Only I Understand His Gentle Heart - Chapter 101.3

Tang Xin snapped back to reality, feeling a bit embarrassed. She brushed her hair forward to cover herself and asked, her cheeks faintly red, “Are you Tang Yu’s sister?”

Looking closely, the girl did bear a resemblance to Tang Yu. She was beautiful, though not quite as strikingly enchanting as her brother.

Tang Yu’s sister nodded. “Yep.”

Tang Xin gave a polite smile. “I’m his… girlfriend. We just got together recently.”

The words felt heavy. Tang Xin couldn’t help but worry. They’d only just started dating, yet they were already living together. If Tang Yu’s parents found out, would they think she was too forward? Worse, what if they disliked her and tried to buy her off with a check to leave him?

Tang Yu’s sister jumped closer with an eager look. “Really? So, are you living together now?”

Tang Xin hesitated. “…Kind of, but not really. It’s not like we’re officially cohabitating.”

Tang Yu’s sister nodded knowingly. “I get it.”

Her tone implied exactly the wrong thing. So they only live together when needed? Got it.

Tang Xin realized the misunderstanding but decided that explaining would only make things worse. Changing the subject, she asked, “Did Tang Yu know you were coming? He’s at the office and hasn’t gotten off work yet.”

“Oh, I was just passing by,” Tang Yu’s sister explained with a smile. “My mom asked me to drop off some food. I brought dumplings, wontons, fried yellow croaker, and some other ready-to-eat dishes. They’re all in the fridge now. The yellow croaker makes a great snack—Chopper loves it too. Oh, Chopper’s my brother’s cat. He’s been busy lately, so the cat’s been staying here. You guys can enjoy the food for dinner.”

Tang Xin blinked at her. The girl was as sweet as she was curious.

Gesturing toward the sofa, Tang Xin said, “Why don’t you sit down for a bit? I’ll go change and pour you a glass of water.”

“Sure!” the younger girl replied cheerfully.

Tang Xin, “…”

She’d expected her to say, “No need, I’m leaving soon.”

With no way out, Tang Xin headed to her room, changed into a dress, and came back with water. The two women ended up chatting on the couch.

Both had their guards up, subtly probing for information. Neither was the naive type.

The stalemate ended when the front door clicked open.

Tang Yu stepped inside and immediately spotted his sister. His expression remained calm. “Dropping off food again?”

She smiled brightly. “Yep! I didn’t know sister-in-law would be here, so I stayed to chat with her for a bit.”

Tang Xin, “…”

Just a moment ago, she’d been calling her Tang Xin. Now it was suddenly sister-in-law.

Tang Yu glanced at Tang Xin and chuckled softly. “I’m back. You don’t need to keep her company anymore. Time to head home.”

Tang Yu’s sister pouted. “Can’t I stay for dinner? There’s plenty of food.”

“No,” Tang Yu said flatly.

“It’s fine—she can stay,” Tang Xin interjected quickly.

Tang Yu ignored her and turned back to his sister, who begrudgingly got up. She turned to Tang Xin with a sweet smile. “Sister-in-law, I’ll head out now. Let’s exchange WeChat info and phone numbers before I go!”

“Okay,” Tang Xin replied, shooting a glance at Tang Yu.

While the two women exchanged contact info, Tang Yu casually retrieved his sister’s set of keys from the entryway cabinet and removed one before tossing the rest back to her.

As she reached the door, Tang Yu called out indifferently, “I’m keeping this key. Next time you visit, call ahead or ring the doorbell.”

His sister froze, stunned. “Why?”

“The key’s from Mom,” she protested. “It’s convenient for dropping food off!”

Tang Yu raised an eyebrow. “And what if you walk in on something… inappropriate next time? Who’d that embarrass more—you or me?”

Tang Xin turned away, her face heating up.

Tang Yu’s sister pouted, muttering under her breath, “Always prioritizing your girlfriend over your sister…” She put on her heels and stomped out dramatically.

Tang Xin glanced at Tang Yu and then at the clock. It was already 7 PM.

She couldn’t resist glaring at him, her voice full of reproach. “Why did you say that? What if she tells your parents? They might think I’m a bad influence or too… inappropriate. What if they end up disliking me?”

Tang Yu sat beside her, crossing one leg over the other and draping an arm around her shoulders. “They won’t. I told them you’re cute.”

Tang Xin blinked. “Really?”

Tang Yu turned his head to look at her, chuckling. “Yep. Happy now?”

She huffed. “That depends on whether they believe you.”

“Why don’t you come meet them? They’ll see for themselves.”

“…No way.”

They’d only been together a few days! Meeting the parents this early was too much pressure. She wanted to enjoy her carefree romance a little longer.

Tang Yu stood, pinching her cheek before heading toward the kitchen. “You can’t keep avoiding it forever. They’ll find out eventually. Even if you don’t go with me, they might show up at my office—or worse, Mom might invite you to dinner directly.”

Tang Xin trailed after him, a little alarmed. “Seriously? What if she gives me a check to make me leave you?”

Tang Yu turned, his expression unreadable. “What kind of melodramatic soap operas are you writing in your head?”

Tang Xin pouted. “I’m just imagining. If your mom really gave me a check, should I take it or not?”

Smirking, Tang Yu replied, “If she does, whatever she offers you, I’ll give you ten times more.”

Tang Xin’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“No.”

“…”

Tang Yu opened the fridge and glanced at its contents. It was stocked with food. Turning back to her, he asked, “How about eating at home tonight?”