Chen Yuan watched "Jiangg Yao" walk into the restroom, lost in thought. He lowered his head; on his phone screen, Jiangg Ning still hadn’t replied to his message.
In the past, his mind wouldn’t have gone down this path.
But now, after going to Kyoto and hearing about Jiangg Ruxue from his assistant, Chacha, it was hard for his thoughts not to turn to that old witch.
Although calling his future mother-in-law that was hardly polite, Chen Yuan didn’t consider the label offensive. In fact, he thought it was quite fitting.
Jiangg Ruxue must have pulled some stunt to call Jiangg Ning back. And since the matter involved both sisters, it made Yaoyao unhappy too.
A complicated expression crossed Chen Yuan’s face. He had once silently sworn to protect both sisters, but with his current capabilities, he was simply too powerless. This was a classic case of meeting the right person at the wrong time.
A wave of helplessness washed over him, again and again—he suddenly found himself considering what Jiang Zhengfeng had said yesterday.
In the intricate world of the upper class, people only treat you based on your status and background... This meant he had only one path: displaying his own abilities while also having a prominent background. Only then would Jiangg Ruxue willingly let him marry the two sisters.
Maybe that would also change Jiangg Ruxue’s attitude toward Ningning and Yaoyao...
That, of course, was the most crucial part.
Chen Yuan could clearly sense how terrible their relationship with their mother was. After all, the two sisters never brought up their family in front of him.
’Perhaps it’s a source of trauma for them.’
’But if I choose that path, will everything really be okay?’
’And is my desire for a simple life in Lanjing just... a convenient excuse to give up?’
He gripped his phone, his mind racing. Just then, Jiangg Ning walked out of the restroom.
Her hair was slightly disheveled and deliberately arranged to cover one side of her face. From Chen Yuan’s angle, it was impossible to see the earpiece she was wearing.
’Now, go over and act spoiled. Whine and whimper, but don’t give him a reason. Keep it up until he gets so annoyed he can’t take it anymore.’
Jiangg Ning looked up at Chen Yuan as her sister’s voice gave instructions in her ear.
Right now, she had a strong urge to make a sarcastic comment.
’Isn’t this behavior just insane?’
’Then again, my sister doesn’t exactly act sane on a normal day... She really does pull stunts like this all the time.’
Jiangg Ning felt defeated before she even began. She swallowed hard, her face flushing as she looked at Chen Yuan. The biggest obstacle for her was that, while impersonating her sister, she couldn’t just have a normal conversation with him. Instead, it was like she had touch starvation, forced to be clingy at all times.
’But shouldn’t a normal person just sit down and talk things out...?’
As she griped internally, she also felt a subtle pang of jealousy.
When she was herself, the two of them were never this intimate.
"Young Master..."
Jiangg Ning walked over with her head bowed. She whimpered without saying a word, just nuzzling against him. One moment she would look up at him with a sad, pouting face; the next, she would bury her face in his chest and say nothing at all.
Her petulant act was flawless.
She was the spitting image of Jiangg Yao.
"What’s wrong now?"
"I’m just so frustrated."
"What are you frustrated about?"
"I don’t know. I’m just frustrated, that’s all. I’m not happy at all. I’m in a really bad mood."
"I can see you’re unhappy. What’s the reason? Come on, tell me."
Chen Yuan began to coax her softly, his gaze serious and his tone full of affection.
"I don’t want to talk about it."
"...You’re pulling this again. Every time, I have to ask you a dozen times before you’ll finally talk. But if I don’t ask, you just keep whining."
"What’s wrong with that?! I can’t? Is it so hard for you to comfort me a little? You rotten... rotten Young Master."
"Alright, alright, I never said it was a chore."
...
The voices came through clearly from the phone’s receiver.
Listening to her sister’s spoiled act, Jiangg Yao couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.
The tone was an eight-out-of-ten match. Even she couldn’t spot any flaws; it would be a miracle if Chen Yuan could tell the difference.
’It really takes the genuine article to give proper guidance.’
’Although, making my sister flirt with my own boyfriend... it feels a little weird.’
Jiangg Yao shook the subtle discomfort from her mind. ’Actually, there’s nothing to be upset about.’ In fact, she felt the same thrill that Ningning must have felt, a rush that made her cheeks flush. ’It’s like playing a real-life dating sim.’
The feeling quickly overpowered her unease.
Then, Jiangg Yao issued her second command.
’Change positions. You know how to do a "duck-sit," right? Turn around and straddle him, sitting right on his thighs.’
...
Hearing her sister’s words, Jiangg Ning froze. A clear hesitation showed in her knitted brows.
She was stunned.
The next moment, Yaoyao’s voice was in her ear again, urging her to do it. She explained that she and the Young Master often used this pose to get close on the sofa at home. As long as Jiangg Ning did it, he wouldn’t have the slightest suspicion.
’The logic is sound. This position is so far beyond my own limits that I would never use it to cuddle with Chen Yuan. The only problem is... I can’t bring myself to do it!’
’Seriously, those two bastards... to think they get up to such wild stuff. A pair of...’
Out of a sense of decency, she couldn’t bring herself to think the last two words, even internally.
If Chen Yuan managed to get through this ordeal, he would likely find that Jiangg Ning’s attitude toward him would change starting today. The danger in many things lies in comparison. Once Ningning experienced this completely different kind of treatment firsthand, she would surely come to see her deliberate, reserved distance as an irrational choice.
If she kept putting it off, perhaps one day Jiangg Yao would already have a baby, while she’d still be agonizing over whether they should sleep in the same bed before marriage.
However, Chen Yuan wasn’t going to get away with it this time. He had already walked into a trap he couldn’t escape.
Once a seed of doubt was planted, it could never be completely uprooted—much like when he first grew suspicious about the twins.
"Young Master..." Jiangg Ning gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, forcing a pitiful expression onto her face.
"What is it now, Yaoyao? You look like you’re about to cry."
"I..."
Jiangg Ning shifted, turning to straddle him and settle onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, a few strands of her hair falling across his shoulder as she rested her chin there.
Two soft mounds pressed against his chest.
In an instant, Jiangg Ning’s face turned so red it felt like it might bleed.
She fought to push past her shame, sorting through her chaotic thoughts to focus on what was truly important. She then asked in a low voice, "Have you made up your mind yet? When are you going to break it to her? Didn’t you say you liked me best?"
"Well..."
Chen Yuan didn’t answer right away. His hand wrapped around Jiangg Ning’s waist with practiced ease. From the looks of it, he wanted to explore further up.
"Huh? Yaoyao, how’d your waist get so thin? Did your diet work that well?"
"Of course. I just didn’t feel like losing it before. Hey, don’t change the subject! I’m talking to you about something important."
Jiangg Ning fought back the ticklish sensation at her waist. She had the sudden urge to tremble all over but forced herself to suppress it.
"Now’s not the right time. I’m not ready."
"Then when *will* you be ready? What did you tell me before?!"