—a little vain.

Lu Zhili’s amber eyes lit up instantly. She stared at Yu Yao with disbelief. “Really? So you’ve forgiven me? Does that mean we’re friends now? Can I hang out with you in the future?”

Yu Yao smiled and nodded. After a pause, she added, “But if you want to find me, you’ll need to message me on WeChat first. I’ve been pretty busy lately.”

“With work?” Lu Zhili asked hopefully. She knew no one could refuse work—not even her. She would gladly make way for Yu Yao’s job!

“Yeah. Our studio is launching a new product line, so things are hectic. But it’ll ease up soon.”

Lu Zhili nodded happily. “I understand! People need to work to live, and to live, you need money. Xie Yanqing told me all about it.”

Yu Yao agreed but found something odd about that statement. She had always thought Lu Zhili just had a simple personality, and that’s why she spoke innocently. But now… it felt too innocent.

Almost too childlike.