Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 115

Chapter 115: Qiao Xi, Who Was Eating With Shen Ya…

Qiao Xi, who was eating with Shen Ya, had no mind to check her phone, so she didn’t know the messages her mothers sent her. Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao, who had returned to their own home, had also shed their fatigue.

They had expected a “hard battle” tonight, but the result was much milder than they had imagined. After resting in the living room for a while, Jiang Yunxi briefly updated Jiang Yunyi about the night’s events, then stood up from the sofa and told Qin Shuyao, “I’m going downstairs to get a bottle of wine.”

“I’ll go with you.”

The house used to be lively when Qiao Xi and Pang Pang were around. Since Qiao Xi went to college and Pang Pang was sent back to the mothers’ house, the house had become increasingly quiet. Qin Shuyao didn’t want to stay alone in the silent living room. Moreover, she and Jiang Yunxi had argued a lot about this matter recently. Now that the obstacle blocking them was completely gone, she just wanted to be entwined with Jiang Yunxi.

The two went downstairs to the small wine cellar. Since Fang Moyao had forcefully taken three bottles of wine, Jiang Yunxi hadn’t been downstairs. But even though some time had passed, she immediately noticed something was amiss in the cellar.

“Where is my wine box?” Jiang Yunxi walked to where the wine box used to be. “Shuyao, have you been down here?”

Qin Shuyao came beside her and bent down to look at the empty space. “That’s strange. I haven’t been down here in a long time either. Are you sure it was here?”

“I’m sure. I put it here every time after using it. I haven’t taken any wine out recently, so how could it be missing?”

Jiang Yunxi had a bad feeling. She looked up to check her wine, and with just a quick glance, she found the problem. “Where is my wine?” A bottle that should have been safely stored was missing.

Could Fang Moyao have taken it last time?

How was that possible? She had clearly hidden those bottles long ago, and Fang Moyao had picked the wines right under her nose. But if it wasn’t Fang Moyao, who else could have been in her wine cellar?

Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao looked up simultaneously. One answer surfaced in their minds, and they both uttered the same two words at the same time:

“Xiao Xi?”

“Xiao Xi?”

Only Qiao Xi had returned once during this period. They hadn’t known when Qiao Xi left at the time, and hadn’t thought much of it before, but now Qiao Xi’s behavior seemed very suspicious.

Even if Qiao Xi was leaving, she would never do so without saying goodbye.

So why would Qiao Xi take her wine?

“I know.” Jiang Yunxi understood everything. She clenched one hand into a fist, while the other reached for her phone in her pocket. At this moment, her face was as dark as if it had been soaked in ink.

Jiang Yunxi found Fang Moyao’s number and pressed dial. The phone rang for a while before being answered.

Fang Moyao’s lazy voice came from the phone: “What is it, Little Boss Jiang? You’re free enough to call me today?”

“Where is my wine?”

“Hmm?” Fang Moyao’s smile was obvious, yet she still pretended to be confused and asked: “The three bottles I left blank? What’s wrong, do you want to come over for a drink?”

Jiang Yunxi gritted her teeth: “You know I’m not talking about those three bottles of wine. What did you instigate Xiao Xi to do!”

Fang Moyao chuckled softly, then asked gently: “Did something happen?”

Jiang Yunxi didn’t like dealing with Fang Moyao. She used to interact with Fang Moyao with Jiang Yunyi present. In the entire Blank space, there were few people who could keep Fang Moyao in check. She thought she should talk to Jiang Yunyi first and let her discuss it with Fang Moyao.

“Little Boss Jiang, Xiao Xi is my sister too. How could I, as an older sister, instigate my own sister to do bad things?” Fang Moyao’s tone shifted: “However, Xiao Xi is indeed well-behaved thanks to your teaching. I truly like her immensely.”

Indeed. Qiao Xi stealing the wine from home was definitely connected to Fang Moyao.

The wine was already in Fang Moyao’s hands, and so much time had passed. Getting it back was impossible. Realizing this, Jiang Yunxi’s chest hurt from anger. She didn’t want to hear another word from Fang Moyao.

She abruptly hung up the phone, clutching her chest, and almost blacked out. Qin Shuyao reacted immediately, holding her up, her face filled with concern: “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Yunxi shook her head, leaning her weight onto Qin Shuyao: “That scoundrel Fang Moyao! She instigated Xiao Xi to steal my wine!”

“So, the time Xiao Xi willingly came home with us was just to steal wine for Fang Moyao?!”

“Wanting to come home was real, and wanting to steal the wine was also true.” Jiang Yunxi refused to believe Qiao Xi returned for just one reason. She had raised her sister, and she knew Qiao Xi’s personality.

Qin Shuyao’s face changed at the thought of Qiao Xi having a purpose for returning. She couldn’t accept Qiao Xi plotting against them: “I’m calling Xiao Xi right now to clarify.”

“Wait, don’t rush,” Jiang Yunxi stopped her: “If that little brat knows we’ve found out, she’ll probably hide at the Fang family’s place immediately.”

Qiao Xi was clever and knew best how to use everything around her to avoid a direct confrontation. When she made a mistake, she always liked to hide at their mothers’ house, relying on the presence of elders to simply feign pity and get away with it.

“You’re right.” Qin Shuyao nodded: “We’ll go straight to her school tomorrow to find her.”

Qiao Xi, full and satisfied, had returned to the hotel with Shen Ya. It was already late. On the way back, Qiao Xi had yawned repeatedly.

Shen Ya led Qiao Xi to the sofa: “Rest for a bit. I’ll get your clothes. It’s very late, and you must be tired. Go take a shower first.”

Qiao Xi nodded. The hotel was quiet, the sofa was soft, and after her body and mind completely relaxed, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Shen Ya found the suitcase and opened it, taking out Qiao Xi’s pajamas, disposable underwear, and a towel. After putting the items in the bathroom, she returned to Qiao Xi.

She reached out and patted Qiao Xi’s face: “Xiao Xi, go take a shower first.”

Qiao Xi opened her eyes and smiled as she hugged Shen Ya’s waist: “I was so happy today.”

“Me too.” Shen Ya hugged Qiao Xi back, gently stroking her head: “Xiao Xi, where do you want to go play tomorrow?”

With limited time on the weekend, Qiao Xi didn’t want to be too tired. Compared to visiting tourist attractions, she preferred to stay in the hotel with Shen Ya. “How about we just hang out by the sea?”

“Okay.”

Qiao Xi released Shen Ya: “Then let’s go to bed early today, and we’ll play after we wake up tomorrow.”

Although she wanted to do something with Shen Ya tonight, Qiao Xi was genuinely exhausted. After a full day of classes and a couple of hours on the plane, she felt slightly overwhelmed by the back-to-back activities.

After showering, she lay in bed, intending to wait for Shen Ya to sleep together, but the constant scent of shower gel wafting from the bathroom soon lulled her into a deep sleep.

The night was deep, and the moonlight sank into the endless deep sea. The sea breeze rolled the waves, crashing onto the shore, like a lingering, melodious tune.

When the sun began to rise and birds chirped outside the window, the two people in the room slowly opened their eyes.

Qiao Xi found herself nestled in Shen Ya’s arms somehow. Her nose was right against Shen Ya’s softness, and with the slightest movement, her nose seemed to brush against something.

Shen Ya, not fully awake, let out an unconscious sigh. Her eyelids fluttered, and she curved her lips, her voice like the cold mountain spring of a morning: “Stop moving around, little rascal.”

Qiao Xi quieted down, but her nose was still pressed against that spot that made her cheeks burn. With every breath, Shen Ya’s scent rushed into her heart.

If she hugged her any longer, she wouldn’t be able to control herself! She didn’t want to spend the whole day in bed with Shen Ya!

Qiao Xi quickly moved backward. Her sudden movement naturally displeased Shen Ya, who tried to pull her back, but Qiao Xi sat up and checked the time on her phone: “It’s already past ten.”

Qiao Xi saw unread messages and missed calls. She had silenced her phone yesterday because she didn’t want to be disturbed. “My mother sent me a message, and my sister called me. I wonder if something happened at home. Teacher Shen, I’m going to call them back.”

Shen Ya rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. Her nightgown was thin, outlining the beautiful curve of her waist. The fairness of her chest was fully exposed, and a faint red mark was visible on one side of her collarbone. She wasn’t sure if Qiao Xi had bitten it while sleeping last night.

“Go ahead. I’ll wake up a bit.”

Shen Ya didn’t have the habit of sleeping in, but whenever she slept past her usual wake-up time, she would feel a little dizzy, as if she had slept too much and felt uncomfortable.

Qiao Xi put on her slippers, grabbed her phone, and went into the bathroom. After closing the door, she first opened her mother’s message.

The message was from last night.

It only contained one sentence: [Xiao Xi, do you know that your two sisters are together?]

Eh?

Why would her mother send her this message? Did her two sisters get caught being intimate? Or did her sister go home last night and clarify their relationship with the mothers?

She suddenly remembered what Qin Shuyao told her last week. She said she would give Dr. Jiang one more week. How could she have forgotten about that?

Qiao Xi patted her head. No wonder her sister called her. She was probably looking for her to go home and comfort their two mothers.

She proactively called Jiang Yunxi’s number.

Two seconds later, the call connected, and Jiang Yunxi spoke first, her voice stern and sounding angry: “Xiao Xi, where are you?”

“I’m at school.”

“Shuyao and I are at your school right now!” Jiang Yunxi’s chest rose and fell sharply. Afraid Qiao Xi might sneak away, she and Qin Shuyao rushed over early this morning. But Qiao Xi’s phone went unanswered. It took her a lot of effort to find someone to help check Qiao Xi’s dorm room, and it was empty.

Oh no. Qiao Xi patted her mouth, regretting speaking so quickly and revealing her exact location. She realized her brain hadn’t fully booted up yet since waking up. It was over, her lie was about to be exposed.

“Where exactly are you?!”

Faced with Jiang Yunxi’s cold questioning, Qiao Xi’s brain rapidly processed. Since she was already caught, she might as well go all the way: “I went out to travel with an older schoolmate. I was afraid you two would overthink, so I lied.”

She immediately added: “I received Mom’s message. Sister, did you and the mothers clarify your relationship?”

At this moment, changing the subject was definitely more important.

Unfortunately for Qiao Xi, Jiang Yunxi didn’t follow the usual script. Not only was she not diverted, but she delivered a fatal blow: “You little brat! You actually dared to steal my wine for Fang Moyao!”

“Hiss…” Qiao Xi gasped. That was too much of a coincidence. Her Dr. Jiang had found out so quickly.

“That…” Qiao Xi’s panic was written all over her face, thankfully she wasn’t facing Jiang Yunxi: “Sister, I was wrong. I’ll explain it when I get back. My schoolmate is calling me, so I have to go. Bye, Sister! I’ll definitely put in a good word for you with the mothers!”

With that, Qiao Xi immediately hung up and turned off her phone.

“Phew…” She let out a long breath. That was scary. Luckily, she was far away. Shen Ya had practically saved her life.

After coming out, Qiao Xi was still a bit flustered, her focus scattered. She didn’t even notice that Shen Ya had already changed clothes.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen at home?”

Qiao Xi shook her head, then immediately nodded: “Something did happen, but it’s not a big deal for me. My sister confessed to the mothers last night, and the mothers might not accept it, so they messaged me.”

“Mm, that’s Jiang Yunxi’s and the others’ problem. They should solve it themselves.”

“That’s true. Anyway, the mothers won’t actually kick them out. They’ll just be angry for a couple of days.” Qiao Xi wasn’t worried about that. She looked at Shen Ya with a guilty conscience: “There’s one more thing: Dr. Jiang found out I stole her wine.”

Shen Ya had known this day would come. She sighed lightly and shook her head: “Then what are you going to do?”

“Sigh, what can I do? The wine is already gone. I hope Dr. Jiang will have calmed down when I get back.” Qiao Xi was helpless. She waved her hand, not sure if she was giving herself a pep talk or comforting Shen Ya: “It’s not a big deal. The worst that will happen is a cold face and a few scoldings from Dr. Jiang. I’ll just buy her a new bottle later.”

Shen Ya pondered, her expression unchanged, only rubbing Qiao Xi’s head.

“Teacher Shen, go wash up. We’ll grab a bite to eat and then go play by the sea.”

It was a rare opportunity, and Qiao Xi wasn’t willing to waste time on such minor issues. After all, things would eventually work themselves out.

They quickly ate a simple meal at the hotel restaurant. The weather was good today, and the temperature was high. Qiao Xi wore shorts that reached her knees, while Shen Ya wore a long dress.

This was the first time Qiao Xi had seen Shen Ya wear a dress. In the past, Shen Ya always dressed formally. The most common sight was black and white shirts and suit pants, with the top button always fastened, looking abstinent and traditional.

But today’s long dress was the same color as Qiao Xi’s shorts, bluer than the sky and clearer than the sea. The two held hands, walking on the fine white sand. Qiao Xi mischievously used her toes to kick up sand onto Shen Ya’s fair ankles.

“Being naughty again?” Shen Ya avoided the sand. She raised one hand and pinched one side of Qiao Xi’s cheek.

Qiao Xi quickly begged for mercy: “Good sister, I know I was wrong.”

Although she spoke apologetically, Qiao Xi’s eyes were sly like a little fox. She grabbed Shen Ya’s wrist and pulled her hand down, then leaned in and kissed Shen Ya’s palm: “I truly didn’t expect to have the chance to travel alone with Teacher Shen.”

Qiao Xi released Shen Ya’s hand and looked at the blue sea. She sighed with a smile: “Teacher Shen, before the New Year, I was really sad. I thought I’d never be able to get close to you again.”

“I apologize. It was my fault then. I was too timid to step forward and made you sad.”

“Is Teacher Shen apologizing?” Qiao Xi turned her head to meet Shen Ya’s gaze, blinking playfully.

Shen Ya nodded earnestly: “Yes, I regret it. I’m also self-reproachful and guilty. If I had waited any longer, I might have truly lost you.”

Qiao Xi pouted, pretending not to accept: “I’ve heard Teacher Shen say ‘sorry’ many times. Is that the only apology you have? That’s not sincere at all.”

“Of course, it’s not just one apology.”

Shen Ya reversed her grip and held Qiao Xi’s wrist. She raised both of Qiao Xi’s hands. This time, it was her turn to kiss Qiao Xi’s wrists: “There are some words I should have said to you long ago.”

Qiao Xi raised an eyebrow, and light spun in her amber eyes. She listened quietly to Shen Ya’s words, her excitement barely contained, anxious but daring not to interrupt.

The salty sea breeze blew Shen Ya’s fringe. She looked at Qiao Xi with deep affection and focus. She was meant to be like the soft moonlight, but at this moment, she was imbued with a layer of fervent warm sun.

“Xiao Xi, I love you. Give Teacher Shen another chance. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Warm light shot straight into Qiao Xi’s chest. Shen Ya’s gaze was like morning dew, pure and clean, as if wanting to lay all her fervent love before her. Qiao Xi’s heart pounded like a drum, feeling like it would leap out of her throat.

Even though she was so happy she wanted to hug and kiss Shen Ya, she still spoke stubbornly: “Teacher Shen made me sad before. I hold grudges and I’m very difficult to coax.”

Shen Ya smiled and pulled Qiao Xi into a hug, her red lips pressing against Qiao Xi’s hair, kissing her slowly and gently: “Is that so? Then tonight, let Teacher Shen see just how difficult our Xiao Xi is to coax.”