Chapter 666 - 446: Broken, This Time It’s Really Broken

"Don’t try to play the victim with me. We’ve been together for this long; what would be the point if I didn’t know you by now?"

Chen Yuan didn’t let up on his questioning just because she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Seeing she couldn’t bluff her way out of it, Jiangg Yao pouted and looked away.

She stopped crying, too.

It seemed she was trying to pull her usual "in one ear and out the other" trick.

"Is that what I meant when we talked in Tokyo? Do you think your sister would take it the same way coming from you as it would coming from me? I was just in the shower for a little while—"

"I didn’t," Jiangg Yao argued.

"You didn’t what?"

"I didn’t make anything up. I told the absolute truth. Or what, are you planning to back out of the engagement?"

"Of course not. I’m a man of my word. Once this is all over, I’ll get it done immediately."

"Right. So what’s wrong with me sharing the good news with my sister? Look at how aggressive you’re being... She gets a little upset and you immediately blame me? Oh, you poor thing... You’re just heartbroken for her, aren’t you... How disgusting."

"What???"

"Don’t talk to me. I’m not speaking to you anymore."

As she spoke, Jiangg Yao tried to make a hasty escape into the bedroom.

But before she could even push the door open, Chen Yuan grabbed her by her sleep shirt and yanked her back.

"What did you just say about her being unwilling? Explain yourself. Clearly."

This time, a genuinely serious expression crossed Chen Yuan’s face. His tone was no longer playful.

To put it bluntly, this was a life-altering decision.

There was no way he would let Jiangg Yao just brush it off.

"I... I asked her for you if she’d be willing for us to marry you together. Was that wrong of me? If I hadn’t asked, were we supposed to stay deadlocked like this forever? She answered, and her attitude was the same as when we discussed it before. That’s all."

Jiangg Yao lowered her head, her hands clasped and fidgeting behind her back. She looked like a pouting child who had just been scolded.

"Oh, I needed you to ask for me? Am I supposed to thank you for that?"

"You’re welcome, my lord."

"You little shit..."

The moment Chen Yuan let go of her collar, Jiangg Yao shot into the room and dove under the covers, as if she would be completely safe there.

She pulled the blanket up until only her eyes and forehead were showing, squinting as she observed the outside world.

Jiangg Yao knew full well that the battle to come had nothing to do with her.

Her squabbles with her sister were child’s play; they never truly settled anything. But when two stubborn people like Jiangg Ning and Chen Yuan fought, it was a *real* fight.

"Done talking?"

Jiangg Ning was still in the same position as before the other two had left, her face expressionless.

But perhaps a tempest raged beneath that calm facade.

"We didn’t talk it over. I was just asking her what happened."

"So, the engagement’s been decided. You’re just here to inform me."

For some reason, she hadn’t felt angry while facing Jiangg Yao just now. But seeing Chen Yuan, Jiangg Ning found it impossible to speak nicely.

Every word that left her lips sounded as if it had been soaked in vinegar.

The sourness was so potent that even she herself could hardly stand it.

She felt inexplicably agitated, so pent-up it was like she was about to lose her mind. She didn’t feel like herself anymore.

"Ningning, don’t get the wrong idea. That’s not what I meant. Let me explain." Chen Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, not forgetting to shoot a glare at Jiangg Yao, who was hiding under the covers.

Jiangg Yao quickly pulled the blanket back over her head, not daring to peek again.

"When I was in Tokyo, my intention was to ask Yaoyao for a little help. After I patiently explained everything to her, she thought about it and said that it might not be impossible for the three of us to be happy... I was really touched. I figured since Yaoyao was willing, I had to promise her what she deserves. Otherwise, I’d have to deliberately string her along because of my relationship with you. She’d only be able to marry me whenever you finally agreed... That would make me a real asshole, right?"

"And how are three people supposed to be happy?" Jiangg Ning ignored the rest of his explanation, her counter-question sharp and aggressive.

"Why can’t we? I just don’t understand why you’re so insistent on this. Being different from other people doesn’t mean we can’t be happy. You say the law doesn’t allow it, but there are countries in the world where it does. You say people will always look at us with prejudice, so does that mean people born with disabilities can’t live their lives? You say you don’t know how to explain it to others, and I told you I would do all the explaining. You two would only need to be yourselves, just like always... When we were drinking today, didn’t you say there was nothing too embarrassing to bring up? Why are you suddenly so sure the three of us can’t work?"

"I said there was nothing too embarrassing to bring up *before* you made your decision. Now that you’ve already made it, is there any point in me saying anything at all?"

"What have I decided? What Jiangg Yao and I agreed on was to take things slowly, to respect you, and to hope that you might change your mind."

"I won’t change my mind," Jiangg Ning said petulantly.

Her words made Chen Yuan freeze for a moment.

"If you want to marry Yaoyao, then I congratulate you. I sincerely hope you two will be happy. As for all this talk about taking things slow, don’t bother. I will never agree."

"Ningning, don’t say things you don’t mean just because you’re angry," Chen Yuan said patiently, his lips pulling into a stiff line.

"I’m not. How could I be? I’ve said this before. She was willing to compromise, so you made her a promise. You’re right, you don’t need to deliberately put off your marriage to Yaoyao because of me. She’s not some accessory," Jiangg Ning added, as if talking to herself. "It’s good. There’s nothing wrong with it."

"Ningning..."

"Don’t call me Ningning. Chen Yuan, let’s just get this straight today. If you respect me, then you should just be with Yaoyao. I’m willing to back out. This has nothing to do with me making some sacrifice for your happiness. This is how things should have been from the very beginning."

"Let’s talk about this another day. We can’t decide everything after one conversation. Let’s give each other some time to think—"

"I’ve done more than enough thinking," Jiangg Ning said, head bowed, refusing to meet Chen Yuan’s eyes. She stood up, grabbed her phone and pillow, and started walking out. "You two sleep here tonight. We should keep our distance. We don’t need to be tangled up with each other anymore."

"Where are you going?"

"I’m going to sleep in another room."

"Is that really necessary? Why is everyone in such a foul mood? I just took a shower! Who did I piss off?"

Chen Yuan grabbed Jiangg Ning, who was charging out with her head down, and held her fast, refusing to let her leave. They struggled for a moment before Chen Yuan simply blocked the doorway with his body.

Jiangg Ning was like a little lamb trying to butt its way through; the more Chen Yuan blocked her, the harder she charged.

But how could a delicate girl’s strength compare to a man’s in his prime? She couldn’t get away no matter how she tried, and could only look up at him.

Her expression was a mixture of threat and indignant anger.

"If you keep blocking me, I’ll—"

"You’ll what?"

Furious, Jiangg Ning punched him on the shoulder. "Get out of my way!"

But whether she hit him, threatened him, or shoved with all her might, she couldn’t break through the barricade that was Chen Yuan.

Her phone and pillow fell to the floor. She picked them up, only for them to fall again during the struggle. She picked them up again.

And so it repeated.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, she gritted her teeth and charged at him one last time, only to be thrown back by the force of the impact. She collapsed onto the floor.

In that instant, Jiangg Ning’s composure completely shattered.

Teardrops began to slide down her cheeks one by one, and in an instant, her face was wet with them.

"You... Why are you such an asshole? You won’t even let me leave," she sobbed, her words choked. "I hate you... I hate you so much..."