Chapter 103: Willingly Becoming the Villain for My Sister

“Big brother, goodbye!”

“Mm, mm. You two stay home, do your homework, and take good care of your little sisters.”

Yang Qing picked up the food box, waved farewell to Chun and Xia, then got into Li Dongning’s car and headed once again toward Wang Ying’s studio.

“Qing…”

“Dongning…”

In the car, Yang Qing and Li Dongning spoke almost at the same time, then both paused and smiled.

“You first. What did you want to say?” Yang Qing smiled.

Li Dongning nodded, smiling as well. “I was thinking—since Chun and the others have recorded their songs, why don’t you record ‘Galloping Horses,’ ‘Hundred Birds Worship the Phoenix,’ and that ‘Mohe Ballroom’ as well? We can release them together with Chun and the others’ songs on the music platforms. What do you think?”

Upon hearing this, Yang Qing looked at him with a bright, happy smile and turned his head towards Li Dongning, who was driving. “That’s exactly what I wanted to suggest too.”

“Ah!” Li Dongning was momentarily stunned, then broke into a laugh. “I’m glad you’re thinking this way!”

Back at Yang Qing’s house during the meal, Wang Ming had told Li Dongning to discuss this with Yang Qing ahead of time, but he’d never found a good moment to bring it up. Now that Yang Qing had already thought of it himself, Li Dongning’s spirits lifted at once.

Yang Qing nodded with a smile. “Mainly, I want to earn some money. Yesterday, when I heard Wang Ming talk about how well the girls’ songs are doing on the music platforms, I was tempted.”

“Haha! You’re really so down-to-earth!” Li Dongning laughed heartily.

Yang Qing nodded seriously. “Living a pretentious, highbrow life is far too tiring. I just want to be an honest, ordinary man.”

“An ordinary man, huh? That’s good.”

Li Dongning sighed a little. “Just don’t end up becoming mediocre and tormenting yourself.”

Yang Qing laughed, and the two chatted idly all the way to the underground parking lot of the office building.

They got out, took the elevator straight to Wang Ying’s studio. As soon as they stepped out, they headed for the break room. There, they found Qin Xue and Fang Du had already arrived and were chatting with Wang Ying and her brother.

Qin Xue and Wang Ying laughed particularly cheerfully.

“What are you chatting about? You all look so happy.” Yang Qing came in with a smile, set the food box on the table, and said, “Chun and Xia asked me to bring you breakfast—savory pancakes and soup dumplings.”

As soon as Yang Qing finished speaking, Fang Du blurted out, “Did Jin make these?”

Yang Qing shot him a look. “What, if Jin didn’t make them, you won’t eat? Are you so dismissive of my cooking?”

“Ahem, no, that’s not it, I—”

Fang Du waved his hands, coughing, but before he could finish, Wang Ming cut him off.

“All right, enough explanations. Who here doesn’t know what you’re thinking—well, except Yang Qing maybe.”

Yang Qing rolled his eyes at him, handed him a pancake, and said, “Just eat. I’m not an idiot. It’s been long enough—anyone could see your feelings for Jin, even a blind man. I’m not blind, am I?”

Everyone present was momentarily stunned.

Qin Xue said, “You—you knew?”

“Of course I knew. What, you all thought I didn’t?” Yang Qing sounded a little exasperated.

Wang Ming seemed skeptical. “If you knew, then why didn’t you…”

“What do you mean, why?” Yang Qing interrupted, speaking with gravity. “Love or not, like or not, these are matters for the two of them. Fate is seventy percent destiny, thirty percent effort.”

“They’ve met, so that seventy percent fate is already here. The remaining thirty percent is up to their own efforts.”

Then Yang Qing looked straight at Fang Du and said in a firm voice, “I won’t meddle in your and Jin’s affairs, but I must tell you: before Jin agrees to be with you, don’t do anything out of line. But if she does accept you, then you must take full responsibility—this is something you must do!”

His words were stern now, and he looked at Fang Du, enunciating each word. “Jin and Xi are the sisters I acknowledge. That makes them my family. When it comes to choosing between family and friends, I always choose family.”

“You may doubt my words, but don’t ever doubt the resolve of an orphan abandoned since childhood who is willing to risk everything.”

“Of course, maybe you think I’m unsophisticated, but I’m just being honest. I don’t want to be hypocritical and evasive.”

Yang Qing continued, “In the past, I pretended I didn’t know, so I never said anything. But now that this pretense is broken, I’ll be plainer and more direct.”

“Jin has suffered enough in the first half of her life. I don’t want her future to be bitter as well. I just want her to be happy. Since I’ve taken her as a sister, I’m willing to be the bad guy for her sake.”

“So, Fang Du, do you have anything you want to say? If you want to back out, we’ll still be friends. But if you want to go on, remember what I’ve just said.”

As his words ended, Yang Qing gazed at Fang Du with a seriousness and solemnity that made the atmosphere in the room freeze.

Qin Xue and Wang Ying, seeing this side of Yang Qing for the first time, were both stunned and fell silent, only staring at him.

Li Dongning, for his part, wore an expression that said this was only right and proper. He was a year older than Yang Qing and had a younger sister himself, so he understood Yang Qing’s feelings completely.

As for Wang Ming, he wished he could slap himself a few times—if only he’d just quietly eaten his breakfast instead of dragging Yang Qing into this mess.

Now he’d really set things off, pouring oil right onto the fire.

At that moment, just as Yang Qing finished speaking, Fang Du suddenly stood up, his face flushed, and said in a low, firm voice, “Brother Qing! I may not be an extraordinary man, but I have my principles and my persistence!”

“Since you’ve spoken so frankly, I’ll state my intentions here and now, in front of everyone. My feelings for Jin are sincere! I mean every word! I would never do anything to hurt her!”

“If one day, if…”

His voice faltered, eyes reddening. He grabbed the water on the table, took a deep swig, and continued, “If one day my efforts aren’t returned, or if Jin finds someone better before accepting me, I’ll leave—completely, forever, to a place without her, where I can bury these feelings. That’s my promise.”

With these words, Fang Du collapsed onto the sofa as if drained of all strength. His expression was dazed, but gradually a look of determination appeared on his face.

At that moment, a hand stretched out to him—it was Yang Qing, who looked at him and said solemnly, “A gentleman’s word is his bond.”

Fang Du gripped his hand hard. “As weighty as gold!”

Yang Qing nodded. “Since you’ve chosen not to give up, keep at it. Don’t give up.”

“I won’t! I’ll do my best!” Fang Du looked at Yang Qing seriously. “Jin and Xi are lucky to have you as their brother.”

“No,” Yang Qing shook his head. “Between the three of us, there’s no such thing as luck—only willingness.”

His gaze grew distant. “That early morning, I was willing to take in the two girls sleeping on the bench by my little shop. That was the beginning of our fate. And their falling asleep at my shop’s doorstep was fate’s choice too.”

“So, there’s never been any luck between us. We are all just the unfortunate, abandoned by the world.”

“And it’s precisely because of this misfortune that I was willing, and so were they—and that’s why our story began…”