Chapter 405: Chapter 266: An Outrageous Idea
Jiangg Yao was completely absorbed in her task. After arranging the desk and esports chair, she shoved the seven or eight boxes aside. She then stepped back to stand beside her sister, resting her chin in her hand as she studied her work with intense focus.
"Like this, it’ll probably be a bit backlit... But if I move it further back, the backdrop won’t be right. Maybe I could add a few light strips..." she muttered to herself. A moment later, she clapped her hands. "I’ve got it! Moving it a little closer to the window will fix it. I can even set up a display rack."
As she spoke, she moved forward again to push the heavy standing desk with all her might. When she turned her head, she realized her sister still hadn’t left.
"Huh? Sis, don’t you have a flight to catch tonight? Why are you just standing here spacing out?" Jiangg Yao’s voice pulled Ningning from her spiraling thoughts.
"Oh, right. I’ll head home then. I’ll come get you once dinner’s ready."
After hearing her sister’s reply, she left the room. With her gaze lowered, she walked slowly. Certain unavoidable questions were looming ever closer.
In truth, she understood her sister better than she understood herself.
’If Chen Yuan chooses Yaoyao in the end, I’ll be heartbroken. It would probably take a very, very long time to get my life back to normal. I’d have to push forward on my own, burying myself completely in my work. It would be impossible to ever truly let go. I could only watch from a distance and hope for my sister’s happiness.’
’I wouldn’t interfere in their lives. My pride wouldn’t allow me to get entangled with them. I’d have to go back to Mingzhu City. And these unforgettable few years in Lanjing... I’d probably spend the rest of my life looking back on them.’
’But if Chen Yuan chose me, not Yaoyao, things would be even more complicated. Yaoyao would never stay in the country. Knowing her personality, she’d probably run far, far away to start a new life somewhere else. That’s what worried me the most.’
’The bond between us sisters wouldn’t be affected, but Yaoyao would never see Chen Yuan again.’
The image of her little sister, whom she had doted on since childhood, leaving in heartbreak filled Jiangg Ning’s heart with bitterness. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about it, and her heart throbbed with pangs of pain.
She was worried precisely because she’d realized how deeply Yaoyao had also fallen for Chen Yuan.
The deeper the fall, the harder the struggle to get out.
’I so desperately don’t want Yaoyao to get hurt. If it were anything else, I could take on the burden all by myself—that’s what I’ve always done. As her big sister, I swore to our late father that I would always take care of Yaoyao, make sure she grew up happy, and had a smooth, blissful life.’
’But... I really don’t want to give up on Chen Yuan...’
Jiangg Ning arrived home, slipped off her shoes, and went into the walk-in closet. She carefully put her shoulder bag away, then sat down, cupping her chin in her hands, lost in thought. The dressing room was utterly silent, so quiet she could hear nothing but her own breathing.
’If only there were a solution, some way to get the best of both worlds, that would be perfect. My sister wouldn’t get hurt, I wouldn’t have to worry about her, and I wouldn’t have to be heartbroken either. Obviously, cloning another Chen Yuan is impossible. Technology hasn’t reached that point. It’s just a fantasy.’
’So... what if my sister and I both married Chen Yuan...’
’If I think about it that way, neither of us would get hurt. And in the future, my sister and I could maintain the same intimate relationship we have now, continuing to live together in the same family.’
’When we were little and didn’t know any better, Yaoyao always said she wanted to be with me forever. She said neither of us would ever get married, we’d sleep in the same bed for the rest of our lives, and she’d never leave my side.’
Each time, Jiangg Ning had nodded in agreement, gently stroking her sister’s hair.
’Of course, I knew the talk of sisters never marrying was just the innocent rambling of a child. The reality is that no matter how close two sisters are, they eventually grow up and lead their own lives. It’s not that they become distant, but it’s impossible to remain as inseparable as they were in childhood.’
’Marrying Chen Yuan together would, in a way, completely fulfill that old promise. Our bond would continue, never fading, and we wouldn’t have to worry about each other getting hurt.’
’There’s only one word to describe it: "perfect." There’s no better way to have the best of both worlds.’
The more Jiangg Ning thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. She let herself fantasize about what their married life would be like down that path—every night, she and her sister would lie on either side of Chen Yuan, then turn to rest their hands on him.
’In the early morning, sunlight would stream through the gap in the curtains. We would slowly wake up, rubbing our drowsy eyes and looking at each other before snuggling closer to Chen Yuan, holding him tight.’
Jiangg Ning’s cheeks flushed, and she snapped back to her senses. She quickly shook her head. ’That’s just too outrageous. It’s impossible, at least in this country. Chen Yuan would never agree, either. It would go against our pursuit of a pure love... and breaking the rules like that means getting ostracized by everyone...’
’Then again, some great philosopher once said that rules are meant to be broken...’
Jiangg Ning sighed and stood up, walking out of the dressing room. ’My thoughts are getting more and more ridiculous,’ she mused. ’People really are creatures who will constantly lower their standards. Once you cross a line, it’s all over.’
...
The quiet WHIR of the range hood filled the kitchen as a light film of steam misted the glass. A delicious aroma wafted through the crack of the partially-closed kitchen door, drifting faintly into the living room.
Apron-clad Jiangg Ning bustled about, her movements elegant. The steamy glass added a touch of charming life to the scene.
Exhausted and hungry, Jiangg Yao returned from the apartment across the hall. She stared at her hand; she hadn’t been careful while unpacking and had gotten a small cut. A faint line of blood was visible on the pad of her finger. The wound was tiny, but it stung.
Jiangg Yao blew on the cut, then tucked her hand against her chest. As soon as she was home, she called out to her sister, "Did you and the Young Master already eat at the university?"
"Yeah," Jiangg Ning said, poking her head out to look at her. "We got takeout and ate in the cafeteria, so I’m just making this small portion for you. While you eat, I need to touch up my makeup and change."
"Got it. By the time I’m done eating, you should be ready. I’ll take you to the airport."
"Oh?" Jiangg Ning said, carrying a plate of fragrant stir-fried mushrooms out of the kitchen. "How sweet. Making a special trip to the airport just to see me off."
"I’m picking up Wan anyway. She’s going to help me build my computer later. She knows a little about it, so we’re going to figure it out together."
"Perfect. You should have her sleep over. Otherwise, what will you do if you get scared all by yourself?"
"We’ll see if Wan wants to. I actually wanted to go find the Young Master, but who knew he’d be busy today. He probably won’t be home until super late."
Jiangg Ning wiped down the table and went back to the kitchen to bring out a small bowl of rice. Her slippers went TAP TAP TAP on the floor. As she leaned down to set the chopsticks, her long hair swung forward, brushing against Yaoyao’s nose and making her let out an involuntary "ACHOO!"
"Chen is busy with that company business. He wouldn’t even let me go with him—so secretive. If you ask me, he should just quit that job now that classes have started and focus on his studies."
With that, Jiangg Ning untied her apron and hurried to the bedroom to touch up her makeup, leaving Jiangg Yao to eat alone in the living room.
Yaoyao took a bite of the piping-hot food. A look of pure bliss spread across her face as she chewed, and she eagerly grabbed several more mouthfuls with her chopsticks.
’Living with Sis is the best,’ Jiangg Yao thought. ’Whoever gets to marry a woman like her will be blessed for eight lifetimes.’ She gave her sister’s cooking a huge mental thumbs-up.
Even a meal thrown together this quickly was way more delicious than anything you could buy outside.
