The Overnight Chosen Wife: darling, kiss me deeper

The employees’ cafeteria, at lunch time.

Cheng Yu was just about to finish her food when a figure slotted himself opposite her. "Can I sit here?"

She looked up at the anticipating Cedric and realized that he wanted to sit with her. "Sorry, I’m full and I have to rush."

She was facing the door so she had to pass Cedric to head out. He grabbed her hand as she walked past him and went straight to the point. "You have started avoiding me again. I already explained that my family wouldn’t interfere with us but... Did I do something wrong? Or is it..." He looked dejected. "Is it because you hate me?"

"What? Of course not." She was baffled at how he was able to come to such a bizarre conclusion. Knowing that arguing with him would merely waste her time, she looked straight at him. "Cedric, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just..."

She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. She knew that her words may hurt his feelings but she didn’t have much choice at the moment. "It’s just that I can’t give you as much attention as I want. I have many things to do, Cedric. You know that I’m already playing two roles at the company, not to mention, I’m preparing for the graduation."

"Graduation?" He looked confused then suddenly understood. Their graduation at Star Art International would be in a few weeks. If she didn’t mention it, he would have forgotten all about it. He had almost forgotten that he was still a student and had only got a job using his natural talent.

"Yes. Now you know why I can’t be at your beck and call, right?"

He nodded but still found it baffling. "Why are you working so hard? Doesn’t it exhaust you?"

She smiled helplessly. Of course it exhausted her. She was not a machine, okay? However, it was the only thing she could do to earn as much money as possible in a short time. She wanted to enroll her brother into a better school and be able to give him the kind of luxurious life that he had never experienced.

She had already discussed it with Luna; once the latter got married, she would terminate her lease contract and Cheng Yu would fully rent the apartment, since she liked the place. She would have her brother stay in the other room.

Although it sounded far-fetched for a girl her age to think of taking her brother to move in with her, she knew that there was no better choice. The poor boy would merely continue to suffer if he continued staying under the care of their heartless parents.

She didn’t explain any of this to Cedric and the young man didn’t probe either. He nodded, looking relieved although she had not said anything about making time to spend with him. He flashed a charming smile. "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" Cheng Yu was confused.

"Thank you for not ignoring me. And thank you for explaining the situation to me."

She was amused. Why did he look like he had been pardoned of a death sentence? She smiled and spoke before her brain could process it. "I was thinking of inviting you for dinner sometime. Are you free this weekend?"

His eyes widened then narrowed almost immediately. Was he dreaming?

He must be!

If not, why did he hear Cheng Yu invite him for dinner?

"You are too busy?" It was her turn to be nervous. She was planning to use the dinner date to explain a few things to him and confess her feelings but he seemed unwilling so her eyes dimmed. "If you don’t want to come..."

"Want, want, want! I’ll be there on time! Where and when?" After confirming that he was not dreaming, he was so excited that he could grow wings and fly off.

She bit her lip to prevent a smile. "Saturday, at my place. See you then."

Then, without waiting for a response, she rushed back to her office. She had to make up for lost time.

(Author’s teasing note: Or maybe, she was just too embarrassed to be in the same space as Cedric after asking him out on a date.)

___

That evening.

As Han Xichen promised, the results were out within the day. He brought the file to Xiehan’s mansion where Lanni, Ruby and Xiehan were already waiting.

Lanni observed the potential siblings and raised an eyebrow. Xiehan looked calm on the surface but knowing him well enough, he was anxious deep down. On the other hand, Ruby did not look tensed in the slightest. It was as if she had already predicted the outcome.

The atmosphere was eerie, so she coughed and glanced at Han Xichen. "Why don’t you just spill it?"

He was relieved at her request. The awkwardness was too much for him to handle so he joyously took out the results and read through a series of medical terms that probably only he understood. The trio listened carefully and tensed up when he introduced the conclusion.

"The DNA compatibility is 50%. This proves that the hypothesis of Ji Xiehan and Ruby Chan being siblings is true."

A long spell of silence followed.

Ruby took a peek at Xiehan nervously. Since the test had been done by his trusted friend this time, he would no longer suspect her, right? She suddenly didn’t know what to say.

Lanni knew she was not in the position to break the silence, and Han Xichen was starting to feel awkward again.

"Uhm... Is this the part where the siblings should embrace and cry emotionally about missing out on each other for so many years?"

Lanni jabbed him with a slight laugh.

Xiehan finally reacted. He glanced at Ruby in disbelief. "You really are my sister."

"I am." Ruby felt as though she was sitting on needles.

"While I’m not used to having a sudden sister-swap, at least you are an upgrade from that scheming Feifei." He joked.

The mood lightened up a bit. As long as he didn’t particularly hate her or blame her for being away for all these years, she was happy.

Lanni was about to say something when her phone rang. She answered the call and when it ended, her eyebrows raised. "So fast?"

"What is?" Xiehan looked over and asked.

She frowned as she thought about it. "The other DNA test, the one with Ji Feifei’s sample. The hospital called and said that the results are out, and the file will be delivered here in a few minutes."

Han Xichen had vaguely heard Lanni and Ruby discuss this, so he frowned too. That certainly was fast.

"I bet they didn’t even do the test." Ruby rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, anticipating the fake results.

Within fifteen minutes, the butler brought over a package addressed to Xiehan.

Lanni raised an eyebrow to that. "Isn’t that so clever? They think I would have hidden the results or lied about them, so they sent it directly to Xiehan."

"Like you would need to hide fake results." Ruby laughed out loud. Ji Feifei’s supporters must not have known that they had already done an authentic test. They must have bribed all the hospitals in B City to change whatever DNA test was related to the Ji family. However, they forgot that Xiehan had his own connections.

The man slid his long fingers along the white file and opened it curiously. He too, wanted to see the result.

As expected, the conclusion was that Ji Feifei was Xiehan’s biological sister.

Han Xichen didn’t know what exactly was going on so he was confused. "I thought it was a case of being switched at birth. could it be that it was not the case? Instead, it is a case of one twin being lost at birth?"

"It is a case of being switched at birth." Lanni explained. "The impostor has supporters who are helping her secure her position in the Ji family. She is in jail, so she would not be suspected of doing anything behind-the-scenes."

"If they find out that we already know about Ruby, they might make it seem like Ji Feifei and Ruby are fraternal twins." Xiehan analyzed.

"That’s not impossible." Lanni had not thought about it.

"How creepy..." Ruby had goosebumps just thinking about it. Being twins with that witch?

"So what do you plan to do? Do you need my help exposing her?" Han Xichen offered.

Lanni suddenly laughed like a sly fox. "You don’t need to. I simply lay a trap and they fell right into it like the fools they are."

"What do you mean?" Han Xichen had a bad feeling. What was the little beauty scheming?

Ruby had a bad feeling, and Xiehan was curious.

Lanni cradled her chin and deliberately kept them waiting for a while before smiling. "You see, I didn’t really submit Ji Feifei’s hair. I only took it to alert them. However, the only way for them to get out of the trap I lay is if I’m actually a daughter of the Ji family. Yup, I submitted my own hair in the name of Ji Feifei’s."