An Adoptive Older Sister Cannot Become a Wife - Chapter 9

Nianshu wanted to ask Zhang Ruomeng for clarification, but seeing Ruomeng swinging wildly between the tragedy of her confiscated phone and the excitement of the sports meet, she decided it wasn’t the right time for questions.

Throughout the morning classes, Nianshu remained distracted. Old Chen’s words outside the classroom kept playing on a loop in her head.

She had never truly thought about her future. When it came time to choose between the Humanities and Science tracks in high school, she hadn’t hesitated for a second to choose Science, simply because that’s what Qi Shu had chosen. To her, the subjects didn’t matter as much as staying close.

But what did she actually want to do later? And Qi Shu… what did Qi Shu want to do?

The teacher at the front was explaining formulas and solutions she only half-understood. Behind her, she could hear students whispering about the sports meet. Nianshu couldn’t help but glance toward the Senior building. The people in that building were always incredibly busy, and Qi Shu was no exception.

A sudden wave of panic rose in her chest. I don’t want to be separated from her.

She took a deep breath, forcing her focus back to the whiteboard.

When the bell rang for the lunch break, the classroom erupted. Zhang Ruomeng spun around, having already blocked out the trauma of her lost phone.

“What events are you guys signing up for?” she asked excitedly.

Lin Xiao gave a small smile. “I’m signing up for the ‘cheering from the sidelines’ event.”

Ruomeng’s face fell. “Lin Xiao, have some ambition! The sports meet is a rare chance to relax. Plus, watching the handsome guys and pretty girls run? It’s a feast for the eyes!”

She turned her sparkling eyes toward Nianshu. “Nian-Nian, what about you? Want to do the 800-meter relay with me? We’ll be a team, and I’ll definitely cheer you on!”

Nianshu, still caught in her own thoughts, blinked and instinctively shook her head. “I can’t… my stamina is terrible. I’m out of breath after two steps.”

Qi Shu was different. She ran three kilometers every morning just as a warm-up, and she worked out every week. Their class always took first place in total points because of her. She was a total “all-rounder” in the eyes of the teachers.

Nianshu imagined Qi Shu running, her posture upright, her steps light and rhythmic. She would be at the finish line, cheering. She’d watch Qi Shu cross the line amidst deafening applause. Qi Shu didn’t like being touched by others, so she’d always decline help from her classmates, choosing instead to lean only on Nianshu while catching her breath.

In those moments, Nianshu felt a profound sense of happiness. It felt like her sister actually relied on her, too.

Ruomeng wouldn’t give up. She grabbed Nianshu’s arm and shook it. “Oh, come on, just try! If not a race, then a ‘fun’ event. Like the three-legged race! If we’re a pair, we’ll definitely win a prize!”

Feeling dizzy from the shaking, Nianshu was about to refuse when her gaze drifted out the window. In the direction of the Senior building, a familiar figure was standing on the balcony, holding a stack of papers and talking to a teacher.

It was Qi Shu.

The sunlight outlined her slender silhouette, and the wind caught the ends of her hair, making it sway gently. Nianshu’s heart skipped a beat. The refusal she was about to utter got stuck in her throat.

A thought suddenly popped into her head: If I sign up for a running event, Qi Shu will definitely be waiting for me at the finish line, right?

Ruomeng was still rambling. “Your health is bad because you lack exercise. You need to move more, or one day your sister will be walking ahead of you and you won’t be able to keep up.”

Hearing that last sentence, Nianshu blurted out, “No way!”

“You can’t skip it this time, Qi Nianshu,” the class president said, making her rounds with the sports rep. “We don’t have many girls to begin with. You didn’t participate last year, and we have more events this year. You have to sign up for at least one.”

The class president, Xi Muyao, was a petite girl with glasses and a somewhat old-fashioned demeanor.

Nianshu’s blood began to boil at the mental image of her crossing the finish line and falling straight into Qi Shu’s arms. In a moment of impulsive heat, she declared, “Fine! Put me down for the 400-meter sprint!”

Ruomeng burst out laughing. “Calling 400 meters a ‘long-distance run’?”

Nianshu glared at her. “Shut up.”

Ruomeng shrugged and made a zipping motion across her lips.

Xi Muyao noted Nianshu’s name and turned to Lin Xiao. “And you, Lin? Any events?”

“She won’t” Ruomeng started.

“Put me down for the 800,” Lin Xiao said, cutting Ruomeng off.

Xi Muyao scribbled it down. “Great. Good luck, Lin.”

Ruomeng looked at her like she’d seen a ghost. “I thought you weren’t participating?”

Lin Xiao looked innocent. “Didn’t she say everyone has to do at least one?”

Ruomeng looked at Lin Xiao, then at Nianshu, shaking her head and muttering, “Suspicious. This is incredibly suspicious.”

Nianshu just smiled and said nothing.

As soon as the final bell for the morning session rang, Nianshu grabbed her bag and dashed out of the room. Lin Xiao and Ruomeng, long since used to this, just exchanged a look and shook their heads. Nothing but Qi Shu could make her move that fast.

Ruomeng reached out to put an arm around Lin Xiao’s shoulder. “Let’s go. Malatang at the school gate?”

Lin Xiao coolly swatted her hand away. “I’m going home to eat.”

Compared to the crowded Grade 11 building, the Senior building was eerily quiet. To manage the traffic, the school staggered dismissal times, and the seniors got out ten minutes later than the rest.

Nianshu made her way to Class 12-1 with practiced ease. The back door was slightly ajar. She lightened her steps and leaned against the railing, peeping inside.

The pace at No. 1 High was relentless; the seniors were already in their first round of intensive review. Some complex chemistry problems were written on the whiteboard. Nianshu glanced at them; they were high-level “finale” problems that combined multiple concepts she hadn’t even learned yet. It looked like gibberish to her.

Qi Shu was sitting by the window, her profile toward the door. She was looking down, calculating something, her scratch paper filled with complex formulas. She looked calm, as if these problems that looked like ancient runes to Nianshu were just simple, logical puzzles to be solved.

Nianshu couldn’t help but think of Old Chen’s words again. The Qi Shu who was sitting just a few feet away suddenly felt miles away. A quiet dread crept back into her heart.

She knew that their city, Rongcheng, couldn’t hold Qi Shu forever. How far away would she go? So far that Nianshu didn’t even dare to imagine it. She used to think that as long as she followed Qi Shu, choosing the same subjects, walking the same path—they would never be apart.

But Old Chen told her it didn’t work like that.

A breeze blew through the corridor, and Nianshu instinctively stepped back. Qi Shu didn’t notice her, but her seatmate did. The girl poked Qi Shu’s arm and whispered something.

Qi Shu’s pen stopped. She turned her head. When their eyes met, Qi Shu gave a small, soft smile. Nianshu saw her lips move, and she could make out the words: “Wait a moment.” Then, Qi Shu lowered her head and went back to writing.

Nianshu felt like things couldn’t go on like this. She couldn’t lose Qi Shu.

Finally, the dismissal bell for the seniors rang. The building came alive with noise. The back door opened, and students from Class 1 poured out. Seeing Nianshu there was a common sight, and they greeted her warmly: “Qi Shu’s sister is here!”

Nearly everyone in Class 1 knew their “Academic Goddess” had a very close sister who was sweet and adorable. It was no wonder their Goddess was so protective of her.

Nianshu shook the dark thoughts from her head and greeted them back. “Hi everyone!”

She kept half an eye on Qi Shu inside the room. As Qi Shu tucked her pen into its case, Nianshu realized she was still using the fountain pen Nianshu had bought her.

It was the first birthday gift Nianshu had ever given her. The Qi family wasn’t stingy with money, and their allowance was generous. However, Qi Shu had noticed that Nianshu, who usually spent her money on a mountain of snacks—had suddenly changed. She would stare longingly at the street food stalls outside school but refuse to buy anything.

Just as their parents were starting to worry if Nianshu had picked up a bad habit, Nianshu had carefully produced a beautifully wrapped Montblanc pen on their birthday. It was a classic model and clearly expensive.

Qi Shu knew immediately where all that saved lunch money had gone. But to Nianshu’s disappointment, Qi Shu had looked at her with a cold face and told her to return it.

Nianshu, thinking her sister hated the gift, had panicked. She had seen Qi Shu staring at that pen in a display case for a long time and had saved up for months to get it. When Qi Shu told her to take it back, she couldn’t handle it; she stood there and started crying.

Their parents realized Qi Shu didn’t actually dislike the gift—she was just worried about her sister spending so much. Seeing Nianshu so upset, they quickly intervened, offering to “reimburse” Nianshu for it. But Nianshu refused; if they paid for it, it wouldn’t be her gift to her sister anymore.

In the end, they compromised. The parents took a tiny amount of Nianshu’s money as a “penalty” for making them worry. Only then did Qi Shu’s expression soften, and she finally accepted the pen.

Now, that pen was slightly worn, but it was clear its owner cherished it deeply. Nianshu’s mood brightened instantly.

As Qi Shu walked out of the classroom, Nianshu hurried to meet her, tilting her face up with a sweet, clingy smile. “Sister, I missed you so much!”

Qi Shu naturally took Nianshu’s backpack and slung it over her own shoulder. She reached out and ruffled Nianshu’s soft hair. “Let’s go.”

Nianshu circled around her, chattering about her day. She mentioned Ruomeng’s phone and the post on the Confession Wall.

“Sister, do you know what a ‘CP’ is?” she asked curiously.

Qi Shu glanced down at her, her expression unreadable. “No idea.”

Nianshu looked surprised. “There’s actually something you don’t know?”

“I’m not an encyclopedia,” Qi Shu replied.

Nianshu was slightly stumped by the answer and decided she’d just look it up herself when she got home.

Qi Shu looked at her and remembered something. “Our parents are back.”

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