Little Brother, Elder Sister Has Everything Covered!

Tang Jing, Du Lang, Ming Wuying.

The combination was rather unsettling to the eyes. One was a veteran matchmaker who boasted nearly guaranteed success throughout her career save for two people, another was a former journalist whose career enjoyed digging up scandals surrounding arranged marriages, and the other was a fresh university student bursting from the brim with innocence. It was a group that should not have coalesced, for they would usually be snapping at the others' heels..

There was in addition, a certain angelic being who was more suited to being the Devil herself – but Du Lang and Tang Jing had received the verbal promise that she wouldn't intervene. Whether it was a good outcome or not, the two abuse victims couldn't arrive at a decision.

It was horribly impossible to strike a lasting conversation with Ming Wuying. Even with a mere six years' difference, Du Lang couldn't understand or keep track of the tabled discussion at hand; even Tang Jing seemed to struggle at times, despite her wide berth of experience. Perhaps it was due to the stark contrast in their life experiences.

…and yet, he didn't have the delightful choice of giving up…

"Little Sister Wuying, why not slow down a bit – Du Lang over here's starting to act like an old man again," Tang Jing lisped through her straw.

"Just get straight to the point! There's no harm saying it outright – what do you think of him?"

The young girl seemed hesitant to speak up, and merely bowed her head and stared at the leather cover of her seat. Breath after breath, the woman's veins bulged with irritation, and her fingers slowly drummed on the table's surface.

"Little Sister, you've got to give me something – you're tossing Tang Jing's reputation out of the window! Xiao Lang's CV, appearance, finances, property – anything! Just give me the first thing on the top of your mind!"

"Anything!? Em… Mr. Du… he seems to have an aspiring career?" Ming Wuying quickly nodded her head to affirm her consensus.

"He… he graduated third in his class at Jingdou Third University with a degree in economics, and formed a brilliant career as a white-hat journalist. He accomplished feat upon feat in uncovering the secrets behind Tian Xian Liu Corporation and their connections to the underground world…"

The young girl's tirade was cut short by a soft slap of Tang Jing's palm against the hard wood table. The collision was hardly loud enough to disrupt the bustling atmosphere of the café, but Mu Wuying flinched and shut her mouth. Tang Jing rubbed at her temples and heaved a barely audible sigh of frustration, and snatched the booklet from the young girl's hands.

"Alright, Little Sister. We're going to try this the old way," the woman announced with a tremble in her voice.

"I really didn't think it'd come to this – fine! Xiao Lang has an undergraduate degree in economics from a good university. Wuying, what do you think of this?"

"I… think it is good! Mr. Du has quite the promising career!"

"Xiao Lang's annual income is 500,000 RMB. On top of that, he receives varying amount per commission each time he completes an assignment, but he has saved up quite a few dozen million over his career! Your opinion?"

"I… think it is good! Mr. Du has quite the accomplishments He is a very impressive man!"

"No… I want your impression, not some useless repea – ahem! His looks aren't much to praise at, but he's quite the magical height of 180 centimeters! Not only that, Xiao Lang's always kept a slender and built fit. Opinion?"

"I… think it is good! If he wants, Mr. Du can work as a model! He would have a promising career!"

"Xiao Lang has quite a clean relationship history for someone similar to his accomplishments and wealth. Ah?"

"I… I…"

The farce took nosedive after nosedive into an irrecoverable abyss. As Ming Wuying bobbed her head repeatedly and provided textbook answers as though responding to the useless questions provided by standardized examinations, Du Lang clasped his forehead in his hands. Sitting across and directly besides the uncooperative party, Tang Jing eagerly fought to maintain a straight expression.

"Little Sister Wuying, do you… you do know what this meeting is about, and what Elder Sister does for a living?" the woman mediated with a strained smile.

"When I ask for your opinion, I don't ask for whether you think this is good or bad… I'm asking for what you can offer in exchange. This is a question regarding marriage, not some CET or midterm exam! Life choices, not some dead paper test!!"

This was exactly why she never arranged meetings if either client was younger than twenty-three… the sheer ignorance and inability to think for themselves!

Tang Jing howled in her heart as she realized that Ming Wuying could only tilt her head and begin serious contemplation of her words. The ticking of the quality watch strapped to her wrist threw prickling needle after needle into her delicate heart, and the woman slowly began dismantling the vestiges of her patience.

"Anything! Just give me anything – even the most basic of things like saying that you can cook or clean!" Tang Jing begged with misty eyes.

"Why are you thinking so much about this – if you don't have any achievements, just list some alternatives you can provide! Please, Little Sister! This isn't so difficult!!!"

Her frustrations must have been properly conveyed this time, for the young girl's countenance blazed with immediate comprehension. Mu Wuying displayed the perfect demeanor of the modern university student as she gaped in enlightenment.

"That's… what you meant by asking what I could offer!? Elder Sister Tang, why couldn't you say so earlier?" Mu Wuying clapped her hands.

"I can certainly cook – I learned a lot from my mother and grandmother how to make local cuisines! As for cleaning, although I haven't been able to touch advanced equipment, I'm certain I will be able to acquire the skills for them in a few weeks. I also know a few tidbits about maintaining good family relations – my professor mentioned a few things that I took note of…"

All of the talents they invested into cramming useless knowledge into their brains must have been stripped from all sensibility and attachment to practicality…

Hearing the previously flustered and hesitant young girl burst into a machine gun salvo of quick-paced words and unnecessarily advanced vocabulary being pitched into his eardrums, Du Lang closed his eyes and released an internal scream. When he heard the iconic words mentioning the glorifying and utterly enlightening 'tips and tricks inherited from a professor', he slapped his palms onto the table and rose to his feet.

"That's it. Elder Sister Tang, I think I've heard enough – I'll be leaving now."

"Ah, wait, at least hear the little girl out since she seems to have gotten comfortable…" Tang Jing wilted at the thought, and shook her head.

"Never mind, you seem to have better things to do. I'll let you know when someone else is –"

"Lang Lang… you seem to be dispirited today. Sister Jing, you as well?"

The melodious crackle transmitted through the phone's speakers caused both Du Lang and Tang Jing to tremble, and cold sweat to flow uncontrollably from every exposed pore on their body. The speaker Du Yuexin seemed oblivious to their plight, and continued to hound after the awkward situation with a light chuckle.

"Sister Jing, didn't I warn you of what would happen, and how you could have evaded this issue from the start? Why did you not listen and instead adopt your normal business procedure?"

"N-no, Elder Sister Yuexin, if I were to do that, that would be a violation of my ethics!" Tang Jing protested with a light shiver.

"And besides, it wouldn't do good for Xiao Lang if people were to dig into his background and find some unpleasant things…"

"Didn't I include how to keep the entire ordeal discreet and undetected by Jingdou's skills? Lang Lang won't attract the attention from any beings that are powerful and beyond the capabilities of your Tang Family – don't tell me Old Jueying is going to ignore his favor?"

The light mention of her family's patriarch in such a casual manner caused her heart to freeze, and threaten to stop beating permanently. Tang Jing heaved short breaths to maintain her calm, and her gaze towards Mu Wuying's befuddled countenance attained a considerably different lint. Du Lang patted himself on his right breast and quickly grabbed his bag to hurry from the café, when the battered speakers buzzed once more.

"Lang Lang… you shouldn't delay matters any more – you're almost twenty-five, no? Do you really think you can disobey your Elder Sister like this? Why not visit Old Liu?"

Old Liu…

The undisguised threat within Du Yuexin's gentle words caused Du Lang's lips to clench together with astonishing strength. Overcoming the great burden on his will with incredible difficulty, he placed the bag back onto the ground and returned to his seat, though his expression was no longer light.

Old Liu… a former millionaire business owner in Quanzhou that had once decided to join the growing army of child predators when having encountered him and Du Yuexin in their youth. Du Lang couldn't remember the details as he was merely three years old compared to his ten-year old sister, but the aftermath was seared into his mind. The former philanthropist and prominent businessman who was bound to join the ranks of Quanzhou's rich powerhouses had been reduced into a drooling, paralyzed cripple that drained millions of hospital fees per year and confused the living hell out of the province's Traditional Medicine community.

…and every year on October 3rd until Du Lang had entered university, the day they encountered the fat middle-aged man, Du Yuexin would take him to visit the now elderly man in his intensive care unit. The bulging and pleading eyes of helplessness and utter despair chilled anyone to the bone…

"Elder Sister, this is simply not possible. Not possible at all."

"Why not? Lang Lang, isn't she cute and adorable?" Du Yuexin chittered with a gleeful laugh.

"Given current standards in dating and romance, finding someone like her is nigh impossible. Such an innocent and pure flower – don't you want to take hold of it? Don't try hiding your desires from Elder Sister, heh."

Du Lang had to admit – Mu Wuying was indeed, as his Elder Sister had prescribed – someone who caught his interest and refused to let go. The naturally conditioned airhead personality that all students of prestigious universities held could be whitewashed after a few years, revealing the true self within. And when the young girl bared her heart and inner thoughts completely defenseless to the pair of ravenous wolves sitting besides and across from her, it was easy for Du Lang to notice and realize the characteristics that triggered his desire.

Naturally quiet, submissive but not utterly obedient, someone who could provide support and most importantly, preventing the house from burning down due to indulging in their personal desires similar to what common boyfriends drank themselves to sleep complaining hour after hour…

No, to grasp his personality to the finest details of his preferences… monster! She was a monster!

"Elder Sister, she's only eighteen years of age… That's too far… of a stretch?"

Du Lang prepared the final rebuttals he could think of at the moment. The subject of the discussion, Mu Wuying, was ignored by all three as Tang Jing pitched in her efforts to save her career.

"Mu Wuying is a student a Huazhong… don't you think it's better to leave brilliant people like her to settle their life choices? Besides, my career recently has hit a rather low point – adding any dirt or critical information that others can seize would be catastrophic…"

Given that they only had thirty seconds to respond before Du Yuexin became suspicious and their mental conditions were frazzled and in shock, the best Du Lang and Tang Jing could provide were emotional appeals. And yet…

"Hm? Oh… Little Brother, did you think that Xiao Yingying was going to be different from last time? No, no," Du Yuexin burst into delightful laughter.

"Why else do you think Sister Jing's in so much panic? Lang Lang, no need to worry – Elder Sister has gotten everything covered. The documents and certificate will arrive next week, no worries!"

The phone screeched a distant farewell as the iPhone's screen blacked in inactivity. The words took a bitter moment to process in Du Lang's mind, but when they did…

"Elder Sister, what the f*ck!?"

Not even arranged marriages would take it that far!