Chapter 29: The Seductive Invitation

‘Sister… Sister?’

Xiao Xi stepped forward, gently shaking Sister Yuan’s shoulder. Slowly, Sister Yuan’s eyes fluttered open, still somewhat dazed from the sudden awakening.

“Xiao Xi…” Sister Yuan murmured, rubbing her drowsy eyes as she surveyed her surroundings. ‘Ah, right… I’m at the milk tea shop with Xiao Xi. It was late, so I just laid down for a moment…’

‘I can’t believe I actually fell asleep.’

“Did I fall asleep? How long was I out?” she asked, still a bit groggy.

“Not for long,” Xiao Xi replied, settling into the seat beside her. He glanced at his watch.

“Perhaps only a little over ten minutes.”

“Mm…” Sister Yuan followed Xiao Xi’s gaze to the watch. “It’s already so late. Eleven o’clock.”

“Yes, it’s eleven,” Xiao Xi confirmed with a nod. The late hour meant the shop was deserted. He sensed that Sister Yuan was likely preparing to leave, marking the end of their peculiar day. Surprisingly, Xiao Xi found himself feeling a touch of reluctance.

He cast his eyes down at the skirt he was wearing. ‘Hmm…’

‘It’s absolutely not because I’m reluctant to take off this sailor uniform. Don’t get the wrong idea!’

“Oh… it’s time to go, Xiao Xi. Did you bring your ID card?”

“I did, uh… huh?” Xiao Xi responded, a bewildered expression on his face as he met his sister’s mischievous grin. An ID card? Why would she ask about that? Was she planning to go to an internet cafe with him to play games?

‘But we’re still underage, so an ID card wouldn’t do any good…’

‘Hmm…’

‘What else could she possibly mean?’

Sister Yuan extended her index finger, gently hooking Xiao Xi’s chin, and asked with a playful smirk:

“Oh~ you brought it, huh? Then… Xiao Xi, did you bring a charger?”

‘Why does this feel like a fox spirit sister teasing a pure, innocent scholar? We’re not in some ancient fantasy world, are we? Sister, what are you doing? Your words are so alluring… I, I’ll… I won’t be able to take it.’

Xiao Xi flushed crimson and lowered his head. ‘Alright, she’s asked like this, so I won’t deceive myself any longer. She… she’s clearly after my body!’

‘Shameless!’

‘Wuwu… I shouldn’t think that about Sister, but what are you thinking all day, Sister? Didn’t you say you had work tonight? As a workaholic, shouldn’t you rush straight to the company after making time to accompany your wife on a sweet date?’

‘How can your mind be entirely focused on my body after a date? You’re just like those shameless couples who can’t wait to get intimate after a date!’

‘This doesn’t align with your character at all, does it?’

‘Or… is getting a room also a normal part of dating, and the very last step?’

‘Does this mean the dating process I outlined—[shopping – eating – watching a movie]—is actually incomplete, and Sister is now preparing to complete it?’

‘This, this, this…’

‘Something is definitely off, isn’t it?’

‘No, no, actually, Sister must have just forgotten, hahaha… She must have just forgotten about her work, right? If I remind her, maybe I can be spared the ‘suffering of the flesh’ tonight!’

Thus, Xiao Xi tentatively inquired, “Sister, don’t you still have work matters to attend to? Hahaha… It’s fine, I can go home by myself. Sister, you really must prioritize your work and not let me distract you too much~.”

‘Hmm… hahaha, I truly am a virtuous and good wife.’

‘No, I was just kidding.’

“Mhm~” Sister Yuan chuckled, pulling Xiao Xi into an embrace. “Xiao Xi, you’re so adorable; how could I possibly let you go home alone? What if you run into some perverted ‘uncle’ on the way? I certainly wouldn’t want my wife to be dragged into an alley to do strange things. A husband who allowed that would be utterly incompetent, wouldn’t they?”

“Uh… hahaha, it’s fine, Sister,” Xiao Xi stammered. “If I really encountered a perverted uncle, I’d just take off my skirt and compare sizes with him; he’d definitely be scared away, hahaha… So, Sister, please go to work! Company matters are far too important!”

“Hmm… but what if the perverted uncle gets even more excited after seeing that you’re ‘bigger’ than him?” Sister Yuan countered playfully.

“How could such a person even exist?! Uh… there shouldn’t be, right?” Xiao Xi exclaimed, a hint of genuine bewilderment in his voice.

Xiao Xi groaned in exasperation, while Sister Yuan merely shook her head, a smile still gracing her lips. “No way. My wife is so adorable that even if there’s a one-in-ten-thousand chance of danger, I can’t possibly let you walk home alone.”

“But… Sister, don’t you think it’s actually more dangerous for the two of us to walk together?” Xiao Xi asked, looking at her. Sister Yuan was clearly far more beautiful than he was; two “beautiful girls” walking together on the street wouldn’t be safe at all…

Truth be told, Lihua City had excellent public safety, making it perfectly safe to be out at night. This was why Xiao Xi felt confident enough to let Sister Yuan return to work alone, rather than Sister Yuan’s ploy of using concern for him as an excuse to keep him by her side.

‘Alright… actually, Xiao Xi just wants Sister to go back to work quickly, wuwu… otherwise, I’ll have to do the ‘work’ myself. Don’t ask what kind of work it is; the main point is, when will Sister finally go back to her job?!’

“Mm… Xiao Xi, it’s alright. Sister will protect you~”

“No… Sister, please, just go back to work—”

Seeing that his earnest pleas were futile, Xiao Xi drew out his words, almost to the point of tears. Sister Yuan, undeterred, deployed her signature move once more: the head pat!

‘Abba abba abba…’

‘It actually feels quite pleasant. For some reason, I just want to close my eyes and fully savor the sensation of Sister’s slender, delicate hands stroking my hair and the crown of my head… Ah, long hair truly is wonderful.’

“Hmph hmph, Xiao Xi, you’re being disingenuous, aren’t you? Don’t you actually want Sister to stay? Do you truly wish for me to leave you and go to work?”

“Yes, please go to work, Sister… I can’t possibly delay you,” Xiao Xi pleaded, his head bowed in an attempt to appear pathetic.

“How truly virtuous you are, Xiao Xi~ But you see, for me, my wife Xiao Xi is the most precious thing in my life~ Work, studies, and all such matters simply cannot compare to you, Xiao Xi. That’s why I couldn’t care less about any troubles at the company; let my subordinates handle them. If anything conflicts with spending time with you, Xiao Xi, I won’t even spare it a glance~”

Sister Yuan declared, her smile radiant.

Xiao Xi froze. He lifted his gaze to meet Sister Yuan’s sincere eyes, which held an emotion he couldn’t quite articulate, as if the most beautiful thing in the world lay before her. Yet, he… he was merely an ordinary person.

‘Me…’

‘Do I truly deserve to be with Sister?’

‘Do I really deserve her to give so much?’

‘No, no, no! Don’t be fooled by how kind Sister is to me right now; she’s actually a sadist! No, I almost fell for this woman’s trick. Sister… she actually anticipated my every thought. This woman is truly terrifying; I nearly completely capitulated to her after just a few words.’

“However, the company is, after all, a family matter. To ensure we live comfortably, I can’t possibly be with Xiao Xi every single moment. So… Xiao Xi, spring nights are short; let’s head out early~ We shouldn’t waste time and miss out on having fun~”

‘Ah, this…’

‘Sister, stop, please! Don’t pull so hard; my little skirt will rip off! Don’t you think there’s a problem with what you’re saying? Isn’t it contradictory? Don’t drag me along like this!’

And so, Xiao Xi was led by his sister, all the way out of the milk tea shop, to an even more mysterious destination…

“Get me a room~”

Sister Yuan declared this at the hotel reception, her face beaming with a blissful smile.