Chapter 143: Mom, Why Haven’t You Paid Yet?

Shen Cishu held Su Li’s hand, her eyes shimmering with moisture as she looked at Su Li, full of childlike curiosity.

Of course, Su Li felt she was being picky, but she still coaxed Shen Cishu gently:

“If you think this painting should be called Painting of the Kitchen Maid, then it can be called Painting of the Kitchen Maid.”

“After all, names are given by us humans. Once you name this painting, it gains its own meaning.”

Su Li’s tone was soft, and after speaking, she saw a faint smile appear on Shen Cishu’s face.

“Does Mom like painting? I want to paint with Mom.”

Shen Cishu stared at the painting before her as if it reminded her of something. She held Su Li’s hand tightly, her whole being brimming with anticipation.

“Mom definitely won’t refuse me, right?”

“After all, Mom has already agreed to Elder Sister’s request.”

Shen Cishu’s gaze was fixed on Su Li, but unconsciously, her fingertips dug gently into Su Li’s tender flesh.

“Alright.”

Su Li did not refuse.

Shen Cishu had already paid the agreed price, and providing service to her was something Su Li ought to do.

Once Su Li gave her consent, Shen Cishu withdrew her fingertips from the back of Su Li’s hand.

She grasped Su Li’s palm firmly and then led her out of the Art Museum.

Ever since she learned that this Art Museum belonged to that detestable Elder Sister, the entire place seemed filled with an irritating aura.

It wasn’t an atmosphere of art but one of disgust and nausea.

Su Li was led by Shen Cishu to a nearby Mall outside the Art Museum. Even though the Art Museum had its own dedicated Art Supply Store where one could buy various paints, brushes, canvases, and other materials, Shen Cishu refused to linger there.

Instead, she deliberately brought Su Li to a separate shop selling art supplies.

The Mall was crowded, and because of its proximity to the Art Museum, there were many art students stained with paint wandering around.

Su Li noticed that Shen Cishu didn’t seem to understand much about the differences in these supplies; she was wandering aimlessly and picking things randomly.

Su Li even noted that Shen Cishu only selected the most expensive items.

She didn’t think Shen Cishu’s impulsive shopping spree would result in actually using these items later.

But Su Li didn’t try to persuade her.

Shen Cishu was her client, and she wouldn’t do anything to spoil the mood.

Shen Cishu looked like a king surveying his territory, selecting concubines — whatever caught her eye went straight into the basket.

She never bothered to look at the cheaper, more cost-effective paints but only chose the pricier options.

Imported Oil Paints, Gilded Sable Brush Set, Decorative Palette, Brush Washing Cylinder, and French Linen Canvas.

Su Li roughly calculated that just this casual spending was over ten thousand yuan.

“Mom, let’s go.”

After finishing the selection, Shen Cishu followed behind Su Li with a satisfied smile on her face.

Her eyes were full of anticipation, as if she couldn’t wait to get home with her mom and start creating art.

Su Li glanced briefly toward where the shop clerk stood.

But she didn’t see Miss Cat.

Sure enough, not every workplace had Miss Cat around.

Still, Su Li guessed that Miss Cat was probably quietly working somewhere else at this moment.

The two queued up silently; Shen Cishu didn’t say a word all the way, holding the basket with one hand while gripping Su Li’s small hand with the other.

It wasn’t long before it was their turn to pay.

The clerk scanned each item, her eyes instinctively lingering on Su Li and Shen Cishu.

Customers buying such high-end supplies were rare.

Most buyers were students who usually sought out more cost-effective art materials.

“Total is twelve thousand yuan.”

The clerk said, looking at Su Li and Shen Cishu, but neither of them moved to pay.

Hearing the amount, many students and others waiting turned to look at them with surprise and envy.

Whether it was the Imported Oil Paints or the Gilded Sable Brush Set, these were things they usually couldn’t access.

Su Li’s gaze shifted to Shen Cishu, whose eyes were also fixed on her.

“Mom, why aren’t you paying yet? The people behind us have to wait a long time.”

Shen Cishu urged, cheeks slightly flushed, seemingly embarrassed at holding others up.

With the address “Mom” uttered, the rest of the crowd’s eyes focused even more on Su Li.

Some wondered how she could be so young.

Despite everyone staring at her, Su Li’s expression remained blank.

She looked at Shen Cishu, trying to read her expression.

She wasn’t sure if Shen Cishu would reimburse this cost.

Right now, Shen Cishu had fully assumed the role of a child.

Su Li’s choice here could greatly influence what would happen next.

This was a gamble.

If she refused to pay, Shen Cishu might immediately turn hostile and end the deal.

Though ending the deal wouldn’t affect Su Li much, considering the second-stage task assigned by Bai Huizi, spending over ten thousand yuan was insignificant.

Having spent so much time with Shen Cishu, reporting on her situation to Bai Huizi, Su Li might even receive extra compensation from Bai Huizi.

Paying this money herself meant she might lose over ten thousand yuan.

Su Li wasn’t the type to freeload, but since Shen Cishu and Bai Huizi had paid her upfront, she finally made her choice.

Su Li paid the amount on behalf of Shen Cishu.

“Mom is so good to me!”

Upon seeing the receipt, Shen Cishu’s face lit up with a joyful smile.

Like a child who had gotten a treasured toy, she excitedly carried the bags and hugged Su Li’s arm.

“Mom, let’s hurry home. I can’t wait to paint with you.”

Shen Cishu gripped Su Li’s arm tightly as they left the Mall. She looked at her.

“Mom, you’re not driving?”

Shen Cishu looked at Su Li, voice tinged with dissatisfaction.

“No, we’ll take a taxi home.”

Su Li’s tone remained unchanged; she knew she was going to spend more money.

But she was thankful she had Shen Cishu pay upfront before.

Otherwise, Shen Cishu might have tried to skip out.

“No, I don’t want to!”

“I don’t want to take a car; I want Mom to carry me home!!”

“I want to ride a horse home!!”

Shen Cishu shook her head, crying and throwing a tantrum, unwilling to leave.

“Mom, I want to ride a horse.”

Su Li showed no obvious reaction to Shen Cishu’s sudden demand.

She had encountered all sorts of strange clients and requests before.

Though Shen Cishu’s earlier demand that Su Li pay had left her speechless, she usually tried to accommodate most requests during transactions.

As for riding a horse…

Su Li really didn’t mind.

Only carrying Shen Cishu on her back would be quite physically demanding.

But it was only about physical effort.

“Alright.”

Su Li said softly, looking up at Shen Cishu, who was quite a bit taller than her.

For others, carrying someone many times their height might be impossible.

But for Su Li, it wasn’t a big deal.

She led Shen Cishu to a nearby set of steps and had her stand on them.

Soon after, Su Li felt a tightness around her neck.

Shen Cishu’s arms wrapped tightly around Su Li’s neck; her thighs pressed firmly, creating a full curve. Even through clothing, Su Li could feel the softness of her flesh.

Her calves were slender and straight, the lines smoothly tapering from the knees.

As Shen Cishu clung to Su Li’s back, her long legs intertwined like vines, and the faint sheen of skin beneath her skirt caught the light.

“Giddy-up~”

Shen Cishu hugged Su Li’s neck, really like she was riding a horse.

Feeling the squeeze against her back, Su Li hugged Shen Cishu’s thighs.

Even trying to free a hand to pull out her phone for navigation was extremely difficult.

She didn’t know how far she would have to carry her, but her stamina was solid.

The sunset’s afterglow dyed the street amber; the Mall’s glass walls reflected scattered golden light.

Paint-stained art students brushed past in small groups; the colors smeared on their clothes blurred softly in the twilight.

Su Li carried Shen Cishu through the crowd, their overlapping shadows stretched long.

Shen Cishu’s dangling calves swung lightly with Su Li’s steps; the skirt’s hem shimmered with a warm orange glow.

Yet, one was small and petite, the other plump and full-bodied—it looked utterly strange.

In the distance, the Art Museum’s spire softened against the sunset, nearby shops gradually lit warm yellow lights, blending with the dying sun into a golden-red haze.

Shen Cishu held tightly to Su Li’s neck, unconcerned if Su Li could breathe easily, as if letting go would make her mom disappear.

She felt this was the closest she could get to Mom.

Still, even so, she couldn’t hear Mom’s heartbeat.

After nearly twenty minutes, faint breathing came from behind.

Compared to her earlier fussing, Shen Cishu was much quieter on Su Li’s back.

Su Li was glad for the peace.

Thanks to her ample stamina, what seemed like torment or difficulty didn’t bother her.

As long as Shen Cishu could repay the cost of the art supplies, Su Li considered her a good client.

Of course, she wouldn’t mind if Shen Cishu didn’t reimburse her.

Someone else had already paid on Shen Cishu’s behalf, so Su Li was especially patient with this client.

She wouldn’t quarrel over money.

Besides, it was just physical labor, which Su Li found quite easy.

She could do physical work while thinking about other things—though she didn’t think there was much to ponder.

By the time Shen Cishu woke up, Su Li was already standing in front of her home.

The Art Museum wasn’t far from Shen Cishu’s residence.

Su Li suspected Bai Huizi had some motive to provoke Shen Cishu by choosing this location.

After all, if the Art Museum opened nearby, Shen Cishu could discover the situation from various channels.

“Mom, have we… have we made it home?”

Shen Cishu mumbled drowsily, her blurry eyes scanning around, then continued:

“This isn’t our home.”

She complained.

“This is our home.”

“No, no, it’s not!”

Shen Cishu tightened her grip around Su Li’s neck, shaking her body.

“How can Mom not even know where our home is?”

Su Li remained silent.

She started feeling around on Shen Cishu’s body and soon found the house key.

“Little Cishu has the key. This is our home.”

Su Li’s tone was calm but gentle.

She opened the front door and carried Shen Cishu inside.

Then, with a calm expression, she placed the paints and other supplies she had brought on the table.

“Mom, Mom, let’s paint together.”

Shen Cishu stopped arguing about whether this was home.

She spread the canvas she’d bought on the floor.

Then, opening all the Imported Oil Paints, her eyes scanned the boxes.

She used her hand as a brush, dipping into the paint and casually smearing it on the canvas.

“Why don’t you paint with me, Mom?”

Shen Cishu looked at Su Li with a plaintive expression.

She hurried over and smeared some paint on Su Li’s hand.

Today, Su Li wasn’t wearing anything fancy.

Even though she was accompanying Bai Huizi, her attire was casual enough that she didn’t have to worry about Shen Cishu messing up her clothes like last time.

Looking at the paint on their hands, although high-end, it was still somewhat irritating to the skin and likely to cause allergies.

But Su Li wasn’t afraid of allergies.

Whether Shen Cishu would react or not wasn’t her concern.

She lazily tapped and smeared paint on the canvas with her fingers.

Meanwhile, Shen Cishu was extremely focused on painting.

Watching Shen Cishu’s childish scribbles, Su Li guessed that Shen Cishu had little artistic talent.

She also hadn’t really made any effort in that area.

As for her dream of opening an Art Museum—

Maybe it was only because Bai Huizi owned one.

Perhaps Shen Cishu wanted to compete with Bai Huizi, which made her care about this.

But she never truly put any effort into it.

Whether Shen Cishu had worked hard or not wasn’t Su Li’s business.

She just wondered when this whole transaction would finally end.

“If it weren’t for Mom, maybe I’d already be a world-famous painter by now.”