Chapter 99
Angie’s face grew increasingly flushed with each of Anna’s questions.
She never imagined that her simple act of asking Chenyang over to help would cause so much trouble.
And she couldn’t help but wonder if inviting Chenyang over had been the right decision, or a terrible mistake.
If she called it a mistake, how could she ignore the stroke of luck that had given her sister, Anna, a chance to be cured of her strange illness?
On that point alone, Angie felt that Chenyang was a hero and savior sent from the heavens to rescue them.
At the same time, however, she also regretted asking Chenyang to come.
If Chenyang hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have revealed such a shameful and embarrassing side of herself to her sister.
If Chenyang hadn’t come, her sister would still be a virgin, and she would still be Angie’s one-and-only, irreplaceable companion!
To Angie, Chenyang was like the butterfly whose careless flutter of wings had stirred up a massive tornado.
He had shattered the unspoken understanding and delicate balance between her and Anna.
And the nature of the bond between the sisters had changed.
Anna’s final question also left Angie’s heart in a turmoil of conflicting emotions.
After so many years of loneliness, she had long since begun to crave the intimacy of a man.
Especially a powerful man like Chenyang.
She felt that only a man like him could make her truly experience the kind of pleasure a woman was meant to feel.
But this very man had already slept with her sister.
She was partly repulsed, partly filled with longing.
Driven by that desire, she even felt a flicker of secret anticipation at the image of both of them together with Chenyang.
All these complex emotions left her mind in a tangled mess.
Unsure how to respond, she scrambled up from the floor, turned without a word, and went to the stove to start brewing the herbal medicine.
Seeing this, Anna pressed curiously, "Sis, so do you agree or not?"
"Nana, we’re sisters. Don’t you think that would be completely absurd?"
"It is a little absurd, but don’t you think it would be thrilling, Sis?"
"I..." ’Of course Angie knew it was thrilling. The mere thought of such a scene made her heart pound with a secret agitation.’ She shook her head. "It doesn’t matter how thrilling it is, it’s not happening! Besides, who is Chenyang? Do you even know him? Do you understand what kind of person he is? What if he’s just like those scammers we’ve met before? We’d be finished, the two of us."
Anna chuckled. "How could I not know him? We dated online for so long, I know exactly what kind of person he is. And you should have some idea too, Sis. Didn’t you chat with him in private? If you didn’t trust him, you never would have let him treat me, right?"
"I..."
Angie was suddenly at a loss for words.
’She suddenly felt as if she’d let the wolf in the door.’
But she had no way to explain herself.
’She was the one who’d asked Chenyang to pretend to be Anna’s boyfriend.’
’If she laid it all bare, Anna’s condition, which had only just started to improve, would likely take a sharp turn for the worse!’
Her lips trembled. "An online romance is just that—an online romance. You can trust some things, but you can’t be so rash about this."
"Sis, I know what you’re thinking. You feel that we can’t both depend on the same man, right? And that it goes against common sense."
"If you know that, then why are you even bringing it up?"
"Sis, do you think either of us can get married and have children like normal people?"
"Why not? We’re not that old. Once you’re better, I promise I’ll find you a tall, handsome boyfriend and see you married off in grand style."
Anna shook her head. "If my illness can be cured, maybe someone would still be willing to marry me. But what if it can’t?"
"Chenyang said he can..."
"He said that, yes. But I’ve been sick for so long, and you’ve been taking care of me for so long. You should know better than anyone that this illness of mine can’t be cured easily. And even if it can be, it might only be temporary."
As she spoke, Anna took Angie’s hand. "Sis, if either of us is going to get married, it should be you. You’re young and beautiful, and now Aunt Qin has found you a proper job. You could have your pick of any number of good men. But me... because of my illness, I don’t want to be a burden to any man. And even if I weren’t sick, I don’t want to get married. I like things the way they are now—free."
Angie’s lips trembled. "If you don’t get married, then neither will I. I told you a long time ago that I would take care of you forever. You’re the only family I have."
"Sis, you..."
"Don’t try to change my mind about this."
"Fine, I won’t try to change your mind. But have you thought about it? If you don’t get married, are you just going to be lonely forever?" Anna shook her head. "We’ve had it too hard for the past twenty-some years. For the rest of our lives, I don’t think we should be shackled by marriage or society’s expectations. Since we want to live well and be happy, we should try some of the thrilling things that ordinary people wouldn’t dare!"