Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 57

 Chapter 57: Eleven

Realizing Shen Ya was teasing her, Qiao Xi’s expression flashed with a hint of confusion, but she quickly recovered. Even with her cheek being pinched, she cracked a wide smile and replied, “So in Teacher Shen’s eyes, I’m as well-behaved as a kitten.”

This made a blurry image form in Shen Ya’s mind, as if Qiao Xi had a pair of small cat ears on her head, and her eyes were a sky-like blue, clean and bright. When she looked up at Shen Ya, her gaze would be full of devotion. Shen Ya imagined reaching out and scratching under her chin, and Kitten Qiao Xi would “meow” affectionately at her.

Just thinking about this, Shen Ya didn’t want to withdraw her hand. Qiao Xi’s skin was very tender. As her fingertips slid up and down, the cheek, chilled by the air conditioning, felt somewhat comfortable to the touch. The meowing from the back seat was intensifying the image in her mind.

Qiao Xi wasn’t sure what was up with Shen Ya today. The usually restrained Teacher Shen had been unusually proactive since getting in the car. Not only did she tease her first, but now she was touching her face as if addicted. Although Qiao Xi quite enjoyed being stroked by Shen Ya like this, after a while, Shen Ya’s fingernail kept inadvertently brushing against areas that tickled her.

Qiao Xi turned into an intersection. Half of her body was feeling numb from Shen Ya’s touch, and she didn’t dare to interrupt directly. In her distress, she decided to try the opposite approach and deliberately rubbed her face against Shen Ya’s fingers.

As Qiao Xi moved, Shen Ya seemed to suddenly awaken. Realizing what she had just been doing, she withdrew her hand, placed it on her thigh, and clenched her fist. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to retain Qiao Xi’s warmth and scent or if she felt ashamed of her recent actions.

Both of them noticed the subtle shift in the car’s atmosphere. Qiao Xi would definitely not let them fall into awkwardness, so she spoke first: “Teacher Shen, please check for me, how much longer until the pet hospital.”

Shen Ya glanced at the navigation: “It looks close, about ten more minutes.”

Qiao Xi’s car had a safety amulet hanging from the mirror and two little sleeping dog ornaments on the center console. The car air freshener was very faint, but Shen Ya still caught a scent of citrus. Attracted by the cute dog ornaments, she reached out a finger and touched them: “When did you buy this car?”

“On my birthday. It was a birthday gift from my sisters. It’s been parked at home until now. I just got my driver’s license, so I drove it from home to school to keep it there.”

Qiao Xi drove very skillfully, not like a novice who had just gotten her license. Whenever the sunlight streamed in, Qiao Xi’s focused demeanor emitted a soft glow. This was slightly different from the young face that used to carry a backpack and a lantern. Those shoulders, which didn’t look broad, now seemed to possess a reliable and reassuring strength.

“Teacher Shen shouldn’t have finished work yet, right?”

Shen Ya retracted her uneasy gaze. She decided to tell a small lie to Qiao Xi: “I’m off work.”

Although Qiao Xi was suspicious, she couldn’t think of a reason for Shen Ya to deceive her, so she chose to believe her: “Then it seems I made Teacher Shen wait for too long.”

“No.”

“Teacher Shen is so energetic today. Is it because you haven’t seen me in a long time and missed me very much?” Qiao Xi asked this in a joking tone, but only she knew that this sentence was a subtle, hidden test. She hoped to hear an affirmative answer from Shen Ya.

Qiao Xi looked straight ahead, seemingly focused on driving, but her heart was pounding in her throat with nervousness. She was afraid Shen Ya would notice something. When Shen Ya first got into the car, her presence aggressively invaded Qiao Xi’s private space, and Qiao Xi was not only unbothered but found her long-dormant body suddenly becoming active. Every cell rejoiced at Shen Ya’s arrival.

When that hand touched her cheek, she nearly couldn’t resist. She desperately wanted to cover that hand and press it tightly against her face, wishing it would never let go.

Qiao Xi didn’t know what was happening to her. Could it be that the long separation made her miss the other person this much?

In response to Qiao Xi’s playful remark, Shen Ya’s brain immediately supplied an answer. She couldn’t deny that she truly missed Qiao Xi. But if she followed Qiao Xi’s lead and gave an affirmative answer, what kind of cheeky words would this little rascal say next to tease her?

Shen Ya pondered for a moment, then let out a sound from her nose: “Mhm.”

Though only a single sound, it was enough to make Qiao Xi ecstatic. This proved she had truly entered Shen Ya’s heart. Surely she must be the most special person in Shen Ya’s mind now, right?

When the navigation prompted for a nearby parking lot, Qiao Xi also saw the pet hospital with the blue sign on her right. There were quite a few cars parked here, and thanks to Shen Ya’s sharp eyes, they managed to find a spot.

After parking, the two got out of the car. Qiao Xi opened the back door and lifted out the small cardboard box. The box was sealed with tape, but there were a few air holes poked in it with scissors. Through these small holes, Shen Ya met a pair of wary and frightened cat eyes.

When the box shook, the kitten inside let out a shriek. It was likely terrified and tried to use sound to intimidate them, unsure of what it was about to face.

Qiao Xi gently patted the box and sweetly coaxed the kitten inside: “Be good, it’s okay. We’re going for a check-up, and then we’ll take you home.”

Shen Ya stepped ahead and opened the pet hospital door. Qiao Xi was familiar with this hospital. As soon as she walked in, a doctor she knew greeted her and asked, seeing the box in her hands, “What did you find?”

“It’s a kitten. I found her at school. Doctor, could you check if she’s injured?”

The female doctor stared at the box, observing through the air holes. “I have some time. Bring her in.”

In the examination room on the first floor, a young nurse walked in and closed the door. She found scissors and carefully opened the cardboard box. A small, dusty white cat appeared before them. The kitten was frail and looked small. Facing the gaze of the people, she huddled in the corner of the box, trembling.

The female doctor put on gloves and attempted to touch the kitten. The kitten only flattened herself, watching the hand reaching toward her with fear and helplessness.

“Feels like only bones.” The female doctor picked up the cat and observed her closely. She lifted the cat’s mouth to check her teeth. “She should be three or four months old. There doesn’t seem to be any external injury. Let’s do some basic tests first.”

“Okay, Dr. Xu, can you check if she can have a bath? I’ll be taking her home soon.” The kitten was quite dirty, and while Qiao Xi didn’t mind, she worried Shen Ya might not be able to accept it.

“If the tests show no major issues, she can be bathed.”

The doctor ordered the basic check-ups. Qiao Xi trusted her completely. Watching the nurse bring in the blood drawing tools, Qiao Xi retreated to Shen Ya’s side. Both of them were quiet, their eyes fixed on the kitten.

Even when being held for blood sampling, the little white cat only meowed twice and didn’t struggle. Her obedient and sensible demeanor was heartbreaking.

The tests would take some time. Qiao Xi pulled over two stools for Shen Ya to rest. The little white cat was placed back into the box. The doctor asked them to wait here, as she had to see other small animals first.

Soon, only the two of them remained in the examination room. Qiao Xi said to Shen Ya, “Our family is quite familiar with Dr. Xu. Fatty always comes to this pet hospital for check-ups and vaccinations.”

“Teacher Shen, look how good she is.” Qiao Xi cautiously reached out and touched the kitten’s head.

Shen Ya watched from the side, still a little worried. She had never owned a pet, but when the kitten looked at her, she felt a familiar feeling—both she and Qiao Xi seemed to have experienced being abandoned or the fear of being abandoned, much like this kitten.

In the past, she could only endure, living in fear and shadows like this kitten. But she had the ability to break free from restraints and thrive, something this kitten couldn’t do. If Qiao Xi hadn’t rescued it from the gap, would death have been its fate?

Qiao Xi had grown up and become a guardian who brought warmth, and Shen Ya now had the capacity to shelter the kitten. This feeling was strange, adding another warm bond to her world.

Shen Ya finally couldn’t resist. She raised her hand, wanting to stroke this small life that was about to become a member of her household. But halfway through, her heart wavered. People say all things have spirits, and cats are the most spiritual animals. Would her coldness scare this small life?

Just then, Qiao Xi grasped her hand. Their eyes met. Shen Ya saw encouragement in Qiao Xi’s eyes. The warm hand pressed tightly against hers, the heat transferring from Qiao Xi’s palm to her skin and veins.

“Don’t be afraid, Teacher Shen. She’s very well-behaved, much better than me.”

Qiao Xi cheered Shen Ya on while guiding Shen Ya’s hand to touch the other warm little life.

She hadn’t said anything or shown any expression, yet Qiao Xi could sense her inner changes and would rush to her side instantly, accompanying her, comforting her, encouraging her, and making the path ahead less confusing and hesitant.

Her fingertips touched the soft fur. It was a texture she had never experienced. The kitten was indeed very thin; you could feel the bones with a light touch. Was this the kitten she and Qiao Xi would be raising together? Its helpless appearance reminded her of her former self hiding under a desk.

“She’s cute, isn’t she?”

Yes, very cute, and very docile. Shen Ya’s hand slowly moved down from the kitten’s head. She felt the kitten’s body temperature and its skinny body. It seemed this kitten had never had a full meal.

“Teacher Shen, you should name her.”

“Me?”

“Mhm.” Qiao Xi let go of Shen Ya’s hand and scratched the kitten’s chin: “Give her a name, then the kitten will truly have a home. When I rescued Fatty, she was so thin, also pitifully dumped next to a garbage can. I hoped she would grow a little fatter in the future, so I named her Fatty.”

The word “home” was both familiar and strange to Shen Ya. She hadn’t felt the warmth of a home, yet now she was about to provide a shelter for the kitten in front of her. This responsibility wasn’t heavy because Qiao Xi had already shouldered the pressure for her.

“Eleven. Let’s call her Eleven, because she came to our home in November.”

“Eleven?” Qiao Xi hooked her finger under the kitten’s chin, genuinely happy for the kitten: “Your name is Eleven from now on.”

Qiao Xi seemed to like the name more than the kitten did. She kept chanting “Eleven, Eleven.”

The kitten certainly didn’t understand, but she could sense the kindness of the two people. The kitten was enjoying the petting. She even narrowed her eyes and started purring.

“What does… that mean?” Shen Ya thought she had hurt the kitten and quickly withdrew her hand.

Qiao Xi rarely saw such rich expressions on Shen Ya’s face. The current Shen Ya was like a first-time mother, concerned and panicked by every move of her baby, afraid of doing something wrong. Qiao Xi explained, “That means the kitten is comfortable. It shows she likes it. Teacher Shen, touch her again.”

So, liking sounded like this. It was indeed cute. She had often heard others say that kittens were very cute and made excellent companion pets. Colleagues had recommended she adopt a cat before, but back then, she couldn’t even take care of herself, let alone a cat.

But now was different. She knew she had Qiao Xi by her side. She was no longer alone and had enough capability to provide a home for the kitten.

Their interaction with the kitten was interrupted by the arrival of the test results. Dr. Xu returned to the examination room with a few test papers. Based on her expression, the two already guessed the kitten had no major issues.

The results were indeed as they expected. She could be bathed, and after that, she would need injections and deworming. Qiao Xi intended to wait here, but remembering they hadn’t prepared any supplies for the kitten at home, she said to Shen Ya, “Teacher Shen, why don’t we leave the kitten here and come back later to pick her up?”

Shen Ya nodded: “That works. We can stop by the supermarket. I’ll cook dinner tonight.”