My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

Following the lady of the house’s instructions, the maids cut up some fruit and brought it to the coffee table in the main hall.

Yaoyao speared a piece of red watermelon with a toothpick. "Ahhh," she cooed, prompting Chen Yuan to open his mouth and take it.

His eyes were still fixed on his phone, looking at the address of the Mingzhu City branch office where he was due to report in a few days. They had just added him to the work group chat.

Beside him, Yaoyao watched her sister slowly walk upstairs, then nudged Chen Yuan with her shoulder.

"Hm? What’s wrong?" Chen Yuan looked up at her.

Yaoyao, lounging diagonally on the sofa, gestured with her eyes in the direction her sister had gone. Her slippers were haphazardly kicked off on the rug.

Utterly casual.

It was her own home, after all.

"Something’s not right," Yaoyao said in a low voice.

"What’s not right?"

"My mom is acting really weird. It’s like she’s been possessed or something. The change is just too big."

She stared with her beautiful eyes, lost in thought.

"Your mom was quite polite. She wasn’t at all as terrifying as you two made her out to be. She seems like a very kind and friendly person," he said calmly.

"That’s exactly why I’m saying something’s not right! She was never this talkative before. Don’t let the fact that my sister and I are her biological daughters fool you. Honestly, if she said ten whole sentences to us in a single day, that was a lot, and they were always commands. Like telling me to do this or that, or just giving me orders, just like how she told Ningning to go upstairs a minute ago. But today, she actually chatted with you in the car for so long. It’s just too much."

"That was before, right? Maybe after going through some things, her perspective has changed. Isn’t that a good thing?"

"It’s hard to say. I don’t believe that some setback could so completely change a person from the inside out. Didn’t you see me deliberately kick my shoes off somewhere random when I came in?"

"I saw."

"If this were the past, my mom would have chewed me out. But she didn’t say a thing. Instead, my sister was the one who said something to me," Yaoyao said with a serious expression, her voice full of conviction. "It definitely has something to do with you. She noticed me kicking off my shoes. I was watching her."

Chen Yuan didn’t reply, just shrugging his shoulders.

’If my own wife can be treated well by her mother-in-law, what’s there for me to complain about?’

A harmonious family was, of course, for the best.

...

Yaoyao’s worry was not entirely unfounded. They had discussed it days ago—their mother was full of flaws, and Chen Yuan, having grown up in a gentle and kind family, would surely not be able to accept it. So, it was best to keep their contact to a minimum. The second point, and the most crucial one, was to talk to their mother and make sure she didn’t interfere in her two daughters’ marriage.

This whole situation was already complicated enough. If she decided to meddle, it would just be adding fuel to the fire.

Now that Jiang Ruxue’s attitude was so good, Yaoyao was afraid she was bottling it all up for some huge blow-up later.

She nibbled on a piece of fruit, her eyes narrowed slightly as she internally strategized how to handle the situation.

...

「Upstairs.」

Jiang Ning pulled out the safe from behind the bookshelf. She organized all the recent repayment receipts, along with dozens of bank cards, and laid them all out on the desk.

This included all the contracts for the building assets that had been acquired by Youxia Company.

Nominally, Jiang Ruxue was the actual owner of these assets, and Jiang Ning had no intention of hiding anything. The records were completely transparent; she had carefully calculated every single transaction at night.

Right now, Jiang Ruxue had gone to change her clothes.

She waited for a moment. With a CLICK, the door opened and Jiang Ruxue walked in.

Clothes really do make the woman.

After changing, her complexion was visibly better, and she finally had some of that familiar feeling about her again. The haggardness was not as heavy.

"Ningning," Jiang Ruxue, dressed in a purple dress with her long hair pinned up, looked more graceful. She sighed, "It must have been so hard on you these past days. Getting me out must have been incredibly difficult. You even sold the house your grandparents gave you for your coming-of-age ceremony... Mom feels so guilty about this..."

"They’re just material things. Of course they’re not as important as our family being reunited."

"Did you go to the Liu Family?"

"I did, but only once." Recalling the embarrassing situation that day, Jiang Ning paused for a moment, then shook the image from her mind. "Let’s not talk about it. Take a look at the ledgers I’ve kept."

"There’s no rush to look at the ledgers. With you handling these things, I’m not worried at all. After all, my daughter has grown up... you’re so capable now. I don’t even know how many times stronger you are than your mother."

The sudden praise left Jiang Ning stunned.

In her memory, Jiang Ruxue had almost never praised her. No matter how outstanding she was or how she excelled among her peers, her mother would only offer a few indifferent words, as if, being the older sister, everything Jiang Ning did was simply what was expected.

But even the best children in the world make mistakes; people grow and learn from their mistakes time and time again.

Jiang Ning used to be terrified of making mistakes, because if she did, it was as if all her previous efforts would turn to dust, and she would face Jiang Ruxue’s suffocating disapproval.

For a moment, Jiang Ning was silent, not even knowing how to respond.

But Jiang Ruxue took the initiative to move closer.

"I remember when you were little, you wanted to learn about finance and business. You were so curious about the books on the shelves in my study. When guests came to our house to discuss partnerships, you would listen so intently from the side. I knew you were always very interested in this... But I was biased and selfish. Not only did I not support you, I did everything to stop you. I even took the books you bought, threw them all away, and scolded you for it... If we’re talking about apologies, the one I owe the most is to you, Ningning."

Her head lowered, her voice grew softer.

Jiang Ning’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

’Mom is actually apologizing to me???’

Such a proud woman... who never admitted her own mistakes, was now humbly apologizing.

"I’m not asking for your forgiveness, Mom. But from now on, whatever you want to do, I’ll support you. I’ll never again say those hurtful things to deliberately wound my daughter’s heart..." Jiang Ruxue said, placing her hand over Ning’s.

Jiang Ning felt a little dazed.

But the moment she felt the warmth on her hand, she flinched back as if she’d been electrocuted.

Jiang Ruxue saw her reaction.

Without saying anything, Jiang Ruxue smiled awkwardly, a gentle look returning to her face.

"Mom called you up here mainly because there’s something I wanted to ask you."

"Go ahead," Jiang Ning said, her expression returning to normal as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"When are you and Yaoyao planning to have the wedding? Chen Yuan really is a great guy. Mom is so happy that you two have found your own love, and that you can all live together as a family after getting married. I truly never dreamed of something so wonderful. Before, I kept pushing you to find a partner, but I never expected you to have such a suitable choice of your own. I don’t know how to describe how I’m feeling right now..." Jiang Ruxue’s eyes were practically shining.

"Mom... to be honest with you, I haven’t decided yet."

"Haven’t decided?" Jiang Ruxue feigned confusion.

"Right. Chen Yuan is very suitable in every way, but I’m afraid that after we get married, I won’t be able to adapt to a life with three people. And when we have children, they’ll have to face others’ gossip. Besides, Yaoyao and I have been together since we were little. To be honest, I’m a little tired of it..."

"Tired of it? Mom can understand. You’ve always taken care of her, and Yaoyao has a very childish personality, so you’ve inevitably had to be patient with her all the time. Everyone gets tired sometimes."

"I’m a little surprised to hear you say something like that," Jiang Ning said lightly.

’This is truly a first.’

In the past, Jiang Ruxue would have endlessly doted on Jiang Yao, teaching Ningning that the eldest sister acts as a mother, that all patience was obligatory, that this is just what family does, and so on.

Now, it was like she had a brand new mom. She felt a sense of unease from the inside out.

She couldn’t describe the feeling. It was just... strange, everywhere.

"I understand your thoughts. But, Ningning, it’s not easy to meet someone you like, someone you fancy, in this life. You’ve been outstanding since you were young, and so many people pursued you, but none of them caught your eye. Now that fate has finally brought you someone, you have to hold on tight. We can try to solve all those things you’re worried about in the future. First, you have to be firm in your decision. You absolutely cannot give up. A guy like Chen Yuan... if you miss out on him, where are you going to find another?"

"I’m considering it," Jiang Ning said hesitantly.

"What’s there to consider?" Jiang Ruxue said urgently. "You two get married this year, have a baby next year. Mom promises to enjoy her later years and stop making trouble. I’ll just help you look after the baby. After August this year, you’ll be twenty-seven. A woman is only in her prime for a few years. You absolutely can’t drag this out."

"Is there such a rush? I have exams coming up, and I was thinking of getting a few more years of work experience after I get my degree. There’s nothing wrong with using your youth to work hard, is there...?"

"Aiya, Ningning, you don’t understand. A man’s heart can change easily. Maybe if you keep dragging it out, he’ll change his mind. Although I’d say a kid like Chen Yuan isn’t that kind of person, you can never tell with life. Things change all the time. It’s better to lock it down early and plan for the future."

"It’s not as dramatic as you think," Jiang Ning said lightly. "Yaoyao and I have both been to his home to meet his elders. They promised me that as long as we haven’t registered the marriage, I can back out whenever I want. That’s their sincerity. We discussed having his family formally propose marriage after you got out. You can just prepare to go through the motions then."

"A marriage proposal is great! I’m all for it. Mom will prepare your dowries. For the betrothal gift, just have his family give two hundred thousand, that’ll be plenty. It’s just a formality. When you two marry into his family, you’ll be living a life of true luxury and splendor. Chen Yuan’s family is so well-off."

"Hmph. So you really are after his family’s wealth. Let me warn you," Jiang Ning frowned, "don’t you get any other ideas. Forget Chen Yuan, Yaoyao and I would be the first to disagree."

"Of course not. What’s yours is yours. Mom won’t ask for a single penny," Jiang Ruxue said sincerely, not at all angry.

"That’s for the best."

"Daughter... tell Mom, have you two... you know?"

Suddenly, Jiang Ruxue blinked and asked in a hushed voice.

"You know what?"

"You know... have you been intimate?"

Jiang Ning looked at her mother’s expression, thought for a moment, and suddenly realized what she was talking about.

Instantly, Ningning’s cheeks flushed red.

"How could that be possible? Yaoyao and I have been very proper. We’d at least have to be engaged before considering something like that... Besides, I still haven’t made up my mind. Although it’s impossible for me to like anyone else, if it really happened, and in the end I still wasn’t sure... how could I face Yaoyao? That was a gentleman’s agreement Yaoyao and I made long ago."

"You’re so silly, my good daughter. Those are two completely different things. He’s so young. How could he live like a monk with you? You’ve been dating for so long without even consummating the relationship... Aren’t you afraid his heart will change?"

"How could it? If he were that kind of person, I wouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place."

"Well, if he’s that loyal to you, what are you afraid of? Let me tell you, a man is willing to possess you only when he likes you. If he just respects you instead, that’s when it’s truly dangerous."

"Dangerous... what?" Jiang Ning was completely lost.