Chapter 2

Chapter 2

My brother-in-law was the prefect of Bianzhou, and he and my elder sister had been betrothed since childhood.

They grew up together as childhood sweethearts and were deeply attached to each other.

After they married, they were even more loving, treating each other with the utmost respect.

My brother-in-law was gentle and considerate toward my sister, and my sister put him first in everything. Their days were as sweet as honey.

Jiang Zhi had been staying at the Xu Residence during this period.

After all, he was a prince. My brother-in-law treated him with the greatest courtesy, and my sister politely saw to his daily needs as well. On the surface, no one could find the slightest fault.

My parents died when I was young, and it was my sister who raised me all by herself.

She would put every good thing she could not bear to eat into my bowl instead.

I had always kept that kindness in my heart.

After Wen Lin was born, I adored him even more.

The child was as delicate and lovely as a carved jade doll, with the sweetest smile. The moment he saw me, he would reach out his arms for me to hold him.

But in my previous life…

Wen Lin had been frail and sickly since childhood, burning with fever and coughing every few days.

My sister shed countless tears over him, staying up night after night by his side until her eyes sank from exhaustion.

She finally managed to raise him, and the child turned out sensible. He took great care of Qiaosheng, and the two brothers were very close, often studying and playing together.

It was only Jiang Zhi… With Qiaosheng, he suppressed him at every turn.

He was always saying Qiaosheng had no manners, that he did not look like him, that his temperament resembled mine.

His tone was full of disgust.

He kept Qiaosheng under tight control, forbidding him from going out to play or making friends. He only allowed him to stay by Wen Lin’s side at all times and take care of Wen Lin, as if he were a young servant.

Every time Qiaosheng looked longingly out the window at the other children playing…

The hatred in my heart grew by another degree.

I stared at the curtain of rain stretching up to the sky, and my thoughts slowly returned to the present.

Ever since Jiang Zhi moved in, he had taken the initiative to say Wen Lin was adorable, then repeatedly went over to my sister’s side to see the child.

My brother-in-law had recently taken on a new assignment and left early and returned late every day, so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

I was afraid my sister and Jiang Zhi would be alone together and invite gossip, so I forced myself to go over there as well.

But my sister thought I had feelings for Jiang Zhi. In private, she took my hand and asked with a bright smile, “Ah Shu, do you feel that way about Prince Cheng…?”

The moment I heard that, I panicked and said solemnly, “Sister, I swear I don’t have the slightest interest in him.”

“Then why…”

A trace of confusion flashed through my sister’s eyes.

I hesitated for a moment, but still told her the truth. “Sister, I’m afraid he’ll cause a misunderstanding between you and my brother-in-law.”

She froze, then let out a soft sigh. “I was the one who failed to consider that. I thought Ah Shu liked Prince Cheng, so every time Prince Cheng came to see Wen Lin, I deliberately had the maids call you over.”

I gripped my sister’s hand, my tone firm. “Sister, I do not like Prince Cheng. I don’t like him now, and I won’t like him in the future.”

At that, she laughed and reached out to pinch my nose, her expression teasing.

“Don’t tell me you really do like younger men?”

I lifted my chin and answered with complete confidence, “Yes. I like men younger than me. Someone I can eat with and play with. Not like Prince Cheng, all dull and old-fashioned. Looking at him makes me feel like I’ve found myself a steward.”

I made her burst out laughing.

Then I clung to her for a while longer and played with Wen Lin, squeezing his little hands and kissing his cheeks. Only then did I leave her room, thoroughly satisfied.