Jiangg Ning had a certain image to uphold. Or perhaps, her relationship with Chen Yuan was still in a phase so perfect she couldn’t bear to spoil it. While not exactly prim, she always tried to present her most dignified side.
Impersonating her sister was proving to be quite difficult for her.
It was just that Jiangg Yao’s personality was so vivid and unique. Forget about her mortifying behavior—even just imitating her tone of voice made Ningning’s toes curl inside her slippers.
All those times she’d called him "Young Master"... Ningning had no idea how Yaoyao could say it. Not only was she not ashamed, she seemed to take pride in it.
It was a real headache.
Jiangg Ning had just managed to overcome her mental block, trying her best to forget herself, but Chen Yuan’s next request nearly made her break character on the spot.
She froze for a moment before hesitantly reaching out her hand.
Chen Yuan just watched her with a strange look in his eyes. She couldn’t quite put her finger on the emotion, but whatever it was, it made her uncomfortable.
"Tsk. Hurry up!" He even reached up and tapped his own head.
The commanding tone made Jiangg Ning want to scowl, her hands clenching into fists reflexively.
But she was playing the part of her sister, so she couldn’t do that. ’Yaoyao rarely frowns, at least not in front of Chen Yuan. She happily prances around her "Young Master" like an eager puppy. Why would she ever frown?’
So, the only expression Jiangg Ning could muster was a dazed, blank stare.
Suddenly, Chen Yuan’s hand shot out, grabbing the back of Jiangg Ning’s neck and pulling her toward him.
She was completely stunned, flinching like a startled hamster. A few strands of her hair flew up and settled back down. By the time she processed what was happening, she was already in Chen Yuan’s warm embrace.
"Not happy?" he asked in a low voice.
"N-No... of course not, Young Master."
"Then why are you keeping such a distance today? Usually, when your sister isn’t home, you can’t wait to be all over me."
"Well... I had a nightmare last night and I’m still not over it. Plus, something seems to be going on back home, so I’m not in a great mood."
Jiangg Ning explained in a low voice.
A deep blush spread across her cheeks. ’Internally, she was both indignant and mortified.’
’So, Yaoyao and Chen Yuan’s relationship wasn’t at all what it looked like on the surface. In private, it seemed they were all over each other.’
’And the way Chen Yuan was holding her... it was so tight. When he hugged her as *Jiangg Ning*, it was never this intimate.’
"I’m here for you."
As he spoke, Chen Yuan gave her a kiss.
Jiangg Ning’s eyes widened. She stared at him, the lingering warmth on her lips feeling so clear, so natural.
’What would Yaoyao do in this situation? What am I supposed to do?’
’She definitely wouldn’t just freeze up like an idiot, right?’
Jiangg Ning knew she was on thin ice. Impersonating her sister was nowhere near as easy as she had imagined. Their completely different dynamic left her at a total loss, and Chen Yuan’s string of questions proved he knew the sisters well. If this kept up, it was only a matter of time before she was exposed.
’What is my sister’s most prominent personality trait, anyway?’
The more she panicked, the more her mind went blank. All the while, her ear was pressed against Chen Yuan’s chest, his steady heartbeat echoing in her ear while her own body remained completely rigid.
"If your sister isn’t home for lunch, we’ll have to order takeout. Or I could cook for you?"
"N-No, let’s not cook. It’s too much trouble~ Let’s just grab some takeout."
"That works."
"..."
Jiangg Ning fell silent again. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak, but she genuinely had no idea what to say.
"You’re acting so weird today."
"I’m in a bad mood. Just give me a minute."
"Alright..." Chen Yuan said, ruffling her hair. Then, as if a thought struck him, he teased, "You know, I’m getting a really weird vibe. You almost seem like Ningning, not Yaoyao."
"How could that be!" Jiangg Ning bit her lip, her face instantly turning redder than an apple. "You’re with me," she stammered, "why do you keep bringing her up? I’ll smack you if you do it again, you know!"
"Just a random thought, my bad. My Yaoyao is the most special, one-of-a-kind girl in the whole world."
"Hmph... That’s more like it."
Jiangg Ning fought back the urge to cringe so hard she could have burrowed through the floor. She pouted slightly and snuggled back into his embrace.
The THUMP-THUMP of her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat.
She had never tried to act so cutesy before, but this was just everyday behavior for Jiangg Yao.
The completely different experience was utterly mortifying, making her blush and her heart race.
And yet, beneath the racing heartbeat, there was an indescribable thrill, a novelty she had never experienced before.
She could no longer clearly hear what Chen Yuan was saying about lunch. Her mind was stuck on a loop, replaying her own words and their interaction. She couldn’t believe she’d actually managed to say all that in a pinch.
"I’m going to use the restroom."
"Alright, I’ll order the takeout then. Do you want a small or a large?"
"The small one is..." Jiangg Ning started, then quickly adjusted her tone. "My appetite is so tiny, of course I’ll have the small! Do you even have to ask?"
"Haha."
"I’ll punch you!"
She made a show of shaking her fist at him before ducking into the restroom.
’SOS.’
’I need to call for backup, urgently.’
Jiangg Ning really felt she had almost lost her composure and blown her cover. She had underestimated how well Chen Yuan knew her, and overestimated her own acting skills. She hadn’t found out anything yet, so she absolutely couldn’t get exposed now.
Luckily, she had a contingency plan.
...
「Lanjing City.」
In a narrow but cozy apartment, a bedroom was plastered with posters and filled with countless stuffed animals. The shelves were lined with all kinds of anime merch.
Jiangg Yao lay on the bed, bored out of her mind, flipping through a photo album.
She still couldn’t figure out if what her sister had said was true.
Because deep down, Yaoyao didn’t believe Chen Yuan was that kind of person.
The man she knew was just too good. How could he possibly bear to hurt his girlfriend, who loved him so dearly, in such a way? And yet, an ambiguous confession Chen Yuan had made a while back now seemed to line up with this new reality.
At the time, Jiangg Yao had just thought it was a joke. Thinking back now, it might have been a genuine attempt to test the waters.
They had shared so many wonderful moments recently, and the bond between them had grown deeper than ever. Jiangg Yao couldn’t help but worry. If what her sister said was true, how was she supposed to deal with it?
Wan had already left for work, leaving Jiangg Yao hiding out alone in her apartment.
Just as she was deep in thought, a call came from her sister. Yaoyao instantly perked up.
"Hello? How’s it going? What?!"
"Are you even capable of this, sis? You can’t even handle something this simple."
"Didn’t I tell you yesterday to improvise? If you get found out this easily, how are you supposed to uncover anything... Sheesh, I knew I should have gone myself on the first day... Fine. Looks like we have no choice but to use that trick."
Jiangg Yao sighed. The other end of the line went quiet.
Then, she tapped the speakerphone button.
From this moment on, Corporal Jiangg Yao received an emergency field promotion to Battlefield Commander.