An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 19

Pushing the door open, they found Xu Zhiyu and Qi Yan sitting on the living room sofa, watching television.

Seeing the two of them return, Xu Zhiyu stood up and circled Qi Nianshu twice, her eyes fixed on the girl’s feet. “Nianshu’s foot isn’t fully healed yet. Why didn’t you call your father to come pick you up?”

“Don’t blame Sister. I was the one who wanted to walk,” Qi Nianshu replied with a grin. “I ate so much today that I needed to walk it off.”

Allowing Xu Zhiyu to inspect her, Qi Nianshu pulled a hand-knitted lily-of-the-valley charm from her pocket and handed it over. “For my dearest Mom. Sister and I spent a long time picking this out.”

Xu Zhiyu took it with a delighted gasp, unable to put it down. She reached out and pinched Qi Nianshu’s cheek. “You and Little Shu are so thoughtful~”

Qi Nianshu leaned into her mother’s palm like a kitten, her voice sweet. “I’m just glad you like it, Mom.”

From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Qi Shu and immediately began “filing a report.” She gave a vivid, slightly exaggerated account of how Qi Shu had intentionally tried to scare her during the movie earlier that day.

“Little Shu, why are you bullying your sister again?” Xu Zhiyu scolded playfully. She turned to look at Qi Shu, who was putting away her backpack, but her eyes were dancing with amusement.

Qi Shu straightened up and gave Qi Nianshu a calm, sweeping glance.

It was a faint look, but it was enough to make the little whistleblower shrink back guiltily.

“She chose the movie herself,” Qi Shu said flatly, her tone unreadable. “I was merely being helpful by reminding her not to miss the ‘exciting’ parts.”

“Mom, look at her! She’s still making excuses!” Qi Nianshu retorted immediately, lunging forward to hug Xu Zhiyu’s arm.

Xu Zhiyu laughed as she watched the two bicker, finally intervening. “Alright, that’s enough. Go get cleaned up and get some sleep. It’s late, and don’t you have plans to go out tomorrow?”

It wasn’t until Qi Nianshu was finished getting ready and lying in bed that she felt her racing heart finally begin to steady.

Downstairs, perhaps swept up in the atmosphere, she had let a “I like you” slip out.

She had to admit, the “sister” identity really was the best cover.

Because she was the sister, everything was permitted.

Because she was the sister, no one would look too deeply into it. No one would suspect that beneath a light, casual “I like you” lay a heart full of burning, secret feelings.

She had previously felt a bit somber about being just a sister, but now, that status had become her greatest shield.

For a moment, Qi Nianshu didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.

But at the very least, as long as Qi Shu didn’t find out, she could remain her sister forever. If she occasionally took small advantages under that guise, well, there was no harm in that.

With those thoughts swirling in her head, she drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

When she woke the next day, the room was flooded with sunlight.

Yawning and still half-asleep, Qi Nianshu stumbled out of her room only to see Qi Shu with a bag over her shoulder, ready to head out.

Since it was the weekend, they didn’t have to wear school uniforms. It was a rare sight to see Qi Shu in her own clothes.

She wore a thin black hoodie over a plain white cotton T-shirt. Her sleeves were casually pushed up, revealing a pair of fair, slender wrists, and she wore a pair of clean white sneakers. Her long hair wasn’t styled, just draped loosely over her shoulders. She radiated an aura of effortless, refreshing clarity.

Qi Nianshu’s drowsiness vanished instantly. She stopped in her tracks, unable to look away, and asked blankly, “Sister, are you going out?”

Qi Shu nodded. “Going to the bookstore for some study materials. Want to come?”

Qi Nianshu nodded vigorously. “Yes! Wait for me!”

Standing at the sink brushing her teeth, she spoke indistinctly to Qi Shu, who was leaning against the doorframe waiting for her: “Sister, help me heat up breakfast!”

By the time she had changed and left her room, a steaming breakfast was already waiting on the table.

Qi Nianshu pulled out a chair and took a large bite of her sandwich.

Qi Shu sat across from her, wearing Bluetooth earbuds, looking down at her phone.

“Sister, what are you watching?” Qi Nianshu asked curiously.

At the sound of her voice, Qi Shu turned her screen toward her. It was a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform, currently playing a lecture.

Qi Nianshu was stunned. “MOOC… aren’t those all university courses?”

Qi Shu nodded. “Yeah. Just browsing.”

Suddenly, the sandwich in Qi Nianshu’s mouth didn’t taste so good anymore.

“Sister, don’t you think I’m kind of useless?”

Qi Shu paused, pulling out one earbud. “What?”

Qi Nianshu started counting on her fingers. “Look at you. Not only are you rank one in the grade every single time, but you’re definitely going to be recommended for admission to a top university. You’re already starting on college courses.”

“Then look at me. I don’t know how to do anything, and I’m always getting sick and holding you back. I cause you so much trouble.”

The more she spoke, the more dejected she felt. If she hadn’t been lucky enough to become Qi Shu’s sister, she probably would have never crossed paths with someone like her in this lifetime.

Seeing her worried expression, Qi Shu couldn’t help but smile slightly. “If I like doing it, it’s not trouble.”

Qi Nianshu froze. “Huh?”

Qi Shu turned off her screen and looked directly at her. “I’m saying whether it’s taking care of you or anything else, if it’s something I want to do, I don’t call it trouble.”

To deal with someone you dislike is trouble; to deal with someone you like is a pleasure.

Meanwhile, Qi Nianshu was thinking: No wonder she wants to be a doctor. It’s because she likes taking care of people.

If Qi Shu could hear her thoughts, she would likely be frustrated enough to open up the girl’s head just to see what on earth was inside.

Qi Nianshu’s complaint had just been a passing whim anyway. She knew deep down that even if she really was “useless,” Qi Shu would never abandon her.

After breakfast, they headed out together.

And that was when Qi Nianshu realized exactly why Qi Shu had invited her along.

Qi Shu hadn’t come for Grade 12 review materials at all!

The moment they entered the bookstore, Qi Shu walked straight to the Grade 11 section and began scanning the vast array of supplementary materials.

At first, Qi Nianshu was confused. “Sister, has your first round of review already reached Grade 11 content?”

Qi Shu glanced at her, said nothing, and pulled out a copy of Complete Textbook Interpretation for Grade 11 Math, tossing it into the shopping cart.

Qi Nianshu’s suspicion grew. “That’s not something used for the College Entrance Exam review, is it?”

“No,” Qi Shu replied.

A terrible realization dawned on her. Qi Nianshu slowly pointed at the growing pile of books in the cart, then pointed at herself. “Sister… these… these aren’t for me, are they?”

She even wore a stiff, hopeful smile as she asked.

Qi Shu looked at her. “Who was the one who said they wanted me to tutor them?”

She picked up a copy of Intensive Problem Solving and lightly tapped Qi Nianshu’s now-stunned head with it. “And who said they wanted to go to the same city as me?”

Qi Nianshu stiffly reached up to touch the spot where the book had tapped her forehead, attempting one last struggle for her life. “Sister, I feel like the moment that book touched me, the knowledge was automatically uploaded into my brain. I don’t think we need to buy this one.”

Qi Shu let out a low laugh. To Qi Nianshu’s ears, it sounded like the whisper of a demon. “I don’t care what you think. I care what I think.”

Qi Nianshu: “Sister, stop learning those memes from the internet.”

But despite the fuss, Qi Shu bought the whole stack of books.

Qi Nianshu could already envision what the next two years of her high school life would look like.

Especially when Qi Shu said, “We’ll start with the basics,” Qi Nianshu felt like four massive words were flashing before her eyes:

I am absolutely doomed.

**

After picking out the books, Qi Nianshu wanted to make a run for it, but Qi Shu dragged her to the library.

Taking a taxi home alone was clearly not an option, especially since there was no one at home. The mere thought of it was boring.

She resigned herself to sitting across from Qi Shu and obediently began working on the homework that Qi Shu had somehow sneaked into her backpack earlier.

School had only been back for a month, but the homework for Grade 11 was already piling up like a mountain.

The library was bright and clean. Sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating everything with a brilliant glow. It was incredibly quiet, save for the occasional sound of pages turning or the tapping of a keyboard.

The two sat opposite each other by the window. Whenever Qi Nianshu hit a difficult problem, she would habitually steal a glance at Qi Shu.

In the sunlight, Qi Shu kept her eyes lowered. Her long, thick lashes cast a faint shadow over her eyelids, and she looked so focused it was as if nothing else in the world existed.

Every time Qi Nianshu looked at her, the frustration caused by the difficult problems would slowly ebb away.

Since she had lowered her head to get back to work, Qi Nianshu didn’t see the slight upward curve of Qi Shu’s lips.

The morning flew by. Qi Nianshu let out a long sigh, sat up straight, and stretched. She realized she had actually finished all her homework without even noticing.

She looked up at Qi Shu and saw that her sister had switched to a professional textbook one nearly as thick as a brick.

Hearing the movement, Qi Shu placed a bookmark in the volume and closed it. “Finished?”

Qi Nianshu lifted her chin like a proud little peacock. “Yep. I was super fast.”

The corner of Qi Shu’s mouth curled. “Not bad.”

Qi Nianshu didn’t miss the chance to flatter her. “It’s all thanks to Sister’s guidance, of course.”

Qi Shu wasn’t buying it. “Bring it here. Let me see.”

With Qi Shu around, Qi Nianshu’s homework was of exceptionally high quality. Qi Shu gave it a quick check before handing it back.

Having received Qi Shu’s approval, Qi Nianshu was beaming with pride.

Qi Shu didn’t dampen her spirits. Instead, she offered to take her to the lamb noodle shop she had been craving for a long time.

If it weren’t for the “no shouting” rule in the library, Qi Nianshu would have jumped for joy.

An authentic lamb noodle shop had opened near the library. Qi Nianshu had wanted to go for a while, but the library was far from home. Qi Shu had brought her takeout once, but those kinds of noodles weren’t nearly as good after sitting in a container as they were fresh from the pot.

Finally having the chance, Qi Nianshu felt that the morning trip had been well worth it.

The excitement even made her foot feel less painful. She packed her bag and followed Qi Shu toward the exit.

Just as they stepped out of the library doors, Qi Nianshu was excitedly telling Qi Shu how she wanted double the chili oil when a male voice suddenly called out from behind them: “Excuse me, wait a moment.”

Qi Nianshu stopped instinctively and turned around.

A boy in a school uniform approached them. He looked at a confused Qi Nianshu, his face turning bright red. “Hello.”

Qi Nianshu blinked, finding this a bit strange.

“Hello,” the boy’s face reddened further, his voice stuttering. “I’m from High School No. 2. I’ve been watching you in the library for a long time. Could I… could I add you on WeChat?”

As he spoke, he hurriedly pulled out his phone. The screen was lit up, showing the “Add Friend” interface. His eyes were full of nerves and anticipation.

Qi Nianshu was completely stunned. She instinctively looked up at Qi Shu.

Qi Shu’s gaze landed on the boy. Qi Nianshu could clearly feel that the eyes which were usually gentle when looking at her had now turned cold.

Panic flared in her heart. She instinctively grabbed Qi Shu’s wrist and explained to her, “I don’t know him.”

The boy looked at Qi Nianshu, then at Qi Shu. As if realizing something, his face suddenly went pale. He apologized profusely. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you two were…”

After that bizarre sentence, the boy bowed, apologized again, and ran off.

Qi Nianshu was more confused than ever.

She looked up at Qi Shu. “What was that about? He came and went so fast.”

Qi Shu looked down at her, her voice flat. “Why? Are you sad to see him go? If you are, it’s not too late to catch up and add him.”

Qi Nianshu shook her head frantically. “No way!”

After her denial, she felt she detected something inexplicable in Qi Shu’s words.

A bolt of lightning seemed to strike her brain. Qi Nianshu asked tentatively, “Sister… you couldn’t be jealous, could you?”

Qi Shu remained expressionless. “Don’t misuse words.”

Qi Nianshu also figured it was impossible.

From Qi Shu’s perspective, it was probably just a case of her younger sister being hit on by a stranger and being worried about “puppy love.”

Having rationalized the reason for Qi Shu’s cold face, Qi Nianshu gave her a solemn guarantee. “Don’t worry, Sister. I won’t date anyone.”

Qi Shu looked at her determined face and gave a small, silent smile.

Qi Nianshu spoke with conviction, looking serious. “Besides, my goal right now is to study hard and follow in your footsteps. Dating would only slow down my learning speed.”

She spoke frankly, but deep in her eyes was a tiny bit of intent she hadn’t even noticed herself.

She liked Qi Shu; it was impossible for her to date anyone else.

Even though the possibility of actually dating Qi Shu was practically zero, who said liking someone meant you had to date them? As long as she could be with Qi Shu, she was satisfied.

At that thought, she gave Qi Shu a subtle nudge. “See, Sister? I rejected him very decisively today. If someone asks you in the future…”

She paused, then continued, “You have to reject them even more decisively than I did. You promised me.”

Qi Shu looked down into her eyes and asked, “No matter who it is?”

Qi Nianshu’s eyes widened. “Of course! You can’t say yes to anyone.”

Qi Shu smiled. “Alright.”

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