I Want Her to See Only Me - Chapter 10
Xia Xiuyin herself had not been taught normal education for ordinary people, so she naturally passed this unconventional approach onto Xia Yu.
The most notable example was that she only allotted Xia Yu two hours of study time each day, yet within that short span, Xia Yu could cover the same material other children learned in a week.
Three days later, Xia Yu was already reading stories from bilingual books aloud to Xia Xiuyin.
Such a rapid pace was in stark contrast to her meticulous patience when learning to write her name.
“Miss…isn’t she learning too fast?” Aunt Chen’s own education level was average, and her child’s school performance was likewise ordinary, so she couldn’t help her astonishment.
“It’s fine.” In the well-lit living room, soft sunlight streamed through the French windows, gently enveloping Xia Xiuyin’s profile and accentuating her delicate features. Dressed in comfortable clothing, Xia Xiuyin was sketching on a piece of white paper when she heard Aunt Chen’s footsteps approaching, at which she smiled and looked up. “Repetitive teaching is a burden on both of us.”
Aunt Chen prepared a plate of fruit and waited for Xia Xiuyin to tidy up the papers and pencils on the tea table. Then, she placed the ceramic dish with silverware onto it.
“Has that child… truly never received any form of education?” Aunt Chen asked, taking a seat across from Xia Xiuyin.
Xia Xiuyin held a cherry between her teeth, her glossy lips pressed against the succulent fruit, which glistened in the light. After swallowing, she shook her head. “She knows basic arithmetic and can write some common Chinese characters, but she doesn’t know what they mean or how to pronounce them… A’Yu must have unconsciously absorbed bits of information from her surroundings and committed them to memory.”
Aunt Chen listened, gripped by fear and astonishment. “How could such a sweet and obedient child have parents so cruel as to deny her an education?”
She dared not imagine why Xia Xiuyin would find Xia Yu in a trash bin, nor what the girl had endured before she met Xia Xiuyin.
Xia Xiuyin rested one hand on her chin, the other prodding at the avocado with a silver fork, her porcelain fingertips gleaming. “From the moment I found her, she no longer had parents.”
Aunt Chen was taken aback by the coldness in Xia Xiuyin’s words, but the young woman’s loosely curled hair draped elegantly down her shoulders, obscuring any hint of turmoil within her.
“Her household registration is being processed as we speak; she now carries the Xia surname, and will do so in the future as well.” Xia Xiuyin spoke with languid contentment. “I am her only family.”
Aunt Chen nodded, slightly uneasy. “With the young mistress taking care of her, A’Yu’s life will be worry-free from here on out.”
Raising a child for the Xia family was nothing more than feeding an extra mouth; money was a trifling concern.
Regardless of how Xia Yu’s future unfolded, she had been incredibly fortunate to meet Xia Xiuyin.
“What are you working on, Miss?” Aunt Chen asked.
“The design for a paper-cutting craft.” Xia Xiuyin squinted, her long lashes casting shadows on her delicate under-eye skin. “I’m making something to play with A’Yu.”
Aunt Chen was taken aback.
In truth, during previous vacations, Xia Xiuyin rarely stayed long in the villa. Instead, she used this time to fly around the world, learning new languages and fresh skills.
Even when her plans changed, she would still spend every moment with her computer or books, as if she wished to absorb knowledge and arm herself with every second of her life.
This was the first time Aunt Chen had seen Xia Xiuyin truly relax, willing to waste time on such a trivial craft.
The members of the Xia family tended to be one of two extremes: extreme indulgence or extreme discipline. Xia Xiuyin had always belonged to the latter.
“Miss, you should rest a little too, don’t overwork yourself,” Aunt Chen urged Xia Xiuyin after she finished clearing the fruit plate.
The young girl smiled. “Okay, thank you.”
In a guest room not too far away, the little fellow was taking an afternoon nap. Xia Yu’s voice was always gentle, but her sleeping appearance, cute and endearing, was likely to bring joy to anyone who saw her.
Xia Xiuyin imagined the delight on Xia Yu’s face when she saw the objects in her hands, and suddenly, even the most vexing summer heat became more bearable.
Xia Yu had no “bed grumpies” and remained sweet and gooey like a delicious cotton candy even when woken up by Xia Xiuyin. Half-awake, she padded off to the bathroom, tiny hand clutching her sister’s fingers, head still drooping. Xia Xiuyin had to stop every few steps lest she trip.
“Look what I’ve got here?” Xia Yu sat down as her sister spoke, and rubbed her sleepy eyes open.
The cartoonish image, designed for easy cutting, depicted a child with a round face and a pair of protective sleeves, sitting attentively on a stool and peeling green soybeans.
Xia Yu’s pupils shifted in the light, and her cheeks slowly turned red, followed by her delicate ears.
Once she fully woke, she timidly lifted a corner of the paper. “It’s me.”
Xia Yu’s hands were small, so Xia Xiuyin had found child-sized scissors for her.
This child had never played with such a toy before, so at first, she was hesitant to move her hands. With each snip of the scissors, her mouth made tiny sounds of concentration, careful and cautious lest she cut something wrong.
Watching from the side, Xia Xiuyin eventually set down the scissors and paper in her hands and smiled as she observed the girl for a while.
The small, pure voice was both interesting and adorable.
Engrossed in her own world of crafting, Xia Yu didn’t notice her sister’s attention. Her face was small; from Xia Xiuyin’s angle, all she could see was Xia Yu’s long lashes and her wrinkled nose.
Xia Yu cut very slowly and carefully, and soon enough, the two-headed figure took shape. She held it in her palm and presented it to Xia Xiuyin. “Sister…”
“Look.”
Xia Xiuyin studied the figure carefully; not a single cut was misaligned.
“A’Yu did a great job.”
Xia Yu beamed sweetly at the compliment, her eyes curving into Xia Xiuyin’s.
When Fang Duan burst through the door, both were startled. The servants chasing after him saw Xia Xiuyin calmly nod at them, and they relaxed, backing away.
Xia Xiuyin was reciting Tang poems with Xia Yu. The child had an astonishing memory; after two readings, Xia Yu could recite the poems, though some of the words were mumbled. As if she had discovered a rare treasure, Xia Xiuyin allowed Xia Yu to recite the poems with her, one after another, like a game of poetry.
Fang Duan’s sudden entrance made Xia Yu unconsciously clutch at Xia Xiuyin’s sleeve. As if even the touch of her clothing could soothe her.
Xia Xiuyin patted Xia Yu’s hand, then stood up and walked over. “Father, you’re home?”
Fang Duan didn’t remove his shoes, his eyes still slightly red. He had clearly been indulging himself outside. He studied Xia Xiuyin, who was dressed in loungewear, the soft fabric and baggy cuts making her seem harmless and gentle—but he knew full well that she could bare her fangs at any moment.
“Hmph,” he snorted. “I’m sorry I didn’t die out there, disappointing you.”
Xia Xiuyin didn’t mind, her lips curling into a warm smile. “Dad, I was worried about you.”
Fang Duan rubbed his temples in irritation; indeed, he had spent the night at a club, not getting much sleep. Upon returning home, he had to deal with Xia Xiuyin’s endless nagging, and now his head hurt like it was about to explode.
He pondered how to deal with this monster before him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Fang Duan caught a glimpse of the child kneeling by the window, her delicate figure framed by the sunlight streaming through the fine curtains, making her seem like a real-life little princess carved from jade.
Raising an eyebrow, Fang Duan chuckled. He had been partying hard these past two days and had actually forgotten Xia Yu existed.
“Hey, are you Xia Yu?” Fang Duan waved a hand, smiling. “Come here, Uncle hasn’t even seen you yet.”
Xia Yu’s eyes widened in fear as she turned to Xia Xiuyin in desperation.
The gaze Xia Xiuyin leveled at Fang Duan had already cooled, but she remained gentle when speaking to her little sister. “A’Yu, hold Sister’s hand.”
Like a frightened little animal, Xia Yu scurried behind Xia Xiuyin, burying her face in her waist, unwilling to even lift her eyes.
Fang Duan sat on the stairs, loosening his collar. One leg was bent, the other stretched out on the floor.
What a pretty face, even his careless gestures were pleasing to the eye.
“Fang Xiuyin, this isn’t funny anymore.” He sneered. “If she calls you ‘sister,’ well, legally…she’d still have to call me ‘dad.’ And what kind of daughter would walk away after seeing her own father?”
Fang Xiuyin had long stopped treating him like her father, but she continued to call him dad, solely to disgust him. Now, he used the same method, and it worked: Xia Xiuyin’s expression was indeed uncomfortable.
“Good little girl… Fang Yu… A’Yu?” Fang Duan seemed to enjoy this role-play.
Xia Yu remembered this man, his face, his voice. He had spoken ill of her sister, so he couldn’t be good. Some men who claimed to be a child’s father could never be trusted.
“Sister…” Xia Yu called out sadly; she feared this man, but even more so, she feared causing Xia Xiuyin trouble.
Xia Xiuyin squeezed her hand gently, reassuring her.
“Dad, if you want, I can call you that as many times as you’d like.” She faced off against Fang Duan. “Children don’t know these things; they won’t call out to strangers.”
Fang Duan found Xia Xiuyin’s protective attitude laughable, and he burst into laughter, which earned him a cautious look from Xia Xiuyin.
“Little girl, this is your last chance to call me daddy,” he said, turning toward Xia Yu with a taunting grin.
He grabbed onto the railing and walked up the stairs, but after only a few steps, he turned to look downward, his expression provocative. “Xia Xiuyin, stop acting like a people-pleaser. You can’t just pick up a kid and raise her as your little sister, then turn around and order me to get her a resident status.”
Xia Xiuyin’s hands tightened around Xia Yu’s arm; the older girl winced in pain, but she only looked at her sister with concern.
Xia Xiuyin pressed her lips together and stood upright.
“I’ll tell you right now, your mother is dead, and so is your sister. You deserve to have nobody love you or care for you.”
Fang Duan pointed at Xia Yu, his lips curling. “I’ve kindly found a new set of parents for her. They’ll treasure her and let her grow up properly.”
“And you—” Fang Duan’s gaze was venomous as he stared down at her, his expression disdainful. “You will always be a pathetic beggar.”