After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 40
In the evening, Yu Shuang took Xiao Huang out for a walk.
This year, she found herself with more free time, and the dog could sense the change in her state. From the hurried two laps around the small park before heading home, Xiao Huang had recently started testing her limits, growing increasingly spoiled and spending more and more time frolicking outside.
“Sweetie, if we go further that way, there’s a park with water. Do you want to go play in it?”
“Woof!” Xiao Huang did.
Yu Shuang pinched one of Xiao Huang’s ears and bluntly pointed out, “Aren’t you afraid of water?”
The dog’s eyes darted around, a bit of the whites showing as she glanced to the side, guilt practically oozing from her face. Yet, her body stubbornly held onto the desire to go play.
Yu Shuang and Xiao Huang engaged in a tug-of-war.
She pulled the leash.
Xiao Huang stiffened her neck and yanked it back.
After several rounds, Ms. Yu lost to her own soft heart. Xiao Huang trotted happily forward with little steps, click-clack, while a dazed ghostly figure—Little Yu—floated along behind her, holding the leash.
The human walking the dog had become the dog leading the human.
Oh well. At least one of them was happy.
As for the other, perhaps she could gain a bit of health from this minimal exercise. Maybe.
Once they arrived, Xiao Huang’s paws splashed in the artificial stream, flinging water all over Yu Shuang’s calves.
She chased a frog but was promptly stopped by Ms. Yu before any major disaster could occur.
She tried nudging a hedgehog with her snout—absolutely not allowed—and was promptly smacked on the head by an enraged Ms. Yu.
Then came the chase.
Exhausted and drained, Ms. Yu recorded a short video and sent it to Xiao Huang’s actual owner.
Along with it went a location pin.
Jiang Ya: “Trying out a new walking spot?”
Yu Shuang replied with a lifeless voice message: “This dog is beyond redemption.”
The chat fell silent for a moment before Jiang Ya responded: “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
By the time Jiang Ya rushed into the park, Ms. Yu was slumped on a bench, the other end of Xiao Huang’s leash tied to the wooden armrest while the dog ran circles around it.
“Ms. Yu!”
The call earned her a hollow stare from Yu Shuang.
“…”
Seemed like Xiao Huang had been particularly unruly tonight.
Yu Shuang’s eyes focused after a moment, and she raised a hand, curling a finger at Jiang Ya.
Jiang Ya’s heart skipped a beat. Suppressing the surge of emotions, she walked over to Ms. Yu and bent down, calling her name again.
Yu Shuang’s internal processing was a bit delayed. She stared up at Jiang Ya, her brows slowly furrowing under the other woman’s gaze.
The night concealed them, tree shadows swaying around.
The contrast of red lips against pale skin was swallowed by the darkness.
Only those eyes remained—upturned at the corners, shimmering like rippling water.
Jiang Ya held her breath and leaned in closer.
Those amorous eyes grew larger in her vision, then larger still.
Click.
Something was fastened around her neck.
“Take it back.”
The voice was quiet, but every word unmistakably dripped with resentment.
Around her neck was the other end of the dog leash.
“…”
Jiang Ya looked at Xiao Huang.
“Whimper.” The little dog rested her head on her paws, eyebrows raised in an adorable display of innocence. Playing the good girl.
“What did she do?”
Yu Shuang answered slowly, “Which part are you asking about?”
“…”
“All of it.”
“Whine~” Xiao Huang turned her head away, her tiny brows twitching as if that would make her immune to the on-the-spot complaints.
“Too much to list. My suggestion? Beat her first.”
“Suggestion accepted!”
“Bark-whine!” The accused dog protested.
Protest denied.
Her owner yanked the leash, pulling her close, and delivered two firm smacks to her forehead. Her expression immediately turned docile.
Yu Shuang laughed, tugging and pinching Xiao Huang’s ears. The troublemaker stayed perfectly still, having realized her mistakes and sincerely repented.
“Take her for a bath before heading home.”
“Her mouth bumped into a hedgehog, and she still needs to get checked at the grooming salon for ticks.”
Jiang Ya, crouching beside Xiao Huang, raised an eyebrow. “That mischievous?”
Yu Shuang tilted her head. “You haven’t even heard about her heroic frog-chasing escapade yet.”
The owner expressed her eagerness to hear the details.
By the end of the story, Xiao Huang had two more smacks on her head.
The naughty dog’s eyes finally cleared completely.
Yu Shuang burst into laughter.
Xiao Huang whimpered pitifully.
Jiang Ya watched quietly, suddenly wishing this moment could freeze and be treasured forever.
Yu Shuang’s gaze flickered over Jiang Ya’s face, and her laughter faltered as a strange feeling crept into her heart.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” Jiang Ya smiled.
Yu Shuang’s eyes darted away, and she mumbled, “Ahem, did you come straight here after getting off the subway?”
Jiang Ya was supposed to return tonight, but she got held up by an unexpected lab incident while packing. What was supposed to be a joint dog-walking outing turned into Yu Shuang’s solo adventure, leading to her later messaging Jiang Ya.
“Yeah, I ran part of the way. I was afraid you wouldn’t have the heart to scold her.”
“…”
Yu Shuang did spoil Xiao Huang a little, but she refused to admit it. “If you hadn’t shown up, I’d have smacked her head full of bumps by now.”
“Really?” Jiang Ya’s smile widened.
“…”
“Want to sit for a bit?” Yu Shuang patted the wooden bench beside her.
Jiang Ya sat down, and Yu Shuang reached over to tug at her backpack—dead weight.
She pursed her lips, her disdain unmistakable. Jiang Ya said, “I’m looking at new keyboard kits now. I promise no steel plates this time.”
“…It’s fine. I can veto the ones with steel plates.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Her smile was so sweet that Yu Shuang couldn’t resist ruffling Jiang Ya’s bangs again.
The night breeze was gentle, the little dog well-behaved, and the grievances of the day dissipated in the beauty of the evening.
On the way back, they stopped by the pet store.
After playing in the water earlier, they gave Xiao Huang a bath and combed through her fur to confirm no bugs. Just to be safe, they applied another round of flea treatment.
A sweet-smelling pup and two stinky humans headed home.
After wiping her paws, Xiao Huang scurried into her pen on her own. By the time Yu Shuang took a sip of water, the dog was already sprawled out in her bed, dead to the world.
Yu Shuang stood there, quietly watching for a while.
“Hey—”
“Hmm?”
“Should I get another puppy?”
Jiang Ya paused. “Why bring this up all of a sudden? Miss Yu, didn’t you just complain about how naughty Xiao Huang is?”
“In two years, you’ll graduate, and I’ll see Xiao Huang less and less.”
After all, Xiao Huang was Jiang Ya’s dog, not hers.
And now that Jiang Ya was showing signs of romance, the distance between them would only grow.
But children, like little birds, eventually spread their wings and leave the nest.
Yu Shuang thought it over seriously and suddenly wasn’t sure if what she’d miss was Xiao Huang or the current family-like atmosphere.
One thing she was certain of, though: if she had to resort to technology to have a child, she wouldn’t be willing.
She wasn’t yearning to build a family.
“I might go for a Ph.D.”
“? You’ve already decided?”
“Most likely. The job market’s terrible right now, and staying in academia is an option.”
“…That works too,” Yu Shuang said with a smile.
Watching the curve of her lips, Jiang Ya asked, “Miss Yu, do you want me to pursue a Ph.D.?”
“It’s up to you. It’s your choice.”
Though her words said one thing, the smile on her face didn’t fade. She ruffled Xiao Huang’s furry head and hummed a tune as she headed upstairs to wash up.
Gazing at Yu Shuang’s lighthearted retreating figure, Jiang Ya thought to herself—Miss Yu didn’t bring up getting another dog again.
Her lashes lowered slightly, trembling faintly as if struck by a thought.
Jiang Ya wasn’t sure if she was overthinking it.
When it came to matters concerning Miss Yu, she had never been able to maintain proper boundaries.
Caught in the throes of the situation, frustration was inevitable, yet there was nothing to be done.
The next day, while selecting outfits.
Jiang Ya’s long-delayed vacation had finally begun.
She had initially planned to pick something casual, but since many of Yu Shuang’s friends had met Jiang Ya before—and He Minqian’s art exhibition would also be attended—after a brief moment of hesitation, she gravitated toward more formal styles to avoid any unexpected social encounters along the way.
“Is He Minqian easy to talk to?”
Fingers lightly tracing a modified suit with a Western-style flair, Yu Shuang asked offhandedly.
“Young Master He is widely known for his good temper. Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
From the corner of her eye, Jiang Ya noticed Yu Shuang’s attention was almost entirely on the clothes.
“Just worried he might exploit your labor while you’re still slaving away for capitalists.”
Jiang Ya: “Do I seem that easy to exploit in Miss Yu’s eyes?”
Not really.
This kid was sharp as a tack.
She was just testing the waters.
But perhaps due to learning by example, Jiang Ya’s defenses were just as layered, her words tightly guarded.
“Or is Miss Yu trying to ask about something else regarding Young Master He?”
“?? What else?”
“I thought you might have some professional overlap.”
“No, the studio has no business dealings with the He family, and the He Group has no such plans in the near future.”
Given how messy the broken engagement had been back then, even if He Minqian was willing, his family would never agree.
At least that saved her some trouble.
“Ah, I don’t know much about the creative field.”
“I can tell.” Yu Shuang pulled out three formal suits in a tuxedo style and held them up against Jiang Ya. “Try these on.”
While waiting outside for Jiang Ya to change, Yu Shuang was just pondering how to bring up Su Shu when, from behind the curtain, Jiang Ya spared her the effort: “Last week, I was also running around the art exhibition venue. The lighting adjustments were quite satisfying at first, but then that Russian artist wanted additional lighting effects for his corridor, so more programming tweaks were added.”
This was news to Yu Shuang, but she understood exhibitions well: “So the entire venue had to be adjusted?”
If it were a solo exhibition, it wouldn’t be an issue. But for a joint exhibition, the problem wasn’t scarcity but imbalance. Plus, the overall aesthetic of the venue had to remain cohesive, meaning the other two artists would have to be included as well.
“Exactly.”
“But Teacher Su Shu was strongly against it.”
“The assistants escalated the issue all the way up, and in the end, Young Master He had to step in to mediate.”
Yu Shuang thought carefully. “She probably dislikes anything too flashy.”
“She must want the focus to remain on the paintings themselves.”
Jiang Ya’s hand paused on the zipper as she lowered her gaze. “Miss Yu really understands Teacher Su well.”
“…”
“I heard from Teacher Su’s assistant that back then…”
Yu Shuang responded swiftly, “Back then what?”
“Back when you were abroad, Miss Yu and Teacher Su were very close.”
“…Mhm, we studied together, after all.”
“But after Teacher Su returned to the country, you two didn’t seem to keep in touch much, and Miss Yu rarely mentions her. Did something unpleasant happen later?”
This sharp little devil!
Rubbing her temples and taking advantage of the fact that Jiang Ya couldn’t see her, Yu Shuang fabricated an excuse: “No, she’s just been busy lately and hasn’t had time to reach out.”
After a brief silence, Jiang Ya spoke again, “Then I must have misunderstood.”
“Teacher Su really is quite busy—she has appointments almost every day and still has to oversee the exhibition.”
“But the way Teacher Su talks about Miss Yu is quite interesting.”
Yu Shuang: “She mentioned me?”
“There was quite a lot—talk about Miss Yu’s university days, their time studying together, and Miss Yu’s talent. You could tell Professor Su really admires her.”
“Hmph.”
“Am I wrong?”
“Are you done changing yet?”
“Done.”
The curtain was drawn back, revealing a white suit with a modified silhouette, perfectly suited for a younger person—not stiff at all.
Yu Shuang adjusted Jiang Ya’s collar, giving her a once-over before muttering, “I told you it doesn’t look like him at all.”
Before Jiang Ya could ask, Yu Shuang added, “Take it off. It’s just okay. Try a dress instead.”
Several outfits later, Yu Shuang settled on an intricately crafted lace piece—elegant and vintage, perfectly complementing Jiang Ya’s aura.
Long sleeves meant it would hold up even if the exhibition and afterparty cranked up the air conditioning.
“Miss Yu?”
Wearing the lace gown, Jiang Ya noticed Yu Shuang staring at her intently. She waved a hand in front of Yu Shuang’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“I was thinking…”
Yu Shuang suddenly stepped closer, freezing Jiang Ya in place.
Pale fingers brushed through Jiang Ya’s hair, gathering half of it while letting the rest fall over her shoulders. With her breath warm against Jiang Ya’s cheek, Yu Shuang sighed in playful frustration, “Should I style your hair for the event? Or just leave it down… Which would look better?”
Goosebumps prickled along Jiang Ya’s arms.
So close.
It almost felt like an intimate embrace.
“What do you think?” Those mesmerizing eyes turned to her.
Jiang Ya exhaled a shaky breath. In the tangled space between their gazes, she asked, “Are you treating me like a mannequin, Miss Yu?”
Yu Shuang smirked, shooting her a sidelong glance. “What if I said you were more like a BJD doll?”
“Fine by me.”
This time, it was Yu Shuang who froze.
Because Jiang Ya rested her chin on Yu Shuang’s shoulder, the heat of her body seeping through the fabric between them.
“‘Fine by me’ what?” Yu Shuang wasn’t even sure what she was asking.
“Anything.” Pink lips curled as round, seemingly docle eyes fluttered shut. The whisper that followed was almost clingy. “Being Miss Yu’s BJD doll or mannequin—I don’t mind either.”
That strange feeling from the park resurfaced in Yu Shuang’s chest.
–
In the end, Yu Shuang did style Jiang Ya’s hair—nothing elaborate, but enough to show care had been taken.
Stepping out of the car, they ran into Su Shu greeting guests at the entrance. She spotted Yu Shuang first, her gaze lingering before shifting to Jiang Ya.
Her smile stiffened. “That outfit looks stunning. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Jiang Ya nodded with a smile. “Miss Yu picked it.”
“Ningning has always had an eye for these things.”
But Su Shu’s eyes darted rapidly between the two of them.
As if searching for something.