My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

"Inmate 034, Gao Yonghui..."

"Inmate 038, Child’s Formula..."

"Inmate 057, Jiangg Ruxue..."

After collecting all the belongings she had surrendered upon entering the detention center—her jewelry, watch, phone, and wallet—Jiangg Ruxue put each item back on, one by one.

Only then did she feel the true scent of freedom wash over her.

One step forward.

A wonderful life, so close she could touch it, was already beckoning to her.

...

The entire Detention Room was a scene of chaos as, one by one, the newly freed inmates emerged.

Reuniting with their families, small groups of people clung to each other, weeping. Even someone with a heart of stone would be moved by such reunions.

To say nothing of the two sisters, who were softhearted by nature.

Family was undoubtedly one of the most important bonds in life.

Watching others cry, the sisters felt a pang of sadness themselves. Their eyes were already turning red before they had even seen Jiangg Ruxue.

Anyone could pretend to be calm when talking about it, but when faced with such a scene, emotions would inevitably burst forth, uncontrollable.

"Mom’s here!" Jiangg Yao’s eyes suddenly lit up as she spotted a reserved figure darting through the entrance.

The two sisters immediately stood up and went forward to greet her.

After Jiangg Yao’s shout, Jiangg Ruxue looked up. Her gaze searched for a while before finally landing on the two sisters. In an instant, her expression changed, as if she had come back to life.

"Ningning... Yaoyao." Pulling the two sisters into her arms, her tears fell instantly, two streams flowing freely from the corners of her eyes.

"Mom, you’ve suffered. How did you get like this? The cuts on your hands haven’t even healed... Did someone bully you?"

Seeing the cuts on every one of Jiangg Ruxue’s fingers, the corners of Jiangg Yao’s mouth turned down. Her heart ached with a suffocating tightness.

She held Jiangg Ruxue’s hands, her vision quickly blurring with tears.

"No one bullied me. It was just manual labor. I’ve never done that kind of work before, so I was clumsy and ended up hurting myself. Besides being bored, it was fine inside. You two, on the other hand, have been worried sick out here. It’s all my fault..."

She lowered her head.

’She wasn’t the one who had truly suffered. While she was languishing inside, her two daughters running around outside were suffering just as much. Not only did they have to rush about looking for a solution, but they also had to humble themselves before others.’

Jiangg Ruxue knew her own daughters, of course.

The sisters had lived a privileged life since childhood, never wanting for anything. When had they ever had to endure the judgment of others?

Jiangg Ruxue knew exactly how painful it was to be at someone else’s mercy. The blow to one’s pride was a lasting wound. The very reason she had raised the two girls alone all these years without remarrying was to prevent them from ever having to live under someone else’s thumb.

Her efforts had backfired spectacularly, and she was overwhelmed with guilt.

’Such a huge sum of money... if not for someone’s help, the two sisters couldn’t have paid it off even if they’d sold themselves.’

"It’s good that you’re out. Let’s just let the past be the past and live our lives well. Don’t talk about whose fault it was. We can just turn the page."

Looking at Jiangg Ruxue’s bare, makeup-free face, Ningning’s voice was a little hoarse.

"Ningning’s right. Let’s not talk about it anymore. From now on, every day is a new day."

"Mom, my sister and I have been worried sick this past month. When it first happened, she didn’t even tell me, afraid I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t find out until a few days after you were taken in."

"Your sister did the right thing, Yaoyao. I didn’t want you to worry either. Even if the sky were falling, you have your big sister. I’ve always told you to listen to her. This time, if I really hadn’t been able to get out, you two would have had to depend on each other. I was just afraid you’d make your sister angry every day... She’s the only person in your life you can truly rely on..."

"Don’t talk about that... The more you say, the more I want to cry."

Jiangg Yao’s tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t hold them back.

No one knew if, while she was alone in her cell, faced with the possibility of decades in prison, Jiangg Ruxue had ever considered ending her own life...

She didn’t have the courage to wait for decades...

To grow old in prison, to suffer, to wait in endless darkness for a distant glimmer of light.

She wasn’t that strong.

Only when a person contemplates death do their long-held beliefs change and they find a new definition for life.

The three of them clung to each other and cried for a long time, while the entire Detention Room was filled with the lingering sound of sobbing.

The guards had clearly seen this all before. They showed no emotional fluctuation, standing by like statues.

It took a long time for their emotions to gradually stabilize.

Only then did Jiangg Ning have a chance to talk about business.

"Let’s go. It’s not just the two of us who came today. Chen Yuan is here too. He’s waiting outside; the guards wouldn’t let him in."

"Is that the one you two both like...?" Jiangg Ruxue trailed off as she saw Ningning and Yaoyao nod.

She had learned about it during their last visit. The sisters had revealed quite a bit.

Of course, from Ningning and Yaoyao’s perspective, they had no idea that Chen Yuan and Zhou Cha had already spoken with Jiangg Ruxue privately. Limited by their own point of view, they were still worried that their mother, unaware of the situation, might be unfriendly to Chen Yuan.

In fact, they had nothing to worry about.

"Yes. He was a huge help in getting the other party to drop the lawsuit. For the money we owed, I gathered all our family’s funds and it still wasn’t enough, so I sold one of our properties," Jiangg Ning explained. "It was the one Grandpa and Grandma gave us for my coming-of-age ceremony. I was in a hurry at the time, so I sold it without consulting anyone, not even Yaoyao."

"I knew it wouldn’t be enough... The penalty for breach of contract was ten times the amount."

"That Qi person kept lowballing the price for the building. I couldn’t explain it to you while you were in the detention center; I was afraid you’d lose hope," Jiangg Ning continued. "But then, unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better. Another real estate company contacted me with a very fair offer, even thirty percent above the fluctuating market price. I sold it on the spot. Thinking back now, Chen Yuan must have pulled some strings. Otherwise, something that good would never have just fallen into our laps..."

She paused for a moment.

Jiangg Ning lowered her head and said softly, "He has treated us very well."

"So what are your thoughts on it?" Jiangg Ruxue asked, probing gently.

"We went to Kyoto the day before yesterday and met Chen Yuan’s family. What do you think, Mom?"

"His family must have had a good impression of you, right?"

"A very good one, Mom! They gave us so many meeting gifts. Let me tell you a secret," Jiangg Yao said mysteriously, looping her arm through Jiangg Ruxue’s. "His family is incredibly influential. They own a huge company, much bigger than ours. His parents are very nice. When they discussed the marriage with us, they even said they would respect my sister’s and my wishes."

"So, from the sound of it, you’re both willing to marry him," Jiangg Ruxue said after a moment of thought.

"I’m definitely willing. As for my sister—"

"I mainly want to hear your thoughts, Mom. Yaoyao and I marrying the same person... it’s something we’ve never considered before. It’s an unusual situation, so an elder’s opinion is naturally important," Jiangg Ning cut in anxiously.

As they spoke, the three of them reached the exit.

The car Chen Yuan had driven was parked just outside.

He had actually seen them from a distance, so he hung up his phone and quickly got out of the car.

Dressed in sportswear, Chen Yuan looked exceptionally bright and youthful, exuding the high-spirited energy of a young man. He watched the three women of the Jiangg Family together in the same frame for the first time.

The experience was strange and wonderful.

Chen Yuan felt a subtle nervousness.

Of course, he couldn’t act the same way he had during their private meeting. Last time, he held the position of power. Now, Jiangg Ruxue was an elder, and Chen Yuan had to show a bit of humility.

When they were face to face,

"Hello, Ma’am. I’m Chen Yuan. We met once before... in your office."

"Hello, Young Master Chen."

"No, no, no, please don’t call me that, Ma’am," Chen Yuan’s eyes widened as he explained, "You can just call me Chen."

"Ningning just told me how much you’ve looked after them. If it weren’t for you, it’s questionable whether I’d even be standing here today. Calling you Young Master Chen is hardly an exaggeration. I must express my gratitude to you."

As she spoke, Jiangg Ruxue actually began to bow.

The sisters’ eyes widened, but before they could support her,

Chen Yuan had already reacted quickly, catching her and holding her steady.

"Ma’am, please don’t do that. If anyone should be bowing, it’s me, the junior, to you. This is too much; I can’t possibly accept such a gesture." He quickly bent his own waist.

"One thing is one thing. I must be clear about this."

"Hey, Ma’am, I’m begging you. If you dare to bow, I wouldn’t dare to accept."

Chen Yuan never would have thought that after getting out, Jiangg Ruxue wouldn’t be fierce and intimidating at all, but would instead have such a soft attitude.

Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao exchanged a look.

"What’s going on?" Ningning whispered.

"The power of money has bent our mom’s back," Jiangg Yao quipped, as if she had already figured it all out.

They had finally landed a wealthy suitor.

Jiangg Ruxue, of course, had to play the part.