Chapter 6 — My Sister Stole My Fiancé

Even the dullest souls in the room could not fail to catch the shift in the atmosphere. The rims of Ming Xia’s eyes grew slightly pink, shimmering with unshed tears.

Zhi Ye, do you not agree?

He looked at his wife, who was standing close enough to touch, and as his racing rationality slowly returned, he reached out to stroke her cheek with hesitant fingers.

How could that be? It is just that Qi Xia is your younger sister after all, and as her brother-in-law, I merely wanted to look out for her best interests. We cannot simply rush into such a significant decision blindly.

Ming Xia pressed her face deeper into the warm hollow of his palm.

It is just a blind date. It certainly cannot compare to the genuine, free love we share. Once they have some time to focus on marriage and build a foundation of affection, it will all work out naturally.

His features stiffened slightly, yet he forced a polite smile and replied, You are entirely right.

Gu Xin Nian’s gaze lingered for a fraction of a second on the jade bracelet gracing Ming Xia’s wrist, abruptly shattering the intimate tableau between the couple.

We have already demonstrated our utmost sincerity. May I ask what the Nguyen family intends to bring to this union?

The buoyant enthusiasm that had filled the room moments before instantly cooled. One glance was all it took for me to realize they had never intended to prepare a dowry for me in the first place. After all, every single item of value in this household had long ago been handed over to Ming Xia. My father straightened his posture, struggling to maintain an air of dignified authority.

We are marrying off our daughter, not conducting a business transaction. A harmonious bond between husband and wife is the greatest fortune of all.

That was a polite way of saying they did not plan to part with a single penny. A sudden, bitter chill settled deep in my chest. Fortunately, Gu Xin Nian was not marrying into this family for mere wealth.

I have heard that before she passed away, the elder matriarch of the Nguyen family bestowed a certain jade bracelet upon Qi Xia. It happens to match the pure emerald necklace my mother gifted me. On the wedding day, it would be most fitting for Qi Xia to wear it.

I snapped my head around, staring up at his expression, which remained as serene as a gentle breeze drifting over distant clouds. He had circled around through all this polite rhetoric simply to help me reclaim what was rightfully mine. That very bracelet had adorned my wrist for a mere half-day before our grandmother drew her final breath. Scarcely had her body been lowered into the earth when Ming Xia tore it from my arm. She had declared with absolute entitlement:

Father and Mother adore me, Grandfather adores me, and Grandmother adores me as well. How could she possibly have left such a treasure to someone like you?

Grandmother might have favored her, but she cherished me far more deeply. She was the sole person in this entire household who ever noticed the quiet grievances I suffered. That day marked the very first time I dared to disobey my parents' strict injunctions to always yield to and take care of my sister; driven to temporary madness, I lunged forward to wrench the heirloom back from her grasp. She tumbled to the polished floor, and my father dealt me a vicious blow across the face that left my mouth tasting of salt and iron. He spat that whatever Grandmother gave away belonged to whoever held it, and that I was utterly worthless. Yet, while it supposedly mattered little who received it, the heirloom was never once permitted to rest upon my arm. Ming Xia immediately snatched her hand back beneath the edge of the dining table, arrested only when our mother shot her a sharp, warning glare. Still, she surrendered the ornament with palpable reluctance.

Take your precious trinket, then. A worthless shattered bangle—as if the Gu family could never afford to buy you a better one!

Gu Xin Nian produced a pristine linen handkerchief, carefully cocooned the jade circlet within its folds, and meticulously wiped away every lingering speck of dust. Ming Xia’s face turned an even more alarming shade of pale green.

We can certainly afford to buy others, but this belongs to Qi Xia. As the man pursuing her affections, it is my bounden duty to reclaim it on her behalf.

Ming Xia’s eyes brimmed over, and turning abruptly on her heel, she fled the room. After a moment of visible hesitation, Song Zhi Ye stood and hurried out in pursuit. I walked Gu Xin Nian to the doorway. When we reached the threshold, he suddenly paused, turned on his heel, and strode back toward me.

So... shall we meet again tomorrow?

I offered a soft, quiet smile.

Most certainly. We shall see each other tonight as well; you can assist me with moving into my new apartment.

A radiant smile lit up his face as he finally departed. I returned inside, unlocked the door to my room, and reached for the knob when a sudden, steel-like grip clamped around my wrist, violently hauling me backward. The room spun wildly in a blur of motion, and the heavy wooden door slammed shut behind us with a resounding crash. My spine slammed hard against the solid timber, sending a sharp wave of pain radiating through my body. A dark shadow loomed menacingly over me. I turned my head swiftly to evade him, but his hot, heavy breath brushed against the sensitive skin of my throat, suffocating and deeply repulsive.

Brother-in-law...

Call me Zhi Ye.

His lips pressed down forcefully, a cold, damp sensation slithering along my neck. I shoved him away with all my might, pointing rigidly toward the exit.

Get out.

He staggered backward by half a step, raising a hand to wipe the lingering moisture from the corner of his mouth, his gaze locking onto mine with predatory intensity.

Nguyen Qi Xia, you do not love him.

I had no idea what madness had seized him now.

Affection on a blind date can be cultivated from nothing. At worst, it is simply marrying first and falling in love afterward.

There was a deliberate edge of provocation woven into my words, designed specifically to sting. The effect was immediate and devastating. He pressed closer with every syllable, planting one hand flat against the doorframe beside my ear as he slowly lowered his head.

Nguyen Qi Xia, do not use your own marriage as some pathetic game simply to punish me.

I raised my chin, the distance between our lips narrowing to a mere centimeter, and met his gaze with unyielding defiance.

How could you possibly know whether or not I will grow to love him?

I have witnessed the way you look when you are truly in love. Whether or not you care for this man is something I can discern with a single glance.

He inched closer, millimeter by agonizing millimeter. A sudden, wicked laugh escaped my lips.

What are you laughing at?

I stared straight at his mouth.

So what if I do? If I were to tell you that I harbor no affection for him, and that the man residing in my heart is none other than you, what exactly would you do about it?

That scorching breath lingered heavily in the space between our mouths. There remained only half a centimeter of separation, yet he froze, unable to advance any further. I tilted my head forward. The pupils of his eyes dilated in profound shock, and he abruptly stumbled back half a step, his Adam's apple bobbing sharply as he swallowed hard.

Speak, then. Would you divorce Nguyen Minh Nha and marry me instead?

Whether those three syllables—Nguyen Minh Nha—managed to resurrect the lingering remnants of his marital conscience, or if the mention of divorce struck a raw, agonizing nerve within him, his thin lips pressed into a tight, hard line.

Qi Xia, Ming Nha is innocent. Tonight, tell your father to call off this arranged match. In the future, I will come to visit your apartment frequently.

And as for the old family estate, do not return there for the time being. Ming Nha’s fragile health cannot endure any further agitation.

Even though three whole years had elapsed, a dull, familiar ache still throbbed persistently within my chest. Yet I could no longer decipher whether the pain stemmed from the bitter sting of betrayal, or from a twisted pang of envy that Ming Nha was still surrounded by so many desperate to shield her from harm.