“Hehe, even without relying on Dad and Sister, the two of us can live just fine.”
After Su Li’s praise, Shen Cishu’s face gradually broke into a smile, happily saying so.
Su Li nodded silently, saying nothing.
“So, does that mean Mom won’t have to contact Sister anymore?”
“The things Sister can give to Mom, I can give to Mom too.”
Shen Cishu held Su Li’s wrist, her expression full of hope as she looked at her.
Through her tight grip, Su Li could feel Shen Cishu’s nervousness.
“At least for now, Mom can stay by Little Su Li’s side.”
Hearing Su Li’s words, Shen Cishu squeezed her wrist even tighter.
“You still can’t forget her.”
Her tone was calm, making it impossible for Su Li to discern the emotion behind it.
But she could sense that Shen Cishu wasn’t happy at the moment.
“Mom, our game isn’t over yet, right?”
Shen Cishu said as her gaze wandered around the messy room.
The floor was smeared with paint in all sorts of colors—reds and blues mixed together like a spilled palette.
Several empty paint cans lay overturned in a corner, and one loosely sealed jar was oozing dark red liquid, staining the wooden floor like a crime scene.
Scattered books soaked in paint, their covers blurred into rainbow colors.
A golden-edged palette was wedged crookedly between the sofa cushions; the brush washing cylinder had tipped over, rolling beneath the coffee table, its ochre-stained brushes smearing the floor.
The worst was the wall, splattered with bright red paint that looked as if someone had thrown ketchup at it.
There wasn’t a single clean spot in the entire room, not even the ceiling, which was dotted with flecks of titanium white.
Stepping on the floor pulled up sticky threads, but she didn’t feel troubled—instead, a bright and excited smile spread across her face.
This room was like an artwork she had created.
A masterpiece born from her efforts!!
“Mom, didn’t I tell you I have artistic talent?”
“Look, look quickly! See how my work turned out!”
Shen Cishu excitedly shook Su Li’s arm, urging her to look at the indescribably chaotic room before them.
“Little Su Li is really amazing.”
Su Li gently praised, even though she knew deep down she wasn’t sincere.
But if Shen Cishu liked it, she wouldn’t try to change her mind.
Clients came with all kinds of personalities; she just went along with them, as long as the pay was right.
“Mom, Mom, come quickly.”
Shen Cishu grabbed Su Li’s wrist and pulled her up from the sofa.
Her painting canvases were already filled to the brim, but that didn’t stop her next creation.
Her art shouldn’t be confined to a small canvas.
The whole room, even the entire world, could be her canvas.
She believed she was born an artist, not meant to be restricted within this tiny room.
After Shen Cishu let go of her hand, Su Li quietly stood near the canvas area.
Like a parent watching their child play at home.
At this moment, Shen Cishu stopped as well, bent down to pick up paint from the floor, then slowly approached Su Li.
“Mom, you’ll play with me, right?”
She asked tentatively, and Su Li nodded.
Since Shen Cishu had paid her extra, she would accompany her to continue the game.
Receiving Su Li’s answer, Shen Cishu happily dipped her fingertips into the paint and started drawing on Su Li’s face.
“Little bear…”
“Lion…”
“Tiger…”
Muttering to herself as she smeared paint, Su Li stood like a model, completely still, allowing Shen Cishu to cover her body with colors.
“Huh, there’s no more space on your face to paint.”
Shen Cishu muttered, then pulled off the dress Su Li was wearing.
“Shhhrrp.”
A crisp sound echoed as Shen Cishu tore the dress off in one swift motion.
Though petite, Su Li’s figure was perfectly proportioned.
A slender waist led to straight legs, her fair skin visible through the torn skirt like the exposed bone beneath glazed porcelain.
Paints mottled her collarbone and shoulders; the stains of dark red and indigo only made the skin from neck to chest appear even whiter.
She stood quietly as Shen Cishu’s paint-covered fingers brushed over her bare skin.
Paint-streaked tears of titanium white still clung to her cheeks but could not mask the naturally cool contours of her brows and eyes.
Stray hairs stuck to her slightly sweaty forehead, and when she lifted her chin, a contradictory beauty emerged.
Fragile and delicate like gardenias battered by a storm, yet her calm gaze revealed an unbreakable resilience.
Su Li’s expression remained calm, though the brush of Shen Cishu’s fingers made her feel ticklish, she barely reacted.
Nor did she care what Shen Cishu painted on her.
As long as Shen Cishu was happy, Su Li didn’t mind what she drew.
“Mom, Mom, look, this is me and Mom.”
Shen Cishu’s voice rang softly in Su Li’s ear. Su Li’s gaze followed the voice.
Worried Su Li might not see clearly, Shen Cishu fetched a mirror from nearby and held it up beside her.
On her lower belly were two little figures—one larger holding the hand of a smaller one.
Su Li naturally understood what Shen Cishu meant, just as she had said.
Her Mom holding her hand.
With the ticklish sensation returning, Shen Cishu painted a dog beside the two figures.
“This is Sister.”
“That annoying bitch, Bai Huizi.”
“She can only be like a dog, spying on the life that Mom and I share.”
“As long as Mom and I live happily, it’s fine. The hateful Sister can’t affect our happiness.”
“Mom, am I right?”
Shen Cishu looked at Su Li, who calmly said:
“If Little Su Li hates Sister, then you don’t need to care about her at all.”
“No matter what decision Little Su Li makes, you are Mom’s daughter.”
“That will never change.”
Hearing Su Li’s words, Shen Cishu didn’t reply but viciously poked at the little dog she loathed.
As if stabbing the dog to death would make her hateful sister disappear.
Before long, Su Li’s lower belly was reddened by Shen Cishu’s poking.
“Looks like Little Su Li hates Mom too.”
“Do you want Mom to die with Sister, who you treat like a little dog?”
Su Li’s words made Shen Cishu quickly shake her head.
“I want the dog Sister to die, not Mom.”
“As long as Sister is gone, I can be with Mom forever.”
Saying this, she painted back and forth over Su Li’s belly with bright red paint.
As if declaring the little dog’s death sentence.
Su Li could feel how much Shen Cishu truly hated her sister.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t repeatedly draw and redraw over that painted dog.
Even though Su Li knew it was a futile effort.
But Shen Cishu in this state was little different from a child, so such childish behavior was understandable.
“Why, when Sister and I were both in Mom’s belly, didn’t I beat her to being born first?”
“No wonder they say a step slow leads to a lifetime slow. If I had been born before Sister, maybe everything would be different now.”
“If I were Sister, would Mom have taken me away from the Bai Family?”
Shen Cishu’s fingers traced over Su Li’s belly, murmuring to herself.
Su Li didn’t speak directly.
She really didn’t know how much older Bai Huizi was than Shen Cishu.
Although they looked very similar, they weren’t twins.
So maybe Shen Cishu wasn’t just a step behind—maybe she was many steps behind.
Of course, none of that really mattered.
It was just something Su Li thought about when bored.
Right now, she was like a living sculpture, allowing Shen Cishu to cover her with all kinds of paint.
“Mom, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Seeing Su Li’s silence, Shen Cishu stopped moving her hands and looked up at her, then gently waved her hand in front of Su Li.
“I don’t know either.”
“Mom took Little Su Li away from the Bai Family because she was afraid you were too young to adapt to life without Mom.”
“Little Su Li was so clingy back then.”
“Mom couldn’t bear to leave you alone in a strange environment.”
Su Li’s tone softened as she spoke.
She no longer cared about stepping on Shen Cishu’s sensitive spots.
Because she realized that mentioning Bai Huizi or her mother was likely to trigger her.
And now that she was playing the role of Shen Cishu’s Mom, stepping on sensitive spots was inevitable.
Better to step on all the landmines now so they could be avoided later.
“Strange environment?”
Shen Cishu paused in surprise.
“You say strange environment?”
“How could it be strange?”
“The Bai Family is Dad’s family after all.”
“How could I feel strange in my own father’s home?”
“Even if Mom wasn’t there, there’d be many servants to take care of me.”
“I should live like a Princess. How could that make anyone worry?”
“Staying with Mom, hungry one meal, full the next, is even more dangerous, right?”
“Honestly, you’re just worrying needlessly.”
“Your wild thoughts made me end up living like this!”
Shen Cishu glared fiercely at Su Li, her eyes gradually reddening.
Angrily, she grabbed paint and threw it directly at Su Li.
The paint box hit Su Li’s fair skin, leaving a red mark; the paint inside tangled over her body like a spiderweb, exploding into bright scarlet.
Yet Su Li didn’t even blink.
“I’m sorry, Little Su Li.”
“It was Mom’s fault for not thinking things through.”
Su Li’s voice was calm.
She realized their conversations were like a vicious cycle.
Touch a sensitive spot, Shen Cishu rages; she apologizes.
Shen Cishu becomes angrier, then overwhelmed by guilt, calming down.
Then she clings to Su Li again like before.
Sometimes suddenly breaking character as the child in the roleplay.
Ending the transaction often required Shen Cishu to exit this childlike state.
Su Li was slowly becoming aware of this.
Every time their sessions ended, it was with Shen Cishu telling her to leave.
“Apologies, always apologies!”
“It’s always apologies, that’s all you ever do.”
“Why, why won’t you even try to comfort me?”
Shen Cishu pounded her fists on Su Li, who watched her emotional instability.
In just one day, Shen Cishu’s mood fluctuated wildly, impossible to predict.
“Mom remembers Little Su Li used to be scared of Big Thunder the most. The Bai Family’s house was too big; Mom worried you’d cry if you couldn’t find her at night.”
“The servants were only paid to work, they didn’t really care about Little Su Li.”
“You always said, ‘Mom’s embrace is sweeter than the servants’ cakes.’ How could Mom bear to leave you alone?”
“Besides, Mom only took Little Su Li away from the Bai Family because you were too young… Mom couldn’t bear to leave you in a strange place.”
Su Li’s tone was gentle as she let Shen Cishu vent on her without comforting her immediately.
If she could make Shen Cishu regain reason and leave sooner, it would be easier for her.
She wouldn’t return the pay.
But the struggle made Shen Cishu more dependent on her, allowing them to continue working together.
Only this way could she better complete the task Bai Huizi assigned and earn more money.
“Mom is always like this, acting like she’s doing what’s best for me, making me feel guilty.”
“But the one at fault is Mom, not me.”
“Mom is just too despicable.”
Shen Cishu said, slowing her punches until they stopped.
Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at Su Li.
“Mom is just too cruel, always like this, always like this.”
Muttering to herself, she finally buried her face in Su Li’s embrace and began to cry loudly.
Su Li stroked her head silently, letting Shen Cishu’s emotions calm naturally.
No one knew how much time passed until the sobbing gradually ceased.
Then Shen Cishu suddenly pushed her away hard.
“Get out, just get out! I don’t want to see you!”
Her gaze was icy, staring at Su Li like a stranger.