After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 14
The Madam’s smile turned faint, floating on her face. Yu Shuang had grown accustomed to this expression since childhood and knew that rather than calling it a light smile, it was more fitting to describe it as the polite mask of someone in a position of power.
Yu Shuang smiled as well.
Equally faint.
Polite, yet devoid of any deeper meaning.
The silent standoff lasted two minutes before the Madam let out a soft sigh. “Have you already made up your mind?”
The warmth and affection in her voice had vanished, replaced by a cold, detached calm.
It carried a certain pressure.
But it was as if Yu Shuang was encased in an invisible shell—the moment that pressure reached her, it dissipated without a trace.
“Yes.”
Yu Shuang’s reply was firm and unwavering, neither submissive nor arrogant.
The Madam’s gaze swept over her face, lingering on her features, her expression, her posture—all unified in resolute determination. He Madam detected not a trace of hesitation or weakness.
“You know, Minqian has always liked you.”
Seeing Yu Shuang’s brows lift in surprise, the Madam conceded, “So, truthfully, I never intended to trap you in a box from the start, Shuangshuang.”
The direction of the conversation took Yu Shuang by surprise.
“If we were to choose the most suitable match, you know very well it might never have been you to begin with.”
“If this counts as a gesture of sincerity, I hope you’ll reconsider.”
He Madam’s demeanor was humbler than Yu Shuang had anticipated.
After a brief pause, Yu Shuang said, “You must love Minqian very much.”
A helpless smile touched the Madam’s lips. “In the ways I can, I want them to be happier.”
He Madam had two sons.
A single sentence that encompassed both of them.
Yu Shuang’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly. She lowered her gaze for a moment before looking up again, her defenses falling away. The resolve in her eyes grew even more pronounced, her dark pupils glinting with an unshakable cold light.
“Then, before things become irreparable, I believe you should correct this mistake.”
“I can’t give up my studio for him.”
“Or any aspect of the painting I’ve studied and pursued since childhood.”
“From beginning to end, this conviction has never wavered for a single moment.”
“I think you understand what this means—”
“I have no romantic feelings for Minqian.”
The scales were utterly unbalanced—there was no need to weigh them. Yu Shuang already had her answer.
“I’m sorry,” she said apologetically.
Only then did He Madam finally sense a trace of softness in Yu Shuang.
That hint of guilt only further confirmed the truth of her words.
He Madam heard a sigh echo in the depths of her heart.
–
Yu Shuang left, and He Madam instructed the butler to bring He Minqian to her.
She thought it best to deliver the news herself before the two met.
As expected, her younger son was far from calm.
Agitated, he tried to rush out to find Yu Shuang, but He Madam held him back.
She spoke gently, but her son clearly wasn’t listening. Forced to harden her heart, she said:
“She barely even mentioned the company.”
“Do you know what that means?”
“The problem isn’t about that at all!”
“Her heart isn’t with you.”
“Minqian.”
“You know what kind of man Yu Mingyuan is. You know how much the Yu family values this collaboration. And at this critical moment—Yu! Shuang! Wants! To! Call! Off! The! Engagement!”
“There are plenty of marriages of convenience in our circles.”
“But it’s clear that Yu Shuang doesn’t even want to put on the act of being your wife in public.”
“Do you understand?”
After speaking, Madam He saw tears welling up in Minqian’s eyes.
A dull ache throbbed in her chest. Seeing that her words had sunk in, Madam He stood up: “Stay here and collect yourself for a while.”
“She promised me she’d meet with you once. She won’t leave immediately, so you don’t need to worry.”
Pausing briefly, Madam He delivered the final blow with cruel precision: “As for whether you choose to let go gracefully or cling desperately later—that’s entirely your decision.”
With that, Madam He left.
As she stepped out of the parlor, clusters of flowers bloomed vibrantly outside the window.
She studied them carefully for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. The price of admiring these flowers had simply been too high.
–
“Hello, could you please move the car further inside?”
A kindly face appeared outside the car window as the middle-aged butler addressed Jiang Ya.
Jiang Ya blinked in surprise. “Am I blocking someone?”
The butler maintained his polite smile. “It might cause some inconvenience for vehicles later, so we’d like to ask you to move it in advance.”
“I don’t know how to drive.”
“Would you mind if we had someone move it for you?”
Contrary to the butler’s expectations, Jiang Ya shook her head firmly. “No.”
“This is Miss Yu’s car, and she parked it here. If you want it moved, you’ll need her permission first.”
Clear reasoning, decisive refusal.
Miss Yu.
The butler mulled over the title internally, though his expression remained neutral. “Understood. I’ll have someone ask right away.”
After instructing another staff member to seek Yu Shuang’s opinion, the butler lingered.
After all, moving the car was just a pretext—the young master had sent him to uncover the nature of their relationship.
Seizing the opportunity while they waited, the butler struck up a casual conversation. “Are you related to Miss Yu Shuang?”
The Yu family was quite large.
“No.”
“Oh? Then are you the child of one of Miss Yu’s friends?”
It wasn’t unreasonable for the butler to ask—Jiang Ya was wearing a distinctive school uniform. Anyone with eyes could tell she wasn’t Yu Shuang’s peer.
Of course, in wealthy circles, young masters and ladies often had unconventional preferences. Jiang Ya was also strikingly beautiful—if one were to speculate with ill intent, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Especially since the gender did match certain assumptions.
“No.”
Jiang Ya didn’t hide the truth. “I’m a student sponsored by Miss Yu. Strictly speaking, she’s my benefactor.”
The butler was stunned.
This answer far exceeded all his conjectures combined.
“Are you here to renew the sponsorship contract?” Such agreements weren’t signed just once but annually.
“No.”
Jiang Ya explained, “My grandmother passed away, and I have no close relatives left in my hometown. Miss Yu kindly brought me to the city to continue my studies.”
“What about your parents—”
“My father died in a car accident when I was little. After my mother left, she never contacted me again. She might have started a new family and life somewhere else.”
Jiang Ya added calmly, “I’ll be an adult soon. The police could help track her down, but legally, she’d no longer have any obligation to support me.”
The butler’s eyes widened slightly.
Jiang Ya met his gaze with the same frank expression and smiled.
A smile that left the butler feeling uncomfortably ashamed.
Watching the butler retreat hastily, Jiang Ya settled deeper into the passenger seat.
She had done it on purpose.
She’d recognized the man’s probing intentions and laid everything out plainly.
Whether he’d still have the nerve to ask more after hearing all that—well, that wasn’t her concern.
The butler had just left when Yu Shuang emerged.
“Bored? We might have to stay a bit longer.”
Jiang Ya shook her head. “I’m fine.”
No sooner had she spoken than a dog’s head peeked out from behind her, nuzzling around.
“…But Xiao Huang seems a little restless.”
“Oh, Xiao Huang, come here.” Rubbing the dog’s head, Jiang Ya watched as Yu Shuang cooed affectionately at the pup, “Shall we go for a little walk?”
“Woof woof.” Xiao Huang was willing.
Xiao Huang was eager.
Yu Shuang laughed and turned to Jiang Ya. “Come on, let’s take a stroll.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Ya loved Miss Yu’s smile.
“Did you finish dealing with the tricky matter?”
After letting Xiao Huang run around the small park in the villa area, Jiang Ya tentatively asked Yu Shuang.
Yu Shuang glanced at her. “And how did you know it was tricky?”
“You didn’t look too happy earlier, so I figured it wasn’t anything pleasant.”
Yu Shuang chuckled, reaching out to ruffle the girl’s hair, mussing up the smooth black strands before letting go. “Being too sharp at a young age isn’t necessarily a good thing.”
Jiang Ya smoothed her hair, disagreeing. “I don’t think so.”
“If I weren’t smart, I wouldn’t have met you, Miss Yu.”
“…”
Yu Shuang laughed helplessly. “You’ll definitely be a smooth talker when you grow up.”
Jiang Ya: “So, are you feeling better now?”
“Stop being cheeky.”
Yu Shuang didn’t answer directly.
Jiang Ya couldn’t pry further and didn’t dare push.
But moments later, when she saw He Minqian approaching them, she realized she didn’t need to ask anymore.
Tugging lightly on Yu Shuang’s sleeve, Jiang Ya gestured for her to look.
And He Minqian’s expression darkened further at the sight.
He hadn’t run into the butler on his way out, so he’d missed the correct information about Jiang Ya.
He Minqian stopped a few steps away from them and called out, “Shuangshuang.”
It was the first time Jiang Ya had heard someone address Yu Shuang with such intimacy.
He Minqian’s gaze swept past Jiang Ya’s face without lingering, focusing solely on Yu Shuang as he said calmly, “Let’s talk.”
Having been waiting for him, Yu Shuang nodded. “Alright.”
She handed the dog leash to Jiang Ya, who didn’t immediately take it, instead asking, “Is he your friend?”
“Hmm?” Yu Shuang didn’t catch her meaning.
The girl’s voice was soft and quiet. “He seems a bit intimidating. Will you be okay?”
Yu Shuang: “…”
He Minqian: “…”
Yu Shuang, unfazed, placed the leash firmly in Jiang Ya’s hand and said breezily, “What could possibly happen? This is China!”
Clearly, the high schooler didn’t get the humor of an overseas student.
Meanwhile, He Minqian heard every word Jiang Ya said, his face growing even darker.
But his self-restraint kept him in check.
As soon as Yu Shuang walked over, he immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.
Jiang Ya stood there holding Xiao Huang’s leash, slowly biting her lip.
Shuangshuang…
The tone was familiar, laced with affection.
So, was he a suitor? Or… a boyfriend?
Jiang Ya’s breathing quickened slightly, a faint sting pricking at her heart. Once they were out of sight, she crouched down and asked Xiao Huang, “Am I being a bit… tea-ish?”
Xiao Huang, happy from playtime, just panted and grinned.
Jiang Ya nibbled on her finger.
So…
Miss Yu is straight, right?
…Right?