My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

No matter how wicked Jiangg Ruxue was, no matter how many evil things she had done to the two sisters, she was, at the end of the day, Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao’s mother. All those years ago, she had given birth to two such lovely daughters; otherwise, where would Chen Yuan have ever met the girls who were his ideal vision of humanity?

Although she hadn’t given the sisters a happy childhood, the gift of life after ten months of pregnancy wasn’t something that could be erased so easily. Even if she had committed the most heinous of sins, in the sisters’ eyes, she would always hold the status of "mother."

Chen Yuan knew Jiangg Ruxue was heartless, and he also knew that, in stark contrast, both sisters were deeply sentimental.

Having committed to him as their one and only love, they were wholeheartedly devoted and would never go back on their word.

To say nothing of the bonds of family, which were thicker than water.

Even Jiangg Ning, who appeared hard as nails, was incredibly soft on the inside.

He had been happily planning to come back and see Jiangg Ning, but now, hearing this news and imagining her reaction, Chen Yuan’s happiness vanished in an instant, replaced by a bitter feeling that filled his heart.

Of all the times for trouble to strike, it had to be now. He had already hurt Ningning because of their relationship issues, and now another worry was about to be added to her heart... It just went to show that the strongest people were often the most vulnerable. Fate never let anyone off easy.

After a moment of thought.

Facing Chacha across the dinner table, Chen Yuan almost immediately stated his position—not for the sake of Jiangg Ruxue, with whom he had no connection, but for the two sisters.

"Cha, based on what you know, is there any room to salvage this situation? You were there last time I talked to my dad, so you know about my relationship with them. I can’t just stand by and watch their biological mother fall into a predicament like this... To put it another way, because of our relationship, I can’t just act like it has nothing to do with me."

With a soft CLICK, chopsticks were gently placed on the table.

Zhou Cha was silent for a moment.

In that brief instant, the exceptionally sharp Zhou Cha had already taken in every detail of her young master’s expression. It was just as she had expected. Yuan was a sentimental person, too. Even after hearing about Jiangg Ruxue’s wicked deeds, he was still willing to offer a helping hand.

This, in turn, made her decision to hide it from him an absolutely correct one.

If she had told him and given Chen Yuan room to maneuver, Meiruxue Company might have narrowly escaped its fate. Forgetting whether the other party would even be grateful, she, as a secretary, would have no way to answer to Jiang Zhengfeng.

Zhou Cha knew that Jiang Zhengfeng disliked his in-law immensely and wished he could keep his distance.

She was also well aware of the power behind the three words "at any cost," if Chen Yuan were willing to utter them. Countless people would be willing to arrange dinner meetings, to do him—the Jiang heir—a favor, or to do Jiang Zhengfeng a favor. Turning hostility into harmony was entirely possible.

In the world of business, everything also came down to the art of networking and social etiquette.

It was precisely because Jiangg Ruxue had no backing and was already isolated and besieged from all sides that those people dared to use every means at their disposal.

"Yuan, don’t be so anxious yet. I understand the situation at Meiruxue Company, and I understand the two sisters," Zhou Cha said, reaching out to pat Chen Yuan’s hand comfortingly. "They are both wonderful, kind, and intelligent. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have fallen for them, right?"

"Mm..."

"But you have to understand that in business, what matters most are interests. The collapse of Meiruxue Company benefits a lot of people; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths. The key is that Jiangg Ruxue also harmed the interests of those who originally stood with her—shareholders, employees, and the investors who trusted her. Under these circumstances, unless you’re willing to look after everyone’s interests, there’s nothing that can be done."

"Then I—"

"Wait," Zhou Cha interrupted Chen Yuan. "Yuan, I know what you’re going to say, and I understand your position. But I’ve been your father’s secretary for so many years, and he’s taught me a lot. One very important thing... Never, ever go against the natural order, against the tide. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand," Chen Yuan said, his emotions stabilizing with surprising speed. After careful consideration, he added, "Chacha, you’re saying it’s unnecessary for me to pay that price, and that’s not the right way to handle things."

"Correct. It seems your trip to Tokyo has indeed helped you mature."

Zhou Cha let out a sigh of relief. She thought she would have to persuade him at length, but she hadn’t expected Chen Yuan’s tone to soften so quickly.

If Chen Yuan had truly insisted on acting at any cost, there would have been nothing she could do.

She continued, "The life or death of a single ant is, of course, insignificant and affects nothing. But it’s a microcosm of a larger picture. If you forcefully extend the life of Meiruxue Company, which is destined to disappear, this style of action will affect how others evaluate you. It will make people see you as a capricious superior and send a lot of the wrong signals."

"I get it," Chen Yuan said, taking a deep breath. "Then since you called me here, Chacha, may I ask if there’s a more appropriate method... At the end of the day, I don’t want the situation to become too dire."

"Are you really willing to listen?"

"I am. I’ve always respected you, Cha."

"Alright then. My method is to watch and wait. As long as Jiangg Ruxue doesn’t end up in jail, you should pretend you don’t know anything, stay out of it, and let events unfold," Zhou Cha said, persuasively and frankly. "I know this puts you in a difficult position, but the timing of your move is also crucial. It’s best to wait until your two little girlfriends have exhausted all their options. Then, you can intervene with swift and decisive action. First, Jiangg Ruxue’s fall from power will make everyone happy. Second, this will make an impression on Jiangg Ruxue and your two little girlfriends, making the road ahead much smoother. And third, several figures in Mingzhu City have been wanting to get acquainted with you. At the headquarters meeting a while back, they voted against your appointment as director of the northern region, hoping you would switch to another district. This time, let them solve it and have them owe you a personal favor."

"That happened?"

"You’re not at headquarters, so of course you don’t know... That’s my method. Kill three birds with one stone. However, ignoring it for now might seem a bit cold-hearted. It all depends on whether you can hold yourself back."

"I’ll... try my best." The thought of Jiangg Ning hearing the news made Chen Yuan’s heart ache.

"Not ’try.’ You must."

"Don’t worry, Chacha. For the sake of the bigger picture, I’ll hold back and won’t ask anyone else to handle this."

"That’s good. In no more than three days, the situation with Meiruxue Company will surely worsen. It’ll be a blessing if your two little girlfriends aren’t dragged into it. But with Jiangg Ruxue in trouble, the two young ladies will inevitably run around trying to pull strings, and they’re bound to have a lot of doors slammed in their faces... Yuan, you’ll slowly come to understand that this is a very realistic society."

As Zhou Cha spoke, she placed some food into Chen Yuan’s bowl, finally letting out a sigh.

"Now that I have your idea, Chacha, I feel a bit more at ease. If you hadn’t told me, I probably would have asked my dad or Ji Hai to handle this. He has some connections in Mingzhu City... You’re really amazing, Cha, to come up with a way to kill three birds with one stone at a time like this."

At the compliment, a hint of a smile appeared on Zhou Cha’s cheeks.

"Make enough mistakes, and you’ll naturally learn a thing or two. Take your time and learn, young master."

...

He had been starving when he arrived, ready to feast. But after learning about Jiangg Ruxue, Chen Yuan lost all his appetite.

He shoveled a few bites into his mouth, but the food tasted like chewing on wax.

Glancing at the time, Chen Yuan had no desire to stay any longer. He said a word to Zhou Cha, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and went downstairs to get in the driver’s car.

They sped all the way toward Linzhou.

He’d had his suspicions on the way to Kyoto. By the time he left, the expression on his face was even graver. He wanted to sigh but couldn’t, and the thought of the "kill three birds with one stone" plan brought him no joy.

This time, it wasn’t just the image of a wounded Jiangg Ning he saw, but also flashes of tears rolling down Jiangg Yao’s cheeks. ’How will Yaoyao, who’s as fragile as a little girl, face this...’

The old saying is true: anxiety clouds judgment. That was probably it.

Chen Yuan now truly felt a ravenous ant inside him, gnawing his entire heart hollow.

...

"Boss, I’ll take a stick of tanghulu. The mixed hawthorn and fruit one. Just one stick."

「In the dead of night.」

Chen Yuan got out of the car, bought the tanghulu, paid for it, and then shot back into the vehicle in a flash, telling the driver to hurry up and go.

In just over ten hours, he had gone from Tokyo to Kyoto and then back to Linzhou, only catching a nap in the car. By now, Chen Yuan was indescribably exhausted, but he still couldn’t hide the excited look on his face and the urgency in his heart.

The closer he got to Linzhou, the more violently his heart pounded.

The girl he missed, the girl he was always thinking about, the one who was never absent from his mind, was finally about to appear before him. Chen Yuan felt like he couldn’t bear it for another second. He knew their meeting was imminent, but this state of anticipation made every nerve in his body feel like a freshly plucked string.

Even his soul was trembling with joy.

Upon arriving at Jiang’s Linzhou Energy branch, the black sedan slowly drove in and stopped in front of the building. Chen Yuan paused on the steps, looked up at the lights glowing one by one in the high-rise, then lowered his head, a smile tugging at his lips, and hurried inside.

His excitement was off the charts.

But when Chen Yuan walked all the way to his office, the entire corridor was cold and deserted, making him wonder for a moment if he’d gone the wrong way. He opened the door to find the room lit, but with not a single soul in sight. Chen Yuan specifically went back to check the name on the office door.

The room had been tidied up neatly, and the few items of furniture had a retro-Chinese style. He walked a circle inside before coming back out.

He was hesitating, wondering if he should call Jiangg Ning first.

Just then, a woman in a black woolen coat and high heels came up the stairs, a string of keys in her hand.

She saw Chen Yuan, and Chen Yuan saw her. They stared at each other, wide-eyed.

The woman studied him for a good while before asking uncertainly, "Director... Director Jiang?"

"Yes, that’s me."

"A pleasure to meet you, Director Jiang. I was coming up to deliver some documents," the woman said, quickly extending a hand. "I’m Li Caiwei, head of the Administration Department."

"Hello. I’m looking for Secretary Jiangg. Where did she go?"

"Oh! Secretary Jiangg took a few colleagues from the audit department out to dinner. They’re on the third floor of the Jibin Banquet Hall."

"What time did they leave?"

"Two hours ago, Director Jiang."

"I see. You can go deliver your documents. I don’t need you for anything else."

With that, Chen Yuan strode away.

Long after he was gone, Li Caiwei was still staring in the direction he’d left, completely stunned.

’That scared me... Director Jiang is actually back,’ Li Caiwei thought, touching her face and swallowing hard.

She kept replaying their meeting in her mind, wondering if she had been impolite. Clutching the documents in her hand, her heart was going THUMP THUMP THUMP. She knew Chen Yuan was her ultimate boss, and she never expected to meet him so abruptly.

...

"Get home safe, everyone. Make sure the driver drops each of you off at your doorstep. See you at the company tomorrow... Go on, I’ll wait for the next car."

At the entrance of the brightly lit hotel, wrapped in an elegant gray overcoat, Jiangg Ning waved with a charming smile at her colleagues as they drove away.

The cold night wind stirred her hair, and the soft light made her profile captivating.

The closer he got.

Watching her, Chen Yuan’s footsteps grew lighter.