Secret Lover Who Stealthily Fell in Love with My Older Sister - Extra Chapter 125

Extra

Chapter 125: Daily Life (Part 2 – Chen Xi related content…)

Since Jiang Yunyi was discharged from the hospital after the car accident, she was no longer allowed to live alone. Jiang Zhilin and Yan Xun gave her two choices.

1. 1. Move back home. There was a nanny who could take care of her daily life, and the elders could be aware of her physical condition at any time.

1. 1. She could move in with Jiang Yunxi and the others in the apartment opposite Jianglan University. This way, someone could keep an eye on her, and everyone would be relieved.

Jiang Yunyi didn’t want to choose either option. She was used to living alone and didn’t want to be watched like a criminal. However, she knew this was the kindness of her family. After all, the cause of her headache had not yet been found, and everyone in the family was worried about her health.

To ease her family’s concerns, Jiang Yunyi contacted a real estate agent and rented an apartment in the same building where Qiao Xi and the others lived.

It was 601, right above Qiao Xi and Shen Ya’s apartment. Every day when she went out for work, someone would accompany her. Even Qiao Xi became her shadow; whenever she wasn’t busy, she would go to Jiang Yunyi’s company to help out and then drive her home.

Living together, the younger generation was lively every day, and life went on. Jiang Yunyi’s headache remained unresolved.

Another year’s College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) ended. It was the summer holiday, and Qiao Xi received a message from Chen Xi. Only then did she remember that Chen Xi took the Gaokao this year. Checking the time, it happened to be the day the results were released.

Shen Ya was at work today, and Qiao Xi was home alone. Chen Xi sent a simple message: [Sister Qiao Xi, are you busy? Can I bother you now?]

Qiao Xi guessed that Chen Xi probably had something important to tell her, so she called her.

When the call connected, the other side was quiet. Not a sound could be heard. Qiao Xi waited for a while, but Chen Xi didn’t speak. Qiao Xi tentatively called out, “Chen Xi?”

At that moment, muffled sobs began to leak out.

Qiao Xi immediately stood up: “What’s wrong? What happened? Teacher Shen is at work, and I’m alone now. You can tell me anything. Where are you? I can come to you.”

“Sister Qiao Xi, I… I didn’t do well on the exam. Am I not going to have a college to attend?”

She didn’t know Chen Xi’s scores and hadn’t had a chance to ask before. Ever since Shen Qiuyu had a change of heart, they hadn’t contacted Shen Ya much, so Qiao Xi was even less aware of Chen Xi’s situation.

During the Chinese New Year, such a major incident happened in the Shen family, and Chen Xi must have been affected. And she herself was busy falling in love with Shen Ya at the time and completely forgot about Chen Xi.

She blamed herself. After all, Chen Xi was like a half-sister to her. She had always been the youngest in her family and had never been an older sister. Qiao Xi sighed inwardly: “Send me your address. I’m coming to find you now.”

Chen Xi had no one else to contact. She knew Shen Ya didn’t like her or her mother. A lot had happened recently. She thought she could handle the pressure, but ultimately, she was not Shen Ya, and she realized the gap between herself and Shen Ya was huge.

After checking her results, she left home. She didn’t dare tell Shen Qiuyu. She felt useless. Growing up, her life had been relatively smooth, and Shen Qiuyu indulged her every request, but what about her? She messed up everything.

Chen Xi had nowhere to go, so she rented a small private room at an internet café.

When Qiao Xi pushed open the door and saw the canned beer on the computer desk, she frowned. Qiao Xi had never been to an internet café in her life. She didn’t know if Chen Xi was over 18, but regardless, getting drunk in a place like this could easily lead to danger.

“Are you okay?” Qiao Xi walked up to the gaming chair and grabbed Chen Xi’s wrist. “Come with me.”

Chen Xi had only drunk half a can of beer, which wasn’t enough to make her drunk. But when she looked up, tears stained her entire face. With red eyes and a choked voice, she asked, “Sister Qiao Xi, I won’t have a school to go to. What should I do?”

Qiao Xi sighed: “What was your score?”

Chen Xi sniffled: “Maybe just enough for a vocational college. My previous scores could have gotten me into a university, but this time…”

“Then do you want to attend a vocational college?”

Chen Xi shook her head.

“Then repeat the year. You have a chance with one year’s time. It’s too early to cry now.” Qiao Xi used a little force to pull Chen Xi up from the chair: “Crying here won’t solve the problem. Or do you not even have the courage to repeat the year?”

“I…” Chen Xi squeezed out two more tears. She had thought about repeating, but she didn’t have the courage to tell Shen Qiuyu.

“What are you afraid of?” Qiao Xi released Chen Xi’s hand, pulled the other chair in the room, and sat in front of Chen Xi: “You dare not tell Teacher Shen, and you dare not tell your mother, right?”

Chen Xi lowered her head and nodded softly.

“You have to face it, even if you are afraid. As long as you have a plan, as long as you have an idea, don’t be afraid of failure. I think even if your mother knows you didn’t do well this time, she will support you in repeating for another year to try again.” Qiao Xi said gently: “Actually, you want to tell Teacher Shen, right? You want to repeat your studies where Teacher Shen works, correct?”

Chen Xi nodded again.

“I know. After all, the place where Teacher Shen works is famous in Jianglan City. Are you afraid Teacher Shen won’t be willing to teach you?”

This time, Chen Xi didn’t have to nod again. Qiao Xi showed a smile: “What’s there to be afraid of? Teacher Shen is very easy to talk to. You are her sister. If you don’t try to tell her your thoughts, how do you know she will definitely refuse you?”

Qiao Xi checked her watch: “Let’s go. Before Teacher Shen finishes work, I’ll take you over to audit a class.”

Chen Xi looked up, tears still there, but a hint of hope appeared in her eyes: “C-Can I?”

“Of course. Let’s go. Any later, and it will be too late.”

Qiao Xi successfully brought Chen Xi out of the internet café. As soon as they got into the car, Qiao Xi asked the driver for tissues. She had left in a hurry today and hadn’t brought anything. After taking the tissues, she handed them to Chen Xi and told her to wipe her tears.

Chen Xi didn’t speak the entire way. It was clear she was nervous and scared. Qiao Xi held her hand and patted the back of it to offer comfort.

When they arrived at Shen Ya’s workplace, Chen Xi wanted to back out again. Of course, Qiao Xi wouldn’t let her run away at the last minute. She first led Chen Xi into a nearby coffee shop and told her: “Teacher Shen usually comes here to buy coffee, since this is the only coffee shop nearby. We should bring her a cup. What would you like to drink? My treat.”

“I’ll pass,” Chen Xi nervously fiddled with her fingers. “Let me buy my sister coffee.”

“That works too.”

“Then, then Sister Qiao Xi, what would you like?”

“A latte is fine. Buy one for yourself too. Otherwise, Teacher Shen might think I bullied you,” Qiao Xi said jokingly.

After hearing this, Chen Xi bought one for herself as well.

There weren’t many people at the moment, so they didn’t have to wait long to get their three drinks. Qiao Xi only took hers, letting Chen Xi carry the other two.

As they stepped through the doors of the training institution, Chen Xi slowed her pace and hid behind Qiao Xi, her eyes darting around, seemingly afraid of being seen by anyone.

Qiao Xi expertly led Chen Xi to the classroom where Shen Ya was teaching. Although the door was closed, they could clearly see the scene inside through the window. Shen Ya apparently noticed her immediately. A flash of surprise passed, but she remained calm and composed, continuing her lecture at the podium.

Qiao Xi smiled at Shen Ya, then reached out and pulled Chen Xi toward the front desk.

She remembered that auditing classes was allowed here. She found the consultation staff at the front desk. After a brief conversation, upon learning that Chen Xi was Shen Ya’s biological sister, the staff led them back to Shen Ya’s classroom.

The lecture was temporarily paused. Shen Ya walked out of the classroom. She saw Chen Xi beside Qiao Xi and immediately put on a stern expression, but Qiao Xi held her wrist: “I brought Chen Xi here to audit the class. I’ll explain later.”

Shen Ya only nodded and didn’t say much.

Knowing Chen Xi was nervous, Qiao Xi naturally went in to audit the class with her. They sat in the back row. Shen Ya returned to the podium, closed her book, picked it up, and came back to their table.

She placed the textbook flat in front of Chen Xi. Shen Ya lowered her voice and said: “Since you’re here, don’t get distracted. If I find your mind wandering, you’ll have to leave.”

Chen Xi tensed up. She didn’t dare make eye contact with Shen Ya, only nodding and quickly flipping open the textbook.

Afterward, Shen Ya found her paper and a pen. Seeing that Chen Xi was focused, her gaze shifted to Qiao Xi beside her.

Qiao Xi mouthed words to Shen Ya: Teacher Shen has such a strong presence. I love it.

Shen Ya understood. And precisely because she understood, she turned her back and quickly walked away. However, her reddened ear tips couldn’t escape Qiao Xi’s sight.

Qiao Xi didn’t interrupt Shen Ya’s class, nor did she interrupt Chen Xi’s auditing. She rested her chin on her hand, her gaze following Shen Ya. Since she had said those words, the other person hadn’t made eye contact with her again.

Qiao Xi sighed inwardly. Teacher Shen was really easily flustered when she was at work.

They had entered halfway, and the half-hour class passed quickly. When the class ended, Chen Xi was still copying the content from the blackboard. Shen Ya was already walking towards Qiao Xi with her belongings.

Just as Shen Ya stopped, Chen Xi finally finished copying.

She still felt nervous meeting Shen Ya’s gaze, but Qiao Xi quickly pulled her up. She hadn’t had a chance to give Shen Ya the coffee during the class. Now, she nudged Chen Xi’s arm, prompting her with her eyes.

“Oh, oh, oh, this… this is the coffee I just bought for you, Sis.” Chen Xi held it up with both hands, respectfully presenting it to Shen Ya.

Shen Ya took a deep breath, then heavily exhaled. She still accepted the coffee Chen Xi bought: “Let’s go. We’ll talk in my office.”

Qiao Xi sipped her latte and followed Shen Ya. Chen Xi walked behind, carrying Shen Ya’s books. There were other teachers in the office. Shen Ya let Qiao Xi sit in her seat. She pulled a chair from a colleague and sat down, completely forgetting to offer Chen Xi a seat.

Chen Xi was a student after all, and she didn’t feel anything was wrong with standing in front of her teacher, even if that teacher was her biological sister.

“Speak, what’s going on?”

Shen Ya knew that Chen Xi must have a very serious, unresolved issue to contact Qiao Xi.

“I, I…” Chen Xi was so scared by Shen Ya’s tone that she clutched the hem of her clothes. With the dual identity of sister and teacher, she was even more unsure how to speak.

“Go ahead, it’s okay. Teacher Shen won’t bite,” Qiao Xi encouraged Chen Xi.

The joke helped Chen Xi relax a little. Now that she was standing in front of Shen Ya, she couldn’t miss this opportunity: “I failed the Gaokao. I… I want to repeat the year.”

Shen Ya wasn’t surprised. Today was the day Gaokao results were released. Their institution had already received many parents today. Although she was teaching high school sophomores, she had spoken with several groups of parents during her break this morning.

Chen Xi being here today had no other reason than wanting to repeat.

Shen Ya asked: “Did Shen Qiuyu send you?”

Chen Xi shook her head: “I haven’t told her my score.” When talking about this, Chen Xi looked troubled. She held back her words, unsure whether she should speak.

“Just say what you need to say,” Shen Ya said coldly.

“A-Actually, my father had an accident shortly after the New Year.”

“Hmm?”

Chen Xi’s eyes turned red again. “Mom was discussing a divorce with him at the time. My dad seemed to be fighting with Mom over property. After a huge argument, he went out drinking. The next day, someone called Mom and said my dad suddenly died on the side of the road that night.”

“The police investigated and ruled out murder. He just drank himself dizzy and was walking on the road when he suddenly died.” Chen Xi wanted to tell Shen Ya at the time, but Shen Qiuyu stopped her. She continued: “Mom didn’t let me tell you. She said she didn’t want to bother you, so she handled it herself. After Dad died, the woman who was pregnant with his child showed up, and Mom and I found out that she had also been deceived.”

“Dad and the matchmaker lied to her, saying Dad was already divorced. That auntie came from the matchmaker’s village. She didn’t doubt it and believed Dad’s words. Dad even made a fake marriage certificate to deceive her. When the auntie found out, she cried and pleaded to abort the child, but Mom stopped her.”

“The auntie was quite heavily pregnant then, and the due date was very near. Aborting it would hurt her body too much. Besides, the child is innocent. Mom persuaded her to live well with the child in the future, saying she didn’t need to rely on anyone to get by.”

Chen Xi secretly glanced at Shen Ya again at this point: “Previously, Dad just rented a house for this auntie to live in. Now that Dad is dead, the auntie is ashamed to go back to her village. She wanted to ask Mom where there was a suitable place for her to work and earn money to raise the child. When Mom found out, she took her in. Now the auntie has given birth. It’s a girl. Mom also let the auntie help out at her store, paying her a monthly salary, and the rent is covered by household chores.”

After hearing this, Qiao Xi and Shen Ya exchanged a glance. So much had happened in the Shen family during this time. No wonder Chen Xi’s grades plummeted and she didn’t do well on the exam. Shen Ya’s feelings were complicated. She hadn’t expected Shen Qiuyu’s transformation to be so significant. But even so, she had no intention of going back and interacting with Shen Qiuyu.

However, Chen Xi was her sister after all, and she hadn’t done anything wrong. Since she was willing to change for the better now, Shen Ya was willing to help her.

“I will talk to Shen Qiuyu about you taking classes here. That being said, if I find your mind is not focused on studying, I won’t help you again.”

Chen Xi originally thought Shen Ya wouldn’t care about her. She was overjoyed that the outcome exceeded her expectations and dared to hold Shen Ya’s hand, saying, “Thank you, Sis, thank you, Sis.”

Shen Ya stared at the hand, but eventually didn’t shake it off.

“Oh, I happen to be quite free during the holidays. Would you like to stay at our place for a while? This way, even when you’re not in class, Teacher Shen and I can tutor you privately at home,” Qiao Xi said with a smile, holding her latte: “Since you’re asking Teacher Shen to teach you, we should aim high. How about Jianglan University? Come be my junior next year.”

“This…” Chen Xi didn’t even dare to dream of that. Even if she studied day and night, she might not be able to get into Jianglan University.

“Giving up before you even start?” Qiao Xi continued to encourage Chen Xi: “You need a high goal to have motivation. What are you afraid of? You still have Teacher Shen and me. Don’t worry. We’ll go back to your place to pack your luggage later. I’ll treat you to a good dinner tonight. It’s just a poor exam result; it’s not the end of the world. Just try harder and start over.”

After Shen Ya finished work, she called Shen Qiuyu. The other party was very surprised and spoke cautiously, even with a hint of flattery. After learning about Chen Xi, Shen Qiuyu said: “I’ll listen to whatever you say, Mom will pack her luggage now. I’ll transfer the tuition fees to you. Let me know how much it is.”

Shen Ya didn’t respond to that question but said: “I heard you have one more person living at your house now.”

“Ah, yes. Sigh, she’s a poor soul too.”

“Leave Chen Xi to me. You handle your own affairs. Alright, I’ll send her back to pick up her luggage later.” Seeing Shen Qiuyu’s attitude, Shen Ya’s tone also softened.

“Then, would you like to stay for dinner? Mom will go grocery shopping.”

“Maybe next time,” Shen Ya was still not entirely comfortable interacting with Shen Qiuyu. Even though the other party had changed, she still couldn’t completely forgive her for how she treated her when she was a child.

Although Shen Ya didn’t mention the tutoring fee, Shen Qiuyu still transferred a sum of money to Shen Ya. Over the years, she had been thrifty, and the small convenience store she opened had also earned her some money. Raising Chen Xi alone was no longer a problem.

Shen Ya looked at the transfer but hesitated for a long time, unable to press the “receive” button. Finally, Qiao Xi spotted it and quickly pressed “accept.”

Shen Ya was startled and turned to look at Qiao Xi.

“Oops, my hand was fast,” Qiao Xi apologized verbally, but her eyes didn’t show it. “Since your mother gave you the money, just take it. Why does Teacher Shen have an issue with money?”

Watching Chen Xi filling out the enrollment forms at the front, Qiao Xi said to Shen Ya: “Will Teacher Shen blame me for taking the liberty of letting her stay?”

Shen Ya shook her head.

“I know Teacher Shen has her own thoughts, but I can also see that Teacher Shen is very soft-hearted. Chen Xi was young back then and didn’t know better, and what she did wasn’t something she could decide. Now she is willing to change and is already changing. Teacher Shen wants to help her, right?”

Qiao Xi took Shen Ya’s hand: “Ever since Sister Yunyi’s accident, I’ve been thinking that in this life, no one knows when an accident might strike. We certainly could choose to ignore Chen Xi, but I don’t want Teacher Shen to regret it one day. If Chen Xi is obedient and good, Teacher Shen might as well treat her as an investment. We teach her well. In the future, she can follow the right path, and we can be completely at ease, right, Teacher Shen?”

Qiao Xi suddenly became very mature. She usually showed a childish side, but now she could stand in front of her, providing support and reassurance.

She indeed couldn’t completely ignore Chen Xi. Qiao Xi was right. She should look forward. She had already received the warmth of a family. Now, she could also bring warmth to her own sister.

Shen Qiuyu’s house now had a newborn baby, and Chen Xi would definitely be affected if she stayed there. Shen Ya and Qiao Xi shared the same idea: have Chen Xi move in for a year. After the Gaokao next year, she could live on campus once she started university. Furthermore, at their place, they could monitor Chen Xi’s study progress at any time.

And so, Chen Xi, filled with unease and apprehension, moved into Shen Ya and Qiao Xi’s home.