"Is it important to you if I say yes or no?"
Zhu Xianglan smiled as she spoke, "What if I said I did it, what would you want to do?"
Zhu Yulan was shaking with anger as she looked at her older sister, but at that moment, she knew showing her temper would only make Xu Musen's situation worse.
She took a deep breath, "If you help him now, I can pretend nothing ever happened…"
Zhu Xianglan observed the expression of endurance on her sister's face, emotions flickered in her eyes, but she finally could not help but laugh.
"My silly little sister, but why should I help him? A man who took my sister away and hasn't brought her home for so long?"
"I told you, there is nothing unclear between him and me! If you have the guts, come at me, it has nothing to do with him!"
Zhu Yulan clenched her teeth.
Zhu Xianglan continued eating her fruit, "Actually, I'm not interested in doing anything to him. If you must blame someone, blame yourself. You know your identity is so sensitive right now, yet you still begged others, pushing him towards a pit of fire. It's not me, it's you."
Zhu Yulan's body trembled, she naturally knew these things; if she could choose again now, she definitely would not bother Xu Musen again.
Thinking that all Xu Musen's hard work might be ruined because of her, Zhu Yulan felt she could not forgive herself.
"Older sister! Must you be this way?" Zhu Yulan's voice still unavoidably carried a tone of grievance.
Zhu Xianglan's hand paused as she ate her fruit, but still spoke, "I am your older sister and also the second young miss of the Zhu Family. I am responsible not only for you but also for the Zhu Family."
She spoke and slowly stood up, walking towards her younger sister, "Yu Lan, I've told you long ago, the world outside isn't as simple as you think. You were born into this family, enjoying the inherent glory and wealth; you must consider the responsibilities you may face in the future."
Zhu Yulan bit her lip, which was tinged with blood, her whole body trembling, "You once said that you would take care of me for Mother and Big Sister, is this how you take care of me?"
"I did say that, but… for you right now, this might be the best choice."
Zhu Xianglan looked at her sister's face, aggrieved yet tinged with a bit of despair, her own expression still calm.
"If you can't even get through this little issue, how do you expect to contend against two major families?"
"Then, is it so wrong for me to just be an ordinary person? I don't want anything!"
"Yes, but your surname is Zhu, you were never an ordinary person. Moreover, you only bring unexpected complications to others."
Zhu Xianglan reached out and gently touched her sister's lip, "Now, do you see reality?"
Zhu Yulan slapped her hand away, but her sister's words were like two sharp swords that had already pierced her stubborn pride.
Zhu Xianglan smiled as she looked at her hand, "Now, I'll give you a chance, bow and apologize to me, and I can consider helping you."
Zhu Yulan's body trembled as she looked at her sister, who with the light behind her, seemed like darkness swallowing the light.
To her, the sister represented the entire Zhu Family, along with those who harbored ill intentions towards her.
If it meant lowering her head, she would rather starve outside than return.
But now, someone had already suffered because of her...
She remembered Xu Musen's roguish smile, recalled every small moment they had shared, their first time eating at KFC, the first time she tricked him with milk tea, later at the watch shop, and finally, this time sheltering her.
He had never complained.
"Think it over, if you disagree, then go back."
Zhu Xianglan's words were like the last straw that might break the camel's back. She watched as her sister bowed her head silently and was about to leave.
But suddenly, she grabbed her sister's sleeve.
"You said… just as long as I bow and apologize… you could help him…"
Zhu Yulan's voice came out through gritted teeth, full of grievance with a trace of despair, tears shimmering at the edge of her eyes.
Zhu Xianglan silently watched her sister, the flickering in her eyes wanting to reach out and wipe her tears but then withdrawing.
"Of course, as long as you bow."
Zhu Xianglan spoke indifferently.
Zhu Yulan said nothing, turning to face her sister. After a moment of silence, she slowly bent forward as a tear also followed the motion and fell.
Zhu Yulan did not straighten up for a long time, nor did she dare open her eyes. At that moment, she, like a lioness with a broken leg, had lost all her pride.
Yet, there was no response for a long time.
Zhu Yulan slowly opened her eyes, but there was no one in front of her.
She looked around and saw on a desk behind her, a file bag laid there.
She walked over unsteadily, opened it, and saw the contents; despair in her eyes finally showed a sliver of hope.
But beyond this hope, there was also a complexity.
Because inside was a note, with just a few simple sentences.
"When you learn to bow for someone, then you truly realize, sometimes humbling yourself is just to care more for others.
Yu Lan, you have finally grown up."
She silently pursed her lips, tears falling, yet her expression grew even more complex.
All along, she never really saw through her own sister…
"Older sister, what kind of person are you really..."