An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 24

When they returned home at noon, Qi Shu immediately noticed Nianshu’s low spirits and asked her what was wrong.

Nianshu recounted the whole story of how she had been “sabotaged” by Zhang Ruomeng. What bothered her most was Ruomeng’s final reason the bit about being “Qi Shu’s sister.” It made the already guilty Nianshu feel even more unsettled.

“Sister,” Nianshu asked dejectedly, “your class will definitely nominate you as the placard bearer too, won’t they?”

Qi Shu nodded. “Mm.”

“Did you agree?” Nianshu asked curiously.

Qi Shu shook her head. “It’s too silly. I declined.”

Nianshu, the resident “silly one,” felt a pang. “How did you turn them down?”

“I just said ‘no’.” Qi Shu answered simply.

Nianshu was stunned. “Just one word?”

Qi Shu countered, “What else? Does saying ‘no’ require a list of reasons?”

Nianshu felt a wave of envy. She leaned listlessly against Qi Shu’s back. “Well, you don’t have to wait for me after school this afternoon then. We have to practice the formations. I don’t know when we’ll finish, so I’ll just take a taxi back.”

“Understood,” Qi Shu said softly.

The After-School Practice

After school, everyone in Class 3 stayed behind. As they walked past the Year 3 building, Nianshu instinctively looked up at the window of Qi Shu’s classroom. For the first time, she felt a flicker of resentment toward the sports meet—it was keeping her from going home with Qi Shu.

Several classes were already gathered on the track, rehearsing their march. The Arts Representative handed Nianshu the placard—a wooden board displaying the class number, which several artistic girls in class had carefully decorated.

“Alright, Nianshu, stand at the very front. Hold it steady, keep your back straight… Yes, that’s it! And keep smiling!”

Nianshu forced a smile until her face felt frozen and her arms began to ache. She realized then that being a placard bearer was exhausting. You didn’t just have to hold the sign; you had to control the pace of the entire class behind you. Too fast or too slow, and the whole formation would fall apart.

Halfway through the rehearsal, the sky began to dim, and the crowds on the playground thinned out. Old Chen clapped his hands. “That’s enough for today. Everyone’s worked hard. Head home quickly; don’t linger at school.”

Nianshu let out a breath of relief and rubbed her stiff arms. As she turned around, she saw a familiar figure sitting on the bleachers under the plane trees by the field. She couldn’t believe her eyes, but her body reacted before her brain could, running straight toward her.

“Sister! What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to wait for me.”

Qi Shu reached out and handed her a bottle of water. “I wanted to see what our future big-shot lawyer looks like as a placard bearer, so I came.”

Nianshu’s romantic fluttering vanished instantly. She decided to lean into the joke. “And? Does the future lawyer look good doing it?”

Qi Shu looked up at her and gave a very soft laugh. “Mm. Very good.”

Suddenly, Nianshu decided she loved the sports meet again. If she stood at the very front of the line, Qi Shu would be able to see her perfectly.

As the dusk deepened, Qi Shu stood up and took Nianshu’s backpack from her shoulder. “Let’s go home.”

The Shopping Trip

The following week was a blur of early mornings and late nights. Nianshu would drag her aching body out of bed to run with Qi Shu, stay late for rehearsals, and then come home to the mountain of practice exams Qi Shu had bought for her. She was so exhausted she barely had the energy to harbor any “inappropriate” thoughts.

When Xu Zhiyu found out about the placard-bearing duties, she made sure Qi Yan added extra dishes to every meal.

“Niannian,” Xu Zhiyu said over the weekend, “the sports meet is next week. I heard from your teacher that you need to prepare your own outfit?”

Nianshu nodded groggily. For the sports meet, students didn’t have to wear uniforms just something comfortable. Most classes voted on a custom T-shirt, but as the placard bearer, Old Chen suggested Nianshu wear something a bit more distinct.

“If you haven’t decided yet, it means you don’t have anything in your closet you like,” Xu Zhiyu said with a smile. “It’s rare for our Niannian to represent her class. Let’s get you sorted. Xiao Shu, go with her to the mall. Let’s make our Niannian the prettiest kid on the field.”

And so, a half-awake Nianshu was dragged to the shopping mall.

The mall was overwhelming, with store after store of bright displays. Nianshu had learned her lesson, she didn’t let herself believe this was a “date.” She just followed Qi Shu obediently.

In one store, a clerk hurried over. “Looking for a specific style? You two look like students, maybe try our academic-style dresses? They’re very popular.”

Nianshu, uncomfortable with the over-eager greeting, tugged on Qi Shu’s sleeve. “Sister”

Qi Shu looked at the clerk, her expression flat. “We’re just browsing.”

The clerk, sensing they didn’t want to be followed, wisely backed off. Nianshu finally exhaled and looked at a light blue dress. Before she could say a word, Qi Shu reached out and took it off the rack. “Try it on.”

Nianshu emerged from the fitting room. “Sister, what do you think?”

Nianshu was naturally fair-skinned, and the pale blue made her look fresh and sweet. The skirt hit just above her knees, making her legs look long and slender.

Qi Shu’s gaze swept over her exposed legs and lingered for a second. “Try another one.”

Nianshu blinked. “Does it look bad?”

“No, it’s very pretty,” Qi Shu said, walking over to tuck a stray hair behind Nianshu’s ear. “But it’s too short.”

“Oh… okay,” Nianshu whispered, a bit disappointed. “I actually really liked it.”

“With so many people at the sports meet, it might be inconvenient,” Qi Shu added. Nianshu sighed and turned to take it off, but Qi Shu spoke up again: “If you like it, buy it. You can wear it at home. We’ll find something else for the sports meet.”

Nianshu’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Mm,” Qi Shu nodded to the clerk. “We’ll take this one.”

Nianshu’s disappointment was instantly replaced by joy. She started darting around the store, trying on everything that caught her eye. Qi Shu sat on the sofa, holding the shopping bags, watching Nianshu spin around in different outfits.

She suddenly understood why people spent so much time on “dress-up” games. Every time Nianshu emerged and asked if she looked good, Qi Shu felt like an ancient emperor being charmed by a favorite consort.

“If you like it, buy it,” had basically become her default response.

The Fitting Room Incident

Eventually, Nianshu took a dress with intricate lacework and ribbons into the fitting room. A long time passed with no sound from inside.

Qi Shu checked her watch, feeling puzzled. Just then, the door creaked open a sliver. Nianshu poked her head out, her face flushed. “Sister…”

Qi Shu walked over. “What’s wrong?”

The door opened a bit wider. Nianshu was hiding behind it, looking distressed. “…The ribbons on the back are too complicated. I think my hair got tangled in them. I can’t get it on, and I can’t get it off. Sister… can you help me?”

Qi Shu paused, then turned and stepped into the small fitting room, pulling the door shut behind her. The already cramped space felt suffocatingly tight.

“Sister…” Nianshu’s voice was as tiny as a kitten’s.

She stood with her back to Qi Shu. From this angle, Qi Shu could see her reddened earlobes. The dress hung loosely off her shoulders, held up only by the friction of her shoulder blades. Her entire back was exposed, the lines of her spine were tense, disappearing into the waist of the dress.

Two or three silk ribbons were tangled into a dead knot with her long hair, pressing against her pale skin. With every breath she took, the faint pink pressure marks on her back shifted.

Qi Shu’s gaze lingered there for a moment. Nianshu, waiting for her to move, called out timidly, “Sister?”

As Nianshu tried to turn her head, the loose dress slipped down another inch, revealing more of her white skin. Nianshu gasped and grabbed the front of the dress.

“Don’t move,” Qi Shu finally spoke. Her voice was slightly huskier than usual, echoing clearly in the confined space.

Nianshu froze.

Qi Shu reached out toward the mess of ribbons and hair. But the design was tricky; as Qi Shu pulled one strand, another tightened against Nianshu’s back, causing the girl to let out a sharp, tiny gasp.

Qi Shu’s hand stopped. “Niannian.” Her voice was soft, but it made Nianshu shiver. “Relax.”

Nianshu gritted her teeth, not daring to breathe too loudly. She gave a quiet “mm,” her shoulders held rigid.

Qi Shu’s fingertips brushed through the tangled hair, slowly undoing the knots. Occasionally, her cool fingertips would graze Nianshu’s burning skin. The contact made Nianshu tremble.

When the final knot was finally undone, Qi Shu separated the ribbons from the hair. Nianshu seemed to lose all her strength, keeping her head down, too embarrassed to face her sister.

Qi Shu withdrew her hand and took a subtle half-step back to create space. “Do you need help putting it on?”

Nianshu shook her head frantically. “No… no, I won’t take this one. Thank you, Sister.”

Qi Shu saw the tips of her ears were crimson and let out a small laugh. “I’ll head out first then.”

Nianshu, still facing the wall, clutched the edges of the dress and nodded feverishly.

Qi Shu opened the door and stepped out. The cool air from the mall’s AC rushed in, dispelling the suffocating heat in the fitting room. The moment the door closed, Nianshu collapsed into a squat, hugging herself in a ball.

This is so embarrassing. This is truly the most embarrassing thing ever.

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