Chapter 29: The Chaebol Heir’s Canary — Proposal Part 2

Shi Yu’s face bloomed pink as peach blossoms. She clung to Jiang Qiuyan, nuzzling into her embrace.

“Sis, don’t do this.”

Jiang Qiuyan’s arm tightened around her waist, her voice hoarse. “Don’t do what?”

“Stop teasing me. Just love me.”

As she spoke, Shi Yu bit down on Jiang Qiuyan’s lower lip, grinding against it with urgency, leaving several tiny nicks until the lips turned a vivid, flushed red.

Jiang Qiuyan looked down at her like a master watching her mischievous kitten. Mid-kiss, Shi Yu suddenly opened her eyes and let out a laugh consumed by desire.

“So pretty. Hehe.”

Jiang Qiuyan’s heart clenched. She leaned down to make it easier for Shi Yu to kiss her, and even while being nibbled on the lips, she asked, “Who’s pretty? What’s pretty?”

“You’re pretty. Everything about you is pretty.” Shi Yu answered with a dopey smile.

Jiang Qiuyan’s lips curved upward. She gripped Shi Yu’s throat gently and forced her to look up. “Who am I?”

“You’re… you’re Sis.”

Jiang Qiuyan’s smile widened. Possession flickered through her eyes before fading into a dark glimmer within her amber irises.

Before Shi Yu could react, she was lifted by the waist and pressed down into the bedding. She bit her lower lip and let out a hoarse moan that echoed through the silent room, lingering long after.

Jiang Qiuyan had only been affected by Shi Yu’s pheromones; she hadn’t truly fallen into heat. But alphas were always insatiable. Once they tasted something delicious, they never knew when to stop. They indulged from New Year’s Eve all the way through the third day of the new year.

When Shi Yu woke up, only five days of winter break remained. She wanted to cry but couldn’t summon the tears, so she gave Jiang Qiuyan the silent treatment for five whole minutes.

“Baby, why are you mad?”

Shi Yu ignored her, burying her face in the blanket. Jiang Qiuyan shamelessly pressed closer, peppering gentle kisses along the back of her neck.

“Don’t touch me.”

“My bad, baby.”

But she’d absolutely do it again next time. Jiang Qiuyan’s eyes glinted as she buried her face in Shi Yu’s neck, nuzzling back and forth.

How could Shi Yu stay angry? They tussled and teased each other, lazing about until noon before finally getting up.

On the eighth day of the new year, Shi Yu went back to school and Jiang Qiuyan returned to work. As the college entrance exam drew closer, the atmosphere in the classroom changed. Shi Yu buried herself in her studies every day, tuning out everything else.

When the results of the first mock exam came in, Shi Yu stared at her math score barely above sixty and burst into tears in Jiang Qiuyan’s arms.

“I worked so hard, why did I only score this much? Wuuu…”

Jiang Qiuyan comforted her. “Math is inherently hard. This isn’t your fault. You did amazingly.”

“How much did you score in high school?” Shi Yu looked up at her through teary eyes.

Jiang Qiuyan fell silent.

Shi Yu bit down on her chest and threatened, “Tell me, or I’ll bite you.”

“148 on the entrance exam.”

Shi Yu cried even harder.

Jiang Qiuyan looked at the ball of misery in her arms and couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips. Even though she was crying her heart out, she was genuinely adorable.

She ruffled the kitten’s head and said softly, “You really did great. Your total score already exceeds last year’s undergraduate cutoff. You’ll definitely get in.”

Shi Yu sniffled and asked, “If I can’t get into college, will you look down on me?”

“Of course not.” Jiang Qiuyan answered instantly.

“Then I’ll stop studying. Math is too hard.”

She flopped onto Jiang Qiuyan and stretched like a kitten. Tears were still clinging to the corners of her eyes, but her expression had already returned to normal.

“Giving up just like that?” Jiang Qiuyan kissed her forehead.

“It’s not giving up. It’s accepting that I’m not cut out for it. The gap in IQ is insurmountable.”

After a pause of a few seconds, Shi Yu lifted her head from Jiang Qiuyan’s embrace again, eyes sparkling.

“You’ll support me, right?”

Jiang Qiuyan laughed and pinched her nose. “If anything, you should be supporting me. All my money is with you anyway.”

“Haven’t you still got stocks and funds you haven’t handed over?” Shi Yu muttered quietly.

Jiang Qiuyan laughed even harder, pinching her face and taking a nibble. “So that’s what you were waiting for. Little greedy thing.”

Shi Yu tried to pull her face free from those teeth, but her hands were caught and pinned to the couch. The kisses came immediately after.

Wait! That’s not right! How did things end up like this?!

“Mmm…”

“It’s all yours. Everything I have is yours.”

Jiang Qiuyan’s voice was slightly hoarse. After saying that, she leaned down and caught those soft lips.

Shi Yu’s grades steadily improved. After she stopped trying to force it, her math score actually went up. Even though it hovered around the passing line, she was satisfied enough.

The day before the break, Shi Yu received gifts from her classmates. The gifts she gave out had been picked by Jiang Qiuyan and were mostly luxury items. The theme was extravagance.

But she only gave gifts to a few close friends, so she never expected Chu Qian to come asking for one.

“Don’t I get one?”

Shi Yu: Uhh…

Chu Qian handed her the bag she was holding. “This is for you. I hope the entrance exam goes well and you get into the school you want.”

Shi Yu didn’t want it, but Chu Qian stuffed it into her arms and walked off.

“Oh right, my sister is getting married on July tenth. Make sure you come.”

Shi Yu was even more confused. She didn’t even know Chu Qian’s sister. Why would she attend the wedding?

But graduation photos were coming up soon, so she quickly forgot about it.

This year Hai City was sweltering unusually early. By June, temperatures were already over thirty degrees every day. With the entrance exam looming, Shi Yu couldn’t sleep well at night. Every time she woke in the middle of the night, Jiang Qiuyan would wake with her.

“Sis, the exam is tomorrow. I’m a little nervous.”

Jiang Qiuyan was even more nervous than she was, which was why she woke at the slightest sound. She scooped the kitten into her arms and gently nuzzled her lips.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. Just treat it like any other day.”

Shi Yu looped her arms around Jiang Qiuyan’s neck, kissed her back, and immediately pulled away. “True. I’m a woman who could make the rich list now. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Jiang Qiuyan hummed softly in agreement and watched her lie back down and fall asleep. Only after the kitten’s breathing grew even did she lie back down beside her.

Jiang Qiuyan didn’t sleep a wink that night. The next morning she got up early and made breakfast herself. By the time Shi Yu woke, Jiang Qiuyan was already sitting at the edge of the bed in a qipao, waiting for her.

Shi Yu’s eyes lit up the instant she spotted the smoky-purple qipao.

“Does it look nice?”

Jiang Qiuyan ruffled her hair and lifted her out of bed.

“Beautiful. Did you wear it especially for today?”

Jiang Qiuyan nodded.

“‘Victory at the raise of the flag’? And purple to mean ‘you’ve definitely got this’?”

Jiang Qiuyan’s ears turned warm. She changed the subject. “Get up, little lazy cat, or breakfast will get cold.”

Shi Yu giggled, her fingers hooking the hem of the qipao. “I didn’t expect you to believe in these things. How innocent of you, Sis.”

Jiang Qiuyan shot her a sideways glance and said coolly, “Verbal provocation. I’ll note that down for now.”

Shi Yu scrambled out of bed and dashed toward the bathroom. Watching her retreating figure, a smile crept into the corners of Jiang Qiuyan’s eyes.

When she got the exam paper, Shi Yu found it neither easy nor hard. She had no particular feelings about the day, but she slept soundly that night.

Jiang Qiuyan lay on her side watching the kitten beside her, feeling her heart fill with something warm and soft.

Shi Yu murmured in her sleep, kicking off the blanket. She bent her legs and draped them over Jiang Qiuyan’s, nuzzling her face into her embrace.

The warmth in Jiang Qiuyan’s heart was about to overflow. She gently rested her hand on the kitten’s waist, staying as close as she could without disturbing her too much.

After the last exam, Shi Yu was in a complete daze. It wasn’t until she spotted the tall, stunning figure at the school gate that her brain slowly started working again.

From a distance, Jiang Qiuyan opened her arms wide. Shi Yu threw herself into that embrace, breathing in the faint scent of pine and cedar. She felt utterly safe.

“Are you hungry? Want to go eat, or rest a bit first?”

“Why don’t you ask how I did?”

Jiang Qiuyan smiled. “Once it’s over, don’t think about it anymore. Whether it went well or not, the outcome is already set. Overthinking will only affect your mood.”

They had already reached the RV by the time she finished speaking. Before Shi Yu could say anything, Jiang Qiuyan pulled her inside. The door closed, and the kitten landed in her mischievous owner’s arms.

Shi Yu sat on Jiang Qiuyan’s lap, bracing for something. To her surprise, Jiang Qiuyan simply buried her face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply.

Shi Yu stared at that fuzzy head and couldn’t help picturing some big dog tackling its owner and being all cuddly.

There were too many people at the school gate, their pheromones mixing into an unpleasant cocktail. For Jiang Qiuyan, holding out until Shi Yu came out had been the limit. Now she finally felt like she could breathe again.

“Let’s rest a bit before going to eat. Jiang Qiunian is treating us tonight.”

Although Shi Yu didn’t think much of Jiang Qiunian, she was Jiang Qiuyan’s cousin after all. They’d inevitably cross paths in the future, so it wouldn’t do to make things too awkward.

The car’s air conditioning was blasting. The heat drained from Shi Yu’s body as she lay in Jiang Qiuyan’s arms, comfortable and cool.

After a while, a voice came from above. “Jiang Qiunian is getting married soon.”

Shi Yu was surprised. “That’s sudden?”

“A business marriage. The engagement was called off before, and I don’t know how they’re getting married again. I’m not sure about the details.”

Shi Yu said “oh” and settled back into her embrace. A long while later, a flash of insight struck her. Something clicked.

“Could the other party be surnamed Chu?”

“Indeed. Her name is Chu Yuan.”

Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place. Shi Yu excitedly straddled Jiang Qiuyan to tell her everything, only to realize Jiang Qiuyan’s gaze had gone strange.

“Little Yu, don’t tempt me like this.”

Shi Yu hurriedly climbed off and sat down with perfect innocence.

Jiang Qiuyan looked at her kitten-like sitting posture, shook her head with a soft laugh, and leaned over to steal a kiss on her cheek.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head out.”

Shi Yu thought Jiang Qiuyan had turned over a new leaf, only to find her chin gripped and her lips sealed shut the moment she turned around. A soft, domineering tongue forced past her teeth, sweeping and claiming every corner.

The intensity of the kiss left Shi Yu’s lips and tongue numb. By the time it ended, her pheromones had filled every corner of the car, sweet and rich as a field of flowers.

Jiang Qiuyan rested on her shoulder and murmured, almost to herself, “I didn’t expect to dig my own grave.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I said I don’t want to go to dinner anymore.”

“Can we skip it?”

The words had barely left Shi Yu’s mouth when Jiang Qiuyan’s phone rang. The caller ID read “Jiang Qiunian.”

Shi Yu smiled. “Looks like we can’t.”

Jiang Qiuyan tossed the phone aside and buried herself against Shi Yu’s shoulder again, resuming her cat-sniffing.

Jiang Qiunian’s dinner party had two tables: one for the elders of both families, and one for the younger generation. When Chu Yuan spotted Shi Yu, her eyes lit up. Before she could even speak, Jiang Qiuyan pulled Shi Yu behind her while Jiang Qiunian stepped in front of Chu Yuan.