Chapter 98 - Sister Wants It Too

Only after seeing Tang Huaijin emerge from her daughter’s bedroom did Mrs. Xia walk down the stairs. She sat herself on the sofa and gazed coldly at him. “Well?”

Tang Huaijin didn’t stand on ceremony, plopping down on the sofa opposite her. “She’s still a little upset, but she’s starting to come to terms with me and Bai Yuerou being together.”

“I can also tell she’s beginning to understand that she’s just afraid of Bai Yuerou leaving. She just hasn’t fully accepted it yet.”

Xia Yunzhu frowned at the faint scent of alcohol on him, her red lips parting slightly. “So, what’s your next move?”

“I’ll do what has to be done. I’ll do my best to play the part of a loving couple with Bai Yuerou, so Xinya won’t be afraid.” Carrying the girl all this way had tired him out, and he leaned back lazily against a sofa cushion.

He then looked at Xia Yunzhu indignantly. “Aunt Xia, you knew Bai Yuerou’s father is the principal. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You didn’t ask,” Xia Yunzhu replied softly, a faint smile touching her eyes. “Besides, that girl from the Bai family is a good match for you in every way–looks, personality, and family background. You don’t have to thank me.”

“Hah.” A smile that didn’t reach his eyes played on Tang Huaijin’s lips. “You two, mother and daughter, are just alike.”

Hearing her daughter mentioned, Xia Yunzhu’s tone filled with pride. “Of course. She is my daughter, after all.”

“I meant in how infuriating you both are,” Tang Huaijin snorted.

Xia Yunzhu’s brows knitted together instantly as she shot him an icy glare. Annoyance flared within her. In all of Jizhou City, no one had ever dared to speak to her like that, yet there was nothing she could do to this man.

Swallowing her rage, Xia Yunzhu said coldly, “If there’s nothing else, you can see yourself out.”

Tang Huaijin noticed her cold stare but paid it no mind. He stood up and asked, “Mrs. Xia, aren’t you going to have someone drive me home?”

Hah. So now he decides to ask for my help.

Xia Yunzhu ignored him, pointedly sipping her tea.

“Ah, well, all right then.” Tang Huaijin shook his head with an air of defeat. “I just wonder what Xinya would think if she knew how her mother treats her friends.”

Xia Yunzhu gritted her teeth in anger. She knew exactly what he was implying, but damn it, the threat worked on her every time. After shooting him another cold glare, she picked up her phone and dialed her bodyguard. “Take him home.”

“Haha, oh, you shouldn’t have.” Tang Huaijin put on a flattered expression and grinned. “Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Xia. You should get some rest, too.”

“Hmph.” Xia Yunzhu let out a cold laugh and took another sip of tea.

“Oh, right.” Seeing her reaction, Tang Huaijin, who had just pushed the door open, turned back. “Mrs. Xia, just a word of advice. Drinking tea this late will make it hard to sleep. At your age, you should really take better care of yourself.”

Without waiting for her reaction, he suppressed a laugh and quickly left the villa.

“…” Xia Yunzhu managed to swallow the tea in her mouth, her furious gaze fixed on the door. Her full chest heaved violently with rage–a truly spectacular sight.

Settling into the Xia family’s Bentley, Tang Huaijin felt he’d finally gotten some payback.

Truthfully, Mrs. Xia showed no signs of aging. Her fair, delicate skin was even more flawless than an eighteen-year-old’s, and she possessed a mature charm that no young girl could match, making her exceptionally elegant and captivating.

But it was obvious that age was a sore spot for her, and Tang Huaijin’s jab was purely to get back at her.

He hated it when his plans were disrupted. Mrs. Xia’s little prank, however well-intentioned it seemed, was bound to cause him endless trouble.

There was no way he and Bai Yuerou could tell her parents about their fake relationship. Judging by the principal’s expression, he would probably be flayed alive if he found out, much less allow his daughter to continue this ridiculous charade with Tang Huaijin.

Lost in thought, he soon arrived at the entrance of his apartment complex. It seemed that if the security guard at the gate hadn’t stopped the car, the bodyguard probably would have driven him right to his doorstep.

After bidding farewell to the polite bodyguard, Tang Huaijin went home.

It was nearly ten by the time he walked in. A single dim lamp was on in the living room. Tang Yaoyao must have dozed off while waiting for him. She was fast asleep on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow.

Tang Huaijin didn’t disturb her. He went to his room to change into his pajamas, then tiptoed over to his sister. He sat down on the sofa and quietly admired her gentle, peaceful face as she slept.

It felt so good to have someone waiting up for him. Looking at his sister’s lovely face, a wave of tenderness washed over him.

Truth be told, this was all exhausting for him, too. On the one hand, he couldn’t just stand by and watch Xia Xinya’s tragedy unfold. On the other, he couldn’t tell his sister the truth. Even if she were to believe him, the System wouldn’t allow it.

Since the system never harbored any malice towards him from the start, most of the tasks it generated stemmed from fleeting thoughts within his mind. Therefore, he attempted to tell his sister about the system’s existence, but the experiment’s result was that he couldn’t disclose any information about the system. As soon as he thought of this notion, he found himself unable to speak or write it down.

He needed to find every possible way to straighten Xia Xinya, pretend to be a couple with Bai Yuerou, who liked him, while maintaining a necessary distance to avoid overly stimulating his sister.

And then there was the peculiar Teacher Shen, and the persistent, sensitive ponytailed girl.

Thinking about these things gave him a headache, a sense of mental exhaustion.

Yet, as soon as he returned home and saw his sister’s face, his heart gradually calmed down. He felt that as long as his sister was by his side, he had nothing to fear.

Tang Yaoyao seemed to sense something in the air, her eyelashes fluttering a few times before she slowly opened her eyes. Her somewhat dazed eyes looked at Tang Huaijin, and she murmured, “Jin…?”

“Yes, sis, I’m back. How about I carry you to your room to sleep?” Tang Huaijin smiled gently, softly threading his arms under his sister’s knees and lifting her up.

Tang Yaoyao obediently nestled her head against his chest, taking a few gentle sniffs of his clothes. Not detecting any strange scents, she nodded contentedly, allowing him to carry her back to her room.

After tucking his sister in, Tang Huaijin placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, whispered “Goodnight, sis” in her ear, and then quietly tiptoed out of her bedroom.

Tang Yaoyao inhaled the lingering scent left by her brother, rubbing her cheek against the pillow, and murmured to herself, “Goodnight, Jin.”

With that, a blissful smile graced her face as she gradually drifted off to sleep.

On Saturday morning, after lunch, the siblings snuggled on the sofa, discussing the content of Tang Huaijin’s official announcement on social media.

Tang Huaijin’s social media was set to be visible for six months. Since breaking up with Lin Ruoxi, he hadn’t posted anything, leaving his profile blank.

Tang Yaoyao pouted for a while before deciding not to write a caption, merely tagging Bai Yuerou and posting a photo.

Even so, Tang Yaoyao felt a twinge of jealousy, her expression somewhat displeased. She subconsciously tightened her grip around her brother’s waist, as if expressing her possessiveness.

Tang Huaijin chuckled, gradually understanding Doctor Bai’s advice to slowly stimulate his sister, using her possessiveness towards him to help her overcome her inner barrier.

He pinched his sister’s cheek, eliciting a couple of playful hums from her, and then clicked send. To his surprise, the post was instantly liked.

It was Lin Ruoxi. Tang Huaijin’s eyelid twitched, thankful that his sister was busy commenting on his post with her own phone and didn’t notice.

“Jin has a girlfriend now, sister is really happy. Smile.”

Tang Huaijin smiled wryly. Bai Yuerou was also waiting for his post and promptly shared one of her own.

Her caption read: “I’ll be with you, a quiet constant.”

She tagged him and attached a photo of the two of them.

Tang Yaoyao opened his social media and, seeing only the official announcement, felt even more jealous. She sourly remarked, “Sister wants one too, Jin, quickly post one for sister.”

Announcing a relationship and then immediately posting a picture of his sister could easily raise Lin Ruoxi’s suspicions.

To prevent such a dangerous occurrence, Tang Huaijin smiled and asked, “Is sister jealous?”

Seeing him still smiling, Tang Yaoyao became even more upset, pouting, “Yes, I’m jealous. So what? Is that not allowed?”

Tang Huaijin put down his phone, pulled his sister into his arms with a little force, lowered his head, and unexpectedly kissed her soft lips.

It wasn’t until her ears turned a shade of pink that Tang Huaijin released her. Looking at the slightly breathless Tang Yaoyao, he chuckled softly, “Not jealous anymore, right? Can anyone else enjoy a kiss from brother?”

Tang Yaoyao felt weak, leaning softly against him, giving his waist a gentle pinch, and muttered, “You’re getting more and more unruly, little rascal. You used to be so shy as a child, blushing whenever sister teased you. Now that you’ve grown up, you’re not cute at all, just bullying sister.”

Tang Huaijin playfully held her delicate hand, whispering, “Sis, shall we go out and play? Didn’t you want a photo? Let’s go take one, shall we?”

Tang Yaoyao’s eyes lit up. Despite her jealousy, the benefits were clear. At least now she could finally go out and have fun with her brother without any burdens. Hearing this, she excitedly said, “Then sister will go change and put on makeup. Jin, wait a moment.”

Tang Huaijin nodded with a smile.