Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Unexpected Arrival

Qiao Xi was called back home in the afternoon. Before parting, Qiao Xi clung to Shen Ya reluctantly, repeatedly insisting that Shen Ya drive her to school when it was time for the semester to start. A few students happened to walk by and saw Qiao Xi clinging to her. Shen Ya could only pat Qiao Xi’s head and quickly usher her into the car.

Watching the car drive away, Shen Ya felt a sense of helplessness mixed with reluctance. When Qiao Xi was by her side, the whole world felt alive, but as soon as she left, the air around her became quiet again.

Having grown used to the liveliness, Shen Ya felt increasingly uneasy with the silence. It always made her feel as if something was missing.

When Shen Ya returned to her office and sat in front of the computer, she saw the diamond necklace on her neck reflected in the black screen. Shen Ya’s fingertip gently touched the central blue diamond. Her usually cool fingertip began to warm up after touching the diamond, as if a beam of light was stored inside that stone. Whenever she felt confused, lonely, or sad, that light would accompany her again.

Before school started, Qiao Xi was caught by Jiang Yunxi and sent to driving school. Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao’s adult gift to Qiao Xi was an expensive car. Qiao Xi originally thought learning to drive was a waste of time; after all, everyone in her family drove, and she could simply be a passenger. Even if she didn’t go out with her family, taking a taxi was convenient.

But after seeing the new car, she had a change of heart. Consequently, she sacrificed time she could have spent with Shen Ya to focus on driving practice, determined to get her license as quickly as possible.

As Qiao Xi expected, Shen Ya was busy with work and couldn’t reply to her messages instantly. When they weren’t meeting, it felt like they were living on different time zones. Often, Qiao Xi would send many messages, and Shen Ya would only reply much later. Although the waiting process made Qiao Xi feel like days dragged into years, the anticipation and surprise of receiving a reply always kept her hopeful.

Freshmen were required to live on campus, making this Qiao Xi’s first time experiencing dormitory life away from home. Although she had invited Shen Ya to take her to school, today was a workday, and Shen Ya had classes, so Qiao Xi held no real hope. She would never disrupt Shen Ya’s work for her own selfish reasons.

Qiao Xi thought she had arrived early enough, but the bustle of the campus still made her feel the vibrant energy of the place. Every freshman, like her, wore an expectant and excited smile. This wasn’t her first visit to Jianglan University. Although she was young when her sisters attended, she had accompanied her mothers here to visit them.

Her sisters were familiar with the registration process, so all Qiao Xi had to do was follow behind and enjoy the campus scenery.

The dormitory was a four-person room with bunk beds and desks underneath. The senior student who helped them said this dorm building was newly constructed, so the room was relatively clean and tidy, larger than the old dorms, and came with its own bathroom and a small balcony. The names of the new students were posted next to each bed. Coincidentally, Qiao Xi was assigned to the same room as Xia Cong’an and Yu Tiantian.

She was the first to arrive. Her bed was on the right side near the balcony. Xia Cong’an was also on the right side but near the entrance, and Yu Tiantian was in the bed opposite hers.

Seeing this, Qiao Xi immediately took a photo and sent it to their small group chat of three, leaving a message: [XiXi Isn’t Xi: The last one to arrive pays for dinner today.]

[AnAn Isn’t An: I’ll be there soon!]

[TianTian Isn’t Sweet: You should make Ji Lingwei pay for dinner. I finished packing my things, and she actually asked me why I woke up so early today!! We’re still halfway there. How is it this late already? Is the traffic bad?]

“Xiao Xi, Sister helped you wipe down the closet and bed. Later, I’ll help you make the bed with the sheets and quilt. The clothes are here. Since you’re sharing a room with An’an and Tiantian, the four of you can discuss whether to buy a washing machine for your laundry. If the other classmate doesn’t agree, then we’ll cover the cost.”

“Got it, Sister.” Qiao Xi opened her camera, took a picture of her bed space, and sent it to Shen Ya. Afraid her sisters would ask more questions, she put away her phone without waiting for Shen Ya’s reply.

Qin Shuyao handed Qiao Xi her student ID card and reminded her, “If you run out of money, be sure to tell me. Let us know if you need anything at school. Sister will come over to change your sheets and quilt later. If this mattress isn’t comfortable, I’ll buy you a new one.”

Qiao Xi gave a helpless laugh. Even her mother hadn’t said much, but her two sisters’ reminders were endless, fearing she wouldn’t be able to manage living alone.

“Sisters.” Qiao Xi walked over, taking each sister’s hand. “I’m not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. Don’t worry.”

How could Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao not worry? They had watched Qiao Xi grow up. To deepen the bond between the three sisters, their mothers had them take turns looking after Qiao Xi when she was little, and Jiang Yunxi usually attended Qiao Xi’s parent-teacher conferences.

Qiao Xi had never been away from them, and they had always taken care of her. How could they not be anxious? Jiang Yunxi was about to say more, but Jiang Zhiqing patted her shoulder: “Now you know how your mother and I felt when we sent you to university?”

Jiang Yunxi was heartbroken by the comment. She just felt Qiao Xi wouldn’t take good care of herself. Moreover, Qiao Xi was a premature baby with a delicate constitution. What if something went wrong at school? She also wondered if Qiao Xi could get used to the school cafeteria food.

“Why don’t we buy an apartment nearby, hire a nanny to cook for Xiao Xi? That way, Xiao Xi can eat well for lunch and dinner. The school won’t check the dorm every day, so Xiao Xi, Cong’an, and Tiantian can also stay there sometimes.” Qin Shuyao had this idea right after Qiao Xi finished her college entrance exams. She had dismissed it as unnecessary then, but now that it was actually happening, she found herself unable to let Qiao Xi leave her designated safety zone.

“Shuyao, are you going to follow Xiao Xi when she works and falls in love in the future?” Qin Yunxin smiled and shook her head. “I know you’re worried about Xiao Xi, and your mother and I are too. But Xiao Xi is grown up and needs to learn to be independent. Constantly helping her carefully might backfire.”

Qin Shuyao understood the logic but couldn’t shake her worry. At this moment, she realized that the ones who truly couldn’t let go were herself and Jiang Yunxi.

“Mom and Mommy are right. Sisters, don’t worry! I promise I’ll come home to see you whenever I have time off. Besides, the school isn’t far from home. If you miss me, you can just come visit. Plus, I’m sharing a room with Cong’an and Tiantian. We can look out for each other. Don’t worry.”

As she was speaking, a commotion came from the hallway. Qiao Xi’s ears twitched. She thought she heard Xia Cong’an’s voice.

Sure enough, a moment later, she saw Xia Cong’an stumble in, dragging a suitcase with one hand and clutching a huge backpack with the other, completely out of breath. Following her were her older sister, Song Wanning, and their two mothers.

Song Wanning was born with heterochromia, so her right eye was blue. Compared to Xia Cong’an, she had less luggage on her hands, only pulling two large suitcases. She walked in unhurriedly, as if strolling through a park.

The dorm room was not spacious to begin with, and with so many people suddenly squeezed in, it was packed. The two mothers greeted Song Wanning’s family. Xia Cong’an’s two mothers looked around the dorm, placed the items on Xia Cong’an’s bed, and then, along with Qiao Xi’s two mothers, left the dorm to chat in the hallway.

Only the younger generation was left in the dorm, and the space felt significantly cleared out.

“You guys arrived so early.” Song Wanning put down the suitcases, then stroked Xia Cong’an’s head and said, “What a coincidence. I didn’t expect the three of you to be in the same room. Shall we all grab a meal together later when Ji Lingwei and her people arrive?”

“Sounds good,” Qin Shuyao agreed with a nod.

Seeing Song Wanning helping Xia Cong’an make her bed, Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao also lent a hand.

Qiao Xi watched Xia Cong’an open her suitcase. When she saw a set of sheets and a quilt cover printed with cartoon kittens, she blushed, wanting to grab a pillow and throw it at Song Wanning’s head: “I told you yesterday not to bring this! Why did you switch them out!”

Song Wanning gave a knowing smile. She walked up to Xia Cong’an, took the pajamas, rubbed the small cats on them repeatedly, and said, “What’s wrong with kittens? They’re just as cute as An’an.”

“Song Wanning!” Xia Cong’an ground her teeth, crumpling the pair of short sleeping shorts in her hand and throwing them at Song Wanning’s head: “Are you a pervert?!”

“Be good.” Song Wanning caught the shorts, folded the set of pajamas neatly, and placed them in the closet. Then she reached out and pulled Xia Cong’an into a hug. She pressed Xia Cong’an’s head into her chest. Xia Cong’an naturally struggled, but Song Wanning held her tight, not letting go even though she knew Xia Cong’an was suffocating. “You’re going to school alone now. Sister really misses you. Be good, An’an.”

Qiao Xi stood aside, watching the show. Jiang Yunxi and Qin Shuyao simply exchanged glances and pretended not to see anything.

When Song Wanning finally let go, Xia Cong’an’s face was flushed red from lack of air. After that, however, Xia Cong’an quieted down and stopped yelling at Song Wanning.

The last to arrive was Yu Tiantian. Yu Tiantian’s mother was on a business trip abroad and couldn’t make it. Yu Tiantian had been staying with Ji Lingwei, so only Ji Lingwei accompanied her to register today.

The luggage was brought in by a senior student assisting with registration. The friends finally met, and the sad atmosphere of impending separation immediately vanished.

Yu Tiantian was the most self-reliant of the three. She didn’t need help from any of her older sisters. As soon as she arrived, she found a rag, wiped her chair clean, then pulled Ji Lingwei over and pressed her into the chair. Yu Tiantian squatted down, opened one of her suitcases, took out a throw pillow, and tucked it behind Ji Lingwei’s back, making sure she was comfortable before continuing with her own tasks.

Ji Lingwei propped her chin on one hand, turning her head with sleepy eyes to greet the others: “You guys came so early.”

“You’re the one who came too late,” Qin Shuyao said, pulling out Qiao Xi’s stool to sit down. Jiang Yunxi leaned nearby and said to Ji Lingwei, “Let’s eat together later.”

“Sure,” Ji Lingwei agreed. Watching Yu Tiantian busy herself, she said, “Tiantian is off to college. My house will be cold and lonely with just me now. Oh, I’m truly pitiful.”

Yu Tiantian rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, “Why don’t you move in across from the school? You can eat at the cafeteria with me every day, at least you won’t starve.”

To everyone’s surprise, Ji Lingwei actually considered it: “That’s not a bad idea. Funny thing is, I happen to have a property nearby. I’ll move in tomorrow.”

Yu Tiantian paused her work, surprised: “Are you serious?”

Ji Lingwei smiled meaningfully: “Of course I am. If you don’t believe me, ask Wanning and Shuyao.”

“It seems to be true,” Qin Shuyao remembered. She recalled that Ji Lingwei’s family had bought a house nearby because they originally wanted her to attend Jianglan University. But later, Ji Lingwei and Song Wanning went abroad, and the house had been vacant.

Great, Yu Tiantian knew Ji Lingwei would definitely move in. That person pretended not to care about her going to school alone, but she had probably already prepared the apartment near the university. Ji Lingwei seemed to be more clingy than she had thought.

Yu Tiantian didn’t say anything more. She was quick and had already gotten a lot done. When Qiao Xi and Xia Cong’an came to help, they could only handle small, easy tasks.

They had planned to wait for the fourth roommate, but lunch time was approaching, and there was no sign of her. So, they decided to leave to eat first, planning to bring back some snacks as a welcome gift for the roommate later.

The four elders had already decided on the lunch location. Xia Cong’an’s family owned a chain restaurant, and there was one nearby. The families drove there separately.

The crowd made the place lively. Even the large private room felt a bit small. Qiao Xi hadn’t had time to look at her phone all morning. They had other things to do today, so her sisters’ companionship only lasted until after lunch.

The three girls were dropped back off at the school. This time, their sisters and mothers didn’t get out of the car.

The three bought some delicious snacks they planned to give to their last roommate. On their way back to the dorm, they were still laughing and talking until Qiao Xi caught a glimpse of a figure standing beneath an old tree in her peripheral vision. She immediately stopped and gazed into the distance.

Shen Ya stood alone beneath the tree, her back to them. The gentle breeze played with her hair. Today, Shen Ya was not dressed in black. She wore a dark, short-sleeved t-shirt on top and a light-colored A-line long skirt on the bottom. Her black leather shoes were as impeccably clean as ever. She held her bag with both hands in front of her, her head slightly tilted up, seemingly looking past the gaps in the branches toward the distant sky.

This was the first time Qiao Xi had seen Shen Ya dressed like this—elegant, simple, and intellectual. It was clear Shen Ya had dressed up today. Could it be that she had carefully chosen this outfit because she was coming to see her?

Qiao Xi took out her phone from her backpack and opened it. There were missed calls in her notification bar and a few unread messages at the top of her chat app. She put her phone back in her pocket, thrust the things she was carrying into Xia Cong’an’s hands, and said, “I have to go out for a bit. You guys go back first. Talk later.”

She didn’t hesitate, turning and running away. Xia Cong’an was burdened with bags in both hands: “Hey! Where are you going?!”

She couldn’t stop Qiao Xi, and her call was ignored. Yu Tiantian simply followed the direction Qiao Xi ran in. More than stopping Qiao Xi, she wanted to know why she had left so suddenly.

The two watched Qiao Xi run up to the old tree. After exchanging a few words with the woman there, Qiao Xi suddenly threw herself into the woman’s arms. The woman not only didn’t push Qiao Xi away but hugged her tightly, looking very much like an affectionate young couple. Unfortunately, they were too far away to clearly see the woman’s face.