My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 9 - The Scent of Another Woman

Xia Xinya was carried out of the school by Tang Huaijin. The security guard at the gate only gave them a curious glance but said nothing.

“My family’s car is over there,” Xinya pointed to a black Bentley parked on the street, her voice still filled with annoyance as she spoke from Huaijin’s back.

If she hadn’t told Aunt Song that she’d be late, Aunt Song would have come looking for her, and she wouldn’t have ended up in such a mess. She fumed silently at the thought.

A woman with short hair, dressed in a sharp black suit, got out of the car and walked briskly towards them, her eyes filled with surprise.

“Miss, what’s going on here?”

Seeing someone from her family, Xinya’s demeanor immediately shifted to one of confidence. She struggled on Huaijin’s back, “Put me down, quickly.”

Once off Huaijin’s back, Xinya ran to the woman’s side, clinging to her waist and complaining pitifully, “Aunt Song…”

“What happened, Miss?” Aunt Song asked, half amused, half concerned.

Huaijin wasn’t worried about being tattled on and flashed Xinya a dangerous smile.

Xinya’s expression froze, and after a moment of hesitation, she stammered, “I… I fell.”

“Oh, you must be more careful,” Aunt Song said, not thinking much of it, and gently patted her head. She turned to Huaijin, “Thank you for bringing our Miss here. What’s your name, young man?”

“Hello, Auntie. My name is Tang Huaijin,” he replied politely, with a shy smile.

Xinya hid behind Aunt Song, her eyes glaring at him with fury.

“Nice to meet you,” Aunt Song said, her smile brightening at Huaijin’s polite demeanor. “Let me give you a ride home.”

Xinya couldn’t accept this and protested angrily, “Why should we?”

“Miss, he helped you out. What’s wrong with giving him a ride?” Aunt Song said with a sigh, then turned to Huaijin, “Hop in, I’ll take you home.”

Having worked as a nanny for the Xia family for over a decade, even Xinya’s mother treated Aunt Song with respect, calling her Song-Jie. Xinya didn’t dare to defy her.

“Thank you, Aunt Song. My house isn’t far,” Huaijin accepted, throwing a triumphant glance at Xinya, who gritted her teeth in frustration.

They sat together in the back seat, Xinya placing her bag between them as if to create a barrier. Aunt Song, driving, asked, “I haven’t seen you before, Tang.”

“Ah, I just transferred here. I was leaving late and saw Xinya fall down the stairs,” Huaijin explained with a smile, glancing at Xinya beside him. “She seemed to have taken quite a tumble, crying her eyes out, so I helped her out.”

Xinya huffed silently, mouthing the word “shameless.”

Seeing Huaijin engrossed in conversation with Aunt Song, ignoring her completely, Xinya’s eyes darted mischievously. She turned slightly in her seat and stealthily extended her leg from under the seat.

The Bentley’s spacious interior allowed Xinya to take advantage of her long legs, nudging Huaijin’s calf before quickly retracting.

Huaijin’s expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t noticed, continuing his cheerful chat with Aunt Song.

Encouraged, Xinya grew bolder, sneakily kicking a few more times.

Seeing no reaction from Huaijin, Xinya felt smug, assuming he was too afraid to cause a scene in the car and was silently pleading for peace.

Feeling triumphant, she prepared to repeat her little trick.

Huaijin’s upper body remained still, engaged in conversation with Aunt Song, but his left hand, hanging by his side, swiftly caught Xinya’s ankle.

Xinya’s ankle was slender, easily encircled by Huaijin’s hand.

Her body froze, her long, slender leg tensing up.

Not daring to use much force in the car, Xinya struggled a bit, glaring at Huaijin with a mix of shame and anger, silently mouthing, “Let go, you pervert.”

Huaijin ignored her, his hand gently rubbing her ankle, while his face remained naturally engaged in conversation with Aunt Song.

After a futile struggle, Xinya seemed to give up, going still.

Her resigned demeanor surprised Huaijin. With the car nearing its destination, he loosened his grip, ready to release Xinya.

He didn’t want to push her too far and cause a scene.

Just as he let go, Xinya suddenly jerked her leg back. Unprepared for Huaijin’s release, she lost her balance and fell back, hitting the car door with a thud.

Huaijin was taken aback by Xinya’s sudden move and couldn’t help but laugh.

Aunt Song, seemingly just noticing the commotion in the back, asked, “What happened?”

“Nothing… I just bumped my head,” Xinya replied, holding her head, almost in tears from the pain.

Unable to tell the truth, Xinya felt like she was swallowing a bitter pill, unable to voice her grievances.

She felt utterly wronged; she hadn’t been this embarrassed in a long time.

All because of that infuriating Tang Huaijin. She glared at the seemingly innocent boy, cursing him silently.

“Oh, this road can be a bit bumpy,” Aunt Song said, her expression unchanged, smiling at Huaijin, “We’re here, right?”

“Thank you, Auntie. I’ll get going now.” Aunt Song’s tone was still gentle, but Huaijin felt a bit guilty for no reason, quickly thanking her before getting out of the car.

As the Bentley drove off, Xinya let out a huff, retracting her gaze only when Huaijin was out of sight.

Aunt Song glanced at the rearview mirror, her lips curling slightly, but she said nothing.

…

Tang Huaijin returned home to find his sister watching TV on the sofa.

Seeing her brother back, Tang Yaoyao quickly approached, taking his bag with a cheerful smile, “Welcome home, Jin.”

“Mm.”

Huaijin felt a sense of satisfaction, thinking about the day’s events. It was good to be home; his sister was the best.

Changing into slippers, Huaijin sat on the sofa, asking, “Did you get to work late today, sister?”

Hearing this, Yaoyao pouted, complaining, “It’s all your fault for waking me up so late. I got scolded by my supervisor.”

Huaijin was puzzled, “How is that my fault? Don’t you set an alarm?”

“I… I overslept,” Yaoyao stammered, as if recalling something.

Huaijin rolled his eyes, saying nothing.

Yaoyao suddenly leaned over, sniffing Huaijin’s clothes, her eyes filled with suspicion.

“How’s the new school, Jin?”

“It’s pretty nice. It’s a school for rich kids, so the facilities are great.”

“Oh…” Yaoyao continued, “How about your classmates?”

“They’re fine.” Thinking of Xinya, Huaijin couldn’t help but smile.

Seeing the smile on Huaijin’s face, Yaoyao felt a twinge of jealousy, asking, “Is your deskmate a girl?”

“I don’t have a deskmate…” Huaijin found the question odd.

“Really? Then why won’t you look me in the eye?” Yaoyao asked, dissatisfied.

“It’s true.” Huaijin met his sister’s gaze, feeling a bit helpless.

Yaoyao studied his eyes, then sniffed his clothes again, her lips pouting, “Then why do you smell like a girl?”

“Do I?” Huaijin sniffed his collar, detecting nothing.

“You do! It smells like green apples, it’s awful.” Yaoyao wrinkled her nose, tugging on Huaijin’s arm, “Tell me, tell me!”

“Alright, alright. A classmate got hurt, and I carried her to her guardian,” Huaijin explained softly, looking into his sister’s eyes.

Hearing this, Yaoyao’s expression softened, though she still pouted, muttering, “Why did you have to carry her? Aren’t there other boys in your class? Were you bullying her?”

“Okay, now you’re just being ridiculous. What was I supposed to do, pretend I didn’t see?” Huaijin replied, half amused, half exasperated.

“You’re just too nice,” Yaoyao huffed, her tone tinged with jealousy.

Seeing his sister still unwilling to let it go, Huaijin teased, “Why do you sound like a jealous housewife?”

“Who’s jealous?” A blush spread across Yaoyao’s cheeks as she tried to maintain her composure, “I’m just worried some bad woman will take advantage of you.”

“Alright, alright…” Huaijin said, his gaze meaningful, “I’ll just wait for you, then.”

Yaoyao couldn’t meet her brother’s eyes, shifting uncomfortably as her heart raced like a rabbit, her voice trembling slightly.

“Wait… wait for what?”

“Wait for you to introduce me to a nice girl,” Huaijin chuckled, looking away.

Yaoyao seemed to relax, her expression lightening as she joked, “That depends on my mood. Let me tell you, my best friends are all beauties.”

Huaijin glanced at her, unimpressed, “Oh.”

Yaoyao, acting as if she pitied him, huffed, “Hmph, I was going to show you pictures, but forget it now.”

“Oh.”

“What do you mean, ‘oh’?”

“Oh.”

“Then I’m not cooking dinner tonight!”

“I was going to cook anyway…”

“Then… then I’m not eating!”

“Hahaha…”

…

After dinner, Tang Yaoyao returned to her room to write in her diary.

September 8th, Monday, sunny.

Today, Jin made me mad again. I decided not to eat dinner.

I didn’t want to eat at first, but seeing how sincere his apology was, I reluctantly had a few bites.

Hmm… the minced pork with eggplant was delicious. Jin’s cooking skills are getting better.

Jin is handsome, can cook, and is good at studying.

I wonder which girl will be lucky enough to have him…

That rascal has always been popular with girls. He came home today smelling like another girl.

I need to keep an eye on him.

At least keep him by my side for a few more years…

Jin has been testing me lately, making me a bit worried.

I hope he hasn’t figured anything out…

It’s so annoying. I shouldn’t have mentioned introducing him to someone.

I don’t want to think about it. I need to sleep early tonight. I was late today and got scolded by my supervisor. Must be menopause.

It’s all Jin’s fault, even bothering me in my dreams…

As she wrote this, Yaoyao seemed to remember something, her face turning a shade of red. She stopped writing, carefully locking her diary in a small cabinet.

The living room was quiet now; Jin must have gone to bed too. Yaoyao got up from her desk and opened her door. Their bedrooms faced each other.

Looking at Huaijin’s closed door, Yaoyao smiled sweetly.

Goodnight, Jin.