Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Originally Thought Shen Ya’s Confession…

I originally thought Shen Ya’s confession was the biggest surprise, but after Shen Ya hugged her openly and kissed her cheek, I saw her take a small red jewelry box from her handbag.

The jewelry box looked familiar, even the style seemed like…

“When I was organizing my closet at home, I found this box in the drawer of your clothes cabinet.” Shen Ya held the box and turned it in her hand: “I didn’t intend to open it at first, but Xiao Xi, please forgive my curiosity.”

Shen Ya stopped turning the box and opened it. A pair of silver-gleaming couple rings appeared before them: “When did you prepare these, Xiao Xi?”

Qiao Xi had completely forgotten about this. She hadn’t expected Shen Ya to find it. It was a gift she bought for Shen Ya before New Year’s Eve. She had planned to take it out that night after her confession to please Shen Ya, but she failed, and gradually forgot about it.

“I bought it before New Year’s Eve. I wanted to give Teacher Shen a surprise then.” It was a pity the surprise couldn’t be delivered.

There were two rings: one was engraved with a moon, the other with a sun. The sun and moon shining together, from dawn to dusk. Qiao Xi’s intentions were all hidden in these two rings.

Shen Ya took out the moon ring, took Qiao Xi’s hand, and slid the moon onto Qiao Xi’s ring finger. She lowered her head and kissed Qiao Xi’s finger, as if the bright moon was hanging high, shining only upon Qiao Xi.

“A late surprise, but it’s not too late now.” Shen Ya looked up, her eyes sparkling as if starlight was hidden within them.

It was originally Qiao Xi’s intended surprise, but now she was the one receiving the surprise. Her emotions were rolling more fiercely than the waves behind her. It was broad daylight, but after Shen Ya put the ring on her finger, it was as if a gentle beam of moonlight shone into her heart.

Shen Ya actually understood her intention; the moon ring was indeed meant for herself. The insightful Shen Ya completely captivated Qiao Xi. She was so excited that she couldn’t speak, all she wanted was to put the other ring on Shen Ya.

The hand Qiao Xi used to take the ring was trembling. She, who was usually so eloquent, was now “speechless.” Her entire body was hot, and her heart felt like it was squeezing out of her chest from excitement.

Shen Ya, however, calmly extended her hand. Her fingers were slender and elegant, with distinct knuckles, subtly gleaming in the sunlight. Her nails were neatly trimmed and finely polished, and her fingertips were rosy and soft like silk.

Although Shen Ya remained still, Qiao Xi’s hand trembled so much that she failed to put the ring on twice. She heard a short burst of laughter, which made her too embarrassed to lift her head.

Fortunately, on the third try, she successfully placed the radiant sun into Shen Ya’s heart.

The sun and moon were finally together by their side. Shen Ya closed the jewelry box and tucked it into her pocket, then opened her arms with a beaming smile. Qiao Xi wrapped her arms around Shen Ya’s waist, and without caring about the people around, she boldly stood on tiptoes and kissed Shen Ya’s lips.

When the sticky sea breeze brought the sound of cheers from not far away, Qiao Xi’s boldness popped like a balloon. She released Shen Ya’s mouth and buried her face into Shen Ya’s embrace, secretly annoyed. How could she have been so excited that she forgot they were at the seaside, surrounded by people?

Although Shen Ya was also a little shy, she was older and could quickly control her emotions. She looked up towards the source of the teasing and nodded lightly at the group of girls.

The girls’ mouths were stretched into wide grins. One long-haired girl in a swimsuit bravely ran over. She looked a year or two older than Qiao Xi.

“Sister, you’re so beautiful, and you two are so cute! Do you need me to take a picture of you two together?”

Hearing the word “Sister,” Qiao Xi immediately looked up. She hadn’t even called Shen Ya “Sister,” so how had someone else beaten her to it?!

Although she thought this, she didn’t show any displeasure on her face. She knew that to an outsider, it was just a form of address. Only when she called Shen Ya “Sister” would those two words take on another layer of meaning.

“Does Xiao Xi want to take a picture?” Shen Ya didn’t make the decision herself; she first asked for Qiao Xi’s opinion.

Of course, she wanted pictures, and not just one! She was determined to fill her phone memory with photos of her and Shen Ya this trip!

But to escape the “chase” from her two sisters, she had kept her phone off until now. So, the photos would have to be stored on Shen Ya’s phone first.

Qiao Xi nodded: “Yes!” Then she smiled at the girl: “Thank you for your trouble.”

“No trouble at all, no trouble.”

Qiao Xi squeezed Shen Ya’s arm: “Teacher Shen, please give her your phone.”

Shen Ya nodded. Perhaps it was the word Qiao Xi used that sparked the girl’s curiosity, as her eyes were shining brightly, making Qiao Xi think the girl wanted to devour her and Shen Ya whole.

Shen Ya usually didn’t like taking pictures. She appeared a bit stiff in front of the camera, and even her smile vanished, making it look like she was taking a serious passport photo.

Qiao Xi noticed Shen Ya’s awkwardness. Although she wasn’t as good at photography as Xia Cong’an, guiding Shen Ya was no problem.

As the girl held Shen Ya’s phone and adjusted the angle, Qiao Xi leaned close to Shen Ya’s ear and whispered: “Teacher Shen, if you don’t know what expression to make, you can kiss me, or you can think about our sweet moments.”

Sweet moments?

This instantly made Shen Ya think of the fragrant air in the night, the tempting low moans, and Qiao Xi’s misty eyes.

She took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a little warm. After hearing the girl say, “Okay, okay,” Shen Ya wrapped her arm around Qiao Xi’s waist, slightly turned her face, and said to Qiao Xi with a half-smile, lowering her voice: “Let’s go back to the hotel early tonight.”

The blatant hint instantly made Qiao Xi’s ears turn red. The fleeting look of shyness on her face was perfectly captured in the small screen. Qiao Xi regretted it. How was she supposed to know Shen Ya was so clever that she would turn the tables on her?

To save face, even though she felt so hot she was practically steaming, she turned her head and kissed Shen Ya’s corner of the mouth just as the girl pressed the shutter button.

Their intimacy was all captured and recorded. However, Qiao Xi and Shen Ya were sensible and didn’t want to trouble the girl too much, so they asked for the phone back shortly after.

Shen Ya offered to treat them to milk tea, but the girl waved her hand to refuse. Probably afraid they would insist on giving them something, she quickly ran back to her friends while the two weren’t paying attention.

The two said goodbye with their eyes. Qiao Xi and Shen Ya held hands and continued walking forward. “Do you want to swim, Teacher Shen?”

Shen Ya shook her head: “No.”

“Then next time we come to the seaside, we’ll have a good swim.”

Passing a drink shop, Qiao Xi turned and led Shen Ya to sit under the drink shop’s beach umbrella. As it neared noon, the sunlight intensified, and Qiao Xi just wanted to find a place to rest.

Shen Ya ordered a bowl of shaved ice and two drinks. While waiting for the food, Shen Ya opened her phone and admired the photos with Qiao Xi.

The girl’s photography skills were excellent. The photos could be posted immediately without editing. Not only did they capture Shen Ya’s cool and composed look, but they also captured the love hidden in her eyes.

Qiao Xi next to Shen Ya was as bright as the midday sun. Shen Ya was gentle and pure like the bright moon, and Qiao Xi was passionate like fire, like the sun. No matter what expressions they made or what actions they took, their eyes were only on each other.

“She took them so well. Teacher Shen, send them to me.”

“Are you daring to turn on your phone now?”

“Uh…” Qiao Xi sighed: “Maybe later. My sister might cool down by tonight.”

After saying that, Qiao Xi sniffed the air: “Teacher Shen, do you smell grilled food?”

Shen Ya sniffed: “I think I do a little.”

“I’ll go check.” Qiao Xi stood up: “I’m craving grilled squid. Teacher Shen, wait for me here.”

Watching Qiao Xi’s receding figure, Shen Ya opened her Moments and selected the 9 photos Qiao Xi liked the most. She wrote a line of text: [I am the bright moon; from now on, I will only accompany you.]

After writing this, Shen Ya clicked on the “visible to” setting, selected Qiao Xi, then pressed send, and set her phone to silent.

After she finished, the drinks and shaved ice they ordered were already served. Shen Ya put away her phone and waited a little longer before seeing Qiao Xi running back to her with two skewers of grilled food.

“It really is grilled squid.” Qiao Xi handed her a skewer: “It smells so good. Teacher Shen, let’s have a barbecue tonight.”

“Okay.” Shen Ya took the skewer and noticed that Qiao Xi had sauce on the corner of her mouth. She asked the owner for some napkins, and when Qiao Xi sat back down next to her, she slowly wiped the corner of Qiao Xi’s mouth: “What do you want for lunch?”

“Let’s have sashimi. I know a good sashimi place.”

Shortly after Shen Ya posted to her Moments, she received many likes. Zhou Ziqian was the first to comment, writing seven big words: [The little couple is showing off their love.]

Ten seconds later, Fang Moyao also replied: [Have fun.]

Later came the elders from the Fang family. Jiang Yunyi also liked the post and replied with the same four words as Fang Moyao.

Finally, Jiang Zhiqing and Qin Yunxin. Having been angered by their two daughters last night, they felt a little relieved seeing the photo of Qiao Xi and Shen Ya. The two mothers now felt that Qiao Xi was the most sensible one in the family, so they left a message for Shen Ya, telling them to eat and drink well, and that they would reimburse them when they returned.

Lunchtime.

Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao, frustrated from not finding Qiao Xi, returned to their neighborhood, deciding to eat out before going home.

While waiting for their food, Jiang Yunxi took out her phone and casually scrolled through Moments. Shen Ya’s photo flashed by. Just as her thumb was about to swipe up, she suddenly noticed something and immediately clicked on Shen Ya’s photo.

Blue sky, white clouds, beach, ocean. And in front of this splendid background was Shen Ya’s rare smile, one she had never shown in front of her. What made Jiang Yunxi feel a chill down her spine even more was Qiao Xi, who was supposed to be at school, kissing Shen Ya’s corner of the mouth.

At that moment, Jiang Yunxi’s world seemed to stop. She wondered if she was dreaming right now, otherwise, why would she see two people who should have no connection being so intimate?

Shen Ya’s caption was also quite thought-provoking, sounding like an official announcement of her relationship with Qiao Xi.

A relationship?

Jiang Yunxi was shocked. This was absolutely impossible!

How could her Xiao Xi be in a relationship so early, and with Shen Ya of all people? When did these two even start interacting? How could she have not noticed at all?

Her phone was almost crushed in her hand. She searched her memory. During Xiao Xi’s college entrance examination, Shen Ya followed them for three days until Qiao Xi finished the exams. Could they have become familiar with each other since then?

Was Shen Ya a scoundrel? How old was her Xiao Xi? How could she abduct her sister?!

So Xiao Xi lied to them because she went on a trip with Shen Ya? And was that lie taught to Xiao Xi by Shen Ya?

The more Jiang Yunxi thought about it, the angrier she became. Her Xiao Xi was pure-hearted and kind; she must have been tricked by Shen Ya!

She was about to reply but saw that the comments underneath were all from familiar people. Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian knew about this all along? Why were her mothers so warm and thoughtful? What was up with Jiang Yunyi’s like?

So, everyone around them, except for her and Shuyao, knew that Xiao Xi and Shen Ya were together?!

Wait, maybe she was the only one who was kept in the dark?

Jiang Yunxi could no longer control her expression. Her face was cold. She turned her head towards Qin Shuyao like a machine that had stalled: “Shuyao, I need to ask you something.”

Qin Shuyao, who had no idea what was going on, found Jiang Yunxi’s expression a little strange: “What is it?”

“Do you know about Xiao Xi and Shen Ya?”

“Xiao Xi and Shen Ya?” Qin Shuyao frowned: “Are they very familiar with each other?”

Good. Shuyao was just as clueless as she was.

But the anger she had just managed to suppress surged up again. Her face turned dark, and the fire in her chest felt like it would burst from her eyes. She slammed the phone down in front of Qin Shuyao: “See for yourself.”

Qin Shuyao had only met Shen Ya a few times; she only knew her. She picked up the phone. The screen showed the photo of Qiao Xi kissing Shen Ya’s corner of the mouth. Qin Shuyao was in disbelief. She swiped her finger. With every photo she saw, her heart sank a little more. By the time she finished viewing all 9 photos, she also noticed the comments below.

The surroundings became quiet, and the air seemed to be sparking. If Qiao Xi and Shen Ya being together shocked them, then the fact that they were the only ones kept in the dark made them furious.

“What is going on? Xiao Xi and Shen Ya are together?”

“I don’t know.” A rock seemed to be lodged in Jiang Yunxi’s chest. She was having trouble breathing, and her head was throbbing.

“We can’t find Xiao Xi, so call Shen Ya and ask! When did she start dating Xiao Xi, and why did everyone know but keep it from us!” Qin Shuyao couldn’t accept that the sister she raised had kept such a huge secret from her. She was clearly more agitated than Jiang Yunxi.

When the waiter placed their food on the table, neither of them had any appetite left. This incident was a huge shock to them. In their eyes, Qiao Xi was still a child. How could she be in a relationship so suddenly?

And they, who had played the role of both sisters and mothers all these years, were kept in the dark by everyone. This feeling of being excluded made Qin Shuyao feel innocent, wronged, and resentful. She had never been treated like this in her life!

Jiang Yunxi was already dialing Shen Ya’s number, but no matter how many times she called, it went unanswered and automatically hung up. Jiang Yunxi rubbed her temples. The thought that Shen Ya might have been prepared for this made her feel disgusted.

Since she couldn’t reach the two people involved, she would ask someone else.

Jiang Yunxi created a small group chat, adding Jiang Yunyi, Fang Moyao, and Zhou Ziqian. She then screenshotted Shen Ya’s Moments post, sent it into the group, and followed it with three lines of question marks.

At first, the group was quiet. Ten minutes later, Zhou Ziqian sent a meme and asked: [What group is this?]

Ten seconds later, Zhou Ziqian sent another message: [Oh, long time no see, Little Boss Jiang.]

[What’s wrong, Little Boss Jiang? What’s wrong with this photo? Isn’t it taken well? The light on their faces makes them look like fairies from the sky. I wonder where Little Sister Xiao Xi found the photographer.]

A vein pulsed in Jiang Yunxi’s forehead. Was she asking about how beautiful the photo was?!

Before she could finish typing, Zhou Ziqian sent another message: [I see. Little Boss Jiang wants to ask how Little Sister Xiao Xi and Shen Ya started dating, right?]

Jiang Yunxi immediately replied: [Yes.]

[Well, I’m very busy today. Their love story is long, but I really can’t spare the time to talk to Little Boss Jiang about it right now.]

[How about this: you Venmo me 50 as a reservation fee for the story, and bring a good bottle of wine to Blank. Tonight, we can drink and talk about the story. I promise to tell Little Boss Jiang everything completely. Sister Yaoyao said she can cover dinner tonight. What would Little Boss Jiang like to eat? (Preferably not over 500)]

Jiang Yunxi was so angry that she threw her phone. She felt faint and slumped onto Qin Shuyao’s shoulder. After a long moment, she was still short of breath, and her head was buzzing.