Chapter 663 - 443: A Fateful Discussion

"You’ll have to get up early tomorrow. Come to the company with me to help, and just do whatever I ask of you."

"I understand."

"Once we get through this crisis together, we can go back to Lanjing. It won’t be long."

"Got it, Sis. So, when can we visit Mom? I want to know how she’s doing."

「In a corner of the countryside.」

The villa’s main gate was shut tight, the streetlights brightly illuminating the winding stone path.

The plants in the garden cast dancing shadows under the gentle touch of the light. Newly grown ivy enveloped the low shrub fence, and the small flowers hidden among the green leaves were like twinkling stars in the night sky.

The light shining from the window was like a pair of bright, lovely eyes.

The two sisters spoke softly in the quiet of the night, their bedroom feeling surprisingly warm and cozy.

"The day after tomorrow, or maybe the day after that... I’ve already made the arrangements, but there’s a line. They haven’t given me an exact time yet," Jiangg Ning said, stroking Yaoyao’s head. "Don’t worry. As long as we pay enough, she’ll be fine."

"It’s not going to be like in the movies, is it? The detention center... It won’t be dark, and she won’t get beaten and yelled at, will she?" Jiangg Yao voiced her worries once again.

After all, this was her biological mother.

Although Yaoyao didn’t like Jiangg Ruxue, her feelings were far from hatred.

This was clear from her worried and frightened reaction upon hearing the news.

"Impossible. This is a society ruled by law. Even people who’ve made mistakes have human rights, and besides, Mom was just framed," Jiangg Ning explained patiently. "You know that Director Ji we had dinner with today? Chen asked him to pull some strings at the detention center. He spent a lot of money, and I heard the people there gave their absolute guarantee that nothing would happen to her."

"That’s good." Jiangg Yao finally let out a long sigh of relief and nodded.

Her tense shoulders relaxed.

"You’ve grown up," Jiangg Ning said suddenly. "I was afraid to tell you before, because I thought you’d overreact. Looking at it now, I should have told you sooner so the three of us could have talked it over... I was wrong to do that. I hope you don’t blame me."

"I don’t. Chen Yuan already comforted me when we were in Tokyo." Jiangg Yao recalled their conversation in the tent. That cold night had been truly hard to get through. Her reaction then had been far more intense than it was now; she had just gradually calmed down since.

"Chen really is dependable. I was worried he wouldn’t be able to tell you tactfully, but it seems he handled it perfectly."

Jiangg Ning thought for a moment, then broke into a smile. "He’s much more mature than I was at nineteen. Boys are just different, I guess."

This was because Chen Yuan had gone to take a shower.

Since Ningning and Yaoyao had already finished getting ready for bed and were starting their nightly skincare routines, they felt free to speak so openly about these things.

Otherwise, Jiangg Ning rarely praised him like this to his face.

"This time, it’s all thanks to Chen Yuan," Jiangg Yao said, tearing open a face mask packet. Her mind, however, was on other things, and she set the mask aside. "When we started dating, I never imagined we’d go through something like this. He’s so much more dependable than I ever thought, especially this past year. It feels like he’s matured so much... Sis, do you remember when we first met him? He was just a naive college kid back then. To think that now..."

Jiangg Yao didn’t finish her sentence.

But the sisters shared a deep understanding, and they fell into a shared silence.

Even though she hadn’t said it, Jiangg Ning knew what she meant.

Back then, he was just a college student. Now, he not only had his own business but also the power to protect them. In this crisis, he had single-handedly saved the day.

He had gradually become so dependable, someone they could trust without reservation.

But it seemed...

Ningning and Yaoyao weren’t happy.

They glanced at each other, each seeing the flicker of uncertainty in the other’s eyes.

After a moment’s hesitation, the ever-direct Yaoyao could no longer hold back her thoughts.

"When I was in Tokyo, Chen Yuan told me some things. He said that even if we sell the building, it won’t be enough to clear the debt, and the unpaid employee salaries are also a huge amount, right?"

"Right." Jiangg Ning’s expression darkened.

"So even with all our money combined, it’s still not enough?"

Meeting Yaoyao’s questioning gaze, Jiangg Ning shook her head.

"Which means... we have to borrow."

"Yaoyao, you don’t need to worry about this. I’ll figure something out—" Jiangg Ning forced a smile as she tried to explain.

But before she could finish, Jiangg Yao interrupted her.

"I’m part of this family," she said, her gaze calm. "Didn’t you just say so yourself?"

Jiangg Ning froze for a moment.

"You’re right..."

"Chen Yuan told me he would lend me the money. In fact, he’d lend it to you, too, and between the two of us, we’d have enough to clear the debt... because we’re both his girlfriends," Jiangg Yao said, pressing her lips together before sighing. "But that’s not right, is it, Sis?"

Jiangg Ning remained silent.

"This money, or this whole situation for that matter... we’re both just enjoying his unconditional protection without contributing anything ourselves. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be able to sit here talking calmly. We’d be losing sleep all night from worry, forced to just stand by and watch things get worse... I feel guilty, Sis, for being on the receiving end of all this."

Normally, Jiangg Yao was playful and seemed carefree.

But that didn’t mean she never thought deeply about things.

On the contrary, when she did, her perspective was even more realistic and exacting than Jiangg Ning’s, and her words could be much harder to hear.

"There are some things Chen Yuan hasn’t said, but I know in my heart that he’s willing to do all this because he wants both of us to be with him... Sis, I’m sure you’ve thought about this, too."

"On the other hand, if you have no intention of marrying him in the future, then he has no responsibility or obligation to take on so much for us. Everything has to be weighed and measured..."

"You’re right about all of it." Jiangg Ning took a deep breath, clenching her fists.

It was precisely because Chen Yuan wasn’t there that the two of them could finally speak so frankly.

"He won’t say these things because they’re unpleasant to hear. Even if you don’t marry him, Sis, he wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing. He also knows how much pride you have, so he doesn’t want to pressure us."

Jiangg Yao glanced at the closed bedroom door and got out of bed.

She pulled the door open and peeked outside.

The light in the bathroom where Chen Yuan was showering was still on. He probably wouldn’t be out for a while.

Closing the door,

Jiangg Yao looked at Jiangg Ning with utmost seriousness. "Sis, what’s your take on all this? Have you thought about what I said?"

Instantly,

the bedroom fell silent.

Both sisters knew in their hearts that this day would come.

The day they would have to discuss this matter openly and honestly.

"I have thought about it. And you’re right... it’s time we had a proper talk."

...

Chen Yuan had no idea. As he lay drowsily in the bathtub, debating whether to soak a little longer or just go to bed for a good night’s sleep,

the two sisters were discussing a topic that would define their fate.

And it was fortunate that he wasn’t there,

for it was his absence that gave them this opportunity.