My Feelings Were Toyed With By A Gentle Older Sister - Chapter 4

The silence in the room was unsettling. Bai Yizhi wanted to avoid Nian Zhao’s gaze.

She didn’t want to lock eyes one look, and she would be seen straight through.

Bai Yizhi kept her head lowered, her damp dark hair spilling down and wetting her collar.

Nian Zhao spoke in a low, haunting tone, “You certainly have an eye for things. That’s the most ‘adult’ item on my bookshelf.”

Bai Yizhi closed her eyes with a deathly heaviness. Then, she reached out to take back the manga Nian Zhao had just snatched away, feigning a look of surprise. “You… you read this too!”

Nian Zhao suddenly let out a soft laugh. “Mm. Is that strange?”

“Not exactly, it’s just… you never used to read this kind of escapist literature before.”

Nian Zhao took the book from her hands again and said softly, “This is an author I like very much.”

The phrase someone I like carried such destructive power that Bai Yizhi felt as if she’d been struck. Dazed and lightheaded, she felt a strange, inexplicable surge of joy.

As Nian Zhao spoke, she pulled open a nearby drawer.

It was filled to the brim with Bai Yizhi’s works.

Nian Zhao had bought every single volume of Spring Night Obsession, from one to five!

Seeing the sight inside, Bai Yizhi’s heart seemed to stop beating. Her brain buzzed with a dull roar, and Nian Zhao’s voice sounded as if it were coming from a distant void.

This felt entirely surreal.

“I’ve bought everything Que Lai has published.”

Bai Yizhi stared down, not daring to look directly at the neatly stacked books. After a few seconds, she lifted her head, her eyes brightening. She couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I like her too. She really is gifted at drawing.”

Anyway, Nian Zhao would never know that her favorite author was standing right in front of her. What was the harm in a little self-praise?

Nian Zhao’s pale eyes narrowed slightly. If one ignored the gentle upward curve of her lips, that gaze was actually quite intimidating the kind that made one nervous just by being watched.

She crossed her arms, her gaze passing over Bai Yizhi to rest directly on the doorway. Thoughtfully, she said, “But she seems to be having some trouble lately.”

Hearing this, a thought flashed through Bai Yizhi’s mind.

Nian Zhao had been following her current situation all along.

No…she was following Que Lai’s situation.

Mercifully, she had never posted any lifestyle photos on any platform. Nian Zhao was so meticulous that she’d probably recognize Bai Yizhi just by seeing her hand.

“She’s doing fine… I think.” Bai Yizhi sounded unsure of herself.

Nian Zhao pulled her gaze back to Bai Yizhi. As the wind from the window stirred Bai’s dark hair, Nian Zhao slowly lifted her eyelids, meeting Bai Yizhi’s eyes.

In the ensuing silence, both women froze.

Those pale eyes Bai Yizhi had seen them countless times.

Clear, bright, yet forever inscrutable.

Those eyes had once swept over her bare body, traveling downward inch by inch. The occasional linger of that burning gaze used to make her tremble uncontrollably.

Nian Zhao leaned in. Her fragrant hair brushed against Bai Yizhi’s pink cheek an itchy sensation that spread beyond just her face.

Continuing the conversation, Nian Zhao smiled with startling sincerity. “I’m a bit worried about her.”

They were too close. Bai Yizhi stared at the bridge of Nian Zhao’s high nose, if she moved forward even a fraction, they would touch.

Bai Yizhi took two steps back, looking at her with a haughty air that was a far cry from her previous panic. “Is it necessary to stand so close to talk? Don’t you know the rule about ‘proper distance’ between women?”

Especially between women who had already broken up.

Nian Zhao stood her ground, her eyes fixed on the tips of Bai Yizhi’s reddening ears. She had known for a long time, when Bai Yizhi was embarrassed, her ears would turn beet red, even while she stubbornly refused to admit it.

“I didn’t consider that carefully.” Nian Zhao slowly raised her hand, smoothing Bai Yizhi’s damp hair. “I forgot you came for the hairdryer, not to chat with me.”

Nian Zhao’s fingers were clean, long, and well-defined. As she reached out to tuck Bai’s hair, a sweet, cloying fragrance filled her nostrils.

She didn’t like being enveloped in perfume, but for a split second, her head spun, and her soul felt as if it had been hooked away.

So… she dressed up because she was meeting someone important? Nian Zhao never used to like wearing perfume.

Bai Yizhi’s thoughts were a chaotic mess, like a tangle of complicated threads she couldn’t unravel. The roar of the hairdryer echoed in her ears, its vibration causing a faint ache in her heart.

She spent some time being restless in her room, and once exhausted, she fell asleep.

When she woke, the sky outside was dark. The rain had stopped she could only hear the dull thud of water droplets sliding off tiles onto the pavement.

After dinner, seeing a rare moment without rain, Bai Yizhi walked toward the small courtyard filled with blooming roses.

She had noticed these flowers in full bloom when she first arrived. Petals sodden with rain lay scattered on the ground, yet no one had come to sweep them away, as if they were left there intentionally.

She squatted down, immersed in taking photos with her phone, when someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

Turning around, she saw a beautiful face wearing a perfect smile. The woman asked, “Hello, could you help us take a photo?”

Standing beside her was a man, not much taller than her, standing there with a slouchy, nonchalant air.

Another case of a beauty paired with an eyesore, it looked terribly mismatched.

Bai Yizhi took the phone and stepped back to get a better angle. “My photography skills aren’t great, please bear with me.”

“It’s fine.”

They were a strange couple. As Bai Yizhi looked at the man and woman through the screen, she noticed they weren’t as intimate as typical couples. There was an indescribable awkwardness about them.

Moreover, the man’s eyes seemed glued to Bai Yizhi. His heavy gaze lingered on her for a long time, and his subtle scrutiny made her increasingly uncomfortable.

It was greasy, foul, and unpleasant.

Bai Yizhi glared back at him with disgust, but the man didn’t back down at all.

With a couple nearby taking photos, Bai Yizhi lost her mood to enjoy the scenery. She turned and walked toward a small corner of the courtyard.

The faint yellow light cast moving shadows of trees onto the wall, leaving her face dappled in shade.

After posting her hiatus notice today, the comment section had, as expected, been overrun again.

[Another break? If you can’t draw, you might as well quit.]

[Just say it if you’ve got artist’s block, why make excuses?]

[I expected this, but I’m still so angry.]

[Nooooo! Don’t do this!]

Having seen so many negative comments, she seemed to be developing an immunity. At least now, she wouldn’t tear up and fall into a spiral of self-doubt.

Bai Yizhi took a deep breath, tapped the screen a few times, and casually checked her private messages.

Insults filled her vision.

Except for one person named “Mu.”

Mu: [Waiting for your return.]

Bai Yizhi paused. The blood in her heart seemed to flow backwards.

In the pitch-black cold of the night, her heart warmed. It turned out someone was still offering her validation across the long distance.

Que Lai replied with a smile: [Thank you for staying with me.]

“Hey, beautiful!”

Immediately after replying to the message, a flippant voice rang out, giving her a fright in the silent night.

Bai Yizhi’s fingers tightened around the phone on her lap. She looked up warily at the man standing opposite her.

The woman who had been with him earlier was nowhere to be seen. The light in the courtyard was dim, and Bai Yizhi’s silhouette was hidden in the hazy darkness.

In the distance, a cat meowed twice a lingering, coquettish sound.

By the bamboo gate, Nian Zhao squatted down to tease a black cat lying on the floor with its belly exposed. She cast a flat glance toward the two people.

She remembered that man.

His name was Lin Zhou. He had come with his girlfriend, but strangely, although they were a couple and seemed to be on good terms at least with no overt conflicts, they didn’t stay in the same room. Occasionally, they wouldn’t even acknowledge each other when passing, acting like strangers, yet at other times, they were as inseparable as any normal couple.

Nian Zhao stroked the cat’s belly, letting the paws hug her hand.

Lin Zhou took two steps closer and asked with a grin, “Little sister, do you have a boyfriend?”

Bai Yizhi replied coldly, “I have a partner.”

The wrist Nian Zhao was using to pet the cat jerked, her bracelets clinking with a faint chime.

Lin Zhou clearly didn’t believe her, acting as if he knew everything about her. “Where are they? They didn’t come with you on your trip?”

“Dead,” she laughed slowly. “I’m currently a widow.”

The man’s expression shifted instantly. His lips parted and closed several times, but he couldn’t find a single word to say.

He still wanted to continue flirting, but he didn’t know how to open his mouth.

Bai Yizhi stood up, frowning as she shot him a sidelong glance. “No. Manners.”

She had no patience for this man. The moment his girlfriend was away, he started hitting on others. He looked decent enough, but his actions were anything but.

On the other side, the little cat purred contentedly. Before it could fully enjoy this sudden affection, Nian Zhao stood up and slowly walked toward them.

Hearing the movement, Bai Yizhi looked over.

Perhaps because the temperature had plummeted at night, Nian Zhao had draped a blue-gray shawl over her shoulders. Her soft hair was loosely tied to one side. When she looked over, her eyes were cold, her face devoid of emotion.

She raised her wrist, her fingers brushing her shawl as she lifted her eyelids to look at Lin Zhou. “Hello. Go to the front desk. I’ll give you a full refund.”

Her voice was cool and thin, like the surface of a frozen lake emitting a winter chill.

The meaning behind her words was crystal clear.

Lin Zhou was stunned. He couldn’t understand for the life of him how he had offended Nian Zhao. This was followed by a surge of anger at being humiliated.

He rolled his eyes and said arrogantly, “Hey! I paid for this! Is this your idea of service?”

“That’s why I said full refund.”

“On what grounds? You have to give me a reason!”

Nian Zhao felt a rare sense of annoyance. Looking at the man before her, she was losing her patience, and a hint of anger flickered on her face.

She said, “Do I really need to say it? I hope you have some self-awareness.”

Her voice drifted over, carrying a bit of chill like a clear bell in the wind and rain.

Bai Yizhi stood to the side in silence. She studied Nian Zhao’s indignant face intently for a good while.

Watching her get anxious on her behalf watching a person who was always calm and composed show emotional turbulence for her.

For some reason, Bai Yizhi felt a sense of pleasure at Nian Zhao’s every move. It wasn’t because she still had feelings for her.

Even if she did, she wouldn’t admit it.

She was simply observing from a bystander’s perspective. Although she claimed not to care, she still wanted to find a shred of evidence that Nian Zhao didn’t just feel coldness or indifference toward her, that she at least held a position in her heart that was different from everyone else.

In the past, she used to complain that Nian Zhao was too gentle and polite. That didn’t feel like a couple; it felt more like friends.

So, she actually loved seeing Nian Zhao lose control of her emotions seeing the vivid, bright side of her personality.

Lin Zhou was baffled. The Nian Zhao before him seemed different from the one he had seen the past few days. For a moment, a thin, snowy wind seemed to whip around him, chilling him to the bone.

Even the most obtuse person could sense Nian Zhao’s displeasure. Lin Zhou was a proud man; he only dared to flirt with girls on the sly and didn’t want to make a scene. Thus, he had no choice but to slink away.

Nian Zhao’s expression softened. Regaining her smile, she locked eyes with Bai Yizhi. Her red lips parted slightly.

“Your partner is dead?” she asked. “Which one?”