"Both!" Tang Ning sharply refuted and sniffled.
"I'm just a fake daughter and you still wanted me to marry that young master? What if his family mistreat me and force me to be their servant after the wedding?"
Panic was written all over her face, as she tried to draw sympathy from the other person.
"What if my mother-in-law hates me and pulls my hair and stuffs me spoiled food at home because you reneged on your own marriage, and they got stuck with me, who's just a fake daughter?"
The girl cited more of her grim possibilities in her made-up future.
"What if—"
"Stop! Sister, you watched too many dramas. Why don't you write fiction instead? You're full of those fantastic ideas."
Tang Ning paused and her eyes dazzled. "Really? Do you think I can make the cut—wait. Stop changing the topic, will 'ya?!"
Aish, she almost fell for her!
Huffing, "Dramas are based on real life!" the girl refuted but was brutally slammed by Tang Ying's reality check.
"Your soon-to-be in-laws are almost Grandpa's age, how would a frail old woman grab your hair?"
'If anything I'm more worried about them with a troublesome daughter-in-law like you,' Tang Ying helplessly exhaled inside.
Tang Ning pouted, reluctantly conforming to her words in silence.
"Besides, wasn't the Old Madam Zhao willing to adopt you as her daughter when the news about us blew up the capital's entire social circle?"
Tang Ying pointed out patiently and reassured but her words came out more like ticking the other, "Come on, they like you so much more than their own son. Your concern of being mistreated by your in-laws is a blind shot."
"Nice try, sister."
Tang Ning was dumbfounded, "How… how on earth did you know that stuff?!" She never told anyone about the adoption since she didn't even consider it, with respect to the Tang couple who raised her dearly.
"Tsk. You nasty creepy stalker!"
'Whatever, forget it.'
Grinning, Tang Ying shrugged, dismissing her words.
"Well, my dear sister is indeed warm and lovely. Please live well with your husband's family in the future, okay?"
"Live well my ass! Aren't you just cursing me?"
"Of course not, I'm giving you my utmost blessing."
Ugh!
"Oh gosh, I hate you!"
Tang Ning had never been this frustrated in her life, this was far worse than losing the chance to buy a front-row ticket to all her beloved's concerts!
"I hope your egg cells ovulate this week and get a bad cramp! And I'm not buying you any pads or a heat compress, I'll be numb and won't take pity!" Tang Ning's voice broke into cold, spiteful sobs.
This time, Tang Ying's face fell and also wailed, cringing at the thought of Aunt Flo's imminent visit. She subconsciously felt her nether region constricted dreadfully.
"Why you little! How can you curse people like that?!" Tang Ying blew up, looking flustered and undoubtedly stirred.
And she dares to call her heartless? Ha!
"Who's the heartless one now?"
Tang Ning rolled her eyes, "Still you, dumbass. Selfish princess!"
"Tang! Ning!" glowered the florid miss.
"You... Zip it! Call me that again and I'll cage you inside a box filled with super worms and cockroaches," her tone hardened.
The threat she made seemed to have worked like always.
Hearing the mention of her bane, Tang Ning gulped and peeked cautiously only to see the grave look and deep scowl on Tang Ying's surly countenance.
Gulp.
"F-Fine! I won't call you dumbass again—"
"Not that."
"What?" Tang Ning frowned and was confused but not for long when that soon shifted to utter dumbstruck.
"Then what is—"
Oho?
"Hey, you..." The holes of her nose flared up trying to keep herself from bursting out, "Pfft... don't mean the 'princess', right?" Tang Ning was stumped, trying to hold her laughter.
"Oh wow—umph! N-No way... is it right?"
Once again a gloomy storm brews on Tang Ying's face.
Pfft!
"Hahahaha!"
Unable to hold back, Tang Ning rolled, certainly not because of the evident frustration she had previously, but because of the crumpled face of Tang Ying that grew darker and darker by the minute.
Oh gosh, what a kind consolation!
The Heavens must have taken pity on her woes to give her this first-class view of Tang Ying's upset look.
"Hahahahaha!" Her laughter persisted like a broken record.
The picture of Tang Ying's gloom and irritation was enough to make her feel refreshed from all her crying and laugh her ass off!
"Come here," Tang Ying muttered grimly, patting her comforter in a futile attempt to offer a warning.
However, Tang Ning remained sprawled on the floor, hugging her aching stomach after laughing so hard, as if oblivious to her sister's invitation.
"Tang Ning, I said get up!" Tang Ying's voice took on an edge of impatience. "Are you going to stand up on your own or will I have to get up and burn all those ridiculous posters and photocards you keep in your room?"
"...!!"
Eyes wide, Tang Ning's fun abruptly stopped.
The mere mention of her precious collection made Tang Ning's buttocks twitch in alarm and flinched. She sprang up as though the floor was on fire.
"I'm here, I'm here! Stop with the threats, ah!"
She scampered over, burying herself in Tang Ying's embrace, still muttering under her breath.
"I-I'll be good, sister. I won't try to laugh, anymore so don't bully my babies! Hmm?" Her tone was that of a docile kitten almost purring to fawn at her owner.
But as soon as the thought of her precious collection swarmed in her mind like a restless beehive, Tang Ning's eyes flashed with murder.
'No one messes with my lovelies even if it's you!'
Her eyes squinted, "Tang Ying-ah, did you secretly look into my collection? You... didn't do anything right?"
"My dear sister, if you dare touch my merch, I swear. I'll immediately fly to Thailand right this instant and get a permanent sex change!"
Baffled, Tang Ying almost lost her cool and eyed her in disbelief, "What?!"
For a second she thought she had turned deaf and started hearing strange things.
Simply nodding, with a biting glare, Tang Ning gratingly reiterated. "I mean it and you'll have to marry that guy even if you're allergic to the opposite sex."
Realizing it was just Tang Ning going crazy for a moment, Tang Ying rolled her eyes.
'As if I'd waste my time on your silly idols and nudist actors. Even with sunglasses and gloves, I wouldn't go near those voodoo trinkets you collected like some crazy manic.'
Who in this house doesn't even know about her strange addiction when her room is full of those things?
Facepalm.
With a resigned hum, Tang Ying shook her head and turned on the bedside lamp before grabbing some tissues to dab at Tang Ning's tear-streaked face.
"You look like a horror movie extra, munching on her own hair. Disgusting," she sounded harsh, but her hand still dotingly rubbed off Tang Ning's face from the sticky tearstains.
"Shut up. If I have to, I'll even drink my tears and become a circus act if that means making your fiancé run from the engagement party next week."
"Nuh-uh. Your fiancé, not mine," Tang Ying shook her index finger and corrected with a smirk. "It's good to get our facts straight."
Tang Ning's face fell instantly, feeling defeated. "Tch."
She then sighed and stared at her intently, turning serious somehow.
"Why can't you just marry him and be done with it? It's a fixed marriage, so you won't need to play-dovey. It works well with what you wanted. No romance, no bullshit. It's not like you're dating someone, you're so in love you can't marry."
Tang Ying remained silent and let her rave.
"Moreover, you'll eventually get married after getting your part of the inheritance to form connections with other tycoons, right?"
Such was a world of conglomerates.
So why not just do it now instead of passing her the baton?!
This headache is just too heavy for her to handle.
"Why me? Why must it be me? Sister Tang Ying, you're the true daughter of the Tang Family. I'm just the sidekick," Tang Ning pleaded, a glimmer of hope in her watering eyes.
Tang Ying glanced at her and fixed her clumsily, scattered long dark brown hair with a calm demeanor, "Silly. Stop being a crybaby. I never said I couldn't."
Oh?!
Tang Ning's eyes light up.
"Really? You're not lying?"
"When have I lied?"
Tang Ning beamed, "Then you should—"
"Sure. But you'll be attending a mourning hall instead of a wedding reception," Tang Ying said with a casual shrug.
"Huh?"
Tang Ning's enthusiasm froze mid-air, leaving her gaping in shock. Tang Ying flashed a beguiling smile and pinched her bewildered cheek before turning around and pulling up the sheets.
"What... the hell?!"
Damn, this vengeful girl is actually just teasing her!