The Shen Sisters 2+1 · Chat

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the French windows. Shen Zhihe woke up first. She turned her head to look at her side, her gaze lingering for a moment on Shen Qingwan's arm draped across, her brow furrowing slightly. She tossed the blanket aside, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom for a cold shower. When she came out, her hair was wet, water droplets sliding down the side of her neck. "Shen Qingwan." No movement. But her eyelashes fluttered slightly. "Stop pretending to be asleep." Shen Qingwan slowly opened her eyes, curling her lips into a smile, and whispered in a breathy voice, "Sis, you're up so early." "Move your hand." Qingwan sluggishly withdrew her hand, rolled over, and propped her head up with her elbow, lying on her side to look at her. "What time did you go to sleep last night?" "Two o'clock." "What were you thinking about?" Zhihe didn't answer. She opened the wardrobe, pulled out a black shirt, and put a little extra force into buttoning it up. "Sis," Qingwan said, her voice softening, "you promised." "What did I promise?" "You promised to let me stay." Qingwan sat up, the blanket slipping down to her waist. "It's not too late for you to back out now, but—" "I'm not backing out." Zhihe turned her head, her jawline tightening. "I'm just wondering how you're going to explain this to her. You held her in your arms all night; what do you plan to do now?" Qingwan laughed. "Sis, you're so amazing at managing the company, but when it comes to things like this, all you can do is pull a cold face. Do you really have the heart to make things difficult for her?" Zhihe remained silent. "Of course you don't. That's why your only choice is to let me stay." Qingwan lifted her chin. "You manage, I accompany. You're cold, I'm warm. You're strict, I'm easygoing. When you don't give her room to breathe, I will." Zhihe stared at her for a long time. Suddenly, she yanked the towel from her neck, draped it over the back of the chair, walked over to the bed, and sat down on the other side. She reached out, gently brushing the creases on the pillow with the back of her fingers. "Once she wakes up," she said softly, "don't start getting all handsy right away." Qingwan burst into laughter. "Sis, you make it sound like I'm going to devour her." "You already did last night." "That was just hugging." Zhihe's gaze grew a fraction colder. Qingwan raised her hands in surrender, then leaned closer, her voice barely a whisper: "Sis, go dry your hair. If you stand here with wet hair, she's the one who'll end up feeling bad for you." Zhihe stood up and walked toward the bathroom, stopping at the doorway. "Shen Qingwan." "Yeah?" "Don't let it happen again." The bathroom door closed, and the sound of the hairdryer started up. Qingwan smiled to herself, burying her face in the pillow.