Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Shu Yao didn’t care about any traps. Her mind was filled with what Zhou Sijia had said: that her brother liked her.

Although they weren’t blood-related, they were still siblings who grew up together. How could he like her? Wasn’t this taboo?

Shu Yao couldn’t handle such a blow; she suddenly felt very sad.

If her brother was only good to her because he liked her, then if she rejected him, would he no longer treat her as well as before? Would their relationship never return to the way it was?

If so, would her brother also leave her and become closer to Jiang Yiyan?

Thinking of this, Shu Yao couldn’t help but shed tears.

Seeing her cry, Jiang Xu panicked even more. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms.

Shu Yao initially struggled, but seeing how strong Jiang Xu was and how tightly he held her, she gave up after failing to break free.

"Brother, you said Zhou Sijia was just being malicious. So, what she said—was it all nonsense? It wasn’t true, right?" Shu Yao asked.

She hoped Jiang Xu could give her a definite answer, hoping he would firmly tell her that what Zhou Sijia said was false. He treated her well not because of romantic feelings but simply because she was kind and obedient, purely out of genuine affection.

Initially, Jiang Xu kept his feelings for his step-sister hidden in his heart, never daring to express them easily.

He never expected that Zhou Sijia would see through his feelings today and publicly expose them.

If he denied it, he would have to treat Yao Yao as just a sister from now on.

He didn’t want to treat her merely as a sister. He couldn’t do it.

But admitting his feelings now might scare Yao Yao with such a sudden confession.

Thus, Jiang Xu was torn at this moment.

After asking several times without getting an answer from Jiang Xu, Shu Yao wisely stopped asking. As long as she didn’t ask and he didn’t say anything, they could pretend nothing happened today and continue as before.

Coincidentally, Zhou Sijia found the room stuffy and came out to smoke, witnessing this scene.

A cunning glint flashed in her eyes, and she casually took out her phone, found the right angle, and snapped a picture of the scene.

After taking the photo, she zoomed in to check the details.

Perfect. Although taken from a distance, if one looked closely, both main characters’ faces were clearly visible.

Zhou Sijia was satisfied. Then, she thought of how to make things more interesting. She opened WeChat, found Jiang Yiyan in her contacts, and immediately sent the photo.

With the caption: "Hahaha~ Is this your brother and sister?"

Jiang Yiyan had just come out of the bathroom after showering when she heard the WeChat notification.

Picking up her phone, she saw the message from Zhou Sijia and softly exclaimed. Opening the chat, her pupils widened.

This...

She knew Jiang Xu’s feelings for Shu Yao, but in the original novel, Jiang Xu kept these feelings deeply buried. No matter how much the novel described his love for Shu Yao and the sacrifices he made, it was only visible from an omniscient perspective. Even Shu Yao and those around them in the story were unaware.

How did they end up hugging now?

Did Jiang Xu confess?

Did Shu Yao agree?

If so, there would be quite a show.

Though they weren’t blood-related, legally, they were siblings. Could step-siblings date and marry?

Jiang Yiyan was stunned for a while before noticing Zhou Sijia’s follow-up message.

Jiang Yiyan lightly hummed, not saying anything, and simply replied with an indifferent "Oh."

She knew Zhou Sijia was deliberately trying to provoke her. Sending this photo was meant to upset her. Zhou Sijia enjoyed chaos; she was happiest when others were embroiled in arguments.

She wouldn’t fall for her trap.

On Zhou Sijia’s side, she was eagerly waiting for Jiang Yiyan to explode. But instead, she received a casual "Oh." Zhou Sijia instantly found it boring.

"Boring," she typed back.

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Jiang Yiyan, where is your spirit? If I were you, I’d post this photo online tomorrow, letting netizens roast this so-called sibling pair. Haven’t you always claimed to hate them and want revenge?"

Jiang Yiyan glanced at the message, put down her phone, and didn’t reply.

.

Jiang Xu personally drove Shu Yao home. The two remained silent during the ride, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Cai Wenqing, worried about her daughter, waited in the living room downstairs.

Hearing the door open, she quickly went to the entrance.

"Yao Yao is back?"

Seeing not only her daughter but also her stepson, Cai Wenqing smiled broadly.

"Why are you two back together? Did Xu also attend someone’s birthday party?"

Jiang Xu replied, "I went to pick up Yao Yao." While answering Cai Wenqing, he cautiously glanced at Shu Yao, almost timidly.

However, Shu Yao avoided looking at him, changed her shoes, and headed straight for the living room, seemingly intentionally avoiding Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu lowered his gaze, his emotions evident on his face.

Cai Wenqing was the most perceptive, and she naturally noticed something was off.

But she didn't ask any questions, only smiling as she asked Jiang Xu, "Xu, are you staying home tonight?"

"No," Jiang Xu instinctively glanced at Shu Yao before looking away. He hadn't even changed his shoes. "I have something to handle early tomorrow, so I need to go back to the apartment."

Cai Wenqing didn't insist on keeping him but reminded him, "Drive carefully on your way, and let us know when you get home, okay?" She saw Jiang Xu off to his car and watched him drive away before returning inside.

By then, Shu Yao had already gone to her room, and Cai Wenqing followed her there.

"What's going on between you and Xu? Did you have an argument?" Cai Wenqing was genuinely concerned about her daughter's relationship with Jiang Xu.

After all, in this family, Jiang Cheng couldn't be relied upon, and the only one who would stand by them was Jiang Xu.

Shu Yao shook her head, denying it. "No."

"No?" Cai Wenqing didn't quite believe her. "I could tell that both of you seemed off today."

Shu Yao bit her lip, contemplating whether to tell her mother. In the end, she decided against it because it was too difficult to explain.

"We really didn't argue." She forced a smile. "It's just that something unpleasant happened at Zhou Sijia's birthday party today, and I'm a bit upset."

Worried that her daughter might have been bullied, Cai Wenqing immediately became anxious. "Did they bully you?"

Was it bullying? Shu Yao wasn't sure.

Before her brother arrived, they had been getting along fine. It was only after he came that Zhou Sijia's attitude changed.

She couldn't help but blame Jiang Xu, thinking that his presence had disrupted the harmony.

But in front of her mother, Shu Yao lacked the courage to bring it up.

"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head again. "It's really not a big deal."

Cai Wenqing didn't believe her. The more her daughter tried to hide it, the more worried she became.

"Rao, if there's anything, you should talk to your mom. Do we still have secrets between us? I know something must have happened, and it's not small. If it were nothing, you wouldn't be bothered by it."

"You need to tell me. Otherwise, I won't be able to eat or sleep."

"They..." Shu Yao bit her lip tightly, almost ready to speak.

But how could she bring herself to say it?

She and her brother were siblings; how could she tell her mother that her brother liked her?

In the end, Shu Yao chose not to say anything.

"It's just that Zhou Sijia used to be Yiyan's friend, and she kept mentioning Yiyan in front of me, which made me feel awkward."

Cai Wenqing's face darkened, and she scolded Zhou Sijia. Then she held her daughter's hand and comforted her, "Don't mind her. Just use them as stepping stones. As long as you're not truly trying to be friends with them, they can't hurt you."

"Okay, Mom, I understand." Feeling guilty for blaming Zhou Sijia, Shu Yao pretended to yawn widely. "I'm tired and want to sleep. You should rest early too, Mom."

Cai Wenqing looked at her daughter suspiciously before standing up.

"Rest well since you're tired today." After saying this, Cai Wenqing left the room.

But she clearly didn't believe what her daughter had said. So, as soon as she stepped out, she called Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu was still driving when he saw Cai Wenqing's call. He answered it right away.

When she asked why Shu Yao seemed unhappy today, Jiang Xu hesitated for a moment before responding, "Did Rao tell you anything?"

"She said her friend said something she didn't like. But I can tell she's lying. Xu, you've known each other since childhood, so she must have told you, right? Or maybe you can guess?"

Hearing Cai Wenqing's words, Jiang Xu felt tense.

He swallowed hard before speaking, "I'm not entirely sure about today's events, but don't worry, Aunt Cai. Rao should be fine. Maybe I'll ask her, and if she tells me, I'll let you know."

Cai Wenqing's intuition told her that these two were keeping a secret.

She had noticed something was off when they returned together.

But since neither of them wanted to talk about it, she didn't press further.

"Alright, I understand. Are you still on the road? Drive carefully and don't let this distract you. Let me know when you get home," Cai Wenqing said, showing concern.

Jiang Xu smiled and replied, "Sure," before hanging up.

However, once he hung up, his expression turned serious, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.