My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

Chapter 499: Chapter 320: Yaoyao, How About I Marry Both You and Your Sister?

The "quiet" air conditioner wasn’t actually all that quiet. If you listened closely, you could hear a low hum from overhead. Chen Yuan lowered his head, poking Jiangg Yao’s warm cheek.

At that moment, he was thankful he hadn’t been so easily swayed by Jiangg Ning into deciding to give up one of his girlfriends. Losing someone was a terrifying prospect, and he probably couldn’t bear such a heavy price.

Remembering what he’d said to Ningning by the river, Chen Yuan felt a pang of guilt. Especially now, facing Jiangg Yao, there were some things he could only say to himself.

’Yaoyao is so wonderful. How could I bear to do her wrong and actually give her up?’

If he did that, Chen Yuan would never be able to forgive himself.

"I didn’t expect you so early. I figured you’d wait until after midnight, for Ningning to fall asleep?" he asked tentatively.

"Nope. She was in the study when I was changing, so I just came straight over. If she asks later, I’ll just tell her I came to play games with you."

"Then she’ll just nag you again."

"Let her say whatever she wants. I’m immune. Haven’t you noticed? She’s the type who just has to be in charge. The other day when you wanted to order a late-night snack, didn’t she give you grief about it?"

"She was just looking out for me, really. Eating that late at night does feel pretty guilt-inducing."

"Yeah, right. In your eyes, everything Ningning does is perfect," Jiangg Yao pouted, pointing at Chen Yuan’s chin. "Be honest, Young Master. Are you scared of her?"

"Why would I be scared of her?" Chen Yuan immediately straightened his back and said with a show of indifference, "Let’s put it this way: when we see eye-to-eye, she makes the call. When we don’t, I do."

"Pfft."

Jiangg Yao, of course, didn’t believe him. She’d always felt there was something strange about her sister’s relationship with Chen Yuan. They didn’t seem like a couple in the throes of new love, but they weren’t distant strangers either. They were caught in a subtle, almost formally polite dynamic, a kind of courteous harmony.

This harmony made her uncomfortable and often gave her a sudden, inexplicable sense of foreboding.

But at least, right now, *she* was the one in her Young Master’s arms, not her sister.

At that thought, Jiangg Yao felt a little better.

Jiangg Yao’s arrival had been so sudden that Chen Yuan hadn’t had a chance to figure out a solution. His mind was a mess. He stroked Yaoyao’s hair gently, lost in thought.

He knew exactly what Jiangg Ning was thinking; the only unknown was Yaoyao. Chen Yuan braced himself for the worst. After a moment, he feigned casualness as he brought up the question that was really on his mind.

"Yaoyao..."

"What is it?" Enjoying his gentle touch, Jiangg Yao opened her eyes to look at him.

"You and Ningning are sisters. You’ve lived together your whole lives. If, in the future, you left her to start a family with me... would you miss her?"

The question was so abrupt it took Jiangg Yao by surprise.

Then, she asked, confused,

"Young Master, why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"

"I don’t have any siblings. I’m an only child, so I’m just curious about your relationship as sisters. Like, if you’d be sad to be apart. It’s just... interesting to me."

Chen Yuan’s heart pounded with anxiety. He tried his best to keep his tone casual. He was desperately hoping Jiangg Yao would give him an out, a lifeline, no matter how slim the chance.

Jiangg Yao seemed to buy his explanation. She nodded and thought for a moment.

"I’d be sad, of course," Yaoyao said, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "My sister and I are connected by blood. We’re probably the closest two people on Earth. To put it in a dramatic, ’eighth-grader’ way, our bond is something that can never be severed. She feels that sense of destiny, too. Sometimes we even have these strange, telepathic moments."

She sighed. "But separating is inevitable. We can’t just not get married and live together forever; that’s the kind of naive thing you say when you’re a kid. The older you get, the more you realize it’s impossible. As long as our bond as sisters remains, it’s okay for us to have our own families. We just won’t be able to be together 24/7. It’s less about being sad to leave a family member and more about giving up the habits you’ve built over a lifetime. Like, setting out the other’s pillow before bed, making sure not to use up all the hot water, or knowing that if you can’t buy two of a limited-edition dress or purse, you might as well not buy it at all."

"That sounds really hard," Chen Yuan said quickly, seizing the opening.

"It’ll take some getting used to, but I’ll still have you, won’t I?" Jiangg Yao suddenly broke into a bright smile. "With you, I won’t be lonely. We’ll have a baby—a girl, I hope. That way I can dress her up like my own little doll and buy her so, so many pretty clothes and shoes..."

"Whoa, hold on," Chen Yuan cut her off, speaking cautiously. "What if there was a way you and your sister didn’t have to be separated?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Now at the most critical juncture, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.

"Well... what I mean is..."

Chen Yuan stammered for a while. He thought he had the right words prepared, but now that the moment was here, he found them impossible to say.

He gestured as he spoke. "If there were a way for you two sisters to stay together, without it affecting our relationship... what would you think?"

"Huh?" Jiangg Yao sat bolt upright, her brow furrowed. She studied him for a long moment, and her gaze made him feel flustered. "Young Master, just say what’s on your mind. You don’t need to stammer with me."

"Okay, honestly... I don’t know how I’m supposed to face Ningning. If I choose you and give her up, how am I supposed to tell her that? I can’t even imagine it. That’s why I’m looking for another solution. And I don’t want to make you two so sad by splitting you up... Do you get what I’m saying?"

"But that’s just how things have to be, my little Young Master," Jiangg Yao said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight, her eyes glistening. "Are you going to say nothing just because you feel guilty? Dragging this out will only make it worse. I’m sure my sister and I can accept the reality of the situation. A little pain now is worth long-term happiness."

"But maybe there’s a way it doesn’t have to be like this!" Chen Yuan sat up too, his voice urgent.

"Then say it. I’m listening."

"Yaoyao, look... Ningning is so talented. The kind of position she’s interviewing for—well, my company just happens to have an opening for someone exactly like her. Maybe she could stay in Lanjing and work for me? Do you think that would be enough to keep her here? Or... we could try to convince Ningning, and the three of us could keep dating like this for a while. Life is pretty good, right? We could put off the decision until after I graduate... Or... we don’t have to separate at all. We could find a way... for me to marry you and Jiangg Ning... both. What do you think?"

Chen Yuan had to admit, all that prior nonsense was just a preamble.

That last sentence was the only thing he’d really wanted to say.

In a rush of blood to the head, the words had just tumbled out. He stared intently at Jiangg Yao’s face, his own expression a whirlwind of emotions.

His tone was gentle, but it couldn’t mask the brazenness of his proposal.

If he’d been facing Jiangg Ning, he never would have dared to say it. Not even with a gun to his head.

Thank god it was Yaoyao. The psychological pressure wasn’t nearly as intense.

Jiangg Yao stared back at him for a long time, her expression completely unreadable.

Chen Yuan could hear his own heart pounding like a drum. He had braced himself for the worst, but now, in this moment of truth with Jiangg Yao, his heart felt like it was churning in molten lava while his fingertips were as cold as ice.

The clumsy metaphor couldn’t begin to express the complexity of his feelings.

"You..." Jiangg Yao’s voice was suddenly chillingly quiet. "Do you dare say that again?"

"Yaoyao, I really don’t know how to tell Ningning... how am I supposed to say I’m choosing you over her...? Put yourself in my shoes, can’t you see how I feel? I know I sound like a total scumbag saying this... Ugh."

"So you know you’re a scumbag. Are those even words a human being should say?"

Furious, Jiangg Yao shot to her feet, the rims of her eyes instantly turning red. She glared down at Chen Yuan, her hand raised high as if she was about to give him the slap he deserved.

But the slap never came.

She spun around and started to walk away without a backward glance.

"Wait—" Chen Yuan grabbed her hand. "Jiangg, can we please talk about this?"

"Get lost! Let go of me."