After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 7
Before she could think it through, her peripheral vision caught sight of Second Uncle’s panicked expression. Before her mind could even react, Jiang Ya’s hand had already let go.
“Woof woof woof! Woof—!”
Freed from restraint, Little Huang practically launched herself forward in an instant.
Jiang Jingwu: “Ahhh—!”
“Oof!”
Jiang Ya tightened her grip on the leash again.
Jiang Jingwu practically leaped out the door.
A faint trace of amusement flickered in Jiang Ya’s eyes, though her voice remained perfectly serious as she asked, “Are you alright, Second Uncle?”
“I held her back!”
“She doesn’t usually bite.”
As if to contradict Jiang Ya’s claim, Little Huang let out another series of loud barks.
Jiang Jingwu: “…”
Jiang Jingwu: “Just tie the dog up first, will you?”
Jiang Ya led the dog outside.
Jiang Jingwu retreated several steps back.
Though she had calmed down inside, the moment Little Huang saw Jiang Jingwu again, she bared her teeth.
Despite being called a “little dog,” Little Huang wasn’t small—at eight or nine months old, her back already reached Jiang Ya’s knees.
The puppy’s pristine, gleaming teeth were fully on display.
“…” Jiang Jingwu was seriously considering leaving.
In fact, he had no choice but to go.
Little Huang instinctively wanted to chase him off, and Jiang Ya struggled to hold her back.
“Maybe it’s because you were speaking too loudly today. She thought I was being bullied.”
Listening from the backyard, Yu Shuang nearly laughed at Jiang Ya’s double entendre.
Brat!
Truthfully, Little Huang was well-trained and obeyed basic commands. But from start to finish, Jiang Ya hadn’t given a single command to stop her—an unmistakable endorsement of the dog’s behavior…
Shaking her head, the kid wasn’t as naive as she’d thought.
That was a good thing.
Seeing him off at the door, Jiang Ya added, “Oh, right. Grandma’s ID needs to be canceled. I plan to handle it at the police station after the funeral. Will you and Second Aunt come along?”
“We’ll see.”
With that, Jiang Jingwu left.
Leaning against the doorframe, Jiang Ya waited until he was far enough away before using a command to settle Little Huang.
But she didn’t go back inside. Instead, she stood there holding the leash, her expression unreadable, lost in thought.
Only when his figure had shrunk to a speck and vanished from sight did she finally snap out of it.
Looking down at the now-quiet Little Huang at her feet, her face shadowed by her long hair, Jiang Ya crouched slowly. She stroked the dog’s head, pressing her cheek against its neck, murmuring in a hollow, ghostly whisper, “Good dog. Good girl.”
“Good puppy.”
After collecting herself, even though she had some suspicions, turning the corner and actually seeing Miss Yu sitting beside the empty dog leash still hit Jiang Ya with an indescribable shock.
Her heart raced, her throat dry. “Miss Yu…”
“You heard everything?”
She nearly bit her tongue the moment the words left her mouth.
That wasn’t the right way to ask.
Yu Shuang sat lazily on a small wooden stool against the wall, long legs casually crossed in front of her, head tilted back to bask in the sun. Her dark hair cascaded like seaweed, and at Jiang Ya’s question, only her pitch-black eyes shifted slightly as she replied languidly, “Hmm?”
“…”
“Whimper~”
Xiao Huang suddenly broke free from Jiang Ya’s grasp, lifting its two front paws to cling onto Yu Shuang. Caught off guard, Yu Shuang was enthusiastically licked on the chin by the dog and immediately burst into laughter, retaliating by pressing both hands onto the dog’s head and ruffling its fur wildly. Xiao Huang let out a series of whimpers and nuzzled into her hands again.
“Alright, alright, let’s bask in the sun for a bit.”
Yu Shuang tried to hold the dog still, but Xiao Huang refused to comply, whimpering and tugging at her, eager to play.
It was indeed Xiao Huang’s playtime.
Jiang Ya walked away and returned with several dog toys in hand, sitting beside Yu Shuang before tossing them out. Xiao Huang dashed off like an arrow, chasing after the toys.
Jiang Ya began playing fetch with Xiao Huang.
Yu Shuang stretched lazily and sat up a little straighter.
Jiang Ya stole a glance at Yu Shuang, quickly averting her gaze before murmuring softly, “Thank you.”
Yu Shuang took the ball from Jiang Ya’s hand and threw it out, chuckling, “I used to think you were the type of kid who’d hide under the covers and cry alone when bullied!”
“I… I’m not that easy to bully.”
“I can see that now.”
“…”
So she had heard everything after all!
Jiang Ya’s eyes flickered nervously as she asked, “Does it not meet your expectations?”
“It’s just not quite what I expected from your usual demeanor. I find it interesting.”
Taking the ball from Xiao Huang’s mouth, Yu Shuang threw it far again.
Her words were accompanied by a smile, and Jiang Ya, detecting nothing amiss, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Do you hate your uncle?” Yu Shuang looked at Jiang Ya.
Jiang Ya lowered her eyes slightly and shook her head.
“Really?”
“Mhm.”
“And you’ve also decided not to continue your studies?”
Jiang Ya pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
Yu Shuang: “Actually, he was right about two things.”
“If you still want to pursue your education, you probably won’t have much use for this property. You have one more year of high school, then university—likely living on campus. Given your grades, if you go on to grad school, it’ll take at least seven or eight more years. Even after graduating, it’d be hard to return to work in this town. Add another two or three years of hustling, and you won’t be back to live here for at least nine years. Right now, this place can still fetch a decent price, but if it sits empty for nine years, the land might be the only thing worth anything.”
Jiang Ya showed no reaction. “And the other thing?”
Yu Shuang smiled, her eyes dazzling in the sunlight. “Do you really not know, or do you just want to hear me praise you?”
“Praise me.”
Yu Shuang didn’t hold back. “Naturally, he said you’re destined for great success and will make a fortune in the future—Jiang, the academic ace!”
“It’s not that easy…”
“There’s some exaggeration, sure. But with your current grades, if you focus on your studies, you might still need some support from your uncle’s family during university. For grad school or a Ph.D., if you choose a good advisor, secure more scholarships, and take on some volunteer work or side jobs, you could graduate smoothly. What do you think?”
Realizing where Yu Shuang was steering the conversation, Jiang Ya fell silent again.
Tired of throwing the ball, Yu Shuang handed the toy back to Jiang Ya.
Jiang Ya mechanically tossed it a couple more times before murmuring, “I… don’t want to sell this place…”
As if those words had flipped a switch, Jiang Ya gave Xiao Huang the command to rest.
Setting the ball down, she stared blankly at the ground for a moment before speaking. “My cousin is a real troublemaker. He dropped out of high school. My uncle and aunt wanted to send him to the military, but he refused and ran away… Anyway, it caused them a lot of pain. If I give this house to my uncle, he’ll probably sell it… I’ve lived here for so long—since I was little, since I can remember… I…”
Towards the end, her words became jumbled. Jiang Ya closed her eyes briefly.
Yu Shuang said, “You can’t bear to leave this place.”
Jiang Ya wanted to smile, but her eyes grew hot. “Yeah, I can’t bear to,” she replied, her voice thick with emotion.
“Then keep it for now. Honestly, handling it yourself would be better, but…” But the child was too young. If she handled it alone, there would inevitably be people trying to take advantage. “Forget about the house for now. The key issue is you—do you still want to continue your studies?”
“My funding has been terminated, but with your circumstances, there are other support programs available. High schools also offer scholarships. I heard from Xiao Feng’s mom that your grandmother left you a bank card. At the very least, it should be enough to support you until college, right?”
Jiang Ya muttered, “What if it isn’t enough?”
“Then I’ll transfer money to you.”
Jiang Ya froze in shock.
She looked up, disbelieving, and met Yu Shuang’s steady gaze.
The faint smile at the corners of Yu Shuang’s lips and brows had faded. Her expression was serious, her eyes calm and resolute as they locked onto Jiang Ya’s.
Miss Yu was serious.
When this realization struck, Jiang Ya’s nose and eyes stung with unshed tears.
Yu Shuang repeated, “I’ll cover whatever’s missing. If you don’t want it as charity, consider it a loan. You can repay me later with the same interest rate as a student grant. I’m not joking—I’ll even take an IOU.”
Jiang Ya blinked, feeling moisture gather in her eyes, and quickly pressed her palm to the corner of her eye.
“What if I never pay you back?” Her voice was even thicker now.
“Wow, then I’d be so scared you’d run away! Let me think about what I should do~”
Pfft.
Jiang Ya burst into laughter.
Once the laughter subsided, her damp eyes quietly studied Yu Shuang. “Miss Yu, have you always been this kind?”
“Ah, let me tell you a secret—I’ve actually sponsored over a dozen kids. You’re the only one I’ve ever signed a termination agreement with. Still think I’m kind?”
Jiang Ya nodded. “Very kind.”
“Exceptionally kind.”
“Thank you…”
“Thank you, Miss Yu.”
–
After all those heartfelt thanks, in the end, Jiang Ya said she’d think about it?
After being so moved, she only said she’d think about it?!
Little brat!
Education was tough. Yu Shuang was acutely aware of her own shortcomings in this regard.
And she absolutely refused to admit it was her fault.
If asked, she’d say a top student’s thought process was just different.
–
The next day, both Yu Shuang and Jiang Ya received phone calls.
Yu Shuang’s was from the insurance company—her car had been repaired and was being driven back to town.
Jiang Ya’s was from the funeral home—the memorial service she had arranged was complete, and she could now collect the ashes.
After hanging up, Jiang Ya looked at Yu Shuang from a distance, knowing the time for parting had come.
–
The ashes needed to be brought home first, and it wasn’t appropriate to have outsiders present—it might be uncomfortable for both sides.
Yu Shuang understood. The town’s guesthouse had long since been vacated, and Feng Gu promptly booked her the best room available.
Since things had happened suddenly, Yu Shuang didn’t have much to pack and was done in no time.
Before leaving, she asked Jiang Ya if she wanted her to drive her to collect the ashes. Jiang Ya replied that her second uncle had already arranged a car and they’d go together in the afternoon. Yu Shuang nodded and didn’t press further.
This time, Yu Shuang left an extra remark: “Let me know once you’ve made your decision. If you have other thoughts, just say so—don’t keep it all bottled up, kid!”
Jiang Ya nodded, her eyes filled with reluctance as she gazed at Yu Shuang.
As Yu Shuang walked away, she glanced back but couldn’t make out Jiang Ya’s expression. In the distance, Little Huang began barking.
–
Jiang Ya returned with her uncle and aunt to collect the ashes, and once again, Jiang Rui was not among them.
Jiang Ya wasn’t surprised.
Before leaving, her uncle said, “It’s not good to keep the ashes in the house. We’ll hold the burial tomorrow—I’ve already made the arrangements.”
“Don’t worry, that brat Jiang Rui will definitely show up tomorrow.”
Jiang Ya paused for a moment, then said she understood, seeing her uncle and aunt off.
After everyone had left, she sat dazedly in the courtyard for a while before returning to her grandmother’s room. She pulled open the innermost drawer of the wardrobe and took the ID card lying on top.
After dinner, she played tug-of-war with Xiao Huang as usual.
As night fell, Jiang Ya didn’t tether Xiao Huang, letting the dog roam freely outside.
She turned off the lights but tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
What if he doesn’t come…
What if…
Before she could even finish the thought, Xiao Huang began barking furiously in the yard.
Jiang Ya froze for a second, then smiled—a complicated expression.
She dressed neatly and, hearing a man’s pained cry, took a deep breath before pushing the door open.
Though she had been restless inside, stepping into the courtyard, she felt strangely calm.
“Ya-Ya, hurry up! Your damn dog’s biting my leg—ahhh—!”
“Woof! Woof woof woof!”
Jiang Ya approached and, under the sparse courtyard lighting, recognized Jiang Rui.
“Cousin.”
Her long black hair hung straight, her white clothes ghostly in the dim light. Her tone was inscrutable, leaving Jiang Rui momentarily stunned.
She bent down. Just as Jiang Rui thought she would pull the dog away, Jiang Ya instead gripped his shoe and yanked backward. With the practiced coordination of their tug-of-war game, Xiao Huang pulled at the same time—
Snap.
“AHHH!—Mmmph—!”
Jiang Ya clamped a hand tightly over Jiang Rui’s mouth.
The night wind lifted her hair, her dark eyes fathomless as a black abyss.
“We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”