Rebirth Begins with Rejecting my Childhood Friend-Chapter 451 - Being a Traditional Man Who Respects Local Customs (Two in One - )

An Shishi smiled and waved at her younger sister. “Shui Shui, why are you hiding? Come over here and say hello to your brother-in-law.”

An Shui Shui had been waiting at the door with their mother for her sister and brother-in-law to return.

But the moment her brother-in-law appeared, she suddenly felt nervous and hid behind an aunt from the neighborhood, quietly observing him.

The brother-in-law her sister always spoke of was practically described as a flawless man.

But what was he like in reality? She had to see for herself.

After watching him for a while, she could tell one thing for sure: he was wealthy.

Other than that, she also noticed that her brother-in-law was incredibly handsome.

He was more attractive than any boy she had ever seen at school.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, completely different from the boys around 1.7 meters she was used to.

Take now, for example—he stood among the crowd, and even if you didn’t look at his face, he stood out because he was so much taller than everyone else.

Aside from his height and looks, his smile was warm and gentle.

You could tell at a glance that he was kind and approachable.

She hesitated, unsure if she should greet him.

That’s when her sister noticed her and called her out.

Slowly, An Shui Shui stepped out from behind the neighbor’s aunt.

She walked over to An Shishi, lowered her head shyly, and softly said, “Sister~”

“Don’t just greet me; greet your brother-in-law too.”

At her sister’s words, An Shui Shui looked up at Xu Xiuwen for a brief moment before lowering her head again.

“Hello, brother-in-law,” she said timidly.

Xu Xiuwen finally got a good look at An Shui Shui, and for a moment, he was stunned.

An Shishi had praised her sister’s beauty countless times, but even so, he had underestimated how stunning An Shui Shui was.

This wasn’t just good-looking—this was too good-looking.

The sisters resembled each other closely, which was to be expected since they had the same mother.

But instead of being a copy of An Shishi, An Shui Shui was more like an upgraded version of her sister.

An Shui Shui had willow-leaf eyebrows like their mother and a delicate oval face.

Her large eyes, framed by long lashes, were dark and clear, carrying a faintly misty, dreamy quality—like they held a quiet pool of autumn water.

It gave her a pure, delicate charm that made one want to protect her.

Her lips were small and perfectly shaped, slightly pursed. Their vibrant, rosy color was almost irresistible.

Each of her facial features individually resembled An Shishi’s, but when combined, something magical happened.

She was even more beautiful than her sister—like an upgraded version.

“Brother-in-law?”

“Honey, Shui Shui is talking to you,” An Shishi said, subtly nudging Xu Xiuwen with her elbow when she noticed he wasn’t responding.

Snapping out of his daze, Xu Xiuwen smiled warmly.

“Hello, Shui Shui. Shishi talks about you all the time. She says you’re smart, beautiful, and so well-behaved. I’m glad to finally meet you.”

An Shui Shui felt a little embarrassed by Xu Xiuwen’s praise.

She shyly asked, “Did my sister really say that about me?”

“Of course,” he replied.

“Sister~” An Shui Shui became even more flustered upon hearing this. She quickly hid behind An Shishi, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked out from behind her sister to steal glances at Xu Xiuwen.

The more Xu Xiuwen looked at An Shui Shui, the more he liked her. This young girl was just so full of life.

However, he reminded himself that she was his future sister-in-law. Staring too much wouldn’t be appropriate, especially with so many people around. Reluctantly, he shifted his gaze.

But he could still feel An Shui Shui’s eyes fixed on him.

Suddenly, Liu Ruo said, “Alright, let’s all head inside and talk. Don’t just stand around outside. Shishi, honestly, why didn’t you let me know you were coming back? The house isn’t even tidied up yet. Xu Xiu—”

“Aunt Liu, you can just call me Xiao Xu,” Xu Xiuwen interjected with a smile.

“Alright, Xiao Xu, I hope you won’t mind the mess.”

“Not at all, not at all. A little clutter makes the house feel warm and cozy,” Xu Xiuwen replied warmly.

The An family’s main hall was a simple mudbrick room. It wasn’t very large, and now it was crowded with all the items they had just unloaded from the car. There was hardly any space to stand, so everyone moved to the yard instead.

The yard of the An family’s home wasn’t very big. They kept chickens there, and a pomegranate tree stood in one corner.

A lot of people had followed Xu Xiuwen into the An family home. Liu Ruo—An Shishi’s mother—started introducing all the relatives and friends to him one by one.

Xu Xiuwen greeted each person, making sure to remember everyone.

At one point, he excused himself and returned to the car. When he came back, he was carrying a carton of Zhonghua cigarettes and a box of chocolates.

Back in the yard, he began handing out cigarettes.

He was incredibly generous, giving a whole pack to every adult man, regardless of age.

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For the younger ones, he handed out several pieces of chocolate each.

An Shishi’s eldest uncle was there as well. Not only did Xu Xiuwen hand him a pack of cigarettes, but he also opened one, pulled out a cigarette, and personally handed it to him.

An Shishi’s uncle took the cigarette, lit it, and began puffing away.

Liu Ruo noticed Xu Xiuwen handing out cigarettes but didn’t stop him. Instead, she quietly pulled An Shishi aside and asked, “How much do those cigarettes cost? They don’t look cheap.”

“Mom, those are Zhonghua cigarettes. A pack costs 45 yuan,” An Shishi replied.

Liu Ruo was shocked when she heard the number.

“You’re not lying to me, are you?”

An Shishi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She had been with Xu Xiuwen long enough that her lifestyle and perspective had gradually changed.

Although Xu Xiuwen no longer gave her money regularly, she still had plenty saved from before. She often spent time with her friends Xiao Youran, Cheng Lu, and Song Siyu, all of whom had above-average spending habits for university students.

Under their influence—and Xu Xiuwen’s—her standard of living and taste had naturally risen.

So while she knew 45 yuan for a pack of cigarettes wasn’t cheap, she didn’t think much of it.

But Liu Ruo was different.

Knowing each pack cost 45 yuan and seeing how many Xu Xiuwen had handed out made her heart ache.

This village was relatively poor. Most people couldn’t afford cigarettes, let alone good ones.

Usually, the men would buy cheap, locally made cigarettes costing just a few cents. Even when the wealthiest family in the village—the village chief’s—hosted events, they would only offer Shuangxi cigarettes, which cost two or three yuan per pack.

Xu Xiuwen’s generous gesture of handing out high-quality cigarettes naturally made Liu Ruo feel a bit distressed.

However, Xu Xiuwen wasn’t just her future son-in-law; he was also a man. And when men handled things, women, even if they were his future mother-in-law, had no place to interfere.

Liu Ruo could only keep her thoughts to herself, planning to discreetly remind her daughter later to caution her fiancé.

That didn’t mean she would stay completely silent, though.

Turning to her older brother, Liu Ruo said loudly, “Big Brother, do you know how much the cigarettes Xiao Xu just gave you cost?”

An Shishi’s eldest uncle took a puff of the cigarette and immediately recognized it wasn’t cheap. He instinctively asked, “How much?”

“Forty-five yuan a pack!” Liu Ruo declared loudly.

The moment she said “forty-five,” everyone around gasped in shock.

Some men who had planned to open their packs hesitated, unwilling to use such expensive cigarettes. Instead, they thought about saving them for future occasions to impress others—or even reselling them.

The scene was almost identical to what had happened at Tang Weiwei’s family gathering.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t mock the men for their reactions. Instead, he casually opened two more packs and started handing out individual cigarettes one by one.

Even so, some of the men still couldn’t bring themselves to smoke such high-quality cigarettes.

An Shishi’s eldest uncle walked over to Liu Ruo and quietly asked about Xu Xiuwen’s family background.

But Liu Ruo couldn’t give him a clear answer because even she didn’t fully understand it.

After handing out cigarettes, Xu Xiuwen stayed to smoke and chat with the relatives and friends. Though he normally didn’t smoke, he joined in to follow the local customs.

The An sisters stood together nearby.

An Shui Shui stood behind her older sister, arms wrapped around her slim waist as she peeked out.

Her bright, lively eyes stayed on her brother-in-law the whole time.

She noticed how polite everyone was when talking to him, and how he, in turn, treated everyone with respect and warmth.

She was reminded of the village chief’s daughter and her family. The village chief’s son-in-law always strutted around with an air of superiority, as if no one else in the village deserved his attention.

But her brother-in-law wasn’t like that.

He spoke warmly to everyone, always smiling. It made him seem approachable and kind.

What amazed her even more was how easily he conversed with people. Many of the relatives and friends present weren’t even that familiar to her—she barely exchanged greetings with them, let alone knew what to talk about.

Yet Xu Xiuwen, meeting them all for the first time, could chat with everyone so effortlessly.

Watching him navigate the crowd of adults so skillfully, a hint of admiration flickered in her eyes.

An Shishi, unaware of her sister’s thoughts, kept her attention on Xu Xiuwen as well.

Although he appeared at ease, she noticed his occasional yawns, subtle but not completely hidden.

Quickly, she spoke up, “Uncle, Xu Xiuwen drove all morning to get here. Let him take a break for a while—don’t keep chatting with him.”

“Alright, alright. Xiao Xu, go rest for now,” her uncle agreed.

Xu Xiuwen was tired, but not quite tired enough.

He could push through for a while longer, but since An Shishi had already spoken up for him, there was no need to force it.

After saying a few words to the relatives, he followed An Shishi to her room.

An Shishi’s room was the same as An Shui Shui’s; they shared it.

Upon entering, Xu Xiuwen noticed there were two beds inside.

“Which one is yours?” he asked.

“The one closer to the door. You can sleep first, and I’ll wake you when it’s time to eat,” An Shishi replied.

“Alright.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen went straight to the bed and lay down.

Aside from catching a little sleep in the morning, he had spent most of his time driving—several hours of it.

He was indeed feeling a bit fatigued.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen lay down, he closed his eyes and began to rest.

An Shishi sat by the bed, looking at him with eyes full of affection.

From her mother’s and the relatives’ reactions, she could tell they were all very satisfied with Xu Xiuwen.

This made her incredibly proud.

The man she, An Shishi, had chosen was just that outstanding.

“Big sis~”

Suddenly, a soft call interrupted her thoughts.

She turned to see An Shui Shui peeking into the room from the doorway.

An Shishi got up, walked over, and closed the door behind her.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Is brother-in-law asleep?” An Shui Shui asked.

“Mm.”

“Oh.” An Shui Shui suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

An Shishi, taking her younger sister’s hand, walked with her toward the entrance.

“Shui Shui, you’ve been going on about meeting your brother-in-law for so long. Now that you’ve seen him, what do you think? Did your sister’s taste disappoint you?”

An Shui Shui didn’t say anything.

An Shishi immediately misunderstood, assuming her sister wasn’t impressed.

“Come on, no way. Your brother-in-law is so exceptional—how could you not like him?”

An Shui Shui hurriedly waved her hands. “That’s not it, sis.”

“Then what do you mean?”

An Shui Shui glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. Then, leaning close to her sister’s ear, she whispered, “Sis, I just don’t get it. How did someone as amazing as brother-in-law end up choosing you?”

After saying that, An Shui Shui dashed off with a laugh.

It took a moment for An Shishi to realize she had fallen for her sister’s trick.

Of course, she wasn’t going to let her off that easily, so she chased after her, also laughing.

Xu Xiuwen’s car was parked just outside the gate.

An Shui Shui ran circles around the car, trying to keep her sister from catching her, while An Shishi did her best to corner her.

Suddenly, An Shishi pretended to twist her ankle and let out a cry of pain.

“Ah, ouch!”

As soon as An Shui Shui came closer out of concern, An Shishi sprang up and grabbed her, then started tickling her mercilessly.

An Shui Shui kept begging for mercy, but An Shishi, holding a grudge, refused to stop.

It wasn’t until their mother, Liu Ruo, came out to intervene that the two sisters finally stopped their playful scuffle.

Standing at the doorway, Liu Ruo said, “Alright, enough. Don’t mess around anymore. You’re going to end up scratching the car.”

Hearing their mother’s voice, the sisters immediately stopped.

An Shui Shui ran to her mother’s side, clinging to her and whining, “Mom, big sis is bullying me.”

Liu Ruo ignored her.

Instead, she looked at her elder daughter and asked, “Is Xiao Xu asleep?”

“Mm,” An Shishi nodded.

“Then let him rest. Honestly, you should’ve just taken the bus back. Why insist on driving? Let me guess—this was your idea, wasn’t it?”

An Shishi didn’t deny it; she just smiled.

Liu Ruo’s gaze shifted to the car parked by the gate.

She couldn’t help but ask, “How much did this car cost?”

An Shishi, half-showing off and half-proud, replied, “It’s a BMW 5 Series. We bought it for 650,000 yuan.”

“How much?!” Both Liu Ruo and An Shui Shui thought they must have misheard.

“650,000.”

Seeing the shocked expressions on her mother and sister’s faces, she smiled faintly.

An Shui Shui, her mouth agape, murmured in astonishment, “Is brother-in-law’s family running a bank or something?”

In their village, 650,000 yuan was an astronomical figure.

Forget that—families with even 10,000 yuan in savings were considered wealthy. Most households struggled to make ends meet, and here, spending just 1,000 or 2,000 yuan was enough to “buy” a wife.

650,000? That could buy hundreds of wives.

Liu Ruo, being an adult and a mother of two daughters, quickly processed the situation and regained her composure.

—

Xu Xiuwen soon fell into a deep sleep.

He didn’t know how long he had been sleeping when he suddenly felt a ticklish sensation in his ear, like someone was blowing on it.

Back at home, An Shishi had often teased him this way.

Instinctively, Xu Xiuwen assumed it was her again.

He mumbled, “Stop messing around, Shishi. Let me sleep a bit longer.”

After he said that, the teasing continued.

Warm air blew into his ear, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance instead of any unpleasant smell.

The sensation disturbed Xu Xiuwen’s sleep, leaving him restless.

He cracked his eyes open slightly.

In the dimly lit room, he could see An Shishi sitting sideways at the head of the bed, leaning slightly toward him.

Without much thought, Xu Xiuwen stretched out his arms and pulled her into his embrace.

Startled, “An Shishi” let out a soft gasp.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t notice anything unusual.

After pulling her into his arms, his hands naturally rested on her rounded bottom, instinctively kneading it.

Her soft, shapely figure felt so familiar in his hands—he had always liked touching her like this.

But as his hands wandered, “An Shishi” suddenly began to struggle violently.

Her body twisted and turned, trying to break free from his grasp.

Unbothered, Xu Xiuwen lifted his head slightly and kissed her forehead.

With his eyes still closed, he murmured, “Honey, stop moving. Let me sleep a little longer.”

Perhaps his words had an effect, because the figure in his arms stilled, no longer resisting.

—

It was almost time for dinner.

An Shishi was busy helping in the kitchen, so she asked An Shui Shui to wake Xu Xiuwen.

When An Shui Shui entered the room, she saw her brother-in-law soundly asleep and decided not to wake him right away.

Instead, she walked over quietly and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Looking at her brother-in-law’s peaceful face, a mischievous idea crossed her mind.

She leaned closer and began to blow gently into his ear.

Just as she had expected, her brother-in-law woke up quickly.

But his first reaction was to call her “Shishi.”

She immediately realized he had mistaken her for her sister.

Before she could say anything, Xu Xiuwen suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.

What alarmed her even more was that his hands began kneading her small bottom.

As a pure and innocent girl who had never been in a relationship, she was utterly unprepared for such an intimate act.

Her cheeks flushed a deep red as her mind spun in panic.

The girl’s shy nature made her instinctively struggle.

At that moment, her brother-in-law suddenly kissed her forehead and, in a gentle voice, called her “Honey.”

An Shui Shui froze.

When she finally processed what had happened, the word wife still echoed in her mind.

Her brother-in-law had called her so softly, so tenderly.

An Shui Shui felt a mix of embarrassment and joy—shy from the intimacy but also happy about how deeply her sister and brother-in-law loved each other.

Xu Xiuwen, meanwhile, planned to go back to sleep for a while longer.

Having someone lying on top of him wasn’t a problem; he was used to it. At home, they often napped like this after being affectionate.

However, something felt odd to him.

For some reason, Shishi’s hips seemed slimmer today, unlike the fullness he was familiar with.

In fact, they reminded him of the feeling the very first time he and An Shishi had been together.

It’s worth mentioning that back when An Shishi was in the hospital, even her roommates didn’t recognize her.

Part of it was because she had makeup on and was dressed differently.

But another reason was that after being with Xu Xiuwen, she had gained some weight—not in a bad way.

Her figure had filled out in all the right places.

Her chest, thanks to Xu Xiuwen’s “efforts,” had grown noticeably fuller.

Her hips had also become more rounded compared to when they first met.

Even her facial features had subtly changed—not in a way that made her less attractive, but in a way that made her look even more beautiful.

Overall, rather than saying An Shishi had gained weight, it was more accurate to say that after improving her living conditions and lifestyle with Xu Xiuwen, she had experienced a “second development.”

Her body and face had fully blossomed.

She was no longer the skinny, frail-looking rural girl handing out flyers on the street whom Xu Xiuwen had first met at the computer store.

But now, Xu Xiuwen noticed that “Shishi’s” hips seemed to have slimmed down again.

The sensation was still pleasant, but the change left him puzzled.

He kneaded them again and muttered, “Huh? Shishi, why do your hips feel thinner?”

That one sentence made An Shui Shui’s face turn scarlet.

She realized she couldn’t keep pretending any longer—not just because her sister could walk in at any moment, but also because her brother-in-law might soon realize she wasn’t her sister.

Blushing furiously, An Shui Shui looked at Xu Xiuwen and stammered, “Brother-in-law... it’s me, Shui Shui.”

The words brother-in-law left Xu Xiuwen momentarily stunned.

His mind blanked as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

Opening his eyes fully, he took a good look—and froze.

The person in his arms wasn’t An Shishi at all.

It was his sister-in-law, An Shui Shui.

“Shui Shui, did you wake up your brother-in-law?”

At that moment, An Shishi’s voice came from outside the door.

Xu Xiuwen panicked and immediately let go of An Shui Shui.

An Shui Shui immediately stood up, standing by the bedside, and smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes.

An Shishi pushed the door open and walked in.

She saw An Shui Shui standing by the bed and Xu Xiuwen lying down, awake but still in bed.

Smiling, she said, “It’s almost time for dinner. Don’t sleep anymore.”

“Okay,” Xu Xiuwen replied.

After An Shishi left and closed the door, Xu Xiuwen glanced at An Shui Shui.

Her cheeks were bright red.

Feeling awkward, Xu Xiuwen apologized, “Sorry, Shui Shui. I didn’t know it was you.”

An Shui Shui was just shy, not upset.

She knew her brother-in-law hadn’t done it on purpose. He had simply mistaken her for her sister.

She quickly came to terms with what happened and calmed down.

Looking up at Xu Xiuwen, she gave him a sweet smile. “Brother-in-law, you should get up now. Mom’s planning to invite relatives over for dinner tonight, and they’ll be here soon.”

“Alright, I’ll get up now.”

Seeing that his sister-in-law wasn’t angry or upset, Xu Xiuwen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, the darker side of his male nature found the situation oddly thrilling.

Unbidden, his mind replayed the feeling from earlier.

To be honest, An Shui Shui’s figure couldn’t compare to An Shishi’s—she was too thin, much like how An Shishi had been when she first started college.

Xu Xiuwen knew this was due to inadequate nutrition.

Once her living conditions improved, this youthful, underdeveloped body would soon fill out.

As Xu Xiuwen sat up and started putting on his shoes, he asked, “Shui Shui, your sister said you did really well on the college entrance exam this year?”

“Did she tell you that?” An Shui Shui looked both shy and proud. “I did a little better than usual.”

“She didn’t tell me your exact score, just that you did great.”

“Oh, I scored 691,” she said, a hint of pride in her tone.

Xu Xiuwen didn’t know the exact cutoff scores for universities in Xi Province this year, but regardless of the benchmark, 691 was undoubtedly an excellent score—exceptionally high for any year.

Hearing the score, Xu Xiuwen was genuinely impressed.

After taking a moment to compose himself, he asked, “Shui Shui, have you decided which university you want to attend?”

“I haven’t filled out my applications yet,” she replied quickly, noticing his disbelief. “Our school does it a bit later—we’ll be filling them out in a couple of days.”

“I see. So, where do you want to go to college?”

“My sister wants me to go to Jinling University.”

“She said that to you?”

“Yeah.”

“And what about you? Where do you want to go?”

“I listen to my sister.”

“Why? She’s not always right. Just tell me—where do you want to go?”

After hesitating for a moment, An Shui Shui finally said, “I want to go to Beijing University, but I heard it’s really expensive to live there. I’m afraid I won’t be able to afford it.”

Hearing that An Shui Shui wanted to go to university in Beijing, Xu Xiuwen felt a mix of emotions—disappointment but also understanding.

With her score, she could probably get into Qinghua or Beida. Not choosing a university in Beijing would indeed feel like a waste.

But if his sister-in-law went to Beijing, it would be quite far from Jinling, making it hard to see her often.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Xiuwen said, “Shui Shui, don’t worry about money. It’s not just about Beijing. Even if you wanted to study in the States, as long as you want to go, your brother-in-law will support you. Rest assured, with your sister and me here, you don’t need to worry about tuition or living expenses. Where to attend university and what to study are lifelong decisions. Think carefully and don’t let others decide for you. No one else can live your life for you.”

An Shui Shui was both surprised and overjoyed. “Brother-in-law, you really want to support my studies?”

Xu Xiuwen nodded. “Don’t you trust me?”

An Shui Shui shook her head, then suddenly threw herself into Xu Xiuwen’s arms, hugging him tightly. Overcome with emotion, she said, “Thank you, Brother-in-law.”

Although the young girl was inexperienced, her figure was already well-developed.

Feeling the softness pressed against him, Xu Xiuwen’s heart wavered for a moment.

Fortunately, he quickly regained his composure and gently pushed her away.

He continued, “Shui Shui, you don’t need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank your sister. She’s done a lot for you.”

An Shui Shui nodded earnestly, her face still glowing with excitement. “I understand. Don’t worry, Brother-in-law. I’ll definitely repay you and my sister in the future.”

“We’re family—no need to talk about repayment.”

Xu Xiuwen patted her head and said, “Alright, think about it carefully. I’ll head out now.”

“Okay, Brother-in-law.”

When Xu Xiuwen left the sisters’ room, the main house was bustling.

The relatives had all arrived, and the house was lively with chatter.

There were so many people that they had set up three tables, two of which had been borrowed from neighbors.

Since the main house couldn’t fit all the tables, Liu Ruo had placed them in the courtyard for the dinner.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen stepped out, everyone greeted him warmly, eager to chat with him.

An Shui Shui, however, stayed behind in the room.

In the back courtyard, An Shishi quietly approached Xu Xiuwen and pulled him aside to a secluded corner.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, taking on an interrogative stance, and looked at him with a sly smile.

“So, tell me honestly—what were you doing with Shui Shui just now?”

Xu Xiuwen froze.

For a moment, he thought she had found out about him hugging An Shui Shui and touching her earlier.

But then he quickly realized she couldn’t possibly know.

By the time An Shishi had entered the room earlier, he had already let go of An Shui Shui. There was no way she could have seen anything.

Xu Xiuwen immediately understood that An Shishi was just trying to bait him.

With a calm demeanor, he feigned confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb. What were you doing with Shui Shui just now?”

Xu Xiuwen replied evenly, “What could I have possibly done to Shui Shui? Don’t make baseless accusations.”

Then, as if to emphasize his innocence, he added, “I’m not interested in Shui Shui.”

“So you’re saying I misunderstood?”

“That’s right. You misunderstood.”

An Shishi suddenly sighed in disappointment.

“I thought you might be interested in Shui Shui. We’ve always had a tradition here where the younger sister serves the brother-in-law. I was going to ask you what you thought about it, but if you’re not interested, then forget it.”

“Wait!” Xu Xiuwen quickly called out to An Shishi.

“What is it?”

“Shishi, what do you mean by what you just said? What do you mean by ‘the younger sister serves the brother-in-law’?”

Although Xu Xiuwen sensed something was off, he couldn’t help but ask.

After all, if what An Shishi said meant what he thought it did, it was far too tempting.

An Shishi hooked her arm around Xu Xiuwen’s and smiled.

“It’s just the custom here. When the brother-in-law visits for the first time, the younger sister has to sleep with him that night. If you’re not interested, then that’s fine. It’s better this way—Shui Shui won’t be looked down on when she gets married.”

Xu Xiuwen was stunned.

“You actually have a tradition like this here? That’s… that’s outrageous.” A glimmer of desire flickered in Xu Xiuwen’s eyes.

While he didn’t want to seem like he was making a move on the younger sister, if this was truly the custom here, he wouldn’t object.

After all, An Shuishui was like an upgraded version of An Shishi.

Aside from being a bit slimmer and not as curvy as her older sister, she was younger and even more beautiful.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted.

An Shishi teased him further.

“If you regret it, it’s not too late. I’ll have Shui Shui sleep with you tonight.”

An Shishi brought it up again, and this time, Xu Xiuwen couldn’t resist.

He pretended to be reluctant.

“Although it’s inappropriate, you know I’m someone who respects customs and traditions. If that’s the way it’s done here, then I’ll follow the local customs just this once.”

The moment Xu Xiuwen finished speaking, he realized something was wrong.

An Shishi was no longer holding his arm; she had flung it off.

She took a step back and looked at him coldly.

Xu Xiuwen instantly realized he had fallen for a trap.

Before he could speak, An Shishi asked, “Xu Xiuwen! Do you have thoughts about my younger sister?”

Xu Xiuwen hurriedly denied it. “No, I don’t!”

An Shishi snorted coldly. “I don’t care how many women you mess around with outside, but Shui Shui is my sister. You absolutely cannot have any thoughts about her.”

The opportunity slipped away.

No, not just the opportunity—the younger sister was now completely off the table.

Xu Xiuwen felt a pang of disappointment, but the more pressing matter was soothing An Shishi.

He took a step forward, gently held her hand, and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

“Shishi, you still trust me, don’t you? How could I possibly have any thoughts about your sister?”

“Then why did you agree earlier? Were you hoping for Shui Shui to sleep with you?”

“No, no, you misunderstood me. I only agreed because I thought you were talking about a local custom. I didn’t want to make things difficult for you. How was I supposed to know you were tricking me? Don’t worry, I swear I won’t ever have thoughts about Shui Shui.”

“Hmph.” An Shishi snorted in response.

“Come on, Shishi, don’t be mad. If you’re still upset, you can punch me to let off steam.”

An Shishi’s anger finally softened into playful annoyance.

She rolled her eyes at him and said, “I’ll beat you to death, I swear!”

With that, she raised her small fists and playfully punched Xu Xiuwen’s chest.