An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 26

Qi Nianshu sat hugging her teddy bear, staring blankly at her own hands the same hands that, in her memory, had clung to Qi Shu and refused to let go. She had been frozen in this exact position for nearly half an hour.

It wasn’t a dream.

The words she’d said and the things she’d done while her brain was pickled in alcohol were now replaying in her mind with excruciating clarity, over and over again.

Because she had seen Lin Xiao and Xi Muyao, she had pestered Qi Shu. Like a vine clinging to a tall tree, she had relentlessly, shamelessly begged Qi Shu for a kiss.

It was all real. And she had forgotten every bit of it until now.

At least the jacket hadn’t been forcibly stripped off Qi Shu; Qi Shu had given it to her. Nianshu let out a hollow, self-deprecating laugh. She didn’t strip people’s clothes off, no—she just wrapped herself around them and begged for a make-out session!

She recalled the cold expression on Qi Shu’s face when her neck was being held captive, and that gritted-teeth warning: “Aren’t you afraid you’ll regret this tomorrow?”

No wonder! No wonder Qi Shu had been acting that way the morning after! No wonder she had looked at her with those unreadable eyes!

And what about Nianshu? Not only did she forget everything, but she also had the audacity to run up to Qi Shu and ask if she’d “caused any trouble.”

What was Qi Shu thinking in that moment?

Nianshu buried her face in her teddy bear’s stomach. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?

She replayed Qi Shu’s reactions over the past week, searching for a sign, but found nothing. Qi Shu had been exactly the same as always.

Nianshu tried to put herself in Qi Shu’s shoes. If the sister she had lived with for over a decade got drunk one night, clung to her, and demanded a kiss, refusing to let her leave until she got one—Nianshu got goosebumps just thinking about it.

She’s probably just trying to avoid the awkwardness, Nianshu thought. She saw that I forgot, so she’s pretending nothing ever happened.

Or perhaps, in Qi Shu’s eyes, Nianshu’s drunken demand for a kiss was no different from a toddler asking for a piece of candy. That’s why she gave that patronizing, reassuring peck on the forehead. Otherwise, knowing Qi Shu’s personality, she would have distanced herself long ago. She wouldn’t still be running with her, waiting for her, helping her study, and buying her clothes.

Yes, that must be it. It has to be.

Nianshu took several deep breaths. Don’t panic. Since Qi Shu hadn’t brought it up, Nianshu definitely shouldn’t be the one to burst the bubble. She would act as if she didn’t know, didn’t remember, and nothing had ever happened.

“Alcohol is the enemy!” Nianshu muttered, closing her eyes to try and sleep.

But she barely touched the pillow before she sat up again, her face burning. She scrambled out of bed, dug through her closet for a clean pair of underwear, and changed.

Checking the time 3:00 AM. Her parents and Qi Shu were long asleep.

Nianshu took a deep breath, eased her bedroom door open, and peeked out. The hallway was pitch black and silent. She held her breath and tiptoed to the bathroom, turning on only the small built-in light on the mirror.

In the dim glow, her face was a deep, blood-red. She turned the tap to the lowest setting and began to frantically scrub the garment with laundry soap, her hands shaking with nerves. Fast, just be fast, she prayed.

But luck was not on her side. In her hyper-focused state, she only heard the thin trickle of water, completely missing the soft click of a door opening behind her.

Light spilled into the hallway from the side. The string of sanity in Nianshu’s brain snapped.

Qi Shu stood at her doorway, holding an empty water glass. She had clearly come out for a late-night drink. Her voice was still husky with sleep. “Niannian?”

It was the exact same tone from the dream. Nianshu went rigid, her neck stiff, not daring to look back.

As Qi Shu took a step toward her, Nianshu, driven by a mix of desperation, shame, and panic, shouted, “Don’t come near me!”

Qi Shu’s footsteps stopped. “What’s wrong?”

Since she’d been caught, Nianshu turned the tap up to rinse the suds off her hands, clutching the light fabric tightly in her fist. She took two sharp breaths before turning around, hiding her hands behind her back and forcing a smile.

“Sister-I-had-a-nightmare-so-I-came-to-wash-my-face-I’m-done-now-going-back-to-sleep!”

She blurted it out in one breath and bolted back into her room, making sure to close the door gently but firmly behind her.

Qi Shu: “?”

Qi Shu walked to the kitchen, filled her glass halfway with cold water, and drained it. On her way back to her room, she paused by the sink and glanced over.

An open bottle of delicate-wash detergent sat there, its cap rolling nearby on the counter.

Qi Shu thought of Nianshu’s beet-red face as she’d brushed past. She stood there for a few seconds, then quietly reached out, capped the bottle, and put it back in its place before returning to her room.

The Cold War

Across the two doors, Nianshu sat on her floor, leaning against the door with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. She stayed like that until the sky began to turn grey at the horizon. Finally, she wiped the tears from her eyes, hung the garment to dry, and crawled back into bed, burying herself under the covers.

Over the next few days, the routine remained the same: morning runs and evening commutes. But Qi Shu could feel the difference. Nianshu was keeping her distance.

It was subtle, unnoticeable to an outsider, but Qi Shu, standing at the center of the storm, felt it clearly.

During their runs, Nianshu would always stay half a pace behind. If Qi Shu slowed down to wait, she no longer heard a cheerful, “Sister, you’re the best!” On the way to school, Nianshu still sat on the back of the bike, but she no longer hugged Qi Shu’s waist; she sat stiffly, her hands only lightly touching Qi Shu’s sides for balance. Even her study sessions were now done alone in her room.

She still smiled. She still called her “Sister” sweetly. But the “clinginess” in her voice was gone.

Qi Shu watched it all unfold, her expression unchanging.

The Eve of the Sports Meet

By the night before the sports meet, no one in class could focus on lessons. During the final period, the teacher, Old Chen, was absent, and the room was a hive of hushed whispers.

Zhang Ruomeng turned around. “What are you guys bringing tomorrow?”

Nianshu thought for a moment. “A camera. I want to take a lot of photos.” The family had a mirrorless camera that Qi Shu had received for her 18th birthday. Since Nianshu liked photography, Qi Shu usually let her keep it.

Ruomeng smirked. “I just hope your photos aren’t only of Qi Shu. Don’t forget I have several events tomorrow too.”

At the mention of Qi Shu, Nianshu’s heart jumped. She forced a smile. “Of course. I’ll make sure to capture your glory as you take the gold in the 2,000 meters.”

That night, Nianshu had reached a conclusion: she couldn’t go on like this. Alcohol leads to temptation, and dreams lead to exposure. Qi Shu might not have noticed anything yet, but humans are greedy—if she didn’t stop now, she’d slip up a third or fourth time. The only way was to retreat back to the role of a proper “sister.”

She had been carefully avoiding physical contact. She hadn’t even mentioned the plan for Qi Shu to wait for her at the finish line.

Suppressing your instincts is painful, she thought, leaning back against her chair and looking up only to meet the sharp gaze of her teacher, Chen Shuyue, standing right behind her.

Nianshu nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Alright, enough pretending,” Chen Shuyue said, stepping onto the podium. She gave the usual speech about sports meet rules: stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and shout the class slogans loud enough for the leaders to hear. “If I don’t hear your voices tomorrow, don’t be surprised if your holiday homework doubles.”

The class shouted their understanding.

As the bell rang, Nianshu slowly packed her bag. Chen Shuyue walked over to her. “Remember what I said. If you feel unwell, we don’t need that one event. Don’t push yourself.”

Nianshu smiled, knowing her teacher was a “knife-mouth with a tofu-heart.” “I’ve been training with my sister every day. You should have more faith in your troops, Teacher Chen.”

“Just look sharp when you’re carrying that placard,” Chen Shuyue waved her off.

Nianshu stood by the hallway railing for a moment, watching the students disperse, feeling a deep sense of melancholy.

Footsteps approached. She didn’t look up, assuming it was a classmate, until a figure leaned against the railing beside her. That familiar scent drifted over on the wind. She turned, surprised.

It was Qi Shu.

Qi Shu was in her uniform, leaning back against the railing, watching her. The night wind blew her long hair across her face.

“Sister… what are you doing here?” Nianshu’s pupils dilated.

“Early dismissal because of the sports meet tomorrow,” Qi Shu said lightly.

On the way home, Nianshu was quiet. As the bike hit a speed bump and jolted, Nianshu instinctively wrapped her arms tight around Qi Shu’s waist.

As she realized what she was doing and tried to pull away, Qi Shu suddenly reached back and grabbed her hands, holding them in place.

Her voice carried back on the wind, soft but firm:

“Hold on tight.”

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