Chapter 310 - 115: Qin Mei, He Is Your Brother (Part 3)
Qin Mei suppressed the unease in her heart. Feeling guilty, she didn’t dare to look Qin Xiang in the eye. She lowered her head, stared at the tips of her toes, and called out stiffly, "Brother."
That single word, "Brother," from Qin Mei was enough to break Qin Xiang’s heart. A wave of negative emotions washed over him, and he completely broke down. Ignoring the passersby, the tall man squatted by the roadside and wept, venting all his feelings in loud sobs.
Qin Mei was completely stunned. She watched Qin Xiang, who was wailing without any regard for his image. ’Is it really okay for a grown man to squat by the road, holding his head and sobbing his heart out?’
People in the know would think he was moved to tears by their sibling reunion. People who didn’t know would think his parents had died and he was mourning at a funeral.
"Is he okay?" Qin Mei asked, looking at Jie Jingchen beside her.
Jie Jingchen pursed his lips into a smile and patted her head. "He’s fine. He’s just mourning your lost memories."
Qin Mei froze. ’Did I just say one word, "Brother," and my cover is already blown?’
Qin Mei hesitated, wondering if she should console him and offer her condolences.
But on second thought, ’My soul might have been swapped, but this body belongs to the original owner. Qin Xiang might sense something is off, but he has no convincing proof. Amnesia is my best excuse. As long as I insist that I *am* Qin Mei, it doesn’t matter if it’s a blood-drop paternity test or a DNA test—we’re still related by blood.’
With that thought, Qin Mei instantly felt completely justified.
She cast her guilt aside and, feeling no pressure at all, strode over to the still-crying Qin Xiang and kicked his calf. "Hey, are you done crying yet?"
Qin Xiang stopped crying, sniffled, and wiped his tears. He looked up at Qin Mei and, after a long moment, finally spoke. "Little sister, you really have lost your memory."
’So this guy suspected my amnesia was fake.’ Qin Mei had the urge to smack him, but for the sake of the original owner’s brother, she held back. Not bothering to deal with him, she took Jie Jingchen’s hand and started to leave.
"Little sister, Jing Si, wait for me." Qin Xiang stood up to chase after them but was stopped by the clerk at the grocery store.
"Comrade, are you still buying these things or not?" the clerk asked.
"Yes, yes, I’m buying!" Qin Xiang returned to the store. ’It’s my first time visiting my brother-in-law’s house; I can’t show up empty-handed.’
Worried that Qin Xiang wouldn’t be able to find their home, Qin Mei and Jie Jingchen didn’t go far, waiting for him by the side of the road.
The two of them met each other’s gaze. Thinking of their wild behavior last night, a blush crept onto Qin Mei’s fair cheeks, and her eyes darted away, not daring to look directly at Jie Jingchen.
Jie Jingchen watched the alluring crimson blush spread across Qin Mei’s cheeks. The smile on his lips was as warm as a spring breeze, and a brilliant light glinted in his amber eyes from time to time. Looking completely relaxed, he feigned ignorance and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Why is he here?" Qin Mei asked.
"He’s your brother. You married me, so it’s perfectly normal for him to come visit you," Jie Jingchen said.
"I’m not saying it’s not normal. I just find it strange that he showed up so suddenly." Qin Mei kicked at a pebble by her feet. When it came to Qin Xiang, she felt a little guilty and didn’t know how to act around him.
In her previous life, she was an only child and had no experience dealing with siblings. Although she had met Jie Jingchen’s siblings, they weren’t blood-related to her and didn’t really know her, so she was very casual in her interactions. If they could get along, they got along. If not, they stayed out of each other’s way. And if that wasn’t possible, she would just counter move for move.
She didn’t start trouble, but she wasn’t afraid of it either.
"It wasn’t that sudden. Half a month ago, your brother wrote me a letter saying he wanted to come to Shijiu City to see you. I wrote back and told him he could come anytime and that I would welcome him warmly." Jie Jingchen’s deep voice was laced with a smile. Qin Xiang made it very clear in the letter that he was coming on behalf of the Qin Family. I was already starting to fall for you back then, so of course I wasn’t going to stop him from coming.
The fact that it was Qin Xiang who came actually made Jie Jingchen feel more at ease. Qin Xiang knew the circumstances of his and Qin Mei’s marriage better than anyone. No matter how things turned out between them, Qin Xiang wouldn’t give him a hard time.
"Half a month ago?" Qin Mei exclaimed. A letter came half a month ago, yet Jie Jingchen hadn’t said a single word about it to her. She hadn’t noticed the slightest hint of anything.
The man was already here, and she only found out by accident, not because he told her. ’Was he planning on bringing him all the way home before finally telling me, "Qin Mei, your brother is here to see you"?’
Jie Jingchen didn’t speak, just watched her with a smile.
"You actually hid this from me." Qin Mei lifted her foot and kicked Jie Jingchen’s shin.
Jie Jingchen didn’t dodge, letting her vent. "I wanted to give you a surprise."
Qin Mei glared. ’Is this a surprise? It’s clearly a shock!’ "Thank you," she said through gritted teeth.
"There’s no need for ’thank you’ between us." Jie Jingchen’s expression darkened. The words "thank you" were too formal; it made a husband and wife seem distant.
Qin Xiang finished paying and came out of the grocery store with a mesh bag, just in time to see Qin Mei kick Jie Jingchen. Surprise filled his charming eyes. ’My good brother has changed, and my little sister has changed too. My good brother has become like a normal person with human feelings, while my little sister has gotten more and more violent, kicking people at the drop of a hat.’
He remembered how he’d hugged his little sister, covered her eyes, and asked her to guess who he was, only for her to give him a shoulder throw and then try to kick him. Qin Xiang couldn’t help but shiver. If his good brother hadn’t stopped her, his little sister would have kicked him until he was crippled.
Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Qin Xiang narrowed his charming eyes and flashed a devastatingly handsome smile. He hollered at the two of them, "Little sister, brother-in-law, wait for me!"
Qin Mei steadied herself and watched Qin Xiang run toward them. ’We *are* waiting for you. Otherwise, we’d be home by now.’
Hearing Qin Xiang call him "brother-in-law," Jie Jingchen’s mood lifted, and a happy smile spread across his face.
Qin Xiang shoved the mesh bag at Jie Jingchen and stretched out a long arm to sling around Qin Mei’s shoulder. Before he could even touch her clothes, Jie Jingchen grabbed him by the collar and yanked him away. His imposing frame stood between the two, blocking Qin Xiang from getting any closer to Qin Mei.
Extremely possessive, Jie Jingchen narrowed his eyes dangerously and warned, "Watch your conduct."
Qin Xiang had already hugged Qin Mei once. It happened so suddenly; he hadn’t expected that as Qin Mei ran toward him, Qin Xiang would intercept her midway.
Qin Xiang spat resentfully and narrowed his long, slender eyes. "She’s my sister. My *actual* sister."
The corner of Jie Jingchen’s mouth twitched into a provocative smile. "She’s my wife. My *actual* wife."
The two faced off for a few seconds before Qin Xiang’s expression finally relaxed. ’As long as my good brother treats my little sister well, I can rest easy.’
Still, he was confused. ’Their marriage was obtained through our little sister’s underhanded tactics. She doesn’t fit Jie Jingchen’s standards for a partner at all. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she’s beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside.’
’How did my little sister manage to tame Jie Jingchen after the wedding?’
’Jie Jingchen isn’t a shallow person; our little sister couldn’t have seduced him with her looks alone. The only way is if Jie Jingchen’s heart was moved, leading him to develop feelings for her. Should I say my little sister is skilled at husband-taming, or that Jie Jingchen has just resigned himself to his fate?’
’I know my own sister. It’s more likely that Jie Jingchen just resigned himself to his fate. The marriage certificate was issued by the military, and a soldier’s duty is to absolutely obey orders.’
"Brother-in-law." Qin Xiang slung his arm around Jie Jingchen’s shoulder. If he couldn’t put his arm around his little sister, he’d just put it around his brother-in-law instead.
"Brother-in-law," Jie Jingchen bit out through gritted teeth.
Jie Jingchen didn’t push Qin Xiang away. If he did, Qin Xiang would just go put his arm around Qin Mei’s shoulder. It was better to just let Qin Xiang hang off his shoulder as they walked. Besides, they used to do this all the time back in the military.
Qin Mei followed behind them, watching the two men walk arm-in-arm, talking and laughing. She seriously suspected that *they* were the ones in true love, and she was just their cover.
Back at the Jie Family home, Grandpa and Granny weren’t there. Jie Jingchen didn’t pay much mind to the two elders’ whereabouts. Qin Xiang looked at the large courtyard and the comfortable living conditions. ’It’s nice that my little sister lives here.’
"Make yourself at home. I’ll go put your luggage away." Jie Jingchen picked up the luggage and headed for the empty room next to theirs. Seeing this, Qin Mei immediately chased after him.
"Jie Jingchen," Qin Mei called out, stopping him.
Jie Jingchen stopped and waited for her. Qin Mei fell into step beside him and asked in a low voice, "Are you putting my brother in that room?"
"Mhm," Jie Jingchen nodded.
"You didn’t let your Grandpa and Granny stay here because you wanted to save the room for my brother." It wasn’t a question, but a statement.