Chapter 4: Why Don’t the Brothers Get Married

After Qin Yuan paid, he turned his head and saw Chu Yao standing behind him. His face was colder than the open refrigerator next to him.

“What’s up with that icy face?” Qin Yuan said irritably.

“What did you say to your mom?” Chu Yao’s dark eyes were fixed on him as he spoke in a low voice. “You definitely said something.”

Qin Yuan licked the corner of his mouth and smiled. “Alright, you win.”

He admitted it.

Last week was his 30th birthday. After returning home drunk, his mother mentioned that at 30, it was time to think about marriage. Qin Yuan, still under the influence of alcohol, blurted out, “If I get married, I’ll have Beibei call you Mom. Would you agree?”

Qin Yuan knew his mother didn’t particularly like Jiang Beibei. Beibei had a weak constitution, wasn’t good at housework, and her overly sweet appearance made his mother feel she lacked security and might be vain and spoiled—unsuitable for married life. While his mother was willing to help her, given her unfortunate circumstances, accepting such a girl into the family as a daughter-in-law would likely drive her mad.

Moreover, Qin Yuan’s mother’s greatest achievement in life was raising Qin Yuan, her outstanding son. Naturally, he needed an equally outstanding partner—at least someone from a well-educated, high-ranking family, refined and elegant.

Qin Yuan understood his mother all too well, and after sobering up, he deeply regretted his drunken words.

Sure enough, his mother had secretly arranged a blind date for Jiang Beibei—and the match turned out to be his own cousin? What kind of logic was that? What was his mother thinking?

Qin Yuan felt a mix of frustration and annoyance.

Chu Yao said, “Beibei has thin skin. If your mom brings it up, she’ll feel awkward refusing, even if it hurts. We already agreed—I’d accompany her today and later reject the match on her behalf. Your mom knows I’m doing it for Beibei, so she wouldn’t blame Beibei for being disrespectful, and the matter would be settled. But no—you had to butt in.”

“I didn’t know,” Qin Yuan said, draping his arm over Chu Yao’s shoulder with mock melancholy. “I just happened to bump into you two while eating. If I didn’t step in, I’d feel uneasy. We both know why, right?”

“Take your hand off.”

“I can’t let you succeed, can I?” Qin Yuan grinned. “I’ve always had this problem—ever since I was a kid, whenever I like something, I get upset if anyone shows interest in taking it away.”

Chu Yao gave a cold laugh and turned to leave. “You’re the thing here, not Beibei. She’s a person.”

“...I was just using an analogy!”

Chu Yao: “Hmph.”

Jiang Beibei looked up and saw the two men walking over. Chu Yao’s expression remained as stoic as ever, while Qin Yuan was smiling with squinted eyes, his arm still draped over Chu Yao’s shoulder.

Jiang Beibei heard Qin Yuan say, “So we’re clear now, right?”

Chu Yao replied, “You’re already out of the game.”

“And what about you, little brother?” Qin Yuan chuckled. “Are you in the game yet? Or are you still stuck outside?”

Jiang Beibei didn’t fully understand their exchange. All her attention was focused on Qin Yuan’s hand resting on Chu Yao’s shoulder.

She thought enviously, When will I finally be able to casually drape my arm over Yao Ge’s shoulder?

During her teenage years, Jiang Beibei had fallen madly in love with Chu Yao. At that time, Chu Yao had just started university. During one holiday, when he returned home, Jiang Beibei fell head over heels for him—the boy transitioning into a mature man. With his jet-black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin, he looked like a cluster of snow on a plum branch.

Teenage love is often shallow, drawn to appearances and demeanor. Chu Yao was exactly what her heart desired. After shedding the awkwardness of adolescence, his sudden charm stunned her. From that moment on, the young girl began harboring feelings for him.

But that springtime romance seemed distant, cold, and icy. Every time Jiang Beibei mustered the courage to express her budding affection, she was met with frostbite—tears streaming down her face. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to walk away. Instead, she stood far off, observing him timidly for years. Thankfully, her spring hadn’t bloomed elsewhere—it was still there, waiting.

Later, Chu Yao grew even more captivating. As Jiang Beibei bid farewell to her teenage years, she sank deeper into the brotherly care Chu Yao extended to her. She repeatedly savored the warmth beneath his icy exterior, melting in the tenderness that was uniquely his.

Over the years, Jiang Beibei had been cautiously testing the boundaries of boldly confessing her love to Chu Yao but never dared to take the leap across the line. Thus, unable to pursue what she desired and too afraid to try, she channeled her frustration into fantasies, indulging in dreams of capturing that elusive spring.

Someday, she thought, I’ll boldly drape my arm over his shoulder, have him lie on my belly, and stroke his head as I declare my ownership!

Though her imagination ran wild with such bold scenarios, in reality, Jiang Beibei turned into a nervous wreck whenever she saw Chu Yao. She tiptoed around him, pretending to be someone else, terrified that revealing her true feelings might not only cost her Chu Yao but also shatter their sibling-like relationship.

And… if she really confessed her love, she’d probably have to move out.

At the very least, she wouldn’t get to drink the sweet rice wine soup Chu Yao’s mother made or savor Chu Yao’s father’s meticulously prepared braised fish. And… the neighbors would gossip.

For instance, Qin Yuan’s mother would surely say, Who would’ve thought Beibei was this kind of girl—harboring improper thoughts toward the brother who kindly helped her!

Too terrifying.

Jiang Beibei shuddered. Better give up.

And so, she quietly retracted the foot that had been testing the boundary of crossing the line.

When she got home, she saw a note left by her grandmother. Her grandmother had gone back to the old house with her former colleagues and wouldn’t return for a couple of days. There was food left in the kitchen for her to heat up. She was reminded to eat on time, drink milk before bed, go to sleep early, and not play with her phone.

At this moment, Jiang Beibei had no idea that after the elderly woman left, Qin Yuan’s mother no longer held back. The news of Jiang Beibei ruining the marriage prospects of five eligible young men spread twice as fast.

By Monday when Jiang Beibei went to work, all the aunties and housewives in the residential compound had heard the gossip.

“What? Jiang Beibei? Oh, I knew there was something wrong.”

“Look at that unit—none of them are young anymore, and none of them are married or even have partners.”

“This girl—you introduce her to someone, and she shows up with two men to ruin the meeting. How can her reputation be good after this gets out?”

“Sigh… If her grandmother finds out, she’ll die of embarrassment.”

“That child really is something—she’s grown up now but still acts so close with the boys. Of course, trouble will come! She doesn’t know how to avoid suspicion in ambiguous situations.”

“No one has taught her. That’s why family education is so important, especially for girls…”

It wasn’t until just before Jiang Beibei finished work that she learned about the rumors from a friend who lived in the same residential compound.

Even though Jiang Beibei had mentally prepared herself, she was still furious.

For years, it was precisely because she feared this kind of situation that she had lived cautiously. Between neighbors, whenever they asked for anything, she almost always smiled and agreed. She was afraid that if she refused, people would call her ungrateful or accuse her of being an ingrate. At the same time, she maintained a certain distance because she feared misunderstandings or accusations of being disrespectful or lacking propriety.

She carefully kept herself at an appropriate distance—too far, and people would say she was ungrateful; too close, and people would assume ulterior motives.

She vowed silently that she wouldn’t earn a bad reputation for being poorly brought up. With her parents gone and no one to teach her, even the slightest misstep on her part would invite gossip—and it would reflect on her parents.

Look at what they’d say: “Poor upbringing, indeed! Look how their daughter turned out—it’s such a shame.”

Jiang Beibei felt like a rubber band stretched tight from childhood to adulthood, never daring to slacken even a little. She hid her true self, remained polite and friendly to the neighbors, worked hard at school, and never showed any negative emotions.

But it still wasn’t enough.

After growing up, especially after starting work, things became even more complicated.

There were just too many things between men and women that could be twisted into gossip. From the moment Qin Yuan’s mother started paying attention to her marital status, she knew the good-girl image she had painstakingly built over the years was about to shatter.

In the end, it was because she had been too close to her “brothers.”

So, when a friend from the same residential compound curiously asked her, “Is it really because of you that the five young men in your unit haven’t gotten married?”

The tightly stretched rubber band inside Jiang Beibei snapped with a resounding pop .

To hell with it! Screw this—I’m done playing nice!

If the pot’s broken, might as well smash it completely!

That’s what Jiang Beibei thought. But when she answered, she still replied meekly, “Haha, how could that be possible?”

In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to completely give up… This was life.

She had to stay timid, accept reality, and think rationally.

Jiang Beibei sank into despair again.

She collapsed onto her desk and sighed deeply.

She wanted to grab a megaphone and shout eight hundred times a day in the residential compound: “I didn’t do it! It’s not true! Except for Chu Yao, I don’t acknowledge the rest—I won’t take the blame!”

No, wait.

Jiang Beibei stopped her mental drama and slapped the table as she stood up.

She couldn’t drag Chu Yao into this. Otherwise, she’d still be labeled as a girl with improper thoughts toward a neighbor brother who kindly helped her. The neighbors would surely say, “Oh, if you can have feelings for Chu Yao, who knows what other thoughts you might have.”

So, Jiang Beibei erased her previous thoughts and rewrote her imaginary megaphone announcement.

“I didn’t do it! It’s not true! Stop spreading lies!”

She felt so wronged.

After work, Jiang Beibei ate dinner at a small, unassuming restaurant near her workplace, reluctant to go home.

She opened the “Lucky Six Treasures Family Group” chat and sent a message to her five brothers.

“Why aren’t any of you getting married?! Why?! Restore my innocence! @Everyone”

After sending it, she immediately regretted her impulsiveness.

What had her brothers done wrong?

As far as she knew, Elder Brother and Second Brother had been pressured about marriage just as much as Qin Yuan. It seemed that aside from Chu Yao’s parents, the other brothers’ families were also enthusiastic about pushing for marriage.

It wasn’t surprising. Given Chu Yao’s job… Even if his parents nagged him about marriage, it wouldn’t make a difference. Perhaps that was why Chu’s parents hadn’t mentioned it.

Chu Yao’s mother once said, “With his job, he can’t attend weddings of friends and relatives. Even when greeting people, he can’t shake hands. While some people respect his work, most still find it taboo. Finding a partner is even harder.”

“What parents would let their daughter marry him?” Chu Yao’s mother said. “And look at his face—he was born with such a handsome face, but he looks like a reincarnation of a Black-and-White Reaper. He never smiles. What’s the point of being with him?”

Jiang Beibei had also overheard Qin Yuan’s mother gossiping about Chu Yao, saying he was foolish. “Being a forensic pathologist is better than working at a funeral home, washing and dressing bodies and applying makeup. A forensic pathologist can say they work for the police department, and people respect that. But a mortician at a funeral home? When introducing yourself, you have to lie and say you work at the Civil Affairs Bureau to avoid making people uncomfortable. If you tell a blind date you work at a funeral home, do you think they’ll agree to marry you? Not a chance.”

Yet Chu Yao had chosen to give up forensic pathology to become a mortician at a funeral home.

“Too much studying made him dumb,” Qin Yuan’s mother concluded.

After finishing her meal, Jiang Beibei wandered around the pedestrian street, queued up to buy a cup of Heytea, and sat on a nearby stone bench, sipping her drink while reflecting on life.

She pulled out her phone and saw replies in the group chat.

“What’s going on?” This was the slow-to-react Elder Brother Yan Qingming.

“Little girl, has someone been spreading rumors about you?” This was the sharp-witted Second Brother Tang Xizhou.

“I want to find someone, but I just can’t.” This was the honest Fourth Brother Song Lang.

Third Brother and Yao Ge hadn’t replied, but Third Brother sent her a voice message separately.

Jiang Beibei clicked on it and heard Qin Yuan say, “Beibei, don’t worry. I’ll explain to my mom when I get home.”

Third Brother, please don’t…

Jiang Beibei hugged her phone and banged her forehead against the screen repeatedly.

Not long after, her phone rang. Thinking it was Qin Yuan, she instinctively moved to reject the call but saw Chu Yao’s name on the screen.

Overwhelmed with excitement, she accidentally pressed the red hang-up button.

“Ahh!! Ahh—”

Jiang Beibei wailed, “My Yao Ge!”

It was Yao Ge!! Jiang Beibei, you idiot!