After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 9
“Open the door, Jiang Ya.”
“Where are you?”
“Hey!”
Bang, bang, bang! The wooden door shuddered under the pounding.
Jiang Ya closed her eyes.
Her entire body stiffened. The moment she realized she had been discovered, her mind went numb.
Jiang Rui’s survival instincts flared, and he began struggling violently again.
An eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy—even if Jiang Ya worked hard labor year-round—was still stronger than her.
The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile as she leaned close to Jiang Rui’s ear and whispered, “Do you really think she can save you?”
Her voice was soft and airy, drifting into Jiang Rui’s ears like a gentle breeze, yet it carried more terror than any threat or intimidation.
“My dear cousin,”
“Now that you’re here, your life is forfeit.”
“Let’s see, shall we?”
Jiang Ya’s smile widened.
The mountain wind carried her voice away, lifting her long, dark hair. The glow from her phone cast a ghostly pallor over her face, making her look like a vengeful spirit.
“Mmph—mmph—!”
Jiang Rui was on the verge of tears from sheer terror.
Jiang Ya gestured to Xiao Huang, who slowly crept forward. The dog’s hot breath fanned over Jiang Rui’s face, and he shrank back in fear.
He was truly terrified of Xiao Huang.
“Shh. Stay quiet—unless you want to lose that pretty face of yours.”
Tap, tap. She patted his cheek lightly, as if testing the firmness of meat. Her eyes held nothing but cold indifference.
Once she was done, she released him. Xiao Huang’s muzzle drew closer, and Jiang Rui whimpered, pressing himself into the corner. But the dog had been trained too well—it stayed right by his face, baring gleaming white teeth, poised to strike at any moment.
Jiang Ya picked up her phone, played a song, and placed it just out of Jiang Rui’s reach—drowning out any noise he might make.
The knocking had stopped.
But Jiang Ya knew Yu Shuang hadn’t left. She was still outside.
So persistent, Miss Yu.
Jiang Ya wanted to laugh, but as her lips twitched upward, her eyes welled with moisture.
The distance was barely a hundred meters, yet every step Jiang Ya took felt like walking on knives—agonizing, yet laced with a twisted sweetness.
Someone still cares about me.
But if she knew what was happening inside, she wouldn’t anymore.
“Miss Yu.”
Instead of the door opening, Yu Shuang heard Jiang Ya’s voice from behind it.
It sounded strange—hoarse, as if every word caused her immense pain.
Yu Shuang slammed her palm against the door again, irritation sharp in her voice. “Open up!”
The voice behind the door paused before replying, low and almost pleading, “I’ve already… gone to bed. Why are you here so late? Did you forget something?”
Yu Shuang nearly laughed in disbelief. After all that knocking, ignoring her calls, and now music faintly playing inside—and she had the nerve to say she was asleep?
Who does she think she’s fooling?
Yu Shuang refused to play along. “Open the door!”
“Miss Yu…”
“Either you open it yourself, or I’ll go get Xiao Feng to kick it down. Your choice.”
Jiang Ya shut her eyes in anguish.
When no response came after a few seconds, Yu Shuang turned to leave. But after just two steps, a desperate cry of “Miss Yu!” rang out from behind the door—so sharp and wretched it froze Yu Shuang in place.
She turned back. “Open it. Last chance.”
“You… you won’t want to come in.” The voice trembled.
Yu Shuang scoffed and turned away again.
Creak—
The door opened.
Slowly, just a crack. Jiang Ya made one last attempt. “You should go back now—”
Before she could finish, Yu Shuang yanked the door open with force, leaving Jiang Ya nowhere to hide.
Before her was still the same child she had parted with in the afternoon, that same face.
Apart from the unnaturally pale complexion and the pajamas, Yu Shuang caught a glimpse of a stain on Jiang Ya’s clothes. At first, she couldn’t quite make out what it was, so she looked a little closer… then her pupils abruptly constricted.
Bloodstains.
Yu Shuang stared at Jiang Ya in disbelief.
Jiang Ya held her ground under that gaze, but her face was so pale it seemed almost translucent.
Their eyes met.
Yu Shuang: “Yours?”
That feeling came over her again.
Sweet yet agonizing, as if she were both elated and on the verge of being crushed.
Jiang Ya parted her lips. “No. It’s. Not.”
Each word was wrenched painfully from her throat.
The taut string in her mind had just loosened slightly when she realized something and pulled it tight again, nearly to the breaking point.
Yu Shuang’s mind went blank for a moment.
“You…”
“You can still leave now. Just pretend you never came, never saw…”
Before she could finish, a gust of wind brushed past. By the time Jiang Ya snapped back to her senses, Yu Shuang was already standing in the center of the yard.
From that position, the view was unmistakable.
Jiang Ya’s shoulders stiffened unnaturally, her teeth clenched.
Another night breeze swept by, and she swayed slightly, as if the wind might topple her.
Yu Shuang’s brain completely short-circuited.
Was she… seeing another person?
Over where the dog was usually tied up?
She blinked.
Yes.
She saw it.
Under the sparse light leaking from the house, she could just barely make out a figure with bound hands, curled up in the corner, while Xiao Huang—who should have been leashed there—was baring its teeth, practically shoving its snout into the person’s face.
Yu Shuang took a deep breath.
“Xiao Huang, no, back off!” Her voice had gone hoarse.
Xiao Huang obediently retreated at the command. As soon as the dog moved away, the figure began to struggle, muffled grunts escaping. Catching the reflection of light, Yu Shuang saw the duct tape over his mouth. “…”
She stepped forward, her footsteps unsteady.
When she got close enough to see clearly, her breath hitched.
Wait, wait, wait…
Yu Shuang spun around abruptly, took a few steps back, covered her face with her hands, and stood still for a moment before turning again.
Her expression twisted in agony—the person was still there.
Help.
Oh god, help.
Yu Shuang crouched down, clutching her head, her composure abandoned as she raked her fingers through her hair, taking deep, shuddering breaths.
Was she dreaming?
She stood up, approached Jiang Rui, and pinched his arm.
Jiang Rui: “?!! Mmmph—!”
Jiang Ya: “…”
He writhed like a maggot. Her knowledge of human kinetics was rudimentary, but every movement he made perfectly aligned with muscle mechanics.
Ah, so not a dream!
Yu Shuang crouched down again, this time clearly seeing the bloody bite marks on Jiang Rui’s ankle from the dog.
It matched. The bloodstains on Jiang Ya’s clothes.
Not a dream.
Yu Shuang covered her face with both hands.
“I told you, you wouldn’t want to come in,” Jiang Ya’s voice drifted into her ears, strangely drained.
Yu Shuang let out a hollow laugh. “And then?”
“You can still leave now.”
“?”
The girl’s voice was methodical. “I’ll handle the parts you touched just now. I remember where your fingerprints are—I can wipe them off. But please don’t touch anything else.”
“Then, stand up and leave this place. Pretend you were never here.”
Yu Shuang: “??”
Yu Shuang: “You’re not going to tell me that after I leave, you’ll take care of everything perfectly, are you?!”
“…”
Jiang Ya’s silence made Yu Shuang burst into laughter.
So it was true—when people were utterly speechless, they really did laugh! Damn it all!
Jiang Ya: “I’m sorry, but I have my reasons.”
Yu Shuang: “Tell me. I’m listening.”
Silence fell again behind them.
Yu Shuang was absolutely furious.
With a sudden movement, she stood up and strode over to Jiang Ya, her steps forceful and aggressive. Jiang Ya instinctively took two steps back.
Those usually lazy eyes now burned with startling intensity as Yu Shuang declared imperiously, “Let him go. Now! Immediately!”
Jiang Ya: “I’m sorry—”
“I said—” Yu Shuang raised her voice, her eyes red with rage.
But the girl displayed a strength that starkly contrasted with her fragile appearance. “No!”
“Why? Don’t you realize what you’re doing is—”
Jiang Ya’s voice also rose: “He was the one who climbed over the wall and trespassed first!”
“That doesn’t give you the right to deal with him however you please! Self-defense requires—”
“I know!”
Their shouts died down, leaving the scene in silence.
Yu Shuang stared straight at Jiang Ya, her eyes filled with shock, confusion, and blazing anger—all of which Jiang Ya saw clearly.
Yet the usually gentle girl straightened her back and stood her ground. “I understand.”
“I know all of that, Miss Yu.”
“But I have questions for him.”
Yu Shuang: “You’re insane!”
Jiang Ya’s voice was soft as she spoke simultaneously: “He stole the passbook my grandmother left me.”
“It’s just money. There’s no need to—”
“It happened the day my grandmother died.”
Realizing something, Yu Shuang fell silent.
Disbelief.
Yu Shuang watched as a thin layer of tears welled up in Jiang Ya’s eyes. The girl spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: “The coroner ruled it an accident, but that was based on the assumption no one else was in the house. If… if it was…”
“I need answers.”
“I can’t let him go, Miss Yu.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Truly, I am.”
Tears streamed down Jiang Ya’s face, leaving glistening trails. The girl gazed at her, and Yu Shuang felt as though that pained look would burn right through her.
–
Jiang Ya’s grandmother had fallen, hit her head, and died on the spot.
That was the version everyone had told Yu Shuang.
Afterward, the body was sent for an autopsy. It wasn’t until a week later, when the results came back, that the remains were returned and the funeral arrangements made.
Jiang Ya must have discovered the missing passbook while sorting through her grandmother’s belongings. Earlier, when she had argued with her uncle about tuition, the girl had considered supporting herself and even started a social media account while looking into other funding options.
At first, Jiang Ya had never intended to drop out of school.
That was why she had planned to give Xiao Huang away.
Later, the passbook went missing. Coincidentally, Jiang Rui had been in town at the time, and considering how he hadn’t shown up for the funeral—coupled with his history of theft—even a fool could guess who had taken it.
Before the ID was canceled, all one needed to withdraw the money was the passbook, the account holder’s ID card, a letter of authorization, and the withdrawer’s ID—no complicated inheritance procedures required.
That was why Jiang Ya had specifically mentioned canceling the ID when she saw her uncle off last time.
She wasn’t afraid Jiang Rui would return.
She was afraid he wouldn’t.
Yu Shuang exhaled deeply, leaning weakly against the wall.
Dogs were so much better—oblivious to everything. Even now, Xiao Huang was happily trying to nuzzle her.
Pale moonlight spilled over Yu Shuang as she sat quietly in the yard. The spot where the dog had been tied up was now empty.
Jiang Ya had taken him to her grandmother’s ashes to question him.
Yes, Yu Shuang hadn’t stopped her.
She had a rough guess in her mind,
but it didn’t matter.
For one, even if Jiang Ya had murderous intentions toward Jiang Rui, she probably wouldn’t act on them in front of her grandmother’s ashes.
For another, if she stubbornly refused to let the child ask and get clarity, Yu Shuang feared Jiang Ya might truly lose her mind.
Gently closing her eyes, Yu Shuang decided to let herself off the hook, briefly emptying her mind.
When the wailing and commotion inside the room quieted down and silence lingered for a while, Yu Shuang opened her eyes as if sensing something and saw Jiang Ya emerge, wiping her eyes.
Her eyes were red, her nose and cheeks flushed—clearly, she had been crying hard.
Yu Shuang watched her quietly as the girl kept wiping her face with her sleeves, looking pitiful and disheveled.
But Yu Shuang no longer dared to think of this child as weak and harmless.
She simply observed Jiang Ya in silence, knowing exactly what she wanted to ask.
And Jiang Ya did know.
After drying her face, Jiang Ya shook her head lightly.
A weight lifted from Yu Shuang’s heart.
Thank goodness.
Jiang Rui had nothing to do with her grandmother’s death.
Jiang Ya steadied herself and murmured, “I’ll contact my second uncle in a bit, then call the police. Don’t worry, Miss Yu.”
For a moment, Jiang Ya wanted to look up from the ground but restrained herself.
She didn’t dare.
Didn’t dare meet Miss Yu’s eyes.
So she curled her true self inward and resignedly said, “Go ahead, scold me.”
She heard Yu Shuang let out a soft chuckle.
It sounded helpless, as if she found the absurdity of the situation utterly exasperating.
She must be so disappointed.
Would she hate her now?
But after a night like this, any normal person would surely lose all goodwill toward her, right?
And after all the scheming she’d revealed tonight, wouldn’t it be natural for people to fear her?
Would she be afraid of her?
Calculating and ruthless—nothing like an eighteen-year-old should be…
Whatever. It didn’t matter anymore.
She accepted it.
“Done crying?” Yu Shuang’s voice was gentle.
“There’s been something bothering me since I moved in. They say you and your grandmother relied on each other, but all this time, I haven’t seen you grieving much. I thought you were just hiding your emotions, but really, it was because you were too busy planning, wasn’t it? You never had time to mourn.”
Jiang Ya froze.
Yu Shuang’s voice was tender, filled with compassion and pity.
“Now that you’ve untangled your heart, you’ll have to learn to live without your grandmother.”
“Cry if you need to.”
Jiang Ya wanted to say she was fine.
But at the words “live without your grandmother,” the tears broke free entirely.
She wasn’t fine.
Not at all.
She had no grandmother anymore.