Volume 1 Chapter 177
by Need_More_SleepVolume 1 + Chapter 177: Mother
“Whew, finally managed to bluff our way through.”
Qianzhi let out a small sigh of relief, a faint, barely-there smile playing on her lips, as if she had just extricated herself from a tricky situation.
She raised a hand and patted her chest lightly, trying to calm her emotions. Then her gaze turned to Vivian standing before her, but she couldn’t help frowning slightly.
“My name is Qianzhi. Yours is An Wei, right?”
She asked casually, then added, as if suddenly remembering something, “Oh, right, you can’t speak… Then just nod to answer me.”
Her voice didn’t carry any particular emotion, but those clear eyes held a scrutinizing look as they carefully examined the slightly flustered young girl before her.
Vivian stood rooted to the spot, her whole body seeming somewhat stiff, as if her inner thoughts had been seen through. Her fingers unconsciously tightened a bit on the hem of her clothes.
She nodded gently, lowering her eyes slightly, trying to avoid meeting Qianzhi’s gaze. Yet she could clearly feel Qianzhi’s eyes resting on her.
It was a gaze that made her involuntarily tense up, even speeding up her heartbeat.
How could she not recognize the fair-skinned, delicate young girl before her?
The young lady of the Lorraine family, a figure coddled like the stars and the moon, born to stand at heights she could never reach.
And she… Her own identity simply didn’t allow her to have any connection with Qianzhi.
Vivian’s gaze trembled slightly, instinctively averting her eyes. But just meeting Qianzhi’s look was enough to make her feel an innate fear, terrified the other might recognize her, terrified all her careful scheming would be laid bare by those sharp eyes.
“Well then, I think I understand. What you did wasn’t very good.”
Qianzhi sighed softly. Hearing her words, Vivian also instinctively lowered her head.
She knew Qianzhi was talking about her secretly trying to take Eve’s stockings. After all, she was the one at fault…
And Qianzhi had also helped her out of the situation, otherwise, she really wouldn’t have known how to explain herself.
“If you wanted Miss Eve’s stockings, you could have just taken them properly, while she wasn’t paying attention.”
“Getting caught like this makes things really difficult to handle.”
Qianzhi lowered her voice, sounding like an experienced senior passing on wisdom to a newcomer.
“Also, after you get them, just have a little experience. Smell them and then put them back, so you don’t get caught. We need sustainable development, remember, we can’t drain the pond to catch all the fish.”
“Like today, Miss Eve’s freshly taken-off stockings are certainly eye-catching, but you absolutely cannot take them away. If it weren’t for me, would you have secretly pocketed them?”
Vivian listened to Qianzhi’s words. She understood each individual word, yet when strung together like this, she couldn’t make sense of them at all.
Her mind short-circuited slightly. She felt as if she had been suddenly dragged into some inexplicable conspiracy.
Huh?
She instinctively let out a quiet sound of confusion in her heart. She was in a complete state of bewilderment, her eyes filled with perplexity and incomprehension.
Where exactly had things gone wrong? How had she suddenly become a fellow conspirator?
She even wondered what on earth was going on in this woman’s mind. When had they ever established this unspoken “consensus”?
However, Qianzhi looked perfectly justified as she continued, “If you had just taken them directly and Miss Eve found out, she might not casually leave them lying around for us to pick up later.”
Her tone was certain, as if this was the most crucial issue.
“It’s clear you also genuinely like Miss Eve.”
The corner of Qianzhi’s mouth lifted slightly, carrying a hint of speculation and conviction. “Alright then, let’s cooperate. Cover for each other, and share opportunities in the future! That way, it’s a win-win. How about it? If you agree, just nod.”
Although Vivian hadn’t understood the meaning of Qianzhi’s entire speech at all, perhaps due to a conditioned reflex, or perhaps because the other’s tone was too assured, she actually found herself nodding instinctively, as if being led by the nose.
“Mhm, that’s right.”
Seeing this, Qianzhi revealed a satisfied smile, her tone rather lighthearted. She even sounded a bit smug. “From now on, here, you’re under my wing.”
As she spoke, she reached out and patted Vivian’s shoulder. The force wasn’t heavy, but that overly familiar attitude was somewhat baffling.
Just as Vivian hadn’t yet processed what was happening, a familiar voice suddenly came from the direction of the kitchen.
“Zhi-Zhi, could you come to the kitchen and give me a hand?”
Eve leaned out, a note of helplessness in her tone.
To be honest, she really didn’t dare let Leah into the kitchen. That child might have extraordinary talents, but her cooking skills were an absolute disaster. But right now, the kids were waiting to eat. She really had no other choice but to ask Qianzhi for help.
“Oh, okay, I’m coming!”
Qianzhi, hearing Eve call her, immediately and without hesitation agreed, even looking a bit delighted as she strode towards the kitchen, her steps light and quick like a happy little fawn.
In the living room, only Vivian remained standing there, still somewhat dazed, not quite understanding what had just transpired.
And at the same time, the stockings Eve had casually tossed into the corner still lay there quietly, unnoticed by anyone.
Vivian’s gaze fixed tightly on that black stocking. Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened by half a beat, an indescribable emotion churning in her heart. She just felt a bit guilty, even lightening her breath, as if afraid someone might notice her actions.
She instinctively looked around, her eyes quickly sweeping every corner of the living room. Only after confirming no one was paying attention to her did she cautiously reach out her hand again, her movements slow and careful, as if doing something underhanded, towards the black stocking.
When she, taking advantage of everyone’s inattention, quietly picked up the stocking and gently brought it to her nose for a careful sniff, a familiar fragrance instantly invaded her nostrils. At that moment, her body stiffened slightly, and the doubts in her heart found a definite answer at this moment.
She raised her head, her gaze involuntarily turning towards the kitchen. Eve was there, busy, her slender silhouette looking particularly soft under the lights.
Vivian’s gaze fixed on that figure. The longer she looked, the more familiar it seemed, as if the image that had appeared in her dreams countless times over the years was gradually overlapping with the reality before her.
Her lips trembled slightly, her throat feeling tight, as if blocked by something. Finally, unable to hold back, she softly spoke up, gently uttering a single word: “Mom…”
The voice was extremely soft, even she herself could barely hear it. But as soon as the word left her lips, the rims of her eyes turned slightly red, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
There was no mistake. Absolutely no mistake.
Vivian had lived with Eve for over a decade. Even after two years apart, she wouldn’t misidentify her. This scent, this comforting fragrance, had accompanied her through countless nights. Even though Eve had been gone for two years, she still often smelled this familiar scent in her dreams, as if she had never left… and in fact, she had indeed never truly left…
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