An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 30

Even someone as dense as Qi Nianshu could tell something was off about Qi Shu’s tone.

Nianshu frowned. For some reason, she couldn’t stop dwelling on what Lin Xiao had said that morning. She had rarely seen Qi Shu look this way. Testing the waters, she asked, “Sister… you aren’t actually jealous of Senior Jiang, are you?”

This was the second time she had asked Qi Shu this question.

She expected that, given Qi Shu’s temperament, such an absurd question would either be met with a sharp “don’t talk nonsense” or be ignored entirely. Then, Nianshu could simply act spoiled like she always did and let the matter slide.

Instead, she heard Qi Shu say: “And what if I said I was?”

Nianshu’s brain stalled.

The half-eaten orange in her hand nearly tumbled to the ground. She sat there, stunned, her mouth hanging open for a good while before she managed a confused, “Eh?”

She looked into Qi Shu’s eyes. Those clear, calm depths reflected only her silhouette, making Nianshu want to push her luck even further.

Nianshu bit her lip, her previous nerves morphing into a bolder attempt at provocation. “Is it because I praised her?”

Qi Shu remained silent.

Nianshu couldn’t help but start explaining herself. “No matter how great Senior Jiang is, she’s just Senior Jiang. But you’re different. You’re my sister, how could you ever be like her? No one else can be what you are to me.”

Qi Shu finally spoke: “Are you trying to recite a tongue-twister?”

So, Qi Shu was still upset.

Nianshu tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes and her voice softening. “Well, if you’re jealous, what do I have to do to make you feel better?”

She stared straight into Qi Shu’s eyes, acting like a cat that knew it was loved and could get away with anything.

Qi Shu turned to face her. The distance between them closed until Nianshu could clearly catch the faint, cool scent of gardenia clinging to her—crisp yet strangely alluring.

Nianshu’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively tried to back away, but Qi Shu reached out and gently pressed a hand against the back of her neck.

Nianshu froze, instantly regretting her boldness.

Qi Shu looked down at her, her voice dropping to a low murmur, like a secret shared between lovers: “So, how exactly do you plan on making it up to me?”

Nianshu’s face flushed a deep crimson. Panic surged, and any trace of her previous courage vanished. She felt as though she were drowning in the depths of Qi Shu’s dark eyes.

After a long pause, she stammered, “Just… just by being nice to you?”

Seeing her like this, Qi Shu’s thumb brushed lightly against the nape of Nianshu’s neck. Feeling the skin tighten under her touch, she finally withdrew her hand and leaned back against the stands.

Her tone returned to normal, the heavy pressure from a moment ago vanishing instantly. “I’m just teasing.”

Snapping out of the trance, Nianshu’s expression shifted immediately to one of indignation. “I knew it! You’re always doing this. You’re so mean.”

Qi Shu thought to herself: Yes, I am the most calculating, meanest sister there is.

Nianshu wanted to blame all her anxiety and wild thoughts on Qi Shu, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She decided they would share the blame.

The anxiety was Qi Shu’s fault for talking nonsense. The wild thoughts were her own fault for being self-indulgent.

She sullenly announced a one-sided cold war: “I’m not speaking to you for an hour. And give me back that orange I shared with you.”

Qi Shu replied, “That orange was mine to begin with.”

Nianshu didn’t care. She snatched it back, stood up, and ran back to her own class’s section of the stands.

Qi Shu gave a helpless smile. Fine… one hour is better than a week.

Back at her seat, Nianshu gritted her teeth, cursing herself. I fall for her traps every single time. When will I ever learn?

She popped a piece of the reclaimed orange into her mouth. Qi Shu might be a villain, but her oranges are definitely sweet.

By the time the afternoon sports meet ended, Nianshu was still annoyed that Qi Shu had managed to make her lose her cool with just a few words.

She walked ahead with her camera bag, her face set in a stony expression that screamed “do not disturb.” Qi Shu followed at a leisurely pace, keeping a steady distance behind her.

Nianshu knew she was there, but out of spite, she refused to look back.

Suddenly, she felt a tug on her clothes.

Finally, she’s looking for a way to make peace, Nianshu thought.

She huffed and stubbornly refused to turn around. “I said one hour, and I meant it! It doesn’t matter what you do, I’m not talking to”

She tried to step forward but felt the tugging again. She whirled around. “I told you it hasn’t been an”

There was no one behind her. Qi Shu was standing three paces away, looking up at her.

Nianshu’s first thought: Is this a ghost?

She looked down stiffly and realised the hem of her jacket was caught on a stray vine poking out from a nearby flowerbed.

In other words, she had just performed a melodramatic monologue to thin air right in front of Qi Shu.

Mortification flooded her. She frantically untangled her jacket and, without a word to Qi Shu, bolted for the school gates. She dove into the back of Qi Yan’s car, which had been waiting for them.

Too embarrassing. This was beyond humiliating.

Nianshu sat in the back seat with her head buried in her knees, wishing she could just smother herself with her own jacket.

The car door opened and closed. The seat beside her dipped as Qi Shu climbed in. Nianshu didn’t look up; she just kept scooting further and further away from her sister.

Seeing this through the rearview mirror, Qi Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. “What’s wrong with Niannian? Did your sister bully you again?”

Qi Shu let out a silent laugh but said nothing.

Nianshu’s voice came out muffled from between her knees. “Don’t ask.”

At this moment, Nianshu just wanted the earth to swallow her whole. The scene from a moment ago kept replaying in her mind, she felt like she could literally die of shame. One second, she was playing hard to get, and the next she was making a fool of herself. She had no idea how she was supposed to face Qi Shu now.

Qi Shu came to her rescue. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

As the car started moving, Nianshu kept her head down, but her ears were pricked, listening intently to every movement beside her.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Nianshu shifted away slightly. “What?”

“Would you like an apology?”

Nianshu refused to look up. “No.”

Qi Shu reached out and hooked a finger around Nianshu’s exposed hand, giving it a tiny, fleeting tug before pulling back.

It tickled.

As if she’d been burned, Nianshu tucked her hands deep into her sleeves. “What are you doing?” she asked dryly.

Qi Shu remained patient. “Would you like something I have for you?”

Nianshu snapped, “No.”

When Qi Shu didn’t say anything else for a long while, Nianshu started to feel a bit miffed again. I said no, but does she have to take it so literally? Couldn’t she try a little harder to coax me?

Just then, something cold brushed against her sleeve. Her fingers, curled up inside, touched something with a metallic texture.

Nianshu instinctively grabbed it. It felt like an odd shape. What was it?

She couldn’t help herself; she looked up and opened her palm.

It was the gold medal from the women’s 3000m.

One of the best things about the First High School was its aesthetic sense and the fact that it was notoriously wealthy. The medal wasn’t a standard, boring design; the silver-toned face was engraved with intricate vines, with a small agate set in the centre. It was exquisite, heavy, and felt substantial in her hand.

Nianshu loved collecting beautiful trinkets. She liked it the moment she saw it.

But knowing Qi Shu was watching, she hid her delight and kept her face stern. “Why are you giving me this?”

Watching her act so contrarily, Qi Shu let a small smile play on her lips where Nianshu couldn’t see it. “To make you happy.”

Nianshu acted coy. “How is this supposed to make me happy?”

Qi Shu met her gaze, her eyes focused and calm. “I’m giving the champion to you. Do you want it?”

The phrasing was so ambiguous that Nianshu’s brain short-circuited again.

She desperately wanted to yell at Qi Shu: A championship medal is a championship medal! Did your English teacher never teach you how to properly shorten a sentence? That sounds completely different!

The words were loaded, but Nianshu didn’t dare overthink it this time. The afternoon’s “test” had already resulted in enough embarrassment.

“You ran for this yourself. I don’t want it,” she said, trying to stay firm.

Qi Shu chuckled softly. “What’s mine is yours, isn’t it?”

Look at her! Look at this person! Nianshu thought. She’s always saying these things that make my heart race, and then she acts like it’s nothing!

Nianshu vowed she wouldn’t fall for it again. “I still don’t want it.”

After she said that, she saw Qi Shu lean back against the armrest. Her eyes dropped as she gave a soft, “Okay.”

Outside, the twilight was deepening. Her expression was blurred by the scenery flashing past the window, making her look a little dejected.

Panic flared in Nianshu’s chest. She completely forgot about being teased.

Qi Shu… she was just joking! What’s wrong with a joke between sisters? It’s my own fault for being so sensitive and seeing hidden meanings everywhere!

Qi Shu hadn’t done anything wrong!

The medal in Nianshu’s hand suddenly felt like it was burning. Such a beautiful prize, and Qi Shu had just offered it to her. She’d peeled oranges for her, agreed to go on holiday together, what was a little joke?

She wasn’t that fragile, and besides, she had been the one to start the teasing earlier. Qi Shu had just teased her back.

Regret washed over her, and her stubbornness evaporated. Seeing Qi Shu sitting there in silence, looking slightly downcast, made Nianshu feel like she was sitting on pins and needles.

Nianshu faked a couple of coughs behind her hand. From the corner of her eye, she saw Qi Shu glance at her.

Finally, she couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Um… the hour is up.”

Looking at Nianshu’s red-tipped ears and her “I’m waiting for you to give me an out” expression, Qi Shu had to suppress a laugh.

She kept her face neutral, however, acting as if she didn’t understand.

Seeing her confusion, Nianshu quickly explained, “I said I wouldn’t talk to you for an hour. The hour is over now.”

A hint of a smile touched Qi Shu’s eyes as she spoke slowly. “And the champion?”

Nianshu felt she’d found her bridge back to peace. She didn’t feel guilty anymore. Gripping the medal that had been warmed by her palm, she decided not to overthink the ambiguous phrasing.

“I’ll take the medal,” Nianshu said awkwardly. “I forgive you.”

The corner of Qi Shu’s mouth curled up. “Good.”

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