After Getting Married to My Obsessive Older Sister - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Tan Ze dropped Chu Yiqiao off at school, and as soon as she arrived at the company, she received a call from Bai Shaoman.

Chu Lingtong had agreed to settle. The house would be returned, and the compensation would be decided by Tan Ze’s side.

On the phone, Bai Shaoman’s voice was excited, saying their public relations campaign must have worked.

Tan Ze knew this was the doing of the three photos. On this matter, Chu Lingtong was a woman of her word.

After all that hassle, she could finally say goodbye to the psychopath. Tan Ze was exhausted and didn’t want to argue anymore. She gave Bai Shaoman full authority to handle the matter and also mentioned Chu Lingtong instructing someone to commit burglary, exaggerating the facts a bit, which Tan Ze thought was acceptable.

On the other end of the phone, Bai Shaoman slapped her thigh. What great leverage! Too bad they were settling.

But less trouble was better. Bai Shaoman muttered to herself, the bomb in her head was finally about to be defused.

Tan Ze hummed twice, intending to hang up, but Bai Shaoman suddenly added: “The opposing lawyer has a letter they want to give you. I’ll send it over in a moment.”

Tan Ze guessed it was the other item she had exchanged for the photos: the whole story of the real and fake heiress incident. She agreed.

How did Chu Lingtong know that Chu Yiqiao was not Chu Lingfeng’s biological child? Judging by Chu Lingfeng’s letters before her death, Chu Lingfeng herself didn’t know about this until the end.

Tan Ze had been pondering this question since the morning she received the paternity test results.

Unfortunately, Chu Yiqiao was already five years old when she was adopted at age 13. Tan Ze had never seen Chu Yiqiao as a baby, nor did she know what Chu Lingfeng had experienced when giving birth to Chu Yiqiao.

She could only find the hospital where Chu Lingfeng gave birth from the birth certificate. It wasn’t in Yanjing, was geographically distant, and the event happened more than 20 years ago. It was impossible to trace through the vast crowd.

Bai Shaoman arrived quickly. The property transfer had already been entrusted to an agency. The suburban villa in Yanjing had changed hands twice in the last month. The tax paid was enough for Bai Shaoman to renovate the entire law firm. She mentioned the tax to Tan Ze, her heart aching.

Tan Ze glanced at her: “Add it to the compensation.”

“I know,” Bai Shaoman took out the envelope and placed it on Tan Ze’s office desk: “They instructed that it must be handed to you personally.”

Tan Ze held the envelope. A thin piece of paper. Inside lay the answer she wanted.

The envelope hadn’t been opened yet. Across from her, Bai Shaoman, who should have left already, lingered in her seat, her eyes flashing with curiosity.

“I’ll read it with Chu Yiqiao,” Tan Ze said, putting the envelope into the drawer.

Bai Shaoman stood up, rolling her eyes at Tan Ze. A rich family’s child being swapped—she knew there were only a few possibilities. She was stubbornly sure: “A competitor or a vengeful nanny. I can guess.”

After Bai Shaoman left, Tan Ze opened the drawer and looked at the envelope. She also thought of Chu Lingfeng. Regardless of the truth, Chu Yiqiao was her only daughter.

In the afternoon, Tan Ze went to pick up Chu Yiqiao, two wool hair clips tucked in her pocket again.

She had to admit that intentionally leaving the hair clips out that morning was a move to catch the thief. She just hadn’t planned for Chu Yiqiao to find out.

The first time the cleaner tipped off Chu Lingtong, Tan Ze wanted to sue for theft of trade secrets, but she lacked direct evidence and only received monetary compensation.

This time, the charge of theft was established. The cleaning company proactively negotiated, promising to return the items and fire the cleaner. Tan Ze dropped the case, and the matter was finally resolved.

Chu Yiqiao got into the car and took the wool hair clips from Tan Ze. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously: “Sister, these aren’t new ones you just bought, are they?”

Tan Ze paused, asking back: “Why would you think that?”

Chu Yiqiao carefully put the clips away and said: “When I lost things as a child, you often secretly bought them back.”

Tan Ze raised an eyebrow: “I thought you never noticed.”

Chu Yiqiao glanced at Tan Ze and muttered secretly: “I know a lot more than you think.”

Tan Ze chuckled, assuring Chu Yiqiao: “These were genuinely found this time. You can check my WeChat chat history, my phone is in my pocket.”

Chu Yiqiao leaned over to retrieve it and indeed felt the phone. However, her knuckle also hit something else, which felt like paper and was quite thick.

Tan Ze noticed Chu Yiqiao found it and remained silent.

But Chu Yiqiao didn’t take the envelope. She only took the phone and returned to her seat. Tan Ze’s phone password was Chu Yiqiao’s birthday, which she had always known.

In fact, if Chu Yiqiao wanted to, she could check Tan Ze’s phone every night.

It was just that Chu Yiqiao was too lazy. This indifference had initially made Tan Ze a little unhappy.

The wallpaper was the phone’s default. Chu Yiqiao opened WeChat and was surprised to find that Tan Ze had also set a WeChat pin. The familiar profile picture had a new note: “Wife,” and the chat background was Little Guai licking her fur.

It was a very small gesture, but Chu Yiqiao was easily pleased.

Chu Yiqiao stretched out her voice and asked: “Sister, did you purposely let me find that?”

Tan Ze focused on driving, asking back: “Don’t you know a lot?”

So manipulative! Too manipulative!

Chu Yiqiao didn’t check the chat history. She used Tan Ze’s WeChat to send herself a [Launching Heart.jpg] bunny emoji and contentedly stuffed the phone back into Tan Ze’s pocket.

She touched the envelope again this time, but still didn’t ask about it. Tan Ze’s subtle hints at the company didn’t work on Chu Yiqiao.

A few minutes later, as they were about to reach the doorstep, Chu Yiqiao still wasn’t curious. Tan Ze surrendered again, taking the initiative: “The envelope in my pocket is from Chu Lingtong. It concerns how she found out about Fang Yizhen.”

Chu Yiqiao lifted her face from the phone screen. Only then did she understand Tan Ze’s hint: “Sister, do I have to read it?”

Tan Ze chose to leave the initiative to Chu Yiqiao: “This is about you. You have to decide.”

Seeing Chu Yiqiao hesitate, Tan Ze offered comfort beforehand: “Knowing the truth or not doesn’t really matter. To Auntie, you are her only daughter, and Fang Yizhen has her own family now. Whether you know or not, I will always be your sister.”

Chu Yiqiao nodded: “I understand. Thank you, Sister.”

The car was quiet for a while.

Tan Ze gave Chu Yiqiao time to think. The car slowly pulled into the underground parking garage and turned off the engine. Chu Yiqiao sat in the passenger seat, squeezing the envelope with both hands. Tan Ze didn’t speak, letting Chu Yiqiao make her own decision.

Finally, after another five minutes, Chu Yiqiao moved. She turned her head, meeting Tan Ze’s concerned gaze directly.

“Sister, let’s read it together.”

Tan Ze unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned toward Chu Yiqiao.

The envelope was finally opened. Chu Lingtong’s handwriting appeared before them.

Despite having lived abroad for many years, the handwritten letter had few corrections or errors, perhaps due to excessive caution, or perhaps Chu Lingtong frequently wrote Chinese characters.

The facts were close to Bai Shaoman’s guess.

A competitor had bribed a hospital nurse. Fang Yizhen and Chu Yiqiao were born one after the other that day. The nurse was originally going to take Fang Yizhen and send her to the orphanage to threaten Chu Lingfeng, but Chu Yiqiao suddenly cried during the act, drawing the attention of other nurses. The nurse quickly picked up Chu Yiqiao to soothe her, but Chu Yiqiao cried even louder.

Seeing that she was about to be discovered, the nurse, in a moment of desperation, made the switch. She later claimed externally that she hadn’t succeeded and gave up.

She originally wanted to find another time to switch them back, but unexpectedly, Chu Lingtong rushed to the hospital that night, and the baby was transferred to a higher-level observation room with dedicated personnel on watch 24/7. She had no choice but to let the mistake stand.

The nurse had run into Chu Lingtong and, fearing responsibility, only confessed to the hospital before she died of cancer.

Chu Lingtong was the one taking care of her sister at the hospital back then, and her phone number was listed in the hospital’s contact book.

Chu Lingfeng had died years ago, and her phone number was disconnected, so the hospital could only contact Chu Lingtong.

This was how Chu Lingtong found out.

There were a few more lines describing how she found Fang Yizhen, but Chu Yiqiao didn’t care about that. She quickly scanned them and closed the envelope again.

Chu Yiqiao felt a sense of melancholy inside, lowering her head without speaking.

Tan Ze, however, had a different perspective: “This means you saved Fang Yizhen. Your birthday is in January. The average temperature in Yanjing in January is negative fifteen degrees Celsius. Most of the babies sent to the orphanage during that time didn’t survive.”

What a twisted logic!

“What the heck!” Chu Yiqiao laughed out loud.

Tan Ze also smiled. She didn’t mention that she herself was one of those who almost didn’t survive.

Tan Ze put the letter back into the envelope and tucked it away.

The two got out of the car and walked home together.

In the elevator, Tan Ze continued her twisted logic to Chu Yiqiao: “If it had been Fang Yizhen, I probably wouldn’t have been sponsored.”

Chu Yiqiao was still laughing: “But Sister is so capable, you would have succeeded even without Mom’s sponsorship.”

Tan Ze didn’t deny it, nodding at Chu Yiqiao’s compliment. She truly had that confidence.

There was one more important point: if this hadn’t happened, Tan Ze might not have met Chu Yiqiao.

Such a hypothesis was meaningless. Tan Ze took a step forward, put her arm around Chu Yiqiao’s shoulder, and led her back to their home.

After dinner, Chu Yiqiao removed Fang Yizhen from her WeChat blacklist and proactively shared the truth written by Chu Lingtong.

After getting Fang Yizhen’s consent, Chu Yiqiao took photos of the letter’s content and sent them over.

Fang Yizhen: “I understand. Thank you.”

÷: “You’re welcome.”

Fang Yizhen: “Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. Would you like to come to my house for dinner? I am very sorry about what happened before.”

Tan Ze was sitting next to Chu Yiqiao when Fang Yizhen sent this message.

Receiving Chu Yiqiao’s pleading gaze, Tan Ze helped Chu Yiqiao write a reply.

÷: “I’ll talk to Fang Yihe later. She will go.”

Fang Yizhen: “Okay.”

Is it the Dragon Boat Festival already?

Chu Yiqiao took the phone back from Tan Ze and opened the calendar. The small words “Dragon Boat Festival” appeared before her.

“I’ll make the call, I’ll be right back. I’ll take you tomorrow,” Tan Ze stood up, patted Chu Yiqiao’s shoulder, and took her phone into the study.

Chu Yiqiao sat on the sofa, watching Tan Ze’s retreating figure.

With the formidable human gone from the house, Little Guai quickly ran back into Chu Yiqiao’s arms, shaking her head as she prepared to settle down.

However, Chu Yiqiao stood up instead, walking outside the study door to engage in some very overt eavesdropping.

Separated by a door, Tan Ze had just dialed Fang Yihe’s number.

Fang Yihe: “Is that CEO Tan?”

“No need to call me CEO Tan,” Tan Ze corrected her again, getting straight to the point: “Chu Yiqiao will come for the Dragon Boat Festival. She agreed.”

Fang Yihe seemed relieved: “That’s wonderful. Can we do dinner? Starting around 4:30.”

Tan Ze: “Understood. I’ll take her. Send me the address. Fang Yizhen has my WeChat.”

“Yizhen said she sent it. So, it’s settled then,” Fang Yihe’s tone was gentle: “See you tomorrow, CEO… Sister Qiao.”

“Wait,” Tan Ze interrupted Fang Yihe’s farewell: “I have something else to discuss.”

Fang Yihe instantly grew nervous. Was it something Fang Yizhen did? Since leaving Mingsheng that day, she had been uneasy, suspecting Tan Ze wouldn’t easily let Fang Yizhen off the hook, which was why she planned to invite Chu Yiqiao for dinner.

After thinking it over, Fang Yihe decided to apologize first: “Sister Qiao, if it’s Yizhen’s fault…”

“I’ve sent a document over. Please receive it,” Tan Ze suddenly interjected.

Hearing Fang Yihe’s words, Tan Ze frowned slightly, rebutting: “It’s not about Fang Yizhen. The person Fang Yizhen owes an apology to is not me, it’s Chu Yiqiao.”

“What I sent over is Chu Yiqiao’s dietary restrictions.”

Fang Yihe said “Oh,” opened the PDF document, and quickly scanned it. It was 20 pages long, densely packed with text, titled Analysis of Chu Yiqiao’s Dietary Restrictions and Preferences. The author was Zhao Jingxing.

“You don’t need to look at the beginning,” Tan Ze remembered Zhao Jingxing’s exaggerated style when compiling it and suddenly didn’t want Fang Yihe to mistakenly think Chu Yiqiao was spoiled. She said: “Just flip to the end. That’s the summary. She’s allergic to a few ingredients.”

Fang Yihe read it and exclaimed: “What a coincidence, I’m also allergic to yam.”

“Hmm, that is quite a coincidence,” Tan Ze’s face darkened despite herself, and she added a few things that weren’t on the list: “Chu Yiqiao eats very slowly. You can’t rush her, or she gets stressed and is prone to choking if she eats too fast.”

“She’s also very picky. She doesn’t like strongly flavored ingredients. Aside from the absolutely inedible foods on the second-to-last page, she needs to be encouraged to eat the others she dislikes. She’s very obedient; if you tell her, she’ll eat.”

After saying that, Tan Ze suddenly changed her mind: “But don’t push her. She might not listen to you. Just let her be picky. If she likes to play with her phone while eating, let her. If she doesn’t eat enough, I’ll take her to a restaurant afterward.”

“Also, don’t let her eat cold food. She’ll get a stomachache.”

“If you ask her questions, don’t pressure her. She has a bit of a people-pleasing personality. Don’t make her uncomfortable.”

Wait, isn’t this practically giving them permission to bully her?

Tan Ze quickly corrected herself: “Chu Yiqiao has a terrible temper. She’s not easy to mess with. Anyway, don’t force her, and don’t bully her. I’ll know.”

“That’s all for now. I’ll send Fang Yizhen any additions.”

“Okay, I’ve noted everything,” Fang Yihe’s voice was still gentle, not irritated by Tan Ze’s rapid-fire instructions. She asked again: “Tan Ze, if you don’t mind, would you like to come and eat with us tomorrow?”

Tan Ze already had one soft target, Chu Yiqiao, to squeeze, so she refused: “No need. I have a meeting with a business partner that day.”

A CBD business elite certainly doesn’t celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Fang Yihe naturally accepted this stereotypical answer. She said: “Then, see you tomorrow.”

Tan Ze: “Mhm.”

Then she hung up the phone.

Tan Ze looked up. Chu Yiqiao was standing at the study door, staring at her with a quiet, deep gaze.

“Sister, do I really have that many flaws?”

Tan Ze’s heart was racing, but her expression was calm: “You have more strengths.”

It was Chu Yiqiao who wanted Tan Ze to be more honest, to say “I love you” often. But when Tan Ze actually did it, Chu Yiqiao couldn’t handle it and easily became shy.

Chu Yiqiao slowly walked to the desk, not sitting down, but leaning on the surface with her hands. She also asked Tan Ze: “Sister, are you not coming with me tomorrow?”

Meeting a business partner was just an excuse for Fang Yihe. Tan Ze confessed to Chu Yiqiao: “No, I’m not going.”

“If I went, all of you would be restrained. If you’re not having fun eating, just message me, and I’ll come pick you up right away.”

“I know,” Chu Yiqiao shook her bracelet: “Sister can always tell my mood.”

“Clever.”

Tan Ze was secretly reluctant, even if it was just for one dinner.

She wrapped her arms around Chu Yiqiao’s waist and kissed the delicate collarbone in front of her. Chu Yiqiao was also kissing Tan Ze’s hair. Their lips slowly approached each other. Their breaths intertwined. Chu Yiqiao took a deep breath of Tan Ze’s scent, and her whole body relaxed.

The kiss escalated from shallow to deep. Tan Ze found it hard to stay rational around Chu Yiqiao. They rarely stopped at a light touch. Chu Yiqiao felt Tan Ze’s large hand wandering on her back. It was a little scratchy—it was her wedding ring.

Tan Ze kissed her intensely. Chu Yiqiao looked up and could see the books stacked up to the ceiling next to the study.

Looking at words gave Chu Yiqiao a headache. The study was Tan Ze’s exclusive domain. In the study, Tan Ze worked and read. And now, Chu Yiqiao was lifted onto the desk by Tan Ze. They embraced, kissing passionately.

All the oxygen in Chu Yiqiao’s body was plundered by Tan Ze. She gasped in small breaths during Tan Ze’s brief pauses. There was a film of moisture in her eyes. She sat obediently on the desk, seeming to be Tan Ze’s to take and give as she wished. The superfluous fabric fell to the floor. Her fair skin appeared even whiter against the dark desk surface.

Chu Yiqiao’s mind was a mess. She listened to Tan Ze and lifted her legs, removing the final layer.

The overhead light in the study was too bright. Chu Yiqiao caught a glimpse of moisture and shyly squeezed her legs together.

But Tan Ze naturally saw it too. She saw more. Chu Yiqiao’s effort to close her legs only made her desire more apparent.

Tan Ze stood up, cupping Chu Yiqiao’s head for the second round of deep kissing.

Chu Yiqiao gradually became aroused, looking up to embrace Tan Ze’s neck. Her soft body pressed against Tan Ze’s. Their heartbeats seemed to synchronize at that moment—thump, thump, thump—almost leaping out of both their mouths at once.

The world spun. Chu Yiqiao was pressed down onto the desk by Tan Ze. Her slender, pale fingers rested on her round knees. Chu Yiqiao looked up at Tan Ze pitifully. Tan Ze leaned down and nibbled her red lips.

The next second, Chu Yiqiao closed her eyes, turned her head, and once again handed her body over to Tan Ze’s control. A few minutes later, her soul followed.

“Then don’t bite…”

Tan Ze lowered her eyes, looking at Chu Yiqiao’s pink lips opening and closing as she spoke. She casually hummed “Mhm” and heavily kissed her.

The rich, sweet fragrance on Chu Yiqiao instantly filled Tan Ze’s nostrils. She extended her tongue, prying open Chu Yiqiao’s feeble resistance, desperately drinking the sweet wine brewed by Chu Yiqiao, like a traveler wandering in the desert.

The one who was drunk was Tan Ze, but the one whose mind was hazy and whose reason was completely lost was Chu Yiqiao.

She lay on the desk. At 164cm, Chu Yiqiao’s feet couldn’t touch the ground. Her two symmetrical legs dangled helplessly in the air. Tan Ze continued to kiss and feast on Chu Yiqiao’s crimson lips. She suddenly reached out, gripped Chu Yiqiao’s ankle, and moved it up…

Like a dessert placed on the dining table, Chu Yiqiao alone became a feast.

The beginning was the appetizer, a meticulous tasting that brought out the fragrance of the ingredients. Then came the main course, a greedy devouring, swallowing all of Chu Yiqiao’s moans and passion.

Finally, the after-dinner drink. Tan Ze drank hastily, wetting her face.

Under the light, that cold face was shimmering with a moving moisture. The ultimate coldness had turned into the ultimate heat. Chu Yiqiao was blushing fiercely. She wanted to squeeze her legs together again, but this time her movement was restricted.

Tan Ze admired her for a long time. Under the light, Chu Yiqiao’s young body was incredibly beautiful. The corners of her innocent almond eyes were rosy. Chu Yiqiao’s breathing was short, as if she were deliberately restraining herself, which only made the desire for her more intense.

And then Chu Yiqiao softly cooed: “Sister…”

Tan Ze had no choice but to carry Chu Yiqiao down. The documents on the desk were completely ruined, crumpled beyond recognition. Chu Yiqiao seemed to realize it herself, burying her face in Tan Ze’s neck, unwilling to look up.

Tan Ze rubbed the back of Chu Yiqiao’s neck, gently lifting her head. She kissed her again, holding Chu Yiqiao’s waist, as if she wanted to keep the person by her side forever.

Embracing again, Chu Yiqiao’s every breath was entwined with moving heat. Her delicate little face was enveloped in passion, her eyes glistening with moisture.

Tan Ze simply couldn’t get enough. Her peripheral vision caught sight of the rounded corner of the desk. She had a new plan.

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