My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 17 - Waiting in Line

Morning.

Tang Huaijin had a restless night, tossing and turning until he finally drifted off around three in the morning. As a result, he woke up later than usual and ran into his sister in the bathroom, feeling a bit awkward.

However, Tang Yaoyao simply smiled, her expression relaxed. “I slept really well last night. Thanks, Jin. I didn’t make a fool of myself, did I?”

…

You didn’t make a fool of yourself… but I sure did…

Tang Huaijin chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit unnatural. “You slept quietly all night, sis. It wasn’t any trouble at all.”

Tang Yaoyao blinked and pinched his cheek, puzzled. “What’s up with you? You look a bit off.”

“Uh… I forgot to close the window last night. Might’ve caught a chill.” That was the truth. With his mind racing all night, he hadn’t thought to check if the window was closed. When he woke up, his nose was a bit stuffy.

“Really?” Tang Yaoyao looked startled and placed her delicate hand on his forehead. After feeling his temperature, she frowned slightly and tugged at his shoulder. “Why are you so tall? Bend down, I can’t reach.”

Tang Huaijin obediently bent down without a word.

Tang Yaoyao wrapped her arms around his head, pressing her forehead against his to check his temperature. Ever since they were kids, Tang Huaijin never needed a thermometer; his sister was the best one he had.

Staring at his sister’s fair face so close, Tang Huaijin was momentarily entranced. If he wanted, he could lean down and kiss her.

After a moment, Tang Yaoyao opened her eyes and saw him staring blankly at her. She tapped his forehead, blushing. “What are you looking at? Your eyes are about to pop out. Don’t worry, no fever. Just take some cold medicine later.”

“Oh… I’ll go make breakfast then.” Tang Huaijin laughed awkwardly and hurried to the kitchen.

During breakfast, both siblings were lost in their thoughts, creating a somewhat silent atmosphere. Tang Huaijin was contemplating his situation.

The bookstore owner had messaged him last week, saying they no longer needed temporary workers. Once he uploaded the final chapter today, his barely-surviving web novel would be complete. But he had no plans to start a new one. The master-level writing experience he had gained made his fingers itch to try writing something new.

He planned to submit a manuscript to a publishing house once he completed the task of sitting next to Bai Yuerou and received the outline for his masterpiece.

“Jin, I just got my bonus this month. How about we eat out for lunch?”

Seeing Tang Huaijin’s expressionless silence, Tang Yaoyao’s eyes twinkled as she interrupted his train of thought.

Tang Huaijin snapped back to reality and smiled. “Sure, what do you feel like eating, sis?”

His sister showed him a picture on her phone of a lavishly decorated Jingdu copper hot pot restaurant.

Their parents’ hometown was Jingdu, and during the autumn and winter, the family often enjoyed copper hot pot together. Now, with just the two of them, it seemed unnecessary to make it at home due to the hassle of cleaning up.

Tang Huaijin hadn’t had copper hot pot in a long time, so he readily agreed. It wouldn’t cost much for a meal.

“Yay!”

With her brother’s approval, Tang Yaoyao was excited and began getting ready from ten o’clock, frequently changing outfits and seeking Tang Huaijin’s opinion.

In the end, she chose a beige floral dress with a light purple sweater, looking both elegant and pure. However, her chest was noticeably full, hinting at the allure of a mature woman.

Tang Yaoyao usually didn’t wear makeup to work, only applying a light touch when going out with Tang Huaijin. Now, she sat on the sofa, applying lipstick in front of a mirror.

After finishing, she pursed her lips and turned to Tang Huaijin, giving him a look that asked for his opinion.

Tang Huaijin understood and smiled, showering her with compliments. “Sis, you’re naturally beautiful without makeup, and with makeup, you’re like a goddess descending to earth. Before makeup, you’re the white moonlight in my heart; with makeup, you’re the red mole on my heart.”

“Sweet talker.” His flattery made Tang Yaoyao beam with pride, a hint of smugness appearing on her face.

Getting ready always took time, and despite Tang Huaijin’s numerous reminders, they only left by noon. They hailed a cab and arrived at the restaurant.

Led inside by a waiter, Tang Huaijin noticed a line of people sitting on benches, feeling a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, after stating their party of two, the waiter smiled and handed them a queue ticket. “Here’s your number. When it’s called, you can dine.”

Looking at the slip, it read: “There are 22 parties ahead of you. Estimated wait time: 3 hours.”

Tang Huaijin felt a chill. Eating copper hot pot was unpredictable; they might be waiting until the afternoon…

“Jin…” Tang Yaoyao was clearly disappointed, looking at him for help with a dejected tone.

Tang Huaijin, unable to resist his sister’s gaze, approached the waiter and whispered, “Hey, any chance of buying a queue ticket? I’ll pay.”

The waiter wasn’t surprised, as Tang Huaijin wasn’t the first to try this. He offered an apologetic smile and replied formally, “I’m sorry, sir. We don’t have such a service. Please be patient.”

Tang Huaijin sighed, giving Tang Yaoyao a helpless look.

Tang Yaoyao, feeling disheartened, complained, “I told you this place was authentic. You should’ve thought of that and gotten us out earlier. Jin, you really have no sense of time!”

She couldn’t help but laugh at her own words.

Tang Huaijin rolled his eyes and said, “Let’s find another place. It’s not like this is the only option.”

His sister quickly recovered from her disappointment, happily linking arms with him as they sat on a bench outside, browsing for other restaurants.

“Tang… Tang Huaijin?”

As the siblings were discussing options, someone nearby called out to Tang Huaijin, the voice familiar.

Looking up, he saw Bai Yuerou in a pale yellow dress approaching, followed by Xia Xinya in sunglasses and a camel coat.

Xia Xinya, despite her sunglasses, had sharp eyes. Seeing him with a young, pretty woman on his arm, she hurried over and said, “Wow, I thought you were all proper at school, but here you are on a date with your girlfriend?!” There was a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Bai Yuerou, though silent, scrutinized the pair with a discerning gaze.

Tang Huaijin glared at her and said, “What are you talking about? This is my sister. Can’t you tell?”

Hearing this, Xia Xinya removed her sunglasses and looked closely at them. There was indeed a resemblance, especially in their identical peach blossom eyes. Feeling embarrassed, she awkwardly said, “I had my sunglasses on… didn’t look closely.”

Bai Yuerou stepped forward with a gentle smile, greeting, “Hello, Tang-Jie. You’re really beautiful.”

“Hello, you’re very pretty too.” Tang Yaoyao replied with a smile, nodding. She then looked at Tang Huaijin, asking, “Are these your classmates?”

“Yeah, this is Bai Yuerou, and the one over there with no sense is Xia. They’re my classmates from the new school.” Tang Huaijin replied, not saying much more.

Feeling slighted by the lack of introduction, Xia Xinya protested, “What do you mean ‘Xia’? Don’t I have a name?” She then turned to Tang Yaoyao, sheepishly saying, “Hello, Tang-Jie. I’m Xia Xinya.”

Tang Yaoyao glanced at the charming Bai Yuerou, who smiled with dimples, showing no change in expression. But when she looked at Xia Xinya, a hint of wariness flashed in her eyes. This girl seemed more familiar with Tang Huaijin, and her introduction had the air of a daughter-in-law meeting her in-laws, much like that annoying Lin Ruoxi.

The thought passed quickly, but Tang Yaoyao’s face remained unchanged, smiling as she said, “Nice to meet you.” She then subtly sniffed the air around them…

Indeed, that scent of a vixen… it was unmistakable…

“Are you here to eat too?” Bai Yuerou asked, seeing them sitting outside the restaurant.

“Yeah, are you here for lunch too?”

Bai Yuerou nodded with a smile, “Yes, would you like to join us?”

Tang Huaijin glanced at the long line of people waiting outside, resigned. “We haven’t even had lunch yet, not planning on dinner.”

Bai Yuerou chuckled at his joke, playfully saying, “Come on, join us inside. No need to wait.”

Tang Huaijin looked at her skeptically, but seeing Bai Yuerou and Xia Xinya walk straight in and wave him over, he quickly followed with his sister.

A sharp-eyed uncle at the entrance recognized Tang Huaijin from the queue and angrily questioned the waiter, “Why don’t they have to wait? Why didn’t you stop them?”

Stop them?

The waiter, feeling helpless, explained, “This place belongs to them…”