Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Sweet Bait

Some time had passed since the meeting at the restaurant. Every time Qiao Xi tentatively asked for information about Shen Ya, Jiang Yunxi either kept silent or stared at her with a chilling gaze and forcefully changed the subject.

This unusual behavior only piqued Qiao Xi’s interest further. Before, she was merely curious, but now, the more Doctor Jiang concealed things, the more Qiao Xi wanted to uncover the truth. Day after day of studying was tiring. Even though her grades were excellent, after a long period, she occasionally wanted to slack off.

Unable to elicit any information from Doctor Jiang, she thought of trying to run into Shen Ya and inquire directly. Unfortunately, she was a busy high school student; besides attending school, she had no time to go searching for Shen Ya. Moreover, she didn’t even know the woman’s address or contact information, making it impossible to find her in Jianglan City.

Qiao Xi made a wager with herself: If fate allowed her to bump into Shen Ya by accident, she would continue her investigation. If she never ran into her, she would drop the matter. The deadline would be before the New Year.

Perhaps because she had found something interesting, today’s practice problems seemed a little more pleasant. Qiao Xi was writing her homework enthusiastically, her pen flying. The problems were simple; she could figure out the answers almost instantly.

A knock sounded at the door right then. Qiao Xi confirmed that no sensitive web pages were open on her computer or phone before calling out loudly, “Come in!”

A tall woman in a dark-red nightgown walked in, carrying a cup of milk. The woman had a gentle appearance and naturally emitted an aura of kindness. She walked up to Qiao Xi, first placing the milk on the desk, and then stroking Qiao Xi’s head, asking softly, “Are there any problems you need your sister to explain for you?”

“No, the homework is pretty simple.”

“Then finish your homework and go to bed early. Drink the milk and leave the cup by the door; I’ll collect it tomorrow.” Qin Shuyao glanced again at Qiao Xi’s desk and continued, “Yunxi and I will be busy with some work later. If you run into any problems, just send us a message.”

“Okay, Sister,” Qiao Xi rubbed against Qin Shuyao’s hand as a gesture of affection. The woman pinched her nose and then left the room.

Qiao Xi watched Qin Shuyao’s back until the door closed, then she looked away and turned back. Just as she picked up the milk, she felt something was off. She wondered if it was her imagination, but lately, her two sisters seemed busier. They often stayed in their room working late at night. Were they really that busy before?

With this thought, Qiao Xi found it suspicious. She found her phone, opened her mother’s chat window, and obliquely asked if her two sisters were encountering difficulties with their work. Since it wasn’t yet late, both her mothers replied quickly.

From the chat, she learned that the family business was running normally. That was odd. Why were her two sisters frequently bringing work home and staying up late to work overtime?

Qiao Xi sensed something wasn’t right. Being sharp, she decided to put down her homework and secretly go to her sisters’ room to find out what was going on.

She left her room and tiptoed to her sisters’ door. She first pressed her ear to listen for movement inside, but heard nothing. Then, she tried twisting the doorknob. She had prepared for being caught and had several excuses ready, so she boldly turned the doorknob.

The door was unlocked. She gently pushed it open a crack and secretly observed the situation inside the room.

Inside, two tall women were tightly embracing, their heads close, intimate like a pair of lovers. Then, the taller woman initiated a kiss on the other’s lips. They kissed fiercely, like two lionesses vying with each other.

The scene was too sudden. Even though Qiao Xi knew her sisters were hiding secrets from her, she never expected it to be this. She stared wide-eyed at the two women’s actions inside the room, covering her mouth with her other hand to suppress the gasp that threatened to escape.

The intense scene made her body feel like it was on fire. The two were “biting” at each other, which seemed less like fighting and more like attempting something much more intimate.

She saw Sister Shuyao’s red lips open and close, uttering a sentence: “Let’s not tell Xiao Xi about us yet. We’ll tell her slowly after she turns eighteen.”

“Of course.”

The look they gave each other was so viscous it seemed to stretch like silk. Just as Qiao Xi saw Jiang Yunxi about to unbutton Qin Shuyao’s clothes, she quickly closed the door and stumbled, falling to the floor due to loss of balance.

Qiao Xi’s mind was blank. She never in her wildest dreams imagined that her sisters were…

She scrambled up from the floor, not daring to look at the door in front of her again. She turned and ran back to her own room, feeling as though she was fleeing in disarray. Closing the door and leaning against it, her heart was pounding fiercely, and her face felt scalding, as if water had come to a boil.

Qiao Xi’s mind was a mess at the moment. She felt she couldn’t think straight anymore and figured a cold shower would help her calm down.

But how could she possibly calm down now!

Qiao Xi covered her forehead. As if lost in thought, she returned to her desk. Seeing the milk, she grabbed it and drank it in one gulp. Bang! She slammed the glass mug heavily back onto the desk, picked up her pen, found a scratchpad, and began to summarize the information she had gathered today.

The clutter in her mind was organized little by little. Looking at the summary written on the scratchpad, she realized she had suddenly uncovered a massive secret, a secret she couldn’t tell anyone, and she had to pretend in front of her sisters that she knew nothing.

Suddenly, Shen Ya’s face flashed through her mind. Not long ago, she saw Doctor Jiang and Shen Ya meeting alone. She was certain they were discussing something very serious. Today, she found out her sisters seemed to have an unspeakable secret. Were these two matters connected?

Qiao Xi put down her pen and swiveled her chair. Things were getting stranger and stranger. But come to think of it, she always thought she had no secrets with her sisters, yet they tried to hide something like this from her. She didn’t like being treated like a child by her sisters.

She had planned to pretend she didn’t know about this, but now that she came to her senses, she felt somewhat angry. She felt excluded by her sisters. This feeling was terrible. Since her sisters wanted to hide it from her, she was going to expose it and force them to take her seriously again.

However, this plan needed careful consideration. Qiao Xi opened her calendar and saw that New Year’s Day was just a few days away. Perhaps she could execute her plan then.

…

After the continuous rain, the sky did not clear up. The clouds were thick, and the north wind was desolate. Above the firmament, light could not penetrate the cloud cover, and the surrounding gloom only made people’s hearts more melancholy.

Shen Ya sat sluggishly at her office desk. A voice suddenly came from behind her: “Xiao Shen, time’s up. Aren’t you going to class?”

Her colleague’s voice startled her awake. She came to her senses and realized she had been spacing out, holding her phone for an unknown amount of time. She glanced at the computer screen; it was already time for her class. After gathering her things, she was about to stand up when her nose felt prickly. She quickly grabbed a tissue and covered her nose.

After two consecutive sneezes, the colleague turned around and looked at her: “Xiao Shen, do you have a cold?”

Shen Ya shook her head, replying, “I’m fine.”

But her voice was hoarse and her face was flushed. Although she still looked cold, her brow was deeply furrowed, as if enduring physical discomfort.

“Don’t tell me you’re fine,” the colleague opened her desk drawer and took out a sheet of medicine, handing it to Shen Ya: “I happen to have some cold medicine left. Take it and use it.”

Shen Ya quickly declined. She picked up the water on her desk, took a sip to moisten her throat, and replied, “No need, Sister Wang.”

“Oh, don’t be so formal with me,” the colleague placed the medicine into Shen Ya’s hand and advised her, “Drink more hot water, and if you really don’t feel well, go see a doctor. You’re usually so diligent, always covering classes for others. Now they should cover for you. I know you young people don’t like seeing doctors or taking medicine, but your body is your own. Take good care of yourself.”

Faced with such concern, Shen Ya’s heart was gradually enveloped in warmth. She cherished it when others showed her kindness. So, she slightly curved her lips, showing a barely noticeable smile: “Thank you, Sister Wang.”

The colleague patted her hand and instructed: “Take three pills. This medicine won’t make you drowsy, so don’t worry.”

Shen Ya thanked her again. After turning around, she opened her water cup, took out three pills, and swallowed them under her colleague’s watch.

She knew her body well. Even without medicine, she would recover in a couple of days. She just didn’t want to reject the other person’s kindness.

…

After finishing a day’s work, it was already late. On her way home, Shen Ya bought a takeout portion of fried noodles from a night market stall for dinner. She had been busy lately and hadn’t even had time to look at apartments. The real estate agent had contacted her several times, showing her pictures of a few places. Two of them looked satisfactory, and she planned to go see them after New Year’s Day.

As soon as she opened her front door, her phone rang. She walked inside before taking the phone out of her coat pocket. When she saw the caller, her face darkened. Without thinking, she hung up the call.

A while later, she received a text message. She put down the fried noodles before clicking on the voice message. The voice on the other end was a middle-aged woman, her tone neither warm nor cold, asking her: “Are you coming over for dinner on New Year’s Day?”

Shen Ya listened, then replied expressionlessly with a single word: Busy.

Ten seconds later, the phone rang again. This time the voice carried a hint of impatience: “Alright then. Come back when you have time. I have something to tell you.”

Shen Ya did not reply this time. Her mother hadn’t contacted her in a long time. In the past, she never saw her mother proactively ask if she wanted to come home for a holiday meal. She had long been kicked out of the house by her mother, so what “home” was there to return to?

This time, she suspected her mother had ill intentions. Perhaps going back would lead to a Hongmen Banquet. The two sentences had disturbed her otherwise calm heart, leaving her feeling irritable. In a life without light, nothing good ever happens.

Looking at the fried noodles on the table, she had lost her appetite. But it was food she had paid for, and throwing it away would be a waste.

Shen Ya sighed inwardly, opened the plastic lid, and slowly ate the half-cold fried noodles, bite by bite.