After Rebirth, I Married the Great Demon King

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 She’s Just a Poor Little Thing

Yun Shifei turned her head to look at Cheng Lie.

Meeting those pitch-black, deep eyes.

Cold, harsh, sinister, with not a trace of light.

Was it Cheng Lie who just spoke?

"You told me not to meddle in other people’s business?" Yun Shifei couldn’t help but murmur as she repeated his words.

She was genuinely surprised, as she had never heard him speak before.

Cheng Lie, however, said nothing else. He pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze to the textbook.

It shouldn’t be a hallucination, right?

But then again, it made sense. Cheng Lie’s condition wasn’t particularly severe, and autism didn’t mean he was mute. Why couldn’t he talk?

But the first words he chose to say were to tell her not to meddle?

In that moment, Yun Shifei felt an indescribable heaviness in her heart.

This boy was like a hedgehog, wrapping himself in sharp quills, defending against the world outside.

He wasn’t truly hostile; he was just trying to protect himself, wasn’t he?

If he were truly bad, when he saw her earlier today, he wouldn’t have stopped his car to help her.

And he wouldn’t have had his driver take her to the hospital.

Although throughout the process, it was the driver who spoke to her, Yun Shifei wasn’t ignorant of the rules in wealthy families.

Without Cheng Lie’s tacit approval, how could the driver possibly have stepped in to help?

The more she thought about it, the more convinced Yun Shifei became about her conclusion.

She couldn’t help but lean closer to Cheng Lie and said to him, "I happen to love meddling in other people’s business, especially yours."

After speaking, Yun Shifei didn’t wait for Cheng Lie’s reaction and immediately returned to her seat.

Cheng Lie didn’t look up, and his expression remained as stoic as before.

But his hand, as it hovered above the textbook, stiffened slightly and didn’t turn the page for a long time.

Returning to her seat, Yun Shifei realized with alarm what she had just said.

Had she really spoken to the future Great Demon King like that?

When had she become so daring?

She couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Cheng Lie. The boy’s gaze remained lowered, his posture unchanged.

He probably wouldn’t get angry, right?

But she also felt that she might have acted impulsively.

Cheng Lie told her not to meddle. Wouldn’t it be easier for her to just leave him alone?

After all, she hated trouble the most.

Still, thinking about how he was always being bullied, she couldn’t resist stepping in to help him.

Perhaps, it was because she felt that their situations were somewhat alike.

She might have been the Yun Family’s biological daughter, but she was still the outsider. Everyone assumed she was here to take Yun Sisi’s place, so no one welcomed her. After being here for a month, she still hadn’t made any friends.

And Cheng Lie—although his family treated him well—was just as lonely inside, as if he were an outsider too.

In a sense, they were the same kind of people.

So naturally, they were drawn together, seeking warmth in the midst of their shared solitude.

No matter what might happen in the future, for now, Cheng Lie was just a pitiable boy.

...

At the Yun Family residence.

Yun Shifei had just returned home after class when she heard the house buzzing with lively chatter.

Xu Ya’s voice, Yun Tiancheng’s hearty laughter, and Yun Sisi’s joyful, birdlike tones filled the air.

"Mom, you promised to take me to the movies. Don’t break your promise, okay?"

"Mom always keeps her word."

"Dad also promised earlier to buy me a dress. I don’t want the dress anymore; I just hope Dad can work less and spend more time with me."

"Sisi, you’re such a good girl," Yun Tiancheng’s pleased voice interjected.

Wasn’t Yun Tiancheng supposed to be on a business trip? How had he returned so soon?

As if in response to Yun Shifei’s thoughts, Yun Sisi said, "Dad, you’re amazing. You even ended your trip early to surprise me and watch my performance. I love you so much."

The coquettish tone and pampered affection—only someone like Yun Sisi, raised as a little princess her whole life, could pull that off.