An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 23

Monday morning.

Qi Nianshu was still tucked away in her blankets, drifting through a beautiful dream, when she was jolted awake by Qi Shu’s knocking.

By the time she climbed out of bed with a nest of messy hair, Qi Shu was already fully dressed and ready to head out.

Nianshu shoved her toothbrush into her mouth with her eyes half-closed, making one last attempt at a deathbed struggle: “Can’t we… not run?”

Qi Shu leaned against the wall and replied flatly, “Sure.”

Nianshu’s eyes lit up, only to hear Qi Shu add leisurely, “In the future, when you lose a lawsuit and the opposing party starts chasing you down to beat you up, I’ll be the first to run away.”

 Nianshu was thoroughly choked up. She brushed her teeth with renewed spite, muttering through the foam, “You wouldn’t have the heart to leave me behind.”

Qi Shu just smiled, offering no rebuttal.

The Morning Run

Qi Shu had a habit of jogging around the artificial lake in the nearby park. By the time they arrived, the park was already starting to stir.

The morning light was dim, and a thin veil of mist clung to the surface of the lake. Occasionally, a bird would skim across the water, sending ripples outward in perfect circles. Elderly residents were already out in the open clearings practicing Tai Chi, and the sharp crack of a spinning top from a nearby grandpa echoed through the air.

After a quick warm-up of their wrists and ankles, Qi Shu set off at a steady pace along the lakeside path.

Nianshu took a deep breath. The cool morning air rushed into her lungs, clearing away some of her grogginess. She gritted her teeth and trotted along at Qi Shu’s side.

The first few hundred meters were fine; Nianshu could just about keep up. But soon, the physical strain came crashing down on her.

Noticing her flagging pace, Qi Shu slowed down. “Adjust your breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Two steps in, two steps out. Follow my rhythm.”

Nianshu tried to adjust. Her frantic gasping smoothed out a little, but her legs still felt like they were made of lead. She watched Qi Shu’s silhouette just ahead of her—the way the dawn light traced her shoulders and the slight rise and fall of her back with every stride. Her long hair, tied up loosely, bounced with her movements.

Even the way she runs is so pretty.

As soon as the thought appeared, Nianshu chided herself: You can barely breathe and you’re still daydreaming about her!

After another half-lap, Nianshu finally hit her limit. Her pace slowed to a crawl, more of a shuffle, really. “Sister. I can’t do it anymore.”

Qi Shu stopped and turned around. There wasn’t a single bead of sweat on her forehead. She walked over to Nianshu, who was doubled over with her hands on her knees, gasping for air.

Qi Shu checked her sports watch. “Eight hundred meters. Five minutes and twenty seconds,” she reported tonelessly.

Nianshu looked up. Due to the sudden intense exercise, her cheeks were a vibrant scarlet, and damp strands of hair were stuck to her temples. She looked quite pitiful. “Sister, how fast do you usually run it?”

“Eight hundred? Under three minutes.”

Nianshu nearly collapsed onto a nearby bench, her heart sinking. “That’s… twice as fast.”

Qi Shu knelt in front of her. She took a water bottle from her bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it over. “Drink some salt water.”

Nianshu took it instinctively. She had taken a few small sips before it suddenly clicked this was Qi Shu’s personal bottle. Her eyes widened.

Wait! That’s… an indirect kiss!

Just as she realized this, a memory seemed to flash across her mind, but it was too fast to catch.

Qi Shu took out a wet wipe, tore the package open, and reached up to wipe the sweat from Nianshu’s forehead. As the morning breeze blew past, Nianshu’s face, which had been burning from the run, finally began to cool down.

Qi Shu held up her index finger in front of Nianshu’s eyes and moved it back and forth. “Niannian.”

Nianshu looked up. “Mm?”

“Follow my finger.”

Nianshu had been tricked by this move in the cinema once before, so she was suspicious, but she still couldn’t help but follow the movement of Qi Shu’s long, slender finger.

Qi Shu’s finger traced an arc through the air, eventually pointing toward the distance. Nianshu’s gaze followed, passing over the morning exercisers and settling on the northeast horizon.

At the edge of the lake, the newborn sun was breaking free from the earth, staining the clouds in hues of orange and crimson. The light spilled out across the world, coating everything in a layer of warmth. The weeping willows by the water and the happy people in the park all became vivid and clear in the morning glow.

Nianshu’s pupils dilated. She stared at the magnificent sunrise, and her ragged breathing finally returned to normal.

“It’s beautiful.”

She turned back excitedly to share the moment, only to run straight into the warmth of Qi Shu’s gaze. Qi Shu was watching her quietly. Those eyes, usually so calm and still, were now filled with the shattered reflections of the dawn—and the reflection of Nianshu herself.

Nianshu’s heart skipped a beat. She looked away, flustered.

Qi Shu stood up and offered her hand. “Let’s go get some breakfast.”

Nianshu wanted to say she was fine, but in the end, she reached out and took Qi Shu’s hand, using the leverage to stand up.

Breakfast and School

The morning air smelled of lake water and greenery as they arrived at a small rice roll shop. It was a modest place with old wooden tables and benches, but it was packed. The steam carried the scent of rice, eggs, and savory soy sauce. Nianshu was famished.

“Auntie, two egg and meat rice rolls, one with extra chili,” Qi Shu ordered with the confidence of a regular.

Soon, two plates were served. The rice skins were as thin as cicada wings, translucent and wrapping around eggs and minced meat, drenched in a rich brown sauce and scallions.

Nianshu took a bite. The warmth spread through her stomach instantly. Ignoring the heat, she gave Qi Shu a massive thumbs-up while chewing. “Sister, you have the best taste in food.”

Qi Shu smiled and began to eat as well.

Walking out of the shop, the sun was bright. Nianshu stretched comfortably, her heavy legs feeling much lighter. She looked at the profile of Qi Shu’s face in the sunlight and beamed. “Sister, I’m going to run with you every single day from now on!”

Qi Shu checked her watch and gave Nianshu’s head a playful pat. “Come on. Let’s get home and change. Time for school.”

The Classroom Sabotage

Perhaps because she’d woken up early, Nianshu was full of energy all day. However, every time she saw Lin Xiao, she couldn’t help but remember that scene in the stairwell. She kept feeling the urge to see how Lin Xiao and Xi Muyao acted around each other.

But after a whole day, there was nothing unusual. They barely interacted. Xi Muyao, as the Class President and top student, sat in the front row, her eyes fixed on the teachers or her test papers. Only occasionally would Lin Xiao space out, her gaze landing on the back of Muyao’s head.

Nianshu realized that for them, “dating” probably wasn’t that different from anyone else. Lin Xiao was still her friend, and Muyao was still their president. With that thought, she put it out of her mind and focused on her own studies—she didn’t want to give Qi Shu any reason to laugh at her after all that big talk.

During the break, the Arts Representative stood at the podium and clapped for attention. She announced that the class needed to select a “Placard Bearer” (the person who leads the class during the school sports meet opening ceremony).

As soon as she finished, Zhang Ruomeng’s hand shot into the air.

The Arts Rep smiled. “Do you want to volunteer, Ruomeng?”

Zhang Ruomeng was a girl whose name betrayed her. “Ruomeng” sounded soft and cute, but she was nearly 170cm tall with sharp, striking features—the classic “cool girl” look.

Nianshu hadn’t been close to her at first, intimidated by her reputation as the “Big Sister of No. 1 High,” until she once saw Ruomeng crouching in an alleyway feeding a stray cat with a ham sausage. Nianshu figured that anyone who was kind to stray cats couldn’t be all bad.

Now, as they were close friends, Ruomeng stood up in front of everyone and declared loudly:

“I nominate Qi Nianshu!”

Nianshu’s smile froze on her face.

“I have three reasons,” Ruomeng continued, her voice clear and authoritative. “First, Nianshu has a great image and a sweet, lovely smile. She’ll completely shatter the stereotype people have about us ‘nerdy’ science students.”

The whole class turned to look at Nianshu. Nianshu pointed a finger at herself, dumbfounded. “Me? Me?”

Ruomeng winked at her and kept going. “Second, it’s common knowledge that Nianshu has a delicate constitution and is recovering from a foot injury. Yet, for the honor of our class, she resolutely signed up for the 400-meter sprint. This spirit is worth celebrating! Making her the Placard Bearer is both an encouragement and an affirmation!”

She put a very heavy emphasis on the words “400-meter sprint.” Nianshu lowered her head, wishing she could disappear, and tugged desperately on Ruomeng’s sleeve to make her stop.

But Ruomeng was in the zone. She cleared her throat and scanned the room. “Thirdly, who is Qi Nianshu? She’s the sister of our school’s ‘Study God,’ Qi Shu! Just imagine—when she stands there at the opening ceremony, the attention and hype will be off the charts! This is called ‘rational resource management’ for the glory of the class!”

The class was silent for a second before erupting into laughter and cheers of “She’s right!” and “That makes total sense!”

Nianshu wanted to crawl into her desk.

Zhang Ruomeng sat down and arched an eyebrow at Nianshu. “Loyal of me, right?”

Nianshu’s face was hot enough to fry an egg. She squeezed out through gritted teeth, “I am begging you… please shut up.”

The Arts Rep laughed. “Anyone else want to volunteer?”

The class shook their heads, completely sold by Ruomeng’s passionate speech. The Arts Rep looked at Nianshu, who was trying to shrink into a tiny quail. “Since no one else is volunteering, the heavy responsibility of being Class 3’s Placard Bearer falls to you, Nianshu.”

“Wait, I didn’t actually volunteer” Nianshu tried to protest, her hand reaching out like a tragic hero.

Ruomeng caught her hand and gave her a motherly smile. “I’ve done all I can for you, little Nian.”

Nianshu gnashed her teeth. There are always treacherous subjects out to ruin this Emperor.

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