For Jing Zeqian, neither Shen Huaichu nor Wen Qingyan were good people! One was a "smiling tiger," and the other was a cold-faced wolf!
Until one day, these two met.
Wen Qingyan had always known that Jing Yi, Jing Zeqian's younger sister, had an impressive boyfriend.
It wasn’t that he was impressive because he was the CEO of Huarui Group, but because he could constantly stand up to Jing Zeqian. That was truly impressive.
Wen Qingyan sat in the Jing family living room, looking at his future brother-in-law and his future brother-in-law’s brother, unsure of what expression to wear.
He couldn’t help but feel that the atmosphere wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Beside him, Jing Zeqian crossed his arms, his face full of mockery. "Mr. Shen, have you gained any official status today?"
Shen Huaichu remained calm and composed, raising his hand slightly so that the sparkling ring on his slender finger could be clearly seen by Jing Zeqian.
His face remained expressionless, but the hint of pride was unmistakable.
"Second Brother, as you can see, I’ve gained some official status."
Was this a show of dominance? Wen Qingyan thought to himself.
Jing Zeqian snorted coldly, his expression still displeased as he looked at Shen Huaichu. "A mere engagement ring doesn’t mean much. I think there’s still some distance before you can claim any real ‘official status.’"
Shen Huaichu nodded in agreement. He felt the same way. Until he had that red marriage certificate in hand, he didn’t truly have any official status.
Wen Qingyan had thought the tension between the two might ease a bit, but then he heard Shen Huaichu say, "Thank you for the reminder, Second Brother. I’ll discuss getting the marriage certificate with Yi tomorrow."
Jing Zeqian seemed to explode at this, standing up abruptly. "Dream on! You haven’t even passed the probation period yet. Talking about marriage is way too early!"
Wen Qingyan was aware of the Jing family’s probation period. He felt like it might take three to five years before Shen Huaichu could pass it.
Shen Huaichu, however, didn’t quite agree with this. He could stay on probation for the rest of his life, but he needed to secure his official status first.
Jing Yi was completely unfazed by the bickering between Shen Huaichu and Jing Zeqian. The Jing family was used to it. They had thought Jing Yi and Jing Zeqian were the pinnacle of sibling rivalry, but it turned out that Shen Huaichu and Jing Zeqian were truly "natural opposites."
Later, Shen Huaichu actually managed to secure his official status first. Wen Qingyan was both shocked and surprised. He began to reflect on his own approach.
Was his method too "gentle," causing him to fall behind? Should he learn a thing or two from his future brother-in-law?
When Jing Zejun found out about this idea, she immediately put on a serious face and stopped Wen Qingyan from pursuing this "dangerous" thought.
"Don’t learn Shen Huaichu’s tricks. They’re dangerous."
Her second brother’s situation was truly precarious.
Thanks to his thoughtful sister’s intervention, Jing Zeqian didn’t end up with another "opponent" to deal with.
……
Since the two families lived close by, the brothers-in-law occasionally ran into each other, and over time, they began to communicate more.
For example, they discussed who was more difficult to deal with: the elder brother-in-law or the younger brother-in-law.
Wen Qingyan admitted that Jing Zeqian, the younger brother-in-law, was indeed quite a handful. Not only was he his partner’s brother, but he was also his former employer. With all these layers, Wen Qingyan felt that Jing Zeqian was even more challenging.
Shen Huaichu looked up at Wen Qingyan, who was analyzing the situation seriously, and asked quietly, "Did Jing Zeyou say anything after you two got together?"
Wen Qingyan shook his head. He had also thought Jing Zeyou would be harder to "win over," but ever since he started dating Jing Zejun, he had been mostly dealing with Jing Zeqian and hadn’t interacted much with Jing Zeyou.
Therefore, he concluded, "In comparison, the elder brother-in-law is much easier to get along with."
Moreover, Jing Zejun greatly admired Jing Zeyou, and over time, Wen Qingyan’s fondness for Jing Zeyou also grew significantly.
Hearing this, Shen Huaichu’s expression became unusually complex.
His elder brother-in-law really knew how to "make the most of everything." No wonder Hengjing had risen to new heights in such a short time.
Thinking about it, it was a bit disheartening.
Not only did he have to deal with the younger brother-in-law’s "sarcastic remarks," but he also had to handle the elder brother-in-law’s "little surprises," as well as occasionally take time to discuss the topic of "why you’re not the best choice for my sister."
Shen Huaichu silently lamented that being a brother-in-law was truly a blessing.
Another example was when their wives returned and immediately clung to their sisters (or sisters-in-law).
At Wen Qingyan’s home, Shen Huaichu observed the director’s team setting up camera equipment.
Wen Qingyan handed Shen Huaichu a cup of coffee. "Mr. Shen, netizens are saying that my couple’s variety show is turning into a family variety show."
Wen Qingyan had struggled for a while with how to address Shen Huaichu. Shen Huaichu had said that since they were brothers-in-law, there was no need to be so formal, and he even called Wen Qingyan "brother-in-law."
However, compared to calling Shen Huaichu "brother-in-law" or "Huaichu," Wen Qingyan still felt more comfortable calling him "Mr. Shen."
Shen Huaichu didn’t press the matter further.
Shen Huaichu looked away from the equipment. "Thank you, brother-in-law."
He took the coffee from Wen Qingyan, took a sip, and casually remarked, "How about you suggest to the director that they film outside?"
When Shen Huaichu found out that Wen Qingyan and his wife were filming at home, he had anticipated this scenario. He glanced at his watch. It had been almost an hour. What on earth were they talking about?
Shen Huaichu added, "If they need a location, I have an island abroad." It was a place he had bought for his honeymoon with Jing Yi, and she had loved it, but they hadn’t visited it often.
That island would certainly be far enough.
Wen Qingyan’s hand holding the coffee cup paused. He could easily guess Shen Huaichu’s intentions. They were both in the same boat.
However, it wasn’t his place to make the suggestion.
"How about you suggest it to the director, Mr. Shen? After all, it’s your island."
Shen Huaichu set his coffee cup down steadily and replied calmly, "You should suggest it, brother-in-law. I’m not really connected to this variety show."
"How could that be? If you provide the filming location, you’d be an investor in the show. How could you say you’re not connected?"
Shen Huaichu paused for a second and said seriously, "Jing Yi would be upset if she found out."
Jing Yi could always guess his thoughts. If she found out he was trying to send Jing Zejun so far away for work, she would definitely be angry.
Wen Qingyan gave him a helpless look. "Mr. Shen, Jing Zejun is the same." It wasn’t as if his wife wouldn’t get upset either. Jing Zejun might usually be gentle, but when she got angry, it took him ten to fifteen days to calm her down.
The two fell into silence, both sipping their coffee.
Wen Qingyan finally said, "...Then let’s forget it."
"...Agreed."
In the background, the crew setting up the equipment couldn’t help but tremble. Why hadn’t they mentioned this before they started filming?!
