My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

Soothing an upset girl is a difficult art form. First and foremost, you need plenty of patience. If you lose it, you’ll quickly give up trying to soothe her, and it’s highly likely the conflict will then shift to something else entirely, sparking a new argument. Next, you have to learn how to defuse her emotions and find the crux of the matter to resolve it in one fell swoop. Finally, you appeal to her heart before you appeal to her head.

Comparatively speaking, Ningning was pretty low-maintenance. She didn’t get hung up on the issue for long.

For just a few minutes, she was a little moody, but once she let it out, she was fine.

She wasn’t a high-maintenance kind of girl.

Chen Yuan addressed the topic of their compatibility head-on. He said that most people thought they were a great couple, not mismatched at all. Since almost no one else had made that mistake, it proved the problem was with Lu Yiyi, not with her.

After he talked her through it for a few moments, Jiangg Ning’s moodiness quickly subsided. She even began to analyze the situation herself. A moment later, she actually apologized to Chen Yuan, saying she shouldn’t have lost her temper or said those angry words about "being his mother."

Chen Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Having cleared that difficult hurdle, he relaxed and went back to his food.

"Chen, I was being a little sensitive. I kind of lost my composure. Please don’t take it to heart..." Jiangg Ning murmured, tucking her bangs behind her ear and pressing her lips together.

As they grew closer and time went on, she felt herself becoming more and more unguarded around Chen Yuan. The hard mask she wore was peeling away and vanishing, like a shed cicada shell.

’I really don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.’

’After all, when you first get to know someone, you’re always a bit awkward and reserved. You always want to show your best side. But once you’ve known them for a long time, you realize your true self isn’t nearly so glamorous.’

"Not at all. I actually think it’s nice. I think you’re kind of cute when you get a little mad sometimes."

"Why? Doesn’t it just make you think I can’t control my emotions?"

"I don’t think anyone can perfectly manage their emotions. If they could, they’d be a robot."

"But I believe a truly formidable person should be able to remain calm and composed at all times. It shows they have a sound logical framework, clear values, and don’t get worked up over trivial matters. If you constantly hold yourself to such a high standard, your life will be more noble at its end than it was at its beginning." Jiangg Ning’s eyes sparkled as she explained her philosophy. She paused, then added, "After all, life is an arduous journey."

Chen Yuan nodded in agreement with her point of view. The soup in his bowl was gone; he’d been busy all afternoon and had worked up quite an appetite.

"That’s from Akira Inamori, isn’t it?"

"You know of him?" A glimmer of pleasant surprise showed in Jiangg Ning’s eyes.

"I’ve read a little about him. My own take is probably a bit naive, but it’s obvious that everyone is different. It’s certainly good to strive to forge a strong mentality when you have clear goals, but isn’t learning not to take things to heart also a form of self-cultivation?"

"Oh? That’s an interesting thought."

"That’s what Yaoyao is like. I was inspired by her," Chen Yuan said nonchalantly.

"So, are you saying my sister is just carefree?" A smile suddenly touched the corners of Jiangg Ning’s mouth. Tilting her head slightly, her tone finally shifted from distant to playful. "She’ll be angry if she hears that."

"Hey, don’t take it that way. I didn’t say that. If I could have my way, I’d want Yaoyao to be happy her entire life... I mean that from the bottom of my heart. And don’t be fooled by how I always tease her. The more a guy likes a girl, the more he’ll tease her."

"As her older sister, that’s my hope for her too. But is it really appropriate to be saying this to *me*?" She pouted, a rare sight, and gave Chen Yuan a reproachful look.

"We just happened to be on the topic," Chen Yuan said, realizing he’d ventured into dangerous territory. "Anyway, let’s change the subject. You’re dressed so formally today. Did you have something important to do?"

"It wasn’t anything too important. I just visited a friend’s company. I think she wanted me to invest. I’m looking to find a suitable job for a bit of experience, so I was just checking it out. I’m not ready to jump into starting my own business right now."

"Sounds good." Chen Yuan was full now and was just thinking about suggesting they leave the cafeteria.

Jiangg Ning suddenly tugged his sleeve again, her expression hesitant, looking like she wanted to say something but didn’t know how to start.

"What’s wrong?"

"Chen... actually, there was something else I came to talk to you about. Remember how I told you I wanted to get another master’s degree, in finance?"

"Yeah, you mentioned it."

"I have to apply, which means going through the whole process and submitting a lot of documents. I’ve pretty much decided on a school in Mingzhu City, so I’m catching a red-eye flight back there tonight. I’ll be gone for about two days. In the future, I’ll have to balance my work here in Lanjing with my studies, so I’ll probably be heading over there pretty frequently." Jiangg Ning explained, her bright eyes tinged with worry.

"That sounds exhausting... Isn’t getting a degree in a completely different field incredibly difficult?"

"It’s nothing, I’m confident I can handle it. I’m just worried it will get in the way of... us."

"It won’t," Chen Yuan said, shaking his head. "Not at all. I’ve thought about it, too. You have your own goals, and I have to finish up my college career. In a sense, we’re both moving forward, and that’s a good thing... Besides, it’s not like we’re in an official relationship yet."

Chen Yuan lowered his head. ’That damn question came back to him again. He still hadn’t figured out who to choose. The fact that he was deceiving them wasn’t even the biggest problem anymore. There was an even bigger one staring him right in the face.’

’Sometimes, his mind would drift, and for a fleeting moment, he’d feel that it was only Ningning he’d ever liked, that there was nothing to be conflicted about. But as soon as that thought crystallized, Yaoyao’s image would flash relentlessly through his mind. He remembered all the times he’d sworn to make her happy, and he would be instantly wracked with guilt for the thought he’d had just a moment ago.’

"Right, that’s what I wanted to talk about," Jiangg Ning said, leaning closer, her voice laced with anxiety. "While I’m not around... can you try not to like Yaoyao...?"

"What?" Chen Yuan was startled.

"I misspoke. What I mean is... try not to like her *so* much. Spending a lot of time together gives a person an advantage, right...? And Yaoyao loves clinging to you so much."

Jiangg Ning’s words threw Chen Yuan for a complete loop. So that was the real reason she’d been in such a hurry to see him—to lay all this on the table. It seemed the battle between the two sisters, fought both in the open and in the shadows, was truly without end.

The request sounded completely unreasonable.

In fact, it *was* completely unreasonable. Was he supposed to deliberately force himself not to like Yaoyao? That was absolutely impossible. After all, Chen Yuan had grown more and more accustomed to having Jiangg Yao around every day, being his little pest.