CHAPTER 634: CHAPTER 623: VICIOUS VILLAIN

Once Jiang Cheng spoke, Jiang Yi’s face stiffened for a flash before quickly returning to normal, showing no signs of change.

"Second brother, are you guarding your food?" he jokingly said, "Are you that stingy that not even your elder brother can have a bit?"

Jiang Cheng pursed his lips and said nothing, but at this moment, Ye Qiu spoke up: "Big brother, second brother is just worried about you. Don’t you always say yourself that one shouldn’t eat at night?"

"So you only bring food for second brother every day and not for your elder brother?" Jiang Yi said in a sorrowful tone.

"Big brother, you have meals at home every day, but second brother and I don’t," Ye Qiu replied in a low voice, her fingers anxiously twisting the hem of her clothes as if she had been greatly wronged.

Jiang Cheng lifted his eyes to Ye Qiu, his gaze flickering with an indescribable emotion; some loneliness, some sadness, and a bit of self-mockery, but no resentment.

Indeed, what right did he have to resent? Being an illegitimate child, he deserved this treatment.

But what about Ye Qiu? She hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should she endure all this?

Ultimately, this family was just too heart-chilling.

"So that’s how it is!" Jiang Yi sighed, "I thought you two didn’t like eating at home!"

"But no one ever asked us, right? No one ever left food for us, did they?" Ye Qiu retorted.

Jiang Yi looked at her and Jiang Cheng with a guilty face: "Big brother has been negligent. From tomorrow on, I will talk to Aunt Luo about it. I thought since Ye Qiu is a girl that she would have more to talk about with Aunt Luo!"

Ye Qiu looked disconsolate, as if bearing immense grievances, and spoke in a low tone: "It’s not big brother’s fault; it’s Mom who doesn’t like me, thinks I’m a burden to her, but you’re so clever, big brother, I thought you would have known that a long time ago."

After hearing this, both Jiang Yi and Jiang Cheng’s expressions stiffened.

Jiang Cheng cast a furtive glance at his elder brother, unwilling to believe his own guess. Even he, who normally couldn’t care less, was aware of Ye Qiu’s unhappiness in the family; how could his astute and perceptive elder brother not know?

Or was it not that he didn’t know, but that he pretended not to?

Why would his elder brother do that? Was it because he too looked down on Ye Qiu?

Jiang Cheng’s heart ached even more for her. No wonder she was so kind to him. She was just seeking a bit of familial warmth. Even when he ignored her, she still persisted every day in caring for him.

At that moment, he despised himself for his coldness. Why was he so merciless? Why couldn’t he be just a little nicer to her?

Jiang Yi’s face became somewhat awkward. Being young, he was not yet capable of perfect deception, and also because he felt that the current Jiang Cheng and Ye Qiu were not worth his time.

So, he faked a smile: "As a man, big brother can also be neglectful. I will pay more attention from now on. Since today’s supper doesn’t include me, I’ll head upstairs. You guys enjoy your meal."

Jiang Cheng watched Jiang Yi’s retreating back, feeling that his elder brother was out of sorts today. Could it be that he had misunderstood something?

"Did you notice?" Ye Qiu suddenly said.

Notice what? Jiang Cheng’s puzzled gaze turned to her.

To this reticent character, Ye Qiu was already accustomed.

"Did you notice that big brother is only pretending to be nice to us? Don’t you feel it? He only ever talks but never acts, and sometimes, because of him, Dad and Mom’s anger becomes even fiercer. He simply doesn’t like us but pretends to care for us. Haven’t you noticed this?"

"It can’t be." Jiang Cheng instinctively rebutted, but the seeds of doubt in his heart began to grow.

"If he truly cared about you, would he not know about your seafood allergy?" Ye Qiu challenged.

Jiang Cheng looked at her blankly, his throat tightening: "How did you know?"

Without answering his question, Ye Qiu continued: "No, I misspoke. He knew all along about your allergy, but he deliberately orders seafood every time you are there. Think about it, he says he likes seafood, but how much does he really eat?"

"You’re talking nonsense." Jiang Cheng countered her, but his suspicion only increased.

"Whether I’m talking nonsense, you know the answer yourself, Jiang Cheng. Don’t be fooled by his sweet nothings. He just dislikes you, hates you, and wants you to be unlucky. He hopes you will incur Dad’s displeasure. Think about it, every time you’ve done something wrong, didn’t Dad always know? Always find you precisely? I’m certain he’s the one who snitched."

Ye Qiu’s words struck Jiang Cheng, reminding him of the recent instances when he had received calls from his elder brother, who had indeed asked his whereabouts, followed shortly by Dad or the parents of his brothers showing up.

Gao Feng and Mo Ziang were only children, the wildest of the lot, and naturally wouldn’t tell their homes. Han Fei had an elder brother, Han Zheng, who was friends with the elder brother. Just today, Han Zheng had asked whether he had said something to the elder brother.

Han Fei, the cleverest among them, wouldn’t harbor suspicion without evidence.

But what had he said then, not wanting others to distrust his elder brother?

"Han Fei, what do you mean? My elder brother would never do that intentionally."

Yes, that was how he had responded, and then Han Fei had shown a disappointed look and shook his head before leaving.

First Han Fei, now Ye Qiu... could it be that his feelings for all these years were mistaken?

"Second brother, you are not without feelings, right? You believe him subconsciously because Jiang Yi is the only one who has shown you kindness from when you were little. You rely too much on this single familial affection," Ye Qiu said as if she had glimpsed his mind, laying bare the cruel reality in front of him.

Jiang Cheng had a ghastly complexion, his gaze fixed on a room upstairs.

"Step out, face the truth, or one day you will be hurt. Jiang Cheng, he doesn’t deserve your irrational trust."

"And you? Are you worthy of my trust? Ye Qiu, what are your motives for doing all this today?" Jiang Cheng suddenly turned back, his look towards Ye Qiu was quite hostile.

Ye Qiu was not intimidated and met his gaze directly: "I never thought to manipulate you, I just think both of us are too pitiable. And I feel you are even more so, because I’ve recognized the truth, whereas you haven’t."