Chapter 24: A Premeditated Whim

Scooping Ji Yuqin up by the waist, Qian Xidong steeled her resolve, pushing past her mental barriers as she carried the displeased woman down the stairs.

Her face remained impassive, just as it had been upon their arrival. Qian Surou and Ji Yushu, who had been chatting amiably, simultaneously cast their gazes towards the staircase.

Qian Xidong softly called out, “Sister,” then nonchalantly deposited Ji Yuqin onto a seat.

***

Candor, it seemed, was the most perfect disguise.

Ji Yushu flicked a glance at Qian Surou, who, in turn, subtly met her gaze.

Though approaching it from entirely different perspectives, their thoughts converged with surprising unanimity: neither would acknowledge the shift between the two younger women.

Ji Yuqin witnessed this silent exchange, feeling her hot blood surge wildly through her veins.

What information had they truly exchanged in that fleeting glance?

Did her sister already know about the intimacy between her and Qian Xidong?

Why were they saying nothing?

To what extent had their suspicions and thoughts progressed?

The unhidden mark on her neck suddenly burned, a brand like evidence of disloyalty, brazenly displayed before the one she cherished.

Despite the tumultuous emotions swirling within her, she still played along with Qian Xidong’s silent charade, expressing gratitude to both sisters for their various attentions during the meal, then gazed with a troubled frown at the small, white, food-laden bowl before her.

The expression reflected in the creamy white soup was not as tense as she had imagined.

The two elder sisters began discussing university life.

Ji Yushu mentioned she would rent a dorm room, though she would primarily come home to take care of herself, eager to experience living with roommates.

Qian Surou, on the other hand, would not live on campus, playfully remarking that she intended to get an early taste of life as a single working professional, and invited Ji Yushu to visit whenever she had the chance.

There was no annoyance, no teasing, no excessive scrutiny, no suppressed words.

Only genuine concern.

Ji Yuqin realized she had also received an invitation.

In truth, for Qian Surou and Ji Yushu, neither of whom had ever been in a romantic relationship and were constantly preoccupied with various matters, hickeys were entirely outside their realm of knowledge.

As long as the marks weren’t overly exaggerated, even if attributed to mosquito bites, neither of them would harbor any suspicion.

Ji Yushu, who had finished her meal quickly, clapped her hands together lightly and rose to her feet.

“Would you two like to stay the night?”

Outside the window, the amber glow of artistic streetlights illuminated the scene.

Night had fully displaced the twilight, and stars twinkled in the sky, hinting at the remarkably clear evening air.

The hands of the small bird-shaped clock on the wall were nearing seven o’clock.

“Perhaps another time—”

Qian Surou, who had initially considered staying, declined the offer, fearing a sleeping arrangement where she would be in the guest room while Xidong and Yuqin shared a single room.

She refused with a smile, then handed her empty cup to the standing Ji Yushu.

“I’ll have a glass of warm water, little shop assistant.”

“No problem, Chef Qian.”

“You should be careful, I might harass you with my authority!”

“I can’t help it. You can touch my ponytail. But the price is, you have to come over and cook a meal next time. If I don’t eat Susu’s cooking once a month, I’ll die.”

“Hmph, hmph, come eat at my place. You’re not allowed to leave until you’ve finished everything!”

Ji Yushu did not press them to stay; the two readily improvised a playful skit, aiming to lighten what they perceived as a somewhat subdued dining atmosphere.

Their tacit cooperation brought a sense of relief to Ji Yushu.

‘Good, everything was as it used to be.’

The evening’s conclusion felt somewhat incomplete; watching Susu’s retreating figure, Ji Yushu felt a pang of loneliness.

Ji Yushu was unsure if the feelings in her heart could truly be equated with love.

Yet, she found herself unable to ignore that day’s confession. If Susu had called out something other than “Xiao Ji,” even a simple “I like you,” she would have undoubtedly agreed.

However, there were no “ifs”.

To be a deceiver yet lack the talent for deception, unable even to fool herself—it was truly a monumental failure.

***

Qian Surou located the electric scooter they had parked earlier and rode alongside Qian Xidong.

Though not a single word was exchanged between them throughout the journey, this silence hardly meant they could freely indulge in the evening breeze.

The events of the evening remained vividly etched in Qian Surou’s mind, leaving her at a loss for how to begin a conversation.

As they neared their residential complex, spotting a brightly lit convenience store, an idea sparked within her.

“Xidong, I’m craving a popsicle.”

Qian Xidong applied the brakes, which hissed softly.

“You’ll get fat, you know.”

Qian Surou, half-coaxing and half-forcing, took Qian Xidong’s wrist.

She murmured about how the era of thinness being beauty was over, asserting that one should aspire to be a plump and curvy older sister, all while, with seemingly premeditated ease, producing a children’s stamp collection card from her wallet.

Her sister’s declaration to attract young girls struck Qian Xidong as rather lamentable, yet she couldn’t help but crack a faint smile.

“If one needed to be photogenic, then thinness was indeed beauty, otherwise, the pictures wouldn’t turn out well,” Qian Xidong countered, subtly undermining her sister’s statement.

“It doesn’t matter, I don’t like taking photos anyway.

You wouldn’t believe it, the school is plastered with my ID photos, it’s super embarrassing.

Xidong, don’t you think my face looks huge on camera?

Even though everyone always praises me for being exceptionally beautiful, I know they’re just trying to comfort me… sigh!”

“Are you Versailles-ing?”

While her face wasn’t as delicate as those mass-produced by internet celebrities, her features were large and strikingly three-dimensional: long, thick brows, three-whites eyes with slightly downturned outer corners, a high-bridged nose with a subtle upturn, and full, sensuous lips.

She possessed both a grand presence and a sharp intensity, though the latter was tempered by her gentle and approachable demeanor.

So much so that a saying circulated around the academy: among those who favored girls, half were naturally inclined, and the other half were turned by Senior Sister Qian.

Truly, a profound sin.

“Uh, what’s Versailles? A city, a palace, or a shojo manga?”

Qian Xidong sighed.

“It’s an internet slang term, referring to the act of subtly flaunting one’s superiority.”

Qian Surou shifted her body, wrapping one arm around Qian Xidong’s shoulder.

Tiptoeing slightly, she playfully rested her chin on Qian Xidong’s stiff shoulder blade.

“I get it, so you’re saying Xidong also thinks I’m very beautiful, right?”

“Let go, what an impropriety.”

Her words belied her true feelings.

“Hey, don’t be so stingy.

You’re so tall, Xidong, aren’t you meant for people to lean on?

Or are you already starting to dislike your sister and want other girls to lean on you instead?”

‘Ah, so this was her way of ‘making dumplings’ – a clever ploy to test her reactions.’

Qian Xidong took a determined step forward, pretending to be ruthless, yet she couldn’t dislodge the woman clinging to her back.

She wondered where Qian Surou had learned such a coquettish tactic, perhaps originally intended for Ji Yushu.

A voice, sweet to the point of cloying, slowly emerged, playfully asking, “Who is it? Who is it?”

The voice made her ears tingle, the breath made her skin burn, and her body, of its own accord, began to stir with excitement.

Even though she had resolved to completely distance herself, she helplessly succumbed to the temptation.

‘Wasn’t she just too adorable?’

Even passersby, in the midst of their shopping, couldn’t resist, each suddenly pausing their actions to stare intently.

Qian Xidong longed to question Qian Surou’s usual elegant demeanor, but in this situation, she found herself utterly speechless.

In that instant, she felt like a parasitic insect clinging to a flower, various dark thoughts intertwining, metaphorically devouring her in her imagination.

In front of the freezer, Qian Surou realized she truly couldn’t budge her sister.

She started stretching her arms, wiggling her fingers, ensuring her sleeves were orderly and her clothes lay smoothly against her.

Before long, the self-service plastic bag contained a carton of milk, promotional sliced bread, and a popsicle that could be broken into two halves.

She scanned them for payment.

With a crisp snap.

“Here, Xidong.”

“It’s all artificial colors and sugar water. I don’t want it.”

“How can you say that…”

“Anyway, I just remembered an old popsicle commercial I saw and had a sudden whim to try one.”

Qian Xidong, defeated by those expectant, wide eyes, took the half-popsicle.

Watching a small, cold-sensitive tongue delicately lick the ice protruding from the plastic wrapper, she couldn’t help but take a fierce bite of her own popsicle.

Though the icy blast shot straight to her head, it fortunately helped her calm down.

“So, was your move on Xiao Yuqin also a sudden whim? Or, was it premeditated?”