Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Interrupted Conversation

The crowd had already converged toward the riverside, and even the best spots could not accommodate half a person more. Nevertheless, Qiao Xi managed to squeeze Shen Ya onto a small platform. The buildings across the river were brightly lit, their neon lights spilling onto the water, only to be fragmented into millions of fireflies by the subtle waves.

Countless drones flew high into the sky, forming various beautiful wishes for the New Year before the stroke of midnight.

“Teacher Shen, have you heard a saying?”

“Hm?”

Qiao Xi held up the dog tanghulu and pointed to the sky, pretending to be profound: “It is said that as long as you make a wish under the New Year’s fireworks, that wish is bound to come true. Do you want to make a few wishes later, Teacher Shen?”

These were just words to comfort children. If they truly worked, why would there be so many people still struggling in the world? Shen Ya secretly envied Qiao Xi’s innocence. She didn’t seem to sense a trace of worry from Qiao Xi, and that was precisely the life she most longed for but couldn’t attain.

Qiao Xi was fundamentally different from her. She had grown up in the sunlight since childhood, showered with boundless affection, naturally carefree and untroubled. Shen Ya, however, had never seen the light; even now, she was still entangled in thorns, struggling to hold on in the mud.

“Teacher Shen, why aren’t you saying anything?” Qiao Xi noticed the bitterness on Shen Ya’s face, but she didn’t point it out. Instead, she continued: “Does Teacher Shen think I’m too young, and that’s why you don’t believe what I say?”

With that statement, Shen Ya shot Qiao Xi a sidelong glance but remained silent. Yet, Qiao Xi was so enthusiastic that she seemed blind to the look, still clamoring in her ear: “Teacher Shen, just try! No one will know if you make a secret wish. Don’t be shy.”

Shen Ya couldn’t help but wonder how Jiang Yunxi, who highly favored peace and quiet, could have raised such a loud and noisy sister. She admonished Qiao Xi with a gentle rebuke: “Quiet.”

Qiao Xi immediately made the gesture of zipping her mouth shut again.

Shen Ya ignored Qiao Xi, raising her head to watch the breathtaking drone performance until the messages of blessing turned into a countdown sequence of numbers.

The surrounding people excitedly counted down aloud. When the clock struck midnight, the sound of human voices, like a heatwave, pushed the first burst of fireworks over the river into the sky.

Silver light shot toward the clouds, exploding with a ‘bang’ at its peak. The enormous firework turned into thousands of streaking meteors falling silently. One after another, fireworks bloomed in the air. The night sky transformed into a dazzling river of stars, so magnificent that people couldn’t tear their eyes away.

The word ‘wish’ appeared in Shen Ya’s mind as the fireworks blossomed. Her rationality told her that Qiao Xi’s words were nonsense, merely intended to cheer people up. Yet, her heart yearned for the possibility that this absurd notion might actually come true.

Without allowing herself more thought, she had already made a wish—or rather, it was a fantasy she had always held.

She wished that she could escape the grip of the thorns and also bask in the sunlight, just like Qiao Xi.

Shen Ya was captivated by the spectacular fireworks. Only when she realized that the burning gaze had been absent from her side for a while did she notice that Qiao Xi had, at some point, disappeared.

Her eyebrows furrowed tightly, and her face clouded over. She scanned the surroundings, searching for Qiao Xi’s figure. She didn’t know why the girl had left without a word, or if her earlier coldness had hurt Qiao Xi’s feelings.

If it were just that, it would be fine. She was only worried that Qiao Xi had met with an accident right under her nose. Shen Ya rummaged for her phone in her bag, then struggled to push through the crowd. She stepped down from the platform. Facing the dense sea of people, she didn’t know where to start looking for Qiao Xi.

She pressed the voice call button. A few seconds later, Qiao Xi hung up the call. It seems her coldness truly annoyed the other girl, Shen Ya thought.

“Excuse me, please, thank you.”

Not far away, a familiar voice sounded. Shen Ya looked up toward the source of the sound, only to see Qiao Xi, holding the lantern and the dog tanghulu in one hand, and a red, heart-shaped balloon from who knows where in the other, slowly making her way toward her through the crowd.

When Qiao Xi finally returned to Shen Ya’s side, before she could even speak, Shen Ya questioned her with a stern, worried face: “Where did you go, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Qiao Xi apologized hastily, a smile still on her face. “I saw Teacher Shen enjoying the fireworks, so I didn’t want to disturb you. Just then, I saw a woman selling balloons behind us, so I went to buy one.”

Having said that, she used the lantern and the dog tanghulu to nudge Shen Ya’s hand, coaxing: “Teacher Shen, can you hold these for me first?”

Shen Ya took the lantern and the dog, but couldn’t help but scold Qiao Xi again, “Do you know that…”

“I know.” Qiao Xi interrupted Shen Ya, then took her other hand and held it. The balloon string wrapped around Shen Ya’s wrist. “I made Teacher Shen worry. I’m sorry.”

Qiao Xi tied a neat bow, ensuring the balloon wouldn’t slip off Shen Ya’s wrist. She pointed to the balloon. Illuminated by the fireworks, her eyes looked like bright stars: “Happy New Year, Teacher Shen. Did you make a wish just now?”

Shen Ya’s gaze lifted slightly, and only then did she notice the four characters ‘Happy New Year’ printed on the balloon. The worry and reproach she felt earlier instantly turned into guilt.

“Is Teacher Shen still mad at me?” Qiao Xi took the lantern and the dog tanghulu back from Shen Ya’s hands. “For the sake of the New Year, can Teacher Shen forgive me this one time?”

Shen Ya remained silent. She simply didn’t know how to respond to such earnest enthusiasm. The balloon, tied to her hand, was light yet impossible to ignore. She realized that receiving a blessing just after the clock struck midnight brought such joy to her heart.

Seeing that Shen Ya didn’t answer, Qiao Xi looked distressed. After a brief thought, she spoke again: “Then, does Teacher Shen want to know what wish I made just now?”

The hook Qiao Xi cast was very tempting, so much so that even Shen Ya couldn’t resist the temptation. When their eyes met, Qiao Xi read Shen Ya’s curiosity. She smiled as brightly as the fireworks in the sky, and said something that surprised Shen Ya: “I just wished upon the fireworks that tonight, I could be taken in by Teacher Shen. I wonder if this wish can come true?”

“What?”

“Please, Teacher Shen, take me in. My sisters are both out; they’re planning to stay out all night. Going home alone would be too lonely. Can Teacher Shen take pity on me and bring me back with you?”

“You want to come home with me?”

Qiao Xi tapped the lantern and the dog tanghulu together as if pressing her hands together in prayer: “It’s okay if Teacher Shen has someone at home and it’s inconvenient.”

“I live alone; there’s no one else,” Shen Ya clarified.

“Then…”

“What if I don’t agree?”

“Well…” Qiao Xi shyly poked herself with the dog tanghulu: “It’s okay. I was the one who was presumptuous in the first place. How about I change my wish? The next time we meet, can Teacher Shen let me pay for the meal?”

Shen Ya countered with a question: “Can a wish be changed so casually?”

“Of course it can!” Qiao Xi smiled like a cunning little fox. She said: “You can’t have too many wishes. If one doesn’t work, just change it to another. One of them is bound to come true.”

Can a wish really be made so casually? It seemed she was still too conventional.

Shen Ya didn’t feel Qiao Xi was being presumptuous. Even when refused, Qiao Xi remained composed, which made Shen Ya focus on the word ‘lonely’. She knew too well the taste of loneliness, but her apartment had never hosted a second person besides Jiang Yunxi.

She and Qiao Xi were not exactly close. Agreeing to keep her company tonight was initially just because she was Jiang Yunxi’s sister. Furthermore, their subsequent interactions had been comfortable, which was why she went along with Qiao Xi’s silliness.

Just this level of comfort wasn’t enough for Shen Ya to agree to Qiao Xi’s request, but she understood better than anyone how loneliness could torment the body and soul. Looking at that bright, smiling face, she realized she didn’t want Qiao Xi to experience that feeling.

Qiao Xi had brought her so much tonight. The little lantern alone was enough for her to realize that moonlight could also warm the heart. She had never considered that she, too, had the qualification to fulfill someone else’s wish.

But…

“Teacher Shen, did I cause you trouble?” Qiao Xi noticed Shen Ya had fallen silent after she made that wish. Due to her childhood experiences, she was keenly aware of the emotional changes of those around her. Since she had affected Shen Ya’s mood, it was up to her to cheer the woman up again.

“Then, can Teacher Shen give me a chance to apologize?”

Shen Ya stared at Qiao Xi, wanting to see what else the girl could say.

Qiao Xi slightly stood on her tiptoes and leaned toward Shen Ya’s ear. She hummed a cheerful melody. Even when her breath occasionally faltered and the tune went slightly off-key, Qiao Xi made up for the imperfections with her sincerity.

This was a song hummed only for Shen Ya. The notes, woven together with the dazzling fireworks, created a memory belonging only to the two of them.

As the last note flowed into Shen Ya’s ear, Qiao Xi asked with a hint of flattery and a smile: “Can an apology like this make Teacher Shen forgive me?”

Shen Ya was not angry to begin with. She was only hesitating, thinking, and looking for a suitable excuse for the decision she wanted to make.

Was it too impulsive to take Qiao Xi, whom she had only met twice, back to her private residence? Furthermore, if Jiang Yunxi found out about this, would she suspect Shen Ya had an ulterior motive? But it was past midnight now. The night was deep, and with the crowds and chaos, she couldn’t bring herself to let Qiao Xi leave alone.

That’s right. For safety reasons, she should ensure Qiao Xi’s security. That gave her a perfectly reasonable excuse to bring her home.

“Alright.”

“What?” Qiao Xi tilted her head, not understanding the meaning of Shen Ya’s single word.

Shen Ya explained again: “Didn’t you ask me to take you in? I said alright.”

She watched Qiao Xi’s expression progress from a slight smile to unrestrained laughter. Her mouth seemed to stretch wide toward her ears. Her body was suddenly embraced, and the fresh scent of youth wafted over her. Qiao Xi cried out excitedly in her ear: “I knew Teacher Shen was a beautiful and kind living Bodhisattva!”

There she goes again. The little rogue always managed to blurt out such absurd compliments so easily.