Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: When Shen Ya pulled her head away, her whole…

When Shen Ya pulled her head away and backed away, Qiao Xi was still reliving the soft, moist, rose-scented lips. So, this is what kissing feels like? Wait, does hers even count as a kiss?

She usually saw her two older sisters kissing much more intensely, like their mouths were sparring. It was a pity it was too short; she didn’t get to properly experience it.

No, no.

Qiao Xi lowered her head, gripping the quilt with one hand. She was simply overcome by the sudden rise in the ambiguous atmosphere. It must have been an accident. How could Shen Ya suddenly kiss her? It was clearly just a coincidence that their mouths met.

Fortunately, she controlled her expression and didn’t make any excessive gestures, or else, if Shen Ya knew what she was thinking, she might be packed up and thrown out of the house tonight. She knew Shen Ya was as sensitive as she was. What must the other person be thinking right now?

The silence in the air seemed to be giving them time to find an excuse. Shen Ya was not a proactive person; she merely retreated to her safety line, secretly observing Qiao Xi’s reaction to figure out a countermeasure.

Qiao Xi’s fingertips twitched, slowly rubbing against the quilt. The longer the silence, the easier it was to let one’s imagination run wild. Qiao Xi didn’t know why her mind went blank at the crucial moment, but if she didn’t say something now, the atmosphere would surely become even more awkward, and in a severe case, it might even affect their relationship. Perhaps Shen Ya would distance herself from her, which was something Qiao Xi absolutely did not want to see.

“Teacher Shen, are you okay?” Qiao Xi looked up, her face showing concern: “Did I accidentally bump into you just now?”

Qiao Xi thought that since the incident had already happened, she should face it directly. However, she could tell a white lie. As long as she acted convincingly, Shen Ya would surely take the out she provided.

“No.”

Qiao Xi raised her hand and tentatively reached out to grasp Shen Ya’s wrist, wanting to see if Shen Ya would still allow physical contact with her.

One second…

Two seconds…

Three seconds…

Qiao Xi counted silently in her heart. Not until the tenth count did Shen Ya pull away. Only then did Qiao Xi’s heart settle. It seemed Shen Ya also didn’t want this accident to ruin the slightly strange feelings between them.

“Shiyi has gone to eat.”

“Mhm.”

“Then let’s go to sleep. I estimate Shiyi will come looking for us once it’s full.” Qiao Xi still hadn’t let go of Shen Ya’s hand. After speaking, she lay down and tugged on Shen Ya’s hand again: “I hope Shiyi will be good tonight and not bother us.”

Shen Ya nodded lightly and slowly lay down. Her wrist was still held by Qiao Xi. The other person’s palm was very warm, just like the intense way Qiao Xi had looked at her today. She wasn’t unaware that Qiao Xi was deliberately avoiding mentioning the accidental kiss. Since the other person didn’t seem to mind, she naturally wouldn’t bring it up proactively. But did this mean Qiao Xi wasn’t opposed to more intimate contact with her?

Thinking of the admiring glances Qiao Xi had frequently cast her way tonight, she grew increasingly worried. If Qiao Xi truly developed those kinds of feelings for her, what was the right thing for her to do?

Shen Ya closed her eyes, letting Qiao Xi continue to hold her hand. The extra living presence in the room made her acutely aware of it even without looking.

After the room quieted down again, the sounds of Shiyi became unusually clear. Qiao Xi turned to face Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, can you sleep?”

Shen Ya didn’t open her eyes but still responded: “Why?”

“It’s my first time sleeping with a kitten, I’m a little excited.”

Shen Ya lifted her eyelids, a faint worry in her eyes, but she didn’t want Qiao Xi to notice. So, she turned her head away and contained her emotions, “Then what do you plan to do?”

Qiao Xi let go of Shen Ya’s wrist and instead hugged her entire arm. Her chin tilted slightly upward, “Teacher Shen, can I borrow you for a hug?”

Shen Ya felt a little helpless. She really wanted to point at her arm and ask Qiao Xi how a person could be so brazen. If she refused, would Qiao Xi really let go?

Qiao Xi’s “inch-gaining” made Shen Ya sigh internally. She patted Qiao Xi’s shoulder with the hand that was outside the blanket: “Then hold on to me. Can you sleep now?”

“Mhm! Goodnight, Teacher Shen.”

Qiao Xi knew when to stop. Her repeated probes had confirmed that Shen Ya wouldn’t resist her contact, which was a very good sign.

Not long after Qiao Xi closed her eyes, Shiyi also jumped up from under the bed. The kitten’s eyes glowed in the dim room. Seeing the two owners snuggled together, it found a comfortable spot at the foot of the bed and settled down.

The room became silent. The two people on the bed were each preoccupied with their own thoughts, and it was only after an unknown amount of time that they, one after the other, drifted off to sleep.

…

On Saturday morning, Shen Ya still had to go to work. Although schools were currently not allowed to offer extra tutoring, this rule didn’t apply to students repeating their studies in training centers. However, classes on Saturday were only for half a day, and Shen Ya only had one class this Saturday.

She had turned off her phone alarm last night, and it was her biological clock that woke her up. Qiao Xi had released her arm. She slowly sat up from the bed without waking Qiao Xi, but Shiyi, sleeping at the foot of the bed, noticed her movement.

Shen Ya put a finger vertically to her lips, forgetting that the kitten couldn’t understand human gestures. But Shiyi was well-behaved; it just walked over and rubbed against Shen Ya.

She picked up Shiyi from the bed and said in a low voice, “Be good, don’t wake her up.” After saying that, she stroked the kitten’s head and put Shiyi back on the bed.

Qiao Xi hadn’t woken up before Shen Ya left. After she left the residential area, she sent Qiao Xi a message.

It was November, and the temperature was gradually dropping. Just one night later, Shen Ya put on a jacket. The streets were almost empty early on Saturday morning, and the subway was also quite deserted.

As she was about to get off the subway, her phone vibrated. She took it out and saw it was a call from Qiao Xi.

The subway arrived at the station, and Shen Ya stepped out. Only then did she press the answer button: “Did you wake up?”

Qiao Xi’s voice on the other end was a little agitated: “Teacher Shen, why didn’t you wake me up?”

“It’s Saturday, why should I wake you up?”

“That’s not the same.” Qiao Xi wasn’t happy and muttered, “I wanted to go to work with Teacher Shen.”

Shen Ya’s mood became cheerful. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, and she said, “Then stay home and tidy up the house for me. Don’t forget yesterday’s punishment.”

It seemed that after a night had passed, the accident from last night wasn’t so much on Shen Ya’s mind anymore. Qiao Xi jumped out of bed, grabbing Shiyi under her arm: “Then I’ll come pick you up later, Teacher Shen?”

“Mhm.”

The call ended, and Qiao Xi put Shiyi on the floor. She rolled up her sleeves and mumbled to herself, “Does this count as me being Teacher Shen’s little puppy?”

Never mind, being a puppy is quite nice too.

Since Teacher Shen was out working to earn money to support the family, she would take care of everything at home. Qiao Xi was full of enthusiasm. Even before her feelings were fully confirmed, she had already convinced herself.

She had already planned to clean out the utility room last night. After ordering takeout, she began moving everything out of the utility room. Luckily, she didn’t have much stuff. After moving it to her studio, the small utility room became clean and tidy.

Sweeping, cleaning, and then moving Shiyi’s things into the new cat room—after all this work, Qiao Xi’s back was sore. She thought, Teacher Shen still has to work during the week, and it would be too tiring for her to spend her free time doing chores. She decided to hire a cleaning service to come once a week, but she wasn’t sure if Shen Ya would agree.

The takeout she ordered earlier tasted mediocre. Qiao Xi ate half of it and couldn’t eat anymore. She checked the time, and when it seemed about right, she grabbed her car keys and left the house.

As the car came to a stop, Shen Ya just happened to be walking out of the training center. Qiao Xi had already adjusted the car to a comfortable temperature. After Shen Ya opened the door and got in, Qiao Xi held the steering wheel with one hand and picked up the coffee next to her with the other, handing it to Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, are you hungry? Should we eat before going back?”

Shen Ya took the coffee, took a sip, and nodded: “Okay.” She thought for a moment and then asked: “How is Shiyi?”

“It’s doing well. I cleaned out that utility room this morning.” Speaking of which, Qiao Xi took the opportunity to propose her morning idea to Shen Ya: “Teacher Shen, let me hire a cleaning service. You’re so busy with work; it’s too tiring to have to do the cleaning too.”

“No need,” Shen Ya refused. “I actually don’t like strangers intruding into my private space.”

“Then… I’ll buy a robot vacuum.”

Taking advantage of the red light, Shen Ya reached over and ruffled Qiao Xi’s head. Her neatly styled hair became a bit messy after being tousled, but it didn’t hide Qiao Xi’s cuteness.

“If I need one, I can buy it myself, Qiao Xi.”

Qiao Xi pouted and lowered her voice: “I’m just afraid Teacher Shen is being stubborn.”

“I won’t. I’m usually alone at home. Besides work, I don’t have other recreational activities. Cleaning is one of my ways to relax, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Since Shen Ya said so, Qiao Xi couldn’t find a reason to persuade her. Shen Ya had her own way of living and rhythm. She really shouldn’t presume to change anything. All she could do was change herself.

Once Qiao Xi figured this out, she said, “Then I’ll come back and help Teacher Shen with chores whenever I have time.”

Shen Ya narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice laced with a smile: “Good.”

“So, what does Teacher Shen want to eat now?” Qiao Xi rubbed her stomach and changed to a pitiful tone: “Without Teacher Shen at home, I ordered takeout this morning, and it was so awful.”

“Then shall we go home and cook?”

Qiao Xi really wanted to eat Shen Ya’s cooking, but the other person had been working hard all morning, so she couldn’t bear to make Shen Ya cook for her back at home. “Let’s eat out. Otherwise, it’d be too much work for Teacher Shen to go back and cook.”

“Does Teacher Shen want to have barbecue?”

Shen Ya’s nod was within Qiao Xi’s expectation. She knew the other person would always prioritize catering to her. Naturally, Qiao Xi wouldn’t disappoint Shen Ya’s expectation. She decided to take her to a highly-rated Japanese barbecue restaurant.

As it happened, they even ran into a customer with a Golden Retriever who was brought into the restaurant to eat.

Qiao Xi merely walked past the Golden Retriever, and the big dog came over, sniffing and rubbing against her. The dog’s owner immediately scolded it, but Qiao Xi actively stroked the big dog’s head: “It’s alright. I have one at home too. It probably smells the scent.”

The owner relaxed upon hearing this, chatted with Qiao Xi for a couple of sentences, and then led the Golden Retriever back to their table.

After the brief interlude, Qiao Xi had already recommended the restaurant’s signature dishes to Shen Ya. After placing the order, a waiter came over to ask if they needed help grilling the meat.

Qiao Xi politely declined. She couldn’t let go of such an opportunity to show off.

When she ate barbecue by herself, she didn’t mind if the meat was slightly burnt, but today was different. She was determined to grill every piece of meat to its most perfect state.

Shen Ya watched Qiao Xi constantly holding the tongs, placing pieces of meat onto the grill, and turning them over continuously. The meat made a “sizzle” sound under the heat of the fire, and the aroma quickly filled the air. Qiao Xi placed the first cooked piece of meat onto the plate in front of Shen Ya, looking at her with expectant eyes: “Teacher Shen, hurry and try it.”

Qiao Xi was like a peacock displaying its feathers, eager to show off her skills. Shen Ya couldn’t help but humor her and would never dampen Qiao Xi’s excitement. She picked up her chopsticks and took the meat, then heard Qiao Xi pointing at the sauce: “Dip it in this sauce.”

Shen Ya followed Qiao Xi’s instructions, coating the meat with a layer of sauce before putting it in her mouth. The person across from her was more concerned about the taste of this piece of meat than she was, so Shen Ya deliberately chewed slowly.

Qiao Xi couldn’t wait, of course, but she was too embarrassed to rush her. Even though she was on tenterhooks, she could only wait for Shen Ya to swallow before asking, “How does it taste?”

The beef tongue was tender, cooked just right, and paired with the sauce. At Shen Ya’s first bite, the complex flavor awakened her taste buds. After swallowing the meat, she was already thinking about the second piece of beef tongue.

“It’s good.”

Though only two simple words, they were enough to make Qiao Xi ecstatic. She grilled the meat even more enthusiastically, carefully selecting each piece, putting the perfectly grilled ones onto Shen Ya’s plate, and eating the ones she considered less than perfect herself.

Gradually, the meat piled up in front of Shen Ya, and Qiao Xi, still tirelessly happy, hadn’t stopped to eat a bite.

“That’s enough, you eat first.” Shen Ya stopped Qiao Xi and took the tongs from her hand, “The meat won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

“I know, I know.” Qiao Xi smiled foolishly, but she was obedient. She honestly picked up her chopsticks and stuffed the meat in her bowl into her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Ya taking over her “job.” She took out her phone, opened the camera, and captured Shen Ya’s hands and the table full of meat on the screen.

Qiao Xi sent this picture to their three-person group chat, adding the comment: [Xi Xi Not Xi: Have you all eaten?]

[Tian Tian Not Sweet: ?]

[An An Not An: ?]

[Xi Xi Not Xi: Hehe~]

[An An Not An: I can’t take it anymore. Send the address. Don’t make me pin you against the wall tomorrow night.]

[Tian Tian Not Sweet: This hand doesn’t look like your sister’s. Is it… Teacher Shen?]

[An An Not An: No wonder!! I knew you rushed off so fast on Friday. You went to see your girlfriend! Alright, take my blessing and scram!!! I’m sick of you couples!]

The words “girlfriend” and “couples” made Qiao Xi’s heart pound. The accidental kiss last night made her 80% certain of her feelings. She probably had fallen for Shen Ya, but since it wasn’t a full 100%, she still didn’t have the confidence.

Even though she loved what Xia Cong’an said, she still replied: [Xi Xi Not Xi: What nonsense are you talking about? Teacher Shen and I are just pure friends.]

After sending this message, she received two rolling-eye emojis from the two best friends. Qiao Xi didn’t intend to explain. She’d announce it to her two best friends when there was a solid chance.

“What’s so funny?” Shen Ya asked after seeing Qiao Xi put down her phone.

Qiao Xi rested half her face on her hand, her gaze as sweet as the scoop of ice cream on the table. She looked at Shen Ya with unconcealed excitement, then switched to a teasing and playful tone: “Just thinking that I might be the first person to eat the meat grilled personally by Teacher Shen makes me happy. I want to eat Teacher Shen’s cooking forever.”