Chapter 346: Chapter 233: Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao’s Sleepless Night (2)

BAM!

Jiangg Yao’s already messy hair became even messier.

"This is all because you tricked me! One wrong step led to another, and God knows what Chen Yuan thinks of me now!"

BAM! Jiangg Ning slammed the table and shot up, her chest heaving with anger.

"It’s all over!"

The usually calm Ningning had completely lost her composure. She strode past Jiangg Yao on her long legs and walked out alone.

"Where are you going?"

"To cool down."

Jiangg Ning closed the door behind her.

She had probably gone home to hide in her study and cry.

In truth, when she came to apologize to Chen Yuan, she hadn’t been very confident about being forgiven and getting back together, but she never expected things to get this messy.

In the end, she had underestimated Chen Yuan’s resolve. The sisters’ last shred of hope was completely crushed.

After she left, Jiangg Yao sat there in a daze for a long time.

Finally, Jiangg Yao grabbed a throw pillow, hurled it away in a fit of despair, and then hugged her knees and began to wail.

Her face was hidden, her expression unreadable, but her shoulders wouldn’t stop trembling.

...

In the two days since the truth came out, they had already thought things through. Whether they blamed each other or shifted responsibility, it was all useless. It wouldn’t solve the actual problem.

Their fighting was just them being unable to contain the fire inside.

They had to find a way to release it.

What they needed to figure out—beyond the endless apologies—was whether they truly wanted to continue this relationship, or if they should do as Chen Yuan said: break up and go their separate ways, returning to their normal lives.

They had to ask themselves honestly.

What they needed wasn’t forgiveness, but to learn how to love.

Perhaps they had been doing it the wrong way all along...

On this quiet night, the sky was dark. A pitter-patter of water droplets covered the windowpanes, like a never-ending piece of music.

Jiangg Ning didn’t turn on the lights. She just sat there, motionless.

On her desk, the faint glow of her computer screen reflected as tiny specks of light in her eyes.

The document was filled with dense, tiny text. This was the apology letter she had written. You could say every single word of it was sincere, but this belated sincerity was useless now. Today, these words of repentance felt more like a mockery.

Countless opportunities to confess had presented themselves, but neither of the two sisters had cherished a single one.

Jiangg Ning wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with a slender finger. This display of vulnerability, so rarely seen from her, was heartbreaking to behold.

It’s often said that a woman is more beautiful when she cries than when she smiles. Few people believe it.

But Jiangg Ning, at this moment, was the perfect embodiment of that saying. Hidden beneath her mature exterior was a lonely and sensitive heart.

Over the years, it wasn’t that she had never felt pain. There were so many moments when she felt she couldn’t hold on any longer. At times like those, she craved someone to lean on. Now, she had finally found someone she could entrust herself to.

’Ruined... It’s all ruined. And I did it with my own two hands.’

Only when you truly realize what you’ve lost do you understand how big the hole in your heart can be, impossible to fill with anything else. She never used to believe that women who fall deep into love could suffer so much pain and struggle. Now, she was experiencing it firsthand.

She wasn’t immune either.

In the end, everyone is just an ordinary person. They love, they hate, they act recklessly, and they can even come to hate themselves.

Jiangg Ning had never hated herself more than she did in this moment. If she had a second chance, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second. Not only would she hold fast to her principles, but she would also make it up to Chen Yuan properly.

She couldn’t help but put herself in his shoes. If she had been the one to experience something like this, it would probably leave a scar on her heart. She would never be able to forgive the person who deceived her.

So, as the victim, the man she loved...

...how disappointed must he be in her?

Jiangg Ning closed her eyes in despair. She recalled everything that had happened since their relationship began. With every scene that flashed through her mind, the feeling of suffocation in her heart grew stronger.

It’s rare to find someone in this world who gives back exactly what you give them.

It was even rarer that at twenty-six, she had met the first person she had ever truly and genuinely loved.

Thinking like this, she became even more unwilling to let Chen Yuan just walk away.

But forcing him would not make her happy either.

’So what should I do... Should I try apologizing again?’

At this thought, Jiangg Ning took out her phone. She desperately wanted to call Chen Yuan again right now. Maybe a little more communication would lead to a different outcome. Maybe...

The look of hope in her eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a thick wave of doubt.

Indecision, frustration, sadness—countless emotions tangled within her.

And out in the living room.

Jiangg Yao had also returned home, her steps slow. She walked into the secondary bedroom, sank onto a chair, and her gaze fell upon a photo of herself and Chen Yuan at the beach displayed on her computer.

It was a warm sunset, its afterglow spilling unsparingly, bathing her and Chen Yuan in light.

As she stared, her vision blurred, until all that remained were countless twinkling specks of light.

One apartment, two rooms.

The two sisters were equally unsettled. This was destined to be a sleepless night.

It wasn’t until one in the morning that Jiangg Ning’s emotions calmed down a little. She washed her face and, while drying it, felt her way through the darkened living room.

The door to the secondary bedroom was shut tight.

Jiangg Ning was a little worried about her sister. After all, Yaoyao’s emotions had always been more intense than her own. While she probably wouldn’t do anything irrational, it was very possible she had been crying all evening until the early morning.

Besides, from the afternoon until now, the two of them had been so focused on preparing their apologies that they hadn’t had any appetite to eat.

At this hour, having emerged from her state of sadness, she suddenly felt a little hungry.

Jiangg Ning clutched her stomach, hesitating whether or not to knock on the secondary bedroom door.

"You’re out..."

Just then, a faint voice suddenly spoke up, making Jiangg Ning jump.

She turned her head in surprise, only to find Yaoyao sitting on the sofa, hugging her knees. She was so quiet that Jiangg Ning hadn’t noticed her at all.

"You scared me!" Jiangg Ning didn’t turn on the light. She walked over and asked in a low voice, "When did you come out to the living room?"

"Two hours ago."

"Why didn’t you say anything?"

"I saw you were in the middle of a good cry. I didn’t have the heart to knock," Jiangg Yao said in a calm voice, which couldn’t help but make her older sister’s cheeks flush red.

’Was I really crying that loudly just now?’

She felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.

"...Let’s not talk about that. Are you hungry?"

"I don’t have the appetite. I was wondering if Chen Yuan is asleep yet. I want to give him a call..." Jiangg Yao lifted her face, pursing her lips and whispering, "I shouldn’t have let him go. It’s still raining outside. What if he catches a cold?"

"He’s not an idiot."

"Sis... do you think it’s possible we’ll never see Chen Yuan again? He wouldn’t just leave Lanjing and run off by himself, would he?"

"Don’t let your imagination run wild." Jiangg Ning crouched down and cupped Yaoyao’s cheeks. "Look into my eyes and listen to me."

"Mm..."

"Chen Yuan has his studies. He has to come back for school no matter what. He can run, but he can’t hide. That’s why I dared to let him go. Maybe he needs time, maybe *we* need time. In any case, it’s okay to be sad tonight, but tomorrow we have to pull ourselves together. Do you hear me, Yaoyao?"

"Sis, I feel so much better hearing you say that. You’re right, we’ll definitely find a way."

Jiangg Yao took a deep breath, her lips trembling as she replied.

It seemed she had cried so hard that her throat was still a little sore and her eyes ached.

"Go wash your face. I’ll whip something up to eat, and we can talk after."

"Okay."

No matter what, the two were identical twins by birth.

No one could sever this connection. It was a bond of blood. Even if this game of hearts came to an end, with one of them forced to leave and cut off contact with Chen Yuan, they could never stop being sisters.

So, their quarrels were normal. In the end, they were still them. This was what set them apart from many other sibling relationships.

They slept in the same bed night after night. They understood each other to a degree that surpassed even their understanding of themselves.

This was perhaps why they could treat each other however they wanted, secure in the knowledge that they would eventually make up.

Heaven had bestowed upon the two sisters flawed personalities and sensitive hearts.

At the same time, it had also granted them the fate of falling in love with the same man, yet because of this special bond, they would never truly turn against each other.

This was the greatest wonder of being identical twins.

Jiangg Yao put on her slippers, repeating the phrase ’There has to be a way; Chen Yuan can’t get away’ to herself as she walked to the sink.

She cupped some water in her hands and splashed it on her face. The sudden coolness made her shiver.

But then, in her mind...

A flash of inspiration struck.

"I’ve got it! Sis... I’ve got it!"