After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 1
The late spring and early summer had been marked by a week of continuous rain, but on this day, the skies finally cleared.
Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a shimmering glow on the asphalt road like a black satin ribbon winding into the distance on the retina.
The roar of the supercar’s engine filled the air as the window rolled halfway down, letting in the crisp morning breeze. Yet, the heavy, suffocating atmosphere inside the car remained undisturbed.
“What do you mean?”
The woman’s voice was slow, its tone still weighed down by the oppressive gloom of yesterday’s rain.
Through the phone’s speaker, alongside the crackle of static, was the sound of silent breathing.
Yu Shuang wasn’t in a hurry. If the other person didn’t speak, she would wait quietly.
“Can you…” The voice on the other end hesitated, speaking just as slowly.
Yu Shuang listened.
“Stop this project?”
Yu Shuang: “Just stop it?”
The breathing on the phone grew heavier, interspersed with a few strained swallows.
Yu Shuang could almost picture the expression on the other person’s face right now.
“You know the current situation…”
Yu Shuang: “You just made it very clear.”
“If… if the company could also pause for a while…”
Yu Shuang was considerate: “Do you want me to just shut it down completely?”
The other end fell silent.
Yu Shuang remained as steady as a mountain, her expression unchanging.
She even softened her voice slightly. “But what would I do after closing it?”
The warm sunlight gilded her full lips and jawline, but the upper half of her face remained hidden in shadow, untouched by the light.
“There are plenty of things you could do. Your family’s company, for one. If you don’t want to go to Yu Corporation, I can arrange something else. Didn’t you say before that you lacked experience running a company? You could come learn here first, and when you start a new one later, it’ll go smoother.”
“Of course, I’d prefer you to be my assistant—that way, I could see you every day…” At this point, the voice lost its tension, even carrying a hint of amusement as it continued, “Our engagement party is in the second half of the year. If you don’t want to be too busy, there’s plenty to prepare for the wedding. You could take your time and—”
Yu Shuang’s face showed no trace of a smile.
She cut in: “What if I don’t want to stop this project?”
The conversation circled back to the beginning.
The other person held their breath.
Yu Shuang: “I don’t want to stop the project, and I won’t shut down the company.”
Her gaze steady on the road ahead, she continued, “Did your family give you an ultimatum?”
“Is it just stopping the project, or shutting down the company outright?”
A sharp inhale came through the phone.
Yu Shuang glanced at the speedometer—somehow, she had pushed it to 180 km/h on this winding mountain road.
As she took the curve, her voice was icy, steeped in the chill of days of rain. “Anyone else, fine. But you—you should know why I came back to the country, shouldn’t you?”
He Minqian’s voice was soaked in helplessness. “Shuangshuang.”
The speedometer hit 200. The car’s smart system flashed a red warning.
Screech—
The pitch-black supercar braked hard, tires screeching sharply against the mountain road.
Dust flew as the wheels left deep, long skid marks on the ground.
The moment the car jerked to a complete stop, Yu Shuang’s body lurched forward from the momentum, held back only by the seatbelt. After a brief struggle, her hair whipped wildly in her vision before her slender frame was yanked back into the seat.
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The car was now utterly silent.
The phone screen had gone black.
Before braking, Yu Shuang had hung up—unilaterally.
Her patience had run out.
And she had understood everything.
Pulling over and turning off the engine, she undid her seatbelt with a sharp tug. Her chest rose and fell once before she exhaled deeply.
Opening the door for fresh air, the mountain breeze brushed gently against her. Yu Shuang closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the seat to rest.
Her slender, pale neck reflected in the car mirror like a dying swan.
Yu Shuang uttered three words,
audible only to herself:
“Damn it.”
–
As Yu Shuang expected, shortly after hanging up on He Minqian, Yu Mingyuan’s call came before noon.
She ignored it, but the other end persisted relentlessly.
When the fourth call rang, Yu Shuang finally answered, greeting, “Dad.”
“Why didn’t you pick up?” The middle-aged man’s voice was stern.
Yu Shuang: “Just stepped out for some air. Didn’t have my phone with me.”
No, she just didn’t want to answer.
Yu Mingyuan chided her briefly before swiftly moving on to the main topic, as if following a script.
First, he asked what she had been busy with recently, then inquired about her company’s partners, and finally—
“It’s newly registered, so it couldn’t have cost much, right?”
Yu Shuang’s lips curled slightly. “Just a few hundred…”
“That’s not much… Fine, I’ll cover the loss. Just shut it down—”
Yu Shuang leisurely cut in, “But the first project’s already signed. The penalty for breach is 50 million.”
Silence on the other end.
“With my investment and compensating my friend’s losses, you’ll need to cover 60 million.”
“Th-that high of a penalty?” Yu Mingyuan stammered.
Of course not.
Yu Shuang had made it up.
The upward curve of her eyes softened, but the smile didn’t reach them. “A new company landing a big deal has to show sincerity. Which card should I expect the transfer to? Is it urgent? Should I call the bank manager to arrange the limit now—”
Yu Mingyuan’s voice hitched. “…Let’s not talk about this. I called for something else.”
Round and round, the conversation inevitably circled back to the He family, the marriage arrangement, and He Minqian.
The expression on Yu Shuang’s face gradually faded, replaced by detached indifference.
“Did you two argue?”
“Of course not.”
“Any disagreements?”
“None.”
“Then why—”
Yu Shuang: “Did Minqian reach out to you? What did he say?”
Her tone was gentle, even carrying a faint trace of amusement, but the face reflected in the rearview mirror was icy cold.
“He didn’t contact me, it’s—” Catching himself, Yu Mingyuan coughed lightly. “Never mind, it’s unrelated to him.”
“You know how important this marriage is to the Yu family, right?”
Yu Shuang: “I know.”
“Then you—”
“Understood. We’re getting along fine.”
“What about that company of yours—”
“Which card should I expect?”
“…”
Yu Mingyuan: “I don’t understand business operations. If you don’t want to close it for now, fine.”
Yu Mingyuan: “But the matter with the He family—”
Her gaze fixed ahead, hands steady on the wheel as she navigated the highway traffic. The familiar lecture in her ear gradually dissolved into background noise, surreal, as if it didn’t belong in this space.
She responded intermittently with “Mhm,” “Okay,” and “Got it.”
A hint of distraction lingered in her eyes.
Finally, when Yu Mingyuan tired himself out, she bid him goodbye. Just as she was about to hang up, he suddenly had an epiphany:
“You’ll properly get engaged and marry Minqian in the second half of the year, right?”
The exhaustion in her heart finally surfaced. Yu Shuang let out a short, humorless laugh:
“Guess.”
With a tap of her finger, she ended the call.
The world fell silent.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Shuang rolled down the car window halfway. The roaring wind instantly rushed in, dispelling the heavy, stagnant air inside. The sunlight streamed brilliantly onto the steering wheel and her hands, while outside, the sky was a clear blue with a gentle breeze and warm sun. Yet, within the car, Yu Shuang couldn’t feel the warmth of the light.
As the navigation system chimed, Yu Shuang glanced into the distance—she was almost at the toll station. Finally.
Before exiting, two more calls from Yu Mingyuan came through. Yu Shuang ignored them as if she hadn’t heard. Their plastic father-daughter relationship could only go this far, and both of them knew it. Yu Shuang didn’t spare him a glance, and Yu Mingyuan didn’t bother humiliating himself further.
After passing through the ETC lane, Yu Shuang found a spot to pull over.
Standing outside, she let the wind blow against her for a while before finally opening her phone to check.
Her messages and missed calls were about to explode.
With lowered eyes, she skimmed through them coldly, with no intention of responding.
After turning off the screen and standing still for a moment, she turned it back on and dialed her business partner and close friend. However, the assistant answered, explaining that her friend had gone into a workaholic, day-and-night seclusion for a project. Yu Shuang paused, then laughed softly. “That’s fine.”
After giving a few instructions, she added, “Make sure to log your overtime hours properly so we can calculate the extra pay when you’re back.”
The assistant cheerfully hung up.
With company matters settled, Yu Shuang gazed toward the city, intending to seriously consider her current situation.
Ring—ring—
Ring—
By the time the fifth call came through, Yu Shuang closed her eyes in frustration, completely unable to focus. Annoyed, she snatched up her phone.
The words to curse were already on the tip of her tongue, but seeing an unfamiliar number, she hesitated.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this Ms. Yu Shuang? This is the Red Heart Charity Program… You previously participated in a student aid project—do you remember?”
Yu Shuang: “My lawyer handles all these matters. I’ll have her—”
“Wait, please don’t hang up,” the young voice pleaded urgently. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but the situation here is a bit special. Could you please hear me out first?”
Yu Shuang listened patiently until the end.
Back in the car, she fastened her seatbelt, started the engine, and stared at the sprawling cityscape. Almost instantly, she made a decision—
Screw it.
Turning the steering wheel, she made a U-turn and floored the accelerator back toward the highway.
–
Tugging her backpack strap higher, Jiang Ya walked along the mountain path, feeling slightly dazed under the sun.
It wasn’t even that strong, but when she wiped her forehead, she realized she must be exhausted from everything lately.
In every way.
She was the only one on the secluded, tree-lined trail, peaceful and quiet. Yet, her ears buzzed, and fragments of her homeroom teacher’s long lecture kept resurfacing.
“You’re still young. You don’t understand what dropping out means.”
“Your grades are so good—how can you just stop studying? I know you’re grieving right now, but everyone faces loss eventually. If your grandmother were still here, would she agree to this?”
“Jiang Ya, you’ll regret it.”
Shaking her head, she pressed a hand over her face and took a deep breath.
For a moment, the noise in her ears quieted.
“I know,” the girl murmured under her palm, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Her poor condition slowed her down, and by the time she met Feng Gu, she was a little late.
“Over here, Xiao Ya—” Feng Gu ran up to her, but when he saw her face, he paused. “You look terrible. Are you feeling sick?”
Jiang Ya smiled, adjusting the straps of her backpack, still the picture of a well-behaved student: “I stayed up for a few nights keeping vigil. I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“Oh, right, right.”
“You…” Feng Gu had intended to persuade her properly, but seeing her like this, his tone softened involuntarily. He asked one last time, “Are you really sure about this?”
Jiang Ya replied breezily, “Of course I’m sure. Didn’t we already arrange to sign the termination of the sponsorship contract today? Can it still be changed?”
Feng Gu: “You’re still a minor on your ID. If—”
Jiang Ya’s smile didn’t waver as she interrupted, “Thanks, Brother Gu, but no need.”
Every word was enunciated with absolute clarity.
“…”
“Y-yeah, you’re right.” Feng Gu forced a laugh. “Haha, the notary and the sponsor are coming today. It wouldn’t be right to make them come all this way for nothing.”
Jiang Ya nodded. After exchanging a few more words and learning that the notary had already arrived in town, she borrowed two stools from a small shop at the edge of the town. She and Feng Gu sat down to wait for the sponsor’s arrival.
Her oversized backpack rested in front of her.
Her slender arms wrapped around the bulging bag, the crowded books pressing irregular angles against the fabric, all of them digging into the skin of her arms. Just looking at it made Feng Gu feel uncomfortable.
But the girl herself sat quietly, her face lowered, expression serene.
Her straight, satin-like hair fell beside her cheeks, so obedient it was heartbreaking.
Jiang Ya wasn’t aware of Feng Gu’s pity for her. Truth be told, she was a little sleepy.
After three days of keeping vigil with her sleep schedule completely reversed, just finishing her grandmother’s funeral arrangements, and then immediately processing her school suspension today—the moment she sat still, chaotic noise filled her ears, and her vision swam with flickering spots like snowflakes.
She closed her eyes for a moment, resting her chin on the backpack, deciding to take advantage of this lull to rest.
When the roar of a sports car reached her ears,
Jiang Ya was still caught in the haze of shallow sleep.
Instinctively lifting her head, she opened her eyes to the blinding glare of the setting sun.
Dazzling white.
A few seconds later, a black sports car—something utterly foreign to her world—came into view.
Its streamlined body, the paint sparkling like crushed diamonds under the sunlight, every detail pristine and immaculate.
For a moment, Jiang Ya couldn’t tell if this was reality or a dream.
The car door clicked, swinging open like a wing, revealing a perfectly proportioned calf.
Thud.
Long legs, pale skin, smooth and lush.
Red flats touched the ground, and Jiang Ya’s heart seemed to be stepped on in turn.
Slender fingers extended, the stacked fragments of diamonds and pearls on her nails refracting dazzling iridescence.
Thud. Thud.
White top, black pants, a beige trench coat draped over her, a shiny metal belt cinching a slender waist.
Before she could even see the face, her vision was first overtaken by waves of curly, seaweed-like hair.
A long neck, pronounced collarbones, elegant shoulders.
Full lips, a high nose bridge with a slight bump.
Unconsciously, Jiang Ya pressed her lips together and drew her legs back slightly, her faded sneakers retreating into the shadows.
Bathed in the sunset, Yu Shuang stood still and removed her sunglasses.
Squinting slightly against the light, her thick lashes framed upturned eyes, fluttering like butterfly wings with each blink.
Yu Shuang looked ahead.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thudthudthudthudthud.
Jiang Ya felt her heart gallop wildly in her chest, pounding uncontrollably.