My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

After he left, Jiangg Ning stared blankly at the massive corporate logo atop the company building in the distance, lost in a daze.

Meiruxue Company had hundreds of employees.

Most of the cars that had been in the underground garage were now driven up to the surface, blocking the building’s entrance. A few police cars were parked nearby, likely called in to maintain order.

A long banner was hoisted up by poles fixed to a pair of SUVs parked in the middle of the crowd.

It read: "Withholding our wages, and now you think you can just run away? It’s only right to pay what you owe!"

Needless to say, there were plenty of smaller banners plastered all over the other cars. The scene was a sea of brilliant red, shimmering strangely in the sunlight and compelling every passerby to stop and stare.

Besides the employees, many of their family members had also rushed over. Some sat in their cars, while others gathered in groups to discuss their next move. Worry was etched on many of their faces; their anxiety was palpable.

The economic climate was bad.

Money was hard to earn, and life was a bitch.

Mortgages, car loans, and credit card bills were piling up. Monthly installments on credit lines were due. Electricity, water, and living expenses drained their accounts daily... Many who lived paycheck to paycheck had even borrowed money to survive the last few months, all while waiting for a salary to fill the holes in their finances.

People living in the big city were often not the masters of their own fate. Their elders back home thought they had it made the moment they moved to the city.

But the heartache they endured just to maintain a respectable life was a burden they bore alone.

Watching the crowd from a distance, Chen Yuan wore an equally complex expression, but his turmoil was all for Jiangg Ning.

"According to your uncle, our top priority right now is to meet with that President Qi. I can ask someone to look into his background. It would be best if we have some connections we can use," Chen Yuan offered.

He had purposely used the word "we," making it clear he had no intention of staying on the sidelines.

’Chen Yuan had already thought it through. Zhou Cha telling him not to get involved before things blew up had been a wise move. He had no obligation to get mixed up in a debt of over a hundred million yuan for people he wasn’t related to—it wasn’t his business. But now that it had blown up and involved Ningning and Yaoyao, he couldn’t just stand by and watch. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to solidify his place in her life. And look, Jiangg Ruzheng had met him now. He definitely wouldn’t be trying to set Ningning up on blind dates anymore. It saved him from being blamed by everyone.’

"There’s no need," Jiangg Ning said, snapping out of her daze. Seeing the confusion on Chen Yuan’s face, she softened her tone. "I mean, I can handle it. You were just appointed as a director. I don’t want you to owe people favors because of my problems. That wouldn’t be right."

"It’s no problem..."

"Let me try first. I’m not pushing myself. Chen... I know you mean well. Let’s talk again after I’ve met with President Qi, okay?"

Jiangg Ning was always like this. No matter what happened, her first instinct was always to face it herself. Perhaps she was just used to it, unwilling to be indebted to others. It was how she maintained her dignity.

The words, ’But I’m your boyfriend,’ were on the tip of Chen Yuan’s tongue, but after a moment’s hesitation, he swallowed them.

"Alright."

...

In two days, he had to go to Tokyo again. Chen Yuan knew he had promised Jiangg Yao.

She was waiting for him all alone in Tokyo, thousands of miles away. If he broke his promise, wouldn’t she hold a grudge against him for the rest of her life?

When he got there, he would have to talk to her about the Jiangg Family’s situation. Otherwise, she would definitely find out after he returned, and then she’d resent him for not telling her.

’So what kind of explanation should I prepare for when we meet?’

These past couple of days had been exhausting... always on the road, flying between cities. It felt like he didn’t even have time to rest, to the point that the sensation of travel itself had become numbing.

Chen Yuan couldn’t help but think back to his happy university days from just a few months ago. The carefree days of youth, a life so wonderful, as lazy and comfortable as lying on the grass and basking in the sun.

That life had vanished like a dream.

Perhaps it was really like that famous saying: all of fate’s gifts are secretly marked with a price. This was the price of the choice he had made.

...

Inside the quiet cafe, sunlight streamed in from outside.

The two of them were each lost in their own thoughts, and time slipped away unnoticed. When Chen Yuan finally thought to take a sip, he lifted the cup to his lips only to find the coffee had gone cold.

"Oh, right. Chen, you don’t have any plans tonight, do you? How about you come with me to a real estate agency?" Jiangg Ning’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"A real estate agency?"

"Yes. I have a house in my name. My grandfather gave it to me when I was in college. I’ve never lived in it, but it has some simple furnishings... I just did a rough calculation. My current savings and investments add up to over six million yuan, all from my salary over the years and money my family gave me. It’s added up. If I sell the house, I can raise a lot more."

"What do you mean?" Chen Yuan was stunned. "What are you doing? Selling everything you own to pay off your mom’s debts?"

"Those employees," Jiangg Ning said, jutting her chin toward the scene outside. "We can’t just ignore them... I calculated the severance pay plus the wage compensation. It’s not a small sum... Someone has to solve it."

"But this is her mistake. You shouldn’t be the one to bear the consequences."

"It’s not like that. A large part of my savings is from the allowance my mother gave me so Yaoyao and I wouldn’t have to struggle. I rarely touched it, so it’s still her money," Jiangg Ning insisted, her gaze firm. "I think it’s only right that the money from her is used to deal with her problems."

"That’s not reasonable at all... After everything your mother has done, it’s a miracle you haven’t cut ties with her. Do you really have to go this far?"

"I’m not doing anything special. Those employees worked for her, and they’re just ordinary people trying to live their lives. Since my last name is Jiangg, this is something I should handle." Jiangg Ning’s voice grew quieter. She knew she was biting off more than she could chew.

She wasn’t some entrepreneur. When she was teaching at the university, she only made a few tens of thousands of yuan a month. The only reason she never had to worry about living expenses was her wealthy family background.

In other words, scraping all this money together from various odds and ends would exhaust everything she had.

She might even have to borrow a little more. All told, it would barely be enough to cover the minimum compensation amount.

After all, the company had hundreds of employees, and severance pay was stipulated by law.

Just now, during her pensive silence, she had suddenly remembered this house she owned in Mingzhu City.

"There’s no need for that." Chen Yuan turned his head away.

"When those people curse my mother, do you think they won’t curse me too? My last name is Jiangg. Do you really think they’ll see Jiangg Ruxue’s debt and her daughter’s pampered lifestyle as two separate things?" Jiangg Ning asked calmly.

For a moment, Chen Yuan was speechless.

Then, he said quietly, "Still, it doesn’t have to be like this. Don’t forget, I have money too. You don’t have to sell anything. You just have to ask me."

...

Jiangg Ning suddenly smiled. The curve of her lips was distinct, slowly blossoming into a warm, bright smile.

She looked at Chen Yuan, who had awkwardly turned his face away.

"I know... I know you’re behind me. That’s why I have the courage to sell these assets and spend this money. Because you’re the chairman, and you’ll pay me a salary, right? From now on, I’ll have to rely on the salary you promised me... to live."

Chen Yuan met Jiangg Ning’s gaze, seeing the stubbornness in her eyes.

He was stunned for a long moment.

"Sigh... Sometimes your personality really gets on my nerves. Being too principled isn’t always a good thing..."

Chen Yuan sighed.

’But how could he not love it?’

It was this very personality that made Jiangg Ning shine so brightly.