Jiangg Yao let loose a furious, rapid-fire tirade that almost made Chen Yuan break out in a cold sweat.

But he couldn’t refute a single word.

Because every single thing Yaoyao said was true.

Chen Yuan knew he was in the wrong from the very start.

"I didn’t," he could only reply, embarrassed.

"What do you mean, you ’didn’t’?" Jiangg Yao pressed relentlessly.

"I wasn’t flirting with her. You misunderstood. I just... I just feel like the truth is going to come out soon, so I felt guilty and wanted to be a little nicer to her. That’s all... I’m sorry." Chen Yuan’s head was bowed, his expression conflicted, but his tone was sincere enough.

He stood before the TV stand like a child who’d been caught misbehaving.

At this point, his only option was to back down and appeal to her emotions.

"If I made you uncomfortable, I’ll apologize in any way you want, Yaoyao. I know I was wrong," he continued softly.

Silence fell over the living room once more.

Jiangg Yao stared intently at Chen Yuan, his figure reflected in her eyes.

After a long moment, she looked away.

"Just make sure you remember what you said. You’re tired today, so I won’t cause any more trouble for you."

"I—"

"You damn young master. You’re so infuriating."

Jiangg Yao slipped on her slippers. After muttering that last complaint, she pulled a box of cold medicine from under the coffee table and threw it at him.

Chen Yuan quickly caught it.

By the time he looked up, Jiangg Yao was already heading into the bedroom. A sharp SLAM of the door was his only answer.

Chen Yuan stood frozen in place for a long time before letting out a sigh.

’This path is even harder than I imagined. Women are such sensitive creatures by nature. It’s too difficult to hide anything from them.’

...

Wisps of steam rose from the clear glass, and a few bubbles floated on the surface of the brown cold medicine. After mixing the drink, Chen Yuan sat on the sofa, lost in thought for a long time.

After two days of putting his plan into action, Chen Yuan clearly felt that this wasn’t going to work.

He couldn’t change the sisters’ minds on his own. He couldn’t even get past Yaoyao, let alone the unshakeable Jiangg Ning.

Therefore, his only option was to find a crack somewhere else—to first breach the impregnable fortress the twins had built around themselves.

Then, he could win them over one by one.

Chen Yuan decided his top priority now was to learn more about the sisters’ family—their past. Even though they had been dating for a while, the information he had was superficial at best.

He’d heard there were deeper reasons for Jiangg Ning studying abroad. Perhaps those past experiences were what had forged her independent personality. That could be an angle to work from.

Another thing... Chen Yuan decided he would ask Jiang Zhengfeng for his opinion. If he was serious about marrying two women, he would eventually have to get his father’s approval. He couldn’t hide it forever.

Coincidentally, he had to go to Kyoto soon to submit a report and discuss business at the factory with Jiang Zhengfeng.

As things stood, no matter how immature Chen Yuan might be, he had to admit that pulling off something as difficult as marrying both of them would be impossible without a powerful family backing him.

And he was lucky.

He didn’t have to worry about that.

If he were just some poor kid from Qishui County, the sense of inferiority from his family’s status alone would have stopped him from even having such an unrealistic dream. The cost of just one of the sisters’ handbags was more than he would make in a full year of slaving away at a corporate job after graduation.

Never mind shouldering the responsibility of providing for a family.

’Money can’t solve everything, but at least it gives a man the confidence to stand tall.’

It meant that even when facing Jiangg Ruxue, he could promise to treat both sisters well and never let them suffer.

Thinking about it this way, Chen Yuan felt a little better.

’A man has to grow up, has to learn when to bend. Once you have something you want, you can never go back to being a naive boy who knows nothing of the world. This was the price he had to pay for the ones he loved.’

His mind made up, Chen Yuan picked up the glass and stood.

Jiangg Ning was still taking a shower; he could hear the sound of the water running from the bathroom. Girls take their time in the shower, so Ningning wouldn’t be out for a while.

He decided to take this opportunity to bring the medicine into the bedroom and placate Jiangg Yao.

Just as Chen Yuan stood up, his nose tickled. "ACHOO!" The sneeze brought tears to his eyes, and his head suddenly felt fuzzy.

...

"Yaoyao? What are you up to?"

He pushed open the bedroom door, his voice low and placating.

A pleasant, unique fragrance filled the bedroom, a light, refreshing scent like faint milk. The overhead light cast a soft, warm glow, and the room was impeccably clean. A pale pink color scheme and countless stuffed animals on the bed added to the room’s cozy atmosphere.

In contrast, Chen Yuan’s own bedroom across the hall was practically a cave, containing nothing more than a bed and some basic furniture.

But this room... there were even pink hair clips fastened to the curtains, and the duvet and bedsheets looked wonderfully soft and fragrant.

A single glance was enough to make him want to flop right onto it.

Hearing Chen Yuan come in, Yaoyao shot him a look before returning her attention to her phone, ignoring him.

"I brought the cold medicine. Drink it in a bit. I already had some. Be careful, it’s hot."

He set down the glass, brazenly sat on the edge of the bed, and blinked at Jiangg Yao.

Jiangg Yao kicked at the covers and scooted her legs away, her eyes still glued to her phone. The gesture was one of clear disgust.

The normally magnanimous Yaoyao was genuinely jealous this time.

After a full day of traveling, Chen Yuan hadn’t said a single word in her defense. Instead, he’d helped her sister gang up on poor Yao. Anyone in her shoes would be upset.

When she continued to ignore him, Chen Yuan leaned over and sidled up next to her, feigning curiosity.

"Whatcha looking at, Yaoyao?"

"Tsk!?" Jiangg Yao’s eyes flew open in a glare. She gave him a shove, biting down on her lower lip.

On her phone screen were several photos they had taken today.

It turned out Jiangg Yao was diligently editing photos. It was one of the great joys of her relationship—to capture all their memories together, pick the very best ones, print them out, and place them in a frame.

It’s moments like these that make life worth living.

She might not have spared her ’young master’ with her words, but her actions were still an expression of love.

"Editing photos? This one looks great! Look at us holding hands. It’s so sweet."

"Sweet my ass! Who wants to be sweet with you?" Jiangg Yao kicked him discontentedly.

"What about the others? Send me the good ones, too."

"Nope. Your photos with Ningning are enough for you. You don’t need any from Yaoyao, because Yaoyao isn’t important."

"How could you say that? Don’t be mad. I had a lot of fun on our trip today."

Chen Yuan paid no mind to Jiangg Yao’s cold remarks; he knew she was just saying them out of anger.

He scooted even closer to Jiangg Yao, inhaling her faint, sweet scent. His hands began to wander, reaching for her waist.

SMACK! Chen Yuan winced in pain, his hand freezing in mid-air.

"Don’t hug me. Go hang out in the living room. Weren’t you just here to drop off the medicine? Well, you’ve dropped it off, so you can leave now," Jiangg Yao huffed, baring her perfect teeth in a mock snarl.

"But it’s cold out there. I just want to lie here for a bit."

"You can go lie down in your own room across the hall. This is my sister’s and my bed. You’re not allowed here."

"I’m not on her side of the bed, I’m on your side. Just let me rest for a while... I’m exhausted from today."

Chen Yuan wasn’t lying. The moment he lay down on the bed, a deep weariness washed over his entire body, and he had no desire to move an inch.

Besides, the blankets—and Jiangg Yao next to him—were so warm.

So warm it felt like happiness itself.

Seeing him bury his head near her shoulder, so tired he could barely speak, Jiangg Yao’s heart softened. At the end of the day, she still cared deeply for Chen Yuan.

She kept a stern expression and said nothing.

After lying there comfortably for a moment, Chen Yuan very deliberately wrapped his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes, his delicate, almost feminine eyelashes fluttering as he began to drift into a groggy sleep.

Jiangg Yao felt his arms holding her tight, and an irrepressible smile touched her lips. The moment she realized she was smiling, her expression froze.

"I’ve never seen you this clingy before... You only know how to be nice after you’ve made me mad. You rotten young master."

Jiangg Yao muttered under her breath. She shifted to face him, watching his sleeping face for a long, long time.