"Nian, how dare you?" Jian, who was listening to their conversation, popped out just at the right time. "You…how could you say this? If that's how you wanna play, then fine! Zhou Ai will choose me. After all, we are twins. What does it matter if it's me instead of you?"
Nian faked a hurt expression. "Jian! You are always like this. I know. You confessed to her because you knew that I was starting to like her. It's like you have to like the same things that I do!"
"Huh? What did I do wrong if I like her? It's you who always gets in my way. It's you who copied me!"
Nian gritted her teeth. "Did you see, Zhou Ai? He looks so insincere. Sometimes I cannot believe how I am his brother. A twin at that!"
"Hah! I am supposed to say that! You always have to get the same toy that I like. Once I get anything, you want to have it too. Isn't it why you confessed to her after me?"
"I was just nervous! Don't make things as if they revolve around you, okay?"
"I don't care. I like her, and she is better off with me rather than you. I will give her everything she wants."
"Hah! I will give her the most luxurious villa to live in! Your puny money won't be able to compare!"
Jian sneered. "Only a house? What about a car? All sorts of expensive dresses? Is only a house what you can afford?"
"Jian! Don't be like this!"
"You are the one being annoying right now!"
They felt a tap on their shoulders, and they turned. Out of nowhere, Ai jammed a popsicle into their mouths.
"..."
"..."
Ai stared straight at them. "Do you know why I put a popsicle in your mouth?"
Silence.
"A popsicle is cold so cool down your heads from all the fighting. A popsicle is sweet so it will wear the bitter taste off your tongues with all the bitter words you are speaking against each other."
They widened their eyes.
"Lastly, I need your mouths shut so that I can speak."
"..."
"..."
Is she…angry?
Ai was indeed furious, but it was her nature to have a tranquil expression on her face despite her dissatisfaction.
"First of all, thank you for your confessions. I appreciate your feelings. However, I regret to say that I have to reject both of you. I am sorry, but I don't think we can have a relationship."
The twins glanced at each other with their mouths blocked by a popsicle.
"Secondly, please stop referring to me as a 'thing.' You have this thing, so I should have it too. I have this toy, so you want it too. I am a human," she shot a stare at them that made them gulp for some reason. "So, treat me like one."
They didn't know why, but they just nodded instinctively.
"Thirdly. What difference does it make if it's you or him because you have the same faces? Did you notice? Jian likes orange flavor, and Nian likes mango. You told me this before. But I put the mango popsicle in Jian's mouth and orange one in Nian's. Do you like it?"
Their brows twitched. It's not like they hated it, but they would have preferred to have their favorite flavors.
Ai slightly tilted her head. "Your annoyance means that even if you are twins, you have your own favorites you would prefer to have.
If you think that having the same face means having the same personality and beliefs too, then both of you shouldn't get into any relationship at all. Feelings are not interchangeable.
Even if I did like one of you, it would mean that I find something in your personality appealing. What I find in Jian, it's not necessary that I will find that in Nian or vice versa. So the whole argument is baseless and extremely rude. Are you treating yourself as some option like a spare tire for a car?"
They said nothing, not that they could anyway.
Her gaze flickered. "I don't want a man who treats himself like that because it means that one day, he could treat me like an option too."
The twins stared at her in silence.
Ai bowed. "That's all I wanted to say. I hope you resolve your differences. I don't have any siblings, so I envy the ones who have. Please cherish your brotherhood."
She turned and left towards the library.
Jian and Nian removed the popsicles from their mouths and remained silent for a long time.
"What do you say Jian?"
"What do you think Nian?"
Suddenly, they burst into tears and sobbed. "Damn it she passed the Twins Trial of Judgment with flying colors!"
"She is so cool!" Nian sparkled.
"She is exactly like Mom when she gets angry."
"She totally gives vibes like Mom!"
The whole point of this trial was for them to judge Ai. Was she like other women who jumped at the chance of meeting a rich guy? Was she of those types who didn't care if they dated Jian or Nian as long as they had money and status?
It wasn't that Jun couldn't handle scheming women, but they wanted to see it for themselves just who Zhou Ai was who could so boldly step out of Jun's condo.
Jian sighed. "Well I am assured now! No! I have become her fan! She shut our mouths with popsicles!
"That's literally cool!"
"But the point still remains of her exiting from Jun's condo."
"Jun would never allow any woman into his house."
"I was sick, and she was responsible for it. That's why she came."
The twins shrugged. "Yeah but-"
They froze.
"Bro, did you hear the voice that I heard?"
"I think I heard the same, bro."
They slowly turned and found Jun icily staring at them as he leaned on the wall. He gave an unpleasant smile. "Hello big brothers."
They coughed hard.
Shit!
"You must be wondering how I am here. So, I will let you know that I had recognized you from the beginning," he sneered. "I have suffered a lot because of you two, so I have developed that antenna to feel your annoying presence. That makeup can't fool me."
"....."
"Hehehe…" Jian and Nian stood on either side and placed their arms on his shoulders.
"Jun~~ Of course, we weren't hiding from you."
Jun smiled which gave them goosebumps behind their necks. "It's fine hiding from me. I had an inkling you would do something like this. So, I was ready. The ones you should be hiding from are Leina and Mom."
Jun played a video on his mobile, making the twins feel as if hell came down.
He sneered. "I wonder how their reaction would be seeing their boyfriend and son shamelessly acting like hooligans for a woman."