"Hey! You're home early?", Xi Yuan pecked the girl on her forehead as she tiredly hung her head backward, "Busy day, huh?"

"You have no idea.", the girl sighed, pulling her gloves off of her hands, "I see that we have company tonight."

"I am so sorry. Wei has been missing your sister since she left for her 'Atrial fibrillation' conference in Sydney.", the man explained, as he looked at his brother gulping down a big bowl of peanuts and popcorn while he watched some kind of hilarious movie with a serious expression on his face, so indulged into it that he didn't even notice that the girl was standing roughly ten meters away from him. 

"Well... look at you. With all those big complex medical terms! Don't tell me you've been spending much time with my surgeon brother or doctor twin.", it had been months since their relations.h.i.+p had started, but even today, Rong Xinghe felt as if a cool breeze would spread through her heart every time they would be together. It was as if his calm aura had the strength to suck away all that stress or fears or doubts bothering her, in seconds, miraculously. It was good to be home, after all, she thought. 

"Oh no. Wei taught me those terms. I don't even know what fibrillation is.", Xi Yuan shook his head modestly, as he picked up the gla.s.s of water the butler had brought in a tray and pa.s.sed it to the girl, "Here. Believe me when I say this. Xiao has changed him into a man I never knew. All focussed on business. Career-centric. I will have to thank her with some fancy dinner, someday."

"Oh G.o.d! My sister is imparting wisdom. Couldn't be more proud of her.", Rong Xinghe chuckled, "By the way, Yuan, we need to talk about something."

"Just take a shower first. We can talk later, okay?"

"Okay. But let me go say hi to little Panda first.", the girl said as she rushed towards where Xi Wei was sitting into the living room. Xi Yuan simply briefed in the specifications for the girl's bath to the staff before he went back into his study to attend some of his business calls.

"Little Panda! What's up?", the woman patted the man's back lightly before she sat down on the edge of the couch, "How have you been?"

"Miserable. Pathetic. Forlorn.", Xi Wei replied, his eyes still fixed upon the huge home theater screen, "Did Xiao call? Did you talk to her? What's she doing?"

"Holy mother of--", Rong Xinghe couldn't help but laugh out at the man's words, "It's been just two days. She will call you, sweetie. Don't be so impatient.

"I don't call your brother for weeks when I am out for Military missions. Does he behave like that too?"

"Yeah. Why do you women do it? Hmm?", Xi Wei muted the movie as he turned to face the girl accusingly, "That's so emotionally insensitive. Why? Why Sister-in-law, why?! It's like she is ripping my heart out with every pa.s.sing second when she doesn't call. We men never do that."

"Yes, you do. Your brother does that too. I mean, come on. He doesn't pick up my calls when he is out on his business tours. And before Xiao, even you too never called back any woman ever, after all those one-night-stands of yours, did you?"

"h.e.l.lo! No need to go down that lane. I love Xiao. She is different.", Xi Wei pouted, "I just miss her."

"Oh honey, I know. I am sorry. I am sure she will call you back.", Rong Xinghe sighed, "Ok. So, my dear informer. Anything I need to know about?"

"Nothing important. Just that your love rival is sleeping in the guest room tonight. She is drunk. She is unconscious. And you can kill her while she is not in her senses if you want."

"Huang Biu is here?! In Yuan's house?!", the woman stood up, her voice as fierce as an enraged lioness, "What the h.e.l.l..."

"Sister-in-law. Brother ordered me to bring her in. He didn't even touch her. They had no physical, emotional, mental, psychological contact. Not even an eye-contact. Don't worry. Your man's sanct.i.ty is my personal and prioritized responsibility.", Xi Wei explained quickly. He could've chosen his words wisely earlier, he thought. His brother was right. Among the two Rong sisters, this one was definitely not the one to ever be poked. 

"If you say so.", Rong Xinghe inhaled sharply. Her darling was right. She really needed a relaxing shower. She couldn't carry her work-pressure around. Not in front of her family, at least. Not in front of Xi Yuan.

"Now, stop bothering me and go get a can of soda from the refrigerator, will you?", Xi Wei said, after ensuring that the water was under the bridge of course, as he turned around to unmute the TV.

"I don't want a soda.", the girl mumbled.

"Who said it is for you?"

"...."

________________________

3:00 a.m., Elite Sapphire Penthouse ;

"Fang's wedding? Why would you suddenly bring that up?", Xi Yuan stared down at the woman lying with her head on his lap, with a surprised expression, "What's going on, Bub?"

"That girl. Jiang Yue. He has her photo as his phone cover till date. He clearly loves her. And, Yuan... he deserves this. He deserves this happiness.", the girl said, s.n.a.t.c.hing the novel away from the man's hands.

"I agree. But why now? When you are not even yourself, sure if you will be able to come to this wedding, why would you-"

"Yuan, life is very uncertain.", the girl covered the man's mouth with her left hand, cutting him off the mid-sentence, "I don't know if I'll walk out of this upcoming war alive. But I sure as h.e.l.l know that this isn't going to be the only war in my life. No matter what the time is, I will always be in the middle of some bloodbath. So let's not let destiny hinder out families' happiness.

"Now, we won't be able to marry until this problem is solved. But Fang isn't directly connected to any of this, is he?

"That boy has always put you, your need, your health, above himself, Yuan. He loves you and respects you. He wors.h.i.+ps you. He deserves nothing less than a beautiful wedding day. A day. When it will be all about him and the person he loves. A day when he wouldn't have to be worrying about the Xi family politics or you or Wei or Ying. 

"I don't want your brother to remain an unappreciated supporting character in our story. He is equally important. And, Baby, he deserves the world too."

"G.o.d d.a.m.n it, Xinghe! You never stop to amaze me. Come here.", Xi Yuan laughed, opening his arms wide, "Those idiots have no idea how lucky they are to have a Sister-in-law like you."

"Not as lucky as me. I was lucky enough to have you, after all", the girl giggled, burying herself into her darling's uniquely sweet and warm embrace.