Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Qiao Xi left a little after 3 PM…

Qiao Xi left a little after 3 PM. Initially, Shen Ya offered to drive her, but Qiao Xi refused, not wanting to trouble Shen Ya with the back-and-forth trip. She didn’t even let Shen Ya walk her to the community gate, leaving as casually as if she were just stepping downstairs to throw away trash.

As the door closed, Qiao Xi became a wilting flower, losing its vitality. The thought of not seeing Shen Ya for a while left her unable to feel happy. Afraid she wouldn’t be able to leave, she didn’t dare let Shen Ya walk her out.

Qiao Xi took one last look at the door before reluctantly walking away.

Shen Ya, just a door away, remained rooted to the spot. She watched Qiao Xi’s departure through the video doorbell screen. The little sun seemed to be clouded over the moment she stepped out of the house.

Shen Ya saw Qiao Xi stand outside the door for another two minutes before walking away with obvious reluctance. She herself was just as loath to see her go; every time Qiao Xi left, the house became cold and quiet.

Shiyi came to Shen Ya’s feet, rubbing its head against her calf. Shen Ya lowered her head, bent down, and picked up Shiyi. She stroked the soft fur and gently squeezed and rubbed Shiyi’s ears. “Shiyi, are you reluctant to see that little rascal go? Then, how about I take you to see her another day?”

The year was drawing to a close. Not only was Qiao Xi getting busier, but even Shen Ya sometimes got too busy with work to remember to give Shiyi extra meals. Later, chatting with colleagues, those who owned cats recommended several brands of canned cat food to her. She immediately placed an order that day when she got home.

The delivery arrived within two days. On the day she opened a can, Shen Ya specifically recorded a video. Shiyi loved the new canned food. Shen Ya aimed the camera at Shiyi, who was eating heartily. “New main-meal canned food. Shiyi loves it.”

A moment after sending the video to Qiao Xi, she received a reply.

[Little Rascal: Shiyi is eating so well. I want to eat yummy food too. Little puppy crying.jpg]

Shen Ya remembered that there was a food street near Qiao Xi’s university, full of food young people loved. She had previously learned from Qiao Xi that Yu Tiantian and Xia Cong’an loved to frequent that food street, often bringing back so much food to the dorm that Qiao Xi sometimes couldn’t eat proper meals, being filled up entirely by snacks.

Now that Qiao Xi said this to her, the message likely had a hidden meaning. Wanting food was probably false; wanting to see her might be the truth.

Shen Ya glanced at the phone calendar. More than ten days had passed since they last met. The end of the month was approaching quickly, and she had promised Qiao Xi they would spend New Year’s Eve together at the end of the month.

But Qiao Xi clearly couldn’t wait until then. Just as well, besides work, she had also prepared a gift for Qiao Xi recently. Her classes were fewer tomorrow, so she could drive to Qiao Xi’s university.

Shen Ya replied to Qiao Xi: [What do you want to eat?]

[Little Rascal: The food I want to eat is out of reach, but I only have to endure half a month more until the break. Teacher Shen, wait for me.]

Shen Ya did not tell Qiao Xi about her decision. She thought she could give Qiao Xi a surprise too.

…

The next day, when Shen Ya left for work, besides her usual shoulder bag, she carried a paper bag that she placed on the back seat.

She only had two classes in the morning today, having swapped classes with another teacher in the afternoon, so she had plenty of free time today. After the two classes ended, Shen Ya returned to the office, put her things away, and drank a couple of sips of water. The timing was just right to pick up Qiao Xi and take her out for lunch.

The temperature had suddenly dropped, and people on the streets had put on thick down jackets. She remembered that she had already broken up with Jiang Yunxi around this time last year. Time had passed so quickly, and so many things had happened this year.

There was no traffic. She arrived at Qiao Xi’s university earlier than usual. After finding a parking spot in the parking lot, Shen Ya unbuckled her seatbelt and retrieved her phone from her bag.

Qiao Xi would have finished her classes by this time. Shen Ya dialed Qiao Xi’s number. She waited more than ten seconds before the call was answered.

Qiao Xi’s voice was full of surprise, likely not expecting her call at this time: “Teacher Shen?”

“Mhm.” Shen Ya placed one hand on the car door: “I’m at your university.”

“Wha—What?!” Qiao Xi shrieked: “Teacher Shen, you’re at our school?! I didn’t mishear, right!!”

“Should I wait for you in the parking lot, or should I come find you at your dorm?”

Qiao Xi sprang up from her chair: “I, I’ll go find Teacher Shen.”

Shen Ya suddenly remembered the item she brought. She opened the car door and said to Qiao Xi: “I brought you a gift. I’ll come find you instead. Are you in your dorm?”

“Yes, then Teacher Shen, you come over first. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you right away.”

Hanging up the phone, Shen Ya opened the back car door, retrieved the paper bag from inside. After checking that everything was there, she walked toward Qiao Xi’s dorm.

Meanwhile, after Qiao Xi let out that shriek, Yu Tiantian and Xia Cong’an stared at her in unison. Even without hearing the voice on the phone, they guessed who Qiao Xi was talking to. Once the call ended, Xia Cong’an turned her chair around. Her curiosity piqued, she asked directly: “Teacher Shen is looking for you?”

“Mhm.” Qiao Xi hastily tidied her desk, then took down a backpack from the small wardrobe. She opened the zipper and checked its contents. “I’m going out for lunch, so I won’t be eating with you two.”

“Sigh~” Xia Cong’an sighed and said sarcastically: “You haven’t even started dating yet and you’re already abandoning me and Tiantian. If you start dating, looks like we’ll be left alone in the dorm.”

“Don’t include me.” Yu Tiantian was also packing up. She slung a shoulder bag across her chest, grabbed the phone from her desk, and said to Xia Cong’an: “I’m going out too. You really are going to be left alone in the dorm.”

“What?!” Xia Cong’an was completely flustered. She stood up, blocking the dorm entrance, looking incredulously at Qiao Xi and Yu Tiantian: “You both have dates?! Leaving me alone in the dorm?! You guys are going too far! I don’t care, you have to take me with you today, or I’m locking myself to the door! Neither of you is leaving!”

Qiao Xi and Yu Tiantian exchanged a look. The latter shrugged with both hands. Yu Tiantian explained: “Ji Lingwei summoned me. I have no choice but to go.”

Xia Cong’an caught the scent of gossip. She took two steps closer like a mischievous thief, revealing a sneaky grin that would make anyone want to pinch her cheeks red. “Ji Lingwei called you? How far have you two progressed?”

Yu Tiantian cleared her throat, then deliberately spat out two words: “We did it.”

“Did… it? Did what?” Xia Cong’an didn’t understand at first. She pondered for a moment, then caught sight of Qiao Xi’s surprised, admiring, and even envious expression, and finally realized the meaning of those two words. She raised a finger, pointing at Yu Tiantian, her expression complex: “You… you… you…”

Yu Tiantian brushed Xia Cong’an’s hand away, intending to leave the dorm immediately, but as she grasped the doorknob, she suddenly remembered something. A mischievous smile appeared on her handsome face: “Why so surprised? Among the three of us, weren’t you the first to…”

Xia Cong’an quickly covered Yu Tiantian’s mouth. Even though this was an open secret, she still felt shy being brought up suddenly.

“I’m leaving. I might not be back tonight. If there’s a dorm check, let me know.” Yu Tiantian pulled Qiao Xi’s hand away, turned back to Qiao Xi and winked, then twisted the doorknob and left the dorm.

Qiao Xi was still dwelling on the two words Yu Tiantian said, ‘We did it.’ Indeed, Yu Tiantian and Xia Cong’an had already started dating. Only she was still striving for pure love. She wondered if Teacher Shen would accept her confession on New Year’s Eve. The thought of the long road ahead made Qiao Xi sigh, and the excitement she felt earlier was somewhat dampened by this half-basin of cold water.

Wait, she still needed to find Teacher Shen. She had wasted enough time here. Teacher Shen might already be downstairs at the dorm. Qiao Xi tightened her backpack straps and was about to walk past Xia Cong’an, but a hand grabbed her arm.

“I don’t want to stay in the dorm alone.”

A few minutes later.

Xia Cong’an dragged Qiao Xi out of the dorm, yelling: “Hurry up! Teacher Shen will be waiting for too long!”

Qiao Xi usually wouldn’t roll her eyes, but she couldn’t help it today. Teacher Shen always called her a little rascal, but compared to Xia Cong’an, she was just a beginner. The other person’s ability to be a brat was much stronger than hers.

The temperature at this time of year was much lower than last year. She wondered when the first snow would fall. The flower beds around the dorm were devoid of colorful blossoms, with only withered branches everywhere. Fallen leaves piled up on the ground, swirling up with dust in the howling north wind.

“Hey, look, isn’t that Teacher Shen?”

Qiao Xi followed the direction Xia Cong’an pointed and indeed saw a tall figure walking toward them. Shen Ya wore her long hair down today and was dressed in a long black coat, but she had changed into a pair of boots Qiao Xi had never seen before. Her back was straight, her face expressionless, and every step exuded an “I’m-not-to-be-bothered” aura. Still, Qiao Xi was captivated, her eyes turning into stars. If Xia Cong’an wasn’t standing next to her, she would surely have dashed over and pretended to twist her ankle to fall into Shen Ya’s arms.

“Teacher Shen!” Xia Cong’an greeted her first.

Shen Ya nodded at Xia Cong’an, and then Qiao Xi softly and somewhat shyly called out: “Teacher Shen.”

“Mhm.” Shen Ya handed the paper bag to Qiao Xi: “I made some cold shredded chicken feet myself. It won’t spoil easily in this weather, but it’s best to finish it today.”

Qiao Xi accepted the paper bag. The weighty feel was clearly Shen Ya’s thoughtfulness. She had just told Shen Ya she wanted to eat good food, and the next day Shen Ya brought her snacks. She now felt that Shen Ya was the best Bodhisattva in the world. She must have done so many good deeds in her past life to have the chance to know Shen Ya in this life.

However, besides the food, there was also something in a small gift box inside the bag. The box felt quite substantial but very light. She wondered what was inside: “What is this?”

Shen Ya didn’t say directly, only: “Open it and take a look?”

Qiao Xi handed the paper bag to Xia Cong’an, then untied the ribbon on the gift box. Upon opening the box, Qiao Xi saw a red scarf. She took the scarf out but saw no brand label. Furthermore, the style looked like it was hand-knitted. Shen Ya wouldn’t give her a scarf knitted by someone else, so this scarf was…

“Did Teacher Shen knit this herself?”

“Mhm. I don’t know if you’ll like it.” Shen Ya had spent half a month knitting this scarf. In the beginning, she repeatedly unraveled and re-knitted it, afraid she might make a mistake or that Qiao Xi wouldn’t like the pattern. She looked at many scarf styles that young people liked before finally deciding on this pattern. Shen Ya knew Qiao Xi wouldn’t lack expensive scarves, so she chose to make one herself instead of buying one.

Qiao Xi was almost in tears holding the scarf. This was a scarf personally knitted by Teacher Shen for her. This was the one and only scarf in the world! She couldn’t bear to wear it and just wanted to buy something to seal and treasure it.

She lost all her composure. Even with Xia Cong’an still standing nearby, even though this was the bustling student dormitory area, she flew into Shen Ya’s arms. Her fluffy head rubbed against Shen Ya’s neck affectionately, just like Shiyi.

Xia Cong’an next to them didn’t know where to look. She suddenly felt she shouldn’t have followed Qiao Xi out. She had the snacks anyway, so she might as well sneak away: “Um… I have to interrupt. I suddenly remembered I have something to do. I’ll be going now.”

Qiao Xi, hugging Shen Ya, completely ignored her. Shen Ya, however, nodded to her and said: “Okay.”

Xia Cong’an scurried away with the cold shredded chicken feet Shen Ya made. Since she didn’t have classes in the afternoon, she had somewhere to go. Once she was far away, she turned back for a quick peek and saw Qiao Xi had already put on the scarf.

She shivered. It was only a few degrees; wasn’t Qiao Xi hot wearing that scarf?

Xia Cong’an shook her head. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. The moment the other party answered, Xia Cong’an yelled: “I want a scarf!”

The person on the other end was silent for a moment, then said: “Okay.”

Xia Cong’an thought Song Wannin hadn’t understood her, so she added: “I want a scarf you knitted yourself!”

…

Not long after Xia Cong’an ran off, Qiao Xi withdrew from Shen Ya’s arms. “Why did she just leave? She still has my snacks!”

Shen Ya took the scarf from Qiao Xi’s hand, neatly arranged it, and put it on Qiao Xi’s neck. She wanted to see if the scarf was truly suitable for Qiao Xi.

The red scarf made Qiao Xi’s skin look even fairer. This color indeed suited young people; it looked very vibrant. The color was also versatile, likely matching any color of clothing Qiao Xi wore.

Shen Ya’s heart finally relaxed, and she was satisfied with her handiwork.

“I love it so much! Thank you, Teacher Shen. I will take good care of it and only wear the scarves given by Teacher Shen from now on.”

Qiao Xi spoke seriously and solemnly, as if swearing an oath to Shen Ya.

Shen Ya patted her head. “One might not be enough for you to wear.”

“It is! I can wash it! I can wash it every day if needed!”

Qiao Xi, who was unexpectedly serious about this, warmed Shen Ya’s heart. She gently pinched Qiao Xi’s nose and said: “Washing it every day might damage it easily. If you like it, I’ll knit another one for you.”

“Really?!”

“Mhm.”

Qiao Xi was so excited she almost jumped up on the spot, but even in her joy, she still asked: “Will it be too much trouble for Teacher Shen?”

“No trouble.”

Qiao Xi turned into a charm hanging off Shen Ya. She clung to Shen Ya’s arm, and half her body was practically leaning against the other person. She was still complaining about the chicken feet she didn’t get to eat. Shen Ya gently patted her cheek and said: “I’ll make some more for you.”

Getting this promise, Qiao Xi decided not to fuss over Xia Cong’an anymore, letting her off the hook. After all, she had seen the person she missed the most.