Jian Shengbao was provoked by her and said discontentedly, "Sis, aren’t you just relying on finding a rich guy? Fine, you’re young and pretty now, and he’s willing to keep you, but when you’re old and lose your looks, won’t you still have to depend on me, your brother? You think he’ll really let you marry into a wealthy family? I’m telling you, dream on!"

Today, I’m setting this straight: five million, whether you give it or not, you have to give it! Otherwise, when he dumps you, I’ll tell the whole world that you’re a dirty woman who got kept!"

Jian Yixue’s face instantly lost all color, her hand squeezing her phone tightly, trembling uncontrollably.

"Is this how you see me?"

Treating her as a kept woman...

But he was her biological brother, her family! How could he think of her like this! 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Jian Shengbao thought he had hit her sore spot, smugly snorted, "Sis, I advise you, while he still hasn’t had enough of you, get as much benefit as you can. If I live well, I won’t treat you poorly in the future!"

Jian Yixue trembled all over, "I have nothing to say to you."

As her words fell, she abruptly hung up the phone!

Yan Yichen noticed her unusual expression, frowned, and held her arm, "Xiaoxue, what’s wrong?"

"I’m not feeling well... I want to go back and rest." Jian Yixue forced a smile at him, looking extremely pale and weak.

Yan Yichen felt like his heart was being forcefully twisted, seeing her like this made him feel upset and distressed.

Yet she didn’t want to talk, and he didn’t want to force her.

Even though he had countless ways to manipulate people, ways he could use on anyone in this world, he just didn’t want to use them on her.

"I’ll take you home."

"Thank you."

-

That night, Jian Yixue fell into nightmares again.

She dreamed of her childhood.

After Jian Shengbao was born, she and her sister became the ones in the family subjected to random beatings and scoldings.

In the cold winter, she and her sister washed diapers for Jian Shengbao, and they did this for over a decade, all his clothes were washed by her and her sister.

Because of their parents’ favoritism towards boys and excessive pampering, Jian Shengbao was badly raised, treating his two sisters very poorly.

He got into fights, dated, gambled outside, and whenever he ran out of money, he would ask the family for it. Jian Yixue thought she was still okay, usually working part-time in her spare time, though tired, she held on.

Her sister was truly miserable, forced to drop out of middle school to work in a factory.

Once, when Jian Shengbao caused trouble and the family couldn’t come up with money, it was her sister who went to the construction site to earn money.

Every night, seeing her sister’s hands full of wounds, Jian Yixue couldn’t stop her tears.

She didn’t know what she and her sister did wrong, contributing so much to the family, yet what they received was not gratitude but dissatisfaction from Jian Shengbao and their parents.

Why? Why indeed?

...

Jian Yixue had this dream for a long, long time, so long she didn’t get up in the morning.

Downstairs, Yan Yichen checked the time and decided to go upstairs to call her.

After knocking on the door with no response, he used a spare key to open the door, witnessing the little woman on the bed drenched in cold sweat, her expression pained, he hurried forward in big strides.

"No... don’t hit me, I know I’m wrong, it’s all my fault..." Jian Yixue sobbed, like an injured little beast’s mournful cry, so pitiful.

"Don’t be afraid, it’s all nightmares." Yan Yichen soothed her incredibly gently, yet, deep in his eyes, a sharp color flashed.