Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 103

Chapter 103: [Xiao Xi, I was wrong last night…]

[Xiao Xi, I was wrong last night. I didn’t realize your needs. Can you answer the phone? Teacher Shen wants to apologize properly.]

[Xiao Xi, I just bought many more boxes. I bought every style. We can use them for a long time. When are you coming back, Xiao Xi?]

[Xiao Xi, I miss you.]

Qiao Xi felt like she had a fever. Otherwise, why would her body feel so hot after reading Shen Ya’s messages? How could a teacher say such overtly seductive things?

Qiao Xi didn’t want to reply. If she did, wouldn’t it be an admission that she was angry because Shen Ya hadn’t satisfied her last night? But… but wasn’t the whole point to make Shen Ya realize the reason for her anger?

Qiao Xi grabbed her hair. She was truly shooting herself in the foot now. And why did Shen Ya buy so many finger cots!! Is that what she meant!!

She wondered, if she kept ignoring the messages, what bold move would Shen Ya make next?

As she was pondering, she received another message from Shen Ya. It was a photo showing a paddle, a blindfold, and that sexy piece of clothing, followed by a sentence: [Xiao Xi, don’t you want to listen to Teacher Shen’s lecture anymore?]

Qiao Xi tossed her phone onto the table like a hot potato. How could her Teacher Shen become so shameless? Did she accidentally trigger some switch in Shen Ya? Why was the cold indifference she showed externally completely gone when facing her in private?

Is “lecturing” supposed to be used in this context!

She couldn’t take it anymore. Shen Ya must be a mischievous spirit. Her choice to come back today was definitely the right one. If she were facing Shen Ya, she would have certainly fallen already. Forget being angry; she’d probably be out of breath from Shen Ya’s kisses right now.

Qiao Xi didn’t dare to test what else Shen Ya would do or say. She grabbed her phone and replied: [Sleeping.]

[Teacher Shen: Then can the sleeping Xiao Xi say goodnight to me?]

The answer was, of course: [No.]

Not only no, but Qiao Xi also declared: [I’m going to stay at home until school starts. Don’t think you can coax me back. I’m pursuing a life of purity now. Your tricks won’t work on me!]

[Teacher Shen: Alright then, I’ll think of other ways.]

Qiao Xi was curious to see what other ways Shen Ya could come up with, but she waited for over ten minutes. Her phone remained quiet. Shen Ya didn’t send any more messages, and certainly no calls.

Well, her anticipation was in vain.

Qiao Xi went to bed early tonight. After all, she had important things to face tomorrow. It had been a while since she slept alone. Although she was annoyed by Shen Ya’s lack of romance last night, she felt extremely unaccustomed to lying alone in the big bed today. She couldn’t deny that she missed that warm embrace.

On the last day of the work week, Qiao Xi had brought back the information about the two families dining together yesterday morning. Close to noon, Fang Moyao’s mother called Jiang Zhiqing to confirm the time and location.

The restaurant was booked by Fang Moyao, not far from her mother’s house. Her two older sisters left work early, and they all set off together after they arrived.

Five people took two cars. Qiao Xi sat with her mothers. After a night’s rest, she was even more nervous. On the way, she received a message from Shen Ya: [Teacher Shen: Xiao Xi, are you eating yet? How is the family acknowledgment process going?]

The only person she could confide in now was Shen Ya. If the other person were by her side right now, perhaps she wouldn’t be so nervous. She realized she was becoming increasingly dependent on Shen Ya.

She replied: [Still on the way.]

[Teacher Shen: Mm, don’t be afraid. Zhou Ziqian and her family have already arrived. Jiang Yunyi’s family just arrived too. Don’t worry, just treat it as a family gathering for a meal. You already know Boss Fang and Zhou Ziqian. Just interact with them as you usually do.]

While that was true, she was still nervous. After all, she was facing unknown relatives. People are always afraid of the unknown. Shen Ya’s comfort made her feel like someone was supporting her and giving her strength.

Teacher Shen is truly a very gentle older sister.

A wave of warmth spread through Qiao Xi’s heart. She almost typed a few words saying she would go find Shen Ya after dinner, but Shen Ya’s actions the night before last quickly restored her rationality.

No, she absolutely could not go back, at least not for a few days. If she went back now, she would surely be dragged into “lecturing” by Shen Ya. Besides, she still wanted to see how Shen Ya would coax her into forgiving her.

[Teacher Shen is so concerned about me?]

[Teacher Shen: Yes, I’m afraid you’ll keep things bottled up again.]

Wow, wow, wow. Her Teacher Shen was getting better and better at saying sweet things! Who did she learn this from? Every time she thought of the stern-faced Shen Ya saying such affectionate words, she couldn’t help but secretly chuckle.

Afraid her two mothers would see her rich expressions, Qiao Xi lowered her head and covered half her face with one hand. She typed with one hand: [Does Teacher Shen think saying some nice things will win my forgiveness?]

[Teacher Shen: They are not just nice words, they are my sincere feelings.]

Even with her hand covering half her face, Qiao Xi’s smile couldn’t escape her mothers’ eyes. Qin Yunxin looked at Qiao Xi’s love-struck expression in the rearview mirror, exchanged a look with Jiang Zhiqing, and both tacitly chose not to disturb her.

With Shen Ya distracting her, Qiao Xi was indeed less nervous. Soon, the car was parked in the hotel’s parking lot.

Stepping out of the car, Qin Shuyuan was already waiting by her mothers’ car. She put her arm around Qiao Xi’s shoulder and told her: “Although your sister hasn’t met Fang Moyao’s family, Yunxi and Yunyi are both Fang Moyao’s friends. She’s not a bad person, so don’t be afraid, Xiao Xi.”

“Sister, I’m not afraid.” Taking advantage of Jiang Yunxi walking behind with the two mothers, Qiao Xi secretly asked: “Sister, are you and Doctor Jiang reconciled?”

“Yunxi and I didn’t have a falling out.”

Qiao Xi observed Qin Shuyuan’s expression. Seeing no change, she couldn’t tell if they were reconciled or not. Being busy with her relationship with Shen Ya lately, she hadn’t gathered with her sisters for a long time, thus missing many important updates. It seemed she needed to pay more attention to her sisters.

After the small interlude, they were led by a waiter to a private room upstairs. As they approached, they could hear laughter spilling from the doorway.

Pushing the door open, the sight was a large circular dining table. Many people were already seated: the familiar Jiang Yunyi’s family of three, Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian, and next to them sat two women about her mother’s age, and an elderly woman with completely white hair.

The previously lively private room instantly fell silent as Qiao Xi walked in. All eyes fixed on Qiao Xi. Qiao Xi, who had mentally prepared herself, became timid again under these gazes.

“Oh, isn’t this our Little Sister Xi?” Zhou Ziqian’s fox-like voice rang out. She waved at Qiao Xi and said: “Come on, come on. We’re all so familiar with each other. Little Sister Xi, don’t be shy.”

The timidity from just now vanished with Zhou Ziqian’s sentence. Sure enough, with these two present, the atmosphere could never be awkward!

The younger generation greeted the elders. Qin Shuyuan brought her to sit next to Zhou Ziqian. The moment her bottom touched the stool, the person whose arm was draped over her shoulder became Zhou Ziqian.

The other woman was not shy at all and introduced the three unfamiliar elders to her: “The one next to Sister Yao Yao is our Grandma, Fang Lianxin. The one next to Grandma is your Aunt, who is Sister Yao Yao’s mother, Fang Hongjing. The one next to your Aunt is my mother, Zhou Ran.”

From the moment Qiao Xi entered, the eyes of these three people never left her. Fang Lianxin and Fang Hongjing stared intently at Qiao Xi’s face. Their emotions fluctuated strongly. If Qiao Xi weren’t so young, they would have thought the person walking in was Fang Lanxi herself.

Tears ultimately welled up in their eyes. Even though Fang Moyao had shown them photos and given them a heads-up, the visual impact still stirred up years of memories for Fang Lianxin and Fang Hongjing.

Noticing that the elders’ eyes were red and tears were about to fall, Qiao Xi panicked. She hadn’t said anything yet, so how did she make someone cry? She didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.

Zhou Ziqian whispered in her ear: “Don’t just stand there, call her Aunt and Grandma. As for my mother, you can call her Aunt.”

Receiving the reminder, Qiao Xi immediately spoke: “Hello, Grandma, hello, Aunt, hello, Aunt. I, I’m Qiao Xi.”

Fang Lianxin was already crying. Fang Moyao handed her a tissue and gently wiped the old woman’s tears, comforting her.

Fang Hongjing nodded, choking up: “Good, good, good. Xiao Xi is so grown up. I heard from Yao Yao that you got into Jianglan University. Are you a freshman now?”

“Yes, I took the college entrance exam last year. After the winter break, I’ll be in the second semester of my freshman year.”

“Truly worthy of Lanxi and Qianrou’s child. Smart and adorable.” Fang Hongjing’s eyes were filled with affection. Qiao Xi was extremely special to their family. “We didn’t know about your existence before, so we never came to acknowledge you. If you have any resentment, just tell us. It’s right for you to resent us. We didn’t protect your mother back then, which is why you lost your birth mother so young. It’s all our fault.”

Fang Hongjing’s words were full of self-reproach. If she had been stronger back then and could have protected her younger sister, maybe everything would be different. Her sister and sister-in-law wouldn’t have died, and Qiao Xi would have grown up with her birth mother. But all of that was ruined.

Guilt and self-blame had tormented Fang Hongjing and Fang Lianxin since they learned of Fang Lanxi’s accidental death. But no matter how much they regretted it, they couldn’t bring back the person they lost.

Just as Fang Hongjing was about to cry, Zhou Ran next to her hugged her and wiped away her tears with a wet tissue: “Today is a happy day. Xiao Xi is willing to acknowledge us. We should be happy. Why are you crying?”

Fang Hongjing sniffled, took a tissue from Zhou Ran’s hand, and wiped the tears from her face: “Yes, everyone should be happy today. Today is a day for reunion. From now on, we are family.”

“Right.” Jiang Zhiqing chimed in: “Xiao Xi has grown up and thinks more than we do. She has already arranged everything. From now on, we’ll celebrate holidays and New Year together, visiting each other often.”

Fang Hongjing continued: “Next time, let’s eat at home. Xiao Xi hasn’t been to our place. The house is spacious now. I’ll clean out a room for you tomorrow. Come back whenever you want. Yao Yao lives in the same complex as us. You can come back here, or you can stay at your Sister Yao Yao’s place. It’s your home, so don’t be shy.”

Qiao Xi nodded: “Okay, I’ll definitely come back. But school is starting soon, so I might not have much time lately. But as long as I’m not busy after school starts, I’ll find a weekend to return to Grandma’s house.”

While everyone was chatting, Jiang Yunyi had already asked the waiter to serve the dishes. Before the food was completely served, everyone’s positions changed. Fearing Qiao Xi would be nervous, the elders didn’t constantly chat with Qiao Xi. The mothers sat together, quietly exchanging funny stories about Qiao Xi’s childhood.

The younger generation sat together. Qiao Xi was still next to Zhou Ziqian on her right, and Qin Shuyuan on her left. Jiang Yunyi moved to sit next to Fang Moyao, and Jiang Yunxi remained seated next to Qin Shuyuan.

The dishes were plentiful. Having eaten at Blank so many times, Fang Moyao knew Qiao Xi’s preferences, so most of the food on the table was her favorite. Qiao Xi was surrounded by her sisters, and the food in her bowl piled up high like a small mountain.

Eating her food, Qiao Xi thought, If I count Shen Ya, I have six older sisters!

Now she also had a Grandma, an Aunt, and an Aunt. Although she called her Aunt, Fang Hongjing looked at her with the same loving eyes as she would her own daughter. And her Grandma, her gaze was so affectionate. Although her hair was white, her body seemed healthy, and her demeanor was elegant. Qiao Xi loved her smiling face the most; just looking at it made her feel close.

It turned out that acknowledging her relatives wasn’t as tense and scary as she thought. Even though it was the first time meeting them, she saw affection in her relatives’ eyes.

The elders were chatting excitedly. Qiao Xi saw her mother take out her phone and show her Aunt and Grandma embarrassing photos of her. Even though the table was large and the elders were sitting across from them, Qiao Xi still heard some words she felt mortified about.

Jiang Zhiqing: “Xiao Xi was obedient and mischievous when she was little. She would tease her two older sisters.”

Qin Yunxin chuckled, covering her mouth: “This is Xiao Xi when she was five. During the New Year’s fireworks, she almost set Yunxi’s clothes on fire.”

Jiang Zhiqing switched to another photo: “This one, this one. When Xiao Xi first started middle school, she saw a little dog next to a trash can outside the community gate. Later, she spent her own savings to take the dog to the vet.”

“Our Xiao Xi is such a kind and good child. How is the dog now?” Fang Hongjing asked.

“We still have him. Xiao Xi saw he was thin and sick at the time, so she named him Pangpang (Fatty), hoping he would grow fatter in the future. Now he’s indeed incredibly fat.”

“Xiao Xi graduated from middle school as the top student in her school. The school tried to persuade her to go straight into their high school, but Xiao Xi had been bullied by classmates in her class, so we were firm about transferring schools. After attending the all-girls high school, the environment improved a lot.”

“This is when she just finished her college entrance exam and walked out of the testing center. Xiao Xi’s grades have always been excellent. She has never given us any worries. Just like Lanxi and Qianrou, she has been sensible and likable since childhood.”

Listening to the elders’ words, Qiao Xi felt like she was growing up again. She never realized that her mothers had been diligently recording all the important moments from her childhood. And she had even doubted her mothers not wanting her before.

“Hey, do you think Aunt Jiang recorded any photos or videos of you wetting the bed when you were little?” Zhou Ziqian nudged Qiao Xi’s arm, leaned down, and whispered in her ear: “How much do you think Shen Boss would pay me to buy them?”

That wicked Zhou Ziqian, interrupting the emotions I just built up!

What wet-the-bed photos? How could I possibly wet the bed!!

Qiao Xi put down her chopsticks and quickly reached under the table to fiercely pinch Zhou Ziqian’s thigh.

“Hiss~” Zhou Ziqian gasped in pain. She immediately grabbed Qiao Xi’s wrist: “Little Sister Xi, don’t learn bad habits from your full sister.”

Qiao Xi’s mouth curved upwards. She turned her head to face Fang Moyao and called out in a sweet voice: “Sister Yao Yao.”

Immediately, both sides of her fell silent. Fang Moyao stopped talking to Jiang Yunyi. She turned to look at Qiao Xi, her eyes asking what was wrong.

It was too late for Zhou Ziqian to realize what was happening and try to stop her. Qiao Xi smiled sweetly, innocently, and tattled: “Sister Qianqian just told me you are heartless and vicious, completely soaked in darkness, and a thorough villain. She told me to definitely stay away from you, so I wouldn’t learn bad things.”

Zhou Ziqian’s expression became wonderfully complex. She didn’t have time to deal with Qiao Xi. How was she supposed to know this little brat not only tattled but also fabricated rumors? As Fang Moyao’s gaze swept over her, she immediately grabbed Fang Moyao’s arm and started to cling to her affectionately.