Pry Away Step-Sister's Fiancee - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 — Unabashed Seduction

Ni Qingyao had collapsed suddenly and was flown overseas for emergency treatment. It had been four days now. Though there was still no news, Ni Hezhi felt a strange sense of calm.

No news meant her mother was still alive. If something had happened, Jiang Sui would’ve already brought her back to hold the funeral. After all, as Ni Qingyao’s only daughter, her absence from such an event would be impossible to explain—and damaging to Jiang Sui’s carefully curated image.

Still, uncertainty lingered.

When would her mother wake up?

In the meantime, Jiang Sui was swiftly consolidating her grip over the company. She had always seemed gentle and harmless, but Ni Hezhi knew better—behind that sweet exterior was someone calculating and methodical, who had been working for years to devour the entire Ni family’s legacy.

Fortunately, there were still loyalists on the board—old friends of her mother—who hadn’t bent to Jiang Sui’s influence yet. Ni Hezhi was quietly preparing to reach out and rally them. But to do that, she had to move carefully under Jiang Sui’s radar.

And that meant… she needed Su Yu on her side.

The problem was, Su Yu was doing everything she could to stay out of reach—up before dawn, back after dark, always finding ways to avoid conversation. When their paths did cross, she kept her distance, cold and silent.

After being brushed off several times, Ni Hezhi’s thoughts turned… mischievous.

If Su Yu acted this aloof in daylight—what would she be like in bed?

Morning broke softly over the mountains, bathing the village in hazy golden light. Mist rolled gently over rooftops, weaving through the air like silk.

The bed was hard and the night had been restless. Ni Hezhi lay curled up in her quilt, still caught in the haze of sleep, when the sound of a horn startled her awake. She shuffled to the window and peeked out through the rusted iron bars.

There, in the courtyard, Su Yu was already at work.

Dressed in the ever-familiar blue-and-white school uniform, she crouched low, binding dried wheat straw into bundles. The yard, which had been a chaotic mess just the day before, was now almost spotless. She had stacked everything neatly to the side.

Though her clothes were plain and her surroundings humble, Su Yu carried herself with a quiet pride—shoulders back, head high, clear eyes focused. Her poised silhouette against the misty morning reminded Ni Hezhi of a white crane—elegant, untamed, as if she belonged to some distant, brighter world.

Ni Hezhi padded outside silently, then crept up behind her. With a teasing grin, she reached out and traced her fingers along Su Yu’s waist through the thin fabric of her school uniform.

Su Yu flinched upright, startled.

Ni Hezhi smirked. “Morning.”

Su Yu hesitated before replying softly, “Morning.”

But her rigid posture and the flush creeping up her neck betrayed her nerves.

Ni Hezhi noticed the subtle shift in her stance—and pressed her advantage. She leaned in closer and pinched Su Yu’s waist with intent.

Su Yu jerked again, eyes widening in panic. Her expression wavered, the mask of calm beginning to crumble into something far more vulnerable.

She wasn’t used to this—being touched, being flirted with. Especially not by someone as unpredictable as Ni Hezhi.

Ni Hezhi leaned into her space, silk pajamas clinging to her frame, her voice a soft purr. “So, Teacher Xiaoyu… when are you going to start teaching me?”

The sunlight danced on her curves, casting golden lines that traced her figure beneath the barely-there fabric. Su Yu’s eyes darted away in a panic, cheeks pink.

Ni Hezhi edged even closer, a playful lilt in her voice. “What’s wrong? Shy?”

Under her teasing hand, Su Yu’s waist was firm—surprisingly toned for someone so slender. Ni Hezhi regretted the bagginess of the school uniform. It didn’t do her justice.

What a waste, she thought. So tempting—and so untouchable?

She wasn’t having that.

Su Yu, sensing where this was going, grabbed Ni Hezhi’s wandering hand on instinct. Her grip was tight, her ears red with embarrassment. Her fingers brushed against Ni Hezhi’s skin—smooth, soft, like silk—and she froze, worried her rough touch might hurt her.

But before she could let go, Ni Hezhi’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Oh? Holding my hand like this… what are you planning?” Her tone was low, rich with implication.

Su Yu instantly let go, mortified.

Ni Hezhi was back in control. She draped an arm lazily around Su Yu’s shoulders, her breath warm against her ear. “First time touching an Omega? You’re sweating.”

Su Yu, utterly flustered, wiped her palms against her pants in a panic. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum.

Ni Hezhi tilted her head. For a moment, all her teasing paused.

In the gentle light, Su Yu’s profile—delicate lashes casting shadows, lips slightly parted—made her catch her breath. Eighteen years old, and she looked like a painting brought to life.

Compared to every Alpha and Omega she’d known, Su Yu had an unassuming charm that pulled at her curiosity like a thread.

Hooking up with this little fool… didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.

Her grin returned. She reached out and lightly hooked Su Yu’s chin. “You’ve never even met Jiang Sui, right? How exactly is she helping you pay for school?”

Su Yu’s heartbeat quickened, eyes darting away. “Mrs. Ni wires the money directly to the school. They deduct tuition and fees, then tell me when to collect the rest.”

Ni Hezhi raised a brow. “That trusting? What if the school keeps it?”

“She checks,” Su Yu said quickly. “She calls every month to confirm.”

Bingo.

That’s what Ni Hezhi had been probing for—how and when Su Yu kept in contact with Jiang Sui. Clearly, she didn’t have a phone of her own. The village’s tiny commissary handled outside calls.

Which meant, if Ni Hezhi wanted to reach the outside world without Jiang Sui knowing… Su Yu was her only shot.

The challenge now was simple: win her over.

Ni Hezhi remembered one of her mother’s favorite business strategies—“To capture a piece on the board, sometimes you must play the piece yourself.”

If she had to bait the trap with herself, so be it.

Smiling coyly, she looped her arms around Su Yu’s neck, fingers tracing her collarbone. “By the way, little dummy, about that debt you owe me…”

Su Yu blinked, confused. “Debt?”

Ni Hezhi clucked her tongue, mock-offended. “You’re really going to pretend? All those years of Jiang Sui supporting you—that was Ni family money. My family’s money. And since I’m the heir, technically… I’ve been funding your life for over a decade.”

Su Yu’s brows furrowed, taking the claim far too seriously. “I’ll repay it.”

Her voice was earnest, steady. She wasn’t joking.

Ni Hezhi chuckled, circling a finger near her chest. “So serious! Okay then—how do you plan to pay me back? Don’t tell me you’ll wait until retirement?”

Su Yu flushed. “I’ll sign a note. A written promise.”

Ni Hezhi leaned closer, lips grazing her ear. “A note? That’s useless if you vanish. Am I supposed to track you down across the world?”

Su Yu looked genuinely troubled. “Then… what do you think we should do?”

Ni Hezhi slid her hand from Su Yu’s wrist to the back of her neck, voice barely a whisper now.

“Simple. Pay me back right now.”

Su Yu’s eyes widened. “I don’t have any money…”

Ni Hezhi’s lips curled. She had cracked Su Yu’s wall. Just a little further…

“That’s fine,” she whispered. “Just promise me one thing—and we’ll call it even.”

Su Yu, overwhelmed, looked up. “What is it?”

Ni Hezhi leaned in, close enough to feel her breath, close enough to taste the moment.

Her voice was like velvet.

“Kiss me.”