After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 10

The fridge’s cold air wafted into the early summer night like mist. Yu Shuang stared blankly at the neatly lined-up cola, Sprite, plain tea, and sparkling water.

She needed a bottle of alcohol.

But for once, she couldn’t find any.

Her pale fingertips lightly tapped and hovered over the bottles of various shapes before finally giving up. She pulled out a can of soda instead.

The lawyer’s voice in her earpiece finally sounded much more awake. “Miss Yu, it’s so late—is there a contract issue you need to consult about?”

Yu Shuang replied flatly, “No civil issue. A criminal one.”

“Wh-what?”

She didn’t beat around the bush. “I need a criminal lawyer right now. Here’s the situation: an intruder broke into a residence, the homeowner’s dog bit the intruder, and the homeowner then restrained the intruder’s freedom. In short—she tied someone up.”

At this point, Yu Shuang spared a glance at Jiang Rui, who was bound to a chair, and calmly added, “The intruder doesn’t seem to have any visible injuries that would meet the threshold for ‘minor harm.’ We’ll call the police soon, but before the homeowner says anything, I need a criminal lawyer present to handle things.”

Silence on the other end of the line.

Yu Shuang thought for a moment, then added one last detail. “Oh, and the homeowner is still a minor—17 years old. That’s all.”

“…”

“!”

Pop.

She pulled the tab on the soda can and took a few gulps.

As the cool liquid soothed her dry, burning insides, she let out a long exhale.

“I’ll send you my location. Come if you can. If not, send someone good. Cost isn’t an issue. That’s all.”

Before the lawyer could let out a sharp, horrified screech—

Yu Shuang hung up.

The small courtyard halfway up the mountain fell silent again.

She stood there for a moment, deliberately avoiding looking at the chair where Jiang Rui was tied up, and walked out into the yard.

Flipping on the light, warm yellow illumination chased away the oppressive darkness.

Jiang Ya sat curled up on a small wooden stool, hugging her knees. She looked tiny, folded into a little ball, pressed against the corner of the wall.

Yu Shuang’s emotions tangled inside her.

She exhaled soundlessly.

A cold touch brushed Jiang Ya’s cheek. She lifted her head, her gaze dull and empty.

The kid had cried herself stupid.

“Feeling any better?”

Jiang Ya blinked. She didn’t know.

Yu Shuang could tell.

“Have some water.”

Only then did Jiang Ya realize the cold sensation had come from the soda can pressed against her. This time, she nodded.

She reached out to take it. “Miss Yu…”

Her voice was hoarse—almost unrecognizable.

Yu Shuang cut her off. “Drink first.”

It wasn’t until the liquid slid down her throat that Jiang Ya realized it was sparkling water. Her sluggish eyes shifted slightly, and she shook her head, trying to clear the fog in her mind.

But everything was still a mess.

Her eyes stung, dry and swollen.

Her throat burned as if filled with sand, every word scraping painfully.

Her head felt heavy, her limbs like lead—completely uncooperative.

This is awful.

So pathetic.

I brought this on myself.

Jiang Ya laughed softly.

Yu Shuang frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking… I deserve this,” Jiang Ya rasped.

“…”

“Don’t think.”

Jiang Ya nodded obediently. “Okay.”

“Drink.”

She lifted the can again, compliant.

Slowly, bit by bit, she drank most of it, and gradually, her senses returned.

Her lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes, finally looking at Yu Shuang.

She had cried too hard—everything was still blurry, unfocused.

The harder she tried to see clearly, the more indistinct everything became.

“Miss Yu,” she called softly, the ache in her voice carefully hidden.

But Yu Shuang could tell—the kid was on the verge of tears again.

Jiang Ya didn’t cry. Instead, she answered bluntly, “Is there something you’d like to ask me?”

There were far too many things.

Yu Shuang: “Will you answer whatever I ask?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Why didn’t you say so earlier!

Yu Shuang took a deep breath. “There’s a lot.”

“But only one thing is urgent.”

“Go ahead.”

Her voice was soft and weak, matching her curled-up posture—like a delicate little white flower.

Of course, appearances could be deceiving.

Yu Shuang: “Will you listen to me?”

Jiang Ya didn’t even hesitate. “I will.”

Now she was being an obedient child.

Setting aside her excess emotions, Yu Shuang said, “Right now, get up, wash your face, change your clothes, and tidy yourself up before coming back out.”

“We’ll talk about the next steps after that.”

Jiang Ya: “Okay.”

Standing up, she hesitated for a moment before adding, “Miss Yu, I won’t drag you into this. You don’t have to worry.”

Yu Shuang: “…”

She responded with two impatient words: “Hurry up!”

–

Half an hour later, Feng Gu received a phone call. After listening, he was stunned.

He rushed to Jiang Ya’s house and, upon entering, saw the dignified and aloof Miss Yu sitting in the courtyard. In her hand, which should have been holding a glass of red wine, was a can of Coca-Cola.

“…”

Another hour later, Jiang Rui’s parents hurried up the mountain upon hearing the news.

At the same time, police officers from the local station were also dispatched after receiving a call.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ya got into Yu Shuang’s car to pick up the lawyer who was on his way, ensuring legal support would be present when giving statements at the station.

By the time everyone gathered at the police station, the clock had struck one in the morning.

After a chaotic half-hour of crying, shouting, and general uproar, the group was split into two for questioning.

Yu Shuang’s part was simple—just a few sentences. Since she had no personal grudges against the Jiang family and was a major client of the city government, Feng Gu vouched for her. She merely provided a witness account—she had seen Jiang Rui trespassing.

As for anything else, she claimed ignorance, a stance shared by both the lawyer and Jiang Ya.

Next was Feng Gu, who knew even less.

Finally, it was Jiang Ya’s turn.

Once again, the girl left Yu Shuang astonished—for the second time that night.

When asked about the dog bite:

Jiang Ya: “It’s just a guard dog. It doesn’t bite people who come through the front door, only those who climb over the wall.”

When questioned about the restraints, the baseball bat, and the reason for tying him up:

Jiang Ya’s red, swollen eyes—still puffy from crying—peeked timidly at the officer. She wiped her cheeks weakly and said in a fragile voice, “I was scared. He’s bullied me since we were kids. Who knows what he came here for…”

“Besides, he didn’t even show up for Grandma’s funeral or cremation, no matter how many times I reminded him. He… probably resents me for it!”

“Or maybe he wanted to steal money. I—I didn’t know what to do, so I tied him up when he couldn’t move.”

“I bought those things for self-defense. I’m the only girl living here, and the neighbors all told me to keep some protective gear at home.”

Her voice grew quieter, trembling with fear and distress as she lowered her head, her long black hair covering most of her face. The officers couldn’t bear it—the male officer glanced at the female officer, who comforted gently, “It’s okay, take your time, little sister.”

The female officer stood up to pour Jiang Ya a cup of warm water.

Yu Shuang: “…”

The lawyer also glanced at Yu Shuang.

Unlike the officers’ pity, the lawyer’s eyes were full of surprise.

Because not long ago, during their initial meeting, Jiang Ya had been calm and composed—completely different from the person before them now.

Yu Shuang turned her face away.

This was the first time she’d seen this side of the kid, too.

The policewoman asked, “Since you had already tied him up, why did you bring Jiang Rui inside afterward?”

Jiang Ya swallowed hard, her words chaotic: “I wanted him to apologize to Grandma… and I wanted to scare him a little, so he wouldn’t come back again… I don’t know, I was just so angry at the time… He! How could he do something like that…”

Her head dropped completely, her hands constantly wiping at her face, her voice thick with the choked-up tone of someone barely holding back emotion.

Yu Shuang took a deep breath and turned to walk out the door.

She couldn’t listen anymore.

Nothing but lies.

Jiang Ya’s hand paused mid-wipe, forcing herself to focus, refusing to let her gaze follow Miss Yu.

Yet a small corner of her heart couldn’t help but think—Miss Yu must be so disappointed in her, right?

Yu Shuang finally managed to buy alcohol—from a street vending machine.

Beer. A mass-produced industrial product, but better than nothing.

The frothy bubbles filled her mouth as she tilted her head back and took a long swig. It felt better.

The mountain breeze was cool, sweeping back and forth along the dimly lit streets of the night, carrying away the stifling heat of early summer.

Leaning against the wall, she drank slowly, no music in her ears, no colorful neon lights—just the quiet hum of nature cloaked in darkness.

When the lawyer found Yu Shuang, she was so still she almost blended into the surroundings.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Shuang spoke first.

But the lawyer had come with good news.

After examining the injuries, Jiang Rui had been charged with unlawful trespassing. Jiang Ya, as the homeowner and victim, was in the clear.

Yu Shuang nodded, though her expression remained unreadable. “What’s next?”

“Jiang Rui will be held at the station for now. Since there was no substantial harm, if Jiang Ya provides a letter of forgiveness, he’ll most likely avoid criminal charges—just administrative detention.”

“Mm. Tell her uncle and aunt to go home and find the passbook. They can trade it for the forgiveness letter.”

This had been discussed earlier—the best possible outcome.

Once the legal matters were settled, the lawyer hesitated. Yu Shuang noticed. “Go ahead.”

“Is Xiaoya related to you, Miss Yu?”

Yu Shuang: “I’m responsible for her now. Anything concerning her, you can say to me.”

The lawyer then spoke plainly: “Xiaoya is… very clever.” Almost frighteningly so. “Even though she handled everything perfectly, I’d still recommend getting her psychological support afterward—for her own mental well-being.”

“Also, legally, this case is straightforward. But in small towns, social structures are simple. Once Jiang Rui is released, who knows what rumors might spread? That kind of environment isn’t good for Xiaoya’s growth. If possible, taking a break or changing her surroundings would be a good idea.”

The lawyer smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I used to work in juvenile crime and minored in child psychology. When I see cases like this, I can’t help but say more.”

Yu Shuang gave a polite nod. “No, I should be thanking you. You’ve worked hard tonight. I’ll keep all this in mind.”

Her cooperative attitude encouraged the lawyer to share a few more thoughts.

By the time the sky began to lighten, everyone finally left the police station.

Once they were farther away, with the lawyer’s mediation, Jiang Jingwu and Jiang Ya reluctantly reached an agreement. The middle-aged couple hurried off, scrambling home to dig through their belongings for the passbook. Feng Gu, his mind tangled with too much information, stubbornly stayed with Yu Shuang and Jiang Ya to see the lawyer off before finally giving in and going home to sleep.

Only Yu Shuang and Jiang Ya remained.

Yu Shuang asked, “Were you the one feeding the stray dogs?”

Jiang Ya’s already pale face whitened further. She closed her eyes. “Yes.”

Yu Shuang exhaled.

After a night of storms and turmoil, such a minor detail hardly seemed worth getting angry over.

She was numb to it all.

“Sleepy?”

“No.”

“Alright, let’s get breakfast.”

Shops along the street gradually opened, the occasional whiff of food drifting out.

Jiang Ya mindlessly accompanied Yu Shuang in eating a little, her emotions too tangled to even register hunger or fullness.

After paying, they walked in silence again. Yu Shuang bought another bottle of beer, while Jiang Ya kept her head down, simply following her. They moved from the neat cobblestone streets to a place where not a soul could be seen, only the distant, rolling green mountains in view. Stepping onto the dirt path, Yu Shuang popped open the can and took a couple of sips.

The two stood apart, a gap wide enough to fit three or five people between them.

Jiang Ya’s heart hung suspended in midair, waiting for Yu Shuang to deliver her verdict—her death sentence.

The torment was unbearable.

She couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke first, “Go ahead, scold me.”

Yu Shuang’s voice was calm. “Why would I scold you?”

Had she already grown too indifferent to even bother?

Jiang Ya’s eyes, which had stubbornly refused to shed tears in the police station, instantly grew hot.

She sniffled, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. “Do you… hate me now?”

“Hate you? A little.”

Jiang Ya’s heart plummeted with a thud.

Yu Shuang continued, “If it weren’t for your cooking being so good, or the house being so clean, I would’ve left earlier and never run into today’s mess.”

Jiang Ya froze.

This wasn’t what she had expected.

Yu Shuang shook her head. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter.”

“Let’s talk.”

Finally, those words came. Jiang Ya swallowed hard, her voice hoarse. “Go ahead.”

Just give her the final blow already!

But Yu Shuang fell silent again.

After downing a large gulp of beer, she took a deep breath, feeling the mountain breeze lift the ends of her hair. She closed her eyes briefly.

When she opened them again, Yu Shuang heard her own voice say:

“Come with me. Move to the city and go to school. Will you?”

Realizing what she had just heard, Jiang Ya jerked her head up, disbelief written all over her face.