Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Whether it was due to the lighting…

Whether it was due to the lighting, Fang Moyao’s complexion looked slightly pale. Despite the ample heating, she had only sat down for a moment and already taken off her jacket, yet Fang Moyao still wore an apricot-colored coat. Her black, sleek hair draped over one shoulder, and the smile on her face looked somewhat eerie, as if set by a machine, constantly maintaining the same arc.

Qiao Xi felt that Fang Moyao was not a good person, but she had no evidence. After all, the other person looked a bit sickly but was patiently sitting here talking to her. It was better not to jump to conclusions.

“I am truly sorry. I accidentally broke your things just now. Whatever I broke, I will pay for it.”

Approval showed in Fang Moyao’s eyes. She took out her phone from her coat pocket and displayed a QR code: “Add me as a friend and transfer the money.”

Qiao Xi didn’t understand why she needed to add a friend first just to pay, but the other person was the owner of ‘Blank’. Perhaps she could inquire about some information from Fang Moyao in the future, so she didn’t ask anything. She found her phone, added the other person, opened the transfer feature, and asked: “Boss… Boss Fang, how much should I transfer to you?”

“You’re quite obedient. Since you are Jiang Yunyi’s sister, I’ll give you a discount.”

Just as Fang Moyao was about to speak, the sound of rolling wheels from a small cart was heard. “Come, come, come, special fruit wine, fries, and fried chicken. Little Sister Xiao Xi, don’t rush. Let’s chat slowly after I sit down.” Zhou Ziqian’s voice was clear and distinctive, making her impossible to ignore once she spoke.

A drink of orange and blue was placed in front of Qiao Xi. Looking at the bubbling liquid in the glass, she leaned in to sniff it. The alcohol smell wasn’t strong; it smelled more like orange juice.

Zhou Ziqian then placed a pot of hot tea in front of Fang Moyao from the cart, while she herself had a glass of pink cocktail.

The small cart was set next to the table. Zhou Ziqian sat down next to Fang Moyao. She took a big gulp of her drink, then picked up the teapot and poured tea for Fang Moyao. “Where were we?”

Qiao Xi released the glass cup. She picked up her phone and asked: “How much are the things I just broke?”

“Seeing you’re so obedient, just give me 500 as a token.”

Hearing Fang Moyao’s words, Zhou Ziqian looked puzzled. She secretly muttered in her heart, put down the teapot gently after pouring the tea, and then heard the notification sound of Fang Moyao’s phone receiving money.

With the payment settled, Qiao Xi felt less burdened. Now she could finally relax and try to get some information from Fang Moyao. She hadn’t eaten before leaving, and now that she had calmed down, she could clearly feel her stomach rumbling.

The fries and ketchup in front of her looked appetizing. She picked up a fry, dipped it in ketchup, and put it in her mouth. The fries were still crispy and fragrant from being freshly fried. Qiao Xi ate over ten fries before pulling out a tissue to wipe her hands.

She then picked up the glass cup and took a sip of the wine. It smelled fruity just now, but when it went down her throat, it had a spicy kick. However, the taste was quite unique. She didn’t savor the first sip, so she swallowed a few more sips immediately.

During this time, Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian sat quietly on the side, observing Qiao Xi. Shiyi also suddenly jumped onto Qiao Xi’s lap and nestled there.

Seeing Shiyi, Qiao Xi remembered the question she wanted to ask earlier. “Um… Boss Fang, I’d like to know, why is Shiyi here? How long has she been here?”

Fang Moyao answered with a question: “You don’t know why she’s here?”

“I…” Qiao Xi shook her head, lowering her eyes, a hint of bitterness concealed.

Fang Moyao picked up the small white teacup, taking only a shallow sip of tea. Her other hand, placed under the table, tapped Zhou Ziqian’s thigh.

Zhou Ziqian immediately understood Fang Moyao’s meaning. “Shiyi was, of course, left here by a friend. It’s been almost a month since New Year’s Day, hasn’t it?”

Since New Year’s Day, a month…

Didn’t that mean Shen Ya moved out of her house with the cat right after she confessed?

Qiao Xi’s heart felt instantly like it had been hit hard by a hammer. She had been too hasty, after all. What Shen Ya said was probably just to reassure her. She had been so foolish, letting her guard down because she thought Shen Ya was special to her, even boldly confessing.

“Can I take Shiyi away?” Qiao Xi thought, since Shen Ya had completely rejected her and abandoned Shiyi here, it meant the other person didn’t want any further interaction with her. Then it was better to let her take Shiyi back, as Shiyi was the cat she had rescued.

“No, you can’t.” Zhou Ziqian refused: “Since a friend left her here for us to care for, we naturally can’t just give her to anyone else. Besides, Little Sister Xiao Xi, why do you want to take my friend’s cat?”

“Shiyi is my cat. Since she doesn’t want to raise her anymore, I can take her back and raise her myself.” Qiao Xi stroked Shiyi’s soft fur. After a long time, Shiyi’s fur had become shiny and she looked much plumper. It seemed Shiyi had been well cared for and not neglected during this time.

“Little sister, even though Shiyi is very close to you, how can you prove she’s your cat?”

She could prove it.

Qiao Xi unlocked her phone and opened her photo album. She had recorded a video when she first found Shiyi, and the photos could serve as evidence. Qiao Xi scrolled to the very first photos of Shiyi and placed her phone in the middle of the table for Zhou Ziqian and Fang Moyao to see.

She swiped through the photos one by one, from Shiyi being caught and placed in a cardboard box, to her and Shen Ya taking Shiyi to the pet store, and then the two of them bringing the clean Shiyi home. It wasn’t until Qiao Xi came across the photo of Shen Ya sitting on the rug, feeding Shiyi a cat treat, and smiling, that those beautiful memories began to constantly flood her mind.

Qiao Xi was distracted. Her gaze was vacant and unfocused, but her fingers mechanically scrolled the screen. Gradually, Shen Ya’s figure disappeared from the photos, leaving only her cool and indifferent face.

“Little Sister Xiao Xi, come back to us.”

Qiao Xi’s vision focused. Seeing the photos on the screen, she quickly turned off her phone and hid it in her pocket. She had never intended to make these photos public or share them with others. After all, everything about Shen Ya had always been a treasure hidden deep in her heart.

She knew these photos had exposed her secret feelings. The subtle glances from Zhou Ziqian and Fang Moyao made Qiao Xi’s ears flush. To cover up her embarrassment, Qiao Xi held the glass cup with both hands and took a big gulp of the fruit wine, drinking more than half of it.

The liquid slid down her throat, and the spicy sensation tightened Qiao Xi’s features. She had never drunk alcohol before. Even though the alcohol content was low, it still made her taste the bitterness.

Fortunately, the spiciness only lasted for a short time. Although Qiao Xi didn’t like the bitterness of the wine, the sweetness slowly replaced it. Seeing that there wasn’t much left in the glass, Qiao Xi decided to drink the rest in one go.

The glass cup hit the table with a light clink. Zhou Ziqian, seeing that it was completely empty, gasped. She was about to praise Qiao Xi for being a good drinker, worthy of being Jiang Yunxi’s sister, when she saw Qiao Xi’s face turning red and her eyes becoming somewhat hazy.

Zhou Ziqian tilted her head and elbowed Fang Moyao. She pointed at Qiao Xi, her mind full of questions.

Fang Moyao lowered her voice and raised a hand to cover her mouth: “She’s getting drunk.”

Qiao Xi tugged at her sweater, suddenly feeling hot. Her head also felt increasingly heavy for some reason. She shook her head and tapped her forehead with her wrist, but the effect was minimal. But it didn’t matter; she still had some sense left.

She picked up Shiyi, looked up, and her tone and expression were no longer well controlled. The reflection in the glass cup showed the haziness in her eyes. As soon as she spoke, Qiao Xi found her voice sounded a little soft: “Th-Then, can I take Sh-Shiyi away?”

Qiao Xi was still young, and she was Jiang Yunyi’s sister after all. Seeing her like this, Zhou Ziqian decided not to tease her further. She wanted to take Qiao Xi upstairs to rest for the night, and they could talk again when she woke up tomorrow.

But Fang Moyao was clearly enjoying herself. She gave Zhou Ziqian a side glance, and Zhou Ziqian immediately dropped the idea of speaking up.

Fang Moyao then turned her head and instructed Zhou Ziqian: “Get her another glass.”

Zhou Ziqian widened her eyes, as if accusing Fang Moyao of being crazy, and winked, hinting at Qiao Xi’s identity, but Fang Moyao had no intention of withdrawing the order.

Zhou Ziqian had no choice but to stand up, but before leaving, she rolled her eyes and gave Fang Moyao a thumbs-up.

Fang Moyao placed her hands together under her chin and said: “Even if you have photos of Shiyi on your phone, the cat was brought here by Shen Ya after all. If you want to take her away, you still need Shen Ya’s permission. Why don’t you call Shen Ya now and ask? As long as Shen Ya agrees, I won’t stop you.”

The statement sounded reasonable at first, but upon closer thought, Qiao Xi felt something was wrong. She extended a finger and pointed it towards Fang Moyao. As soon as her mouth opened, those flaws she had managed to find suddenly vanished. Her fingertip paused mid-air, and her throat seemed to jam like a machine, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Strange, what was the refuting argument she wanted to make just now?

Unable to recall, Qiao Xi could only shake her head. She retracted her hand and continued stroking Shiyi.

“Why are you unwilling to call Shen Ya?” Fang Moyao’s voice was soft and slow, like a seemingly calm small river, yet this river was leading people elsewhere: “Is it because Shen Ya is too cold and unforgiving, so you are scared and annoyed? You don’t want to interact with her anymore.”

“No!” Qiao Xi almost shouted the word. Shiyi, startled, jumped off her lap. Qiao Xi clenched her fist and pounded the table. Her head was so dizzy that she couldn’t distinguish the meaning of Fang Moyao’s words. She could only instinctively defend Shen Ya: “No, you’re not allowed to talk about Teacher Shen like that! Teacher Shen, Teacher Shen is very gentle. She is very, very good to me. She is the best person in the world, but, but I messed up. I shouldn’t have confessed to her. I was wrong, but, but she…”

Qiao Xi’s voice grew softer as she spoke. Under the influence of alcohol, her emotions fluctuated intensely.

“But what?” Fang Moyao continued to guide her. Her words were like a poisoned apple. Even when consumed, before the poison took effect, the prey could only taste the sweetness of the apple: “But she rejected you with coldness.”

A tear dropped onto the table. Qiao Xi lowered her head and bit her lip. She made no sound, just quietly maintained this posture. If not for the continuously falling tears, one would think she had turned to stone.

Fang Moyao stood up. She walked silently like a cat. After stopping beside Qiao Xi, she pulled Qiao Xi into her arms, gently patting Qiao Xi’s head rhythmically, then slowly stroking her back.

“Good girl, tell me, do you want Shen Ya’s love?”

Yes!

She dreamed of it. She regretted confessing on New Year’s Eve. If she had been more patient, if she had increased her chance of success, would Shen Ya not have rejected her?

Qiao Xi grabbed the coat Fang Moyao was wearing, gently tugging it as her response to the other party.

“Then do as I say. Now, wipe away your tears and tell me exactly what happened between you two.”

When Zhou Ziqian returned with a new glass of fruit wine, she found Qiao Xi sitting next to Fang Moyao, her eyes vacant, as if she had become Fang Moyao’s puppet. The corners of her eyes were red, suggesting she had just been crying, but now she was narrating a beautiful, heartwarming yet poignant love story.

Even without Fang Moyao’s reminder, Zhou Ziqian treaded lightly. She placed the drink in front of Qiao Xi, who immediately picked up the glass and took a few more sips.

Zhou Ziqian was glad she returned at just the right time. Although she missed the beginning, the crucial part was just starting. The fries and fried chicken on the table became a snack to go with the story.

Fang Moyao would always offer comfort when Qiao Xi’s emotions fluctuated. Her voice was truly gentle. The words that came out of her mouth seemed to have turned into a large net woven from cotton. It looked soft and harmless, but Zhou Ziqian knew too well that once something got stuck, it would be difficult to break free.

The story was drawing to a close. The glass of wine in Qiao Xi’s eyes had begun to look blurry. Her reason was gone, and her mind was controlled by her emotions.

She heard a voice ask her: “She rejected you like that and did things that broke your heart and spirit. Have you truly never been angry?”

Qiao Xi shook her head.

“Is that so?” the woman continued: “She only said she needed some time, but the very next day she moved out of your house, and even gave away the little cat you two raised together. Not only that, she didn’t even notify you. Are you truly not angry at all?”

This time, Qiao Xi didn’t move. When these things were brought up individually, she realized she was angry. She was angry at Shen Ya for not rejecting her outright, angry at Shen Ya for still giving her hope, angry at Shen Ya for moving out of her house without a word and creating distance, and even more angry at Shen Ya for giving their Shiyi to someone else.

But what did her anger matter? Her love for Shen Ya had already smoothed over these insignificant angers.

“Then, if one day Shen Ya figures out her feelings for you and comes back to pursue you, what will you do?”

Qiao Xi answered without thinking: “Say yes!”

“No.” Fang Moyao’s hand covered Qiao Xi’s eyes. Her other hand held Qiao Xi’s neck, resting her head on her own shoulder: “She made you angry. You should also teach her a lesson.”

“I…” With her eyes covered, Qiao Xi could only close them. Her brain was even more sluggish. She was seconds away from falling asleep.

“Listen to me. You need to see her sincerity. You need her to pursue you again with true feelings. Otherwise, you cannot forgive her, agree to be with her. Remember that?”

“Re-Remembered…”

“Good girl. Repeat what I just said.”

“Must, must see her sincerity. Must let her, let her pursue me with true feelings. Otherwise, not forgive her… not forgive her…” Qiao Xi’s final words were barely audible.

Fang Moyao’s smile was like a venomous snake coiling around its prey’s neck. Only Zhou Ziqian saw her flicking her tongue.

“Sleep now. A good child’s wishes always come true.”

One of Fang Moyao’s hands patted Qiao Xi’s abdomen as if rocking a child to sleep. Soon, Qiao Xi’s breathing became steady. Even when she removed the hand covering Qiao Xi’s eyes, the other person remained unresponsive.

“Is she asleep?” Zhou Ziqian, who had been holding it in for a long time, could finally speak.

“Mhm.” Fang Moyao stopped smiling. A rare seriousness appeared in her eyes: “Qianqian, don’t you think Qiao Xi looks familiar?”

“Familiar?” Zhou Ziqian stood up and craned her neck to carefully examine Qiao Xi: “How is she familiar? Qiao Xi has always been Jiang Yunyi’s family’s beloved sister. Neither Jiang Yunxi nor Jiang Yunyi ever brought her out for us to see, always hiding her away. They rarely even mentioned Qiao Xi’s name, and her photos were never public on social media. Where do you get the feeling that she’s familiar?”

That was the problem. Given her relationship with Jiang Yunyi, they shouldn’t be so guarded against her. From the first moment she saw Qiao Xi, she felt a sense of familiarity, and the feeling intensified as they talked.

Suddenly, a photograph flashed through Fang Moyao’s mind. Her lips tightened into a thin line, her expression turned dark, and her gaze seemed poisoned. Under Zhou Ziqian’s scrutiny, she pulled out a few strands of Qiao Xi’s hair.

“You…”

“Carry her up and settle her in the room Shen Ya stayed in before. I’m going home for a bit. Watch her until I return. Don’t let her run off.”

Seeing her like this, Zhou Ziqian didn’t ask more questions. She moved around Fang Moyao and helped Qiao Xi out of her arms. She was about to adjust her grip to carry her upstairs when she saw Fang Moyao taking out her phone and calling Shen Ya.

Driven by curiosity, Zhou Ziqian placed Qiao Xi on the opposite sofa, then returned to Fang Moyao and sat diagonally on her lap.

The phone rang for a while before being answered. Shen Ya was a little surprised. She asked: “Did something happen to Shiyi?”

Fang Moyao went straight to the point: “Tonight, a girl trespassed into ‘Blank’ and smashed several of my things. She claimed to be Shiyi’s owner. Later, I found out she was Jiang Yunxi’s sister, Qiao Xi.”

“How is she? Is she hurt?” Shen Ya, in another city, didn’t stop to think about how Qiao Xi found ‘Blank’. Her first concern was whether Qiao Xi was harmed.

Fang Moyao replied unhurriedly: “She’s drunk and asleep here. However, regarding these damaged things, which sister should I ask for compensation?”

“What did she break? Send me the amount of the loss, and I’ll compensate you.” Shen Ya knew very well that Qiao Xi went to ‘Blank’ because of her. This was a matter between her and Qiao Xi, so she didn’t want to tell the other two, and besides, she figured Qiao Xi probably wouldn’t want to tell them about tonight either. But there was another concern: “Does she… know what kind of place ‘Blank’ is?”

Fang Moyao’s laughter was chilling, like a snake lurking on a branch: “Not yet, but I can’t guarantee whether she will know when she wakes up tomorrow.”

“I will tell her.” Shen Ya sighed. She rubbed her temple, her voice laced with a plea: “Please take good care of her for me. Thank you.”

After hanging up, Fang Moyao composed a short message. She casually fabricated an amount for the loss and sent it to Shen Ya.

Zhou Ziqian watched the 5000 yuan transferred from Shen Ya. She instantly sprang up from Fang Moyao’s lap, clapping her hands and saying sarcastically: “Wow, Fang Moyao, you really are something else! You conned 500 from Little Sister Xiao Xi and now 5000 from Shen Ya. Are you planning to ask Jiang Yunyi for tens of thousands next?”

Fang Moyao merely curled her lips. She put away her phone and stood up from the sofa, raising her hand to caress Zhou Ziqian’s face. Finally, she leaned in and kissed the lips that spoke such cheeky words. While Zhou Ziqian was enjoying the kiss, she bit hard on the corner of Zhou Ziqian’s mouth as punishment for her cheekiness.

“Hiss…”

After breaking the kiss, Zhou Ziqian wiped her mouth. Fang Moyao patted her face and instructed: “Be good. Wait for me to come back.”