Chapter 8: Haven't I Seen This Younger Sister Somewhere Before?

“Jiang Ming, Jiang Man, both are girls from the Jiang family,” the old master of the Jiang family said as he ate lightly, already feeling full after a few bites and preparing to leave the table. “They are twins. When they were born, one was taken away by the doctor, and just a few days ago, my poor granddaughter was found and brought back.”

At first glance, the two did share some similar features, but it hardly seemed to fit the old master’s claim that they were twins.

Yet, since the Jiang family said so, who could doubt it?

“No wonder, I thought the two younger sisters looked so alike,” Xie Yan nodded to them both, though his words were directed to the old master.

“You young people go chat elsewhere. This courtyard is vast; Ashi, take them for a good walk around,” the old master said as he rose from his seat, leaving the four young ones alone.

“Have we met before?” Xie Yan suddenly asked Jiang Ming, who was still sipping her porridge, his brow furrowed as he tried to place where he might have seen her.

“Huh?” Jiang Ming looked puzzled but politely stopped eating to think carefully. “Maybe because we’re both from Lingao.”

However, with three graduating classes between them and Xie Yan never having shown up at the school after graduation, meeting was unlikely.

Jiang Ming just saw him as a carefree wealthy playboy who said the same line to every pretty girl he met.

Confident in her own beauty, Jiang Ming’s initial impression of Xie Yan quickly soured.

Xie Yan naturally caught the indifference in her tone. “Hmm, maybe.”

“Eat up quickly. When you’re done, I’ll take you out for a stroll,” Jiang Shi hurriedly broke the tense atmosphere. “You two haven’t really toured the old mansion yet. Today, you’re in for a treat.”

The old mansion had been built when the old master’s father was still alive—not very long ago—but the family had been wealthy merchants for generations, so the splendor inside was incomparable to anything outside.

Most of the courtyard was left empty now. Before Jiang Cheng and his two siblings married, the house was lively, with nearly every courtyard inhabited. Since they moved out, the place had grown quiet.

Of course, Jiang Shi wouldn’t really make them wander the old mansion—it was a tedious waste of energy and time.

Instead, he led the three to the greenhouse carefully tended by the old master and himself. Usually, only the two maintained it, but with three extra hands today, adhering to the principle of not letting labor go unused, he gave them some instructions and set them to work.

“You little rascal, so you brought us here to do hard labor,” Xie Yan joked.

Xie Yan and Jiang Shi were close and enjoyed harmless teasing.

Jiang Ming and Jiang Man, not familiar with them, just listened quietly on the side without joining in.

The greenhouse was nearly two hundred square meters, filled with rare flowers and plants the old lady had loved. Different sections housed different species, so the tasks varied.

Soon after starting, the four split up to tend to different areas.

Jiang Ming, bored, preferred repetitive tasks that required no thought, making plant care a perfect way to pass the time—much more comfortable than wandering awkwardly with strangers.

“What are you going to do about Jiang Cheng?” Jiang Shi suddenly appeared behind her.

Focused as she was, the unexpected voice startled her slightly, causing her to pause mid-trim.

She quickly recovered, finishing the branch she held before answering, “I don’t know, but odds are he’ll make a move at tomorrow’s banquet.”

Jiang Cheng’s fierce gaze when he left last night assured Jiang Ming he would not let her off easily.

Nothing would be better than some trouble at tomorrow’s recognition banquet—her first day announcing her identity would be marred, and she could forget about surviving in this circle.

“The banquet’s at the old mansion. I’ll keep an eye out for you. You be careful, too,” Jiang Shi said.

Since it was uncertain what Jiang Cheng might do, the only defense was vigilance.

“I know. Can you help prepare dresses for Jiang Man and me?”

Last night, she’d slapped Li Baizhen and Jiang Cheng’s faces. They wouldn’t let her off easily either. But they still had use, and Jiang Cheng surely wouldn’t organize the banquet himself; however, letting them lose face was inevitable.

Thus, having Jiang Shi prepare the dresses was the easiest way to sabotage.

“Alright.”

After speaking, Jiang Shi returned to his section, unaware that Xie Yan, who had just walked over, had overheard their whispered conversation.

“That kid,” Xie Yan muttered.

He didn’t interrupt and quietly walked back. It was rare to see Jiang Shi talking to girls.

Knowing Jiang Shi’s true identity, he reasonably suspected Jiang Shi had a thing for Jiang Ming, though any real feelings would never pass the old master’s approval.

After Jiang Shi left, Xie Yan returned to where he had been standing.

Jiang Ming was still there, her hands paused in mid-action, brows tightly knit, lost in thought.

Her pensive expression was familiar, yet Xie Yan just couldn’t place where he’d seen her before.

Lingao? Impossible—Jiang Ming enrolled after he had already graduated. So where else?

He quickly reviewed the places he’d been, searching for any impression of her.

Suddenly, it struck him.

Two years ago, on a rainy night, at a bus stop, a drenched girl sat quietly on the bench, tears silently streaming down her face. She had no umbrella, and a bright red handprint marked her cheek.

Not one to meddle or overly kind, seeing her like that stirred a rare pang of sympathy.

He called the driver to stop, passed his coat and a spare umbrella through the window.

She initially refused, but the driver’s friendly demeanor convinced her to accept.

As she turned away, the streetlamp illuminated her profile; a single tear fell onto the passenger seat.

Their eyes met briefly; she forced a faint smile. “Thank you.”

He remembered how cold it was that night. She wore only thin pajamas, soaked through, clearly having fled home after being beaten. He had no idea when she went back.

It was a small thing—Jiang Ming probably long forgot it, or perhaps her past was too painful to recall.

But that night’s red-rimmed eyes were etched in his mind, making her face unforgettable.

Thankfully, her suffering was over now that she had returned to the Jiang family. Tears in the rain would no longer haunt her.

Though he recalled the event, he felt no urge to speak with her again. Best to forget it—their lives from that rainy night onward were forever separate.

When the old master introduced them today, he said they were twins, but Xie Yan suspected Jiang Ming was the true daughter of the Jiang family. He was curious how she had been found and brought back.