Chapter 23: Next-Door Sister 13

Watching him made Jiang Jiang’s heart tighten.

…Oh dear. If he had just made that face earlier, she wouldn’t even have had to convince her parents at all.

But Jiang Jiang also understood—if he wore that harmless expression at the banquet, someone would probably have jumped him right on the spot.

With the Qin family’s influence in Haicheng, the heir’s position was like a piece of sweet cake—everyone wanted a bite.

“It’s okay. Don’t be nervous.”

Jiang Jiang cupped his face. Her fingers brushed his angular jaw, and her heart ached. She gently rubbed it, as if that could bring back the weight he had lost over the past few days.

How did he lose weight after returning to the Qin family? Were they starving him?

“Even if my parents don’t agree, it won’t affect how I feel about you.”

Wen Ye nodded, enjoying the warmth of her touch, but deep down he wasn’t convinced.

How could it not matter?

He had looked into the Jiang family already. Jiang Father and Mother treated their daughter very well—raising her into the carefree girl she was now. From any perspective, he wanted their approval.

He himself was a solitary outcast, unloved by either parent—considered a bad omen. How could he drag his sister (Jiang Jiang) down with him just for his own desires? He couldn’t bear to let her lose the love of her parents because of him.

Before, he had subconsciously avoided considering the possibility that Jiang’s parents might firmly disapprove.

But now he began to think—

…If her parents were adamantly against them being together, what would he do?

…

The twisted, obsessive thoughts brewing in his mind made Wen Ye feel sick.

But one thing was certain—he could never lose her.

He gently kissed Jiang Jiang’s forehead and led her to sit beside him. “I picked this spot specially—we can see the entire night sky.”

As he snapped his fingers, the pitch-black sky suddenly bloomed with countless dazzling lights.

Golden fireworks streaked across the sky like meteors, bursting into radiant star-showers at their peak. Jiang Jiang tilted her head up, eyes reflecting the brilliance, unconsciously holding her breath.

Just as the final round of fireworks began to fade, a special cluster of silvery-white sparks rose slowly. It blossomed into a perfect circle, and then a pulsing heart appeared in the center.

Wen Ye’s low voice whispered in her ear:
“…I originally wanted to write your name in the sky, but without an official title yet, I thought I’d wait.”

“I hope… from now on, in every scene like this—you’ll be by my side.”

Jiang Jiang’s eyes still shimmered with the glow of fireworks. She turned to look at him, as if she was the light in his otherwise dark world.

She smiled at him, her tone almost like a vow:

“Ah Ye, I never really had a choice.”

“The moment I met you, fate was sealed. I didn’t even have a second to consider.”

“You’ll get what you wish for.”

Sister…

Jiang Jiang…

For a moment, Wen Ye felt as if she had completely seen through him—and yet was still willing to embrace him.

After leaning against each other for a while, Wen Ye let go first: “You should go back. It’s been a while—you don’t want your parents to worry.”

Jiang Jiang noticed how cautious he always seemed when it came to her parents.

…Was it because of childhood trauma? Since he’d never experienced parental love, did he not want her to lose it either?

==

“Nuan Nuan, where did you go just now?”

Mother Jiang gently clutched her daughter’s hand, tapping it lightly. “You scared me! This isn’t our home—you can’t just wander off. What if you bumped into some important figure?”

Father and Mother Jiang had started from a small business, and their cautious nature was precisely what allowed them to steadily grow the family over the years.

They didn’t want their daughter to climb any social ladder—they just wanted her to live a peaceful life.

Jiang Jiang paused.

Well… what if the most important figure here was actually her boyfriend?

But seeing how wary her parents were of these people, she began to worry about bringing Wen Ye over this Sunday.

She snuggled closer to her mother and said sweetly, “I know what I’m doing—I just felt stuffy and went for a little walk. I didn’t run into anyone, don’t worry.”

Father Jiang remained silent.

He looked at the plates of mini cakes being brought in, suddenly losing his appetite.

Damn eyes… Why did he have to look around just now?

Why did he have to see his daughter being taken upstairs?

Then see her come back down with a maid escorting her?

Now he couldn’t stop wondering who the hell had taken her up.

There were only two people in the Qin family with any real authority.

He had initially thought that illegitimate son from the Qin family looked too cold and gloomy. But compared to his old bastard of a father who had one foot in the grave…

That kid was much better.

He silently prayed: Please let the old geezer be a zero. Please don’t let him be after my daughter.

With this thought in mind, when he looked up and saw the Qin family heir appearing again in front of everyone, he suddenly found himself looking at the guy with a bit of hope.

Good build, handsome face, young. Way better than that decrepit old man, right?

==

On the way home…

Father Jiang couldn’t help but ask:
“So this boyfriend of yours… is he older or younger than you?”

He heavily emphasized the word “younger,” as if terrified his daughter had been coerced by some ancient fossil.

Jiang Jiang didn’t understand the sudden question, but she answered truthfully: “He’s younger than me. Still in college.”

Mother Jiang frowned: “How can someone so young know how to take care of you? Still a college student? Still a child.”

“If you marry him, won’t you have to take care of him?”

She sounded worried, but Father Jiang suddenly laughed: “Younger is better! Younger kids have energy. Much better than some creepy old fart—I’m scared she’d be suffocated by the smell of mothballs!”

Mother Jiang looked confused: “What’s gotten into you today? I just said being too young is a problem. Who said anything about marrying an old man?”

“I’m telling you, we only have this one daughter. Don’t go imagining nonsense!”

Father Jiang: “…”

Maybe his sharp mind and keen eyes were why he was always misunderstood.

When they got home, he had someone look into the background of the Qin family’s illegitimate son.

After reading the file, he rubbed his temples. No wonder that boy had such eyes at such a young age. Kids who grew up clawing through mud weren’t like the ones raised in greenhouses.

If he wasn’t potentially his son-in-law, Father Jiang thought he’d actually admire the boy.

The problem was—

He might be his son-in-law.

Which was… troubling.

In terms of background, they were definitely marrying up. In terms of looks, both kids were easy on the eyes.

And if that boy could get into such a good university despite his upbringing, he had to be sharp.

But what worried him most was that his daughter might be the one at a disadvantage. The Qin family wasn’t a good place. If she ended up under his complete control…

He wouldn’t be able to rest easy even in death.

…Hopefully, he was just overthinking.

==

That night, as the couple lay in bed, Mother Jiang asked about his strange behavior earlier.

She looked worried:
“…Actually, thinking about it, a younger guy might not be so bad. Maybe he could even join our family instead. Jiang Jiang likes art—she could just focus on that. We’re still in good health; we could help raise the grandkids.”

Father Jiang: “…Let the Qin family heir marry into our family? Now that’s an idea.”

He held her hand and sighed: “Let’s not push the kids too hard. They have their own fates. Jiang Jiang already makes enough from her art exhibitions to live well. When we meet her boyfriend on Sunday, let’s keep an open mind. As long as he treats her right, we’ll accept it.”

Mother Jiang narrowed her eyes: “Did you notice something?”

Father Jiang promptly rolled over and went to sleep.

She nearly kicked him out of bed.

==

Time flew by.

The only major event in the meantime was that, the day after the Qin family’s banquet, the old patriarch had a stroke and was hospitalized.

So the plan to officially change Wen Ye’s surname and add him to the family registry was postponed due to the sudden collapse of the family’s pillar.

When Jiang Jiang met up with her Haicheng girlfriends, they brought it up.

“A Qin family illegitimate child getting added to the family registry—that would’ve been a first. Who knew the old man would land in the hospital the very next day? The Qin family’s so strict, no one else senior enough could sign off on it.”

“I saw him from afar—pretty handsome. Such a waste.”

“You only say that because you were far away. I was close that day. The way he looked at me? I had nightmares after.”

The others, all from good families, nodded in agreement.

Jiang Jiang sipped her wine quietly, unsure how to respond.

Then someone turned to her—a bold, glamorous girl:

“Hey, Jiang Jiang, I heard you’re dating a younger guy from a small town? When are you introducing him to us so we can vet him?”

Jiang Jiang: “……”

Jiang Jiang: “…After I take him to meet my parents this Sunday, I’ll bring him to you next week.”

The girls made an “OK” gesture and moved on to gossiping about other local affairs.

==

Jiang Jiang rarely saw Wen Ye this nervous. It was honestly a little funny:
“It’s not a dragon’s lair, don’t be scared.”

But Wen Ye couldn’t help it.

These were Jiang Jiang’s parents. He wanted their blessing so he could marry her properly.

When the doorbell rang and the door opened, seeing Jiang Jiang’s parents with features similar to hers, a wave of warmth swept through him.

“Hello, Uncle, Auntie.” He greeted them politely, like a proper college student, and handed them carefully chosen gifts.

Seeing her husband and daughter staying calm, Mother Jiang: “……?”

Was it just her, or did this boy look exactly like that Qin family heir?

She listened as her husband asked him the usual questions—and the more she listened, the more alarmed she became.

Wait… wasn’t this the illegitimate son from the Qin family?

When did Jiang Jiang even start dating him?

Seeing the two men chatting happily in the living room, she pulled her daughter aside.

“What’s going on? He pretending to be some sweet college student? Did you start dating him before the Qin family acknowledged him? Then why didn’t you say anything at the banquet?”

“Nuan Nuan, tell Mom the truth—did he trick you? We might not be as rich as the Qin family, but we won’t let you be mistreated!”

Jiang Jiang: “……”

Jiang Jiang: “…No, Mom!”

She whispered the whole story of how she and Wen Ye met.

“At first, we weren’t even officially together. Then once we were, I was about to come home anyway, so I thought I’d just introduce him properly. How could I know all this stuff with the Qin family would happen?”

“That old man really messed everything up.”

Mother Jiang nodded, her gaze falling on the boy sitting so properly on the sofa. Slowly, her impression of his cold banquet demeanor was replaced.

“A poor kid,” she sighed. “…If only he’d had decent parents, he wouldn’t have turned out like this.”

To make it into Haicheng’s best university despite that environment—if only someone had guided him earlier, what a bright star he could’ve been.

Her eyes misted slightly.

She’d gotten more sentimental with age. But her rational side soon kicked in:
“I feel sorry for him, but I love you the most, Nuan Nuan. You have to know the difference between love and pity. Don’t be with him just because you feel bad for him.”

“That wouldn’t be fair to either of you.”

Jiang Jiang hugged her tightly:
“I know, Mom. I really like him. And he treats me very well. Don’t worry.”

Mother Jiang, reassured, returned to the living room. Now looking at Wen Ye with the eyes of a mother-in-law inspecting her son-in-law:

“Jiang Jiang told me everything. You’re a good kid—but the Qin family isn’t a good place.”

Father Jiang quickly chimed in:
“Our daughter has been spoiled since she was little. The Qin family has too many rules—we’re afraid she wouldn’t fit in.”

Not to mention how rotten that old man is.

Mother Jiang added:
“I know it may be presumptuous to say this, given your family background—but I still hope, when you two get married, that you’ll live separately.”

Was that… a green light?

Wen Ye looked up, pleasantly surprised:
“Jiang Jiang doesn’t need to marry into the Qin family.”

Father & Mother Jiang: “?????”

Father Jiang looked at him suspiciously—was the kid backing out now?

That didn’t make sense—they were just having a nice chat!

Wen Ye seemed to realize his wording and quickly clarified:
“Uncle, Auntie—I mean I’m willing to marry into your family.”

“?”

He didn’t notice how the room had gone quiet.

He just continued excitedly:
“I can marry in—and bring the Qin family with me.”

“???”

“I can even change my surname to match Jiang Jiang’s.”

“???”

Father Jiang asked with difficulty:
“…But if you do that, won’t the Qin family be left without an heir?”