After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 38
He Minqian and Su Shu each had their own thoughts at the moment.
Yu Shuang raised her eyebrows in surprise:
“How strange, you’re not being stubborn at this time?”
Upon meeting her gaze, Jiang Ya obediently lowered her head, her good student demeanor making Yu Shuang smile. Since they had crossed paths, Yu Shuang no longer avoided her and waved at Jiang Ya.
Jiang Ya walked up to her, and Yu Shuang scanned her from top to bottom: “Weren’t you busy in the lab?”
“Yeah, the software for programming is on the lab’s computer. I came out today to test the results after finishing it.”
“Out for fieldwork?”
Jiang Ya thought for a moment and replied honestly, “Today should be the last time. There will still be adjustments later, but they are all just details.”
Yu Shuang pushed Jiang Ya’s shoulder to turn her around, lifting her hand to tug at the bag on her back. “Wow, it’s heavy.”
Just by lifting it, she could tell the keyboard and tablet were inside.
“I brought the keyboard and tablet for programming,” Jiang Ya added.
Yu Shuang ruffled her hair playfully.
Su Shu’s gaze moved back and forth between the two, while He Minqian seemed to know more and enjoyed this information gap. He smiled at Su Shu: “Teacher Su, did you just come back from the exhibition?”
Su Shu replied, “Does Ning Ning have a younger sister? A cousin?”
Clearly, after returning to the country, Yu Shuang and Su Shu hadn’t communicated much, which gave He Minqian a subtle sense of superiority.
He Minqian said, “That’s a long story.”
Su Shu: “…”
Finally, Su Shu looked at He Minqian, nodded slightly in a reserved manner, and called out, “Xiao He, good afternoon.”
“Yes, just returned from the exhibition site, and we finalized the lighting for the display.”
“This art exhibition is organized by He’s company. I wonder what you think, Teacher Su? If there are any issues, please let your assistant know, and we will do our best to accommodate you.”
“It’s quite good. So far, I’m very satisfied and believe it will be a perfect exhibition.”
They exchanged a few official remarks about the art exhibition, but both of their minds were elsewhere.
Out of the corner of her eye, Su Shu noticed that Yu Shuang and Jiang Ya had finished talking. She stepped aside and casually said, “I was planning to contact you once I got to He’s company, but I didn’t expect to run into you right after getting off the car. Isn’t that a kind of fate?”
She extended her hand towards Yu Shuang.
Yu Shuang glanced down, not overly enthusiastic but also not dismissive. She lightly touched the hand in the air and smiled faintly: “Thank you for the fate; it saved me a phone call.”
“Contact? Did you arrange a meal?” He Minqian interjected.
Yu Shuang replied, “Yes, we arranged dinner.”
With a playful glint in her eyes, she added, “What a coincidence, like you, we’re both discussing the upcoming art exhibition.”
He Minqian: “So you simply scheduled us on the same day?”
“No! No! No!” Yu Shuang waved her slender finger in the air, correcting him, “You two arranged it first, and I only realized it was the same day afterward. Don’t say it; you two have quite the tacit understanding.”
He Minqian: “…”
Su Shu: “…”
Jiang Ya lowered her head, suppressing the urge to laugh.
She had a vague feeling that Su Shu and He Minqian didn’t quite get along.
He Minqian said, “Since we ran into each other, why not add me? As the organizer, I’d like to hear the opinions of the artists.”
Su Shu’s brow twitched slightly.
Before she could think of a suitable way to decline, Yu Shuang spoke up: “I have no problem with that; it depends on Teacher Su.”
Su Shu: “…”
Jiang Ya’s eyes darted quickly between the three, her face slightly lowered as she observed discreetly.
He Minqian asked, “What does Teacher Su think?”
Su Shu: “I’m not the only painter here…”
He Minqian: “I recall the He family arranged for the teachers to stay at a hotel. It wouldn’t hurt to invite the other two teachers as well—it’ll allow for a more in-depth discussion.”
Yu Shuang tilted her head slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Su Shu met He Minqian’s gaze directly, and he responded with a perfectly polished smile that only stoked the fire in her heart.
Yu Shuang: “I don’t mind either.”
She then turned to Jiang Ya and asked, “Have you eaten yet?”
Jiang Ya shook her head.
“Any plans later?”
Jiang Ya: “I was just planning to meet my senior at headquarters and then head home.”
“Aren’t you having dinner with your senior?”
Yu Shuang had always been observant.
Given their age gap, ever since Jiang Ya started university, Yu Shuang had occasionally offered her guidance on social etiquette. Asking about her senior was both a question and a subtle nudge—a hint of Yu Shuang’s inclination.
Jiang Ya: “My senior is in a hurry to get back to the branch office for work. We didn’t plan to eat together.”
No, he had invited her, but today, she’d rather follow Yu Shuang.
Especially… now that she had discerned Yu Shuang’s intentions, she wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip.
“Alright, you’re coming with me.”
Then, turning to Su Shu, she added, “You don’t mind one more, do you? The kid hasn’t eaten yet.”
Kid…
He Minqian: “It’s not like we’d let her starve.”
At this point, Su Shu had little room left to maneuver.
She took a deep breath, barely maintaining her smile. “Welcome. The more, the merrier.”
“I remember the last time I saw Teacher Su was five years ago. Back then…”
Seizing the moment, He Minqian launched into another round of small talk.
While Su Shu responded with a smile, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yu Shuang leaning close to the college student, whispering something that made them both laugh—utterly carefree.
Little sister…
They didn’t look alike at all.
But it was clear Yu Shuang treated her like family.
Perhaps her gaze lingered too long, because suddenly Jiang Ya looked up. Su Shu’s expression froze for a moment before she slowly forced a smile and averted her eyes.
Hard to say much else, but the girl was undeniably pretty.
In an artistic way, too.
That sharp upward glance left Su Shu momentarily unable to read the girl.
–
True to his word, He Minqian invited the other two painters, only to learn they already had plans. He shrugged.
Jiang Ya first went to headquarters to meet her senior, asking Yu Shuang to send her the address so she could join them later.
After a quick handover with her senior, she declined his dinner invitation, confirmed the payment details, and bolted.
“In such a hurry—got a date?” her senior teased.
The girl swung her backpack over one shoulder and replied brightly, “Yep~”
“???”
Before he could press further, Jiang Ya had already vanished from the lobby.
Her senior pulled out his phone and typed: Confess and you’ll be spared. Resist and face the consequences.
Spill it now!
–
Upscale restaurant, private room.
The atmosphere was slightly tense when Jiang Ya walked in.
She sensed it but cheerfully followed Yu Shuang’s beckoning gesture and took the seat beside her.
“No need to rush. No one was pushing you.”
Yu Shuang tucked Jiang Ya’s stray strands of hair behind her shoulder as she spoke.
Jiang Ya grinned. “Didn’t want to keep Teacher Su and Young Master He waiting too long. They’re my clients, after all.”
She glanced at He Minqian and Su Shu, who promptly played along with polite responses.
The backpack she had intended to toss aside was snatched away by Miss Yu. The zipper was pulled open, and her delicate brows furrowed. “The performance is quite good, but is there a lighter product that doesn’t compromise on performance?”
“There is, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy it.”
This earned her a glare from Miss Yu, who said disdainfully, “It’s dead weight. Carrying it around might mess up your spine. After dinner, we’ll go to the mall and see if we can find something lighter.”
There were lighter options, but none as durable as the one with the steel plate she currently had.
Jiang Ya smiled and nodded. “Sure.”
Miss Yu’s gaze dropped. “We’ll pick out some clothes for you too. You’d definitely look good in workwear.”
“Really?”
Grinning cheekily, she was hit by the bag Miss Yu threw back at her, but her smile didn’t falter.
After putting the backpack away, she turned to meet the gazes of the other two, pretending she’d just noticed. “Is there something on my face? Or do you two have something to say to me, Mr. He and Professor Su?”
He Minqian cleared his throat. “Take a look at the menu and see if there’s anything else you’d like to order.”
Yu Shuang added, “Oh right, you should check too,” and handed the menu beside her to Jiang Ya.
Su Shu was more composed. “You seem very familiar with Ningning, but I don’t think you’ve introduced her to me yet?”
The latter part of her sentence was directed at Yu Shuang.
Just as Yu Shuang was wondering where to start, He Minqian took over. “She’s a student Yu Shuang sponsored before.”
Su Shu: “…”
Su Shu: “Mr. He seems to know quite a bit about this?”
“Of course. The connection was actually made through me initially. To be specific, it started when Yu Shuang returned to the country to open her studio…”
Jiang Ya wiped her hands with a hot towel, not missing any of the subtle tension in the room.
Why?
Why was the atmosphere so strange?
And the nickname “Ningning”—Miss Yu’s English name was Ning, but this affectionate diminutive was usually only used by family members, especially her aunt and grandmother.
As time passed after her return and her studio grew, friends either called her by her full name or respectfully referred to her as “Boss Yu.” Even “Miss Yu” had become rare in recent years.
But judging from Su Shu’s resume, they had indeed met abroad.
Yet where did He Minqian’s pointed attitude come from?
Questions piled up in her mind one after another.
But Jiang Ya didn’t join the conversation much.
Even when the topic briefly turned to her, she’d wrap it up in a few sentences.
Unlike the strictly professional tone at the exhibition, Su Shu suddenly seemed much more interested in her.
Just as she was about to deflect again, Su Shu’s words hooked her, pressing for more.
“Weren’t we talking about the art exhibition? Why the sudden interest in a college student’s life?”
Before Jiang Ya could answer, Miss Yu’s voice leveled out, her smile gone.
Su Shu replied, “I’d still like to hear about the life of a top student.”
“Weren’t you one yourself before switching to art? Feeling nostalgic?”
Now it was Su Shu’s turn to be surprised.
But Yu Shuang didn’t delve deeper. Instead, her chopsticks moved, placing a slice of beef into Jiang Ya’s bowl. “Eat. Don’t just talk.”
Her tone made her stance clear.
Jiang Ya smiled and lowered her head to chew the beef.
Yu Shuang continued, “Let the kid eat. Back to business—let’s talk about the exhibition.”
He Minqian added, “Young people can’t stand hunger.”
Su Shu acted as if she hadn’t heard. “We were having such a pleasant chat—where were we with the exhibition?”
Only then did Yu Shuang smile again and steer the conversation back.
Jiang Ya popped a slice of bamboo shoot into her mouth.
Something’s off.
The atmosphere really is weird.
–
By the time they left, the air was thick with tension.
He Minqian signed the bill and asked Yu Shuang, “Shall I drive you two back?”
Yu Shuang: “I’ve been freeloading all day, I can’t trouble you further. It’s really not necessary.”
“Besides, we plan to stop by the mall first. Who knows how long we’ll end up browsing?”
He Minqian nodded. “Alright.”
Su Shu approached and whispered to Yu Shuang, “Young Master He beat me to footing the bill this time. I’ll treat you another day—I was supposed to host today.”
Yu Shuang: “Sure, I’m free. You and President He are the busy ones—just coordinate a date that works for you, and I’ll be there.”
Su Shu choked back a response.
He Minqian: “Fine, I’ll contact Teacher Su.”
“…”
Su Shu: “…Next time, President He, you can’t rush to pay the bill again.”
“Then next time, we’ll have to avoid restaurants under the He Group. Otherwise, the manager will just quietly slip me the check to sign.”
The manager holding the clipboard chuckled, seizing the moment to flatter He Minqian.
Jiang Ya found the whole exchange dizzying.
As expected, the mall didn’t have any keyboards with better specs, and the prices were generally much higher than market rates.
“Maybe just grab any lightweight one for when the workload isn’t too heavy?”
She picked one up at random—only to realize it was the top-tier model.
Miss Yu didn’t understand these things.
But Miss Yu knew which one was the most expensive.
Before her instincts could make her agree, Jiang Ya bit her tongue. “How about this—I’ll customize one myself, and Miss Yu can cover the cost later?”
“Deal.”
Yu Shuang put the keyboard back.
Jiang Ya smiled.
There were plenty of choices to make regarding the appearance and specs—she could take her time and consult Miss Yu along the way.
It promised many more shared moments to come.
When it came to picking clothes, this was Miss Yu’s domain—she barely considered Jiang Ya’s taste at all.
One outfit after another was selected, and each one fit perfectly when tried on.
“Are you and Teacher Su close?” Jiang Ya asked casually while changing.
“She was my mother’s student. We knew each other before.”
An indirect answer—dodged.
Jiang Ya: “So you must’ve been on good terms back then?”
Yu Shuang replied flatly, “Decent.”
“I thought—”
“Why does this color clash with the pants now? Oh, it’s gradient. Huh, didn’t notice the hem when picking it… Let’s swap it out, this combo’s a no-go…”
Jiang Ya blinked.
The mirror reflected Miss Yu’s face. When she didn’t respond for a while, Miss Yu raised an eyebrow in the reflection: “?”
Jiang Ya drawled, “…Oh.”
“I’ll go find you another piece.”
The figure in the mirror vanished.
The dynamics between these three—pair by pair—were too tangled to explain in just a few words.