Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Uninvited Bedmate

In the bedroom, Shen Ya stood in front of the wardrobe. She bent down and opened the bottom drawer, which only contained one folded white shirt.

This white shirt belonged to Jiang Yunxi. During a past outing, Jiang Yunxi had been caught in a sudden rain shower and was soaked when she arrived at Shen Ya’s place. She had borrowed the shower room, and then forgot to take the shirt when she left. Shen Ya, driven by selfish reasons, never brought it up, so the shirt had remained there ever since.

She had considered giving Qiao Xi one of her own shirts, but one of her pajamas was dirty and hadn’t dried, one she needed to wear, and one was too dated; Qiao Xi probably wouldn’t like it. After careful consideration, she decided to give the white shirt to Qiao Xi.

Since the residential complex was old, the soundproofing of the rooms was generally poor. Shen Ya could hear the continuous sound of dripping water from inside the bathroom while standing outside.

Despite knowing Qiao Xi was showering, she still raised her hand and knocked on the door: “I’m coming in.” With that, she turned the doorknob and entered.

A waterproof curtain divided the already small bathroom in two, but water droplets still crept along the floor. The entire space was filled with the scent of shower gel. Perhaps hearing the sound, Qiao Xi asked nervously, “Teacher Shen?”

“Mm.” Shen Ya placed the clothes and disposable underwear on the hanger outside. “The clothes are here. Give me the clothes you take off later; I’ll wash them for you.”

“Okay!”

After a dozen seconds, Qiao Xi didn’t hear any footsteps leaving, so she asked again, “Teacher Shen, are you still there?”

“What is it?”

“Uh…” Qiao Xi felt awkward. She clutched the curtain with one hand. Although she was certain Shen Ya wouldn’t pull it open, she just had an indescribable feeling. “I mean, I can wash the clothes myself. Teacher Shen, would you… maybe wait for me outside?”

“Fine.”

Shen Ya dragged out the end of the word, which seemed to carry a hint of a smile. Qiao Xi heard it. That smile was clearly one of mockery, perhaps teasing her for suddenly becoming shy. But even though she noticed it, she didn’t dare to refute until she heard the sound of the door closing, at which point she let out a sigh of relief.

Qiao Xi didn’t dare to delay any further. She quickly finished cleaning herself, then came out of the bathroom, holding the clothes she had changed out of. Pushing the door open, she saw the room on her left was lit. Qiao Xi peeked her head in and called out, “Teacher Shen?”

Shen Ya turned around. Seeing the clothes in Qiao Xi’s hands, she reached out and said, “Give them to me.”

“N-No need! Teacher Shen, just tell me where the washing machine is, and I’ll put them in myself.” Qiao Xi was a little fidgety, even trying to hide the clothes behind her as Shen Ya approached.

But Shen Ya still took the clothes from Qiao Xi’s hands. She found it amusing. Qiao Xi wasn’t like this outside earlier. She had thought the little rogue was bold, enthusiastic, and didn’t know the meaning of shyness.

Qiao Xi moved as Shen Ya did, but not before glancing at the room again. Qiao Xi followed Shen Ya from the living room to the balcony. The washing machine was located on the balcony, and Shen Ya’s clothes were already hanging to dry overhead.

“That room had a lot of packed boxes. Did Teacher Shen just move in and hasn’t had time to unpack?”

“No.” Shen Ya put Qiao Xi’s clothes into the washing machine, added detergent, and then continued, “I’m preparing to move out.”

“Moving? Has Teacher Shen found a new place?”

“No.”

Qiao Xi pressed on: “Has Teacher Shen looked at any prospective complexes?”

“No.” The washing machine had started. Shen Ya glanced at the round clock on the living room wall: “It’s late. You should go to sleep.”

Qiao Xi didn’t ask any more questions. After getting this information, a plan flashed in her mind. Following Shen Ya into the bedroom, she realized that Shen Ya’s house seemed to have only one bedroom fit for sleeping. Therefore… she might have to share a bed with Shen Ya.

“The sheets and duvet have been changed. You can sleep soundly.”

“It’s just for one night; it’s okay if they aren’t changed. I’m not that particular.” Qiao Xi had initially thought Shen Ya was as cold as she appeared, but spending time with her revealed a delicate and tender heart. She was truly a gentle older sister. “Teacher Shen, I think I’ve caused you a lot of trouble.”

Shen Ya pulled back the covers and gently pressed Qiao Xi onto the bed to sit down. There was no emotion on her face: “You’re overthinking things. I was going to change the sheets anyway. Alright, you sleep first. I still have some work to take care of. Don’t wait up for me.”

With that, Shen Ya turned and left. Before leaving, she turned off the room light but left a small nightlight on.

Qiao Xi was alone in the room. She lay down, only occupying the left side of the bed. She had been sleepy in the car, but now that she was lying down, all sleepiness vanished. The quiet room, the slightly yellowed ceiling, and Shen Ya’s omnipresent scent made Qiao Xi more and more alert.

She didn’t know what Shen Ya was so busy with so late at night. She wanted to go out and check, but she had already bothered the other woman too much tonight. What if Shen Ya genuinely had something important to do?

Qiao Xi decided to wait in the room. She scrolled through videos and surfed the internet on her phone, and later even played a game for a long time. When sleepiness finally returned, she realized that Shen Ya still hadn’t come in. It suddenly occurred to her that Shen Ya might not have intended to sleep in the room at all tonight!

The living room was already completely dark. Shen Ya was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through a tablet, looking up some documents. She wasn’t comfortable sleeping in the same bed as someone else. Although she was tired tonight, she wasn’t sleepy yet. She planned to make do with the sofa in the living room for the night. More than an hour had passed; she thought Qiao Xi must be asleep by now.

In the quiet space, even the slightest movement would be amplified. She heard the bedroom door open, and a figure slowly approached her from the darkness. Shen Ya turned on the floor lamp beside the sofa, only to see Qiao Xi standing there, hugging a pillow and looking at her with a pitiful expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you done working, Teacher Shen?” Qiao Xi spoke in a thin, shaky voice, as if she were about to cry: “I’m a little scared to sleep alone.”

Shen Ya’s hand paused. Even the little sun is afraid of the dark? she thought. But she had left a nightlight on, and she was just outside. Was Qiao Xi genuinely afraid, or was she deliberately saying this to get her to come back to the room to sleep? Had Qiao Xi guessed her intention?

Shen Ya couldn’t be sure. She tried to glean something from Qiao Xi’s expression, but Qiao Xi’s demeanor and emotions were flawless. Perhaps she was overthinking it. Qiao Xi was so much younger than her; how could she have such a sensitive mind to guess her thoughts?

Qiao Xi noticed the flat pillow and blanket on the sofa, which further confirmed her suspicion. Shen Ya hadn’t intended to return to the room after all. She should have come out earlier. Fearing her plan would be exposed, Qiao Xi decided to preemptively strike, asking innocently, “Teacher Shen, you weren’t trying to avoid sleeping in the room, were you?”

“No.”

Qiao Xi pointed to the blanket: “Really? I don’t believe you.”

No wonder they called Qiao Xi a rogue. Shen Ya sighed inwardly, wondering which of her sisters had taught her how to be so persistent. She turned off the tablet and stood up. Passing by Qiao Xi, she raised her hand, grabbed a corner of the pillow, and gently led the girl back to the room.

The small nightlight in the room was still on. Shen Ya placed the tablet on the small desk and sat down on the right side of the bed. Qiao Xi knelt on the bed, placing the pillow properly. Once Shen Ya had slid her legs under the covers, Qiao Xi changed her posture and sat cross-legged.

Shen Ya had turned on the air conditioning for warmth earlier, afraid Qiao Xi would be cold. Looking at the white shirt Qiao Xi was wearing, she became a little lost in thought again. But Qiao Xi was not Jiang Yunxi. She patted the bed and urged, “Go to sleep.”

Qiao Xi started acting like a rogue again: “I’ll lie down when Teacher Shen lies down.”

Shen Ya was clearly helpless against her and could only lie down. But Qiao Xi remained sitting. She pulled the covers over Shen Ya, then moved back slightly: “Don’t worry, Teacher Shen. I sleep very well and I absolutely don’t snore.”

“Mm.” Shen Ya closed her eyes, not wanting to waste any more words on Qiao Xi.

Qiao Xi was sensible enough. Seeing Shen Ya close her eyes, she slid under the covers and lay on her side, facing Shen Ya. She had finally managed to trick the woman back into the room. She was happy and didn’t want to close her eyes immediately, but she was also afraid her gaze would disturb Shen Ya. So, she whispered softly, “Teacher Shen, goodnight.” With that, she closed her eyes too.

Qiao Xi’s words drifted into Shen Ya’s ears, and her breath tickled her ear. Only after the burning gaze left her face did Shen Ya open her eyes and peek at Qiao Xi from the corner of her eye.

She truly wasn’t comfortable with another person in the bed. Shen Ya was now certain that Qiao Xi had deliberately said that to call her back into the room. The little liar loved to tell lies, and who knew how many other ‘bad intentions’ were hidden in her mind?

Having been up and down until now, it was already the latter half of the night. It wouldn’t be long until dawn. Shen Ya had thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but at some unknown point, both people in the room had fallen into a deep sleep.

…

Day replaced night, and the noise outside continued. On the first day of the New Year, the sun shone brightly. Even though the north wind was blowing outside, basking in the sunlight didn’t feel particularly cold.

Qiao Xi was soundly asleep. What woke her was the ringing of her phone. She groggily grabbed the phone from the bedside table, half-opened her eyes, and answered the call before even clearly seeing the caller ID.

“Xiao Xi, where are you?”

Qiao Xi instantly opened her eyes. Hearing her mother’s voice, she shot up from the bed in panic: “I’m at home! I’ll be over soon.”

On the other end of the line was Qiao Xi’s mother, Qin Yunxin. She paused for a moment, then said, “Your two sisters are already home. Xiao Xi, where are you?”

Damn it! She had planned to wake up early today and go to her mother’s house, at least getting there before her two sisters. But she was a step too late. It’s over, it’s over! All the lies she told yesterday were exposed. “Mom, I’m sorry, I ran out yesterday because I was angry with my sisters. I’m at a friend’s house now. My friend is a girl, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll come over and explain everything to you in a bit.”

“Give me the address. I’ll have Yunxi and Shuyao come pick you up.”

Qiao Xi absolutely couldn’t give the address. If Doctor Jiang found out she was at Shen Ya’s house, her life would be forfeit. A brilliant idea struck her: “I’ve already called a cab. I’ll be there right away.”

“Alright, be careful, then. We’ll wait for you at home.”