"Yeah, I remember.  It was just a few months ago."

"That's right.  I saw him there."

"Huh?!  You did?  Are you sure?"

"Yeah!! h.e.l.l yes!"  Her animated voice reached another level of enthusiasm.  Her face flushed pink as she relived the moment.  "He… He was the good Samaritan who helped us escape that situation…"

Xue Jinxu's pupils dilated as she heard her piece of news. 'Then, Brother must have been near me all along?'

"I guess he did it for Man Rui, though."  Hw.a.n.g Meilin bowed her head in disappointment upon her new realization.

"You like him." Xue Jinxu spouted as she studied her.  Hw.a.n.g Meilin wasn't too unpredictable.  She had read through her gestures.

Hw.a.n.g Meilin gasped and gaped as her eyes nearly popped in astonishment. "How can you say that?  I was just surprised that the guy turned out to be your brother."   She retorted in denial.

Xue Jinxu narrowed her eyes, as she thought, 'Really?  She's acting that she's not too inclined to like my brother?  It is written all over her face!'

'Can I use her to separate brother and that woman?'

'But this woman is no better.  She's similar to a leech.'

"Are you a hundred percent sure it's him?"

"A hundred and ten.  He was wearing a hood at that time, but I could not mistake the scar on his face.  And his looks, of course."

"You're blus.h.i.+ng."  Xue Jinxu observed.

"Huh?  What? No!" The poor Hw.a.n.g Meilin cupped her cheeks coyly.

"You do know he's married?"

Hw.a.n.g Meilin bit her lower lip.  She wasn't feeling good about where the conversation was leading to. "I know.  To Man Rui, right?  I think they were childhood sweethearts of some sort?"

'Childhood sweethearts, my a.s.s!' Xue Jinxu blurted out only in her head. 'Bulls.h.i.+t!'

"No, they're not.  It was an arranged marriage, not a happy, natural one.  Why don't you try your luck if you can, you know, provide my brother the love he truly deserves." She smiled enticingly.

"I am offended.  I'm not a mistress!" Hw.a.n.g Meilin took a step back, her hand hovering on her chest in a hurt manner. "I am aware of our past, and I regretted going after your husband, but I only did that because I thought that he went against the promise he had given me."

"But this time… No!!!  I can't believe that you, of all the people, Jinxu, would say that!  It's immoral!"

This time, Xue Jinxu acted hurt.  She winced at her words. "I'm just concerned about the happiness of my older brother who is so kind."

"But Man Rui is our friend!"

"I am not friends with her anymore.  She's a witch!  She bewitched my brother!  I cannot forgiver her!"

Hw.a.n.g Meilin shook her head. "Let's just say this talk never happened.  I will forget about it.  You should, too."

"I won't commit the same mistake twice."

"But you like him, don't you?"  Xue Jinxu was unstoppably aggressive.  She fetched one of Hw.a.n.g Meilin's hands and gave it a squeeze. "Why don't you give it a shot first?  Brother is slick and decisive.  If he's convinced he will decide immediately what to do and what to choose.  If he chooses you, you will have my blessing.  Again, I'm only after my twin brother's happiness."

Hw.a.n.g Meilin retrieved her hand forcefully.  Her eyes flickered when they locked gazes, but she withdrew her gaze, too.  Hurriedly, she left the bathroom.

'Brother will never choose a girl like her.  But, it's worth taking a risk.  Who knows, she might be able to break whatever bond they share.'

During the remainder of their getaway, whenever Xue Jinxu and Hw.a.n.g Meilin happened to look at each other's eyes, the latter would break eye contact first.  Clandestinely, Xue Jinxu smirked.  It was such an underhanded method to use, but indeed, it could have worked.

But her worry had not been addressed.  Chen Linyun was still as stiff as before.  Perhaps she had to talk to him openly about it instead of using means such as this escapade.

"Honey, I want you to know that you can open up to me about anything, alright?  I will also support you quietly if that's what you prefer.  I don't want to be annoying and pester you all the time, but I'm simply worried about you, dear."

Chen Linyun wrapped his arms around her lovingly.  "Just having you here beside me is enough for me.  There's nothing to do right now except to wait for good news from Jin Yuan… I somehow brought all this up to myself.  If I hadn't insisted on letting me know the truth, Mother wouldn't have shared it with me.  She would have taken it to the grave."

"But it's liberating to know the truth.  Yet, at the same time, devastating."

"Do you still love me after discovering that your husband doesn't even have his own name to brag?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and took a sniff of his scent. With furrowed brows, she closed her eyes.  Slowly, in the middle of their dark dim-lit room, they started swaying their bodies.

She responded, "My love for you will not change even if you change, or your ident.i.ty change.  It will stay strong even if you don't.  I will love you forever, Chen Linyun, my husband, the father of my child.  I hope that you will love me forever, too."

"Of course.  I have loved you the moment I set my eyes on you seven years ago.  I will love you still after a hundred or thousand years." The husband whispered through her hair.

"Be true to your words, Chen Linyun."

"I will, I promise.  You too, Xue Jinxu."

"Promise."