Chapter 411: The Twins' Desperate Solution
At this moment, Xu Ruoshui in the study stopped writing, looked up, leaned back in her chair, and with a hint of melancholy and sorrow in her gentle, beautiful eyes, she sighed softly, "Husband, what if Ruo Shui Wife and I can't switch back?"
Though Xu Ruoshui always projected an aura of unshakable confidence and grace, the perfect older sister who shouldered every burden for Xu Ruoxue, the truth was a maelstrom of anxiety churning within her. Here, in the quiet solitude of her personal study, the facade could finally crack. The scent of aged paper and expensive ink filled the air, a familiar comfort that now felt alien. The calligraphy brush, still held in her slender fingers, felt foreign, its weight and balance subtly different from her own body's muscle memory.
'This isn't my hand,' she thought, a wave of vertigo washing over her. 'These are Ruoxue's fingers, nimbler, younger, but not mine.'
The problem was a tangled knot in her heart, far more complex than simple logistics. Matters of family, career, and finance were trivial. She and Ruoxue shared an unbreakable bond; they could navigate their parents' concern, manage the company together, and even shield their younger brother from the bizarre truth. She trusted Ruoxue with her life, her legacy, her fortune—all of it meant nothing compared to this one, terrifying dilemma.
A man.
How could two sisters share one man?
The question echoed in the silent room, a profane and desperate whisper. If this state was permanent, what would become of her love for Shen Anyu? Would she watch from the sidelines as her younger sister, inhabiting her body, walked down the aisle with him? Would Ruoxue be the one to feel his touch, his kiss, to bear his children, all while wearing her face? The image was a dagger to her soul.
Or would she, trapped in Ruoxue's body, be the one to marry him? That felt like an even greater betrayal, a theft of her sister's future and her own identity. She would be a ghost at her own wedding, a pretender in her own life.
And what of Ruoxue? What if her vibrant, fiery sister eventually fell in love with someone else? The thought sent a jolt of ice through Xu Ruoshui's veins. The idea of another man touching her body, holding her, loving her, even if her own soul was elsewhere…
"No," she whispered, her voice tight and raw. "Absolutely not!"
The gentle, serene mask she wore for the world shattered. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the polished mahogany armrests of her chair, her expression turning frosty and severe. Her body was her own sacred temple, a vessel meant only for the man she loved. The mere specter of another man's possession, even by proxy, was a violation she couldn't even bear to contemplate.
'But what is the alternative?' Her mind raced, a frantic search for an escape from this impossible labyrinth. 'Break up with him? Remain single for the rest of our lives, two lonely souls trapped in the wrong shells?'
The thought of leaving Shen Anyu caused a physical ache in her chest, so sharp and suffocating it stole her breath. He was her first, her only. The man who had stormed into her perfectly ordered world and set it ablaze with a passion she never knew she was capable of. To lose him would be to lose the sun, to be plunged back into a world of polite, grayscale emptiness.
Shen Anyu, observing the scene through a microscopic nanite floating silently in the room, felt a flicker of something akin to pity. Her distress was evident, her pain genuine. For a fleeting moment, he considered ending the charade and switching them back.
But then, her murmuring began again, and his lips curved into a slow, predatory smile.
Xu Ruoshui's lips, full and soft, pressed into a thin line. A strange, calculating light flickered in the depths of her beautiful eyes as a radical, almost unthinkable idea began to form.
"If… if we really can't switch back," she mused aloud, her voice barely audible, "then perhaps… perhaps the only way is for my sister and I to marry my husband together."
The moment the words left her lips, the suffocating weight on her chest seemed to lighten. The more she considered it, the more the insane proposition began to feel like the only sane solution. Her eyes, once clouded with despair, started to brighten with a renewed, almost fanatical clarity.
"My husband… he's extraordinary," she reasoned, her voice growing stronger. "He is devastatingly handsome, impossibly powerful, and comes from a family whose influence is beyond imagination. And beneath it all, he can be so gentle, so considerate… there isn't a woman alive who could truly resist him. Ruoxue always said she wanted a man stronger than her… well, no one is stronger than him. He perfectly fits every single one of her criteria for an ideal partner."
A new thought took root, blooming with strategic brilliance. "And with sisters united… we can support each other. We can ensure we hold his favor."
Xu Ruoshui was no fool. She was a brilliant businesswoman who understood the nature of power and desire. A man like Shen Anyu, the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family, was a dragon among men. He would never be content with just one woman. His infrequent visits, even during the peak of their honeymoon phase, were proof enough of that. She didn't care for his status or wealth, but she loved him, and the thought of being just one of many, slowly forgotten, was a private terror she never voiced.
But with Ruoxue by her side? They were the Xu twins, a force of nature when united. Together, they could surely capture and hold more of Shen Anyu's heart than any other woman could alone.
"However," she sighed, her innate sense of fairness tempering her desperate planning, "this all depends on Ruoxue. If she is unwilling, then I can't force her."
Her gaze softened, filled with genuine love for her sister. "I cannot sacrifice her happiness for my own. If it comes to it… at worst, we will simply remain spinsters for the rest of our lives. Together."
Her beautiful eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but her resolve was firm. She had made her decision.
Watching through the nanite's feed, Shen Anyu felt a surge of triumphant delight.
'Good, good, good!' he thought, a dark, satisfied chuckle rumbling in his chest. 'As expected of my Ruo Shui Wife. Intelligent, pragmatic, and willing to bend the rules for what she wants. This solution is simply perfect.'
As for whether Xu Ruoxue would be willing? He had no doubt. It was merely a matter of time and persuasion.
"Husband, are you done?"
Xu Ruoxue's voice cut through the air, pulling Shen Anyu from his thoughts.
"You call me 'Husband' so fluently now?" he teased, turning his attention to her, a half-smile playing on his lips.
A deep blush instantly stained Xu Ruoxue's cheeks. She was inwardly shocked at how easily the word had slipped out, a natural, almost instinctive utterance.
'It's all their fault!' she silently fumed, blaming both Shen Anyu and her sister. 'They're always so disgustingly sweet with each other, calling him 'Husband' this and 'Husband' that. It's drilled into my subconscious! I have to play the part to avoid suspicion… it's not my fault.'
"Done," Shen Anyu announced, his voice a low, smooth purr. He gracefully retracted his large hand, every movement exuding an air of refined elegance.
Xu Ruoxue released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Her gaze fell to her own body—her sister's body—and she saw that every trace of the marks from last night had vanished. The skin was flawless, smooth as jade. She clicked her tongue in genuine amazement.
"This ointment is incredible. It's truly miraculous."
Shen Anyu merely smiled, offering no explanation. The paste was a lavish concoction, its primary ingredients derived from a Vitality Pill and a Dingyan Pill—priceless elixirs that could restore youth and heal grievous injuries. Only a man of his obscene wealth and resources would use such treasures to treat something so trivial.
"Now, Ruo Shui Wife," he said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming intimate and suggestive. "It's your turn to give me my reward."
His eyes locked onto hers, and the playful glint was replaced by a smoldering intensity that made her stomach clench.
"Wh-what reward?" Xu Ruoxue stammered, her mind instantly dissolving into a chaotic mess.
"The reward for saving your precious little sister, Xu Ruoxue, not once, but twice," Shen Anyu reminded her, narrowing his eyes. A dangerous, dark light flashed within their depths, promising consequences if she tried to forget.
The memories hit her instantly. The Ji Family's birthday gala, her infiltration to steal evidence, Shen Anyu's sudden appearance that saved her from being caught. And later, An Zhiyue's terrifying attack, and Shen Anyu shielding her once again. She owed him, and her sister's body was the collateral.
But how could she possibly pay that debt? She couldn't make another catastrophic mistake. She couldn't betray her sister.
Her mind spun at a frantic pace, desperately searching for an escape. An idea, flimsy but plausible, sparked in her mind.
"I… I'm not very convenient right now," she blurted out, her face burning. "Let's wait a while for the reward."
'Yes, that's it!' she thought, clinging to the excuse. 'Delay! Stall until Ruo Shui and I switch back. Then she can give him whatever reward she wants!'
She would absolutely not be the one to do it. Stealing her sister's man was a line she would never cross.
But Shen Anyu was already moving closer, his presence seeming to suck all the air from the room. His restless hand began its slow, deliberate journey, tracing a line of fire from her shoulder down her arm. Xu Ruoxue's breath hitched, her eyes trembling.
A sudden, sharp resentment flared in her heart, directed entirely at her sister. How could Ruoshui be so shameless, so wanton with this man? She must be indulging him constantly, in broad daylight even, for him to be so bold and demanding, so utterly devoid of restraint.
Worse yet, she felt a sickening response from within her own borrowed flesh. A warmth, a tingling, a traitorous softening. It was as if her sister's very cells remembered his touch and yearned for more. She couldn't resist. The body was actively betraying her mind.
She scrambled backward on the sofa, trying to create distance. "Husband," she said, her voice shaking but firm, a desperate attempt to sound like her composed sister. "It's really not convenient. We can talk about this later, when I'm feeling better."
Procrastination was her only weapon. Let the real Xu Ruoshui handle her own debts.
"Your body isn't convenient?" Shen Anyu's voice was a low murmur, his brow furrowed in mock concern as he cornered her against the plush armrest.
"Mhm, mhm, not convenient at all," she confirmed, nodding her head vigorously like a chick pecking at grain.
"But I remember your cycle isn't for another week or so," he mused, pinching his chin as his gaze roamed over her with an unnerving, all-knowing familiarity.
"Eh… eh, it might be irregular this month. Yes, that's it! It's irregular," Xu Ruoxue insisted, her voice gaining a desperate conviction as if trying to will it into truth.
"Alright then," Shen Anyu said, his lips twitching into a wicked, playful smile. "I'll prescribe some regulating medicine for you later. We need to get you properly recuperated."
[Ding! Detected destiny value +1 for destined heroine Xu Ruoxue. Plunder successful. Host receives +3000 Destiny Points!]
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