Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Warmth of Unconditional Support

The food Qiao Xi brought soothed Shen Ya’s scorched stomach. Qiao Xi’s words made Shen Ya feel as if she had stepped into a springtime free of pain. For the first time, Shen Ya realized the charm of language could be so powerful. Every word spoken by Qiao Xi injected vigorous strength back into Shen Ya’s long-dormant heart.

Shen Ya’s heart was touched by Qiao Xi’s words, but she did not show it on her face. She still didn’t want Qiao Xi to discover her vulnerable side. She just increased the frequency of using her chopsticks. After speaking, Qiao Xi placed a crab leg into Shen Ya’s bowl and recommended, “Teacher Shen, please try this. This crab leg is so delicious. I order it every time I go.”

Before she could finish the crab roe fried rice in her bowl, a sweet-smelling crab leg was added. Shen Ya couldn’t resist Qiao Xi’s expectant and eager gaze. She picked up the crab leg and bit the meat out. The savory richness of the cheese blended with the freshness of the crab meat. Though a caloric bomb, it was a feast for the taste buds. “It’s delicious,” Shen Ya affirmed.

“Right? Right? Next time, when Teacher Shen isn’t busy, I’ll take you to the restaurant. They have lots of other delicious things there too.”

Shen Ya knew she should always maintain a distance from Qiao Xi, but tonight, Qiao Xi had given her too many pleasant surprises. Returning home crestfallen, she had expected the usual isolation and coldness, but the burning sun had stopped for her. She tightened her grip on her chopsticks and gently nodded. An indistinct “Mhm” emerged from her nasal cavity.

Qiao Xi sat on the stool, but her body was turned to the side, facing Shen Ya. She rested one hand on her face and held chopsticks in the other, occasionally picking up some food from the plate and putting it into her mouth. Compared to the gourmet meal, she was more interested in observing Shen Ya’s expression when she ate food she liked. Although it was only a fleeting moment, the flash of delight in Shen Ya’s eyes did not escape her.

“Staring at me like that, is there something on my face?” Shen Ya glanced sideways at Qiao Xi, catching her grinning foolishly while staring.

“It’s because Teacher Shen is too beautiful.”

Shen Ya’s hand paused. She turned her head and glared at her. “Where did you learn those lines?”

“Do I need to learn them? Just looking at Teacher Shen, those words of praise naturally appear in my mind!” Seeing Shen Ya raise her hand again, Qiao Xi, having been flicked on the nose several times, was clever this time. She quickly leaned back, successfully dodging Shen Ya’s “attack,” and then cheekily said, “Is Teacher Shen perhaps feeling shy?”

The unsuccessful Shen Ya wasn’t annoyed. Qiao Xi’s upper body dodged, but her legs remained in place. Shen Ya’s hand moved down and pinched Qiao Xi’s thigh, twisting it half a turn. “Ouch!!” Qiao Xi instantly jumped up from her seat. She held the pinched area, rubbing it hard, and loudly exclaimed: “Mercy, Teacher Shen! I was wrong! I won’t be naughty again!”

Shen Ya forced a cold smile and turned back to continue eating the food in her bowl. With Qiao Xi’s antics, her mood was no longer so subdued.

Qiao Xi, seeing that Shen Ya had no intention of continuing to “discipline” her, returned to her seat. “How did Teacher Shen usually celebrate the New Year before?”

“Alone, at home.”

“That’s wonderful!” Qiao Xi not only didn’t show sympathy but looked quite envious. “Celebrating alone is so free. You can do whatever you want, eat whatever you want. When I was little, we had to go back to our hometown for the New Year. There were so many relatives I didn’t know. I had to pretend to smile and pretend to be obedient in front of them. It was exhausting.”

“I love celebrating the New Year with Teacher Shen. Can I look for Teacher Shen every year from now on?” Qiao Xi realized her words might be inappropriate after saying them, and immediately corrected herself: “No, no, no, I mean, until Teacher Shen finds someone she likes, can I always spend the holidays with Teacher Shen?”

“Why?”

“Because I can be very relaxed with Teacher Shen. Does Teacher Shen think that someone like me, who looks carefree and smiles every day, must have no worries? But I also get sad and unhappy, and there are times when I want to escape. So, I found a secret base for myself.” Qiao Xi leaned against the chair back in a casual posture, looking as relaxed as she claimed: “Teacher Shen, Mom used to tell me that people are like balloons. When you’re unhappy, you inflate the balloon. If we can’t regulate ourselves and release our emotions, the balloon will get bigger and bigger until one day it explodes completely. But if we find the right method and relax ourselves, we can always maintain our comfort zone.”

Shen Ya stopped using her chopsticks. Her eyes were still fixed on the bowl in front of her, but Qiao Xi’s words had sunk into her heart. She asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Qiao Xi, who had just been serious like a mature adult, instantly changed her expression. She smiled cunningly, like a little hunter waiting for prey to take the bait. With a slight arch of her eyebrow and a grin, she leaned closer to Shen Ya’s ear and whispered conspiratorially: “I want to say, does Teacher Shen want to go set off fireworks with me later?”

Shen Ya thought Qiao Xi was going to tell her some great truth. She hadn’t expected the topic to jump so quickly. Was this because Qiao Xi was afraid she was still unhappy and wanted to take her out to do something relaxing?

On the other hand, she realized that in almost thirty years of life, she had never played with fireworks. As a child, Shen Qiuyu would never buy them for her. During the New Year, it was just like today: a big family gathered, talking loudly, criticizing the younger generation, and bragging about themselves. After everyone left, she helped clean up the mess. The only pleasure was probably watching the Spring Festival Gala for a while.

Qiao Xi’s suggestion tempted Shen Ya. Only: “Where would we get fireworks?”

“We have them, we have them! I saw someone selling fireworks near the community when I arrived. While waiting for Teacher Shen, I also found a post online. I added their contact information, and they said they sell all night. So, as long as Teacher Shen agrees, we can go find them and buy some when we go out later.”

“Didn’t you think about the possibility that I might not come back tonight?”

“Of course, I thought about it. That’s why I had a backup plan! If Teacher Shen hadn’t come back, I was going to put all this food in the downstairs delivery cabinet, leave a message for Teacher Shen, and go home.”

Shen Ya suddenly realized the scenario from earlier: “So, you were about to go home just now?”

Qiao Xi scratched her ear, a little embarrassed: “Mhm. But I didn’t expect I actually waited for Teacher Shen to come back! It means Teacher Shen and I truly have fate!”

Fate. Yes, they truly had fate. If she had left one step later, she might have missed Qiao Xi. Although she was exhausted today, going out with Qiao Xi to experience new things might leave her with some beautiful memories to look back on later.

“Okay.”

“Yay!” Excitement rushed to Qiao Xi’s brain. She picked up the plate with the lobsters on the table and placed it in front of Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, quickly try this one!”

Looking at the two plump lobsters in front of her, much larger than her palm, Shen Ya rubbed her belly. She had eaten most of the food herself, with Qiao Xi occasionally taking a small bite or two. Now that Qiao Xi moved the lobster in front of her, did she expect her to finish it?

Shen Ya was almost too full to eat. Her right index finger pressed the edge of the plate, subtly sliding the lobster back towards Qiao Xi. “You eat first.”

Qiao Xi didn’t guess Shen Ya’s thoughts this time. She only assumed Shen Ya was being considerate, seeing that she hadn’t eaten much and letting her choose the lobster first. The two small spiny lobsters were about the same size. Qiao Xi randomly picked one.

“Knock, knock—!”

The sound of knocking rang out just as Qiao Xi picked up her chopsticks. Shen Ya and Qiao Xi had completely different reactions. Qiao Xi guessed it must be a food delivery, but Shen Ya shot up like she was facing a formidable enemy. She pursed her lips, her face pale. Every step she took had the intense momentum of someone ready to stomp a hole in the floor tiles.

“Teacher… Teacher Shen?”

Shen Ya suddenly shouted at her: “Don’t come over!”

Qiao Xi, who had just started to stand up, froze in place. She didn’t know why Shen Ya was so agitated by the knock. Just as she was about to explain, Shen Ya had already pulled the door open, and before she could even see clearly, she fiercely yelled: “What do you want now!”

“Uh…” At the door was a delivery rider wearing a yellow uniform. She held a bag of medicine in her hand: “This is your delivery.”

Delivery?

“I didn’t order any takeout.”

The rider carefully checked the receipt and glanced at the apartment number again: “It’s correct, it’s here.”

“I ordered it!” Hearing the voice, Qiao Xi quickly approached. To Shen Ya’s confusion, she took the delivery and thanked the rider.

After closing the door, Qiao Xi took a box of hangover medicine from the bag. “I smelled some alcohol on Teacher Shen earlier, so I guessed Teacher Shen must have had some drinks. But Teacher Shen said she hadn’t eaten anything, so I figured she might be feeling unwell? My sister usually takes this medicine when she drinks, so I thought I’d buy some to see if Teacher Shen needed it.”

“You…”

Shen Ya couldn’t name the powerful emotion that suddenly surged within her, but this feeling rampaged through her body, nearly knocking her heart out of her chest.

Her nose felt sour, and her body was tingling as if she’d been touched by electricity. This kind of heartfelt concern and kindness, without any hidden agenda, was the first Shen Ya had ever experienced.

In this moment, a strong desire welled up in her mind: she wanted to hug this sun that brought her warmth. Yet, she feared her own coldness would hurt the sun. Someone like her had always lived in a gutter. Qiao Xi approaching her might just be out of curiosity. Could she truly accept this kindness?

Shen Ya was deeply apprehensive, wanting to do or say something, but her mouth felt sealed, and she couldn’t even lift her hand.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept past, and a fresh floral scent enveloped her. Qiao Xi stepped forward and gently hugged her. Shen Ya stood frozen, not daring to move. Behind her, Qiao Xi’s hands worked like magic. She gently stroked Shen Ya’s back, soothing her like a child, while speaking softly: “I can tell Teacher Shen is very unhappy tonight. Since Teacher Shen is not ready to tell me yet, I can only give Teacher Shen a hug first.”

“When I was sad, Mom would always hug me like this. She said that only heart-to-heart contact can make the other person better feel warmth and comfort. Maybe I can’t help much, but I can be a very good listener. If in the future, Teacher Shen is willing to trust me, I’d be very happy to be Teacher Shen’s audience anytime.”

Shen Ya’s hands, hanging by her sides, immediately clenched into fists. Her eyes turned red, and a thin film of moisture gathered, but she quickly blinked, scattering the moisture she had just accumulated.

“Thank you.”

Shen Ya’s voice was like clear spring water flowing down a mountain stream—cool upon approach, but upon careful inspection, one could detect that the water was already being warmed by the embracing sun.