My best friend’s brother has returned from abroad, and word is, he brought back a sister-in-law for her. The next day, my friend invited me over to meet her brother. When I realized who the man in front of me was, my legs felt weak. Because three years ago, I broke up with him. Fiona insisted I come to her house for dinner. Her brother had just come back from abroad, and she was adamant I meet him. When I arrived after work, the dim streetlight cast a long shadow of a man. You could tell he was handsome. But, unfortunately, not someone for me. Fiona mentioned her brother had returned with a sister-in-law. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and was 185cm tall—quite striking. “Brother!” Fiona shouted, and the man turned around. I was stunned for a moment: “He’s your brother?!” “Fiona, I just remembered I have something urgent to do, I have to go.” I swallowed nervously, trying to leave in haste. Fiona pulled me back: “Adeline! Why are you leaving? My brother is treating us to a feast!” Before I could refuse, the man had already approached. I grew more anxious, unconsciously gripping Fiona’s hand tightly. Fiona patted my hand to reassure me: “My brother is intimidating, right? I’m quite scared of him myself, that’s why I wanted you to come with me.” No wonder she’s my best friend, a champion at setting me up for forty years. Fiona dragged me along, eagerly introducing me to her brother: “Brother, this is Adeline, my best friend! Treat her just like a real sister from now on.” “Adeline, this is my brother, Declan.” After saying this, she looked behind Declan a few times: “Where’s my sister-in-law?” Declan ignored Fiona’s question, chuckled a few times, and stared at me: “Real sister?” His words made the atmosphere slightly tense. Fiona laughed to ease the tension: “Brother, what’s with you? Adeline and I are so close, can’t she be your sister too? Besides, Adeline doesn’t even mind.” She nudged my shoulder: “Right, Adeline?” Please don’t involve me, my legs felt weak. I hastily nodded. Declan chuckled softly. “If being my sister doesn’t interest you, what would you prefer? To be Fiona’s sister-in-law?” he raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. But his words made my heart skip a beat. I couldn’t muster a reply. However, Fiona was straightforward: “Brother! Show some decency! Don’t I already have a sister-in-law? You player!” Declan clicked his tongue: “That makes me a player? Then some people must be players to the extreme.” I didn’t dare speak until the three of us got in the car. Declan was indeed good-looking, a classic kind of handsome. When you saw him, you couldn’t possibly find him unattractive. Our eyes met in the rearview mirror, I was startled and immediately closed my eyes. I heard him laugh softly. My face turned red. Declan lowered the car window, and Fiona asked him, puzzled, what he was doing. He simply said: “My sister’s face is flushed, opening the window to cool her down.” My face turned even redder. Fiona glanced at me and even praised him for being more considerate. A dozen minutes later, the car stopped at a private restaurant’s parking lot. Declan got out and opened the door for me, looking at me with a half-smile: “Watch your head, sis.” As luck would have it, I did bump my head, but Declan’s hand was there to cushion it. Fiona sighed seriously: “My sister-in-law must be amazing to have trained my brother to be like this, I should thank her profusely in the future.” Declan glanced back at me, his gaze carrying some deeper meaning. I quietly swallowed and whispered: “Fiona, that’s not necessary.”
Declan ordered a variety of dishes, leaving Fiona astonished. “Brother, why did you order everything that Adeline likes?” “Oh, really? I ordered according to your sister-in-law’s taste.” Declan lounged lazily in his chair, hands folded, exuding an indescribable nobility. My heart skipped a few beats. “Adeline, my sister-in-law’s taste is really similar to yours, you two might even become good friends.” When all the dishes were served, Declan’s phone rang. When I looked at him, his eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at the caller ID, and I was taken aback. “It’s your sister-in-law calling, I’ll take it outside.” Looking at the table full of dishes, I suddenly lost my appetite. So Declan really has a girlfriend, and her taste is really the same as mine. I silently scorned myself, what was I getting all worked up about earlier? “What’s on your mind, sis?” Declan raised an eyebrow, adding a piece of braised pork to my plate. He seemed to genuinely treat me as his sister, using that term naturally. The atmosphere was slightly awkward, especially since Fiona went to the bathroom. I picked out the braised pork from my plate: “Sorry, brother, I don’t like this anymore.” My hand trembled a bit, but I tried hard to suppress it. He just chuckled softly and didn’t respond. The atmosphere remained tense, and internally, I was calling out for Fiona. “Oh, I forgot your taste changes quickly, after all, it’s only been a few days, and you already like pretty boys.” Fortunately, Fiona pushed the door open and came back in. In front of my best friend, I pretended to be calm, acting like nothing happened. But Declan wouldn’t let it go. He clapped his hands and asked the waiter to change the dishes. Fiona hadn’t had a chance to eat much: “Brother, why change the dishes? These are delicious!” Declan looked at me with a cold expression. “Adeline said she doesn’t like them.” His voice was pleasant, especially when he called my full name. Soon, the table was filled with green vegetables. Declan was definitely doing it on purpose. “Brother, how can you eat so much green!” Fiona complained quietly. Declan replied with a completely unrelated comment: “You think it’s too much green too?” This meal was so uncomfortable for me. On the way back, as I looked at Declan’s profile, I remembered the first time I met him. In my sophomore year, I was dumped by my ex-boyfriend. It was raining that day, and I gave my only umbrella to my ex. He and his new girlfriend were using my umbrella, while I got soaked. He had pursued me for almost a year, and we were together for only a few months before he cheated. Later, I heard from others that he never stopped having girlfriends even when he was pursuing me. When you’re down, it seems like everything goes wrong. Getting wet was one thing, but I slipped on the wet ground. Feeling wronged, tears mixed with rain streaming down my face. The street was empty, so I just cried out loud. In the midst of my sorrow, suddenly there was an umbrella over my head. I looked up, and though my vision was blurry, it was unmistakably a handsome man, mature and steady. “Take it.” He handed me the umbrella, I was a bit stunned. He stood for a moment, then impatiently shoved the umbrella into my hand. Holding it, I felt like the umbrella was hotter than his fingers. It had the Rolls-Royce logo. He turned away into the rain. A moment later, he returned, silently picking me up in his arms. His voice was low and nice: “Didn’t you know your leg is hurt?” My body was stiff, and so was his. It was the first time my heart raced like that. I never thought I would find a sense of security in a man other than my dad. I’m not very daring, but the bravest thing I did was ask Declan for his contact info. Under the pretense of returning his umbrella, I invited him to a meal, and he treated me back. I felt bad and invited him again. He remembered my taste, even set aside a day to go shopping with me. He was gentle and thoughtful, caring for me in every way. It was thanks to Fiona that we finally broke through that barrier. She took me to a bar, and I got drunk. The next day, I woke up with Declan lying next to me. He said: “Adeline, come home with me.”
In my senior year, I was struggling with my thesis and worried about meeting Declan’s parents. But in the end, I never got the chance. I saw him in a restaurant, smiling at a woman, cutting steak for her, his every gesture filled with affection. I had already been through this once. I knew what it meant, I was cheated on again. To save face, I spent 200 bucks to hire an underclassman to pretend to be my boyfriend. That day I calmly broke up with him. I thought Declan would try to keep me. Turns out, he didn’t love me anymore. He was so calm, he didn’t even take my words seriously. He asked: “Adeline, what do you mean?” “It means nothing, I don’t love you anymore.” Why could he move on so quickly, and I couldn’t? In the end, Declan smiled faintly. “Adeline, you’re doing great.” After that, I didn’t see him for three years. —— “We’re here.” My memories were cut short, and I got out of the car with Fiona. How could Declan still have the nerve to be sarcastic with me? He was the one who betrayed me first! I didn’t expose him, already giving him enough face. But I was still a bit sad. Declan was the most intense light in my otherwise dull youth. “Adeline, why do you seem off? Did my brother steal your soul?” Fiona was excited: “It’s such a pity, if I didn’t have a sister-in-law, I would’ve set you two up.” “Did you know? My brother is so devoted, he’s been with my sister-in-law for over three years now.” In stark contrast to Fiona’s joy, my heart felt cold at that moment. I couldn’t quite describe the feeling. Was I mad at Declan for betraying me? Not really. Just a bit resentful. Seeing I was down, Fiona quickly arranged a gathering to cheer me up. I almost never attended such chaotic events. But thinking of Declan, I gritted my teeth and went. Fiona, being the little rich girl she is, gathered a room full of men. Some were up-and-coming celebs. These young boys kept calling me: “Sis.” Who could resist that? In the latter part, I got a bit tipsy and grabbed Fiona’s hand, asking what her sister-in-law was like. I can’t really put the feeling into words. Am I angry with Declan for betraying me? Not exactly. It’s more of a lingering resentment. Fiona noticed I wasn’t in the best of moods and immediately organized a get-together with some friends to lift my spirits. I almost never attend these chaotic gatherings. But thinking of Declan, I decided to grit my teeth and go. Fiona, true to her little rich girl style, had filled the room with guys. Some of them were even up-and-coming celebs. These young men kept calling me “sis.” Who could resist that? Later on, feeling a bit tipsy, I clung to Fiona’s hand and asked her what her sister-in-law was like. “Is your sister-in-law prettier than me?” “Does she have a better figure than me? A bigger chest?” Fiona shouted, “No! Definitely not!”
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