Chapter 109: Chapter 77: Before the Storm

By the time Jiangg Ning finished making dinner, her younger sister was already starving. She had finished her work on the program list and was now sitting on her bed, chatting with her friends in a group chat and letting out an occasional laugh like a crazy person.

Two steaming bowls of rice were on the table, but Jiangg Yao didn’t even lift her head. She was lying on her stomach, engrossed in her phone, her small, fair feet propped up on the sofa, crossed and swaying back and forth. It was an incredibly cute sight.

Jiangg Ning glared at her, put her hands on her hips, and slapped her on the butt. The smack made her sister yelp, “OW!” as she twisted around, clutching her rear to look at her.

“What was that for?!”

“You can’t even be bothered to grab your own bowl now? Am I supposed to be your maid?”

“Well, you could’ve just said something…”

“I called for you four or five times from the kitchen, but you didn’t answer. You won’t get off that sofa unless I make you.”

As she spoke, Jiangg Ning pinned her down with a knee to the small of her back and playfully grabbed her neck, roughhousing with her until Jiangg Yao cried out, “I was wrong, I was wrong!”

Only then did she let go.

Whether it was a sign that her cold was finally breaking or that Jiangg Ning’s cooking was simply outstanding tonight, Jiangg Yao’s eyes lit up after two bites of the tomato beef brisket. She immediately lowered her head and began to scarf it down.

People who love to cook often get the most satisfaction from watching others devour their food with gusto. As Jiangg Ning lifted some rice to her mouth, her eyes, crinkled in a smile, never left Jiangg Yao.

During this cozy dinner.

Jiangg Ning’s chopsticks paused again and again as she looked for the right moment to bring the topic up. Finally, once she had her thoughts in order, she casually steered the conversation during a lull.

“Yaoyao.”

“Hm? What is it, Sis?”

“In a little while, I’ll probably be resigning from Lanjing University. Sometime within the next six months, I think.”

“Seriously!?” Jiangg Yao was completely stunned, her chopsticks freezing mid-air. She asked in astonishment, “But you love that job, don’t you? Why quit all of a sudden?”

“I do love it, of course,” she said with a gentle, resigned smile. “But like I’ve said before, relationships between students and teachers are strictly forbidden. You have to choose one or the other. I’ve thought this through very carefully.”

“Oh, so it’s because of that Chen Yuan,” Jiangg Yao said nonchalantly, sitting up straighter to lecture her sister. “Look, I’m not trying to criticize you, but you’re getting seriously love-struck. Are you really going to throw away all your plans because of a sudden impulse? You don’t even care about your job anymore. That’s terrifying.”

“This is what happens to a woman in love…” Jiangg Yao muttered, shaking her head with a sigh.

She said this without the slightest blush. Her acting was so good that even Zhang Yimou would have to give her a thumbs-up and praise her as a veteran actress.

“Life is all about making choices. I don’t think I’ll regret it. Maybe that’s the magic of being in love. Yaoyao, you’ll understand when you experience it for yourself. Even the most rational person becomes sentimental when they’re in love.”

“Heh, I can tell. You’re being plenty sentimental right now,” Jiangg Yao said with a humorless smile. She batted away her sister’s hand as it twirled a strand of hair. “You look like some lovestruck schoolgirl,” she added, visibly repulsed.

“What about you?” Jiangg Ning suddenly probed.

“Me?”

Caught off guard by the question, her sister’s heart suddenly hammered in her chest, and her pupils constricted.

“Yaoyao, have you ever thought about finding a boyfriend? To experience… what it feels like to be in love?”

The living room suddenly fell silent.

The two women looked at each other.

Outside the window, the night was dark and deep, shrouding the countless buildings of Lanjing in a hazy shadow, from the skyscrapers to the moat that spanned half the city.

Everything, like fish swimming cheerfully beneath the water’s surface, was only vaguely visible.

The city lights began to twinkle on.

Jiangg Yao was stunned for a moment, then waved her hand dismissively and shrugged. “Dating seems pretty boring. Besides, I’m used to being single. I like the freedom… That one online relationship I had was nothing special. It wasn’t as magical as you say, Sis.”

She crossed her long legs and lounged back on the sofa, unconsciously toying with her hair.

Jiangg Ning just watched her quietly, picked up a glass of water, and took a sip. “Speaking of which, we’ve been sisters for so many years, but I’ve never actually asked you what type of guy you like.”

“Of course, someone handsome, with a good personality, and it’d be best if he also—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

Jiangg Yao’s voice suddenly halted. She realized the words that had just tumbled out of her mouth were describing someone just like Chen Yuan, so she quickly stopped herself.

“That’s a bit vague, isn’t it?”

“I guess so. I’ve never really thought much about real-life guys. With fictional characters, you can at least fantasize. It’s not like guys that perfect exist in reality. What about you, Sis? What’s your type?”

“Me? I like guys exactly like Chen Yuan!” Jiangg Ning answered with a wide smile, her eyes fixed on Jiangg Yao, as if searching her expression for any telltale sign.

In the instant Jiangg Yao lowered her head.

Jiangg Ning saw it: after she finished speaking, her sister’s fists clenched.

At that, her smile grew even brighter, yet beneath it lay an icy, dangerous glint.

“How boring. Are you just trying to rub your happy relationship in my face now?”

“No, of course not. I’m just saying you should find a boyfriend. You’re twenty-six now. Most women your age already have kids running around. You can’t stay single forever, can you? You’ve been going out a lot lately, so just keep an eye out for other guys.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

“Take this seriously. I’m not kidding. This is a huge life decision.”

“Geez, Sis! What’s gotten into you? You used to hate it when people tried to set you up on dates. Why are you pestering me about it now? All this nagging is driving me crazy.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t pester you… By the way, there’s one more thing. I need to use your Green Bubble for a bit.”

“What for?”

“To chat with Chen Yuan. He only has you on Green Bubble.”

“I deleted him. I don’t have his contact anymore,” Jiangg Yao said matter-of-factly. “You’re the one who told me to.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I guess I’ll just have to add him on my own account, then.”

“Fine. You don’t need to tell me things like that. I have things to do.”

Jiangg Yao suddenly stood up and walked toward her bedroom without looking back.

Behind her, Jiangg Ning watched her retreating back, calmly sipping her tea. After that probing conversation, however, her mood had hit rock bottom.

’Honestly, no matter how I look at it, there’s something wrong with my sister’s behavior.’

’Could it be… Is there really something she’s hiding?’

Jiangg Ning sat alone on the sofa for a long, long time, a thousand different feelings churning in her heart. She had never considered the possibility, never dreamed that her own sister would betray her.

After a long while, she pressed her forehead in despair. Her usually placid heart was now overflowing with an irrepressible agitation.

…

「Meanwhile」

Jiangg Yao closed her bedroom door and stood behind it, remaining motionless for a long time.

She, too, had the sharp sense that her sister had discovered something.

’Don’t tell me she saw the photos?’

A glint appeared in her eyes. After a moment of thought, she strode over to her gaming chair and sat down.

The two sisters, each in a different room, were separated by a profound silence that had fallen over the living room.

It was the unnerving quiet before a storm…

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