’There’s nothing wrong with being shameless.’
Chen Yuan dodged the high-heeled shoe, hearing a sharp BANG from behind him. The hard sole had clearly hit something. He turned just in time to hear a CRACK and a SHATTER. On the balcony, the white porcelain pot that held a clivia plant lay in pieces, its fragments littering the floor.
That just showed how much force Jiangg Ning had put into the throw.
She was genuinely furious, not just putting on a show.
Her composure had completely crumbled.
Chen Yuan knew his actions were disgusting, but right now, he was in no mood for self-reflection. In fact, he felt a surge of relief. ’Thank god I resorted to such a low blow. Otherwise, knowing Jiangg Ning’s personality, she would have fled to the ends of the earth. Where would I even begin to look for her then?’
Even if he managed to find her, she’d probably just tell him to "get lost."
’Now I can keep her by my side. There’s still plenty of time, and at least I can think of other solutions. Even if I have to shamelessly cling to her, it’s better than her disappearing completely.’
He had already made the outrageous request of "marrying them both" to their faces, so he must have been mentally prepared. Only an exceptional person can walk an exceptional path, and for the despicable, being despicable is the best pass.
"I want to terminate my contract!" Jiangg Ning said coldly.
"Article one hundred and eighty-four of the employee contract: Excluding cases of force majeure, the chairman of the board reserves the right to unilaterally veto the resignation of an employee holding a key position." Chen Yuan’s gaze flickered away, not daring to meet Jiangg Ning’s.
After he spoke,
the living room once again fell into a heavy silence.
「A long moment later.」
Jiangg Ning’s beautiful eyes narrowed, and a sudden, mocking smile spread across her lips.
"I really underestimated you. You’re not naive at all, Chen Yuan. You’ve used every last bit of your cunning on me. Well done!"
With a thunderous SLAM,
the entire doorframe shook.
And Jiangg Ning was gone, having left the home that had been thrown into utter chaos.
...
"Aren’t you going to chase her?"
Chen Yuan stared at the trembling doorframe. As he stood there in a brief daze, another voice suddenly spoke from beside him.
He turned to look at Jiangg Yao, who had been silent all this time.
"No. You’re still here. I can’t just abandon you."
"Oh, so I should be thanking you, then?"
’Great. One landmine just went off, and now I’m about to step on another.’
Though utterly exhausted, Chen Yuan forced a smile and tried to placate her.
"That’s not what I meant at all, Yaoyao."
"Don’t call me Yaoyao. Shut up!"
"..."
"When you told me you wanted to marry both of us, I didn’t take it seriously. But it turns out you actually meant it. You really are an animal. I swear, you’ve completely defied the heavens."
"What am I supposed to do? What other choice do I have? Whose fault is it that you’re twins? Is there some kind of fusion machine that can merge you two into one? I wouldn’t have all these problems then. If a machine like that existed, I’d be so happy I’d dance for joy until I had a stroke!"
"You’re throwing a tantrum at *me*? I’ve been way too easy on you!" Seeing Chen Yuan’s shame turn to anger, Jiangg Yao flew into a rage and kicked him.
That kick
silenced Chen Yuan.
A storm of emotions raged in his heart, but he could only force himself to remain calm. No matter how they treated him, this was what he deserved.
’This is what I deserve,’ he told himself silently.
Besides, the fact that Yaoyao had held back this long and let him deal with Ningning first was already a huge show of respect.
Chen Yuan knew he owed Jiangg Yao so much—even more than he owed Jiangg Ning. She had been thinking of him from the very beginning, and that was true even now, in the middle of her rage.
His goal remained unchanged.
’I’ll start with Yaoyao. I have to get her on my side as much as possible. Only then can I focus all my energy on changing Jiangg Ning’s mind.’
’Otherwise, if I’m trying to win them both over at the same time, I won’t have the energy. The goal will become impossible.’
"I knew my sister would react like this. Not so smug now, are you? Did you think everyone was like me, willing to put up with all your crap? You deserved that beating!" Jiangg Yao said caustically.
"I don’t think I’m wrong. Have we been unhappy, the three of us, all this time? You and your sister could be together forever. What’s so bad about that? I don’t get it."
"You don’t get it because you don’t understand women. Let me just ask you this," Jiangg Yao said, crossing her arms and poking Chen Yuan in the head. "Why on earth should I marry you alongside my sister? Why should I have to share a boyfriend? Don’t I deserve a normal relationship?"
"But it’s the only solution! I don’t want to give up either of you. So what am I supposed to do?"
"Don’t ask me, because now you won’t get either of us!" she said hatefully.
"Yaoyao..."
"Don’t be so familiar. You broke your promise to me. You lied. I’m so disappointed in you. Just because I love you doesn’t mean I deserve to suffer like this... I gave so, so much. Didn’t you see any of it? Is this how you choose to repay me? Then what’s the point of me loving you?"
"The point is for the three of us to live a good life together as a family."
"Just get out! Who wants to be a ’family of three’ with you? I think you really need to calm down and think. Let’s leave it at this. Come find me when you’ve figured things out." With that, Jiangg Yao also began to walk away.
Her decision to leave was firm.
"Where are you going?"
"Anywhere. I think I need some time to think. You do too. I’m just... so tired. I don’t even know how to describe it."
Jiangg Yao’s expression was undeniably forlorn.
’She was right. Jiangg Ning was right, too. His demand was completely unreasonable.’
’They were beautiful, fair-skinned, and came from a wealthy family. What kind of boyfriend couldn’t they find? Why did they have to desperately cling to him and him alone? He wasn’t a god, nor was he some divine light. At best, he had the distinction of being their first love, which was meaningful, but that was it. Let alone expecting them to humble themselves and marry him together.’
’There’s so much romance to be had in this world.’
’Countless healthy, normal relationships. Why did it have to be him?’
’The beginning of a romance is always sweet and unforgettable. But most lovers who swear eternal vows still drift apart for one reason or another. Reality will always be the greatest enemy of the ideal.’
’He didn’t have a single compelling reason why the sisters had to choose him. And he certainly couldn’t force them to abandon their principles and compromise over and over.’
’Love alone was far from enough.’
’Her simple question—"Why should I?"—had silenced him completely. He had no answer.’
’And in real life, you couldn’t hope for miracles.’
’Getting them to compromise was harder than reaching for the sky. He understood that now, especially as he watched Jiangg Yao’s retreating back.’
’His own compromise, however, was simple. It would only take a single sentence, a single thought.’
’He could lead a happy life, just like the vast majority of normal people in the world. His pain came from wanting too much. That saying applied perfectly to his current situation. As long as he wasn’t greedy, the world could be a paradise.’
’Maybe... I should just give up.’
’Both Yaoyao and Jiangg Ning were perfect partners.’
’Other than having to spend the rest of his life treating one of them as the most familiar of strangers, there was nothing wrong with it.’
’He would finish college without a hitch and live a life free of pressure. After graduation, he’d have an impossibly romantic wedding. Friends and family would all come to offer their blessings. His high school classmates would probably tease him for getting married so young. Liu Nan and the others, their eyes flickering, would have the good sense not to mention the other sister’s name. They’d just be all smiles, ganging up to get him blackout drunk.’
’There would only be one empty seat at the wedding.’
’He would take his beloved’s hand from her uncle’s arm.’
’And in the moments between kisses, his eyes would just happen to drift over to that empty seat.’
’Swearing vows, exchanging rings... as he looked into his future wife’s eyes,’
’he would just find himself remembering the eyes of the other.’
’For many years to come, just a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times, in countless moments, he would find himself thinking of her.’
’But no matter how often he thought of her, she would be gone forever.’
’Like a phantom, she would slowly fade from his life.’
’Leaving nothing but a memory.’
(Volume Three: The Suitor’s Crematorium)
(End of Volume)