Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 46

Chapter 46: A Visit to Jianglan University

Qiao Xi looked up at Shen Ya. A faint blush colored the originally cool face. The touch of Shen Ya’s fingertips was slightly cool, but the faint scent of shower gel drifted back and forth across her nose.

She dared not move or blink, nor did she dare to meet Shen Ya’s gaze, yet she felt tightly held by the other woman’s look, unable to escape. Even though neither of them had drunk any alcohol tonight, Shen Ya looked as if she were tipsy.

While Qiao Xi was lost in thought, Shen Ya’s hand moved away from her lips. After a few breaths, her expression returned to its usual composure.

“Thank you.”

Qiao Xi pulled all her thoughts back. She could finally look away. The atmosphere around them had grown strange. She nodded, then shook her head after recovering: “Teacher Shen doesn’t need to thank me.”

Shen Ya patted the spot beside her: “Don’t sit on the floor.”

Qiao Xi stood up and sat next to Shen Ya. They were close, and Qiao Xi could touch Shen Ya’s arm with any movement.

“Your sudden return might worry your sisters,” Shen Ya said, picking up the cake from the coffee table and eating it in small bites. “Send them a message to let them know you’re safe.”

“Don’t worry, Teacher Shen. I already messaged my sisters.”

More than half of the cake Qiao Xi bought was left. They couldn’t finish it now, so it had to be carefully put away in the refrigerator.

Shen Ya didn’t eat much. The two sat in the living room resting for a while. Qiao Xi showed Shen Ya many photos she hadn’t been able to send earlier. They talked for a good amount of time, but Shen Ya kept in mind that Qiao Xi had been on a plane all day, so she forced an end to the conversation and sent her to take a shower.

When Qiao Xi came out, Shen Ya was leaning against the headboard. The necklace had been taken off and placed on the nightstand. Qiao Xi walked over, sat on the bed, and moved closer to Shen Ya.

“Teacher Shen, I’ll put the necklace on you when we wake up in the morning.”

A faint, unclear smile appeared on Shen Ya’s lips. “Alright, hurry up and sleep.”

Qiao Xi lay down and tucked herself into the blanket. The air conditioner’s temperature in the room was just right. Watching Shen Ya lie down, she turned onto her side to face Shen Ya and said sweetly: “Then… good night, Teacher Shen.”

Shen Ya turned her head and patted her through the blanket with one hand: “Good night.”

Only when Qiao Xi closed her eyes did Shen Ya reach out and turn off the light. Darkness and silence descended simultaneously, leaving only the sound of shallow breathing in the room.

Qiao Xi lay with her eyes closed, feeling completely awake. But she didn’t want Shen Ya to realize she wasn’t sleeping, so she had to pretend.

The room was quiet, and images began to flash in Qiao Xi’s mind—unspeakable scenes.

The touch and warmth of those fingertips on her lips were sensations Qiao Xi couldn’t shake off, even lying in bed with her eyes closed. That scene kept replaying in her mind. Even secretly putting on headphones and blasting The Great Compassion Mantra was useless.

She clearly saw Shen Ya as a friend, so why did she care so much about something like this? She didn’t want to admit that a different kind of emotion was stirring in her heart.

Shen Ya seemed to be asleep. She was lying on her back, as usual, one hand resting on her abdomen over the blanket, the other resting steadily at her side. Her breathing was so soft it was practically inaudible.

Although the furnishings in the room hadn’t changed, Shen Ya’s presence completely enveloped the space, making Qiao Xi feel as if her home had gained a mistress.

Realizing this, she abruptly sat up, her face unusually hot. Fearing she would disturb Shen Ya, she only dared to sneak out of bed, walking barefoot into the bathroom. She turned on the tap, cupped her hands to catch cold water, and splashed it onto her face. The cool droplets ran down her chin, washing away some of the heat in her heart.

After repeating this several times, Qiao Xi’s facial temperature finally returned to normal. She used a facial towel from the side to dry the water before quietly returning to bed.

She couldn’t let her mind wander anymore. Shen Ya was a good person; how could she profane her in her thoughts?

Qiao Xi finally drifted into a fitful sleep in the latter half of the night.

Her departure naturally angered and worried her two older sisters abroad, but due to the time difference, Qiao Xi didn’t have to face their wrath immediately.

To create an excuse for her early return, Qiao Xi deliberately bought a plane ticket and a comic convention pass to another city, planning to rush back to her mothers’ home by noon.

Breakfast was noodles cooked by Shen Ya. She had specially stir-fried beef and placed it at the bottom of the bowl, topped with a fried egg. Only when Qiao Xi used her chopsticks to stir the noodles did she discover the hidden surprise below.

Qiao Xi was delighted. She ate the large bowl of beef noodles with great satisfaction. “Teacher Shen, you wouldn’t believe it. Nothing I ate abroad was even one-tenth as delicious as what you make.”

Qiao Xi was telling bold-faced lies again. This little liar was full of nonsense and was never serious. Shen Ya was used to it. Such simple flattery no longer made her blush.

“Are you going home soon?” Shen Ya asked.

“Mhm.” Qiao Xi didn’t plan to tell the truth. She only said: “I need to go back to my mothers’ house and wait for my sisters to return. The results come out tomorrow, and my sisters will probably arrive late tonight.”

“Okay.”

“Teacher Shen, I’ll tell you my score immediately after I check it tomorrow.”

Shen Ya nodded.

Although she was reluctant, Qiao Xi had to part with Shen Ya for the sake of the long run. Shen Ya walked her to the community gate and watched her get into the ride-share car. Only when the car was far away did Shen Ya turn and walk back into the community.

Qiao Xi’s two mothers were surprised by her sudden return. Qiao Xi then realized that her sisters hadn’t told her mothers about her early return.

This was a huge help for Qiao Xi.

“I thought you weren’t due back until tonight. Why are you back alone?” Jiang Zhiqing walked up to Qiao Xi and took her backpack. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet,” Qiao Xi said, seizing the opportunity. “I came back last night, went to Huicheng for a performance, and took the high-speed train back from Huicheng after waking up this morning.”

“Alone?” Qin Yunxin poured Qiao Xi a glass of water. “Why didn’t you tell your mother and me in advance? We could have picked you up in Huicheng.”

“Mommy, I’m all grown up. I can do many things by myself. How can I keep having Mom and my sisters revolve around me all the time?”

Jiang Zhiqing squeezed her nose and said with a smile: “In our eyes, you will always be a child. Besides, if your mother and I don’t revolve around you three sisters, who else would we revolve around?”

Qiao Xi hugged Jiang Zhiqing’s arm and leaned her head on her shoulder: “Mom, I’m hungry.”

Qin Yunxin stroked Qiao Xi’s soft head, her eyes full of love: “Then let’s go out to eat. Come back and rest afterward.”

Qiao Xi knew that the matter of her early return was settled with her mothers. As long as her mothers knew and didn’t make a big deal of it, her sisters would be easy to handle. Moreover, she would be checking her Gaokao scores when her sisters got back, so she wouldn’t have to worry about being scolded.

Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao returned home that evening. They had already agreed to stay at their mothers’ place once they returned, so they headed straight there after landing.

The small garden of the villa was lit. The two pulled their suitcases and opened the door. Pangpang was already standing behind the door, wagging its tail happily.

Jiang Yunxi freed a hand to rub Pangpang’s head before pulling her and Qiao Xi’s remaining suitcases inside. The living room was empty. The two elders were already asleep at this hour.

They quietly went upstairs. As soon as the suitcases were pushed into the room, Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao pushed open Qiao Xi’s bedroom door. The room was dark, and the person lying in bed was asleep.

Only after confirming Qiao Xi was safe did their worried hearts finally relax.

Jiang Yunxi exchanged a look with Qin Shuyao, and they quietly retreated from Qiao Xi’s bedroom.

When the room door closed, Qiao Xi on the bed opened her eyes. She let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her two sisters returned in the middle of the night. She could easily get away with pretending to be asleep.

Qiao Xi had once again used her little smarts to resolve the situation perfectly. She happily closed her eyes again.

Today was the day to check the Gaokao scores, but Qiao Xi wasn’t nervous at all. She slept until almost noon. When she rubbed her eyes and went downstairs, she found her mothers and her two sisters on the phone with her school teachers.

Qiao Xi hadn’t even checked her score yet, but the congratulations from her homeroom teacher had already arrived. Her score ranked among the top in the entire province, allowing her to choose any university she liked.

However, Qiao Xi already had an idea. She didn’t want to leave Jianglan City, so she could only choose a university in Jianglan City. Jianglan University not only ranked among the top three in the country but was also the alma mater of her two sisters. This had been her childhood dream.

She remembered promising Shen Ya yesterday. Now she didn’t need to check the score, but she still had to tell Shen Ya. So, after chatting for a while, she excused herself and retreated to the bathroom.

She eagerly pulled out her phone and messaged Shen Ya: 【Teacher Shen, I got into university!】

When Shen Ya received this message, her heart finally settled. She had been restless all morning, wanting to ask Qiao Xi but afraid of disturbing her. Fortunately, the wish she made yesterday had come true.

She quickly typed a reply to Qiao Xi: 【Good.】

【Little Rascal: Teacher Shen is so cold.】

Cold?

But her fingers were slightly trembling with happiness. She didn’t know how to express her joy through the screen. Would calling Qiao Xi right now disturb her?

Shen Ya’s worries quickly disappeared, as Qiao Xi’s call came through first. She answered almost instantly, holding the phone to her ear. Soon, she heard Qiao Xi’s voice.

“Teacher Shen, I got into university!” Qiao Xi repeated what she had just texted.

Shen Ya leaned against the bedroom door, rubbing the wall with her fingertip: “Mhm.”

“Doesn’t Teacher Shen want to know which school I got into?”

How could Qiao Xi be sure which university she would attend right after finding out her score?

Shen Ya thought about it and quickly understood Qiao Xi’s meaning. In a place Qiao Xi couldn’t see, Shen Ya showed a slight smile: “Congratulations, Qiao Xi.”

Qiao Xi accepted the blessing and said: “It’s all thanks to Teacher Shen’s excellent guidance.”

Shen Ya knew this was Qiao Xi’s teasing. Although she cared about Qiao Xi’s grades and would set extra papers for her to address weaknesses, there wasn’t much she could do. Qiao Xi’s excellent results were all due to her own effort.

“Teacher Shen, I can go to Jianglan University for my studies! So, I’ll still be staying in Jianglan City. You know, it’s also the alma mater of my two sisters. My childhood dream was to follow in my sisters’ footsteps. I want to see the scenery my sisters once saw.”

Jianglan University…

Hearing the name, a memory flashed in Shen Ya’s mind, but it was too long ago. Although she felt regretful, she didn’t regret it. “Then you’ve done it. That’s wonderful.”

Qiao Xi on the other end of the line suddenly fell silent. After a few seconds, she spoke again: “Teacher Shen, I’m sorry, I secretly contacted Chen Qian without telling you. I asked her about your Gaokao score back then. She asked your mother and told me. I looked at the score cutoff for that year. You took the Gaokao the same year as my sister Shuyao. Your score was clearly high enough for a better university, at least Jianglan University was definitely possible. So why… why did you choose Jianglan Normal University?”

So Qiao Xi had been secretly investigating her past. Shen Ya didn’t feel offended, but being brought up so suddenly, she didn’t know how to talk about what happened back then.

Besides, she had long since graduated and now had a job with a decent salary. Even without attending a better university, she was moving towards the life she wanted.

Shen Ya took a deep breath: “It doesn’t matter now.”

“It does matter!” Qiao Xi insisted: “I know Teacher Shen has a stable job and stable income now and is already excellent, but if you had gone to a better school back then, you might have even better and more choices now.”

“Teacher Shen, was it… was it because of your family…”

“It’s all in the past, Qiao Xi. I don’t want to bring up the old things again. Do you understand?”

“I’m sorry, Teacher Shen.” Qiao Xi knew she shouldn’t reopen Shen Ya’s wound, but she felt terrible for her. This was something that could change a person’s fate. How could she not know the sorrow in Shen Ya’s heart?

Qiao Xi clenched her fists. She was much younger than Shen Ya, and even with the best intentions, she couldn’t change what had already happened. But there must be something she could do, something she could do for Shen Ya right now.

“Teacher Shen.” After a brief silence, Qiao Xi’s voice regained its vitality. Her voice was sweet, like the creamy, ice cream cake she brought over yesterday: “Since the past cannot be changed, then… can I invite Teacher Shen to accompany me to experience the scenery of Jianglan University in advance?”