A Stolen Romance - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Sister

“You want to be my sworn sister!”

Shi Yuning replied loudly and with absolute confidence. After saying that, she gave a little laugh, feeling great about herself for instantly understanding Xie Zhaoran’s feelings.

She let out a hiccup and held up her wine jar with both hands, clinking it against Xie Zhaoran’s. With a grand flourish, she declared, “No problem! Let’s become sworn sisters tonight!”

Shi Yuning’s mouth was stretched wide in a joyful smile. Since she was a child, she had always envied families with many sisters. Unfortunately, her mother only had her. Being an only child could be a little lonely.

And! If she had a beautiful and talented older sister like Xie Zhaoran, Shi Yuning felt she would wake up laughing from her dreams!

“I’ve always wanted an older sister. Hee-hee, older sister, older sister.” Shi Yuning’s mouth was almost at her ears. She swayed unsteadily and stood up.

“I never even dared to dream of having such a beautiful older sister. If Tu Chunhua found out, she’d praise me for being so capable.”

Shi Yuning laughed happily to herself. She swayed and looked at the motionless Xie Zhaoran. Assuming she was just shy, she enthusiastically invited her, “Let’s, hic, become sworn sisters tonight under the moon, hic~”

Shi Yuning was clearly very drunk. Her words were slurred and disjointed, but it didn’t stop Xie Zhaoran from understanding her meaning. Shi Yuning actually thought she wanted to be her sister…

For the first time, Xie Zhaoran felt a sense of powerlessness when dealing with someone. She was both exasperated and amused.

Shi Yuning continued to pull at Xie Zhaoran’s wrist, swaying and trying to get her to stand up to perform the ritual.

Xie Zhaoran looked at the wrist she was gripping. She turned her hand, grabbed Shi Yuning’s plump hand, and with a little force, pulled her back down to a sitting position.

“Be careful.”

They were on a rooftop. Shi Yuning swaying like that was truly frightening.

And infuriating!

Xie Zhaoran really wanted to crack open this little donkey’s head to see how she came to that conclusion!

“What the hell with sisters, you ungrateful little thing. Who wants to be your sister!” Xie Zhaoran couldn’t be bothered to maintain her gentle facade. She squeezed Shi Yuning’s happily smiling mouth.

Shi Yuning wasn’t angry. She leaned into Xie Zhaoran’s hand, offering her flushed cheek and rubbing it against Xie Zhaoran’s cool hand.

Shi Yuning felt so comfortable. She always got flushed easily when she drank, and her face would get as hot as a boiled egg. Xie Zhaoran’s cool hand was perfect for cooling her down.

“Older sister, beautiful older sister, my wonderful older sister,” Shi Yuning said happily to herself. Her warm head slowly followed the source of the coolness, gradually rubbing against Xie Zhaoran’s shoulder.

Her head rested in Xie Zhaoran’s collarbone. She blinked and looked at Xie Zhaoran, who was close by.

“Hee-hee, you’re so beautiful.”

Shi Yuning giggled and reached out a round finger to poke Xie Zhaoran’s slender cheek. “Is it okay? Will you be my older sister~”

Her actions were bold and uninhibited, and her soft voice, laced with the scent of alcohol, took on a seductive quality that she was completely unaware of.

Xie Zhaoran’s body stiffened. She didn’t dare to move. She felt that if she just turned her head slightly, she would be able to touch the person beside her.

Shi Yuning’s breath, when she spoke, was blowing directly on her neck, making her tingle.

The person beside her was still oblivious. As if she found her comfortable, she rubbed against her again, half of her body now practically hanging on Xie Zhaoran.

She kept mumbling under her breath, a string of ‘older sister’s’ that sounded incredibly intimate. Each word’s rising tone was like a feather, gently tickling Xie Zhaoran’s heart and making her itch with desire.

This was going to be the death of her. Did this little donkey know that what she was doing was akin to a donkey becoming a mischievous spirit?

What did this little imp want to do?

Xie Zhaoran felt the breath on the side of her neck getting warmer and warmer, and the source of the heat was getting closer and closer.

Suddenly, all was silent. Even the wind seemed to have stopped.

A gentle touch lightly pressed against the skin of Xie Zhaoran’s neck, just below her ear.

Starting from that single point, a fire instantly ignited throughout her entire body, making her head spin.

Did she just kiss me?

She just kissed me!

Xie Zhaoran’s limbs were stiff. She didn’t dare to move her head and stared straight ahead. Carefully, she set the wine jar in her hand down before she dared to speak.

“What are you doing?”

“Hmm?”

“Why did you kiss me?”

Xie Zhaoran sat up straight, her gaze fixed on the distance. It was as if the flowing clouds had stopped.

The moonlight tonight was also hazy, making even the clouds seem to have a color.

She waited for a while but received no response from the person beside her.

Xie Zhaoran softly called, “Miss Shi?”

Still no response.

“Shi Yuning?”

“Yu… Ning…?”

Xie Zhaoran held her breath, waiting for a response, but all that answered her was the increasingly heavy and steady breathing on her neck.

She stiffly turned her neck and looked at the person beside her.

Seeing the woman resting against her collarbone without moving, Xie Zhaoran reached out and gently moved her head up a little.

When she saw her face, she couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.

Shi Yuning’s lips, which were red even without lipstick, were slightly parted. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her breathing was even. She was asleep.

Xie Zhaoran let out a heavy sigh, let go of her head, and allowed her to rest against her collarbone again.

“What kind of sister is this? This is a little troublemaker.”

Xie Zhaoran carefully pulled the tottering wine jar from Shi Yuning’s hand. She held it and felt that it was half-empty. No wonder she was drunk; the wine had a strong kick.

She placed the jar next to her own. With one hand supporting Shi Yuning and the other wrapped around her knees, she lifted her up steadily.

She looked at the two jars of wine standing side-by-side, which seemed to glow in the moonlight. Xie Zhaoran chuckled softly, her lips curling into a slight smile, and with a few leaps, she carried the girl off the rooftop.

Xie Zhaoran had to prevent Shi Yuning’s hands from grabbing at her and carefully avoid people and animals. Only then was she able to quietly and safely bring Shi Yuning home.

After placing her safely on Shi Yuning’s elaborate bed, Xie Zhaoran’s undershirt was soaked.

She watched as the seemingly oblivious Shi Yuning, once on the bed, knew how to pull the blanket over herself. For a moment, Xie Zhaoran wondered if Shi Yuning was deliberately acting.

She stood at the head of the bed for a while before she was certain that the girl was truly asleep.

The blanket only covered her upper body, leaving her butt exposed.

Xie Zhaoran let out a soft laugh and gave it a light slap.

“You little idiot.”

She pulled the blanket, which Shi Yuning was clutching in her round hands, and tucked her completely into it, folding the corners securely.

After listening to her happy snores for a while, Xie Zhaoran slowly leaned down. She brushed away the hair that was draped over Shi Yuning’s ear and gently kissed her.

…

The next day, Shi Yuning woke up to a chorus of complaints.

“Miss, you can’t sleep any longer. If you don’t eat breakfast, you can’t miss lunch too.”

Shi Yuning scratched her neck and pulled the blanket over her head, trying to escape the annoying noise.

Suddenly, her head felt cold, and then her body felt cold.

She forced her eyes open. Xiao Liu’er had pulled the entire blanket off, leaving her exposed on the bed.

Shi Yuning woke up instantly, not from the cold, but from fright.

She quickly looked at her body. She remembered that she had gone out with Xie Zhaoran in a black outfit. Had she fallen asleep without changing?

Then wouldn’t Xiao Liu’er have found out?

Shi Yuning’s eyes widened. She blinked hard and saw that she was wearing her usual nightclothes. What was going on?

Thinking about it made her head hurt. What had happened last night?

She only remembered going out with Xie Zhaoran.

Xiao Liu’er saw Shi Yuning clutching her head and wondered if she was sick. She reached out and felt Shi Yuning’s forehead. She sighed in relief when she found no fever.

“Miss, you can’t sleep anymore. The madam said you can sleep until lunchtime at the latest. Hurry and get washed up so we can serve lunch.”

Xiao Liu’er was a maid Shi Yuning had bought for herself. Shi Yuning didn’t treat her like a servant, and she was more fond of Shi Yuning than she was in awe of her. She knew that Shi Yuning liked to sleep in, and no one in the mansion was hard on her. But if she missed lunch as well, it wouldn’t be good for her health.

Xiao Liu’er never spoiled Shi Yuning on this matter. She pulled her up from the bed and pressed her down in front of the dressing table.

As she helped Shi Yuning wash up, she told her about the madam’s inquiries that morning.

“Oh, what’s this?”

Shi Yuning had her eyes closed, trying to remember what happened yesterday. She had some vague memories, but they weren’t clear. Her train of thought was interrupted again by Xiao Liu’er’s exclamation.

“What’s wrong?”

Xiao Liu’er carefully looked at the area behind Shi Yuning’s ear and asked in confusion, “Miss, were there any mosquitoes last night?”

Shi Yuning shook her head. “I don’t remember any mosquitoes, and it’s not the season for them yet.”

Xiao Liu’er also felt it was too early for mosquitoes. She gently poked the reddish skin behind Shi Yuning’s ear. “This spot looks like a mosquito bite. Does it itch, Miss?”

Shi Yuning was very surprised. She reached up and scratched it, but it didn’t itch.

“Maybe some other bug bit me.”

Xiao Liu’er nodded in agreement, put the thought out of her mind, and quickly helped Shi Yuning wash up.

Shi Yuning’s mind was still in a fog as she tried to recall. She remembered that Xie Zhaoran had taken her to Prince Yu’s mansion and that they had beaten up Prince Yu.

“Oh, right, Xiao Liu’er. Is there any fresh gossip on the streets today?”

Xiao Liu’er continued braiding Shi Yuning’s hair without stopping. She said with a smile, “There is, and it’s a big deal!”

“The renowned Prince Yu was ambushed by ruffians last night. I heard they broke one of his legs.”

“The common people on the streets are as happy as if it were the New Year. They’re all saying those weren’t ruffians, but great heroes who specialize in punishing the wicked.”

Shi Yuning straightened her back at the news, her eyes shining with pride.

“What else did the people say?”

Xiao Liu’er didn’t continue. She lowered her voice. “Miss, you shouldn’t talk about this. The authorities are out everywhere looking for the culprits. The madam specifically told us not to discuss it and to watch you and make sure you stay home for the next few days.”

Shi Yuning was a little disappointed. She planned to find a chance to go to the streets herself to hear what the people were saying.

…

At the Eastern Palace, in the Yu Ning Palace, which had been closed for a long time, a guest arrived today.

The Grand Princess, dressed in silver armor, had come to the Eastern Palace without even having time to change. When she saw Xie Zhaoran, she immediately said, “You did it, didn’t you?”

Xie Zhaoran instantly knew what Xiao Liju was talking about and didn’t deny it.

“I did. What about it?”

Xiao Liju’s brows furrowed slightly. “Why be so childish? You’re not the type to act on impulse.”

“I just didn’t want to hold back. Sister, you don’t need to worry. It won’t affect our plans.”

Xiao Liju hadn’t come to reprimand her. She was just worried about Xie Zhaoran. Seeing that she had a plan, she didn’t say any more and instead asked about another matter that was on her mind.

“Where’s that person you’re in love with? Why didn’t you bring her to see me?”

Xie Zhaoran smiled and leaned back against the golden silk pillow. She slowly picked up a longan from a tall, celadon plate with a mountain and river pattern on a small side table.

With her long, beautiful fingers, she slowly peeled the skin.

“Don’t you dare scare her.”

Xiao Liju sounded as if she had heard a joke. “She wasn’t scared of you. How could she be scared of me?”

Xie Zhaoran finished peeling the longan and slowly put it in her mouth.

“I’ll pretend to be nice. I definitely won’t scare her.”

Xiao Liju felt that in the six months they hadn’t seen each other, Xie Zhaoran’s audacity had grown thicker.

She wondered what kind of woman could catch her eye.

Seeing that Xiao Liju was genuinely curious and concerned about her, Xie Zhaoran smiled faintly and said, “The Dragon Boat Festival banquet is in two days. You’ll be able to see her then.”

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