My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

Chapter 496: Chapter 317: A Never-Before-Seen Jiangg Ning, Her Coquettish Other Side

The streetlights next to the long benches were like isolated islands in the darkness.

She walked step after step, her shadow stretching and shrinking under the lights, disappearing and reappearing. She walked until she was very far from Chen Yuan, so far that he could no longer see the sway of her ponytail.

Jiangg Ning suddenly turned back. She wrinkled her nose, red from the wind, and her eyes sparkled.

"Chen," she called out suddenly. "With your personality and family background, you could pursue any girl you want. I truly think you’re an outstanding person. I can see your future, and the woman who marries you will surely be very happy."

Jiangg Ning’s voice wasn’t as gentle as usual. Instead, it was full of life and energy. This seemed to be the eighteen-year-old version of her, the one who walked across a distant university campus abroad, books in her arms.

Back then, she wore a high ponytail, her eyes full of limitless hopes for the future. She wasn’t so reserved and graceful yet. Just like any other eighteen-year-old girl, her snow-white sneakers gleamed in the sun.

Chen Yuan couldn’t see her expression; he could only listen to her call, stunned.

"If I had to choose a hundred times, I would still choose to marry you every single time. I truly love you more than you can imagine."

"I’m not saying this to force you to choose me. I just want you to know that when you love someone, you should be completely devoted to them... Don’t let her down, and don’t be indecisive. I won’t blame you, and I believe Yaoyao feels the same way. Do you understand?"

She was far away, but her voice was clear, every word reaching Chen Yuan’s ears. In an instant, it was as if a basin of ice water had been thrown over him. His racing heart felt like it was being dragged into an abyss by a heavy stone.

Chen Yuan thought in silence. Of course he understood the weight of Ningning’s words, especially that one line: "If I didn’t truly love you..."

He had received such an absolute affirmation, yet his heart felt no joy.

’So life really has moments like this.’ It was as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff. Listening to her heavy words, Chen Yuan’s throat felt dry, his chest tightened, and his ears rang as if he’d suddenly developed tinnitus.

His clenched fists were slick with sweat.

An unspeakable guilt and bitterness gnawed at his heart.

Chen Yuan remained rooted to the spot. Jiangg Ning said no more and turned to walk away, her pace quick. In just a few moments, all he could see was a small, bobbing white dot in the distance.

He wanted to chase after her. ’But what would I even say if I caught up?’

Tonight, Chen Yuan had wanted to give Jiangg Ning a gift. It was supposed to be a beautiful, romantic scene. But it turned out he had oversimplified everything, and in doing so, he had also underestimated Ningning.

Without a doubt, he was struggling internally. He wished he could rip open his chest just to take a few breaths of fresh air, anything to relieve this suffocating feeling.

Jiangg Ning hadn’t even said it all. She hadn’t mentioned how two sisters dating the same man would be ridiculed, or how they would explain it to their friends and family. She hadn’t mentioned that the laws in Huaxia stipulated monogamy, a cold, hard fact that no amount of personal power could change. She hadn’t even mentioned that in this modern society, a relationship without official status is an insult to a woman, leaving her with no sense of security.

But Chen Yuan understood.

Suddenly, as if he had figured something out, he started walking. He glanced in the direction Jiangg Ning had gone.

Then he quickened his pace and chased after her.

"Do you regret agreeing to work at Bauhinia Company? You think that if I don’t choose you, you’ll eventually have to leave, and everything you’ve done will be meaningless, right?" he asked as he ran after her.

"I do regret it. You’re right. But I can still back out; I haven’t officially started at the company yet."

Jiangg Ning pursed her lips, her gaze flickering.

She hadn’t expected Chen Yuan to be so perceptive, to have guessed the reason she was being so pushy today. The truth was, she had regretted agreeing to be his secretary the second after she said yes. She had been turning it over and over in her mind while cooking in the kitchen.

A woman’s mind is a complex thing, so complex that even they themselves don’t understand it.

Chen Yuan finally caught up to her. His chest was heaving, and before he had even steadied himself, he said breathlessly, "What if I agree right now? If I choose you..."

Jiangg Ning stopped in her tracks. She stared at Chen Yuan, her face expressionless, but the intensity in her eyes was chilling.

"You... Say that again?" A thousand hopes suddenly surged in her heart, so many she couldn’t hide them. Even the tone of her voice changed.

One could only imagine.

How much she had been anticipating this answer.

Although she had never pressed him for it, always pretending to wait nonchalantly, her silent thoughts flowed like a quiet river.

But she had dreamed of this moment, of these words, so many times.

"I choose you. I understand now that a three-person relationship is wrong, and I’m sure about it. I’ve liked you from the very beginning—from when I pulled you into the game room, to when we first met in that university classroom, and even later, when Yaoyao pretended to be you to get back together with me. Jiangg Ning, the one who’s made my heart race has always been you." Chen Yuan only managed a few sentences before his mouth went dry. Seeing the rims of Jiangg Ning’s eyes turn red, he quickly fumbled in his pocket for the gift he’d bought. "Today, I bought you this gift with the salary I just got. I asked you to come for a walk by the river because I wanted to give it to you... I didn’t know my hesitation would hurt you. I’m sorry, Ningning. I should have understood sooner."

A woman is at her most beautiful not when her cheeks are flushed, but when her eyes are rimmed with red.

Jiangg Ning lowered her head to look at the jewelry box Chen Yuan was holding out. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and took it.

"What is it...?"

"Open it and see."

With a little effort, she opened the small, square white box. Instantly, a pure blue gemstone appeared, glittering with a crystalline light in the darkness, surrounded by dangling strands of tiny diamonds.

One for the left, and one for the right.

It was a pair of extremely expensive earrings.

Jiangg Ning kept her head down, her expression unreadable. She was silent, lost in thought.

"So..." She clutched the box and started fiddling with the hem of her shirt again, asking in a tiny voice, "what about Yaoyao? Have you thought it through?"

"Let’s not tell her for now. After her birthday, I’ll find the right time to explain things to her clearly. Can you give me some time?"

"Mhm..."

She bit her lip, her head bowed so low it almost touched her chest. Her reply was so quiet and emotionless that Chen Yuan wondered if he had imagined it.

He was instantly confused.

’Is she happy or not...?’

Suddenly, Jiangg Ning reached up and wiped the corner of her eye. She pulled off the band tying her hair, letting the strands fall to either side, hiding her face even more.

But she couldn’t hide the tears that kept falling. Large, fat teardrops spilled out, and she wiped her cheeks forcefully again.

"I hate you, you stupid Chen." She gave Chen Yuan a light shove, her voice husky from crying but with a hint of playful affection.

"Huh?" Chen Yuan thought he must have misheard.

He had truly never heard Jiangg Ning act this way before. He was dazed, utterly shocked.

"I hate you, I hate you... Why didn’t you say it sooner? You made me scared for so long. Do you have any idea how sad I was when I thought about leaving...?" She pushed Chen Yuan lightly again and again, her shoves gentle.

"You’re the only guy I’ve ever liked, the only one in my whole life, and you still treated me like this..."

"Don’t you know it’s exhausting to keep so many things bottled up inside? I have bad moods I want to vent, too. I also want to be as carefree with you as my sister is..."

She mumbled on, pushing Chen Yuan until she lost her footing and tumbled into his arms.

Jiangg Ning didn’t move. Chen Yuan suddenly felt her hugging him tightly, burying her face in his chest.

Like a tired, lazy cat.

She seemed so strong on the outside, yet Ningning had such a delicate side to her. Chen Yuan was suddenly reminded of her playfully pouting voice from that phone call.

She was... so incredibly cute!

"I’m going to bite you."

"Okay."

In response to this unreasonable demand, Chen Yuan held his hand out to her mouth. Jiangg Ning peeked out from the collar of his sweatshirt, revealing half her face.

However, Chen Yuan, who had tensed his body in preparation, felt no pain at all.

Just a soft kiss landing on his hand.

"Why didn’t you bite?"

"Your hands are too nice. I couldn’t bring myself to."

"Are you Ningning?"

"I am."

"Then who am I?"

"You’re my Chen. Mine alone. And I’m going to marry you."

"...Are you going to keep hugging me forever?"

"Yes."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Kiss me whenever you want. From now on, you can always kiss me whenever you want."

"Ningning, to be honest, I’m not quite used to this."

"Just for tonight. I want to be spoiled. I don’t want to be envious of anyone else."

"Then give it a try."

"Chen~ I want you to carry me over to that bench, okay?"

"Okay, okay, that’s enough. My bones are turning to jelly."

"Chen~"

"Alright, alright, I’m carrying you, I’m carrying you. Hold on to my neck."

"Can you put the earrings on for me~ Chen?"

"I can."

"How much did they cost?"

"Not much..."

"From now on, you’re giving me your paychecks to look after."

"Huh!?"

"Just kidding." Jiangg Ning tilted her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling. A captivating smile bloomed on her face. She pinched the sea-blue gemstone of an earring and whispered, "Do I look beautiful?"