"Can I speak with you alone for a few minutes?" Jiang Duo asked in a low voice, not wanting the others to know about her disheveled state.
“Okay, let’s go to the garden together to talk,” Su Jiu said, then she took Jiang Duo’s hand and walked towards the garden.
"Your transformation is related to your sister, isn't it?" Su Jiu said as she walked.
"Looks like nothing can be hidden from you." Jiang Duo gave a bitter smile. "I tried to persuade my sister to stop living with her husband and to get a divorce, but she wouldn't listen. She took my good intentions for granted and even said I was jealous of her. Since then, I've been very sensible and haven't gone to see her again. All her affairs are none of my business."
"But I never expected that after a while, my sister's belly got bigger and bigger, and she actually came to me and asked me to take her place and serve her husband!" Jiang Duo said, her face full of panic.
"Isn't she just a lunatic?" Su Jiu was speechless. "She must be out of her mind to say such crazy things."
“Yes, she’s really crazy… that’s her husband! She actually made me do that kind of thing, she actually used her own sister to please her husband!” Jiang Duo cried as she spoke. “Of course I couldn’t agree, but I didn’t expect her to collude with my parents, and then my parents started pressuring me too. They used both soft and hard tactics to make me take her place…”
"I never thought my parents would be so confused. I'm their biological daughter too, so why are they treating me like this? My sister chose to marry into the Beijing elite herself. When she was enjoying her life, my parents didn't think of me. But when she suffered, they forced me to go and take her place. They even said that she was pregnant and if the baby was lost due to the ordeal, the whole family would be ruined. They all want to sacrifice my happiness for the whole family!" Jiang Duo said with a bitter smile.
"Then I didn't agree, and my parents and sister beat me like this." Jiang Duo cried and sobbed. "Why is my life so miserable? Why are they so hypocritical? They're so good to my sister, but so mean to me... What did I do wrong? What do I lack compared to my sister..."
"I keep thinking, what if I'm not their biological daughter at all? What if I was switched at birth and became a rich family's daughter, just like your background... But I also understand that these are all my fantasies. Not everyone is as lucky as you. Being born into such a family is my misfortune and my calamity..." Jiang Duo cried intermittently.
“You are indeed their biological daughter, but they just think your sister is more useful to them and can bring more money to the family,” Su Jiu said, frowning. “Do you think they really like your sister? They just treat her as a cash cow. Once she can’t make any more money and has no value, they’ll kick her aside.”
"Actually, they don't love either of them; they only love themselves."
“That’s right. You’re right.” Jiang Duo wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. “It’s probably because my sister is more useful than me that they’re protecting her like this. Sooner or later, I will also hold my head high and achieve my own glory. Then they will turn around and care for me.”
"Right now, you should be thinking about how to protect yourself. You need to be wary of them. If they don't succeed, they will continue to try. You need to be more careful," Su Jiu said, holding Jiang Duo's hand.
[Oh no! Tonight, Jiang Duo's parents are going to drug her and send her to a wealthy, perverted family so she can suffer in place of her sister, allowing the family to continue enjoying their riches. What a disgusting family!]
"Duoduo, why don't you stay here tonight?" Su Jiu suggested. "After all, you just had a falling out with your family, staying here will help you clear your head."
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?" Jiang Duo hesitated.
"No, my villa is very big, you can stay here without any problem." Su Jiu smiled and took Jiang Duo's hand. "Come on, let me show you around."
"Mmm." Jiang Duo nodded.
Xiao Jiu was her only best friend, and being with Xiao Jiu made her feel more relaxed.
"Your villa is really big and impressive..." Jiang Duo exclaimed.
It was the height of summer, and the villa was lush and green, with flowers and plants growing vigorously. In the garden, pink tulips were in full bloom, and the warm golden sunlight shone down, making it look as if it were plated with a layer of gold. This scene was like a romantic oil painting.
"Do you like it?" Su Jiu smiled, her lips curving upwards.
"Mmm." Jiang Duo's eyes sparkled. "It's like a castle from a fairy tale, it's hard not to like it..."
"Then would you like to be my sister-in-law? You can live here from now on, hahaha." Su Jiu laughed.
"You can't just say things like that." Jiang Duo's face paled. "Forget about you playing matchmaker, what if your older brother hears this? He'll be unhappy..."
She knew her own background; she was not a good match for Brother Su Jiu.
She and Su Jiu's older brother were from two different worlds, so she dared not have any unrealistic fantasies.
"Let's not talk about my older brother anymore, let's talk about you. Do you have feelings for my older brother?" Su Jiu lowered her voice and whispered.
Jiang Duo blushed and shook her head.
"Your face is as red as a monkey's bottom," Su Jiu teased.
Jiang Duo became even more embarrassed. She touched her burning cheeks, feigned anger, and glared at Su Jiu, "Xiao Jiu, don't talk nonsense!"
...
The two bickered and teased each other all the way. Su Jiu arranged a clean guest room for Jiang Duo on the third floor.
In the evening, everyone had dinner together.
"Xiao Jiu, try this secret-recipe braised duck. It's a new recipe that our family chef has developed." Su's mother picked up a piece of duck and placed it in Su Jiu's bowl.
"Thank you, Mom." Su Jiu was about to eat when her father picked up a piece of braised beef and placed it on her plate. "Try this braised beef, the taste is absolutely amazing! This was braised by Dad himself, taste Dad's cooking!"
Not to be outdone, Su Xinglan picked up a piece of cold cabbage salad and placed it on Su Jiu's plate, saying, "If you ask me, after eating so much meat and fish, it's better to eat something refreshing and light."
The whole family stared at Su Jiu expectantly, as if they were begging for favor.
Jiang Duo was extremely envious of this scene.
I wish her parents could treat her that well too.
"Duoduo, you should try this dish too." Su's mother didn't forget Su Jiu's friend either. Because she loved Su Jiu, she used serving chopsticks to put a dish on Jiang Duo's plate.
Jiang Duo's eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you, Auntie."
Xiao Jiu's parents are so kind.
...
After dinner, Jiang Duo returned to her room to rest. She took off her clothes and put on the red disposable bath towel that Su Jiu had provided for her.
As she walked into the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel, she saw a tall and imposing figure standing under the dripping water as soon as she opened the bathroom door.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
