The Fake Heiress: My Brother's Gaze Is a Bit Off - Chapter 5

Shen Zhaoran gave a perfunctory knock on Xia Zeyu’s bedroom door and was about to turn the corner to check on An Kexin when she was stopped by Shen Junhuai.

Shen Junhuai said, sounding somewhat helpless, “She is not going to run away.”

“Xia Zeyu!” He had to go in and call him himself.

There was a flurry of chaotic noise from inside the room, followed by a shout of, “Coming, coming!”

Xia Zeyu walked out without his tie even properly knotted.

“My mother has urged me three times since this morning. It is not like it is my engagement,” he complained.

Shen Zhaoran pointed at him accusingly, “How can you be so shameless? We have already arrived from home. Did you stay up late gaming again last night?”

Xia Zeyu gasped, “How do you conveniently remember that you were the one who stayed up late playing games with me last night?”

Shen Zhaoran: “…”

Suddenly feeling a piercing gaze on her back, she turned to face Shen Junhuai and gave a very strained smile. “Brother.”

Shen Junhuai glanced at her but ultimately did not scold her.

Just as Xia Zeyu was gloating, he felt Shen Junhuai’s gaze shift onto him.

Xia Zeyu: “…”

He bowed his head in repentance and said, “Cousin, I was wrong. I will not dare to drag Zhaozhao up late to play games again.”

Shen Junhuai retracted his gaze, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Zhaoran told Xia Zeyu to hurry up and get ready so they could go downstairs. She still wanted to go see her future cousin-in-law.

Xia Zeyu asked, “You are acting strange. What are you up to?”

Shen Zhaoran looked innocent. “My aunt told me to go check on her.”

Xia Zeyu eyed her for a moment and said bluntly, “My sister-in-law’s family already knows everything. You do not need to be so curious.”

This only made Shen Zhaoran even more curious.

Even Shen Junhuai, who had previously been expressionless, looked over.

Xia Zeyu had no choice but to say, “From the beginning, my mother hinted at it, and the other party’s parents said they did not mind and were happy to just meet and chat as friends first. But here we are now, having reached this point.”

Shen Zhaoran asked, “Did the eldest cousin really let it go?”

Xia Zeyu pursed his lips. “What do you think?”

Shen Zhaoran: “…” That is a bit scummy.

Xia Zeyu remained silent for a moment before saying, “I think he just feels that it does not matter who it is anymore.”

Shen Zhaoran insisted, “I still have to go.”

Xia Zeyu sighed, “But I already told you everything.”

Shen Zhaoran looked even more innocent. “Aunt really did ask me to go urge them along.”

Xia Zeyu: “…”

In the end, Shen Junhuai went to look for Xia Shengxuan, while Xia Zeyu accompanied Shen Zhaoran to see the future eldest sister-in-law.

As they pushed open the door to the lounge, An Kexin was having her makeup applied.

An Kexin glanced over using her peripheral vision. “Zeyu is here.”

Xia Zeyu replied, “Sister-in-law.”

Shen Zhaoran also called out, “Hello, cousin-in-law.”

An Kexin only then noticed Shen Zhaoran standing behind Xia Zeyu. Just as she was about to turn her head, the makeup artist pressed her back into place.

An Kexin had no choice but to watch them through the mirror.

She smiled and said, “I did not expect that we would eventually have this kind of relationship when we first met.”

Shen Zhaoran smiled back.

Xia Zeyu’s phone rang. He took it out and saw it was a call from Lin Qiushuang.

“Mom, I am at the sister-in-law’s place. Zhaozhao is here too. I understand. I am coming down.”

Shen Zhaoran asked, “What is wrong?”

Xia Zeyu replied, “Mom wants me to go grab something.”

After Xia Zeyu left, An Kexin signaled for the makeup artist to step out for a moment, then walked over to Shen Zhaoran and asked, “My dear sister, who is Shengxuan’s first love? What does she look like? Can you reveal a little bit to your cousin-in-law?”

Shen Zhaoran: “…”

She never expected that she would come here to eat the melon, only to end up being the one being urged to provide the gossip herself.

Shen Zhaoran said honestly, “I do not know either.”

Fearing that An Kexin would not believe her, she added, “I was too young back then, and the family would not tell me anything.”

An Kexin calculated her age and realized that was indeed the case.

Shen Zhaoran asked, “Cousin-in-law, between you and my eldest cousin, who chased whom?”

An Kexin replied, “Me, of course.”

She patted her dress and held her head high, showing off her beauty. “I am so beautiful, why should I be afraid of some ex-girlfriend who is nowhere to be found? If you like someone, you go for it bravely.”

Shen Zhaoran: “…” Impressive.

An Kexin patted her shoulder. “If you find out any news about Shengxuan’s ex-girlfriend in the future, remember to tell your cousin-in-law. I will not let you down.”

Shen Zhaoran: “…”

Didn’t she just say she was not afraid?

Shen Junhuai found Xia Shengxuan on the second-floor balcony.

Xia Shengxuan was holding an unlit cigarette in his mouth, just standing there.

Shen Junhuai said, “Shengxuan.”

Xia Shengxuan seemed to finally snap out of it. “You are here.”

He put the cigarette away. “I originally wanted to come out for a smoke, but I thought smelling like smoke would not be great, so I decided against it.”

Shen Junhuai asked, “So you decided to let the wind cool you down instead?”

Xia Shengxuan pulled at the corners of his mouth, his smile joyless. “Yes, cool down, so I do not get the sudden urge to run away from the engagement.”

Shen Junhuai asked, “If you do not want to, why did you agree?”

Xia Shengxuan said, “Like my mom said, a person cannot hang themselves from just one tree.”

Shen Junhuai said in a sharp tone, “Are you not still hanging from it? You are just being stubborn.”

Xia Shengxuan: “…”

Xia Shengxuan retorted, “What about you? Are you still staying up all night because of someone you cannot be with?”

Shen Junhuai: “…”

The two brothers had each stabbed the other in the heart, and both fell silent.

Sometimes, knowing each other too well is not a good thing.

Just then, Xia Zeyu, having finished his errand, walked past the second floor and pushed the door open. “It is so cold, what are you two doing out here?”

The two looked at each other and headed back inside one after another.

Xia Zeyu said, “Mom said if you are ready, come down quickly. I have to make one more trip to the sister-in-law’s side.”

Xia Shengxuan replied, “Got it.”

He turned and walked downstairs.

Shen Junhuai went to the lounge to pick up Shen Zhaoran. Shen Zhaoran took the opportunity to introduce him to An Kexin. “This is my brother.”

An Kexin said, “Mr. Shen, I have had the pleasure of meeting you a few times.”

Shen Junhuai nodded at her.

Xia Zeyu urged, “Sister-in-law, we need to go down too. Everyone has arrived.”

An Kexin agreed, “Okay.”

There were quite a few people on the first floor. When Shen Zhaoran came down, she saw Xia Shengxuan turning his head to listen to someone talking.

He nodded without much expression, then walked over when he saw them.

Xia Shengxuan smiled and ruffled Shen Zhaoran’s hair. “Zhaozhao looks very beautiful today.”

Shen Zhaoran was instantly irritated. “I worked so hard on this hairstyle this morning!”

Xia Shengxuan, exhibiting classic straight-man behavior, asked, “Is it not just hair hanging down? What kind of hairstyle is that?”

Shen Zhaoran: “…”

Shen Junhuai swatted his hand away, helped Shen Zhaoran smooth out her long hair, and comforted her, “It is fine, it is not messy.”

Shen Zhaoran pouted, looking very unhappy.

An Kexin came down as well. Xia Shengxuan’s smile faded slightly when he looked at her. “We need to go over and listen to the schedule.”

An Kexin hooked her arm through his. “Let us go.”

Shen Zhaoran stared at them for a while. “Looking at them like this, they actually seem like a good match.”

Shen Junhuai looked in the direction she was pointing.

Perhaps, he was even worse off than Xia Shengxuan.