Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao Were…

Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao were driven out by their two mothers. Although they hadn’t gotten their mothers’ understanding, having said the most important thing, a heavy burden was lifted from their hearts. They knew that their mothers’ acceptance was only a matter of time, so tonight was considered a half-success.

Jiang Yunxi led Qin Shuyao out of the Jiang home hand-in-hand, stepping into the night. Despite the cold shoulder and scolding from her mother, Jiang Yunxi was in a good mood.

She said, “Shuyao, I’m sorry.”

Qin Shuyao gave her a sidelong glance: “You’re not scared now?”

Jiang Yunxi shook her head: “No, not anymore. I was too hesitant before and neglected your feelings and thoughts. I apologize to you; it was all my fault. Now that I’ve said it, I feel a sense of relief.”

Hearing Jiang Yunxi say this, Qin Shuyao’s mood improved. She said, “It’s a shame Xiao Xi isn’t here today. I wonder what she’s doing staying at school. If Xiao Xi had been home tonight, the mothers probably wouldn’t have been truly angry with us.”

“How about we pick up Xiao Xi from school tomorrow?” Jiang Yunxi suggested: “The mothers probably only want to see Xiao Xi right now. Let Xiao Xi say some good words for us in front of them.”

Qin Shuyao teased her: “Now you realize how good Xiao Xi is?”

Jiang Yunxi tilted her head down and kissed Qin Shuyao’s cheek: “I’m in a good mood today. Should we go home and open a bottle of wine to celebrate?”

Qin Shuyao scoffed with a “humph”: “The mothers haven’t even agreed, and you’re already celebrating?”

“Yes, it’s a celebration and also an apology to my Sister Shuyao.”

Qin Shuyao raised her hand and hooked Jiang Yunxi’s chin: “Then an apology needs some sincerity, good sister.”

Jiang Yunxi knew exactly what Qin Shuyao wanted. She grasped the hand hooked under her chin and kissed it near her mouth: “We’ll talk about that when we get home.”

Qiao Xi, who was already in Zhoucheng, was completely unaware of the major events unfolding back home. She was currently immersed in the excitement of a trip alone with Shen Ya.

After getting off the plane, she and Shen Ya first went to the hotel to drop off their luggage. Even though Jianglan City had warmed up, the temperature was still quite low. Zhoucheng, however, was different; it was like spring all year round, with pleasant temperatures. Qiao Xi quickly took off her jacket.

The room Shen Ya booked was the same room type Qiao Xi had stayed in during the New Year, and even the room number was the same. It was too much of a coincidence, even surprising Shen Ya herself.

“So, the last time I went back to Jianglan City, Sister Yunyi let Teacher Shen stay in this room?” Qiao Xi had just found this out.

“Mm.”

“That means this room and we are fated,” Qiao Xi hung up her jacket, went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and came out asking, “What should we eat?”

“Seafood?”

Qiao Xi was already hungry, and just hearing the two words made her mouth water: “Let’s go!”

Qiao Xi was more familiar with Zhoucheng than Shen Ya. Even though it wasn’t a holiday, the beach was still crowded. They walked hand-in-hand along the sand. The stars in Zhoucheng were bright, and the moon hung like a beautiful jade in the sky.

Halfway through the walk, Qiao Xi remembered something she had forgotten. She turned her head and asked Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, we’re traveling, but where is Eleven?”

“Zhou Ziqian took her. She knew I was taking you to Zhoucheng this week, so she bought cat supplies and put them at the Fang family home a few days ago. She took Eleven back to the Fang family yesterday. Grandmother and Auntie quite like her.”

“So they all knew you were taking me out today?!” Qiao Xi realized belatedly: “Doesn’t that mean I’m the only one who was kept in the dark?”

“Mm.”

It was normal for Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian to hide things from her for their amusement. Qiao Xi hadn’t expected even the elders, like her Auntie, to help Shen Ya. Was this considered parents helping out a couple? It made her feel a little shy.

“Teacher Shen, the idea of coming to Zhoucheng—wasn’t that suggested by Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian too?” Even though she was already in Zhoucheng with Shen Ya, she still felt this didn’t sound like a surprise Shen Ya would come up with. Although Shen Ya could be very flirtatious in the past, her sweet-talk was always said in a very earnest, unconscious manner.

“No.”

Hearing those two words, Qiao Xi relaxed. She was genuinely worried that Shen Ya was being corrupted by those two. If it were truly Fang and Zhou’s idea, there might be other “surprises” waiting for her later.

“However…”

Qiao Xi immediately looked up: “However, what?”

Shen Ya thought of the compressed file Zhou Ziqian sent her. She originally wanted to talk to Qiao Xi about cohabitation, having a cat, and seeing the sea, but the contents of the compressed file were too embarrassing to mention, and not really suitable for Qiao Xi to see. So, Shen Ya quickly fabricated a lie at the last minute.

“However, they all told me to be more proactive. I happened to go online a while ago and saw that for female couples, there are three things they must do in this lifetime: cohabitation, having a cat, and seeing the sea. And we’ve already done the first two.”

Wait, cohabitation, having a cat, seeing the sea?

Wasn’t that a popular meme online? It was clearly meant as a joke. Why did Shen Ya look like she took it seriously?

Was her Teacher Shen under the impression that couples had to do all three things to be perfect?!

“So, Teacher Shen chose Zhoucheng because of that sentence?”

Shen Ya nodded.

In that moment, Qiao Xi really wanted to laugh. She pursed her lips, her cheeks puffing out from stifling her laughter, making her look like a little hamster caught stealing food. Although Shen Ya was the same age as her sister Qin Shuyao, in some ways, she was truly like a traditional old-fashioned person.

Qiao Xi’s reaction didn’t escape Shen Ya’s notice. She hadn’t said anything wrong, had she? Why was Qiao Xi laughing at her?

Realizing she might have made a fool of herself, Shen Ya felt a little embarrassed and annoyed. This was her first time taking the initiative, boldly arranging everything and bringing Qiao Xi out. Did she miss something?

She straightened her face and raised her hand to poke Qiao Xi’s puffed-up cheek: “What are you laughing at?”

Qiao Xi cleared her throat: “N-nothing.”

Shen Ya furrowed her brow, her gaze intense. She switched from gently poking Qiao Xi’s cheek to pinching both sides of Qiao Xi’s cheeks. Qiao Xi’s face deflated as if air was let out, turning her from a hamster into a pouting goldfish.

“Are you going to tell me or not?”

When Shen Ya wore a serious face, her demeanor was quite intimidating. Having been a teacher for so long, she carried an air of authority without having to raise her voice. Not to mention Qiao Xi was still a university student and naturally felt a mix of love and fear towards her teacher.

Qiao Xi raised both hands in surrender, pleading with her eyes. When Shen Ya released her cheeks, her eyes lifted slightly, then quickly lowered. Both sides of her face were visibly reddened, whether from Shen Ya’s pinch or otherwise. She looked a little wronged, as if she had been bullied.

“I just think Teacher Shen is cute.”

Shen Ya didn’t believe her. She raised her hand again, ready to pinch Qiao Xi’s reddened face. Seeing this, Qiao Xi immediately jumped back a couple of steps, widening the distance between them. There was no sign of the previous grievance on her face; Qiao Xi was now beaming, laughing openly: “I wasn’t lying. Teacher Shen is really cute, taking a random joke on the internet so seriously.”

A joke?

So, Zhou Ziqian had tricked her?

Crisp laughter continuously reached Shen Ya’s ears. Qiao Xi’s neck was flushed from laughing. Knowing she had made a blunder, Shen Ya felt embarrassed and a little ashamed, but her expression remained normal, giving no hint of her true thoughts.

“Little rascal,” she scolded lightly, quickening her pace to catch up with Qiao Xi: “You’re asking for a spanking, aren’t you?”

Qiao Xi didn’t run away this time. As Shen Ya approached, she actively moved her head to rub against the hand Shen Ya intended to pinch her ear with. “I really like Teacher Shen’s plan. Actually, I wanted to come to the seaside with you during the New Year, but we didn’t get the chance.”

Qiao Xi pressed her palm against the back of Shen Ya’s hand, looking at Shen Ya affectionately: “Thank you, Teacher Shen, for fulfilling my wish.”

Any annoyance Shen Ya had instantly vanished. Qiao Xi truly knew how to please her. This mouth was not only great to kiss but also spoke words that made her happy.

Unfortunately, with people coming and going, Shen Ya still wasn’t bold enough to hug and kiss Qiao Xi. She could only vigorously rub Qiao Xi’s face, curving her lips: “Let’s go. Didn’t you say you were hungry?”

Having cheered Shen Ya up, Qiao Xi held onto Shen Ya’s arm and wouldn’t let go. It was the weekend, and many people were eating at this time. Qiao Xi led them to a restaurant by the sea, but as Qiao Xi expected, they had to wait in line.

After getting a number and seeing the wait time—half an hour, not too long, not too short—she asked Shen Ya: “Does Teacher Shen want to wait, or should we find another place to eat?”

Shen Ya looked around. Outside all the restaurants, big and small, people were waiting for tables. She couldn’t be sure about the quality of the food or the freshness of the ingredients at the less-crowded places. Since Qiao Xi brought her to this particular restaurant, it must be a place Qiao Xi often visited.

“We can wait for a bit then.”

Qiao Xi squeezed through the crowd waiting for tables, asking the server inside for a chair. Unfortunately, there were too many people, and there was only one wooden stool left, which Qiao Xi spotted immediately. She carried the wooden stool and squeezed back through the crowd to Shen Ya.

She put the stool down and pulled Shen Ya’s arm to make her sit.

Most of the people around were standing; only a few had seats. Shen Ya hadn’t seen any other empty spots. She pulled Qiao Xi’s arm, wanting to stand up again: “You sit.”

Qiao Xi shook her head: “Teacher Shen, don’t be polite with me. I also want to go buy two milk teas. What would you like to drink, Teacher Shen?”

“Anything is fine. Just pick something, but not too sweet.”

Qiao Xi tucked the ticketing receipt into Shen Ya’s hand: “Then Teacher Shen, be a good girl and sit here and wait for me to come back.” After saying that, Qiao Xi boldly raised her hand and ruffled Shen Ya’s hair.

Seeing Shen Ya’s expression change, she immediately jumped back a few steps and ran off with a cheeky smile.

Qiao Xi’s figure quickly disappeared into the crowd. Shen Ya chuckled and muttered under her breath: “So cheeky.”

But the warmth of Qiao Xi’s palm lingered on the top of her head. Though so much younger than her, Qiao Xi was thoughtful and took very good care of her. Qiao Xi was reliable and gave her a sense of peace. In fact, compared to Qiao Xi, she seemed to be the more clingy one, the one who couldn’t be without the other.

Just like now, knowing Qiao Xi was only going to buy drinks, her eyes remained fixed on the direction Qiao Xi had just disappeared. Without Qiao Xi by her side, she felt anxious all the time.

With every passing second, Shen Ya eagerly awaited Qiao Xi’s return. Only two minutes had passed, yet it felt incredibly long, like an eternity.

Qiao Xi had smelled the takoyaki (octopus balls) along the way. The other side of the restaurant led to a snack street, and there was a takoyaki stall right at the entrance.

The snack street had even more foot traffic. Qiao Xi waited in line for a few minutes before it was her turn. She bought a large serving of takoyaki, then walked further into the street. Shen Ya’s taste was a bit like her sister Qin Shuyao’s—neither liked overly sweet things.

She bought a normal milk tea for herself and a fruit tea for Shen Ya. She had tried this store’s fruit tea before; it wasn’t too sweet. Her sister could tolerate this level of sweetness, so Shen Ya should be fine too.

Afraid of keeping Shen Ya waiting, Qiao Xi didn’t delay for a second. After buying the drinks, she quickened her pace, walking against the flow of the crowd.

She was just walking fast until she saw Shen Ya in the distance looking around anxiously. Then she broke into a run. As she got closer, Shen Ya’s gaze fixed entirely on her. She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but from far away, she felt Shen Ya looked restless, but as she approached, Shen Ya seemed to relax.

Qiao Xi didn’t overthink it. She put a straw in the fruit tea and handed it to Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, try this. It shouldn’t be too sweet.”

Shen Ya took a sip. The fruit flavor was rich. She nodded: “It’s very delicious.”

Qiao Xi put a straw in her own milk tea, drank a few large gulps to quench her thirst, and then handed her milk tea to Shen Ya. She opened the box of takoyaki. The freshly made snack was hot to the touch and steaming, but it smelled wonderful. Qiao Xi picked one up with a bamboo skewer and blew on it near her mouth.

She handed the first octopus ball to Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, eat first. It might be hot, so try a small bite first.”

Although she was the younger one, she was acting like a little adult taking care of her. Shen Ya felt a sweetness in her heart sweeter than honey. When had she ever enjoyed such treatment? Qiao Xi’s eyes and heart were completely devoted to her. How could she not be captivated?

Shen Ya’s ears turned red. She opened her mouth and, following Qiao Xi’s instructions, took only a small bite. Just as Qiao Xi said, the takoyaki was still very hot. Qiao Xi seemed to notice and moved the ball closer to her own mouth to blow on it again.

“If it’s too hot, Teacher Shen, have a sip of the drink first.”

Shen Ya gave her a smiling look: “Qiao Xi, I’m not a child.”

Qiao Xi was stunned. Being called out by Shen Ya like that made her feel embarrassed: “I… I just couldn’t help but want to take extra care of you, Teacher Shen.”

Shen Ya looked up at Qiao Xi with an intriguing gaze, her eyes seemingly able to see into Qiao Xi’s heart. “You want to take care of me?”

Qiao Xi nodded.

“And you want to look after me?”

Qiao Xi nodded again.

Shen Ya stood on her tiptoes and lightly tapped Qiao Xi’s shoe: “Such a young rogue. Little liar. Are you afraid I’ll find you too young?”

She was completely seen through. The age gap couldn’t be erased. Shen Ya had taken great care of her, and Qiao Xi was afraid she was too immature or couldn’t help Shen Ya much. She feared that over time, a rift might form, so Qiao Xi always tried to compensate in other ways.

She enjoyed Shen Ya’s care, but at the same time, she also wanted to do more for Shen Ya.

Shen Ya kept tapping her shoe with her toe, still teasing her. Now, Qiao Xi was the embarrassed one.

“The takoyaki is getting cold. Feed me.”

“Ah… Ah?!” Qiao Xi was momentarily stunned, then quickly regained her composure and offered the octopus ball on the skewer to Shen Ya’s mouth again.

Shen Ya took two bites to finish the takoyaki. “Alright, you eat now.”

Watching Qiao Xi pick up another takoyaki and put it in her mouth, Shen Ya smiled sweetly, as if red plums instantly bloomed around them. In the bustling environment, as Qiao Xi was tasting the takoyaki, Shen Ya’s red lips parted. Her jade-like face now carried a hint of warmth: “Xiao Xi, I love you.”

“Plop.”

The unfinished takoyaki dropped to the ground. Qiao Xi’s eyes widened. She stood frozen in place. Had she not imagined it just now? Shen Ya did speak, right?

Having said the loving words, Shen Ya casually lowered her head and took a sip of her drink. Qiao Xi came back to her senses, bent down, and leaned in close to Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, could you say that again?”

Shen Ya’s eyebrow twitched: “If you didn’t hear it clearly, then forget it.”

“No, I just want to hear it again.”

Shen Ya ignored her and took another sip of her drink.

“Teacher Shen, please, say it one more time.” Qiao Xi was acting spoiled. Even the takoyaki in her hand was no longer appealing. She even squatted down and pretended to be pitiful: “Teacher Shen, Sister Shen, good sister, please.”

The way she said “sister” made Shen Ya’s heart flutter. She almost dropped the two drinks in her hand. Her ear tips were burning, and she noticed Qiao Xi’s gaze becoming more intense.

Unable to withstand Qiao Xi’s fervor, and afraid Qiao Xi would take further action, she suddenly felt she had trapped herself. Unable to resist Qiao Xi’s persistence, she leaned her face closer, her lips brushing Qiao Xi’s ear, and whispered in a voice only Qiao Xi could hear: “Xiao Xi, I love you.”