My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

"You said you’d be back as soon as possible. We even pinky-swore. You have to keep your word, or I’ll get really, *really* angry."

Jiangg Yao clutched Chen Yuan’s hand, her face crestfallen. She stared at him with watery eyes, looking as if tears might spill out at any second. Her pitiful expression was hard to look at directly.

Chen Yuan quickly averted his gaze, trying to ease the ache in his own heart.

"I’ll definitely keep my promise to you, so don’t worry. Two days will go by in the blink of an eye. I heard from Inoue that the concert tickets are all booked. Just enjoy yourself for the next two days, worry-free."

"But without you, every day will feel like a year."

Jiangg Yao’s face fell in disappointment. With their separation imminent, she suddenly had so much she wanted to say. Everything, relevant or not, flooded her mind. She wanted to ask Chen Yuan if he remembered their separation during winter break, when they went to their respective homes for the New Year. She hadn’t been happy at all during those ten-odd days; her mind had been filled with thoughts of him, which was why she had been so clingy after they reunited. ’This feeling of separation is awful,’ she had thought back then. ’I never want to experience it again.’

As their life together continued, the sweet moments of their relationship had gradually made her forget the pain of longing for him when they were apart. But now, Jiangg Yao remembered it all.

In an instant, her fear of Chen Yuan leaving intensified.

That was why she was using an almost pleading tone, begging him to remember to come back.

On the private airstrip of the small estate, Chen Yuan stood beside the plane. It was a rare, overcast day, and a strong wind rustled the bangs on his forehead.

Chen Yuan reached out and ruffled Jiangg Yao’s hair, comforting her.

"It’s okay. It’ll be over before you know it."

Standing behind them, Inoue didn’t want to disturb the couple’s farewell, but after checking his watch several times, he finally couldn’t help but urge them on.

"President Jiang, we’re out of time. We have to go. The weather will only get worse if we delay any longer."

"I know."

Chen Yuan turned and gave Jiangg Yao’s cheek a firm squeeze. Without another word, and despite seeing she had more to say, he didn’t linger.

He swiftly climbed the plane’s boarding stairs, his figure disappearing into the entrance.

He left Jiangg Yao standing there, her eyes filled with reluctance. Her lip trembled, and tears threatened to fall at any moment. It wasn’t that she was weak; girls are naturally sensitive creatures. Sometimes, emotions take over completely, and the tears just come without warning.

Chen Yuan knew that a prolonged farewell would be endless. It was better to be decisive. He felt just as terrible, and he especially didn’t want to see Jiangg Yao cry.

Amid a loud DRONE, the plane began to taxi down the runway. Jiangg Yao’s gaze followed it as it moved forward and then as its wings lifted toward the sky, until it became a tiny gray dot. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and tried to compose herself.

「...」

Long after the plane had stabilized at an altitude of ten thousand meters, Chen Yuan was still lost in thought, unable to pull himself out.

He held a book in his hands, but his attention wasn’t on it at all.

The most important thing he faced upon his return was the incessant pressure from countless people regarding the promotion list. It was a matter of political maneuvering between various parties. A promotion meant greater power, and power represented the investments of different factions. Yet now, this list, which had been drafted and decided upon by the board of directors long ago, was held firmly in his hands.

Without a doubt, Chen Yuan’s appointment as the General Manager of the Northern Region at this critical juncture had put him in everyone’s crosshairs. The existence of the list placed him at the very center of the storm.

During his days in Tokyo, he had lost count of how many people had called him. Most of the senior executives he had met at headquarters meetings had, to some extent, sent their own people to press him. Everyone was extremely cordial in their communications, but Chen Yuan knew their friendliness was only because of his status. Once he read between the lines, he felt the immense pressure.

Coming to Tokyo had, conversely, given him an excuse to stall.

Even when he returned, Chen Yuan had no intention of simply implementing the promotions on the list step-by-step.

The Northern Region currently had three main factions. The first was the oldest, the Central Justice Faction. These people were often over fifty and held pivotal positions throughout the entire Jiang Corporation. They were the oldest because years ago, when Jiang Zhengfeng took over the original company and restructured it in line with new policies, most of them were sent to the harshest, most undeveloped regions to carry out energy exploration and extraction for the company. Their contributions were undeniable, but their influence was deeply entrenched and convoluted. For years, they had leveraged their merits to traffic in power and positions, and many had become corrupt.

Opposing them was the Academic Faction, a group of highly capable young people, most of whom were graduates of prestigious local universities, with many having teacher-student or classmate connections. However, because the Central Justice Faction’s members were so senior and had been operating within the Jiang Corporation for many years, they had long since seized control of the channels for career advancement. Thus, even though these young people were competent, they rarely got opportunities to move up. Countless promotion opportunities had been snatched away by others through bribes and connections.

This unfair treatment had made the Academic Faction extremely united. Their members were scattered throughout the Jiang Corporation’s various key positions, making them second only to the Central Justice Faction in influence.

It was worth noting that the renowned secretary of the Jiang Corporation’s main office, Zhou Cha, was part of the Academic Faction. So was the head of the Tokyo region whom Chen Yuan had met, Miss Shen. Similarly, Ji Hai, who was close to him, also held a significant position within the faction.

It was a very interesting phenomenon.

Although the Academic Faction had never tried to win over Chen Yuan, the future heir, outsiders always felt that he, in a sense, represented this group of brilliant but frustrated graduates.

This was a misunderstanding.

Comparing the two forces, one couldn’t say the Central Justice Faction was definitively stronger. Even with their high-ranking and powerful positions, they still couldn’t stop exceptionally talented individuals like Zhou Cha and Tokyo’s Miss Shen from rising. The other members of the Academic Faction looked up to these figures as role models, hoping that one day they could bring a new era to the Jiang Corporation.

The third faction was rather unique and completely distinct from the other two. It was composed mostly of grassroots employees. They didn’t much care for internal struggles, nor did they give a damn whether the Academic Faction or the Central Justice Faction was in power. What they cared about more were the benefits they could receive.

The Jiang Corporation had its headquarters and subsidiary labor companies. These subsidiaries were spread across the globe and could be developed or dissolved at any time. They offered no path for career advancement, but their welfare and benefits were excellent. They also had dedicated departments to protect workers’ rights, and most of the company’s infrastructure projects were completed by these workers. This force was not to be underestimated; neither of the other factions dared to offend them. After all, those with nothing to lose have no fear.

After organizing this information in his head, Chen Yuan thought it over from every angle and finally sighed.

That morning, he had received a call from Chacha. She said she wanted to invite him to her home for dinner, adding that her husband had long wanted to get to know him.

Chen Yuan had never met Chacha’s husband. After all, when she got married, Chen Yuan was still in middle school.

’This sudden invitation feels unusual, no matter how I look at it.’

Chen Yuan’s fear was that if she was truly extending an invitation on behalf of the Academic Faction and sending signals of intimacy, he would be in a difficult position. He really didn’t want to get too close to any single faction.

Because that would inevitably lead to a situation where he was seen as an enemy by the opposing faction.

Besides, and most crucially, Chen Yuan understood that the Academic Faction wasn’t exactly pure as the driven snow either. Their "symptoms" were just a bit milder than those of the old guard, who had been corrupt for a long time.

In other words, if a significant number of people on that promotion list were individuals who harmed the company’s interests and abused their positions, he would show no mercy.

Chen Yuan didn’t realize he was overthinking it. Chacha’s invitation to dinner was actually about something that concerned him directly—his prospective mother-in-law’s company was on the verge of collapse.