Instantaneously, all the tender, motherly vibe was wiped out of her visage.  She turned from a caring and fussy mother hen into a growling mother tiger who's sensing some threat to her baby cubs. 

Suddenly, she felt her blood simmer and boil into steam.  Xue Jinxu closed her eyes first, in an attempt to compose herself and choose her words wisely before answering.  Otherwise, she would not know what kind of words her Brother would be receiving from her.

Then, she snorted and chuckled a bit.  "So, Brother, in a nutsh.e.l.l, you came visiting today to take care of this delicate topic concerning your beloved wife."

"All the other agenda… did you just make up those?  To cover up for this one?"  She shook her head, incredulity winning over.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Brother.  You've chosen that woman's side over me.  I thought we're twins who promised to have each other's back.  I guess things changed in a blink of an eye… for a woman…" The emphasis on the last word was begrudgingly great.

"And Mother… She even thought it's possible!"

"I won't let that happen!" She sighed heavily and decided to comfortably lean her back on the couch.

"Xu-er!" Xue Minhe cautionary tried to pull her back to logic.  "Do this for Mother, please?  I know you'll be so adamant about the idea.  That's why I went here instead."

"Why are you doing this, Brother?  Are you blinded by your love for that woman?  She has bewitched you!  Look at you!"

Xue Minhe found himself sandwiched between two pregnant ladies.  "That 'woman' you are referring to is your closest friend, Xu'er.  In addition to that, she's your sister-in-law."

"I don't get it!  Why are you taking her side?!  I'm your twin sister!  You should listen to me instead!" Xue Jinxu was extremely fl.u.s.tered.  She frustratingly and animatedly threw her arms in the air in vexation as she expressed her honest feelings.  It's the same topic she always argued with her twin whenever they meet.  It's becoming infuriatingly tiring.

"You just have to accept that she's my wife now."

"I can't!" With a hushed voice, she continued.  "That baby isn't even yours!"

"Shut up, Jinxu!" As much as possible, he would have wanted to be diplomatic in addressing this issue; however, he simply could not allow Xue Jinxu if she would cross this one line.  "The child she's carrying will be a Xue.  She will carry my name as well, and be treated as one.  She will be your twins' cousin whether you like it or not."

"But why?!  Brother?!" Face flushed, she whined, "Are you trying to be the good Samaritan here?  This isn't the situation for that.  Our whole family will raise a child that isn't even a Xue – clothe her, feed her, and give her our name?  You are so frustrating.  That child isn't just any child.  That's –"

"ENOUGH!" His thundering voice reverberated in the living room.  Xue Jinxu jerked from shock.

"We've never gotten into a fight this big.  Because of that woman and her child, you'll turn against me?!  Unbelievable." She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms on her chest.

"Yes!  Yes!  Just like you turned against the whole Xue family for a man you barely knew and get married to him without anyone's blessings.  I wasn't here, but I know what you did!  What's the difference?  You and I are the same!"

"We're not!  At least my husband is a good man.  He's from a reputable family.  He works his a.s.s off and made a name for himself."

"This is getting petty.  Teng Man Rui is your friend.  You're both raised together, almost like real sisters.  I don't know what happened to you, but she's the same as the girl who we grew up with.  It's you who changed, Xu-er!"

"Oh, it's my fault now, huh?!  Oh my G.o.d!" She threw and thumped her arms on the couch on her side.

"I didn't say it's your fault." He said curtly, not wanting to prolong the argument.  The guilt of arguing with a pregnant lady was biting off his neck. 

"Besides, how much do you know your husband?  How sure are you that he's one without any speck of dirt on his records?"

Xue Jinxu glared at him.  "I love you, Brother, but sometimes, you're too much to handle.  Didn't my husband save you and help you regain your life?  Why are you attacking him now, especially now that he's sick?  What did he do to you?"

"Xu-er, I didn't mean it that way.  My argument is that we've known Man Rui all our lives while you just met your husband a few years ago but you still trusted him and married him regardless of what you know or don't know about him."

"But it won't do you anything bad either if you catch up on some business news or ask around about your husband's recent endeavors."

"What do you mean?"

The Xue Young Master shrugged. "Just giving out fuzzy warnings.  I won't say more than that."

She rolled her eyes and made no more of it.

"Man Rui broke my trust, Brother." Xue Jinxu almost whispered.  She kept her head bowed down.  "I cannot trust her again.  She stayed by my side while…" She shook her head.  "And I cannot just watch what she's doing to you, enchanting you." She pursed her lips in a line, her determination oozing over.

Xue Minhe nodded slightly as he took his sister's sad confession, and tried to match her soft tone with an equally emotional argument.  He took her hand in his as he retorted, "You think badly of her now, Jinxu, and she knows it.  Do you think she enjoys giving you such a hard time?  You know her better, I reckon.  If she has the choice, she would most probably stay at the farthest end of the earth, not within anyone's reach.  You should've known.  But because of me, she has to stay here and face everyone's judgmental eyes, especially yours.  Just think of how much adjustment she has to make for me.  She's having a hard time herself because of me, Jinxu.  So much.  And what I can only do for her is to stand between you two, ladies."

"I know you think that I made probably the most idiotic, thoughtless decision I could make when I married her.  I have my reasons so strong and so selfish that I can turn a blind eye to your utter concern for me, and that lady's happiness, or lack of it.  She's not happy with me, I know.  She's suffering from me, Jinxu.  I know that, but she's trying her best not to show it.  I beg you, please be kind to her.  Or just try to be civil with each other.  Do it for me, if you cannot do it for her, hmmm?" He caressed her hand soothingly and squeezed it.

Xue Jinxu pursed her lips thoughtfully.  She had not seen things in this point-of-view.   "Why choose a woman whose heart isn't free anymore, Brother?"

"I told you, I have my reasons.  Teng Man Rui's special.  She's the only lady who can be by my side.  Do you think I am not using my brains regarding this matter?  On the contrary, Jinxu, my brain – my twisted logic – is what pushes me to go this far.  Sometimes I detest myself for it."

The look on her brother's face was that of self-loathe and something far deeper from it.  There's this dark, dangerous glint of retribution in it, too, that made Xue Jinxu feel both despondent and apprehensive.  She shuddered.

"I thought you'd be there for Xiao Rui to hold her hand while I act all villainy.  I didn't expect you to be compet.i.tive in playing the villain yourself."  He half-heartedly laughed.  "I miscalculated.  So please do me a favor.  Just this once, let Mother have her way this time.  I am not asking you to mend your broken friends.h.i.+p with her.  You two have a long road ahead as sisters-in-law.  Trust me, me alone is enough to make Xiao Rui's life miserable.  Even when I don't do anything at all, just my mere presence is already too much for her."

Xue Jinxu scowled and sighed. "It's her decision, too.  Why take all the blame for it?  What can I do if you put it that way?"

She sighed again as she realized she's nearing to surrender.

 "Alright.  Just to make everybody happy, I give in." She raised her two hands in the air in defeat, smiling cunningly.  "Let's have that baby shower together, but in one condition.  Let me invite this one person – a close friend of my husband.  Your wife knows that person, too.  I think that person is closer to your wife than to my husband."

The Xue Young Master narrowed his eyes at her.  He should tell that she's not up to anything good.  He shrugged nonchalantly, "Sure."