After Getting Married to My Obsessive Older Sister - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Tan Ze seemed stunned by Chu Yiqiao using the word “Wife.” She stood still, examining Chu Yiqiao’s expression with an investigative gaze.

She had noticed this morning that Chu Yiqiao used “Wife” a little too naturally.

But then, she remembered that Chu Yiqiao was always like this, easily saying things that Tan Ze couldn’t bring herself to say.

Such as overly candid requests like “Sister, would you kiss me?” and promises that were scientifically impossible to keep, like “Sister, I’ll love you for ten thousand years.” Tan Ze tentatively considered this to be Chu Yiqiao’s gift.

The only danger was that this gift had the potential to cause heart palpitations. Fortunately, Chu Yiqiao only acted cute toward Tan Ze and only called Tan Ze “Wife,” which slightly relieved the consistently cautious Tan Ze.

Tan Ze took a bite of the hawthorn cake Chu Yiqiao offered her, swallowed, and then spoke: “We’ll go to the Bureau of Civil Affairs after the pre-marital check-up, provided all indicators are qualified.”

Receiving the reply, Chu Yiqiao nodded and clung to Tan Ze, calling out “Sister” many more times.

Tan Ze responded to every call, while in her heart, she wondered why Chu Yiqiao wasn’t calling her “Wife” anymore.

If it was because she hadn’t received a response and was discouraged, was Tan Ze making up for it enough now?

But the next second, Chu Yiqiao tugged at Tan Ze’s sleeve, shaking it slightly: “Wife, what are we eating for lunch? I’m a little hungry.”

Tan Ze quickly made amends, giving Chu Yiqiao a kiss this time as encouragement.

At lunchtime, Chu Yiqiao suddenly remembered her advisor’s words and proactively told Tan Ze: “Sister, I plan to start submitting to galleries.”

Tan Ze was quite surprised: “Didn’t you say you were tired yesterday? Why the sudden motivation today?”

Unbeknownst to her, it was precisely because of Tan Ze’s proposal that Chu Yiqiao, who had always been content with the status quo, suddenly felt the need for rapid growth.

Chu Yiqiao was too embarrassed to say it was because they were getting married. “Because I really am heading into my final year soon.”

Tan Ze: “Do you have any target galleries?”

“Not yet,” Chu Yiqiao shook her head. “I need to quickly prepare my portfolio before that. It’s a good thing I participated in an exhibition at the beginning of this semester, or I would be swamped.”

Tan Ze suggested at an opportune moment: “There should be suitable galleries available through Si Yue Shan. You can look through them and choose.”

Tan Ze’s meaning was clear: she wanted Chu Yiqiao to choose from the ones she had already vetted.

However, Chu Yiqiao didn’t catch the implied meaning and happily nodded, replying: “Okay! I’ll also try my best to look on my own!”

Tan Ze lowered her head and placed a piece of beef into Chu Yiqiao’s mouth with her chopsticks, effectively silencing her.

This subtle change in Chu Yiqiao unknowingly accelerated the process for the two to get their marriage certificate.

Tan Ze had originally planned to take Chu Yiqiao for the pre-marital check-up directly on Friday and pay for an expedited service. This way, the results would be ready in three days at the fastest. They could get the report in the morning, go to the Bureau of Civil Affairs in the afternoon, and their household registers could be merged by the evening.

Chu Lingtong could be considered nonexistent, and they had virtually no contact with Fang Yi (presumably referring to Fang Yizhen). The two of them getting together even skipped the step of meeting the parents; at most, Tan Ze would drive Chu Yiqiao to visit Chu Lingfeng’s grave again.

However, Chu Yiqiao had an early morning class on Friday: an open-book in-class final exam for her Ideological and Political Theory course.

The pre-marital check-up required fasting. Tan Ze couldn’t let Chu Yiqiao take the exam on an empty stomach, so she had to postpone it by one day. At 12 AM, when she should have been bathing a certain someone, Tan Ze was instead burning the midnight oil under a desk lamp, helping Chu Yiqiao cram for the exam.

Chu Yiqiao’s existence significantly broadened Tan Ze’s life experience. The things she’d considered childish and refused to do as a student, she now did all of them eight years later alongside Chu Yiqiao.

The lecture recording on the phone had been listened to three times. Chu Yiqiao was currently buried in her multiple-choice questions. The study room was quiet, and the “shh-shh” sound of the pen against the paper was extremely clear.

Tan Ze held colorful sticky notes, helping Chu Yiqiao mark all the key exam points, occasionally looking up at Chu Yiqiao. She miraculously gained immense comfort from the simple act of companionship.

After finishing this, the time was nearly 1 AM. The “shh-shh” sound gradually weakened. Tan Ze looked up. Chu Yiqiao had fallen asleep, her head resting on her folded arms on the paper. The hand wearing the bracelet was on top, and the excellent quality ruby refracted a intoxicating light under the overhead lamp.

In a flash, almost two months had passed since the day Tan Ze gave Chu Yiqiao this bracelet. Just as they had agreed that day, Chu Yiqiao hadn’t taken it off since.

Tan Ze thought for a few seconds, felt around in the secret compartment of the desk for the inconspicuous magnetic card, and gently lifted Chu Yiqiao’s wrist. After an inaudible “click,” the bracelet was removed.

At the same time, Tan Ze’s phone immediately jumped to the app interface. The screen showed a few bold red characters on a white background:

“Connection disconnected, please check device status.”

Tan Ze closed the app and her gaze returned to Chu Yiqiao’s wrist. The section of skin was startlingly white. Because she had gained a little weight recently, the chain had left a faint red mark, which gave her an inexplicably pitiful appearance.

Chu Yiqiao was sleeping peacefully, her cheek squished out by her arm, completely unaware of everything happening to her.

Including Tan Ze kissing her, nipping her, carrying her back to the room, debating for a long time, and finally choosing to loosen the bracelet slightly and put it back on Chu Yiqiao’s wrist. She held Chu Yiqiao with her hand circling her wrist and fell asleep with her.

The next day, the day of the exam.

Tan Ze came out after brushing her teeth and saw Chu Yiqiao devoutly bowing with her tablet. Walking closer, she confirmed that Chu Yiqiao was indeed bowing to the Bodhisattva Manjusri.

Tan Ze had attempted to correct Chu Yiqiao’s superstition for several years, but by this year, she had reached a point of simply ignoring it.

As usual, she bought breakfast and drove Chu Yiqiao to school. On the way, Tan Ze noticed Chu Yiqiao was still bowing, which finally sparked her anger. She confiscated Chu Yiqiao’s phone after a long time and told her to eat properly.

They were about to get married, yet Chu Yiqiao wasn’t even praying to the ‘Auntie God’ (a humorous reference). As Tan Ze thought about it, she added another item to their schedule: they should visit a temple and pray before getting married.

Of course, Tan Ze didn’t believe in it, but wasn’t there still Chu Yiqiao?

After the Ideological and Political Theory exam, Chu Yiqiao ran from the examination room all the way to the North Gate of Jing University. Zhao Jingxing was indeed waiting by the roadside.

Chu Yiqiao slipped into the car like a fish. Before she was even settled, she sent a message to Tan Ze, saying she had finished the exam and wouldn’t have any more classes on Fridays. She also said, “Sister, you’re so amazing. How did so many of your marked key points show up on the exam?”

Tan Ze thought, Didn’t your teacher highlight those points? She sent back “No need to thank me” on WeChat.

They agreed to have the pre-marital check-up on Saturday, with instructions to rest well the day before. To ensure early rest, they showered by 7 PM.

Chu Yiqiao changed into her pajamas and lay on the bed, flipping through the promotional pamphlet Tan Ze gave her that afternoon.

The pamphlet was short, just three folds and six sides. Chu Yiqiao read line by line, more seriously than she had flipped through her book during the morning’s open-book exam. With every line she read, she felt psychologically closer to the state of marriage.

“Results can be checked on the public account after three business days…”

As Chu Yiqiao read, the soft mattress beside her suddenly dipped slightly. She knew her sister had gotten onto the bed. She swung her feet and continued reading.

As the weather warmed up, Chu Yiqiao had changed into pajamas with shorts that reached her upper thigh. She usually dressed modestly, but the skin hidden under her clothes was dazzlingly white. Tan Ze was dizzy from the sight of Chu Yiqiao’s legs swinging. She sat up, grabbed the offending ankle, and slowly moved her hand up, grasping Chu Yiqiao’s calf.

Chu Yiqiao lacked exercise. Even when Tan Ze took her jogging, Chu Yiqiao mostly walked. The calf muscle was soft, and when Tan Ze held it, a little bit of flesh seemed to spill out between her fingers. Tan Ze enjoyed kneading it for a long time.

Chu Yiqiao concentrated on finishing the line she was reading before turning her head. Adopting a teacher’s demeanor, she told Tan Ze: “Sister, we still have the check-up tomorrow! No marks allowed.”

“Alright.”

Tan Ze quickly let go. She put her arm around Chu Yiqiao’s waist and pulled her close. If touching wasn’t allowed, kissing was. Tan Ze lay down, letting Chu Yiqiao lie on top of her so they could kiss.

Chu Yiqiao rarely saw this perspective. Tan Ze was lying down, her long black hair cushioning her head, half-covered by Chu Yiqiao’s shadow. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, watching Chu Yiqiao. Her gaze seemed very pure, just simply watching, yet Chu Yiqiao somehow sensed a kind of charm in her shifting eyes.

It proved that a straight hook could also catch a fish. Chu Yiqiao sagged softly onto Tan Ze’s body, cupping Tan Ze’s face with both hands and kissing her.

It wasn’t… a sitting posture, so it was hard to exert force while lying down. Tan Ze deliberately left all the initiative to Chu Yiqiao. Her hands didn’t tightly clasp Chu Yiqiao’s waist like before; they only lightly touched to feel the warmth of the person beneath them.

Chu Yiqiao kissed passionately, sometimes licking Tan Ze’s thin lips, sometimes trying hard to slip her tongue inside and twine with Tan Ze’s.

Chu Yiqiao really liked kissing. She loved both touching lips and using her tongue. When kissing, she always felt very close to her sister, with no barriers between them.

Chu Yiqiao usually liked to close her eyes when asking for a kiss, but rarely did so once they were actually kissing. She would open her eyes wide, as if trying to deeply imprint every small detail of Tan Ze’s face into her mind.

Perhaps after all these years, Chu Yiqiao hadn’t changed. Deep down, she was still that 13-year-old girl who would use her hands and legs to trap her sister while sleeping, afraid of being alone, afraid of loneliness.

Tan Ze gently rubbed the skin on Chu Yiqiao’s waist. Gradually, Chu Yiqiao’s breathing became ragged, and her kissing became disorganized.

Tan Ze increased the pressure slightly and massaged. Chu Yiqiao’s back softened, and she lay on Tan Ze, taking small breaths to regulate her breathing. Her slick calves rubbed against Tan Ze’s leg through her pajamas, her face flushed red. She looked at Tan Ze anxiously, her voice a little wronged: “…But we really can’t leave marks. We have the physical exam.”

Tan Ze couldn’t help but laugh. Chu Yiqiao was truly a forgetful student. After a few intense… sessions, she had forgotten about the slow and steady kind they started with.

“There are ways to avoid leaving marks. I’ll just hold you gently.”

“You can do it yourself.”

After saying that, Tan Ze slightly sat up and let Chu Yiqiao settle back, specifically telling her to open her pajamas. Tan Ze couldn’t kiss, but at least she could look.

Other than licking (an implied term for a specific intimate act), Chu Yiqiao had been on top only a handful of times. She adjusted her posture and pressed close. The next second, she visibly blushed, afraid to move, but getting slicker.

Tan Ze was true to her word and didn’t touch Chu Yiqiao. She kept her hands flat by the side of the bed, watching Chu Yiqiao’s predicament with composure.

She was like a tutor who had done enough hands-on teaching, and today was the student’s turn for self-practice.

Chu Yiqiao pressed close for a few seconds but still didn’t dare to move. Tan Ze, who had her legs bent, mischievously nudged Chu Yiqiao’s waist with her knee. Chu Yiqiao was already heat-addled and dazed. This action made her collapse immediately. She supported herself on Tan Ze’s lower abdomen with her hands and pressed down hard.

“Mmm!”

“Keep going,” Tan Ze said.

Everything is hard at the beginning, but after the first move, things speed up. Chu Yiqiao gradually got the hang of it and became more proficient. Gasping lightly, she sighed to Tan Ze: “Sister, so much… Ah, so slick.”

Tan Ze couldn’t see, but she had experience.

Seeing Chu Yiqiao’s face flushed and her expression seemingly self-mocking, Tan Ze ruthlessly exposed her: “Most of that is yours. If you don’t believe me, look down.”

Chu Yiqiao actually looked down. Tan Ze was wrong; it was impossible to tell whose was whose.

It was too red.

Chu Yiqiao whimpered, stimulated, and her face became twice as red. After three painful experiences, she finally learned a lesson, realizing that Tan Ze just wanted her to look.

“Sister, help me…” Chu Yiqiao lacked exercise after all. Her hands resting on Tan Ze’s lower abdomen could feel her abs, but Tan Ze’s hands resting on Chu Yiqiao’s stomach only felt soft, white skin. Her waist ached after just a few movements; it was more tiring than being pinned down by Tan Ze… twice.

Tan Ze nudged Chu Yiqiao’s butt with her leg again, teasing her for trying to be lazy even during this.

Chu Yiqiao bit her lip, not answering. After persevering for two more moves, she completely gave up, bending down and lying awkwardly on Tan Ze’s lower abdomen, pleading for her sister to help her, for her wife to help her.

It was still early outside, and the window wasn’t closed tight. Tan Ze held Chu Yiqiao, and amidst the increasingly sweet gasps, she could occasionally hear the sound of car horns outside.

The two’s household registers were already prepared on the bedside table. The hand of Tan Ze’s that wasn’t wearing the ring was busy, and the other hand embraced Chu Yiqiao for a passionate kiss, moving from her soft lips to her soft cheek.

Chu Yiqiao was still wearing her childish cartoon pajamas, and her appearance hadn’t changed much since adulthood. Cuddling in Tan Ze’s arms, she seemed like the child who never grew up.

Tan Ze kissed Chu Yiqiao until she couldn’t open her eyes, her eyelashes trembling violently, a truly soft and easily-bulled sight.

If Chu Yiqiao’s various traits were abstracted into adjectives and presented to Tan Ze, her personality would have made her ruthlessly criticize them as “fragile” and “unfit for society.”

But if the object was Chu Yiqiao, the specific person, Tan Ze believed it was excusable and not to be criticized harshly.

Unknowingly, Chu Yiqiao had also turned Tan Ze into a person with a vulnerable heart.

Even though Tan Ze had once been disdainful of “the companionship of family” and “seeking true love,” she had to admit that at this very moment, Tan Ze truly felt an indescribably warm current. When Chu Yiqiao was nestled in her arms sleeping, Tan Ze actually slept a little better than usual.

Perhaps the desire for a hug and the desire to be loved weren’t only needed by those who were mentally weak. Perhaps Tan Ze wasn’t as independent as she thought.

At least now, she was also so moved by the small family they were about to form that she was on the verge of tears.

On the verge. She didn’t cry.

But Chu Yiqiao did.

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