You're my wife, don't doubt it!

Xiao Yao looked at the bare foot standing on the ground. Water was seeping out from the trousers and socks, quickly forming a puddle near the foot.

Zhao Xiaomei suddenly bent her small feet at a 45-degree angle to the outside: "What's wrong, Brother Xiao Yao?"

Xiao Yao didn't question her about why "Xiao Yao classmate" had changed to "Xiao Yao brother," but simply shook his head and said, "Thank you, Xiao Mei classmate, I'm very touched."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiaomei did not continue to tease him as before, or take the opportunity to get closer—she didn't even say anything, but simply lowered her head silently and put on her wet shoes.

"Let's go," Zhao Xiaomei said to Xiao Yao, who was holding the fish and staring blankly, and took the lead.

Although the water had been poured out, Zhao Xiaomei's shoes still made a "plop plop" sound as she walked, leaving a series of footprints in front of Xiao Yao's eyes.

After walking about a hundred meters, seeing that Xiao Yao hadn't followed, she turned back and called out, "Brother Xiao Yao?"

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Xiao Yao was standing still, answering a phone call.

"What are you holding in your hand? It's sticky and you keep hitting my wrist. It hurts!" the girl on the other end of the phone asked.

“Oh, a fish,” Xiao Yao told her.

"very scary!"

"What's so scary about fish?" Xiao Yao asked, puzzled.

"..."

"What's wrong, Yingying? Hello, did the call drop?" Xiao Yao asked.

Yu Luying did not correct his new way of addressing her: "My mother wants to see you, now."

"Huh? Then I should hurry back?"

"No need, she's already at the boat house."

"Huh?" The fish in Xiao Yao's hand fell to the ground and jumped three feet high.

Chapter 119 Forced Marriage

2023-02-24

The place where Yu Lihua met Xiao Yao was a secluded spot in Zhouzhuang, somewhere between a teahouse and a restaurant.

Yu Lihua, dressed in a dark silk cheongsam, sat upright across the table with a cold expression.

She was carrying a blue teapot and was pouring the tea into several small saucers... uh, teacups. Just as Xiao Yao was about to reach for them, Yu Lihua splashed the tea out and poured it all back in.

Xiao Yao then realized that the first time was for washing the utensils.

Yu Lihua poured the tea a second time, then handed the small teacup to Xiao Yao with both hands, saying, "Please, Xiao Yao."

"Oh, oh dear, Auntie, I can do it myself, I can do it myself..." Xiao Yao hurriedly took the tea set with both hands, feeling immense pressure: "Thank you, Auntie."

This banquet, a trap set by a treacherous official, was clearly not a friendly affair.

"Please." "Please."

Xiao Yao tilted his head back and drank the tea in one gulp, then saw Yu Lihua taking small sips.

A waiter in uniform brought over a square plastic plate with both hands. In the center of the plate was a beautifully decorated ceramic plate containing a steamed fish.

It was all because Yu Lihua said, "You're so thoughtful, you even brought a fish," that things turned out this way.

Xiao Yao felt guilty towards Zhao Xiaomei, but he could only try to make amends later.

It's hardest to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman. This Zhao Xiaomei is truly malicious, and I've fallen for her trap.

"Yingying, why don't you go out for a walk?" Yu Lihua openly sent Yu Luying away, not intending to let her share this delicious food.

Yu Luying glanced uneasily at her mother and Xiao Yao, then stood up and left.

Xiao Yao waited silently for Yu Lihua to finish her pre-meal prayers and pick up her chopsticks before he picked up his own.

"Please." "Please."

Ten minutes have passed since she came in, and apart from saying "How thoughtful of you to bring a fish," "Please," "Please," and "Yingying, why don't you go out for a stroll?", Yu Lihua hasn't said anything else.

However, Xiao Yao was not in a hurry and waited patiently, because he knew that this was a common conversational tactic used by adults.

Teacher Yao and Song Haijian, both junior high school homeroom teachers, all used a long silence before a conversation to create a sense of psychological intimidation.

It seems Yu Luying's mother is also a teacher? A university teacher? Or even a professor?

Xiao Yao wasn't in a hurry; he patiently waited to see what Yu Lihua was really up to.

"This fish is good," Yu Lihua praised.

"It's really good." Xiao Yao ate the fish with gusto, not because he was hungry, but because he felt that eating more would be more worthy of Zhao Xiaomei.

"I visited your school this morning," Yu Lihua finally got to the point.

Xiao Yao's heart clenched: "What did Teacher Song say?"

“Song Haijian isn’t at school,” Yu Lihua shook her head gently. “I’m going to find Lin Benliang.”

"Lin Ben...?"

“It’s your Director Lin,” Yu Lihua said with a kind expression. “Ah Lin, he used to be my student.”

"Oh, oh, oh!" Xiao Yao said.

“I talked to Ah Lin about the misunderstanding you had at the 7 Days Inn,” Yu Lihua said slowly, “and told Ah Lin everything that happened that day.”

"Ah Lin... uh, what did Director Lin say?"

“Ah Lin expressed his full understanding. He will communicate with your teacher Song about this matter and told me that I don’t need to worry about it anymore.”

"Then, so everything's alright?" Xiao Yao perked up. "Thank you, Teacher Yu, for helping to communicate and explain. Thank you, thank you."

Xiao Yao wanted to stand up and bow as a sign of politeness, but hesitated whether it was appropriate. Before he could figure it out, Yu Lihua had already stretched out her hand and made a "pressing" gesture downwards.

“You’re welcome,” Yu Lihua said slowly. “You should know that I didn’t do this for you.”

"I see."

"I only have this one daughter. I won't allow anyone to threaten her future or her reputation. You understand?"

"I understand." Xiao Yao thought for a moment, then added, "I'm just like you; I'd do anything to protect her... her."

Yu Lihua chuckled softly, the meaning of which was ambiguous.

"I thought that was the end of it, but then Ah Lin told me something... that surprised me even more."

"What's wrong now?" Xiao Yao panicked again.

"Your final exam results are out," Yu Lihua said without keeping everyone in suspense, "You and Yingying are first and second in the grade."

Xiao Yao grinned: "That's great? I told you there's no chance of repeating a year, right?"

Yu Lihua frowned: "We both know very well why you were able to get such a high score."

"Mm." Xiao Yao nodded.

“Yingying even lied to me, saying that the symbiosis only started after she had an epileptic seizure on her way to Yushan. She really thinks she can fool her mother,” Yu Lihua shook her head and sighed, “This child has never been able to lie since she was little.”

Xiao Yao chuckled awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

“Yingying doesn’t lie, just like you don’t cheat,” Yu Lihua pointed out.

"Cheating?" Xiao Yao asked, puzzled.

"The school is now investigating your cheating on the final exam. What are you going to do?" Yu Lihua asked him.

"What do you mean?" Xiao Yao was a little angry: "Can't I just do well on the test? If I do well, you'll accuse me of cheating?"

“You know best whether you cheated or not. What’s the difference between getting a high score this way and cheating?” Yu Lihua pointed out.

“There are still fundamental differences,” Xiao Yao retorted stubbornly. “What evidence does the school have that I cheated?”

"Evidence?" Yu Lihua sneered. "What were your scores on the midterm and final exams? Who would believe you if you said you didn't cheat?"

"This is a guilty verdict—"

“Schools are never courtrooms,” Yu Lihua’s voice rose several decibels: “I just don’t understand, if you can get a score of 60 and avoid repeating a grade, that’s fine. You can slowly improve your score in your second year of high school. Why do you have to get first place in the grade? What were you thinking?”

Xiao Yao remained silent, secretly annoyed, realizing that he hadn't handled the matter very smartly.

“…I didn’t think of that at the time,” Xiao Yao told Yu Lihua, “I just didn’t think about it at all, I just did as much as I could…”

“Now the school wants to investigate the fact that your and my daughter’s papers are identical. What do you suggest we do?” Yu Lihua put down her chopsticks and leaned back.

“Similar, roll?” Xiao Yao’s eyes widened.

“You scored just one point higher than Yingying, and all your mistakes were almost identical. Even your essays were nearly exactly the same. For the last question on the math exam, you both used the same calculus solution, which is university level material—and you both got it wrong at the same time. For the last translation question on the English exam, you…” Yu Lihua said in one breath.

"Wait a minute!" Xiao Yao interrupted Yu Lihua: "The essays are exactly the same? Putting everything else aside, I definitely wrote the essays myself, so why would she write them exactly the same as mine?"

"So you two are both fools!" Yu Lihua slapped the table in front of her angrily, then leaned over and tapped Xiao Yao on the forehead.

Xiao Yao didn't flinch, letting her do as she pleased.

"What's the point of you arguing here about whether it's your responsibility or Yingying's responsibility?" Yu Lihua said. "Are you really that irresponsible? The school is investigating the issue of your two exam papers being identical. What are you going to say? That Yingying stole the exam questions for you?"

"Understood. I stole the exam questions. If anyone should be punished, it should be me, Xiao Yao." Xiao Yao had already planned to take all the blame and not let Yu Luying be implicated.

“The college entrance examination papers are classified as top secret, you know? Even the final exams for regular high schools are classified as secret,” Yu Lihua gently stirred the fish on her plate with her chopsticks, separating the bones from the flesh. “If the school investigates, that would be the crime of stealing state secrets, punishable by five to ten years in prison…”

Xiao Yao's chopsticks fell to the floor with a "clatter" under the table. He bent down to pick them up, regretting that there hadn't been two thunderclaps earlier.