"What?"
Lu Jinse raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t feigned surprise; it was genuine.
Had she really just said it outright? She had assumed they wouldn't discuss this until they were at the dinner table that evening.
Suddenly, Lu Jinse’s heart sank as a chilling possibility crossed her mind. Had she been reborn, too? Otherwise, why would her personality have changed so drastically? Lu Lili used to be the type to stab people in the back.
Steadying herself, Lu Jinse probed, "Lili, did I hear you correctly? You want to marry Xu Yueshan?"
"Yes." Lu Lili’s lips curled upward. "You heard me right. To be honest, I like him too. I only suppressed my feelings because of your engagement, but after hearing you talk about breaking it off yesterday, I decided to go for it."
Her explanation was muddled. Lu Jinse was now even more certain that her sister had been reborn. If Lu Lili had truly liked Xu Yueshan in the past, she wouldn't have been so subtle; she would have been resorting to underhanded tactics long ago.
"Lili, there’s a mistake in your statement. You said you 'also' like Xu Yueshan—leave me out of it. I don’t like him," she corrected.
Lu Lili’s smile froze. "Sister, do you really not like Xu Yueshan? Or are you just saying that because you’re angry?"
Why wouldn't she believe her? She had always noticed how her sister’s eyes would light up whenever she saw him.
Lu Jinse said, "I told Dad about this yesterday. It’s not a matter of romantic love; I don’t even like him that much. I simply don't despise him." She was working hard to set the record straight.
Lu Lili nodded. "Sister, since that’s the case, are you going to give up this arranged marriage or not?"
She was impatient. She had found an opportunity to ask their mother that morning, and Mother had said the situation wasn't very optimistic, suggesting they discuss it again at dinner and even telling her to prepare two side dishes for their father to soften him up. But Lu Lili couldn't wait.
"Lili," Lu Jinse said, using her chopsticks to smear half a piece of fermented bean curd onto a steamed bun. "You’ve got the wrong idea. It’s not a matter of whether I'm willing to give it up, but whether the Xu family is willing to agree."
She took a bite of the bun, laughing inwardly. Lu Lili thought marrying Xu Yueshan would lead to a life of luxury. Little did she know, the Xu family was a pit of fire, a place from which there was no return!
But if she had been reborn, why had she become so stupid? Heh, how interesting.
...
"Sister, as long as you agree, Dad will talk to the Xu family. This betrothal was arranged by our elders; it won't be easily canceled." Lu Lili was very confident.
Lu Jinse looked puzzled. "Lili, aren't you starting university? Why are you thinking about getting married?"
"Sister, plans can’t keep up with changes." Lu Lili also smeared some fermented bean curd on a bun; it looked delicious. "If I can marry Xu Yueshan, I’ll have no regrets in this life. I’ll give the university spot back to you."
"Lili, this is a major life decision. You need to think it through. Xu Yueshan isn't as perfect as you imagine." Lu Jinse feigned a warning.
Lu Lili waved a hand, refusing to listen. "Sister, it's not like I want to criticize you, but you’re usually so easygoing. Why are you being so stubborn now? If you can find fault with a man as perfect as Brother Xu, it just shows that you..."
Before she could finish, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" came a knock at the door.
"Oh? We have a guest! I wonder who it is?" Lu Lili dropped her bun and ran to open the door. She had one main flaw: she couldn't keep her feet or her mouth still. Actually, that was two.
Hearing the knock, Lu Jinse’s heart skipped a beat. She thought of Gu Yuncheng’s remark about coming to the house to see her that morning. Could it be him?
Lu Jinse turned to look at the doorway...
The moment the door pushed open, she didn't see the expected sturdy olive-green military uniform, but rather a lean figure in black and white.
Lu Jinse’s gaze dimmed. It wasn't Gu Yuncheng; it was that scumbag, Xu Yueshan. Why was he here? She looked at the bun in her hand and lost her appetite.
...
Lu Lili asked a redundant question with great excitement: "Brother-in-law? Why are you here?"
Xu Yueshan asked, "Is your sister home?"
"She is." Lu Lili was brimming with enthusiasm. "Brother-in-law, come on in! You didn't have to bring anything—I feel so bad about you spending your money." She deftly took the two jars of canned fruit from his hands.
*Hiss.* Lu Jinse felt a toothache just watching.
Lu Lili’s habit of sycophancy and brown-nosing hadn't changed one bit. Someone like her, who hadn't been beaten down by the harsh realities of life, wouldn't amount to much even in a second life. She was scrambling to jump into a fire pit. If she wanted to jump, so be it; she had no intention of stopping her.
"It’s the least I could do." Xu Yueshan walked directly into the living room and caught sight of Lu Jinse stuffing the last piece of the bun into her mouth, her cheeks bulging like a pufferfish.
Xu Yueshan interpreted this as her being disdainful and mocking him. He sat down and said, looking displeased, "Stop acting out. Come home with me now."
Lu Jinse looked at him in his white shirt and black trousers, looking all dashing and elegant. One idiom popped into her mind: "A beast in human clothing."
She really wanted to curl her lip into a sneer, but her mouth was full, which hindered her performance.
Lu Jinse swallowed the bun before she could speak. "Who do you think you are? Tell me to go home and I just go? Did I break up with you just to 'act out'? Did you not sleep well last night, or is your brain inflamed? Why are you rambling nonsense? How did you even reach this conclusion?"
As it turned out, she was no longer the submissive woman who would just swallow her pride and keep the peace. The cruel lessons of her previous life had made Lu Jinse confident and strong.
"Why is your tone getting nastier and nastier?" Xu Yueshan frowned. "Isn't this just you acting out? Was that minor issue yesterday really worth making such a scene over? We’re adults; can’t you use your brain before making decisions?"
Lu Jinse raised an eyebrow defiantly. "My tone is nasty because 'loyal words are hard on the ears.' How do you know I didn't use my brain? Hey, Xu Yueshan, I’ve noticed you have a flaw: you’re far too self-righteous. My personality may be gentle, but that doesn't give you the right to act however you please."
Xu Yueshan said angrily, "How have I acted however I please? Yesterday, it was Mom who insisted on asking you for the hospitalization fees, not me. If you didn't want to pay, you didn't have to, but you didn't need to say such nasty things. In the end, didn't I pay it? Did I say a word against you?"
"Heh." Lu Jinse gave a disdainful laugh. "Right, you didn't say anything. You didn't even say a single word in my defense. That is tacit approval, and tacit approval is support for Auntie’s actions."
Before Xu Yueshan could speak, Lu Lili, who was using a screwdriver to open the canned fruit on the coffee table, interjected.
"Sister, you’re just nitpicking now. Just because Brother-in-law didn't say anything doesn't mean he was in agreement. Auntie Gu is his own mother; he was in a difficult position."
Lu Jinse glared at her. She really couldn't keep her mouth shut! She had to meddle in everything!
"Lu Lili, if you’re just here to watch the show, be quiet. No one thinks you're a mute."
"Jinse," Xu Yueshan said, coming to her defense. "Have you gone crazy lately? Why is everyone an eyesore to you? Is Lili wrong? You’ve blown a minor issue way out of proportion."
He was finding it increasingly difficult to understand Lu Jinse; she had become sharp-tongued and biting.