Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: The Hunter’s Request

The footsteps down the corridor faded further and further away, until the two figures were out of sight at the end of the hall. Qiao Xi wanted to chase after them, but her clothes were tugged back. Shen Ya nodded slightly to the female neighbor outside the door and said, “Thank you.”

Qiao Xi was pulled to Shen Ya’s side again, and the front door was kicked shut once more, though the closing sound was softer this time. The area just inside the door was a complete mess and impossible to step on, but the living room further inside showed no signs of intrusion.

Qiao Xi reached the junction of the kitchen and the living room and proactively took off her shoes, stepping barefoot onto the floor. Shen Ya, however, stopped her: “I’ll get your slippers.”

“No need, no need. Teacher Shen, you come over here quickly.” Qiao Xi countered: “Teacher Shen, where is your first-aid kit?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Shen Ya refused Qiao Xi’s offer. She still retrieved Qiao Xi’s slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them in a clean spot. Then she found a broom from the bathroom, intending to clean up the mess on the floor.

But Qiao Xi couldn’t let Shen Ya do the cleanup while injured. She stood in the clean area and reached out to grab the broom from Shen Ya’s hand. “Teacher Shen, aren’t you going to talk to me first?”

Shen Ya had underestimated Qiao Xi’s keenness. She truly didn’t know how to discuss what had just happened with Qiao Xi and was instinctively avoiding the subject. Her family had always been something kept hidden. She already felt terrible for accidentally involving Qiao Xi today.

She didn’t know what Qiao Xi was thinking right now or how Qiao Xi saw her. Qiao Xi came from a loving, happy family with mothers and sisters who adored her; it would be difficult for her to understand, right? Would Qiao Xi think, like others, that she was an ungrateful wretch, an animal who dared to act against her own mother?

Would Qiao Xi regret helping her today? Or, knowing she had a family like this, would Qiao Xi be unwilling to get close to her anymore?

Seeing Shen Ya’s head still lowered, Qiao Xi put her shoes back on. She walked up to Shen Ya, took the broom away, and then grabbed her wrist before Shen Ya could react.

She lifted Shen Ya’s right hand. Sure enough, there was a cut on her palm. Thankfully, the wound was shallow, looking like an accidental graze.

“Since Teacher Shen doesn’t know how to talk to me, then let’s not talk about it yet.” Qiao Xi lightly tickled Shen Ya’s palm, avoiding the cut. Seeing Shen Ya’s fingers curl slightly inward, she pulled Shen Ya’s wrist again: “Teacher Shen, do you want to see the gift I told you about last time?”

Shen Ya still didn’t respond. She seemed to have retreated into her shell again, afraid of outside contact, fearing damage from the outside light.

Shen Ya was clearly the adult, but now, the roles felt reversed. Qiao Xi was the one who needed to guide, comfort, and literally lead the lost lamb out of the shadows.

Qiao Xi released Shen Ya’s hand. She turned and walked towards the apartment door. Shen Ya remained unresponsive the entire time. Only when the sound of the door closing rang out did Shen Ya finally lift her head to look in the direction Qiao Xi had gone.

The room fell silent again. Shen Ya leaned back against the wall. She exhaled a troubled breath, her expression more serious than when Shen Qiuyu had been here. Sure enough, she thought, even Qiao Xi has limits to her patience. Her last bit of dignity had been mercilessly torn away today. No one willingly gets involved in trouble, and Qiao Xi was no exception.

She knew all this, so why did her heart still feel sad and reluctant? Qiao Xi had given her more emotional value in this short time than she had received in almost thirty years of life. Although much younger than her, Qiao Xi showed a maturity beyond her years when they were together.

It was probably better that Qiao Xi left. She was accustomed to loneliness. If Qiao Xi continued to be around her, and she truly got used to this warmth, it would be much harder to accept Qiao Xi’s eventual departure.

Shen Ya picked up the broom again, slowly sweeping the ceramic and glass shards into the dustpan. The condiments had made the floor very greasy. Cleaning it up would probably take some time.

“Knock, knock—!”

A knock suddenly sounded on the door. Shen Ya froze. Her head slowly lifted mechanically. She stared at the front door, her heart filled with fear and apprehension. She didn’t know if the person outside was Shen Qiuyu, returning to argue again, or Qiao Xi, who had forgotten to take back her gift.

Regardless of who it was, she felt powerless to endure another blow.

“Knock, knock—!”

The person outside hadn’t left. Shen Ya felt as if the front door suddenly transformed into a ferocious beast with jaws wide open. The person outside seemed to have turned into a grim reaper with a scythe. She instinctively took a step back, and the broom slipped from her grasp.

The broom fell to the floor, splashing the mixed oil, salt, and vinegar, staining the wall and her fuzzy slippers with a few drops of grime.

“Teacher Shen?”

“Teacher Shen, open the door!”

Qiao Xi’s voice became two sharp blades, cutting through the illusion in her eyes. The door returned to its original form. Shen Ya opened her mouth, took a few deep breaths, and suppressed the heart that was trembling from fear.

She walked forward a few steps. When she grasped the doorknob, her fingers were shaking. She had prepared herself mentally, ready to accept whatever Qiao Xi might say when the door opened, but why did she become timid at this final step?

“Teacher Shen?” Qiao Xi’s voice carried a hint of worry: “Teacher Shen, are you alright?”

Hearing the concern in Qiao Xi’s voice, it seemed the other person wasn’t here to say goodbye. This worry gave her a sense of courage, allowing her to finally pull down the doorknob and push the door open.

Qiao Xi outside the door held some things in her hands, and marks of her footsteps were left on the corridor tiles. From the footprints, Shen Ya could tell Qiao Xi hadn’t gone far; she had only stopped at the neighbor’s door for a while.

“Teacher Shen, I wasn’t sure if you had anything to disinfect the cut at home, so I borrowed some from the sister next door.” Qiao Xi glanced behind Shen Ya. She saw the broom on the floor and the shards already swept into the dustpan. Although Shen Ya hadn’t stepped aside to allow her entry, Qiao Xi cheekily pretended not to notice and squeezed back into the small apartment: “Didn’t I say not to clean yet? Teacher Shen is not listening at all.”

Qiao Xi first placed the items in her hands in the living room, then turned back to pick up the broom. Just as she reached out to pick up a glass shard near the stove, Shen Ya stopped her hand first: “Don’t touch that, you’ll get hurt.”

The door closed. Qiao Xi looked up and smiled: “I thought Teacher Shen was angry with me for being presumptuous and chasing your mother away.”

“No, of course not.” Shen Ya rushed to explain, worried Qiao Xi might misunderstand: “Actually, I should be thanking you.”

Qiao Xi took the opportunity to hold Shen Ya’s hand. This time, she was finally able to lead Shen Ya forward slowly. They left the messy little kitchen, both walking barefoot on the slightly cool tiles. Shen Ya, afraid Qiao Xi would get cold, quickened her pace.

Qiao Xi sat on the sofa, crossing her legs. After sitting down, Shen Ya picked up the air conditioner remote on the coffee table and turned on the heat. As she put the remote down, her hand was again pulled up by Qiao Xi. Qiao Xi blew gently on her cut and said, “Does it hurt a lot? How did you injure it?”

Qiao Xi picked up the iodine solution on the table, took out an iodine cotton ball, and just before the cotton ball touched the wound, she said gently, “It might sting a little. Teacher Shen, you can pinch me if you can’t stand it.”

Shen Ya shook her head, saying nothing.

Qiao Xi’s movements were very gentle. The bloodstains were wiped clean by the cotton ball bit by bit. “The cut isn’t deep, thankfully, but you absolutely can’t get it wet. I wonder if it will leave a scar.”

Such a small wound was nothing to Shen Ya. It would heal slowly even without medication. But she couldn’t refuse the gentleness and worry Qiao Xi offered. Even though the cotton ball made her palm feel itchy and numb, she remained perfectly still.

The next-door neighbor had also given her a few bandages, but the cut on Shen Ya’s hand was too long. One bandage wouldn’t cover the wound entirely, and too many would be impractical. So, Qiao Xi planned to order some gauze and antiseptic online later.

Oh, and she also needed to call a cleaning service.

She slowly lowered Shen Ya’s hand, took out her phone to order medicine, booked a cleaning service to arrive immediately, and then put her phone away before saying to Shen Ya: “Bandages won’t work, so I just ordered new gauze. Also, I booked a cleaning service to come over.”

“No…”

As Shen Ya started to speak, Qiao Xi interrupted her: “I know Teacher Shen would definitely refuse, so please forgive me for taking the liberty this time.”

Shen Ya closed her mouth again and looked down at her treated palm. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Qiao Xi’s tone and demeanor were suddenly a little forceful, giving her the feeling of being caught making a mistake and being scolded by Qiao Xi.

But she hadn’t forgotten that Qiao Xi was much younger than her. This feeling made her uncomfortable, so she muttered a small rebuke: “So disrespectful.” Shen Ya’s voice was very soft; it was unclear whether she was speaking to herself or to Qiao Xi.

In the past, Qiao Xi would have cracked a joke to cheer Shen Ya up, but today, after being rejected by Shen Ya countless times, even her good temper was starting to show strain.

The incident had already happened, and she was involved. They had spent time together, and she had long considered Shen Ya a friend. But Shen Ya was still pushing her away.

“I’ve done enough disrespectful things today, so one more won’t hurt.” Qiao Xi no longer looked like the little sun. Her light seemed to be obscured by dark clouds, and thunder seemed imminent: “Does Teacher Shen think I’m too young and don’t deserve to be your friend?”

“When did I ever say that?” Shen Ya immediately looked up, meeting Qiao Xi’s gaze. Her tone sounded stern and questioning, but upon closer listening, a hint of innocence could be detected.

“Actions speak louder than words.” Qiao Xi had her own theory. She realized that if she continued to yield to Shen Ya, the other person would only push her further away. This was a form of habit. Shen Ya was getting used to Qiao Xi’s comfort. But Qiao Xi also had feelings and a temper. This time, she was going to throw a minor fit to make Shen Ya truly acknowledge her: “Before, I didn’t know anything, and Teacher Shen never told me, so I wouldn’t cross the line. But today, I’ve met your mother. I even added Chen Qian as a friend. Yet, Teacher Shen still wants to avoid me. Am I really so undeserving of Teacher Shen’s trust?”

“Fine, if Teacher Shen doesn’t want to talk about her private life, I understand. Everyone has scars they don’t want to uncover.” Qiao Xi said, pointing to Shen Ya’s palm: “You were clearly injured, and I saw it. Why are you still pretending nothing happened? Are you treating me like an idiot?”

Hearing this, Shen Ya did pull her injured hand back, and her gaze shifted to the side, but she still responded expressionlessly: “I am not.”

“Yes, we’ll pretend Teacher Shen didn’t think that.” Qiao Xi raised her hand again, pointing past Shen Ya towards the front door: “What about just now? I was only gone for a little while, and Teacher Shen shut me out and didn’t want to let me in!”

As Qiao Xi spoke, her eyes reddened, and her voice became tearful. Her initial anger transformed into an aggrieved accusation: “If I hadn’t kept knocking, I’m afraid Teacher Shen wouldn’t have even bothered to speak to me again.”

As the last word fell, it was followed by Qiao Xi’s crying. It wasn’t that Qiao Xi was especially tearful, but she had known since childhood how to use her tears to soften the hearts of her sisters and mothers.

Now, perhaps these tears were the key to unlocking the gate to Shen Ya’s heart.

“You…” Shen Ya looked at Qiao Xi wiping her tears. She froze for a moment, flustered. She had seen Chen Qian cry, and all she felt was annoyance. But hearing Qiao Xi’s distressed sobs, why was her heart so heavy? It was like an unresolved knot of air, stirring her anxiety.

But she had never comforted anyone. What should she do, what should she say?

Shen Ya realized the disadvantage of being inarticulate for the first time, and she resented herself for not having learned Qiao Xi’s reassuring words.

She pulled a tissue from the coffee table, trying to wipe away Qiao Xi’s tears: “Don’t cry.” But her tone was too stiff. Qiao Xi not only pushed her hand away but cried even louder.

Shen Ya put down her hand, clutching the tissue. Her face remained composed and calm, but her heart was in chaos. She didn’t know what to do next.

She pondered for a moment, then decided to explain: “I didn’t treat you like an idiot, nor did I intend to ignore you. It’s just that today’s incident happened too suddenly. I truly didn’t want you to see it, and I definitely didn’t want you to get involved. My family, as you’ve seen, is not pleasant, and I don’t feel like discussing it right now. It’s not about not trusting you. It’s a long story, and I don’t know how to face it myself, so I naturally don’t know how to tell you.”

Qiao Xi was still wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes were red and swollen from rubbing, and even the tip of her nose was pink.

“I apologize. What I did today was wrong, and I didn’t consider your feelings. Qiao Xi, will you accept my apology?”

Qiao Xi smiled internally, but tears still fell from her eyes. She shook her head, pressing her advantage: “Teacher Shen’s apology doesn’t seem very sincere.”

“Then tell me, what would be considered sincere?”

Hearing that Shen Ya had taken the bait, Qiao Xi no longer hid her little fox tail. She sniffled. The hands that had been wiping her tears were now still. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and crystal clear tears still shimmered in her eyes. She opened her mouth, her voice thick with a nasal tone: “Teacher Shen must agree to one request from me.”

Shen Ya agreed without hesitation: “Alright.”

Qiao Xi’s right eyebrow twitched upward slightly. She almost let out a laugh, biting her lip tightly to hold it back. After controlling her emotions, she said, “Teacher Shen can’t go back on your word.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Then…” At this moment, Qiao Xi’s eyes were completely tearless. The corners of her mouth turned up. She instantly transformed from the pitiful little girl needing comfort to the small hunter reeling in her catch. She grabbed Shen Ya’s wrist, ensuring she couldn’t pull away, and looked straight into Shen Ya’s eyes, saying every word clearly: “I want Teacher Shen to move!”