Surprise! My Cohabiting Sister is Actually My Fiancée - Chapter 31

Half-awake, half-dreaming, Jian Suixin couldn’t distinguish reality from her dream.

She shifted slightly, tucking her chin into the blanket and wrapping herself tighter, mumbling a vague response.

Sleepiness washed over her, and she soon drifted back into slumber.

Jun Xizhi lay quietly beside her, gazing at the half-visible profile of the sleeping woman, lost in thought.

After an unknown amount of time, she gently tucked the blanket around Jian Suixin and closed her eyes.

Though her body remained still, her mind churned with unresolved emotions.

The next morning, the alarm blared, and Jian Suixin’s eyes snapped open. With lightning reflexes, she silenced the alarm in under three seconds.

Her swift reaction instantly banished most of her drowsiness.

“Wow, Host!” the System praised. “That’s the fastest you’ve ever turned off the alarm!”

Jian Suixin beamed with pride. “Of course! I can’t wake Elder Sister.”

Knowing she had to get up early for filming, she had planned the night before to move with utmost quietness, completing her preparations with feather-light steps to avoid disturbing Jun Xizhi.

Jian Suixin mentally patted herself on the back for her thoughtfulness and agility.

After silencing the alarm, she turned around gently, only to find the bed empty. Jun Xizhi had already risen.

Jian Suixin: ……

Jian Suixin felt a pang of frustration and embarrassment.

She sat on the bed, froze for half a second, then silently turned around. Jun Xizhi was already up, dressed, and back to her usual self—the version Jian Suixin saw most often.

Several paper bags lay on the table, likely containing breakfast she had just bought. Jun Xizhi sat at the table, watching Jian Suixin with amusement, undoubtedly having witnessed her earlier series of awkward movements.

Jian Suixin’s expression was slightly awkward. “Elder Sister, you’re up? I was worried I’d wake you.”

Jun Xizhi couldn’t suppress a smile. She stood up from her chair and walked over to Jian Suixin, saying with a laugh, “I didn’t sleep well in the new place, so I woke up early. But thank you for being so considerate, Xiao Jian.”

Hearing Jun Xizhi’s words, Jian Suixin’s embarrassment eased somewhat. She glanced at the paper bags on the table. “Did you buy breakfast, Elder Sister?”

“Mm-hmm, come eat,” Jun Xizhi called out, opening the bags.

Jian Suixin nodded and began to change her clothes. Just as she lifted the hem of her shirt, she suddenly remembered something and looked at Jun Xizhi. “Elder Sister.”

“Hmm?”

“Um, I need to change.” Jian Suixin felt a little embarrassed.

“Oh, okay,” Jun Xizhi immediately understood, silently withdrawing her gaze from Jian Suixin. She pretended not to notice the glimpse of Jian Suixin’s slender waist as she adjusted her skirt, lowering her head to look at her phone.

Jian Suixin quickly changed and called out, “All done!”

Jun Xizhi finally looked up, her expression perfectly composed. “Let’s eat breakfast.”

After breakfast, Jian Suixin asked Jun Xizhi if she wanted to stay at the hotel and rest, but Jun Xizhi said she’d rather go to the film set to observe.

So they went together.

They arrived early, before filming was scheduled to begin. The crew was already setting up, and the director was there too.

Jian Suixin’s arrival times varied, but she’d heard from others that the director was always the first to arrive. When asked why, he would chuckle and say, “I’m old, I don’t need much sleep.”

Seeing them arrive together, the director greeted them with a half-joking remark: “Teacher Jun’s here again? Looks like Teacher Xiao Jian will be giving an exceptional performance today!”

Worried that Jun Xizhi might misunderstand and think her usual performances were lacking, Jian Suixin smiled and retorted, “Director, are you saying my usual performances aren’t good enough?” She winked at him.

The director clasped his hands behind his back, his signature squint-eyed smile spreading across his face. He immediately understood Jian Suixin’s meaning and chuckled, “I misspoke. Teacher Xiao Jian’s performances are always exceptional.”

Jian Suixin finally looked satisfied. “Thank you, Director. I know you always tell the absolute truth.”

Jun Xizhi had been curious about this since yesterday. Now that Jian Suixin was beside her, she asked, “Why does everyone call you Teacher Xiao Jian?”

“Because everyone calls each other ‘Brother,’ ‘Sister,’ or ‘Teacher’ out of respect. Since I’m the youngest, calling me ‘Teacher’ felt a bit awkward, so the Director added ‘Xiao’ to it. After that, everyone started calling me that.”

Jian Suixin explained, shrugging to show she had passively accepted the nickname.

Jun Xizhi’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “So that’s how it is, Teacher Xiao Jian.”

Soon, the other actors arrived, and today’s filming officially began.

As the third female lead, Jian Suixin had fewer scenes compared to the male and female leads, and many of her scenes were group shots, making her filming schedule relatively relaxed.

After completing her scene, she took a mid-session break.

Jun Xizhi was still waiting for her off-set. As soon as Jian Suixin finished filming, she scanned the set and immediately spotted Jun Xizhi’s figure.

Her heart leaped with joy, and she was about to approach when she frowned at the sight of the person standing next to Jun Xizhi.

What does he want with my Elder Sister?

Jun Xizhi stood alone in a corner, a figure beside her with his back turned. Even from a distance, Jian Suixin recognized him by his costume: Luo Dong, the arrogant actor playing the Male Lead.

Jun Xizhi was always gracious and composed, never showing impatience or disdain, even toward those she disliked or barely knew.

Yet even from across the room, Jian Suixin could sense her displeasure. Luo Dong, however, seemed oblivious, stubbornly clinging to Jun Xizhi like a wooden stake.

Earlier, Jian Suixin had been so focused on filming that she hadn’t noticed Luo Dong approaching her sister or how long he’d been bothering her.

An instinctive aversion to this man and a growing sense of unease propelled Jian Suixin forward.

Luo Dong genuinely believed he was talented, acting like a tyrant on set. He disrespected veteran actors with decades of experience and completely disregarded the younger cast, doing whatever he pleased.

Jun Xizhi was standing in a somewhat secluded spot. As Jian Suixin approached, Luo Dong suddenly burst into laughter, likely at some joke he found amusing.

Even Jun Xizhi’s complete lack of reaction did nothing to dampen his self-absorbed enthusiasm.

A smile wasn’t enough. Jian Suixin watched as Luo Dong reached out to place his hand on Jun Xizhi’s shoulder.

Jian Suixin’s gaze instantly turned cold. Seeing that lecherous hand reaching for her Elder Sister, anger flared in her heart. She strode forward, her steps quick and decisive, and slapped Luo Dong’s hand away without hesitation.

Luo Dong had been happily chatting with Jun Xizhi—though his happiness was entirely one-sided. He smugly believed his high emotional intelligence and humor had already bridged the distance between them. Just as he was about to make a familiar gesture, his outstretched hand hadn’t even brushed the hem of her sleeve when a hand suddenly shot out from the side and delivered a sharp slap to the back of his hand.

“Ouch!” Jian Suixin hadn’t held back, using her full strength. A searing pain shot through Luo Dong’s hand, and his triumphant grin twisted into a grimace of pain.

Clutching his hand and gritting his teeth for a moment, Luo Dong instinctively glanced at his slapped right hand, his expression momentarily blank. Then, realization dawned, and his face darkened. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Luo Dong wasn’t the only one stunned. Jun Xizhi, whom Jian Suixin had instinctively shielded, also froze. When she recognized Jian Suixin, she silently lowered her raised hand, her expression finally softening slightly. “Xiao Jian, you’re done filming?”

Jian Suixin turned to Jun Xizhi with a smile, still maintaining a protective stance. “Mm-hmm, I came to find you right after filming.”

This wasn’t the first time he’d caused trouble with women on set. Everyone had a poor impression of him, but they maintained a superficial peace out of necessity.

A cold smile played on Jian Suixin’s lips as she spoke politely, “I’m sorry, Teacher Luo, but my elder sister has a severe phobia of germs. She can’t even tolerate strangers touching her, let alone anything unclean. Please be more careful in the future.”

Luo Dong froze, then reacted with fury, his eyes widening in anger. “Who are you calling unclean?”

Jian Suixin’s expression remained indifferent. “I didn’t name anyone. If you choose to take offense, that’s your problem.”

“You…” Luo Dong, accustomed to bullying others on set, was used to everyone swallowing their anger. This was the first time anyone had dared to confront him directly. His temper flared, but before he could retort, his assistant called him over, announcing it was time for his scene and he needed to prepare.

Luo Dong gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and shot Jian Suixin one last venomous glare before storming off.

After chasing Luo Dong away, Jian Suixin breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of such a man harboring ill intentions toward her elder sister filled her with disgust.

Watching Luo Dong retreat into the distance, she finally relaxed. The cold, stern expression on her face melted away as she turned around, her voice filled with concern as she gently took Jun Xizhi by the shoulders and scrutinized her from head to toe. “Elder Sister, are you alright? Did Luo Dong give you any trouble?”

Jun Xizhi shook her head. “I’m fine. Thank goodness you arrived in time.”

Though she spoke calmly, a hint of fragility lingered in her expression, and a lingering fear flickered in her eyes.

Seeing this, Jian Suixin’s heart softened further. She gritted her teeth at the thought of Luo Dong and gently patted Jun Xizhi’s back in reassurance. “Don’t worry, Elder Sister. With me here, he won’t dare to do anything.”

“You need to be careful too,” Jun Xizhi cautioned. “Just yesterday you warned me that he’s a scoundrel and told me to avoid him. Why did you go after him yourself?”

Jian Suixin frowned, her face etched with disapproval. “How could I not? I usually ignore him, but when he dares to bother you, Elder Sister, how can I stand by and do nothing?”

She grasped Jun Xizhi’s hand, her voice firm. “Don’t worry, Elder Sister. If he ever tries anything again, I’ll protect you.”

Jun Xizhi’s gaze softened as she murmured, “Thank you, Xiao Jian.”

“Don’t mention it, Elder Sister. It’s only natural to protect you.”

With Jian Suixin’s next scene approaching, she confirmed Jun Xizhi was unharmed and resumed studying her script, rehearsing her lines for the upcoming scene.

After reviewing the script for a while, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.

It was a video call from Mother Jian.

My mother still loves video calls so much, Jian Suixin sighed inwardly.

Ever since their last conversation, Mother Jian had forced Jian Suixin to add her on WeChat. Now, whenever she was bored, she’d call to check on her daughter, ask how she was doing, and inquire about when she planned to return home and marry Xiao Jun.

When Jian Suixin first ran away from her arranged marriage, Mother Jian, drawing on her years of understanding her daughter, had initially been impressed. She believed Jian Suixin had finally earned a role through her own efforts and was taking acting seriously.

Yet she couldn’t help but lament, “Do you really dislike Xiao Jun that much?”

Jian Suixin replied firmly, “Exactly that much.”

Mother Jian fell silent, then changed the subject. “How’s the filming going these days? Is it tiring?”

“It’s alright. My scenes aren’t too demanding, and everyone on set is great,” Jian Suixin said, then couldn’t resist rolling her eyes inwardly. “Except for that guy I told you about last time.”

Though her daughter was stubborn and kept running off, she was still her own flesh and bl00d. Mother Jian frowned, her expression tinged with worry. “What’s he done now? Has he been bothering you?”

He hasn’t bothered me, but he’s been bothering Elder Sister.

Jian Suixin pursed her lips, deciding not to tell her mother about it to avoid worrying her. “Don’t worry, he hasn’t bothered me. Even if he tried, he wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Mother Jian nodded, still somewhat uneasy. “If he dares to cause trouble, tell me immediately. I’ll handle it.”

Warmth flooded Jian Suixin’s heart as she smiled sweetly. “Okay, Mom. I knew you loved me the most.”

Mother Jian shot her a playful glare. “You’re my own daughter. Who else would I dote on?”

“I knew you were the best!” Jian Suixin immediately adopted an exaggeratedly moved expression, then asked hopefully, “So… can I not marry your Xiao Jun anymore?”

Mother Jian’s smile widened. “Trying to break off the engagement, huh?”

Seeing an opening, Jian Suixin immediately adopted a pitiful expression. “Yes, yes, I really do want to.”

“Absolutely not! A marriage agreement is a serious matter—you can’t just cancel it on a whim!” Mother Jian, who had just given her daughter a sliver of hope, immediately frowned and glared at her. “What do you mean ‘my Xiao Jun’? You need to at least meet him once. If you still don’t like him after that, then we can talk.”

Jian Suixin rolled her eyes inwardly. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

This was a truly intractable topic. No matter how they argued, neither could convince the other.

Exhausted, Jian Suixin decided to abandon her futile verbal struggle and change the subject. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?” Mother Jian asked.

“Like…” Jian Suixin paused, considering her options, before blurting out the first thing that came to mind: “Elder Sister came to visit me on set.”

“She visited you on set? You two must be very close.”

Jian Suixin’s feelings were conflicted. On one hand, she desperately wanted to praise her elder sister’s kindness and couldn’t resist talking about her to Mother Jian.

On the other hand, she dared not reveal her feelings for Jun Xizhi, including their current relationship, for fear that her mother would send someone to forcibly bring her home.

Jian Suixin, who had initiated the topic, quickly covered up: “Just ordinary roommates, not particularly close. Elder Sister happened to be visiting a client nearby and stopped by to see me.”

“Since she’s already in town, it would be odd not to visit, don’t you think?”

“When did she arrive?”

“Yesterday.”

Mother Jian: “She visited you on set and stayed overnight?”

Mom, why are you so interested in her? Jian Suixin thought, her mind racing. “I meant she arrived in Z City yesterday but only came to the set this morning.”

The explanation sounded reasonable, but Mother Jian wasn’t ready to drop the subject. “Are you really not close to this roommate?”

Alerted, Jian Suixin immediately adopted a casual demeanor, waving her hand dismissively. “Not really. She’s always busy, working overtime every day. Sometimes I don’t see her for two or three days at a time.”

The System silently retorted: Given how you’ve been acting on set these past few days, if you really didn’t see her for days on end, wouldn’t you miss her terribly?

Dealing with Mother Jian wasn’t enough; she also had to manage the System. “Hey, I’m covering for Elder Sister here. Stop interrupting.”

But Mother Jian wasn’t so easily fooled. “You say you’re not close, but why do I feel like you mention her so often?”

!

Jian Suixin’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly changed the subject. “Ah? Do I? I don’t think so.”

Mother Jian: “Every time we talk on the phone, you always bring her up.”

Jian Suixin mumbled, “Well… I’m new here and don’t know many people. She’s the only one I know, so I just talk to you about her more.”

Sensing her mother’s suspicion, she quickly shifted the blame: “I’m all alone out here with hardly any friends. Isn’t that because of you and Dad?”

Mother Jian was baffled. “What does your lack of friends have to do with us?”

“If you hadn’t forced me into an arranged marriage, I wouldn’t have run away from home. And if I hadn’t run away, I wouldn’t be so isolated here. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for that?”

Mother Jian: ……

“Then come home. You won’t be alone here.”

Jian Suixin: “I’d rather stay alone.”

Every time the conversation drifted toward this topic, it was abruptly cut short. Mother Jian changed the subject: “Whether you’re close or not, she’s still your roommate. You should meet up with her sometime and chat.”

Jian Suixin hesitated briefly but agreed, “Okay, sure. I’ll see when I have time.”

As she spoke, her eyes instinctively scanned the film set, searching for Jun Xizhi.

After looking around, she spotted Jun Xizhi chatting with the director, their conversation seeming quite animated.

Jian Suixin asked curiously, “Elder Sister seems to be getting along really well with the Director. Didn’t they just meet yesterday? How do they seem so familiar already?”

The System replied, “They probably have common interests. The Director’s so friendly, he gets along with everyone.”

Remembering something, Jian Suixin turned to Mother Jian. “You really want to see Elder Sister?”

“Yes, I do.”

“She’s busy right now and can’t talk. Mom, how about this? I’ll give you a quick glimpse of her first. What do you think?”

Absolutely not!

The System instantly went on high alert, its CPU racing as it frantically calculated how to stop her. “Hey, Host…”

Mother Jian also thought it was unnecessary. “What is this, acting like a child? If I’m going to meet her, I want it to be proper. Sneaking a peek like this is ridiculous.”

“Just a quick introduction,” Jian Suixin insisted, already flipping the camera to point toward Jun Xizhi.

The System was too late to intervene.

“Aiya, there are so many people there, it’s too chaotic to see clearly. Let’s just wait until…” Mother Jian trailed off mid-sentence.

Her eyes had locked onto an exceptionally striking and familiar face in the crowd.

Mother Jian’s eyes widened on the other end of the line. It took her several seconds to regain her voice.

“You… which ‘Elder Sister’ are you talking about?”

Jian Suixin: “She’s easy to spot—the most beautiful one.”

Mother Jian, suspecting her eagerness to have Jian Suixin return home for a marriage alliance might be clouding her judgment, asked hesitantly, “You mean… the one in the white dress?”

“Exactly, Mom! You have such good taste—you recognized her right away!” Jian Suixin said gleefully. “What do you think? Isn’t Elder Sister stunning?”

Mother Jian’s expression froze. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

I need a moment of peace, she thought.

Jian Suixin, still waiting for her mother’s reply, noticed the sudden silence on the other end of the line. Thinking it was a bad connection, she called out, “Hello? Hello?” several times, but received no response.

Just as she was about to check the signal, she glanced at the screen and realized Mother Jian had hung up.

Jian Suixin: ?

“Why did she just hang up like that? Did Elder Sister’s beauty scare her off?”

System: “Hmm… maybe.”