Zhu Liuyue nodded, looking thoughtful. “You’re right,” she said.
Ye Yunche was taken aback.
He had assumed Zhu Liuyue would get angry upon hearing that, would argue back—but instead, she actually agreed with him.
Zhu Liuyue curved her lips into a smile. “Why are you staring at me like that? I’m not some lovesick fool, and besides, I don’t even like Ye Yunjin. The marriage alliance between our families is purely because we’re a good match.”
Oh, so Liuyue didn’t like his older brother after all.
For some reason, Ye Yunche’s mood instantly brightened.
Even the gloom of having to accompany his brother to apologize to his future in-laws today had vanished.
And besides, “future in-laws”—who was to say they couldn’t be his own in-laws someday?
At that thought, he broke into a blissful grin.
“Yunche.”
From afar, Ye Yunjin’s voice called out.
Ye Yunjin had just finished apologizing to Zhu Liuyue’s father and mother. Given his sincerity, and the fact that their engagement had already been publicly announced, Zhu’s father had vented his anger, then only said that he needed to be tested further.
Otherwise, the engagement between the two families could still be called off.
Ye Yunjin had apologized repeatedly and sworn his sincerity, which finally helped Zhu’s father let go of his grudge.
But when he came out and saw his younger brother Yunche standing close to Zhu Liuyue, chatting and laughing, that dark, secret envy crept up in him once more.
So he deliberately raised his voice.
To remind Yunche of his place.
“Brother, what is it?”
“It’s about time we head off—we shouldn’t disturb Uncle and Auntie any longer. Let’s go.” Ye Yunjin smiled with refined ease, walking over with steady steps.
He naturally stood right beside Zhu Liuyue.
As if they were a match made in heaven.
Ye Yunche tried to squeeze in between them.
Damn!
There was no room left.
Ye Yunche was just flashing his little tiger tooth, plotting some mischief, when he heard Zhu Liuyue say:
“Since you’re leaving, could you give me a ride? I need to run some errands in the city center today.”
Ye Yunjin smiled warmly. “Of course.”
Zhu Liuyue added, “And I’ll treat you both to a meal—mainly to thank Yunche. He really helped me out a lot yesterday!”
The compliment was utterly sincere.
Ye Yunche couldn’t help but puff out his chest and declare proudly, “Of course I did!”
Zhu’s father and mother waved their hands with smiles.
“Alright, alright—you young people have things to chat about, so go on ahead. We old folks won’t hold you up. Off you go.”
That day, the two Ye brothers had arrived in the same car.
On the way over, Ye Yunjin had driven, and Ye Yunche sat in the passenger seat.
But as they approached the vehicle, Ye Yunche slipped open the driver’s door and hopped into the driver’s seat.
He said with absolute conviction, “Brother, you were working overtime at the company last night—you must be tired. Let me drive.”
Ye Yunjin simply nodded, having no objection.
Until he saw Zhu Liuyue naturally slide into the passenger seat, and then realized he was left with only the back row as an option. At that point, he fell silent.
By then, Zhu Liuyue had already buckled her seatbelt.
She turned her head, looking through the window at Ye Yunjin standing outside the car, and asked, “What’s wrong, Yunjin?”
“Nothing.” Ye Yunjin gave a refined smile, opened the door, and bent down to get into the car.
He looked up, and the gaze he cast at his younger brother Ye Yunche had changed.
Yunche was doing this on purpose.
Inside the car, Ye Yunjin remained very quiet.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunche was being chatterbox, endlessly noisy.
“Zhu Liuyue, where did you learn to race? Was it also when you were studying abroad?”
“By the way, don’t you think my 718 is cool? How about I give it to you?”
“Honestly, you should really join our racing club. You drive better than those kids—you’d be more than qualified to be a coach…”
Zhu Liuyue nodded along beside him, responding half-heartedly.
Extremely perfunctory.
But Ye Yunche’s enthusiasm didn’t waver—after all, racing was his “wife,” let alone the fact that his “future wife” was sitting in the passenger seat.
It was Ye Yunjin who suddenly spoke up.
“Yunche.”
“What’s up, bro?” Ye Yunche pretended to adjust the rearview mirror and, sure enough, caught his brother’s grim face in it.
Finally noticed.
How slow could he be?
Ye Yunche had wanted to lay his cards on the table for a while now. After all, his older brother liked Bai Shurou, and now Bai Shurou was back in the country.
They’d make a couple.
And he and Zhu Liuyue would make a couple.
Perfect.
As for the whole brothers-sharing-sensations thing, worst case scenario, after the wedding he’d take Zhu Liuyue and move abroad. The farther the distance, combined with mental suppression, should dampen the effect, right?
Of course, that was all just his guess—never tested.
Ye Yunjin said coldly, “You’re driving too fast. Steady it.”
Ye Yunche glanced at the speedometer. Sixty kilometers per hour in the city.
Was that fast?
Not really.
Clearly, his big brother was just annoyed and finding something to nitpick.
After that, Ye Yunche stopped provoking him. He wasn’t as chatty as before and quieted down considerably.
The group arrived at the restaurant smoothly.
They ordered a few signature dishes and chatted while eating—mostly gossip from their social circle and updates on mutual friends.
Thirty minutes later.
Ye Yunjin took the initiative to mention he needed to head to the company and couldn’t stay any longer.
Ye Yunche waved a hand and said, “Big bro, don’t worry. Go ahead—I’ll take good care of sister-in-law.”
Ye Yunjin was already uneasy, and that remark made him even more so.
He grabbed Ye Yunche by the arm and said, “You’ve been fooling around outside all these years. It’s about time you took on some responsibility.”
With that, ignoring Ye Yunche’s protests, he dragged him away.
Zhu Liuyue stood to the side, smiling brightly, without a single word of goodbye as she watched Ye Yunche get hauled off by his brother.
Just then, her cousin Zhu Qi’s message popped up on her phone.
“Sis, did you know Bai Shurou got into a car accident yesterday and is in the hospital?”
Zhu Liuyue replied: “No idea.”
Zhu Qi followed up with a voice message and a photo, his voice urgent.
“Someone at the hospital spotted Yunjin-ge yesterday. They said Bai Shurou ended up in the hospital because of him, so he was waiting outside. Also, there’s a rumor going around that the guy who got engaged to you yesterday wasn’t Yunjin-ge at all—it was Ye Yunche!”
“Not a rumor. It’s true,” Zhu Liuyue replied calmly.
Three seconds later.
Zhu Qi seemed stunned.
“……!!!”
Another two seconds passed, then Zhu Qi:
“Sis, I have to get even for you! I’m going to round up some guys and go cause trouble for Bai Shurou at the hospital. She did that on purpose, right? She knew full well yesterday was your engagement ceremony with Yunjin-ge. She could’ve had an accident any other day—why that exact day?”
Zhu Liuyue looked at the messages and let out a sigh.
Poor kid.
What’s there to get even for?
Little did he know—this was exactly how he was about to fall in love.
