You Are Really No Match For Me [Fighting] - Chapter 47

Su Wanying froze when she saw her mother’s familiar side profile. It took her a long moment before she remembered to greet her, and she called out awkwardly,
“Mom, why are you here?”

She hadn’t seen her mother in a long time, but she was still the same—just as beautiful, just as busy.

And just as annoying!

“Xiaoying, Mommy is very busy at the company. If it’s not something important, don’t bother me.”

“If you need something, just ask Nanny Zhang. You don’t have to call me for every little thing. There’s so much work at the company, and it’s not easy for me to spare time. You need to be more considerate of Mommy.”

“Later, let Nanny Zhang run some hot water for you and take a good bath, alright?”

“Yingying, answer me. Mommy’s talking to you. Why aren’t you responding? Haven’t you been taught to be polite?”

Since getting into the car, Su’s mother had been busy with her work. Only now, when she noticed her daughter hadn’t replied, did she finally lift her head and give her a glance.

Su Wanying let out a contemptuous laugh. So this was her “good mother”—work, work, always work. Her own daughter had almost died, and she was still glued to her job. If she really died out there, her mother would probably attend her funeral with the same calm expression, handling official duties while at it!

Her heart turned ice-cold. Whatever little expectation she had left burned away to ash. She suddenly shouted,
“Stop the car!”

“Su Wanying, do you know this is the main road? You can’t just stop the car whenever you want!” her mother scolded angrily.

“I want to get out! Let me out!” Su Wanying ignored her, slapping the window violently, the glass echoing with loud bangs.

At the traffic light, the driver stopped the car. Su Wanying flung the door open and shot out like a cannonball, disappearing into the traffic in the blink of an eye.

The driver watched her run off and said carefully,
“Ma’am, don’t be upset. My own daughter’s around that age too—teenagers are always a little rebellious.”

“Enough, you don’t need to make excuses for her. That girl acts like we owe her everything, always going against her parents, never appreciating how hard we work.”

“Should we head home now, or back to the company?”

“Back to the company.”

“What about Miss…?”

“Don’t worry about her. Once she’s done throwing her tantrum, she’ll come back on her own.”

The driver hesitated, then added,
“There’s something I should tell you. Recently, Miss has been spending time with some idle street kids. I’m worried she might…”

“It’s fine,” her mother dismissed him, “that little brat is clever, she won’t be fooled.”

“Yes, ma’am, you know her best.”

“Ah, parents really do suffer for their children. By the way, that injured boy today—wasn’t he the one who used to bully Yingying?” She rubbed her temples in exhaustion and finally shut her laptop.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Yingying will be graduating middle school soon. All this nonsense should come to an end. Send her to Father’s place for high school.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The driver was, after all, just a driver. He couldn’t say much to his employers. But in his own heart, he couldn’t understand how rich people’s mother-daughter relationships could be like this.

Half a year apart, and the first thing they did was fight. They didn’t look like mother and daughter at all—more like sworn enemies…

The driver silently pitied Su Wanying for a moment, then obediently switched the GPS back toward the company.

Su Wanying ran along the street, tears streaming down her face unchecked. After two blocks, her stomach growled. She swiped on her smartwatch, searching for the nearest burger place. The closest one was only 500 meters away. She nodded and headed there.

When she arrived, she wiped the sweat off her neck. But through the glass window, she saw a mother and daughter sitting inside.

The little girl was dressed in a pretty princess dress, her hair tied into twin braids, decorated with big pink cartoon clips. Her mother looked like an ordinary worker, wearing a supermarket uniform. But she gently wiped the ice cream off her daughter’s mouth.

“Baby, let Mommy wipe your mouth.”

“Thank you, Mommy!” The girl’s eyes curved like crescent moons. She swung her feet in princess shoes and frilly socks, accidentally kicking the glass window with a thump, thump.

The mother pulled her chair back a little.
“Don’t kick the window, sweetheart. That’s not polite.”

“Oh, okay, Mommy,” the girl replied sweetly, then suddenly noticed Su Wanying outside watching them.
“Mommy, look! There’s a big sister watching us. Wow, her eyes are so red.”

The mother turned her head, only to catch a glimpse of a schoolgirl in uniform running away.

“Maybe she’s going through something sad,” she said softly. “Baby, no more ice cream. If you eat more, you’ll get a stomachache.”

The little girl obediently handed her half-eaten cone to her mother, then skipped away hand in hand with her, hopping down the street.

Su Wanying hadn’t run far. The faster she ran, the more exhausted she became, until she finally stumbled onto an empty street. She leaned back against the wall, slid down to the ground, and broke into uncontrollable sobs.

She didn’t know how long she cried. When the tears finally dried and she tried to get up, she suddenly noticed two shadows looming over her. She yelped in fright.

It was Xiaobai squatting beside her.

After chatting with Jinyu and the others in the parking lot, Xiaobai had been driving home when he spotted her running. Noticing she looked unwell, he followed her out of concern.

Unlike his usual goofy self, Xiaobai smiled gently.
“Hungry? Big Brother Xiaobai will take you to eat something, okay?”

Her first reaction was embarrassment—he had seen her in such a disgraceful state. But since he didn’t pry, she felt both grateful and a little shy.

“Mm.”

The two of them walked out of the alley, Xiaobai half-draping his arm around her shoulders.

After a while, he sat her down on a wobbly plastic stool, sticky with leftover grease. She quickly tucked her skirt in neatly.

Xiaobai hollered,
“Boss, menu!”

“Coming!”

The owner, a middle-aged woman in a grease-stained apron, came over cheerfully.
“Oh, it’s Boss Bai! And you’ve brought a little sister today.”

Xiaobai pushed over the tattered laminated menu patched with tape.
“Order whatever you like. Big brother’s treating.”

Wanying pursed her lips, looking at the filthy menu, its edges blackened and stained. She’d never eaten at such a roadside stall before. The tiny space was crammed with low tables, the floor littered with skewers and tissues. The overhead bulb, yellowed from smoke, cast a greasy shine on everyone’s faces.

Soon the boss brought out a battered copper pot divided in two: one side clear broth with mushrooms and scallions, the other bubbling red with chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. Dishes of skewers filled the table—beef coated in chili powder, glossy chicken wings, vegetables still dripping with water.

The boss lady also plunked down two beers and two yogurt drinks.
“These two bottles are for the little sister. The broth’s a bit spicy, drink this and your stomach will feel better.”

“Thanks, Boss. You’re too kind.”

“Hah, no trouble. We owe you plenty for looking after us.”

They chatted for a bit. Then Xiaobai dumped the skewers into the pot, the sticks clattering together as red oil coated the food. He popped open a beer with a pop, the cap rolling into a pile of others on the floor.

“Ah, that hits the spot!” He let out a boozy burp, then turned to Wanying.
“Come on, drink with me.”

She slipped a straw into the yogurt drink and clinked with him.

“That’s more like it! As the saying goes, one good drunk chases away a thousand worries. Cheers!”

After a few drinks, the hotpot was ready. Xiaobai pulled the meat off a skewer and dropped it into her bowl.

“First bite goes to today’s hero.”

She looked up in surprise. Xiaobai ruffled her hair.
“I know Jinyu already told you, but I want to say it again. You did great today. We’re all proud of you.”

Tears welled up again and spilled down her cheeks.

The boss lady, busy serving another table, spotted her crying and hurried over.
“Hey! What did you do to make this little girl cry? Can’t you be gentler?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Xiaobai cried in protest. “I just said one thing—”

Nearby diners overheard and came to back her up, some still holding skewers dripping oil onto the floor.
“Damn, one look at you and I know you’re trouble. Did you trick this poor girl here?”

“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. Big bro will stand up for you. Is this punk bullying you?”

And today, of all days, Xiaobai had dyed his hair yellow.

Through her tears, Wanying laughed.
“No, no. It’s just the food smells so spicy it made my eyes water. Thank you, but I’m fine.”

The crowd finally dispersed. Xiaobai let out a theatrical sigh.
“Unbelievable. I try to be nice for once, and everyone thinks I’m the bad guy.”

Wanying tasted a bite—it was spicy but delicious, rich with oil but not overly greasy. The boss lady brought over dipping sauces. Xiaobai leaned in, covering his mouth as he whispered,
“Dip it in this—my secret recipe.”

The beef dipped in the sauce was even tastier, spicy, fragrant, and meltingly tender. Her appetite grew, and she polished off her bowl. Then, with big watery eyes, she looked at Xiaobai.

“What, you want me to keep feeding you?” he groaned. “Fine, fine. Since I’m already being a good guy, what do you want?”

“Which one’s the best?”

He handed her more meat. She shoved the big juicy bite into her mouth, beaming in satisfaction.

Children’s moods change quickly. As Xiaobai kept piling food into her bowl, she ate happily, until before they realized it, two whole plates of skewers had vanished.

Xiaobai added more water and threw in two more plates, but Wanying waved her hands.
“Don’t. I’m full.”

He glared at her.
“Brat, you’re full, but I haven’t eaten yet!”

For the first time that day, she smiled—half-embarrassed, half-gloating. Xiaobai flicked her forehead.
“Smelly kid. Pour me some beer.”

Since he had served her so diligently, she played waitress for once and poured him a full glass.

Xiaobai drank heartily, eating fast and sloppy, splashing oil everywhere. Wanying scooted her chair back to avoid staining her clothes.

By the time he finished, his face was flushed and sweaty from the heat. After wiping his mouth, he asked,
“Want me to take you home?”

She shook her head.

“Then to Jinyu’s place?”

She nodded, then shook her head again.

“Alright, I’ll call her—”

But she stopped him.
“No, let’s go home. I’ll call my driver. And… could you not tell them about today?”

Knowing how proud and thin-skinned she was, Xiaobai didn’t tease her. He just smiled warmly.
“Of course. My lips are sealed.”

Wanying smiled back. Today, Xiaobai really did feel like an older brother.

She had always thought he was different from Jinyu and Su Xi—always unserious, always gaming, stealing her snacks, running his mouth…

Ten minutes later, a familiar car pulled up outside the hotpot shop.

Wanying gave Xiaobai a quick hug.
“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

He waved.
“Bye. Tomorrow at the arena, I’ll be waiting for you.”