Chapter 42 “I’m Single Today…”

“Then what type do you like?”

The question had already been on the tip of her tongue, but Xia Mi La ultimately didn’t voice it aloud.

She didn’t know why she had held back from asking at that moment.

After all, she and Jin Can had always been completely open with each other, able to discuss and inquire about anything freely.

“That’s not easy,” was all she said at the time, brushing past the topic vaguely.

Jin Can didn’t press further either, and the two casually chatted about other subjects until she arrived home.

They bid each other farewell, and she got out of the car.

As she walked toward the villa, her mind still felt somewhat hazy and not fully clear.

Sleeping in the car often had that effect it was hardly ever truly comfortable.

In the living room, Jiang Xiu Zhu was sitting on the sofa drinking tea, with an array of delicate tea pastries arranged on the coffee table before her.

“Auntie,” Xia Mi La greeted her briefly and made to head upstairs.

She was a bit tired and wanted to rest as soon as possible, not in the mood to exchange more words with Jiang Xiu Zhu, though she maintained a polite facade.

But Jiang Xiu Zhu had no intention of letting her have her way.

She set down her cup, the white porcelain base making a distinct sound, and then her voice, tinged with mockery, rang out: “Mira, you’ve been coming and going in such a hurry lately. It doesn’t seem like you’re coming home more like you’re treating this place as a hotel.”

Xia Mi La had already stepped onto the staircase but turned back to glance at her: “As long as you can treat this place as home, that’s what matters.”

Her retort was sharp: This has always been my home what is there for me to “treat” it as?

Jiang Xiu Zhu, with little else to occupy her time, spent her days overthinking things. She immediately caught the deeper meaning in Xia Mi La’s words and was left speechless.

Xia Mi La was becoming more and more sharp-tongued. To be bested in the very first exchange was truly infuriating.

What made it even more aggravating was that after saying this, Xia Mi La turned and lightly continued up the stairs, not seeming to take the matter to heart at all.

Jiang Xiu Zhu was incensed by her disregard.

“Xia Mi La,” she straightened her back, her voice sharp, “How dare you walk away before your elder has finished speaking? Is this the upbringing you’ve received?”

Xia Mi La sighed, stopped, and turned to look at her again: “What is it you need?”

Jiang Xiu Zhu felt a flicker of satisfaction.

In this household, she was, after all, the elder; it was still easy to keep Xia Mi La in check.

She adjusted her shawl and rose from the sofa: “This Wednesday is Tan Ming’s parent-teacher conference.”

“Ha.” Xia Mi La understood immediately so this was what she had been waiting for.

Jiang Xiu Zhu had already regained her usual composure and looked at her with a smile: “So, how would you like me to behave then?”

The question seemed to hand the initiative to Xia Mi La, but in reality, it was a warning.

If she couldn’t be an obedient, well-behaved daughter, then Jiang Xiu Zhu wouldn’t play the part of a responsible, caring mother at the conference either.

Xia Mi La bore the Xia surname and was Xia Hong’s daughter, but so what? On parent-teacher conference day, she would still need someone with a different surname to speak on her behalf and maintain appearances.

Every parent-teacher conference had always been Jiang Xiu Zhu’s moment of triumph.

Because on that day, she could represent Xia Hong in making decisions and exercise complete control over Xia Mi La as her guardian.

Although controlling Xia Mi La had never presented much of a challenge.

For years, Xia Mi La had been timid, cowardly, obedient, skilled at maintaining harmony and glossing over conflicts. But recently, for some unknown reason, she had suddenly become defiant.

Perhaps it had been too long since the last parent-teacher meeting.

Only a parent-teacher meeting could make her understand who the real authority figures were in this family, who truly held the power to speak.

Jiang Xiu Zhu thought her reminder had been clear enough, yet Xia Mi La still seemed unaffected.

Xia Mi La raised her hand, slender fingers resting on the banister, her voice as gentle as ever, just like before: “You’ve been in this family for so long, attended so many parent-teacher meetings, and you still need me to teach you this?”

By the end, her tone was clearly disappointed, regretful of Jiang Xiu Zhu’s incompetence.

Jiang Xiu Zhu trembled with rage: “Xia Mi La, you…”

She wanted to threaten her, but Xia Mi La cut her off directly.

“Do whatever you want,” she said indifferently, her gaze cold as she looked at her. “Let’s see who ends up more embarrassed in the end.”

After saying this, she continued upstairs.

Jiang Xiu Zhu was furious but helpless.

She desperately wanted to convince herself that Xia Mi La was just bluffing, but her eyes and posture reminded her that she truly wasn’t afraid.

It was as if she had suddenly gained clarity.

Even if Xia Hong refused to sponsor the Training Camp for her, she might face some embarrassment at school, but that wouldn’t change the fact that she was Xia Hong’s heir.

After all, Xia Ying Cai only had her as his biological daughter.

Jiang Xiu Zhu had actually already promised Xia Ying Cai that Xia Hong would definitely sponsor the children’s Training Camp; she had only said otherwise to manipulate Xia Mi La.

Who knew Xia Mi La wouldn’t take the bait.

Fine, if she didn’t care, then there was no need to pretend. It wasn’t like she was the only child from this family attending Tan Ming’s school.

Though she thought this, she still couldn’t swallow her anger.

If someone had always been rebellious, it would be one thing. But this person had previously been submissive, accustomed to obedience. When such a person rebelled, it was even more infuriating and resentful.

Jiang Xiu Zhu sat back down on the sofa, looked at the tea set in front of her, and took her anger out on the housekeeper.

“Are you all dead?” she complained with a frown. “The tea has gone cold, and no one thought to replace it?”

When Bai You Na returned home, she saw her mother sitting on the sofa with a dark expression.

“What’s wrong?” she asked curiously as she walked in. “Who made you so angry?”

Seeing her daughter return, Jiang Xiu Zhu’s expression softened slightly.

She couldn’t be bothered to talk about Xia Mi La again and simply asked, “How was your golf game today?”

“Don’t even mention it,” Bai You Na said, casually picking up a teacup from the table and taking a gulp. “I lost.”

“Lost what?”

“Cough…” Bai You Na choked on her tea. The topic made her a little uncomfortable.

She patted her chest to catch her breath, set the teacup back down, and evasively replied, “It’s… it’s really nothing.”

Jiang Xiu Zhu, who had been gently patting her back, increased the force and finally gave her a hard slap. “What is it that you can’t say? The parent-teacher meeting is on Wednesday should I go to the school and ask myself?”

“Mom!” Bai You Na shuddered but had no choice. She had to confess about the bet.

“So,” Jiang Xiu Zhu was indeed furious, “you’re still at Azure Dragon Hall, still staying by Jin He and that Sponsored student’s side.”

“I…” Bai You Na’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, “I haven’t found the right moment to speak up… I can’t just leave suddenly either. What if I offend A He? No one knew they’d make such a bet today.”

As she continued, she even started feeling wronged: “What should I do, Mom? I’ll definitely be treated like a slave during Training Camp!”

In her heart, she actually believed Xia Mi La wouldn’t go that far. Not because she was particularly kind, but because she’d recently been too lazy to even acknowledge her existence.

But the people around her were different. Many of them held grudges because she hadn’t sided with them back then.

“What should I do, Mom!”

“Enough!” Jiang Xiu Zhu was irritated by her crying and pushed her away, “I’ll bring it up with the school during the parent-teacher meeting. Who allowed you to make such bets and play these games? Does the school permit this?”

Bai You Na was startled: “No! That would make me a snitch. Even if people act normal on the surface, they’ll still do it privately, and they’ll definitely not let me off!”

Jiang Xiu Zhu also knew that children’s matters were best left to children to resolve themselves. Once parents got involved, the nature would change, but she really couldn’t swallow this anger.

First, she had been openly defied by Xia Mi La, and now her daughter was going to become Xia Mi La’s slave.

Jiang Xiu Zhu was so angry she felt dizzy. The more she looked at her daughter, the more frustrated she became. She simply closed her eyes and raised her hand to massage her temples.

Bai You Na knew she hadn’t been behaving well lately and had probably disappointed her mother.

It’s all Xia Mi La’s fault! And Pei Duo Xing’s too!

While cursing them viciously in her heart, she reached out to hold her mother’s hand: “Mom, don’t be angry. You don’t need to worry about this matter. I’ll figure it out myself. I can definitely resolve this.”

After all, this was her own biological daughter whom she had raised since childhood. Jiang Xiu Zhu’s anger subsided slightly. She opened her eyes and looked at her: “What’s your plan?”

“Anyway,” Bai You Na said, “I have a way… I already have some leads. You don’t need to worry.”

Looking at her suddenly optimistic expression, Jiang Xiu Zhu found it very difficult not to worry.

Even she had suffered some losses at Xia Mi La’s hands. The current Xia Mi La wasn’t someone easy to deal with.

Jiang Xiu Zhu felt that she too needed to think of some methods and employ some tactics.

*

The next morning, when Xia Mi La went out, she saw Zhao Taihe waiting outside her door.

He had unusually abandoned his flashy motorcycle and came in his family’s Maserati.

Leaning against the car, he raised an eyebrow at her when she emerged, straightening up as he smiled: “Care to grace me with your presence?”

Xia Mi La sighed helplessly: “So petty.”

Her driver stood to the side, not presuming to approach, quietly awaiting her instructions. It wasn’t until Xia Mi La extended her schoolbag in his direction that he stepped forward.

But Zhao Taihe was faster. He stepped up and snatched her schoolbag from her hand.

“I have a car,” Xia Mi La looked at him amused, “Why should I ride with you?”

“Energy saving,” Zhao Taihe replied without hesitation, “Green, environmentally friendly.”

Xia Mi La laughed out loud. For this young master who usually loved making grand entrances to talk about being green and environmentally friendly was quite something.

“I’m not getting in another girl’s boyfriend’s car,” she refused once more.

Zhao Taihe clicked his tongue. “I’m single today.”

Xia Mi La rolled her eyes skyward.

Zhao Taihe chuckled instead, tugging her backpack toward his car. “Get in, Your Majesty.”

Xia Mi La had no choice but to follow him.

As she got into the car, she reminded him, “The King’s Game hasn’t started yet.”

“Just preparing in advance,” Zhao Taihe replied casually.

———————–

Author’s Note: Extra chapter at 12 PM [throws confetti]