Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 59 - 43: Engagement (Part 3)

"I’ll never agree to this marriage! Jing is two months younger than me. Making me call him ’Brother-in-law’? Over my dead body."

"I don’t agree, and Yao’an won’t either. Neither of us brothers will approve, so Jing can forget about setting foot in our house!"

Chen Wanqing covered her ears, looking pained. "Were you reincarnated from a sparrow? You’re so loud."

Chen De’an let out an aggrieved whimper.

"I knew it. You’ve always liked Jing more than me. When he sheds a tear, you feel sorry for him, but when I cry, you say I was reincarnated from a sparrow. Oh, good heavens! Why don’t you just make Jing our blood brother? That way, he wouldn’t have to marry my sister."

The look on Chen Wanqing’s face was beyond exasperation and speechlessness.

’With a brother this dramatic, why is he even bothering with the imperial examinations? He should just join an opera troupe.’

But he was her own flesh and blood, so she had to placate him.

Mainly, his crying was a torturous sight and sound for her eyes and ears.

Chen Wanqing threw her hands up in surrender. "Fine, I won’t marry him! Is that what you want to hear?"

"Really?"

"Yes, really! I’ll never marry. I’ll just let you and Yao’an support me for the rest of my life. But you two will have your own families someday. To avoid any conflict between me and my future sisters-in-law, please be so kind as to allow your dear sister to buy her own courtyard and live by herself after you’re married."

"Live alone? Th-that’s so pitiful! You’re my sister. How could I let you be so lonely?"

Chen Wanqing waved a hand wearily. "I’d rather be lonely. I’m begging you, just let me."

"Absolutely not! The thought of you living all by yourself, with a cold pillow and an empty bed... it makes me want to cry."

"You say no to this and no to that. Then tell me, your sister, what path am I supposed to take? What exactly do you want me to do?"

Chen De’an was silent for a long while.

In the flickering firelight, the young man’s thin, red-rimmed eyelids drooped, making him look utterly pitiful. Even Chen Wanqing, who had just been finding her brother annoying, couldn’t help but start to reconsider.

’My brother is usually so well-behaved. Was I too harsh with him just now?’

’De’an is only looking out for me. By being so impatient, did I hurt his feelings?’

Just as Chen Wanqing was hesitating, wondering if she should try to soothe her brother, Chen De’an lifted his head. Looking terribly wronged, he said, "Sis, I’ve thought it over, and I think you should get married after all. Just marry Jing. I know all his embarrassing stories, and I’ve got his weaknesses right in the palm of my hand. If he ever dares to treat you poorly, I can take care of him myself, easy."

"And how would you ’take care of him’? With that scrawny little body of yours? You can’t take a punch. I doubt you’d last two rounds against Jing."

It was then Chen De’an realized his sister knew he had been hiding the fact that Zhao Jing practiced martial arts.

He was instantly furious. "That Jing has no honor! We agreed to keep this a total secret, but he let it slip on purpose. I knew he was no good! Sis, you absolutely cannot agree to this marriage."

Exasperated, Chen Wanqing pushed her brother out of the kitchen. "Do you want me to marry him or not? Make up your mind! Besides, marriage has always been decided by one’s parents and a matchmaker. I’ll listen to Mom and Dad. I’ll marry whoever they tell me to, and if they say no, I won’t."

"Of course Mom and Dad have good judgment, but you’re the one who has to live with him! You should have the biggest say in whether he’s a good match..."

"How am I supposed to know if someone is a good match before we’re married? And how can I guarantee that a man won’t be one person before the wedding and a completely different one after?"

Chen De’an’s scalp prickled. Getting married seemed like such a hassle. He then recalled something his mother often said: "Marriage is a woman’s second birth."

The words carried the weight of a mountain. That meant his sister’s marriage couldn’t be decided rashly. They had to think it over for three, four, five, six... years to be absolutely certain before settling on anything.

"Sis, don’t you worry about this. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it for you."

Chen De’an’s so-called solution didn’t solve a thing. In fact, for saying all the wrong things, he earned himself a "mixed doubles" beating from Chen Song and Xu Suying and was promptly kicked out the door.

This all happened after the four elders of the Zhao Family had left. Hearing her brother’s yelps and squawks as he was getting hit, Chen Wanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry.

’Compared to Jing, this brother of hers...’ She shook her head. ’They can’t be compared. I shouldn’t compare them anymore. Everyone is different. It’s not fair to De’an to constantly compare his faults to Jing’s strengths.’