Surprise! My Cohabiting Sister is Actually My Fiancée - Chapter 25

“Elder Sister, would you like to come say hello to my mom?” Jian Suixin asked.

The living room fell silent.

Looking around, she realized Jun Xizhi wasn’t there.

“Where is she?” Jian Suixin asked. “Did Elder Sister go back to her room?”

“Probably,” the System replied.

Jian Suixin hesitated, wondering if she should call her over.

The System was vehemently opposed to this idea. Mother Jian’s earlier mention of meeting Jun Xizhi had nearly given it a heart attack—thankfully, it was a machine without one. When Jian Suixin had impulsively called out to her, the System had barely managed to stop her in time.

The moment the bedroom door opened, the System’s non-existent heart had nearly leaped out of its chest. Fortunately, Jun Xizhi had already returned to her room.

If they had met, the scene would have been unimaginable.

Seeing Jian Suixin wavering, the System quickly urged, “Sister Zhi might already be asleep. Let’s not bother her now, okay?”

“So, we shouldn’t meet?” Jian Suixin asked.

“Exactly! Weren’t you worried about your mom noticing something was off? You can still act normal by yourself, but if you’re with Elder Sister, you’ll definitely give yourself away.”

Jian Suixin’s focus shifted. “If we met together, would that count as meeting the parents early?”

The System: …They haven’t even started dating yet, and she’s already talking about meeting the parents?!

System: Wake up! It’s not bedtime yet.

Jian Suixin steered the conversation back on track. “How do you know I’ll definitely slip up?”

System: You’re going to “meet the parents” with Sister Zhi. I’m afraid your face will crack from smiling too much again.

Jian Suixin: “Fine, just say what you need to say. Why the personal attacks?”

The System earnestly reasoned with her, determined to nip this dangerous idea in the bud.  Besides, Sister Zhi seems very low-key. Remember how she wouldn’t even casually share her name with people at first? Let’s wait until later.

“You’re right,” Jian Suixin conceded, abandoning the idea of calling Jun Xizhi and returning to her room.

The System, thoroughly spooked, immediately played a clip from Emergency Rescue to calm itself down.

Facing Mother Jian again, Jian Suixin explained, “Mom, she goes to bed early. She’s probably resting now. We can meet another time.”

“Alright, we’ll talk about it later then,” Mother Jian agreed, not pressing the issue. “You seem quite concerned about your roommate.”

“What are you talking about?” Jian Suixin denied. “We just live together, so I know her routine.”

Unable to glean any further information from these few words, Mother Jian didn’t press further. After chatting a while longer, they hung up and prepared for bed.

The next day after work, Jian Suixin successfully received the prize-winning clothes.

They had been delivered at noon when no one was home, so Ying Tao had signed for the package and brought it over after work.

Naturally, Jian Suixin shared the good news with Ying Tao. After work, she bought a bunch of fresh ingredients and invited Ying Tao over for dinner.

“Hey you two, shouldn’t you try these on first? Why are you so calm?” Ying Tao asked curiously, tearing open the packaging.

Jian Suixin paused, glanced at the equally composed Jun Xizhi, and explained, “We’ve both tried them on already, so the novelty’s worn off. You should take a look.”

Ying Tao was intrigued, clicking her tongue. “My poor life… I’ve never worn clothes this expensive before.”

“Try them on, and I’ll give you a couple if you like them,” Jian Suixin offered.

Knowing the clothes were valuable, Ying Tao refused. “No need, I’ll just try them on. I’ll earn the money to buy my own.”

There was a reason some clothes were so expensive. After trying on two outfits, Ying Tao practically wanted to live in front of the mirror.

“These clothes are just different! Look at this coat—the fabric, the feel—it’s incredible!”

Staring at the remaining unopened garments, Ying Tao suppressed the urge to try them all on. “No more. If I try any more, I won’t want to take them off!”

Hearing this, Jun Xizhi smiled. “Go ahead and try them on. Don’t be shy.”

As she began unwrapping the remaining clothes, Ying Tao quickly stopped her. “Really, Sister Zhi, it’s too much trouble. Let me help you put them away.”

“Don’t be so formal. We’re neighbors,” Jun Xizhi replied, handing Ying Tao another garment. “Try this one.”

“Okay, sure.” Since Jun Xizhi had already placed it in her hands, Ying Tao accepted. But as she took it, she noticed something was off. “Wait, this style… isn’t this Xin Xin’s style?”

Jun Xizhi glanced down, as if just realizing the mistake, and gave a slightly apologetic smile. “This is mine. It probably won’t suit you. Let me find you another one.”

Ying Tao blinked, still holding the garment. “This is yours, Sister Zhi?”

“Yes,” Jun Xizhi said, unwrapping the remaining clothes one by one. “Xiao Jian won the prize, and the sales associate picked out all these clothes for her. But Xiao Jian insisted on letting me choose a few too, so these are what I picked.”

“Oh, I see!” Ying Tao nodded.

“I told her not to bother, but Xiao Jian wouldn’t take no for an answer. She insisted on sharing,” Jun Xizhi said with a hint of helplessness. “I had no choice but to accept.”

By now, all the clothes were unwrapped, clearly divided into two distinct styles, each accounting for half the pile.

Ying Tao glanced at the clothes before her, then at Jun Xizhi, blinking twice. For some reason, she felt Jun Xizhi’s words were a subtle boast. The emphasis wasn’t on the clothes themselves, but on Jian Suixin’s insistence on sharing them equally.

However, considering Jun Xizhi didn’t seem like the type to brag, Ying Tao dismissed the thought as her own misinterpretation.

Jun Xizhi’s style was more mature and refined, clashing with Ying Tao’s own. After trying on Jian Suixin’s clothes, Ying Tao carefully folded them and put them back in the closet before leaving the room.

When Ying Tao emerged, she found Jian Suixin putting groceries in the refrigerator. She approached and asked, “What’s for dinner tonight, Chef Jian?”

Jian Suixin finished organizing the groceries and declared confidently, “Just wait, I’ll show you what I’ve got.”

Ying Tao had meant her question as a joke, but Jian Suixin’s immediate acceptance surprised her. “You’re cooking tonight?”

Jian Suixin gave her a puzzled look. “Of course. Is there a problem?”

“The last time I ate your cooking, it was a culinary disaster. When did you secretly learn to cook?”

“Your information needs updating,” Jian Suixin said, tilting her chin with a hint of pride. “I have a private tutor now.”

Ying Tao: “A private tutor? When did you get so rich?”

Jian Suixin’s gaze drifted to Jun Xizhi beside her. She took a step closer, then another, until she was hugging Jun Xizhi’s arm. “Here you go, Teacher Jun.”

Jun Xizhi tilted her head, meeting Jian Suixin’s gaze, her eyes brimming with warmth. “I didn’t do much. Xiao Jian is the one who’s amazing.”

Ying Tao watched the two women naturally cozy up to each other, her eyelids drooping. I knew it, she thought.

Biting her lower lip, Ying Tao murmured, “Seeing you two like this makes me feel guilty for ordering takeout every day.”

“Alright, alright, go play in the living room for a bit. Elder Sister and I will make dinner,” Jian Suixin said, waving Ying Tao off while still clinging to Jun Xizhi.

Her tone and demeanor were like those of a parent telling a child, Go play now, sweetie. Mommy and Daddy need to cook.

“Elder Sister, let’s go. What delicious dish should we make tonight…?”

“I…” Ying Tao tried to say something, but the two women were already shoulder-to-shoulder, chatting and laughing affectionately (at least, that’s how Ying Tao saw it), heading into the kitchen, leaving Ying Tao alone in the living room.

This…

And this was just the beginning. Ying Tao lowered her head in silence, imagining the scene that might unfold later when the three of them sat down to eat together.

Suddenly, she really wanted to go home and order takeout for herself.