An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 22

Qi Shu’s footsteps came to a jarring halt.

The girl in her arms looked up, her eyes misty and unfocused. Her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural, drunken heat, and she was staring at Qi Shu without blinking.

The voice-activated lights in the hallway flickered on and off, casting shadows over Qi Shu’s expressionless face.

“Qi Nianshu,” her voice was low, carried by the night wind, stripped of any discernable emotion. “You’re drunk.”

Nianshu’s brain had been completely vacated. The subconscious reaction of any “drunk cat” when told they are drunk is to argue, and Nianshu was no exception.

She shook her head vigorously. “I am not drunk, okay?”

Qi Shu didn’t bother arguing. She carried Nianshu to the front door, pressed her thumb against the fingerprint lock with one hand, and opened the door.

Xu Zhiyu and Qi Yan weren’t home yet. The living room was dark, saved only by the city lights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining the furniture in silhouette.

Qi Shu walked straight to Nianshu’s room, kicked open the door, and placed her on the bed. But Nianshu refused to let go; her arms remained locked tightly around Qi Shu’s neck.

Resigned, Qi Shu propped herself up with one hand on the mattress, her leg pressing against the side of Nianshu’s waist for balance.

“Let go,” Qi Shu said.

Nianshu stared into her eyes and slowly shook her head. “No.”

“Then what do you want?”

Alcohol was busy flushing the last bits of logic out of her system. Nianshu was speaking entirely on instinct now. She looked at the lips she had been longing for the lips that were now inches away. Her throat felt dry, and her voice was thick with a drunken, whiny sweetness.

“I want to kiss you, Sister.”

Qi Shu’s breath hitched. “Do you even know what you’re saying?” her tone was dangerous.

Nianshu tilted her head, confused. She started to shake her head, then changed her mind and nodded.

Qi Shu’s expression turned icy. “I’ll say it one more time. Let go. I don’t settle scores with drunks.”

Nianshu blinked, her lip trembling. “You’re being mean to me again.”

Qi Shu felt the veins on her forehead throb. The first drunk she had ever had to deal with in her life was her “sister,” who was currently being anything but sisterly.

Qi Shu closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her tone softening despite herself. “I’m not being mean. You’re drunk. Just go to sleep.”

Nianshu didn’t seem to hear her. Instead, her fingers tightened on Qi Shu’s collar, pulling her even closer. Qi Shu’s long hair slid over her shoulders, strands of it tangling near Nianshu’s ears.

“Then kiss me… just once, okay?” Nianshu pleaded, sounding like a child begging for a piece of candy. “Just once… Sister.”

Qi Shu’s years of practiced self-control were hanging by a thread. “Fine. If you let go, I’ll kiss you.”

Somehow, Nianshu’s brain chose this exact moment to be sharp. “But if I let go, you’ll run away.”

How is she smart enough to realize that now?

Qi Shu let out a frustrated laugh. She suddenly leaned in, her hand gripping Nianshu’s chin—not hard, but firmly enough that she couldn’t pull away. She looked down, her gaze locking onto Nianshu’s unfocused eyes. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret this tomorrow?”

Nianshu was overwhelmed by Qi Shu’s scent and presence. Her brain was a mess.

Regret? Tomorrow? She didn’t understand any of it. She just wanted the person in front of her.

Qi Shu let go of her chin and slid her hand behind Nianshu’s head, lifting it slightly. Nianshu stared at her expectantly.

“You’re supposed to close your eyes when you kiss. Got it?”

Nianshu’s eyes flickered. She gave a soft “oh” and obediently, slowly, closed her eyes.

She waited for what felt like forever until she was almost impatient. Then, a cool, light kiss unexpectedly landed on her forehead. It was like a snowflake falling into the center of a lake, melting instantly.

Instinct told Nianshu that this wasn’t what “kissing” meant, but the sensation on her forehead was so gentle. She opened her eyes, trembling slightly, and met Qi Shu’s heavy gaze.

Qi Shu withdrew her hand from behind Nianshu’s head and easily unhooked the girl’s arms from her neck. Nianshu’s mind was blank; she could only whisper foolishly, “Sister, you cheated.”

Qi Shu stood up, her voice returning to its usual flat tone, as if that kiss on the forehead had never happened. “Mm. I lied.”

Nianshu blinked several times, unable to wrap her head around it. Eventually, she gave up, rolled over with her back to Qi Shu, and closed her eyes.

Qi Shu watched her for a long time before finally leaving the room.

Later that night, Nianshu vaguely remembered someone calling her name.

“Niannian, drink some of this hangover soup, or you’ll feel terrible tomorrow morning.”

She didn’t want to move. She felt like a puddle of water. She grumbled something incoherent, trying to push the person away. But a pair of arms supported her, lifting her up, and something wet touched her lips.

Nianshu licked it. It was sweet, with a hint of sourness. It quenched her thirst perfectly.

“Good girl, have a little more.” The voice was close and soft, filled with a coaxing tenderness.

She drank obediently, the warm liquid washing away the stale taste of alcohol. When the cup was pulled away, she instinctively tried to follow it, but something warm and dry covered her mouth. She frowned, feeling restricted, and licked the palm of the hand covering her lips before she was allowed to breathe again.

She was laid back down on her pillow. Something brushed against her cheek.

“Go to sleep.”

Nianshu fell into a deep sleep. She had a dream that felt both endlessly long and incredibly short. It was a kaleidoscope of clear, warm scents and a tiny spark on her forehead that felt like it could start a forest fire.

In her sleep, she murmured one word: “Sister.”

The Next Morning

A sliver of light through the curtains hit Nianshu’s eyelashes, and she slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt like lead, and her throat was parched. The discomfort of a hangover was setting in.

She sat up, rubbing her head, and looked around. The familiar room told her she was home.

What did I do last night?

She remembered the laughter of her classmates, the games, and that sweet rose-flavored drink… Wait, no, that was alcohol. And she remembered seeing Lin Xiao kissing Xi Muyao? Oh… so that’s their relationship.

And then?

She tapped her head, but her memory was like a corrupted film reel. She remembered being dizzy, and then Qi Shu coming to get her.

She looked down and froze. Why was she hugging Qi Shu’s jacket in her sleep?!

Her mind went into overdrive. Did I get drunk and rip her clothes off?! Heavens, I’m a beast!

She scrambled out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor. Her ankle felt much better, with only a dull throb left. She threw on her slippers and ran out of the room, still clutching the jacket.

She found Qi Shu in the living room, watching the morning news in her grey loungewear, looking fresh and collected.

Hearing the door, Qi Shu looked over. Nianshu stood there, looking disheveled and guilty.

“Sister” Nianshu’s voice was raspy. “Were you the one who took care of me last night?” She paused, then asked tentatively, “I didn’t… cause any trouble, did I?”

Qi Shu’s gaze traveled from Nianshu’s face to the wrinkled jacket in her arms. Her face was a mask of calm. “Trouble? Which part are you referring to?”

What does that mean?!

Nianshu’s heart skipped a beat. A dozen terrifying possibilities flashed through her mind.

“Sister, I’m sorry!” she blurted out instantly.

Qi Shu looked at her, a corner of her mouth twitching upward, though her voice was laced with frost. “Sorry for what?”

Nianshu started rattling off apologies like a machine gun. “I shouldn’t have drank while I’m a minor! I shouldn’t have drank so much! I shouldn’t have caused trouble or wouldn’t let go of your clothes! I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t…”

She couldn’t remember anything else, so she just watched Qi Shu’s face nervously.

Qi Shu saw that Nianshu truly didn’t remember. The annoyance she felt was replaced by a sense of futility. She looked back at the TV. “Fine. I was teasing you. You weren’t much trouble—you just wouldn’t stop complaining about how bad you felt the whole way home.”

Nianshu let out a massive sigh of relief. “Because I really did feel bad!”

“If you knew it would feel bad, why did you drink?”

Nianshu suddenly felt indignant. “I didn’t know it was alcohol! I just kept drinking without realizing.”

Qi Shu didn’t want to hear her excuses. “Go clean yourself up. You smell like a brewery. Don’t let Mom and Dad find out.”

Nianshu sniffed her arm. “I don’t! I just smell like you.”

Qi Shu glared at her, and Nianshu immediately backed down. “I’m going! I’m going to shower!”

After her shower, Nianshu was back to her chirpy self. She bounced around Qi Shu. “Look, Sister! My foot barely hurts anymore!”

Qi Shu looked up, her tone cool. “Oh? Doesn’t hurt anymore?”

Nianshu nodded like a little chick. “Just a tiny bit! It’s all thanks to you!”

Qi Shu suddenly smirked, and Nianshu felt a chill down her spine. “Since you’re all better, you can join me for my morning run tomorrow.”

Nianshu: “Sister, I was just joking.”

Qi Shu mimicked Nianshu’s tone perfectly, her voice flat. “But I’m not joking, okay?”

Nianshu: Deceased.

Support