My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

The truth of the matter is that as children grow up and become more independent, parents have fewer and fewer opportunities to intervene and discipline them.

After all, children are individuals. When they can’t yet act on their own, parents might have absolute say, but that authority vanishes quickly with the passing years.

In other words, it was a battle she couldn’t win.

Although Liu He was fuming, she knew deep down that there was nothing she could do about Chen Yuan.

During her visit since Chen Yuan had started college, everything he revealed—his internship, his love life, and his studies—all indicated that he had his own ideas about everything and didn’t need his parents’ intervention.

From what the two sisters said, Liu He could clearly see their sincere affection for that little rascal of hers, Chen Yuan. Those feelings couldn’t be faked.

When they answered certain questions, their eyes would drift to him involuntarily. It was obvious who the pillar of the relationship was; that person held most of the power in their conversations.

It had nothing to do with family status, but was a long-standing habit. It proved they were used to seeking Chen Yuan’s opinion and validation.

Moreover, Chen Yuan had barely served himself any food throughout the meal. It was one thing for Liu He, as a mother, to place food on her son’s plate, but Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao would also do it unconsciously, their movements so practiced they looked as if they’d been repeated countless times.

The more she observed, the more Liu He’s melancholy grew, becoming harder to dispel.

’If only my son had told me sooner,’ Liu He couldn’t help thinking. ’With my guidance, the situation would surely be much better than it is now.’

She and Mr. Chen were, after all, seasoned and reliable adults. They were much more thorough and thoughtful than the still-naive Chen Yuan.

That being said, how many children in the world could actually share their love lives with their parents? Especially with a traditional upbringing that has emphasized hierarchy and respect for elders for millennia. A child living in such an open-minded family would be truly fortunate.

What Chen Yuan saw as an irredeemable mess, Liu He now had a budding idea for.

They were in the early stages of the relationship, so everything was still manageable. It wasn’t too late. If Chen Yuan had brought home two future daughters-in-law with big bellies, that would have been a situation to make her faint from anger.

...

At the dining table, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively and warm, filled with the sound of happy chatter and laughter.

For the first time, Chen Yuan discovered his parents were this talkative. It wasn’t like what he remembered. In the past, they would exchange a few sentences with him and then go about their own business, as if they didn’t have much to talk about with their child.

’So my parents have been giving me the silent treatment all these years...’

The two elders chatted with Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao about a wide variety of topics, even touching on education in recent years.

The lunch was so lavish that even with five people trying their best, they only managed to eat a little over half. By the end, they were truly stuffed. Even Jiangg Ning, who usually ate very little to maintain her figure, made an exception and ate her fill.

"You all go on and eat. I’m going to sit on the sofa for a bit and have some tea to cut the richness," Mr. Chen said, being the first to rise from the table.

Then, Liu He tactfully got up as well, following him to the sofa and leaving the space for the trio to talk.

The elders left.

The two sisters instantly relaxed from their prim and proper posture.

"I was so nervous. My palms are sweaty," Jiangg Ning whispered softly, leaning close to Chen Yuan’s ear.

"It’s okay, you two were amazing," Chen Yuan said, winking slyly. "From the looks of it, you’ve completely won my parents over."

He took a napkin and gently wiped Jiangg Ning’s delicate hand.

"It can’t be that simple," she said, first looking pleased, then muttering with cautious optimism.

"That was so embarrassing. I slipped up several times," Jiangg Yao said, poking at the rice in her bowl. Her pretty little face was scrunched up in distress as she nervously bit her lip.

Her anxiety was written all over her face. The moment Chen Yuan saw her, he felt a pang of guilt.

The pressure on the two sisters was undoubtedly greater than on him.

"Not at all! You were incredible today. When we came over to eat, my mom secretly told me you’re a great conversationalist, really sweet, and that she can tell you’re a very thoughtful and caring girl."

"Really?" Jiangg Yao asked, half-convinced, blinking her bright, sparkling eyes.

"I swear."

Chen Yuan ruffled Jiangg Yao’s hair.

She had been the biggest surprise today. You could say she’d outdone herself, putting her lovably endearing qualities on full display.

After Chen Yuan’s reassurance, both Jiangg Ning and Jiangg Yao felt an indescribable joy well up inside them. From the looks on their faces, they were both secretly delighted, trying to suppress the smiles that kept wanting to form at the corners of their mouths.

The trio whispered among themselves, their radiant faces breaking into lovely smiles from time to time. Under the table, there was no shortage of small gestures like holding hands and poking each other’s waists.

They were completely immersed in the bliss of new love.

The two sisters’ most vivid impression was that Chen Yuan’s parents were genuinely good people. Before coming, they had worried that the parents might be difficult to get along with. After all, they’d heard how fierce Liu He could be on the phone before. But after spending time with her today, they realized that wasn’t the case at all.

She was warm and kind, without a hint of the airs an elder might put on. She wasn’t the least bit harsh.

It turned out her fierceness was reserved only for Chen Yuan, a result of being strict with him since he was a child.

This allowed Ningning and Yaoyao to let out a huge sigh of relief. With parents this easygoing, they didn’t need to worry about the future at all. In fact, through that meal, they had faintly experienced a warmth of family they hadn’t felt in a long time.