An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 34

Knock, knock.

A rapping came from the door.

“Hello, room service.”

Qi Nianshu snapped her eyes open, yet she found herself reluctant to get up. The hand that had, at some point, found its way around her waist rubbed against her slightly, as if confirming something.

Nianshu looked up and saw Qi Shu slowly opening her eyes, her gaze already clear and sharp.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Nianshu’s eyes flickered over Qi Shu’s cheek. “Sister, you’re awake.”

Qi Shu raised a hand to cover her eyes, clearing her head. Her voice held no trace of sleepiness. “Mhm.”

She gave Nianshu’s waist a light pat, the force was neither heavy nor light, yet it carried an inexplicable heat. “Get up.”

Nianshu’s body went limp for a second before she scrambled out of bed. “I’ll get the door.”

She tidied her messy hair and patted her cheeks to wake herself up before opening the door. “Hello?”

The server handed over an exquisite food box. “Hello, this is the dinner you pre-ordered. Please enjoy.”

Nianshu took the box, offered her thanks, and gently closed the door.

When she turned around, Qi Shu was already sitting up on the bed. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, her eyes were downcast, and her expression was cool. She raised a hand, her knuckles inadvertently brushing against the exact spot where Nianshu had stolen a kiss earlier, as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and casually pinned it back with a claw clip from the nightstand.

The whole scene exuded a languid, effortless attraction.

Nianshu’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly placed the food box on the table, averted her eyes, and began setting the table. “Dinner’s here.”

Qi Shu replied softly, “Understood.”

She rose slowly and came to the table. Watching Nianshu busying herself, she suddenly reached out and brushed Nianshu’s cheek.

Nianshu’s hand shook, nearly flipping the bowl of rice she was holding.

Qi Shu acted as if she noticed nothing. “Did you get a mark?”

Nianshu looked up at the mirror nearby and realized there was a faint red crease on her face where Qi Shu’s collar had pressed into her.

“Ah… right.”

Ever since the stolen kiss, Nianshu had been too guilty to move an inch, so she hadn’t noticed the clothes at all. She reached up and rubbed it casually. “It’s nothing. Let’s eat, Sister.”

The dinner provided by the hotel was varied: four dishes, a soup, and post-dinner fruit, all presented beautifully. Because of her guilty conscience, Nianshu kept her head down and ate the entire time, barely even noticing what the food tasted like. It was only when Qi Shu occasionally murmured “Eat slower” that she realized she had polished off quite a lot.

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Nianshu picked up a cherry and held it to Qi Shu’s lips. “Sister, try this.”

Qi Shu didn’t refuse. She lowered her eyes and bit into it, her lips unintentionally brushing against Nianshu’s fingertip, causing the younger girl to pull her hand back instantly.

Qi Shu nodded and spoke calmly, “It tastes good.”

Nianshu nodded frantically. “Right? This place serves a really great dinner. I’ll definitely leave a good review when we get home.”

After dinner, Qi Shu cleared the dishes and placed them on the service stand outside the door. Nianshu slumped in her chair, her eyes following Qi Shu’s every move. “Sister, let’s soak in the hot spring in a bit.”

**

In the courtyard, the spring pool was carved directly into the mountain rock. The edges were lined with smooth pebbles, and the water was a translucent pale jade, rippling with fine circles. The steam drifted through the air, mixing with the crisp, clean scent of the forest.

Qi Shu went first to adjust the water temperature while Nianshu clutched her bathrobe and ducked into the bathroom. She leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection. The tips of her ears were still flushed, and that faint red mark on her face remained—a stubborn reminder of what she had done.

With her heart racing, Nianshu changed into the swimsuit she had prepared. She hesitated for a few seconds before putting on the bathrobe and stepping out of the bathroom with quiet footsteps.

Qi Shu was already sitting on the stone steps by the pool. She wore a black silk bathrobe, tied loosely at the waist. The collar was slightly open, revealing a slender neck and collarbone. Her calves were submerged in the water, looking strikingly white against the jade-green depths; as she moved them slightly, ripples spread outward.

Her dark hair was loosely coiled at the back of her head, held in place by a simple wooden hairpin. A few stray locks hung by her ears, their damp ends clinging to her neck.

Hearing footsteps, Qi Shu looked up. The usual coldness in her eyes had been softened by the lush lamplight and the rising steam. Her gaze landed on Nianshu, and the corners of her lips twitched in a barely perceptible smile. “The temperature is perfect. Come in.”

Nianshu felt like her legs had turned to lead. She stood frozen, her gaze pulled toward Qi Shu like a magnet. She thought she heard the frantic wind whistling through the courtyard, but when she looked up, the bamboo grove was silent. There was no wind.

The “wind” was only in her heart.

Seeing her dazed, Qi Shu asked in confusion, “What is it?”

Nianshu snapped back to reality. She lowered her head and shuffled over, sitting on the stone step beside Qi Shu. The cold stone seeped through her robe, cooling the burning heat in her chest just enough. Nianshu didn’t dare turn her head; she stared at the surface of the water, yet she could clearly sense the presence of the person beside her.

The faint scent of gardenia mixed with the mist of the spring, swirling around her nose and making her heart beat even faster.

Then, she heard Qi Shu move.

The sound of fabric rubbing was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard. Nianshu’s eyelashes trembled, but she didn’t look up. She felt the light and shadows shift as Qi Shu stood up. A second later, she heard the sound of a robe sliding down.

Nianshu looked up, her breath hitching.

Qi Shu was wearing a simple black swimsuit. There were no flashy decorations; the clean cut hugged her figure, outlining the smooth, elegant lines of her shoulders and neck. The neckline was slightly low, showing a glimpse of fair skin, while the hem just brushed her upper thighs, accentuating her long, straight legs.

Her skin, immersed in the pale green water, looked like white jade soaked in moonlight. With every movement, she shattered the reflections in the pool.

Nianshu took one look and felt her cheeks and ears ignite. She hurriedly looked down, staring intently at the ripples.

Qi Shu sat in the water, which reached her chest. Fine mist clung to her hair and shoulders. Her gaze naturally fell on Nianshu, her tone steady. “Aren’t you coming in?”

The fleeting image of Qi Shu in the swimsuit kept replaying in Nianshu’s mind, making it impossible for her to calm down. Her throat felt tight. It took her a long time to manage a sentence, keeping her head low: “I… I’m coming.”

She slowly untied her robe, revealing the water-blue swimsuit beneath. Because of her nerves, her movements were stiff, and she didn’t dare look toward Qi Shu once. She carefully dipped her foot into the pool. The warm water enveloped her ankle, slightly dispersing the internal heat but making the ambiguous atmosphere around them feel even heavier.

As she submerged herself, she instinctively moved away from Qi Shu, maintaining a considerable distance. She kept her eyes on a small fallen leaf floating on the surface, hardly daring to breathe.

But even so, the presence of the person next to her was overwhelming.

Qi Shu took in her “startled little animal” act. She didn’t press closer immediately, only reaching out to lightly ripple the water. Her voice was made smooth and melodic by the moisture. “Are you afraid of me?”

“I’m not” Nianshu countered quickly, though her voice betrayed her panic.

No sooner had she spoken than she saw Qi Shu slowly wading toward her. The warm water rippled out in layers, closing the distance between them inch by inch. The flow of water rubbed against Nianshu’s skin, creating a delicate itch. Nianshu instinctively backed away, but behind her was the rough mountain rock. There was nowhere left to go.

She froze, a fine sweat breaking out on the tip of her nose.

Qi Shu stopped half a step in front of her. Tiny droplets of water slid down her smooth jawline and fell into the pool. She leaned in slightly, her gentle features dipping even lower as she looked at Nianshu’s tense face.

“If you’re not afraid, why are you hiding?”

Qi Shu’s voice was incredibly soft, made tender by the mist. “Weren’t you quite brave just now on the bed?“

The words were like a lightning bolt, crashing through Nianshu’s mind. She looked up sharply, crashing into Qi Shu’s calm gaze. Those eyes reflected her own frantic state.

The hurried, cowardly kiss from before… was Qi Shu awake for it?!

Nianshu opened her mouth to defend herself, but the words were stuck in her throat. After stammering for a while, only tiny gasps escaped. Her guilt and panic had reached their peak.

Seeing her look so utterly mortified, Qi Shu finally didn’t have the heart to tease her further. “Where did that boldness go from when you insisted on pinning me down to sleep?”

Nianshu let out a massive sigh of relief. “Oh… that thing.”

Qi Shu raised an eyebrow. “What else would it be?”

Nianshu’s eyes darted around. “No, nothing. Sister, move back a bit, I want to soak properly.”

As she spoke, she reached out to give Qi Shu a small push. The moment her fingertips touched the other’s cool arm, she pulled back as if burned. She shrank back against the mountain rock, wishing she could bury herself entirely in the warm spring water.

Qi Shu let out a low chuckle at this obvious attempt to cover things up. Her voice, stripped of its usual coldness, sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet garden. She didn’t move any closer; she simply adjusted her position and sat down very close to Nianshu, leaning against the rock and closing her eyes.

Only then did Nianshu dare to let out a quiet breath, her stiff shoulders finally relaxing.

The gardenia scent from Qi Shu, mixed with the crisp mountain air and the warm mist of the spring, wrapped the two of them tightly in that small space. The water caressed her body, washing away the day’s tension.

Though Qi Shu had her eyes closed, she wasn’t entirely relaxed. Suddenly, a head rested on her shoulder. Her eyelids lifted slightly, falling on Nianshu, who had somehow fallen fast asleep. The girl’s brow was smooth, the previous panic and awkwardness completely gone. Her long lashes were still, and her cheeks still held a trace of a faint blush.

She leaned against Qi Shu softly, like a kitten that had finally found a safe corner. Even her breathing had become long and gentle.

A moment later, a nearly inaudible sigh escaped Qi Shu’s throat.

“Niannian?”

There was no answer. Instead, the person on her shoulder nuzzled closer into her embrace, her warm breath brushing against the skin of Qi Shu’s neck.

Qi Shu gently lifted her head and stood up from the rocks. She reached down, one arm sliding under Nianshu’s knees and the other supporting her back, lifting her up in a horizontal carry.

The person in her arms was incredibly light, made soft by the hot spring like a warm cloud. Suddenly lifted from the water, Nianshu instinctively sought the nearest heat source, hooking her arms around Qi Shu’s neck. She buried her head in the crook of Qi Shu’s shoulder, finding a more comfortable position and letting out a tiny whimper.

Qi Shu carried Nianshu through the corridor, pushed open the bedroom door, and leaned over to place her on the bedding. Just as she tried to withdraw her hand, someone grabbed it.

Qi Shu tried to pull away, but the grip only tightened. Nianshu even shuffled toward the edge of the bed, leaning her whole body toward her. Helpless, Qi Shu could only let Nianshu curl up beside her like a clingy little cub.

She turned her head, using the faint light to look at Nianshu’s sleeping profile. Her gaze lingered for a long time.

Finally, very gently, she dropped a fleeting kiss on Nianshu’s flushed cheek.

“Now we’re even.”

Support