My Sister Is Acting Strange

Tang Huaijin returned to the classroom, waiting for the waves of emotions to gradually settle. He shook his head with a wry smile. If it weren’t for his sister, Lin Ruoxi could have easily won him over. Those heart-stirring little details and the natural harmony between them struck a chord deep within him, evoking memories of past emotions and experiences. He feared that staying too close to Lin Ruoxi would eventually reveal his true feelings to her.

Since he had already decided to dedicate himself to his sister, he had forfeited the right to pursue romantic relationships. Otherwise, it would only lead to another tragic beginning.

After reading for a while in class, Bai Yuerou entered with Xia Xinya, whose face was devoid of expression.

Bai Yuerou’s gaze held a hint of complexity as she offered Tang Huaijin an apologetic smile.

The afternoon classes passed uneventfully. The incident at noon didn’t seem to have dampened Xia Xinya’s enthusiasm for studying. If anything, she appeared even more focused.

However, during the last language class, as Shen Yiqiu discussed word choice and phrasing in essays, Xia Xinya’s expression showed a trace of irritation.

After school, as Tang Huaijin was packing his bag, Shen Yiqiu approached him and asked him to come to the office.

Without asking why, Tang Huaijin followed the beautiful teacher, his eyes inadvertently drawn to her swaying hips and graceful figure.

In the office, Shen Yiqiu gestured for Tang Huaijin to sit down and spoke calmly, “The reason I asked you to come here today is about what happened yesterday afternoon.”

Before Tang Huaijin could explain, she pulled a form from a folder and said, “Xia Xinya’s mother discussed with the school and decided to award you a ‘Bravery in Action’ prize. The reward is fifty thousand yuan. Please fill out this form.”

Tang Huaijin was momentarily confused but then recalled Aunt Song mentioning a token of gratitude. It all made sense now.

Still, wasn’t a whole ‘Bravery in Action’ award a bit over the top? Was this to ensure he wouldn’t refuse?

Tang Huaijin thought to himself, Mrs. Xia, you’re overthinking this. He had no qualms about accepting money he deserved. Besides, with the Xia Family’s wealth, fifty thousand yuan was hardly a significant amount. It was probably less than Xia Xinya’s monthly allowance.

Cheerfully, Tang Huaijin agreed and reached into his bag for a pen to fill out the form.

Shen Yiqiu silently handed him a pen, her slender, fair fingers accidentally brushing against his hand.

Tang Huaijin didn’t think much of it, thanked her, and began filling out the form. The information required was surprisingly detailed, ranging from gender to elementary school attended.

Even height and weight were needed-were they planning to tailor clothes for him?

The most absurd part was the section asking for his standard of spouse selection. Were they planning to arrange a match for him?

Noticing Tang Huaijin’s awkward and puzzled expression, Shen Yiqiu’s face remained composed as she explained lightly, “This is a requirement from the Xia Family. Just fill it out. Your teacher won’t mind.”

“Alright,” Tang Huaijin replied, somewhat helpless. He couldn’t fathom Mrs. Xia’s thought process. Did she suspect him of wanting to date Xia Xinya?

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Huaijin finally wrote: “A gentle, alluring older sister.”

To dispel any lingering doubts Mrs. Xia might have, he added: “Curvaceous, with a slim waist and shapely hips.”

Surely, this would clear up any misunderstandings. Xia Xinya, while not flat-chested, was still a young girl with a slender and elegant figure-not quite fitting the description he had written.

After filling out all the forms, Tang Huaijin looked at Teacher Shen and asked, “Is this okay?”

Shen Yiqiu leaned in close to Tang Huaijin, carefully reviewing the information on the forms.

The beautiful teacher was so close that Tang Huaijin’s arm almost brushed against her slender waist, and he could catch a faint, elegant fragrance.

It seemed Shen Yiqiu lost her balance for a moment, her body tilting slightly to the side. Tang Huaijin’s head lightly grazed her chest, the soft sensation instantly registering in his mind, leaving him feeling a bit flustered.

Despite the unexpected moment, Tang Huaijin glanced at Shen Yiqiu with concern.

“My apologies,” Shen Yiqiu said, straightening herself. Her tone, however, carried no trace of actual apology as she resumed reviewing the forms. When her gaze fell upon the section detailing Tang Huaijin’s “standard of spouse selection,” her expression grew noticeably more serious.

After finishing her review, Shen Yiqiu stood upright and said calmly, “The forms are complete. You may leave now.”

Tang Huaijin nodded awkwardly, got up, and headed toward the door.

“Wait, come back,” Shen Yiqiu suddenly called out, changing her mind for reasons unknown. Tang Huaijin stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked, “What is it, Teacher?”

“Come sit down. I have something to ask you,” Shen Yiqiu said, her expression now slightly more serious.

Tang Huaijin walked back and obediently sat down. “Go ahead, Teacher. Ask away.”

“Hmm…” Shen Yiqiu hesitated for a moment before asking, “You’re a senior now. You should know that dating at this stage is not advisable, right?”

Uh…

Tang Huaijin’s expression froze briefly before he replied, “I’m not dating anyone right now, Teacher.”

Of course, his relationship with Tang Yaoyao didn’t count as dating-it was more like… internal family matters?

Shen Yiqiu’s expression remained unreadable, though her tone seemed slightly more satisfied. She continued, “Earlier, you mentioned wanting to sit next to Bai Yuerou. Let me ask you-was it really just to exchange study tips?”

“That’s correct, Teacher,” Tang Huaijin replied confidently, his conscience clear.

After observing his expression for a moment, Shen Yiqiu nodded slightly before asking, “And what about Xia Xinya? I know you saved her yesterday.”

This question seemed a bit out of the blue, leaving Tang Huaijin puzzled. “What about Xia Xinya?” he asked.

“Well… what I mean is, you’re not planning to date Xia Xinya, are you?” Shen Yiqiu clarified.

“Huh? Of course not, Teacher. You’re overthinking it,” Tang Huaijin replied, his tone filled with exasperation. There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in his response. Internally, he thought, Why does everyone keep suspecting this? Dating Xia Xinya? That would just be asking for trouble.

Still, Teacher Shen seemed a bit off today. What could have possibly given her the impression that he might be dating someone?

Noticing the hint of doubt in Tang Huaijin’s gaze, Shen Yiqiu’s expression briefly faltered before she added, “Don’t take it personally. I don’t mean anything by it. I’ve reviewed your previous academic records, and your grades are excellent. You shouldn’t let something like dating affect your studies.”

After finishing her question, Shen Yiqiu continued, “I was there when Mrs. Xia came over, so I know what happened. According to her, you fought off several people on your own? Have you trained in martial arts?”

Tang Huaijin nodded and replied, “I practiced for a while in the past.”

Feigning surprise, Shen Yiqiu said, “You don’t seem like the type. You look so slim-I wouldn’t have guessed.” The exaggerated expression of astonishment on her otherwise composed and delicate face appeared so out of place that even Tang Huaijin felt a bit awkward. After a moment of thought, he said, “Teacher, if you have something to say, just say it… This feels really strange.”

Realizing her acting skills were far from convincing, Shen Yiqiu reverted to her usual impassive demeanor. Her face betrayed no emotion, though inwardly she felt a bit embarrassed. She decided to cut to the chase and ordered, “Stand up. Don’t move.”

Tang Huaijin obediently stood still, blinking his eyes as he watched Shen Yiqiu.

Shen Yiqiu walked over to him, hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand on his shoulder, gently stroking it a few times.

Tang Huaijin, puzzled, looked at her with confusion.

Gritting her teeth, Shen Yiqiu grabbed his hands, which hung loosely at his sides, and began fiddling with them.

Although the soft and delicate touch of the teacher’s hands felt pleasant, Tang Huaijin couldn’t help but ask in bewilderment, “Teacher, what’s going on?”

Shen Yiqiu didn’t answer. Her usually calm expression was now unusually complex. After fiddling with his hands for a while, she finally let go, turned her back to him, and said in a trembling voice, “You can leave now.”

Tang Huaijin was completely baffled by Teacher Shen’s strange behavior. His instincts told him that staying any longer might lead to something unpleasant, so without saying another word, he turned and walked out of the office.

As the office door opened and closed behind him, Shen Yiqiu let out a heavy sigh. Her face was flushed, and her gaze was unfocused as she stared at her own hands.

After spacing out for a moment, Shen Yiqiu walked over to her desk, pulled out a new form, and began filling it out. This version was much simpler than the one Tang Huaijin had completed earlier, with none of the questions that might have made him uncomfortable.

Using Tang Huaijin’s completed form as a reference, Shen Yiqiu carefully imitated his handwriting to fill out the new form.

The experiment she had just conducted confirmed her suspicions: touching him didn’t evoke any feelings of disgust or aversion. On the contrary, it brought her a disturbing sense of pleasure.

Shen Yiqiu stared at the section of Tang Huaijin’s form where he had written his criteria for a partner, her gaze complicated.

“A gentle, alluring older sister…”