The two sisters were driven back to their bedroom to wait. Besides, they couldn’t stand Jiangg Ruxue having a meltdown in the brightly lit living room.

She went on a rampage, smashing things while her shrieks, both piercing and cruel, unleashed every vicious word she could conjure.

Half an hour passed.

The screaming outside finally stopped. Jiangg Ruxue had probably tired herself out from her tantrum and calmed down a little.

“Hmph, all she knows is how to throw a tantrum by smashing things. And she wants to use ‘family rules’ to punish us? Who’s going to listen to her? Does she really think we’ll just kneel whenever she tells us to, like when we were kids!”

Jiangg Yao rolled her eyes in anger. She and Jiangg Ruxue couldn’t stand the sight of each other.

The conversation at the dinner table had undoubtedly inflamed their already irreconcilable conflict. Jiangg Yao was already fed up with her, and she’d had a strange feeling ever since coming back this time.

She felt like a powder keg, fuse already in place, just waiting to be lit. She was biding her time, waiting for the moment when tensions were at their peak for that spark to hit the fuse, followed by a BOOM that would blow up right in Jiangg Ruxue’s face.

And she had done it.

This explosive family dispute, which had nearly come to blows, had completely blindsided Jiangg Ruxue, leaving her utterly stunned.

Even now, Jiangg Ruxue was still lost in shock, muttering to herself in the living room, “How dare she?”

Of course, she dared.

Jiangg Ruxue, who ruled the entire family, used the authority granted by society to force her to kneel.

But the love of her sister and Chen Yuan gave her the strength to stand up.

“If only it were that simple. I’m afraid she’ll just come up with some other way to force us to obey.” Jiangg Ning sighed, far less optimistic than her sister.

She knew it was impossible to cut ties with Jiangg Ruxue.

Their only option was to gradually make Jiangg Ruxue realize their determination, forcing her to give up on some things. The best-case scenario was to wait until Chen Yuan finished college and was old enough to marry. The next three years would give them enough time to contend with Jiangg Ruxue.

‘When the time comes, I just hope she doesn’t make things difficult for Chen Yuan.’

‘We’re used to this woman’s absurdity, but a sincere and kind boy like Chen Yuan could never understand why the Jiangg Family’s relationships are so strained. When the time comes, regardless of whether he marries my sister or me, he won’t be able to avoid frequent contact with Jiangg Ruxue. That will still be a huge obstacle. What if that woman deliberately makes things hard for Chen Yuan? What if she starts ordering him around, pulling rank as an elder? What if Chen Yuan’s parents can’t stand her cruel nitpicking?’

‘We can’t just reveal everything from our past. Such ugly scars… maybe Chen Yuan’s simple, honest family would be very bothered by them.’

At this thought, Jiangg Ning couldn’t help but fantasize. If that day ever came, when she had overcome countless obstacles and was finally dressed in the magnificent phoenix coronet and wedding gown she adored, her face veiled by red silk, holding Chen Yuan’s hand… The hall would be full of guests, the lights swaying. Chen Yuan’s parents would be sitting at the front, with Jiangg Ruxue in the seat of honor. The parents on both sides would watch the newlyweds walk slowly down the aisle, their eyes filled with loving affection.

‘What a blissful scene that would be…’

Jiangg Ning propped her hands on the desk, her toes pushing against the floor as she swayed gently, completely lost in her reverie.

In the past, the happiest thing she could imagine was finding her purpose in life, starting a small business in some quiet place with rolling hills, sunshine, and a carefree Jiangg Yao.

Now, the happiest thing she could imagine was simply marrying Chen Yuan.

“Sis, no matter what Mommy says, we have to present a united front. We already showed her our resolve today. I bet Mommy will have to think twice before bringing up staying in Mingzhu City again.”

Jiangg Yao’s sudden voice broke her out of her thoughts.

Jiangg Ning snapped out of it and nodded.

“Mhm, don’t worry. Big Sis is here. I won’t let her lay a hand on you.”

“Sis~ You’re the best! Mwah! Mwah!”

As Jiangg Yao spoke, she cupped Ningning’s little face and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. Then she started sniffing oddly at her neck, making Ningning’s cheeks flush red.

“What are you doing…” her voice trailed off.

“Sis, you smell so good.”

“Get away from me.”

“Nooo, it’s been so long since I got to snuggle with you.”

A moment later, laughter like silver bells echoed through the bedroom. The two of them, with their identical faces, played and teased each other, their rare sisterly bond returning to the wonderful state it was in before they met Chen Yuan.

…

「In the yoga room.」

Jiangg Ruxue had already changed into her workout clothes, but she was so furious her chest was heaving, making it impossible to exercise.

She hadn’t removed the makeup on her face, which was still breathtakingly beautiful. Unfortunately, her extreme anger had twisted that beauty into something hideous.

In truth, Jiangg Ruxue had already calmed down quite a bit, but the scene from earlier kept flashing through her mind. Each time it did, her heart, which had just found some peace, would begin to pound violently again.

“Something’s definitely wrong!” she muttered to herself.

In just two years, Jiangg Yao and Jiangg Ning had changed so much it was unbelievable. She now felt she had completely lost her authority over the two sisters.

She had a sharp sense that there was something they were hiding about their time in Lanjing.

And Jiangg Yao’s reaction to the topic of marriage was so extreme.

‘Could it be that…’

Jiangg Ruxue narrowed her eyes slightly. She now had a reasonable suspicion that Jiangg Yao already had someone she liked.

‘So that’s it. To think she’d hide something so important from me!’

She snorted coldly.

Lately, Jiangg Ruxue had been especially busy with her company’s affairs. It was in a growth phase, and she desperately needed a successful new product launch to secure more investment. But of all times, she was facing obstruction from a rival company. A lot of negative press was circulating, which had seriously damaged her company’s image.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep