Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Life with Shen Ya is…

Life with Shen Ya was blissful. Without the harassment of others, Qiao Xi would only get out of bed after she was fully rested. Shen Ya wanted to prepare and keep food warm for her in advance, but Qiao Xi refused. Shen Ya was her beloved, and how could she constantly enjoy the other person’s care without giving anything in return?

So, while Shen Ya was at work, Qiao Xi would clean the house and time her departure to pick Shen Ya up from work. On Shen Ya’s days off, they would go out on dates, walk hand-in-hand in the crowd, chatting and laughing, or sit in the movie theater eating the same bucket of popcorn, exchanging smiles when their fingers accidentally brushed against each other in the dark.

Happy days are always fleeting. In the blink of an eye, the start of the school term approached, and Qiao Xi had to consider facing the family reunion.

It’s said that couples who live together for a long time develop a telepathic connection. Even though Qiao Xi hadn’t said anything, Shen Ya proactively asked her after dinner tonight: “Xiao Xi, when are you planning to go home for a visit?”

Qiao Xi was leaning against Shen Ya, playing a game. Staring at the large screen, her fingers pressed the controller buttons, manipulating the character on the screen. She was focused but could multitask, replying to Shen Ya while fighting the boss: “Teacher Shen, are you getting annoyed with me and trying to kick me out?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Shen Ya hugged Qiao Xi with one arm, raising the other to pinch Qiao Xi’s ear: “Xiao Xi, you know Jiang Yunxi and your family better than I do. You can certainly hide here now and not face them, but once you go back to school, Jiang Yunxi and Fang Moyao might immediately come looking for you.”

Qiao Xi knew this. Her two sisters had contacted her during this time, but she had fended them off by saying she was still angry. She could lie freely without seeing them, but if her sisters truly came, they would immediately expose her lies.

The matter needed to be resolved eventually. She was just afraid that once she went back, she wouldn’t be able to come and see Shen Ya anymore, which was why she was still avoiding it in these last few days.

“If you’re scared, should I go back with you?”

Qiao Xi was a beat slow on the joystick. Her character on the screen failed to dodge a big move from the boss, and her health bar quickly dropped. Qiao Xi didn’t immediately respond. The living room was quickly left with only the faint sounds of the controller buttons.

The health dropped, but Qiao Xi used a bottle of blood-replenishing potion. She focused on controlling her character, and after executing a beautiful combo, the boss fell to the ground and couldn’t get back up.

Qiao Xi opened the settings and saved the game. She put down the controller, turned around, and straddled Shen Ya’s lap: “Although I really want to bring Teacher Shen home, let me face this alone this time. After everything is sorted out, I’ll bring Teacher Shen home.”

Afraid Shen Ya might overthink it, Qiao Xi immediately added: “As for Boss Fang, I’ll have to trouble Teacher Shen to accompany me. After all, I did take a bottle of her wine, and I’m afraid she won’t be able to resist hitting me when she sees me.”

Shen Ya’s brow relaxed, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She pinched Qiao Xi’s nose: “So you know Fang Moyao might not be able to resist hitting you.”

“Well, I was angry at the time! Besides, if she wants to acknowledge me, she should show some sincerity, right? What’s wrong with me taking a bottle of her wine?” Qiao Xi mumbled: “I even broke several bottles of Doctor Jiang’s good wine when I was little, and Doctor Jiang endured it without being fierce to me. If Fang Moyao wants to be my sister, what’s wrong with her indulging me a little?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been chatting with Fang Moyao these past two days. She’s been subtly asking a lot about you, wanting to know how you are and if you’re still angry.”

“Really?” Qiao Xi held onto Shen Ya’s shoulders, her eyes sparkling with curiosity: “What did Teacher Shen tell her?”

“I said…” Shen Ya deliberately prolonged her voice to keep her guessing. Seeing Qiao Xi’s eyes widen and her ears perk up like a little rabbit intently staring at her, she raised her hand, pinched Qiao Xi’s face, and then said: “Qiao Xi is still angry.”

“Pff…” A clear laugh rang out. Qiao Xi hugged Shen Ya’s neck and rubbed her face against Shen Ya’s ear: “Teacher Shen, you’re so mean, tricking Boss Fang like that. Won’t Boss Fang seek revenge when she finds out?”

“No.”

Qiao Xi straightened up, puzzled: “Is Teacher Shen so sure?”

“Of course.” Shen Ya pressed the back of Qiao Xi’s head, pulling her closer. Their lips gently touched, and Shen Ya continued: “Because I’m hiding her little sister, she wouldn’t dare seek revenge on me.”

Shen Ya had definitely changed. Where was this lively and cunning side of her before? Since their distance became zero in the bathroom last time, Shen Ya seemed to have an internal button switched on. She was still cool and distant to the outside world, but facing Qiao Xi, she was a completely different, bold and open person.

Qiao Xi was completely defenseless against this contrast. She realized that an active Shen Ya brought her so many surprises. As their relationship progressed, her dependence on Shen Ya also deepened. It seemed that just seeing Shen Ya every day made her happy.

“Speaking of which, did Xiao Xi buy anything from Boss Fang?”

“No.” Qiao Xi denied: “She wouldn’t even charge me rent, how could she sell anything to me?”

Shen Ya had been observing Qiao Xi’s expression. She initially thought Qiao Xi was too embarrassed to say, but seeing her serious look, it didn’t seem like an act. Could she have guessed wrong?

No, if it wasn’t Qiao Xi, Fang Moyao would never have deliberately told her this that night. A silver light flashed in her mind, immediately straightening out her cluttered thoughts. Qiao Xi might not even know that Fangzui was related to Blank. The person who incited Qiao Xi to buy something might not be Fang Moyao but Zhou Ziqian.

If she thought about it that way, many things made sense. Qiao Xi was always cautious of Fang Moyao. She remembered Qiao Xi asking her about her favorite projects at Blank before. If she remembered correctly, Qiao Xi ended up chatting with Zhou Ziqian that day.

“Xiao Xi, do you know the shop Fangzui?”

Hearing the name, Qiao Xi’s expression immediately changed. Even though she quickly composed herself the next second, she was too close to Shen Ya, and no subtle change escaped Shen Ya’s notice.

Everything was clear.

“It was Zhou Ziqian who told you about this shop, wasn’t it?”

Qiao Xi still tried to deny it: “What Fangzui? I don’t know.”

Shen Ya smiled and pinched Qiao Xi’s nose: “Fangzui and Blank have the same boss. It’s named after a homophone of Fang Moyao’s and Zhou Ziqian’s names. Rather than saying Blank is their side business, in reality, Fangzui is their true side business. In the beginning, Fang Moyao would hand-make leather products herself. Later, when Fangzui grew, they set up a small factory for mass production. Fangzui is divided into member and non-member versions. Zhou Ziqian tricked you into registering for the member version. Isn’t Xiao Xi curious whose member number it is?”

As Shen Ya’s words reached Qiao Xi’s ears one by one, Qiao Xi’s face visibly paled. She had never suspected this. Thinking back now, no wonder Zhou Ziqian could accurately recite a string of numbers, skillfully introduce her to the Fangzui shop, and wear a meaningful smile after she placed an order.

She was tricked by these two again!

If that was the case, didn’t that mean everything she bought was seen by Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian?!

She was finished. Qiao Xi covered her face with both hands. She quickly got off Shen Ya’s lap and curled up next to the coffee table, looking like she was about to shatter.

Since Shen Ya was asking her, it must be because Fang Moyao wanted revenge for the stolen wine and told Shen Ya about this. And this Fang Moyao still wanted to be her sister? Dream on!

Every time Qiao Xi was so shy that she didn’t dare face her, Shen Ya couldn’t help but laugh, but today, even though her urge to laugh was strong, she covered her mouth and tried desperately to swallow her laughter.

Holding back her laugh, Shen Ya moved next to Qiao Xi. She rubbed Qiao Xi’s head: “I haven’t seen you take out any packages these past few days. Have you not opened them yet?”

Qiao Xi didn’t want to answer, but since she’d been exposed, wouldn’t hiding it make Shen Ya laugh at her even more? She had bought them initially to use with Shen Ya. Since Shen Ya brought it up herself, why not take the step she was offered?

She uncovered her face, turned her head, and nodded, looking aggrieved and pathetic.

“Should we take them out and open them together?”

At this point, the only thing to do was open them. Qiao Xi resignedly stood up and walked toward her studio. To avoid being discovered by Shen Ya, she had deliberately hidden the package. But she was wrong; Shen Ya would never enter her studio without her permission, so the package had been left in the cabinet until today.

Tearing open the outer express box revealed a black box with the words Fangzui and the logo printed on it. The box wasn’t small. She remembered not buying many items, but when she opened the lid, she found it filled with things that made her blush.

A tassel-shaped paddle, a heart-shaped small leather slapper, a color-changing paw-shaped leather slapper, and cute small toys, plus cat ears, a cat tail, handcuffs, and even a bone-shaped item…

The more things she took out, the more Qiao Xi’s hands trembled. She could already feel Shen Ya’s meaningful gaze on her.

It wasn’t until she took out the last item—a set of very skimpy clothes—that Qiao Xi pointed at the pile of items on the table and exclaimed: “I didn’t buy this!!”

Shen Ya looked at her, smiling faintly, and nodded, saying “Mm.”

The obvious disbelief was practically etched on Shen Ya’s face. Qiao Xi had been shy just now, but now she was turning into angry embarrassment. She jumped up from the carpet. To prove her innocence, she took out her phone, opened her past purchase history, and thrust the phone into Shen Ya’s hand:

“I only bought these three things! The others are not mine!”

Even without Qiao Xi’s self-justification, Shen Ya actually believed her. Fang Moyao and Zhou Ziqian definitely added things they found amusing to watch a joke unfold. Qiao Xi didn’t know them and was tricked into placing the order. She had completely become the couple’s new source of amusement.

The only things Qiao Xi bought were the small cat paw slapper, the cat ears, and the furry handcuffs. She probably thought they were cute and added them to the shopping cart.

Shen Ya picked up the small cat paw slapper from the table: “Xiao Xi, do you want to know how these things are used?”

Watching Shen Ya grip the cat paw slapper and tap it on her own palm, Qiao Xi’s heart also felt as if it had been grabbed and tapped by Shen Ya. Zhou Ziqian’s phrase, “Sister’s goods are good,” echoed in her ear once more. She had no way to refuse Shen Ya’s invitation.

After showering, Qiao Xi sat on the bed, studying the cat paw slapper. She glanced discreetly towards the bathroom, then gripped the slapper and gently tapped her own arm.

Perhaps she wasn’t using enough force, but it didn’t hurt at all when she hit herself. It was neither ticklish nor numb. What was so fun about this slapper?

A scent drifted into Qiao Xi’s nose, and footsteps were approaching. Qiao Xi quickly put the slapper aside, but she didn’t have time to pick up her phone to pretend to be busy. Shen Ya caught her red-handed, so she lowered her head, her ears flushed.

The other end of the bed dipped slightly. A long, slender arm reached out to Qiao Xi. She was pulled closer and ended up straddling Shen Ya’s lap. Without any time to prepare, Shen Ya pressed the back of her head and kissed her slightly damp lips.

The scent of citrus was strong, and she felt enveloped by it. As Shen Ya pried open her lips and teeth, her butt was lightly yet firmly smacked.

Faint whimpers escaped her mouth. Although she felt nothing just now, the cat paw slapper being held by Shen Ya and hitting her body made half of her body go numb.

Qiao Xi gripped Shen Ya’s thin silk sleep dress tightly. Even though she tried not to touch it, her fingertips accidentally brushed against that soft spot.

“Xiao Xi keeps calling me Teacher Shen, so today, I’ll be your teacher for once.” The cat paw slapper was used by Shen Ya to rub back and forth on Qiao Xi’s waist: “However, if you don’t learn well, there will be a punishment.”

Shen Ya adopted her assertive classroom demeanor. Qiao Xi’s face was flushed, her eyes filled with unconcealed excitement, anticipation, and shyness. The young girl was full of passion. She swallowed, asking knowingly: “Punishment for what?”

The cat paw landed on Qiao Xi’s buttock once more, this time with a little more force. It didn’t hurt, but it tickled so much that Qiao Xi instinctively wanted to scratch. But the moment her hand moved, it was caught by Shen Ya’s other hand: “Punishment for this.”

Her heart beat fiercely. The caught hand was forcefully pressed against the other person’s abdomen: “Teacher Shen is going to teach you now. Look at me and learn seriously.”

Shen Ya’s fingers slipped from the back of her hand into her interlocked fingers, then led her palm slowly upwards from the abdomen. Even through the clothes, she could feel the outline underneath. Perhaps it was precisely because there was still a layer that the anticipation grew stronger.

For a moment, she was distracted. Her butt was tapped again. She saw Shen Ya open her mouth and silently mouth two words: Kiss me.

These two words transformed into silk threads wrapping around Qiao Xi’s neck, leading her towards Shen Ya. Their noses gently brushed, and their lips tightly pressed together.

Qiao Xi closed her eyes. She felt as if she was back in the past, learning to draw. The teacher would hold the hand she used to hold the pen, whispering softly near her ear.

Under the teacher’s guidance, the paintbrush depicted mountains and rivers, and then, carried by an unseen wind, was swept into the jungle. The brush tip landed on a peach tree. Unfortunately, the peach tree only had green leaves and had not yet produced delicious fruit.

But it didn’t matter. Her pen could always draw sweet peaches. She repeatedly outlined the shape of the peaches on the tree. At first, she couldn’t grasp the knack and was punished several times before finding the trick.

The pink peaches were fragrant and delicious, making her linger and draw a few more.

But the teacher wouldn’t let her only focus on drawing peaches. Her pen traveled through the peach orchard, and the view suddenly opened up. As she approached, she felt the refreshing sweetness of a clear spring. A waterfall hidden in the woods cascaded down under her pen, and the pleasant chirping of birds echoed through the forest.

A slightly immature painting was the answer sheet Qiao Xi submitted. Just as she was eagerly anticipating her teacher’s score, a few drops of ink dripped onto her fingertips.