My Wife Pretends to be Poor Everyday

Chapter 12

Yu Siling froze, quickly standing up and folding her chair.

Before she could act further, Li Yueyun moved even faster. She grabbed the tablecloth, rolled all the items into it, slung it over her shoulder, and hoisted up the table with one hand. The other hand grabbed Yu Siling's wrist.

"Run!"

"Stop running!" a female city inspector shouted, chasing after them.

Yu Siling had never experienced such chaos before. Her heart raced as she followed Li Yueyun, sneaking glances over her shoulder to check the distance.

While distracted, she was suddenly yanked into a narrow alley. Reflexively, she let out a startled yelp, but her mouth was immediately covered by a hand.

"Shh."

The two hid around the corner. Li Yueyun peeked out to check the street, then released her hand and gestured for silence. Yu Siling nodded obediently.

"Stop! Don't run!" The inspector's voice grew closer as she entered the alley.

Yu Siling's heart pounded in her chest. She glanced nervously at Li Yueyun, trying to communicate with her eyes.

Li Yueyun glanced down at her, mouthing silently: "Don't worry."

At that moment, Li Yueyun suddenly wrapped her arms around Yu Siling, hiding the bundled items behind her back.

Yu Siling found herself encased in warmth, feeling the soft rhythm of breaths against her neck. Despite the closeness, Li Yueyun kept a slight distance, maintaining a considerate space.

Guessing her intention, Yu Siling also extended her arms to hug back, burying her face to conceal it while leaving only her bright eyes peeking out nervously toward the alley. She held her breath.

Moments later, the inspector passed by, her peripheral vision catching the pair embracing. Not suspicious, she continued down the alley.

As the inspector's figure disappeared, Yu Siling finally exhaled, letting out a giggle of relief.

Li Yueyun released her hold, her lips curling into a soft smile as she watched Yu Siling's laughter.

The alley's streetlight flickered on, illuminating their flushed faces. Their eyes met briefly before they both looked away.

Yu Siling discreetly touched her warm cheeks while Li Yueyun concealed the complex emotions in her gaze.

After a pause, Yu Siling noticed Li Yueyun still holding the items and reached out. "Is that heavy?"

"Not at all," Li Yueyun replied smoothly, effortlessly reclaiming the load. Her calm strength earned a look of admiration from Yu Siling, and she couldn't resist puffing her chest slightly.

Yu Siling's awe was genuine. This must be what it means to be an independent, capable woman, she thought. A regular day at the construction site must make this feel like nothing.

"You're amazing!" Yu Siling shared the load as they walked back toward the main road. "Not only can you carry so much, but you're also super quick on your feet. That sharp reaction earlier—I'm in total awe. Do you have experience with this kind of thing?"

"Um..." Li Yueyun glanced at her. Could she admit that her impressive speed came purely from wanting to save the girl from embarrassment if caught? Probably not—the younger generation had their pride, after all.

She decided to go along with it, nodding. "Yeah, I've run a stall before."

"Really? What did you sell?"