Yang Zhao’s gaze darkened, but she didn’t lash out. She simply watched quietly as the other party contacted Hua Man again.
After receiving a confirmatory reply, the teacher finally handed the child over to her with relief.
Yang Zhao’s tone was indifferent. “Take a good look. I’m Hua Man’s girlfriend, the person closest to her. Don’t mistake me next time.”
With that, she grabbed Hua Xi and turned to head upstairs without a change in expression.
The teacher’s actions were perfectly reasonable—responsible, even—so Yang Zhao wouldn’t do anything to harm her. But she was still annoyed.
Did she really look that much like a bad person?
“You’re walking too fast!” Hua Xi’s dissatisfied voice pulled Yang Zhao back to the present.
Yang Zhao stopped, lowered her head, and stared intently at Hua Xi for a moment. Then she bent down, her face still expressionless, but her tone unusually gentle. “How was your day at the Rehabilitation Center, Little Xi?”
Hua Xi immediately looked on guard. “What are you doing?”
Though her little mind couldn’t guess what Yang Zhao wanted, the sudden gentle tone made her feel uncomfortable all over.
“What do you mean, what am I doing?” Yang Zhao raised an eyebrow. “I’m concerned about you.”
“Why are you concerned about me?” Hua Xi didn’t understand.
At that, Yang Zhao pinched Hua Xi’s wrist in disdain, though her tone softened. “You’re Manman’s little sister, so you’re my little sister too. Isn’t it natural to care about my own sister?”
Hua Xi: “…”
The moment they got home, she couldn’t help but shout for her sister.
“What happened?” Thinking something had gone wrong, Hua Man immediately set aside what she was holding and hurried over.
Hua Xi pointed at her own head and yelled at the top of her lungs. “Sis, your girlfriend has a problem up here. She’s acting so weird!”
Yang Zhao’s eyebrow arched, delighted by the words “your girlfriend” from Hua Xi’s mouth.
It felt one way when she said it herself, and entirely different hearing it from someone else.
Completely different.
Hua Xi’s mouth was quickly covered.
Hua Man’s face showed some tension, her gaze toward Yang Zhao tinged with caution. “Children say whatever comes to mind. I apologize on her behalf.”
Yang Zhao didn’t like seeing that look in her eyes. She walked over and planted a kiss on her face.
“Am I the petty type?” she huffed. “How could you look at me like that?”
By the end, it even sounded a bit coquettish.
Hua Man even suspected she’d misheard.
But Yang Zhao stared at her intently, without a trace of embarrassment.
After a long silence, Hua Man could only lower her eyes. “Sorry.”
“Why is Sis apologizing?” The clueless Hua Xi mumbled. “You two are so weird.”
Hua Man quickly changed the subject. “Time to eat. Go wash your hands.”
She took Hua Xi to wash up.
As she turned her head, she saw Yang Zhao still watching her. She held back and didn’t speak.
But if she didn’t bring up a topic, Yang Zhao would—Yang Zhao had always been the proactive one in their interactions.
Yang Zhao extended her right hand, which was coated in ointment, and said calmly, “I applied the ointment. Can’t wash my hands.”
Unsure what she meant, Hua Man went along. “Then don’t wash.”
“Not only can I not wash my hands, I can’t eat either.” Yang Zhao sighed faintly. “Looks like Manman will have to feed me.”
She said it so reluctantly, but excitement gleamed in her eyes.
Hua Man: “…”
But it wasn’t as if she hadn’t done this before. Back at the Yang Family home, she’d fed Yang Zhao, so it wasn’t that hard to accept.
Only Hua Xi showed strong dissatisfaction.
“Ew, so embarrassing. You’re all grown up and still need Sis to feed you.” At her age, she couldn’t hide her jealousy, and her words dripped with it.
Yang Zhao swallowed her mouthful of rice leisurely, her tone laced with amusement. “Your sister dotes on me.”
Hua Man lifted her gaze to Yang Zhao.
But Yang Zhao showed no guilt for spouting nonsense in front of her. Instead, she lifted her chin smugly, a hint of provocation in the gesture.
Hua Man sighed softly to herself and stayed silent.
Hua Xi clenched her little fists in anger and huffed. “Hmph! Sis dotes on me too!”
Listening to their bickering, Hua Man strangely felt a sense of warmth. It was like they were an ordinary, cozy little family.
Realizing this, she looked at Yang Zhao.
It was an illusion.
Yang Zhao and she didn’t belong to the same world.
Cen An sent her several more messages later, but Hua Man ignored them all and eventually blocked her. Her phone became much quieter, and she lost that friend for good.
Yang Zhao handled it decisively. Hua Man even saw the account where Cen An had posted videos of her from Yang Zhao.
It had quite a few followers, plenty of secretly filmed videos of her, all with high views and likes.
The latest one was even edited footage of the crocheted doll used for covert filming, posted online.
Hua Man’s expression soured.
“These videos are already taken down. I didn’t delete the account so you could see what your ‘good friend’ was doing behind your back.”
“Fortunately, we caught it early. The police found records on Cen An’s phone linking her to the dark web. If not, she planned to plant a hidden camera in your bathroom next and live-stream your shower to the dark web.”
Yang Zhao explained leisurely from the side.
Hua Man fell silent.
You never really knew someone. She’d never imagined that the kind-looking Cen An would do something like this.
“Thank you,” Hua Man said sincerely.
Without Yang Zhao, it wouldn’t have been resolved so quickly.
“Why thank me, Manman?” Yang Zhao said faintly. “Your matters are my matters. I love handling anything to do with you.”
With that, she hugged Hua Man from behind.
“See how bad those people are to you.” Her cheek pressed against Hua Man’s back. “Only I’m truly sincere toward you.”
At those words, Hua Man’s gaze flickered.
“You’re sincere?”
“Of course.”
“I really like you.”
If she didn’t like her, why would she give up the good life at the Yang Family to suffer in this tiny apartment?
Hua Man couldn’t help but tug at the corner of her mouth.
Yes, Yang Zhao did like her.
But it wasn’t the kind of like that led to marriage.
She was more like Yang Zhao’s favorite toy.
She didn’t know when Yang Zhao’s affection would end, or how many people Yang Zhao liked.
But compared to others, Yang Zhao treated her well. She could even feel Yang Zhao holding back lately.
She didn’t know what scheme Yang Zhao was cooking up. She’d thought Yang Zhao wouldn’t last long here before leaving, but half a month had passed, and Yang Zhao was still at her place.
With no intention of leaving.
As if determined to fully invade her world.
This was nothing like the lover’s life she’d imagined.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
After a long wait with no response from Hua Man, Yang Zhao poked her head around to check her reaction.
Hua Man snapped back and pushed her hand away. Lifting her eyes, she asked, “My part-time tutoring is done.”
Bai Zhilan’s illness had improved; she could return to university and no longer needed home lessons.
Yang Zhao showed no surprise. She nodded. “That’s good. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out to play.”
“I’m planning to find another job.”
As Hua Man spoke, her gaze fell on Yang Zhao’s face.
Sure enough, Yang Zhao’s brows furrowed in undisguised displeasure. But unexpectedly, she didn’t object. Instead, she said, “You still need to take a few days off first.”
“You’re not opposed?”
Hua Man couldn’t help asking.
“Would you stop if I opposed?” Yang Zhao clicked her tongue and brushed her hand across Hua Man’s face. “You’re an eagle. Eagles are meant to soar.”
She wouldn’t stop Hua Man from becoming even more outstanding.
“I’ve never wanted a canary.” As she spoke, Yang Zhao leaned in to hug her again, reassuringly. “I just want the eagle soaring in the sky to pause for me, to glance my way a little more.”
She positioned herself humbly, looking a bit pitiful, less domineering.
Hua Man knew it was deliberate, yet she still softened.
“Stay with me these next few days, okay?”
After a few seconds of silence, Hua Man relented. “Okay.”
The moment she agreed, Yang Zhao wrapped an arm around her waist, her familiar scent enveloping her.
The scent was so familiar it stirred no resistance. She parted her lips calmly to welcome Yang Zhao.
The next afternoon, Hua Man followed Yang Zhao to a racing club.
Yang Zhao was clearly a regular there.
As soon as she arrived, several young people came over to greet her enthusiastically.
Yang Zhao was cool and distant with everyone, barely acknowledging them.
Her aloofness made the Hua Man beside her stand out even more.
“Who’s that woman?”
A few people whispered among themselves.
Normally, Yang Zhao was accompanied by her little maid Yu Shan or Yan Wei. This woman was a total stranger.
Strikingly beautiful, like a celebrity. She didn’t fawn over Yang Zhao—in fact, Yang Zhao seemed quite attentive to her.
“I heard Yang Zhao fell hard for some woman a while back, taking her everywhere and spoiling her rotten. Could it be her?”
“That was a while ago. Probably onto someone new by now.”
“I thought she’d stick with Yan Wei longer. Didn’t expect her to start cycling through women so quickly.”
“Didn’t Yan Wei change too? Got a fiancée and started siding against her. I heard she even helped others take on Yang Zhao recently.”
They smiled to their faces but gossiped behind backs.
Hua Man caught snippets and couldn’t help glancing at Yang Zhao. Her face showed no emotion, unaffected.
But hearing Yan Wei mentioned made Hua Man pay attention again.
Yang Zhao had said Yan Wei and Qin Fangqin colluded to oust her. Yet Yang Zhao still held her position firmly, with no moves from Qin Fangqin or Zhao Ming.
And Yan Wei…
Hua Man hadn’t heard of any management changes at Yang Corporation.
She couldn’t tell how much of Yang Zhao’s words were true or false.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Yang Zhao suddenly turned to her.
Hua Man grabbed a random topic. “Are you going to race?”
“Yeah.” Yang Zhao was eager; she’d been cooped up lately, hands itching. But remembering Hua Man’s timid nature, she added, “You can watch from the stands later.”
Someone brought Yang Zhao’s car over.
A sleek sports car. When Yang Zhao emerged in her racing suit, helmet in hand, looking dashing and spirited, it drew screams from men and women alike.
Hua Man’s heart raced uncontrollably.
Yang Zhao was beautiful down to every strand of hair.
Especially when she blew a flying kiss in her direction—Hua Man’s breath hitched.
She truly glowed.
Hua Man didn’t understand racing, only that Yang Zhao’s car shot forward with a roar, engine and crowd screams overwhelming her senses.
Hua Man furrowed her brows subtly, but her eyes never left the track.
Her nerves were taut, tracking the flashy sports car as it overtook one vehicle after another, hurtling ahead at a speed that terrified her.
Lap after lap, until the race ended. Yang Zhao removed her helmet and leaped from the car, face alight with wild triumph. She’d broken the record with absolute dominance. The screen replayed her highlights as the crowd went wild for her.
Amid all those people, Yang Zhao spotted her precisely and waved amid the cheers and screams.
In that moment, to claim she wasn’t moved would be dishonest.
Hua Man clenched her fists, realizing her palms were soaked. Not just her palms—her entire back was drenched.
This was too dangerous.
Yang Zhao was playing with her life.
But seeing her smiling eyes, her unrestrained flair, Hua Man suddenly realized Yang Zhao genuinely loved it.
Just like when she’d rock-climbed—radiating brilliance in her element.
Like a sun rising in the night sky.
Dazzling, radiant.
Impossible to look away from.
“What’s your relationship with Yang Zhao?”
Someone suddenly asked her.
Hua Man looked at the woman. If she remembered correctly, this woman had just arrived with a young master, and her male companion was like Yang Zhao—fresh off the race.
“You’re her little lover?” the woman guessed. “Or some other kind of friend?”
“Is she hard to please? I’m actually fine with guys or girls. Could you introduce me?”
Hua Man lowered her gaze and looked again at Yang Zhao approaching from afar. Her tone was even: “Sorry, no. I’m her girlfriend.”
The woman let out an “ah,” brimming with disappointment.
“Fine.”
She turned envious once more. “I really envy you, having such a gorgeous girlfriend. She’s so badass!”
“Staring at a face that beautiful every day—do you even sleep? Don’t you think about that all the time?”
Seeing the woman go further overboard, Hua Man frowned. “That’s private.”
She wouldn’t share such intimate details with any outsider.
Except, of course, the other person involved.
“What century is this? It’s not that private.” The woman brushed it off. “Take the guy I’m with, for example. God, he’s like a scrawny bean sprout. I still have to…”
Before she could finish, she felt the other’s gaze turn icy, staring straight at her.
It was downright creepy.
“Okay, I’ll shut up.”
The woman clamped her mouth shut.
Yang Zhao drew near and saw the unhappy expression on Hua Man’s face. The excitement on her own face slowly faded.
“Who upset you?”
As she spoke, her eyes swept the surroundings.
Spotting a woman’s gaze dart away, her expression darkened, and she pointed. “You…”
In the next instant, her finger was enveloped in someone’s grasp.
Her words cut off as she turned to Hua Man.
“I’m not upset,” Hua Man said clearly amid the surrounding clamor. “I was just worried about you.”
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