But right now, she was like an instrument played out of tune, so flustered she didn’t know where to look.
She was asking Yaoyao because she couldn’t make sense of her own heart.
This just went to show that no matter how rational a woman might be, she becomes a creature of emotion the moment her heart is stirred. No one can ever perfectly control their feelings. Love was, without a doubt, a profound subject.
’She’s a goner,’ Yaoyao thought, observing her sister’s state.
If infatuation had a face, it would be the one Ning was wearing right now.
"What do you even like about him!?" Yaoyao grabbed Ning’s shoulders and shook her, completely baffled. "There has to be a reason... His face? The fact that he’s young? His voice?"
"His looks are fine, I’m not a fan of his age, but I do like his voice," her older sister mumbled, her cheeks flushing slightly. "His personality is pretty good, too. He’s not a pushover, but he’s not overbearing either... I can’t quite explain it."
"There are tons of better-looking guys out there! Guys who are the right age, guys with nice voices! Sis, you’re gorgeous, you could have anyone you want! What’s so great about Chen Yuan?! Eighteen-year-old guys are immature... incredibly immature! The only thing he has going for him is his looks, and that’s not worth falling for!" Yaoyao was so worked up she started flailing her arms as she tried to talk some sense into her.
"No, it’s not about any of that... it’s a feeling..." Ning’s face was beet red, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. "Just... seeing him makes me feel really happy."
...
Seeing that bashful expression, Yaoyao’s fists clenched so hard she wanted to drag Chen Yuan over and beat the crap out of him! She even suspected Chen Yuan had slipped her sister some kind of love potion. How else could a few mere mentions of his name transform her sister from a strong, independent woman into a meek little wifey?!
Unbelievable!
She completely forgot that when she’d had her own crush, she hadn’t been much better.
At that moment, the roles seemed to reverse: Yaoyao became the stern older sister, and Ning the clueless younger one.
Her gaze was harsh as she scrutinized Ning, filled with the exasperation one feels for a person who fails to live up to expectations. Such a letdown.
"You’d better think this through. This is serious. You definitely won’t be allowed to date him. Forget about Mom—you’d never get it past the school."
"I know. That’s why I’m so hesitant. It’s why we broke up before."
"What’s there to hesitate about? You really want to date Chen Yuan, don’t you, Sis?! Is that what you’re really thinking?"
"No."
"Yes, you are!"
"I’m not..." Ning said, her gaze dropping. "Even if I am sure I like him... he might not even say yes."
"So why would you throw away everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve, all to chase some uncertain possibility? Your life is perfectly calm right now. Sis, the consequences would be incredibly severe!"
"That’s what I was thinking, too. That’s why I wanted to ask you, Yaoyao... how did you get over him?" Ning asked, puzzled. "It’s like you’ve completely forgotten about it. You even seem to hate him now."
SIGH... Yaoyao let out a long sigh. "You’re still too naive, Sis."
"Huh?"
The view outside the window was mesmerizing. Neon lights blossomed against the night sky above the clamor of endless traffic. Lanjing was a city of dazzling prosperity, and even under the cover of darkness, its busy inhabitants found no peace, their footsteps forever pressing onward.
Back in the living room, Yaoyao thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and said gravely:
"Forgetting someone is simple. You just have to keep yourself busy, find new goals. That’s what I’m doing now. In the end, feelings are just a tiny part of life. Sis, you study philosophy, you should know this better than I do. Our lives, the entire world, are just vast and fleeting, without any great meaning... Okay, I can’t keep this up." Yaoyao covered her face, trying to think of the saddest things she could to maintain her composure. She looked up again, her expression serious. "Even if you really do like him, you should just set it aside for now."
"Set it aside for now..."
"That’s right. It’s not too late to make a decision once you’re absolutely sure of your feelings."
"I think I understand."
Surprisingly, Yaoyao’s words of comfort were incredibly effective!
Ning mulled it over. It seemed to make sense. It was better to wait until she had completely calmed down before looking at the situation again and deciding what to do. That way, it would be a well-considered choice, one she wouldn’t regret.
She nodded vigorously and shot to her feet.
"Yaoyao, that was perfectly said. I’m so glad you’re here, otherwise I really wouldn’t have known what to do... It’s seven-thirty, I need to get going to Ms. Qin’s place." Ning said, striding quickly toward the walk-in closet.
"Go on. I need to get ready for my stream, too."
Yaoyao calmly finished her half-bowl of lotus seed and lily bulb porridge. Then, she waited until the door slammed shut with a THUD.
The living room fell silent.
She put down the porridge bowl and raised her fists.
"AAAAAHHHH!!! DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT! That freaking guy is going to be the death of me!"
The sofa suffered a relentless barrage of punches from her fists.
Yaoyao had undoubtedly made the right call. In those few seconds she’d taken to think, her brain had been working faster than Einstein’s at his peak.
She planned to lay her cards on the table, just not today.
Yaoyao was going to use every method at her disposal to max out her ’affection points’ with Chen Yuan. She would wait until the moment the whole truth came to light.
That way, even if Chen Yuan had to choose, she would be in an unbeatable position. For the sake of love, she was willing to get slapped by her sister when the time came. It was time for a vicious backstab!
Yaoyao—the Goddess, the Sage of Love—had just entered this war without gunpowder.