「The next day.」

「Evening.」

A pretty girl in a trench coat and sunglasses emerged from the airport. She pulled a pink suitcase, her steps slightly reserved as she walked outside.

Many people nearby noticed her extraordinary presence and turned to look.

Among the crowd of plain, ordinary travelers, she was indeed quite conspicuous. Her tall figure and exceptional aura made others turn their heads for a second look.

She seemed to dislike being the center of attention, and her pace quickened.

Hidden beneath her sunglasses, her expression—invisible to others—was surprisingly tense…

Jiangg Yao was indeed nervous. She had even intentionally dressed like her sister usually did. This kind of makeup and clothing, which gave off the air of a cool, aloof beauty, was an effective way to stop men from trying to hit on her.

It worked like a charm every time.

On the other hand, if she were dressed in her usual loose, lively style, she would have people asking for her contact information on the plane, even before she disembarked.

After being away from Mingzhu City for two years, the moment Jiangg Yao stepped out of the airport and looked at this familiar yet strange city, she felt a momentary daze.

When she first left, she had secretly sworn to herself that she would never come back.

She really could have stayed away.

‘But not facing Jiangg Ruxue is just a form of escape.’

Jiangg Yao once lacked the courage to face Jiangg Ruxue, but now, both her sister by her side and Chen Yuan had subtly made her braver.

This time, she would not only face the mother she had feared for so long head-on, but she would also defend her right to pursue her own happiness!

‘No matter what Jiangg Ruxue says or does, nothing will change my determination to return to Lanjing and be with Chen Yuan!’

…

As Jiangg Yao walked out of the airport, just as she was about to hail a cab, a figure stopped in front of her.

“Miss, I’ve come to pick you up.”

Jiangg Yao took a closer look. The old figure standing before her was none other than the Jiangg Family’s butler. The car next to him was parked steadily, and the old man in his butler uniform seemed even older than before.

Wrinkles covered his cheeks, and even his eyebrows were flecked with white.

“Did my mother send you?”

“Yes, I’ve been waiting here for half an hour.”

“Alright.”

Jiangg Yao handed over her suitcase, opened the car door, and sat in the back.

The butler busied himself with stowing her luggage before returning to the driver’s seat and slowly starting the engine.

She wasn’t cold toward this butler, though.

When she was little, this old man had actually been very good to the two sisters. He had covered up many things for them, probably because he understood Jiangg Ruxue’s temper and knew that reporting certain things would not only earn the sisters’ resentment but also fail to please Jiangg Ruxue.

For example, there was the time Jiangg Yao deliberately stayed late at school and went up to the rooftop with a few of her friends.

After she got home, Jiangg Yao had been trembling with fear, terrified that Jiangg Ruxue would reprimand her harshly.

But the butler had lied, claiming he had run into a traffic jam and made Jiangg Yao wait for a long time. He even had his pay docked for it.

Jiangg Ning later made it up to him with her own allowance.

Sitting in the back seat of the car, Jiangg Yao’s thoughts drifted, as if she had returned to her childhood. On the journey home back then, she would always stare out the window, noting each familiar landmark. The closer she got to home, the more her spirits sank.

If, halfway there, she heard that Jiangg Ruxue had business to attend to and would be home late, she would be ecstatic, her eyes shining with light. All she could think about was what fun she and her sister could have when she got home.

At times like that, when she looked out the window, even the wildflowers by the roadside would seem lovely.

The ride was smooth.

At last, they arrived outside the small villa by the river.

The butler parked the car, and a maid who had been waiting nearby came over to help her with her luggage.

It was winter in Mingzhu City, and the wind was biting. The leaves of the ginkgo tree, which had been planted outside the gate for decades, had almost all fallen, leaving only bare branches. The golden leaves, yet to be swept, carpeted the ground on both sides of the main entrance.

The towering main gates stood open, revealing a circular phoenix carving in the entryway. Below the high walls sat a lush flowerbed, with clear water flowing beneath it. A few hanging lamps above cast a soft glow.

The small, three-story villa wasn’t grand, but it exuded refinement from every detail.

This was the home where Jiangg Yao had lived for many years. It held twenty years of memories for her and her twin sister. From the time their memories began, they had played and roughhoused in this very courtyard. The stone slabs underfoot were still tidy, just mottled by the passage of time.

A sticker she had put up when she was six was still on the wall—a Barbie doll with golden hair.

Jiangg Yao walked over, her finger gliding across the dried-out sticker.

She was in a bit of a daze.

“Miss, let’s go inside. Miss Ning has been waiting for a long time,” the maid said, standing by with a cheerful expression.

Of course, they were very happy to have the two sisters back. It was the New Year, and in previous years, the house had felt especially desolate without them.

Even more dreary than on a normal day.

In contrast to Jiangg Ruxue, everyone in the household, from the maids to the butler, was very fond of Ningning and Yaoyao.

“Okay.”

Jiangg Yao replied, her steps light as she walked toward the house.

She stood before the main hall’s entrance and immediately saw Jiangg Ning sitting on the sofa in the brightly lit living room, brewing tea. Her sister’s hair was tied up in a bun, revealing the fair skin of her profile. She was holding a teapot, and piping hot tea flowed from its spout. Although she was too far away to smell the tea’s fragrance, watching the steam billow out, Jiangg Yao inexplicably felt that this pot of tea must be soul-stirring.

Her sister was as beautiful as a painting.

Jiangg Yao immediately quickened her pace and walked inside.

Hearing the footsteps, Jiangg Ning lifted her head. When she saw her, a delighted light immediately filled her eyes.

“Stinky Yaoyao, I’ve been waiting for you for two hours!”

“Sis~ I missed you so much~”

She dropped her bag and gave her sister a huge bear hug, tackling Jiangg Ning onto the sofa. Their two identical, beautiful faces pressed together, shoulder to shoulder.

The maids in the living room watched with a myriad of emotions.

The relationship between the older and younger sister was always like this. When they were together, they couldn’t help but bicker and play around, but after just a few days apart, they would immediately miss each other.

When Jiangg Ning had gone abroad before, she hadn’t been able to see Yaoyao for several months.

They would always cry when they video-called each other.

Such a bond was truly remarkable.

Now that Ningning and Yaoyao were together again, they naturally had countless things to say. The topic they wanted to discuss was also the same. After just a few sentences, the younger sister shot the elder a meaningful look.

Jiangg Ning understood immediately. She nodded and pulled Yaoyao upstairs.

Naturally, they were going to talk about Chen Yuan.

Jiangg Yao was also bursting with things she wanted to share with her sister, including the daily moments they had spent together before.

The two sisters held hands, one behind the other, as they ascended the wooden spiral staircase.

Just like many years ago, when they were still young and green.

Only now, the two flowers that were once budding had blossomed with such charming beauty that they outshone the entire garden.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep