My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

"Whoa, Yiyi, how did you get hurt? Let me see. Your knee is all scraped up, and you didn’t even put any iodine on it... Zi, where did I put my first-aid kit?"

"It’s under the desk. I’ll get it for you."

The atmosphere in the dorm was very friendly. As soon as they saw Lu Yiyi was hurt, her roommates helped her clean the wound with iodine, apply a bandage, and even brought her a change of clothes that had been drying on the balcony.

Her skirt was obviously dirty too. She’d only given it a quick wipe at the cafeteria, and up close, you could see a grimy patch on the seat of her floral-print skirt.

"Thank you, everyone... It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’ll change in a bit." She managed a weak smile.

"What on earth happened? Did you fall while moving things?" Zi asked, looking puzzled.

"No, the junior brothers from the main campus had borrowed a three-wheeled cart. We had almost finished moving everything when I wasn’t paying attention while driving it and it tipped over. Luckily, the exhibits weren’t damaged, and I didn’t fall too hard."

"Uh... Don’t tell me you were the one who asked to drive it?"

Her three dorm mates exchanged a look. Clearly, they knew Lu Yiyi all too well. Lu Yiyi was a girl whose appearance was completely at odds with her personality. She had the serene, delicate face of a "Daiyu," but her personality was boisterous and carefree. Her social skills were maxed out—if she saw someone lost on the street, she’d all but drag them to their destination. Plus, she was a bit of a tomboy.

"I was the one who asked. That’s why I feel so guilty, waaaah! I even got that Junior Brother Chen injured." Lu Yiyi had been holding it in the whole way back, but now, faced with her roommates’ questions, she completely broke down.

She buried her face in her roommate’s embrace, wailing, "And I did something incredibly stupid! I’m too embarrassed to even say what it was."

"What did you do?"

"The junior brother didn’t blame me at all. He told me to go rest and that he’d explain things to the professor later. He’s such a nice guy..." The more Lu Yiyi recalled, the more miserable she felt.

"Sounds like he’s got real character. If he had a worse temper, he would’ve chewed you out, and that would’ve been getting off easy," said the slightly chubby roommate, who looked a little older. She ruffled Yiyi’s hair and asked curiously, "So, may I ask how you ’repaid’ his kindness...?"

"After we finished, they took me to the cafeteria to eat. While we were eating, this unbelievably, unbelievably stunning girl walked in." Lu Yiyi grew animated as she spoke, gesturing wildly. "I’ve never seen anyone in real life with such an incredible presence. When she walked in, I was just... starstruck."

Lu Yiyi took a deep breath and added, "And then she walked over and, like a miracle, sat right down at our table with the injured junior brother. She even brought a ton of delicious food. At the time, I thought she was his older sister or his aunt or something, so I said, ’You’re so great at taking care of him, like a doting family elder.’"

Listening to her vivid description, her three roommates couldn’t help but picture the scene. Their interest was piqued—after all, what girl doesn’t love gossip?

"And then what?" her roommate urged her to continue.

"It turns out, she’s his girlfriend! How could I possibly have guessed? I’m dying of regret now. He was so nice to me, and I made the whole table awkward. You should have seen it—that impossibly beautiful woman’s face went ice-cold in an instant."

Recalling the scene, Lu Yiyi couldn’t help but shudder.

Every time she thought about it, she felt like she was being publicly executed all over again.

"You’re the really unbelievable one here, Lu Yiyi. I’m speechless. You’ve really perfected the art of repaying kindness with a slap in the face."

"I didn’t mean to... And you’re teasing me about it." Lu Yiyi grew even more distraught, burying her face deeper into her roommate’s shoulder. Her voice came out muffled through the clothing.

"I’m more curious, is that girl really as beautiful as you say? Are you exaggerating?"

"I’m not exaggerating one bit!" Lu Yiyi sat bolt upright, emphasizing again, "I’ve never seen anyone like her, ever. And her name is beautiful too—Jiangg Ning."

"What’s her name?"

"Jiangg Ning. Have you guys heard of her?"

"You couldn’t possibly be talking about *this* Jiangg Ning, could you...?" Zi searched the school forum on her phone, then found a photo of Jiangg Ning giving a lecture and held it in front of Yiyi’s face.

"Yes, yes, that’s her!" Lu Yiyi exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the phone screen.

"She’s an associate professor of philosophy at our school. The most popular professor at Landa University."

"What? An associate professor...? Now my head’s really spinning."

"Oh, Lu Yiyi, Lu Yiyi. I really don’t know what to say about you." Her roommate sighed and shook her head helplessly.

Soon, the focus of the discussion in the dorm room shifted. They completely abandoned the topic of how a guilty Lu Yiyi should apologize and instead became much more interested in who Professor Jiangg Ning was dating. That kind of information was easy to find, since plenty of other students were paying attention.

For a while, the room was filled with the shocked gasps of people enjoying fresh gossip.

...

Jiangg Ning returned home from the university alone. Riding the elevator, she replayed the memory of strolling hand-in-hand with Chen Yuan across campus, an unstoppable smile gracing her lips.

She felt as if she had rediscovered the feeling of when she first started dating Chen Yuan—reserved and cautious, where every little step forward in their relationship felt incredibly sweet.

’This time, it has nothing to do with Yaoyao. It’s the purest form of love. All I need to do is slowly spend time with him, solidify our relationship, and then, when we finally take that last step, Chen Yuan will be mine and mine alone for the rest of his life, never to be snatched away by anyone else.’

At the thought of that future, Jiangg Ning was filled with infinite longing, her gaze growing ever more resolute.

As the elevator chimed, she stepped into the hallway. But she immediately saw that her apartment door was open—and so was the one across the hall. Both were standing wide, letting gusts of wind funnel through.

A RUSTLING sound came from near the door. It sounded like someone was moving things.

Jiangg Ning walked over curiously. The first thing she saw was a high stack of three boxes seemingly suspended in mid-air, with a pair of long, dazzlingly fair legs visible underneath.

The girl holding the boxes was clearly putting forth all her strength, shuffling forward one tiny step at a time, her toes clenched with effort. Hearing the heavy grunts coming from her throat, Jiangg Ning asked in surprise, "Yaoyao, what are you doing?"

"Sis... you... you’re back? *Huuuff*... I’m moving things. Move, so I don’t hit you."

Jiangg Ning pressed herself flat against the wall, shrinking back as she watched her red-faced sister shuffle past. She didn’t offer to take the boxes, completely bewildered and unable to comprehend what sudden whim her sister was acting on this time.

"Can’t you carry less at one time?"

"It’s fine, I can handle it. The weight is acceptable," Jiangg Yao said, walking into Chen Yuan’s apartment across the hall and disappearing around a corner. Ningning peered inside curiously. Half a minute later, there was a CLATTER as something was dropped on the floor. Yaoyao came jogging back, wiping away sweat. "See? This way it only takes a few trips. So much more efficient."

Yaoyao placed her hands on her hips, a "praise-me-I’m-so-clever" look on her face, her lips puckered proudly.

"Yaoyao," Jiangg Ning said softly, "are you planning to move into Chen Yuan’s place? There’s really no need for that. If you really miss him, you can just go see him. I’m not stopping you. But surrounding yourself with his things just to think of him... isn’t that a bit much?"

"What are you talking about?" Jiangg Yao said as she went back into their apartment. She picked up two more boxes, struggling for a moment and using her knee to hoist them before she could hold them steady. "I’m moving the computer I bought over to his place."

"Chen said he’s moving back in?" Jiangg Ning asked, startled. She helped her sister support the boxes from the side, not even taking a moment to put down her own handbag, and followed her across the hall.

She saw that the once-empty study was now filled with a desk, a chair, and various peripherals. Yaoyao had even moved the fish tank from their living room into it.

Ningning’s eyes widened.

’Such a huge amount of work! It seems Yaoyao hasn’t rested for a single moment this afternoon. This is so unlike her.’

Normally, Jiangg Yao was a total couch potato at home. With her older sister around, there were many things she didn’t need to do herself. She was no help in the kitchen, and chores like laundry, mopping, and washing dishes were all handled by smart appliances. As for other housework, Jiangg Ning always found Yaoyao’s efforts lacking, so Jiangg Yao barely had to lift a finger. Her only job was to take care of herself and not cause any trouble.

She spent just as little time exercising, which only resulted in her gaining a few pounds of fat—another reason she could never win a fight against her sister.

Over time, Jiangg Ning had grown used to seeing her sister lazing about on the sofa, the bed, or any available chair.

Today’s scene, however, had truly shocked Ning.

"The Young Master didn’t say he was coming back," Jiangg Yao replied, unboxing things.

"So you’re preparing in advance?"

"Not really. I don’t know when the Young Master will be back, but I promised him I’d set up a really cool gaming room. I was going to design it, and we’d play games together once it was done." Jiangg Yao spread her hands. "I didn’t expect all the equipment to arrive just as he moved out. But I still have to keep my promise."

"So this, and this, and that... you moved all of it?"

"Yeah. You have no idea how tiring it was. I even got a blister," Jiangg Yao said, pouting pitifully as she held out her hand for her sister to see. "Sis, I should have gone downstairs to buy gloves before moving the desk. I don’t have any experience with this stuff."

Jiangg Ning took her hand and examined it carefully. She fell silent instantly, her lips pressed together, a complex mix of emotions in her eyes.

Both she and Jiangg Ruxue were only strict with Jiangg Yao on non-negotiable matters. Ultimately, Jiangg Yao had been pampered her whole life. Forget heavy lifting; she’d never even touched soil to plant a flower.

As the youngest in the family, she was supposed to be showered with love. This was also why she was occasionally willful, a trait Jiangg Ning had never considered a major flaw.

They were such close sisters.

With each other, they were never lonely, growing up side by side.

’So what if she’s a little immature?’ Jiangg Ning often thought. ’At least I’m here. I can be her umbrella, letting Yaoyao continue to live this carefree life.’

"Sis, blow on it for me~" she whined, shaking Ningning’s hand playfully.

"Alright, I’ll blow on it." Forcing down the emotions surging within her, Jiangg Ning blew gently on her palm, her eyes filled with heartache.

"Sis, go make dinner. I’m hungry. I want stir-fried mushrooms. The hardest part, the moving, is done. I just need to arrange everything, and the gaming room will be complete," Jiangg Yao urged her. She turned around and struggled to push the heavy standing desk, digging her toes into the floor.

She used every ounce of her strength and finally managed to press the desk firmly against the wall.

Jiangg Ning stood frozen in place, staring blankly as her sister bustled about without a moment’s rest. In a daze, she suddenly felt as if time was slipping right through her fingers.

She suddenly realized that, at some point, the little sister who only knew how to whine and throw tantrums had changed.

These changes had been subtle and gradual.

She remembered the times Yaoyao had stood beside her in the kitchen, refusing to be shooed away, just watching her cook. Sometimes she’d even ask questions about things she’d never cared about before.

She remembered how Yaoyao used to throw a tantrum whenever she ran into trouble, then cry out ’Sis!’ and wait for her older sister to solve everything. That almost never happened anymore.

She remembered how Yaoyao had learned to be considerate of others, no longer thinking only of her own feelings. She would even compromise. The most profound example was that trip to Sanya, when Yaoyao had traveled from the airport to the hotel all by herself, lugging that heavy suitcase, and hadn’t thrown a single tantrum despite being hungry for over ten hours.

She thought about how hard Yaoyao worked on her streaming now—learning to configure software, practicing professional vocal techniques, and refining her piano skills. Often, long after it was time for bed, she would still be on her phone, studying things related to music.

’None of this was because of my influence. Of course not.’

She knew what that "certain moment" was. It could only be the moment her sister resolved to commit herself to Chen Yuan.

And so, the caterpillar had spun a cocoon around itself, wanting to become a butterfly.

In that instant, Jiangg Ning understood. Her sister’s love for Chen Yuan wasn’t the frivolous crush she had assumed it to be.

She didn’t love Chen Yuan any more than her sister did. It turned out all those things Jiangg Yao had said during their arguments were true.

Thinking of this, Jiangg Ning lightly bit her lip. There was nothing more heartbreaking. It was precisely because both sisters had a reason they could not lose that the inevitable pain felt so sharp and distinct.