My older sister is a villainous rich girl

When the topic came up, Mrs. Edgeworth seemed to drift into the distant past, and her voice became lighter.

“When you were little, you always cried and wanted to sleep with your mother.”

"As soon as there's any noise nearby, the first thing I do when I wake up is look for my mom..."

In her memory, Wayne seemed to see the image of the extremely difficult child, Ge Li, from her early childhood.

It must be very cute, right?

When I came to my senses, I realized that even I didn't know when a gentle smile had started to appear on my lips.

Under her "exposing his shortcomings," Ge Li could no longer maintain his previous composure and abruptly interrupted her.

"No need," she said.

"I'm all grown up now, and I'm used to sleeping alone."

And so, Mrs. Edgeworth's nostalgic voice came to an abrupt end.

What followed was an awkward silence.

Even without seeing their expressions, just feeling the silence between them was incredibly oppressive, making one afraid to even breathe.

After a long while, Mrs. Edgeworth's soft voice finally came from inside the room again.

"Ge Li... are you blaming me?"

She asked, "Is it my fault for not caring about you enough, for not spending enough time with you?"

His tone sounded very sorrowful.

"--No."

Wayne could sense that Goece had taken a deep breath and was trying to regulate his emotions.

"There are still many things to do tomorrow, go to sleep early."

Ge Li said, "I should also get some rest early."

Such inhumane words are undoubtedly a way of telling them to leave.

Another silence fell.

Then, Wayne felt the weight pressing down on the bed disappear.

"Then you... should get some rest and not stay up too late." It was clear that Mrs. Edgeworth was in a very low mood.

After giving those two words of advice, her footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

It wasn't until the noise told him that the door was locked again that Wayne finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That was close.

He crawled out from under the bed somewhat awkwardly, his gaze instinctively turning to the side first.

Sure enough, his cloak and shoes had already been put away.

Well done, Miss Ge Li!

Now, he was wearing only a pair of socks, stepping onto a very soft carpet.

With a soft "snap" from the table, Ge Li turned off the only light.

Darkness enveloped the room once again.

Looking tired, she walked straight back to the bed, lay down on her side, and turned her back to Wayne.

They ignored him, even though he was a grown man, standing in the room.

Looking at her back, which seemed to clearly say "refusal to communicate," Wayne gave a bitter laugh.

After all that commotion, he was also a little tired.

She yawned, and Wayne climbed onto the bed, lay down beside her, and pulled her into his arms.

The temperature was quite low at night, and she was only wearing a thin nightgown; her arms were already feeling a bit cold.

Wayne lay down for a short while, then quickly got up, picked up a thin blanket and covered the two of them before lying down again.

But when he lay down next to Goli again, she suddenly turned around and put her arms around Wayne's neck.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together.

Wayne casually put his arm around her slender waist and gently stroked her back through her clothes.

"Go to sleep," he said.

"Don't you have anything to ask me?" Ge Li asked in a low voice.

Wayne stopped what he was doing.

—Actually, yes.

"Ge Li...does your relationship with your mother not go well?" he asked softly.

He didn't want to be so presumptuous as to ask such a potentially unpleasant question, but it seemed that Ge Li also wanted to take this opportunity to confide in him.

If it would help me understand her a little better, I certainly wouldn't refuse.

however--

Even though she asked the question as she wished, Ge Li in her arms did not answer.

Just when Wayne was almost convinced she had fallen asleep, she finally spoke:

"It can't be considered bad, can it?"

"I'm just... used to it, and I don't know how to get along with her anymore."

Chapter 213 Red Rose

When a person handles any matter, there is always a sequence to it.

If you can take care of one thing, you'll inevitably neglect the other.

Just as if one must prioritize the interests of the family, one cannot afford to give too much consideration to personal feelings for one's children.

Although I understand this principle and have grown up well under such education, I am not without gratitude in my heart.

only……

Once you get used to this purposeful relationship and accept that you are just a necessary link in the continuation of the family, you will find it impossible to find another way to get along closely with your family members.

She holds herself to the standards of a qualified family member and is already able to naturally consider various issues from the perspective of the family's interests.

However, once the family becomes the top priority in one's mind, the various levels of identity that belong to it seem to be deconstructed as well.

The terms "father," "mother," and "daughter" don't have any special meaning from this perspective; they are simply titles.

Whoever stands in this position must make corresponding contributions in order for the entire family to move forward continuously.

—Only responsibility, no warmth.

“When I was little, I hated my family,” Goethe said.

Wayne held her with both arms, tucking the blanket around her back even tighter, and listened quietly.

"Back then... the name 'Edgeworth' meant nothing to me except to be a constraint."

She smiled faintly as she spoke of the past.

"Because I am a member of the Edgeworth family, there are a lot of strange rules that I have to do and don't have to do, which are like invisible walls that confine me to a neat box."

"Everyone was constantly telling me, 'Don't let your family down,' and 'Don't let your parents down.' It was as if I was just participating in a transaction."

The girl's whispers did not contain any emotions of sadness or accusation.

She simply spoke those words she had long wanted to say, but had no one to listen to, in a casual tone as if she were casually remarking on how nice the weather was today.

"They put their investment on one side of the scale, and then—"

"We are hoping to reap corresponding, or even excessive, returns."

A thin blanket was draped over the two of them, providing just the warmth they needed on this summer night.

What lingers in her hand is her unique fragrance and gentleness.

"And I... just gradually became the person they wanted under such expectations."

The soft-spoken words conveyed both grievance and hesitation.

Wayne sighed silently and lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.

These were thoughts that Ge Li had never shared with himself before.

To outsiders, she always seemed very proud of her family's reputation and always put the family's honor first.

If there is any behavior that violates this principle of life, after much thought, it can only be...

The girl in his arms moved slightly, wrapped her legs around Wayne's waist, and sat up.

Her long, smooth hair cascaded down, with a few strands brushing against Wayne's face, causing a slightly ticklish sensation.

"But because of you... this investment, which was supposed to yield immediate returns, has completely failed."

In the dim light, only her captivating eyes shone like jewels.

It does not contain any accusation.

But under that burning gaze that seemed to melt him into its depths, Wayne felt utterly ashamed.

"I'm very sorry about this," he could only say. "I will try my best to make it up to you."

"What will you use to compensate me?" she countered.

"My secret stash of money?" he probed.

Ge Li gave a dismissive look: "Do you think that little bit of money is a lot?"

She seemed to have forgotten what had happened before, and even she herself was shocked by the enormous amount.

It seems that Miss Ge Li, who has handled a considerable amount of money, has developed a bigger appetite during this period.

So Wayne resigned himself to his fate, closed his eyes, and tilted his head to the other side.

"Then use my people to pay off the debt! Please don't show me any mercy!"

Enraged by his shamelessness, Ge Li angrily smacked him.

However, it didn't hurt at all.

Wayne grabbed her hand, pressed her back down, and kissed her again.

The night was quiet, with only the occasional night breeze stirring up a few leaves.

……

Even in the dead of night, not everyone is already fast asleep.

At the same moment, another corner of the royal city was brightly lit.

This is a training ground belonging to the city guard.

A city guard on duty saw his highest-ranking officer, looked at him with reverence, and saluted loudly, "Lord Bulwer!"

Bulwer noticed him and nodded at him.

Being in such a place at such a time is certainly not for romantic purposes.

Rather, it was for a special operation that he had orchestrated.

The aim was to establish a special force under his command, in the name of the commander-in-chief.

Since taking office, although he is nominally the highest-ranking official, he still feels powerless whenever he wants to do something.

This is all because their position is not yet secure, and they are not yet able to contend with the aristocratic system that is rotten to the core.

The city guards, who appear to represent justice and are responsible for maintaining order, actually have many members who are actually people with connections who were placed in from various places.

These guys are lucky if they don't cause trouble for me; expecting them to follow my orders is simply impossible.

Moreover, there are those who are dissatisfied with their lack of seniority yet have surpassed others.

However, due to various pressures and constraints, he was unable to take action against them.

Otherwise, they will immediately suffer fierce retaliation from the forces behind them.