The Beautiful Older Sister I Picked Up Is Good at Flirting - Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Huo Fanzhen instinctively wanted to flee.
If she stayed any longer, she would go into heat under the entangling influence of Fu Siyi’s pheromones.
And then, her identity as an Omega would be exposed.
However, under the suppression of the Alpha pheromones, Huo Fanzhen couldn’t muster any strength at all. The steps beneath her even began to blur and double.
She misstepped and lost her balance, tumbling forward like a falling scallion.
The expected pain never came—instead, she fell into an embrace filled with the rich scent of agarwood.
The height of the steps perfectly offset their height difference. Fu Siyi tilted her head slightly and saw Huo Fanzhen’s trembling eyelashes and her moist, rosy lips, just inches away.
Previously, Fanzhen had disguised herself as dirty and unattractive to avoid harassment from rogue Alphas.
Fu Siyi had never seen her true appearance. Now, with one arm around Fanzhen’s waist, she could clearly see her features from this angle—breathtakingly beautiful.
Fu Siyi was momentarily dazed by the sight, but quickly composed herself. She slowly blinked, concealing the amazement in her eyes.
“Can you stand?” Fu Siyi withdrew her hand and helped her up, her gaze falling questioningly on Fanzhen’s face. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Fanzhen tried to steady her breathing. Fortunately, Fu Siyi’s emotions had stabilized, and the Alpha pheromones were gradually dissipating. Once her legs could support her again, she stepped back, bowing slightly to hide her nervousness. “I’m sorry, Miss. I was… just too hungry… so I lost my balance.”
She couldn’t let Fu Siyi realize it was due to the pheromones.
Fu Siyi didn’t seem suspicious and asked blandly, “Aunt Ying didn’t feed you?”
“No, no… Granny gave me a lot of food. Chicken, duck, even shrimp…” Huo Fanzhen quickly shook her head and explained, “I was just too worried about not being able to stay here… I couldn’t eat.”
Fu Siyi lowered her eyes, assessing her with a calm gaze. “You really want to stay that badly? But you don’t have any papers. Keeping you here could get me into trouble.”
Fanzhen thought she was going to change her mind and blurted out anxiously, “Granny said… Madam has a lot of influence here. If she sends someone to speak on my behalf, then… then I might be able to apply for residency.”
As soon as she said it, Fanzhen realized she had overstepped and nervously gripped the edge of her clothes.
Fu Siyi’s expression didn’t change much, but her tone became noticeably colder: “Madam is very busy. You want her to worry about trivial things like this?”
“I’m sorry, Miss… I didn’t mean to be rude…” Fanzhen lowered her gaze and pleaded softly, “Please don’t send me away. I’ve sold everything in Yuan Country. I have nowhere else to go.”
Fu Siyi’s expression shifted subtly. “You really don’t have any family? None in Su Country either?”
Fanzhen shook her head. “My grandaunt passed away. Her son kicked me out… I have no home… no relatives…”
“Miss, may I… stay here and work?”
It was cold outside, and Fanzhen was lightly dressed. Her voice carried a slight nasal tone from the chill, which almost sounded like she was choking back tears.
Fu Siyi’s long lashes trembled slightly, and the frost in her brow gradually melted. She didn’t answer directly but said something seemingly unrelated: “Come with me.”
“Ah?” Fanzhen didn’t understand the sudden shift in topic. “Where to?”
Fu Siyi’s lips curved faintly—so faint it was barely noticeable. “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Let’s go eat.”
Fanzhen froze for a second, unsure of Fu Siyi’s intentions. Her emotions swirled, and her legs moved as if pulled by invisible strings, following closely behind.
Chef Axian was kneading dough when he saw Fu Siyi walk in. Surprised, he quickly set down his work and greeted her, “Miss, what brings you here?”
Fu Siyi walked around the round table and sat down. “Axian, do you have anything left to eat? Something warm.”
Axian looked at the dough on the board. “Miss, how about some fried rice with matsutake and ham?”
“Sure. Make two bowls.”
Fu Siyi calmly moved the bowls and dishes on the table to one side and looked up at the flustered Fanzhen. “Come sit.”
Fanzhen sat nervously across from her, hands clenched under the table, unsure what to do.
Fortunately, Axian worked quickly. Soon, he brought over the fried rice—one bowl placed in front of Fu Siyi, and the other, at her signal, in front of Fanzhen.
Fanzhen didn’t dare pick up her chopsticks. Her unease was obvious.
Fu Siyi told Axian to rest, then pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the holder, wiped them with a napkin, and handed them over. “Eat.”
“…Thank you.” Fanzhen lifted her eyes slightly, noticing that Fu Siyi had only taken one pair of chopsticks. Her heart was filled with doubt, and she became even more hesitant to eat.
The silence stretched for a long while, until Fu Siyi’s calm voice broke the quiet: “Do you really want to stay as a servant?”
Fanzhen paused, then nodded.
Fu Siyi stared at her intently. “The first rule of being a servant here… is obedience.”
She emphasized the word and repeated, “Eat.”
Only then did Fanzhen pick up her chopsticks, holding the edge of the bowl with her left hand and gently lifting a small spoonful of rice to her mouth with her right.
Having eaten little at dinner, and now truly hungry, she unknowingly finished the entire bowl of rice.
Just as she was about to set down her chopsticks, another bowl was pushed in front of her. She looked up, startled, meeting Fu Siyi’s almond-shaped eyes.
Bathed in light, Fu Siyi’s entire figure glowed with a golden hue.
She looked at Fanzhen, her voice as gentle as the light around her: “Eat. You’ll need strength to work.”
Fanzhen froze, a little slow to react. Then, blinking with surprise, she asked, “Miss… you mean… I can stay?”
Her eyes sparkled, her smile impossibly beautiful.
Fu Siyi seemed to catch her mood and smiled too: “If you work here and perform well, I’ll help you apply for residency. But until you get your residence permit, don’t wander off.”
Fanzhen nodded obediently. “Mm, I understand. If I go out and get caught without papers, I’d be deported, and it’d cause trouble for you, Miss.”
“You’re very sensible.” Fu Siyi seemed pleased with her response and unexpectedly smiled—a faint dimple appearing and disappearing in an instant.
Fanzhen accidentally caught that smile and remembered Granny Ying’s words—“Miss is just a tsundere.” She blinked and suddenly smiled too.
A warmth rose in her chest, filling her with gratitude.
Fu Siyi felt strangely amused by her smile.
This girl is so odd—teary-eyed one moment, smiling the next.
But even stranger… why did her own mood feel lighter too?
Trying to keep her tone casual, Fu Siyi asked, “How old are you?”
Fanzhen: “Twenty-eight.”
“Twenty-eight?” Fu Siyi was surprised. “You look like a student. You’re four years older than me?”
Fanzhen smiled sheepishly. “In Yuan Country, we focus more on academics than physical education. It delays physical development…”
“I wasn’t talking about your body. Your body…”
Halfway through, Fu Siyi realized her words were inappropriate and quickly swallowed the word ‘great’, changing the topic smoothly: “So how do you celebrate Christmas in Yuan Country?”
Fanzhen’s lashes curved with a soft smile. “We don’t have that holiday.”
“That’s a shame. No one dislikes Christmas. Especially children—they get so many presents.” Fu Siyi idly stirred a spoon on the table, drawing a semi-circle. “This must be your first Christmas, huh? Too bad… I don’t have a gift to give you.”
Fanzhen waved her hands. “Miss, you took me in, fed me, gave me a place to stay—I’m already incredibly grateful. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“No one says no to Christmas gifts… Friends and family give presents to show their love… Like, giving a watch means ‘I’ll stay with you.’ Or a necklace—oh!”
Fu Siyi suddenly thought of her Aunt Lisa, her lips curling with a smile. “Come with me. I do have a Christmas gift for you.”
Fanzhen was just about to refuse, but Fu Siyi had already stepped out first. After a moment’s hesitation, she followed.
Fu Siyi ran to the parking lot, opened her Maserati’s door, and leaned in to search.
Huo Fanzhen didn’t know what she was looking for, nor did she dare ask. She just stood awkwardly beside the car.
The wind in the parking lot was strong. Both of them were lightly dressed. The century-old plane trees swayed in the gusts, casting shifting shadows on the roof.
After searching through several cars without success, Fu Siyi used a remote to unlock another one, leaned in again, and soon emerged, smiling faintly. “Found it.”
She walked up to Fanzhen, slightly out of breath, her words visible in the cold air. “Hold out your hand.”
Fanzhen hesitated for a few seconds. Only when Fu Siyi urged her again did she slowly raise her right hand.
The next moment, a pink, strawberry-shaped sewing kit landed in her palm.