CHAPTER 646: CHAPTER 635: VICIOUS VILLAIN

Jiang Cheng recently noticed that Wen Xiao seemed different than before, especially when she was with Ye Qiu. He always felt the atmosphere became tense, and he wasn’t sure if it was his illusion, but it seemed like Wen Xiao was deliberately preventing him from seeing Ye Qiu.

He was not the kind of person to hide his thoughts, so he asked directly when he was doubtful.

Wen Xiao looked at Jiang Cheng’s oblivious expression and couldn’t help but laugh in frustration: "Do you really not know?"

"What should I know? Why do you dislike Ye Qiu? If there is any conflict, can’t we just talk it out and resolve it?"

"Yes, I dislike her. Don’t you know the reason why? It’s just a woman’s jealousy. And the solution is simple—just stop seeing each other from now on," Wen Xiao said to Jiang Cheng with a serious expression for the first time, her demeanor distinctly different from before. Han Fei and Gao Feng, who were just about to enter, stopped in their tracks at the doorway.

"Why? Why would you be jealous of her? It’s impossible for Ye Qiu and me not to see each other again. She’s my sister, Wen Xiao, stop being so silly," Jiang Cheng frowned and said.

"Sister? Your real sister?" Wen Xiao raised her voice, while Mo Ziang, seeing this, pulled Han Fei and Gao Feng back.

Gao Feng was a bit confused and seemed not to have grasped the situation. Han Fei sighed; he had always been perceptive, and now he understood that Wen Xiao’s prior friendliness and liveliness only emerged when she was in the mood. After all, as a rich girl, why would she always have to cater to others? But was her conflict with Jiang Cheng because of Ye Qiu? He could understand that, considering Jiang Cheng and Ye Qiu were not blood-related, it was inevitable for Wen Xiao to feel uneasy. Yet, Ye Qiu was different for Jiang Cheng; he absolutely couldn’t sever ties with Ye Qiu just for Wen Xiao.

"Let’s just stay out of it; it’s their business. The more we interfere as outsiders, the more trouble we’ll cause," Mo Ziang might seem indifferent usually, but he understood life well; a brother is a brother, but never meddle in a brother’s family affairs.

Gao Feng was still a bit perplexed: "Isn’t it because Wen Xiao has a misunderstanding about Brother Cheng and sister Ye Qiu? Shouldn’t we go and explain?"

"Explain what? The more we try to explain, the more Wen Xiao will feel like everyone is siding with Ye Qiu, and she will just get angrier with Jiang Cheng."

"But Brother Cheng obviously doesn’t like to explain!" Gao Feng was still worried.

"You can help them for a moment, but can you help for a lifetime? If Brother Cheng really wants to be with Wen Xiao, or if Wen Xiao truly wants to be with Brother Cheng, they will change for each other. If they are unwilling to change or to explain, that just means their relationship isn’t that deep. Maybe after this argument is over and they’ve talked it out, their relationship will improve," Mo Ziang explained.

After listening to Mo Ziang, Gao Feng could only shake his head and sigh, hoping the two could clear things up. But the atmosphere between Jiang Cheng and Wen Xiao was obviously not as good as he had imagined; it was tense again.

"Wen Xiao, don’t speak out of anger. Although Ye Qiu isn’t my biological sister, she is no different to me than one. Your jealousy is completely unfounded," Jiang Cheng said with a furrowed brow, trying to be as patient as possible.

Wen Xiao was clearly not satisfied with his explanation, and her normally gentle smiling eyes became sharp: "No different than a real sister? Don’t you already have a real sister? Do you treat Miaomiao as well as you treat Ye Qiu?"

"It’s not the same," Jiang Cheng’s face darkened, "Ye Qiu and I have been neglected by the family since we were children, even to the point of disdain. If it weren’t for Ye Qiu pulling me out of the darkness, I might not be where I am today."

"So what? Whatever she says goes? Everything you do is for her? You’re even planning to use your first earnings to buy her a house, Jiang Cheng, have you ever considered how I feel?" Wen Xiao shouted.

"The money for this house was originally hers. Now that she has transferred the property rights to me alone, shouldn’t I repay her with a house? Wen Xiao, you’re not lacking in this, if you want, can I give you all my future earnings?" Jiang Cheng was still trying to keep his temper in check.

"I’m not lacking a house, Jiang Cheng, what I’m lacking is your care. In your heart, am I more important or is your stepsister more important?"

Jiang Cheng frowned with difficulty, "Why compare the two? You both are completely different to me and mean completely different things to me."

"What if I insist on an answer?" Wen Xiao stared at him unyieldingly.

Jiang Cheng suddenly felt tired. Ye Qiu had told him that their original family was unfortunate enough, and if one day he met someone he wanted to spend his life with, he must treat that woman as well as possible.

When Wen Xiao first came into his life, he treated her merely as a normal classmate, but her burning love gradually touched him and made him realize how colorful the world could be.

He admitted that Wen Xiao was different to him, so he also wanted to love her as much as possible, to immerse himself in her world, as Ye Qiu said, but all under the premise that she would also accept his world.

His relationship with Ye Qiu was nothing more than pure sibling affection. Why couldn’t Wen Xiao believe that?

At this moment, Jiang Cheng also finally came to a realization. Ever since he started dating, the frequency of Ye Qiu’s contact with him had been decreasing, probably because she too sensed Wen Xiao’s hostility toward her.

To this day, Jiang Cheng still remembered the empathy he and Ye Qiu shared in facing the harsh criticisms from Jiang Hongcai and Luo Sitian at the Jiang Family’s house. Without Ye Qiu’s daily perseverance, perhaps he wouldn’t have made it to college and changed from his former solitary and stubborn ways.

Ye Qiu was said to be his stepsister, but she was more like his salvation. It was supposed to be two people huddling together for warmth, but it felt more like Ye Qiu providing warmth to him.

So he was willing to give his all for the one he loved, but that certainly did not include cutting ties with Ye Qiu.

"Wen Xiao, there is no answer to this question. You both are equally important to me. Should either of you be in danger and needed my life to save you, I’d do so without hesitation. I assure you, there is nothing between Ye Qiu and me beyond familial love," Jiang Cheng said tiredly.

But Wen Xiao was not satisfied with this answer; she still felt that Ye Qiu’s influence on Jiang Cheng was too significant.

Seeing the dissatisfaction in Wen Xiao’s eyes, Jiang Cheng wanted to make one last concession, "Wen Xiao, if we can enter the hall of matrimony, you and our children will definitely be my closest. Ye Qiu will also get married and have children; she’ll have her own closest people. So could you please not dwell on this anymore?"

Wen Xiao was still struggling. She knew that today, Jiang Cheng was trying his best to give her a promise, but there was still a knot in her heart. She couldn’t feel at ease until she saw Ye Qiu married and with children, until she saw her have her own family.