Surprise! My Cohabiting Sister is Actually My Fiancée - Chapter 12

On Monday, Jian Suixin finally went to work.

Due to her specialized skills, finding another job in her field had proven difficult. The position she eventually secured was more administrative, involving tasks like drafting documents and other light duties.

The biggest challenge at this new company was the constant stream of young men and women who kept visiting her workstation during her first few days. Managing these social interactions took considerable effort.

The upside was that she received a mountain of delicious food and drinks, so much that refusing them became impossible.

While this job could sustain her, achieving her goals would likely require working for a century or two.

Sitting at her desk, Jian Suixin complained to the System, “I’m so worried.”

“What’s worrying you?”

“I’m broke.”

“Then find a way to make money.”

After a moment of silence, Jian Suixin asked, “Do you even understand my predicament?”

“I want to make money, but I don’t know how. All I can do is work, but working doesn’t bring in enough.”

The System paused. “…I think I understand.”

“What should I do?” Jian Suixin asked.

“You should focus on developing your acting career,” the System replied.

Jian Suixin sprawled across the table, seemingly resigned to this being the most viable option. “Alright, I’ll contact my agent again.”

“Ugh, I regret it,” she sighed weakly, tapping the keyboard absently. “I shouldn’t have rushed out so quickly. I should have grabbed some valuables from home before running away.”

“At least I should have taken the engagement ring. With normal spending habits, I could have coasted for a decade or two, right?”

“If I’d done that, life would be so much easier. First, I’d buy my Elder Sister a dozen designer shirts to completely revamp her wardrobe.” She propped her chin on her hand, her lips curving upward at the thought.

 System:  “Don’t say that! You looked so cool when you ripped off that ring and threw it on the table. Looking cool comes at a price.”

Jian Suixin:  …

Just shut up already.

The memory made her grumble, “You didn’t even remind me to take anything when I left.”

The System feigned innocence. “I told you it was a novel, but you insisted on leaving. I couldn’t stop you!”

Jian Suixin pursed her lips.

Sensing her displeasure, the System offered comfort. “Don’t lose heart! Your marriage is your choice. Fight for your freedom!”

The System brought it up first, reminding Jian Suixin of the matter. “Oh right, why haven’t you been nagging me about it lately?”

“Nagging about what?”

“Trying to set me up with your JunJun, of course.”

The System scoffed. “Hey, what do you mean ‘my JunJun’? He’s your JunJun now.”

Jian Suixin: ……

Just said you wouldn’t push it, and now you’re already planning it.

Instead of arguing, Jian Suixin pressed, “Why did you suddenly stop trying to set us up?”

The System pondered her meaning. “Are you… saying you want me to keep trying?”

“Not exactly,” Jian Suixin frowned. “…Are you plotting something?”

The System stammered for a moment, then suddenly turned serious. “I stopped because after observing you these past few days, I realized you and Elder Sister are the perfect match. I’m going to help you two get together.”

Jian Suixin chuckled. “Took you long enough to see the light! Finally realized how wonderful Elder Sister is?”

The System’s tone grew solemn. “Yes, yes, I finally understand.”

“Good for you for seeing the truth,” Jian Suixin grinned. “I told you from the start, I could never marry that Jun… Jun what’s-her-name? I could never marry her.”

“Look, even with the same surname Jun, the differences between people can be so vast. Elder Sister is such a wonderful person, a hundred times better than that temperamental and fickle young miss.”

The System nodded vigorously. “Mmm-hmm-hmm, you’re absolutely right. I respect your choice and wish you all the best in winning Elder Sister’s heart. May your love blossom into happiness and lead to an early marriage.”

“Thank you for your kind words,” Jian Suixin said, then playfully warned the System, “And remember, only I can call her ‘Elder Sister.’ You’re not allowed.”

The System chuckled. “Mmm-hmm-hmm, I won’t, I won’t.”

Only then was Jian Suixin satisfied. “Alright, you may withdraw.”

The company was small, and the workload was light. By the end of her first day, she had hardly done much.

When it was time to leave, she walked out with her newly acquainted colleagues, casually asking about the company’s dynamics. Jian Suixin strolled home feeling relaxed, while Jun Xizhi had already arrived at her own residence.

The phone rang as soon as Jun Xizhi stepped inside. Glancing at the caller ID, she frowned and let it ring for a while before finally answering just before it disconnected. “What is it?” she asked slowly.

The conversation was mostly one-sided, with the other party talking incessantly. Jun Xizhi occasionally responded with a few polite words.

“They failed to get what they wanted last time. You must be very disappointed, aren’t you?”

“Do you really want to collaborate with me?”

“Where’s the sincerity?”

Jun Xizhi listened in silence, her expression unreadable. Suddenly, her voice turned icy. “Shut up.”

“You dare mention Grandma?”

The other party continued to rant, but Jun Xizhi remained silent, her brow furrowed. Finally, she said flatly, “I understand.”

Without waiting for a reply, she hung up.

The room fell into complete silence, broken only by a soft sigh after a long moment.

Jian Suixin rode her bike home. When she entered, she found the room dark and unlit. Jun Xizhi had already returned and was standing by the window, gazing out at the night sky with her back to the door, almost blending into the darkness.

Jian Suixin stood at the doorway, watching her silent figure. Though Jun Xizhi was doing nothing, her silhouette seemed tinged with loneliness.

The sound of the door opening startled Jun Xizhi. She turned, her expression weary. “Xiao Jian, you’re back.”

“Elder Sister, you’ve been home for a while? Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” Jian Suixin asked, flicking the switch. The room flooded with light.

“I was on a call and forgot,” Jun Xizhi said, rubbing her temples. “I’ll start dinner now.”

“No, no, no need,” Jian Suixin said, striding forward and wrapping her arm around Jun Xizhi’s shoulders. Half-pushing, half-embracing, she guided her to the sofa and sat her down. “You rest. I’ll cook today.”

“You must be tired after working all day. Let me do it,” Jun Xizhi said, trying to get up.

“Not at all! I haven’t even told you yet—my job is super easy,” Jian Suixin said, gently pressing her back down with a smile. “Teacher Jun has been working hard all day. Let your student make you something delicious to cheer you up.”

“Please taste my cooking and tell me if I’ve improved recently, okay?”

Jun Xizhi nodded, giving in.

Jian Suixin disappeared into the kitchen, busying herself in silence. The System couldn’t help but ask, “Is Sister Zhi in a bad mood?”

“You noticed too?” Jian Suixin replied, her hands moving rhythmically as she chopped vegetables. Chop, chop, chop. “That’s why I’m making her something delicious—to cheer her up.”

The System hesitated. “What if eating your food makes her feel even worse?”

“……”

Jian Suixin wanted to punch it into a pile of scrap metal. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

The System trembled, “Haha, I was just kidding! Host, you’ve improved so quickly. Who would have imagined that just half a month ago, you were still a master of kitchen explosions?”

Jian Suixin ignored it and continued cooking. Two dishes and a soup were soon ready.

“Dinner’s ready! Come eat,” Jian Suixin announced, emerging from the kitchen in her apron. She carried the dishes to the table and bowed to Jun Xizhi with a bright smile. “Welcome, Teacher Jun, to taste my cooking.”

“Eh, where’s my phone?” After finishing cooking, Jian Suixin searched everywhere for her phone, finally pulling it out of her coat pocket. Glancing down, she noticed the hairdryer on the cabinet and remembered Ying Tao saying hers was broken that afternoon. She’d messaged Ying Tao to borrow hers, telling her the key was hidden under the rug and to put it back after use. Instead, Ying Tao had casually tossed it onto the cabinet by the door.

“Look at this! I told her to put it back, and she just throws it down like this,” Jian Suixin muttered, shaking her head.

Jun Xizhi noticed the hairdryer on the cabinet and walked over. “Leaving things lying around like this isn’t very considerate.”

“Exactly! She’s old enough to know better, but she’s so disorganized. Even I’m more organized than her,” Jian Suixin said, speaking freely about her good neighbor. Relying on their close relationship, she joked, “I should give her a piece of my mind.”

“No need. I already know,” Jun Xizhi replied.

Jian Suixin looked up, confused. “Huh?”

Jun Xizhi took the hairdryer from her hand, finally showing her first smile since returning home. “I put it there.”

The words froze Jian Suixin in place.

She blinked, wondering if she’d misheard. “Elder Sister, you… you put it there?”

Jun Xizhi nodded. “Ying Tao came to deliver it just as I got back, so I took it from her.”

“Well, you know, it doesn’t really matter where it’s kept. It’s not like it needs a special place,” Jian Suixin said, forcing a laugh as she tried to cover her embarrassment.

“It shouldn’t be left lying around,” Jun Xizhi said, putting the hairdryer back in the cabinet. “I got a call as soon as I walked in and forgot about it.”

Relieved to find a plausible explanation, Jian Suixin continued to justify herself. “Exactly! I knew you, Elder Sister, being so organized, wouldn’t just leave things scattered everywhere. You must have been in a hurry to answer the phone, right?”

Jun Xizhi chuckled, shaking her head. “It was my fault for leaving things scattered everywhere. I’m such a mess for someone my age—you’re much more organized than I am.”

Jian Suixin was so embarrassed she could have conjured a fully furnished three-bedroom apartment for them to move into on the spot.

Suddenly remembering something, Jian Suixin gritted her teeth and declared, “Hair dryers are needed all the time! Why put it away? Just leave it out!”

Jun Xizhi chuckled softly. “I’m serious, it really was my fault.”

Jian Suixin’s expression turned serious. “Absolutely not! You’re always right, Elder Sister.”

Jun Xizhi raised an eyebrow, amused. “So, because Ying Tao was wrong, I’m automatically right?”

Jian Suixin couldn’t find a logical explanation, but she nodded firmly. “Exactly.”

“You’re so biased towards me?”

“Of course!” Jian Suixin replied. “You’re so wonderful, Elder Sister! Even if you had the tiniest, tiniest, tiniest, tiniest flaw, it wouldn’t even count as one!”

To emphasize how insignificant the “flaw” was, she repeated “tiniest” four times.

System: Your eight-hundred-times rainbow-glittering filter for Sister Zhi is blinding me.

Jian Suixin retorted fiercely, “You’re a machine! Where did you get eyes?”

The System wailed in anguish, “Host, what about your principles?!”

Jian Suixin stood firm. “Principles? What are those? Principles can’t fool Elder Sister!”