An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 15

Qi Nianshu gave her aching left leg a little wiggle to show she wasn’t lying.

Crystal teardrops still clung to her lashes, and the tip of her nose was bright red. She looked exactly like a wounded little rabbit.

Qi Shu knelt down, her warm palm gently cupping Nianshu’s ankle, feeling around. “Here?”

Nianshu didn’t know if it was because Qi Shu had touched the sprain, or if it was because the look in Qi Shu’s eyes was simply too gentle. Her tears began to fall even harder.

While her heart harbored such “unseemly” thoughts, Qi Shu continued to protect and cherish her without the slightest reservation.

“It hurts…” she choked out, her voice thick with a nasal trill. “Right there, that’s where I twisted it.”

“Can you walk?”

Qi Shu remained half-knelt on the floor, looking up at her. With her back to the room’s light, Qi Shu’s eyes were filled with nothing but worry.

Nianshu sniffled and tried to put her left foot down to take a step. A piercing pain shot through her instantly. She hissed, her body swaying as she nearly fell again.

Qi Shu was quick, steadying Nianshu’s arm with one hand while the other naturally reached up to wipe away the tears on her face. Her movements were impossibly tender. “Stand still.”

Before Nianshu could react, she was swept off her feet into a bridal carry.

The sensation of being suspended in mid-air startled her, and she instinctively threw her arms around Qi Shu’s neck. She could clearly feel the strength in Qi Shu’s arms, firmly supporting the bend of her knees. The heat from Qi Shu’s palms seeped through her nightgown, burning all the way to her heart.

Nianshu stared blankly at Qi Shu’s profile. In that moment, she forgot to breathe, and she forgot to struggle.

It only took two steps for Qi Shu to reach the bed, where she carefully set Nianshu down. Once she was settled, Qi Shu straightened up to leave.

Panic flared in Nianshu’s chest, and she instinctively grabbed the hem of Qi Shu’s shirt. “Where are you going?”

Qi Shu gave her a somewhat puzzled look. “To get medicine. Otherwise, it’ll be even more swollen by morning.”

“Oh.”

Realizing she was being overly tense, Nianshu sheepishly let go and sat obediently on the bed.

Qi Shu returned quickly with medicinal oil and cotton swabs. She sat at the edge of the bed and switched on the small nightlight. The warm yellow glow fanned out, enveloping Qi Shu in a soft halo of light.

Squatting by the bed, Qi Shu held Nianshu’s ankle and gently eased the slipper off her foot.

The ankle was already red and beginning to show signs of bruising, causing Qi Shu’s brow to furrow again.

“Bear with me, this might hurt a bit,” Qi Shu said. She poured some oil into her palm and rubbed her hands together. Once her palms were warm, she carefully pressed them against the ankle.

Her fingertips, carrying the coolness of the oil and the warmth of her skin, began to knead the swollen area. The pressure was perfect, strong enough to soothe the pain, but not so hard as to cause discomfort.

Qi Shu is truly so gentle, Nianshu thought.

So, falling for my sister is actually the most natural thing in the world.

At that thought, Nianshu’s toes curled instinctively. With tears still on her lashes and her red nose, she looked like a wronged little pet.

Qi Shu felt her flinch. “Did I hurt you?”

Nianshu shook her head, her voice still raspy. “No, it feels much better. Thank you, Sister.”

Qi Shu didn’t reply. She gave it a few more gentle presses to ensure there was no serious damage before grabbing a tissue to wipe the oil from her hands. Then, she used a swab to carefully apply more oil to the most swollen spot.

“There. Don’t move around anymore tonight. Get some rest; it should be much better by morning.” Qi Shu packed the first-aid kit and stood up. “Tonight, you should” maybe sleep here with me?

Before Qi Shu could finish, Nianshu shook her head frantically. “No, no, no. I won’t trouble you, Sister. I can just go back to my room to sleep!”

What a joke. Given her current state of mind, if she dared to stay the night in Qi Shu’s room, her secret would be out by dawn.

Qi Shu’s movements paused. She looked at Nianshu.

Nianshu’s behavior tonight was indeed strange—staying up late to stand guard at her door, and now desperately trying to escape back to her own room as if she were avoiding something.

Qi Shu’s brow arched. As if realizing something, she let out a small laugh.

The look made Nianshu’s skin crawl. Her eyes darted around, but she forced herself to maintain a determined “I can do this myself” expression.

To Qi Shu, this was clearly a case of “the more one tries to hide, the more one is revealed.” A ghost of a smile touched her lips, but she didn’t push. “Fine.”

Nianshu stubbornly refused Qi Shu’s offer to carry her back. She insisted on bracing herself against the wall, hopping on one foot all the way to her own room.

Once in bed, she waved at Qi Shu, who had followed her out of concern. “I’m fine now. Goodnight, Sister.”

She then theatrically closed her eyes, signaling that she was going to sleep. Qi Shu stared at her for a moment with an unreadable expression before clicking off the light, whispering a goodnight, and closing the door.

Only when she heard the door click shut did Nianshu let out a long, shaky breath. That was terrifying.

But whether it was purely psychological or the faint scent of the medicinal oil in the air acted as a sedative, Nianshu fell asleep shortly after closing her eyes.

When she woke up the next morning, Nianshu felt like everything from the night before had been a dream.

Xu Zhiyu watched her hop into the dining area and asked curiously, “Niannian, what’s wrong? Are you playing rabbit?”

Nianshu’s face fell. “I accidentally twisted it last night.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhiyu immediately dropped what she was doing and came over to support her. “How did you twist it? It must hurt so much.”

Thinking about why she had twisted it made Nianshu feel guilty. She didn’t dare meet Xu Zhiyu’s eyes and changed the subject. “Where’s Sister? I don’t see her.”

“She went for her morning run,” Xu Zhiyu replied, realizing. “She hasn’t come back yet. I was wondering why Xiao Shu told me not to wake you this morning.”

She then paused. “Wait, how did Xiao Shu know you twisted your ankle?”

Nianshu froze. She didn’t know how to answer. She certainly couldn’t say she was standing guard at Qi Shu’s door in the middle of the night contemplating life, only to twist her foot and have to trouble Qi Shu to medicate her.

Fortunately, Qi Shu opened the door and walked in right then, drawing Xu Zhiyu’s attention away.

Nianshu breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Qi Shu change her shoes. Qi Shu was wearing a black tracksuit, with a few stray hairs dampened by sweat clinging to her forehead, giving her a sharp, youthful energy.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Nianshu heard her own heartbeat. This is the person I love. Never had that fact been clearer than in this moment.

Qi Shu saw her dazing and frowned. “Is your foot any better?”

Nianshu tried to act tough, attempting to limp a few steps to show her. Qi Shu gave a short, scoffing laugh and stepped forward, grabbing Nianshu’s wrist and guiding her to a chair. “Stop moving. I’ll apply the medicine for you again.”

Remembering the heart-pounding sensation from the night before, Nianshu shook her head repeatedly. “No need, I can do it myself.”

Unaware of Nianshu’s inner turmoil, Xu Zhiyu chimed in, “Just let Xiao Shu do it. She’s the older sister; what’s wrong with her applying some medicine for her younger sister?”

Older sister. Younger sister.

The romantic fluttering in Nianshu’s heart felt like it had been doused with a bucket of ice water, instantly cooling by half.

Right. Older sister and younger sister. Those four words were like an invisible shackle, firmly binding all the thoughts she shouldn’t have.

She forced a small smile, her tone dropping. “Alright then.”

After Qi Shu finished applying the medicine, she took her clothes and went to shower. Everyone was used to it; Qi Shu loved cleanliness and was a bit of a neat freak, so she showered after every run.

By the time she came out, breakfast was on the table. Everyone had an egg pancake and a fried egg, and Qi Yan had made some shredded stir-fried potatoes.

Nianshu’s sharp eyes noticed the fried egg in front of Xu Zhiyu was heart-shaped. She teased, “Dad really loves Mom.”

Xu Zhiyu flushed slightly at the remark and quickly diverted the topic. “Dad loves you two as well!”

Nianshu took a bite of the egg pancake. The crispy exterior and soft interior, mixed with the aroma of eggs and scallions, made her dazed with deliciousness. “I love Dad and Mom too,” she said, then added in a whisper while stealing a glance at the person beside her, “And I love Sister, too.”

Qi Shu glanced at her, smiled, but said nothing.

Nianshu suddenly remembered something. She turned to Qi Shu. “Sister, why didn’t you call me to go with you today?” Had she discovered something?

Qi Shu countered, “Can you run with that foot?”

“I can’t run, but I could have watched you run!” Nianshu argued.

Qi Shu paused. “Then you’re better off getting more sleep at home.”

Nianshu was speechless. It was Xu Zhiyu, knowing Nianshu best, who laughed. “Niannian is just worried that you won’t be waiting for her at the finish line during the sports meet.”

Having her little thought exposed, Nianshu’s face turned red again. “I am not!”

Qi Shu finally couldn’t help herself. She reached out and ruffled Nianshu’s hair. “What are you overthinking every day? I won’t lie to you about what I’ve promised.”

Nianshu gave a cheeky grin. “Sister is the best.”

After breakfast, Qi Yan drove them to school as usual. Since Nianshu’s foot made getting into the car difficult, Qi Shu carried her in first before getting in herself.

Nianshu’s face stayed red from the moment she got into the car until she got out. She didn’t dare say another word to Qi Shu the whole way.

Upon seeing the campus swarming with people, she firmly insisted on walking by herself. If she really let Qi Shu carry her, she couldn’t imagine how many more photos would end up on the Confession Wall. In the past, she wouldn’t have cared, but now that she had “improper” thoughts, everything made her feel guilty.

Qi Shu didn’t actually let her hop around alone, though; she followed closely behind.

Perhaps because she had a “ghost in her heart,” Nianshu felt like every student around them was staring at her. Finally reaching the classroom, she let out a breath of relief. “Sorry for the trouble, Sister. I’m going in now.”

Qi Shu nodded and instructed, “Don’t run around after school. Stay in the classroom; I’ll come pick you up.”

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