**Chapter 2: I’m Sorry, Dad, It Was Me…**

Few people mentioned Jin He having a twin brother these days.

The twins had been kidnapped at age four due to family infighting. In the end, the older brother escaped and returned, but the younger brother disappeared without a trace. When the family searched, they only found bloodstained clothes. It was a remote wilderness, rumored to have wolves, so although the younger brother’s body was never found, everyone silently accepted that he had died.

This was a painful and regrettable matter for the Jin family. Everyone tacitly avoided the topic, to the point that many of the younger generation forgot Jin He ever had a brother and considered him the sole heir of the Hanlin Group.

But Xia Mi La definitely knew. Under the influence of the Transmigration Halo, she also knew that the person in the photo was indeed Jin Can’s younger brother.

The younger brother’s appearance posed a great threat to the male lead, making the identity of the Chaebol Heiress fiancée crucial to him. This part of the plot was designed to advance the relationship between the male and female leads.

However, the younger brother’s appearance was originally set for the latter half of the story it shouldn’t have happened this early.

Xia Mi La had been stunned earlier precisely because of this. She hadn’t expected the butterfly effect to flutter its wings so lightly, sweeping her into this situation.

Jin Can… Her gaze lowered to the name beneath the photo of the young man, and she felt quite pleasantly surprised.

Twin brothers such an intriguing setup! With the character appearing so early, the plot was bound to become even more interesting!

As these thoughts crossed her mind, light but distinct footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Xia Mi La turned to look and saw the person from the photo standing before her.

They were about three or four meters apart close enough to see each other clearly.

He was even more handsome in person than in the photo, with sharp features and a tall stature, likely nearing 190 cm… Staring at him, Xia Mi La suddenly realized they had already met earlier.

He was the one who had taken on five guys under the wisteria tree and the marks of the fight were still visible on his face.

While she was studying him, Jin Can was also observing her.

“The angel sister from Seoul” the children had eagerly introduced her to him as soon as he returned.

An angel? Hah. He had never seen an angel who brought reporters along.

Still, her appearance was quite deceptive.

Long black hair, a soft yellow dress, a delicate face as tender as spring blossoms, and an elegant, gentle demeanor she resembled a precious flower just beginning to bloom.

She seemed like the well-bred young lady everyone imagined, not the domineering heiress often portrayed in recent TV dramas.

But would a well-bred young lady stare so intently at a stranger?

Not only did she keep looking at him, but she also started walking toward him.

Jin Can imagined what she might say to him. Would it be a condescending greeting? Or feigned concern, spouting empty words of encouragement?

They were clearly from different worlds, yet she would likely speak to him as if she understood his life… He had seen too many people like her, in situations like this.

If she started with such remarks, Jin Can thought, he would cut her off the moment she opened her mouth.

The reporters had left, and there were no other children around. There was no need for her to keep pretending to be an angel in front of him.

However, unexpectedly, she walked up to him, stopped, and the first words she spoke were: “Would you like to go to Seoul with me?”

Jin Can: “…”

He couldn’t understand how she could say such a thing.

Was it a sudden attraction to his looks? Or had she made some kind of deal with the orphanage director that he didn’t know about?

Seeing him remain silent, Xia Mi La smiled faintly: “Don’t misunderstand. The reason I’m saying this is because you look very much like my fiancé.”

Fraternal twins don’t look exactly alike. Standing face to face like this, the differences between the two were still quite apparent.

First, although Jin Can was the younger brother, he was slightly taller. Second, his facial features were more refined.

Jin He was already handsome enough, but Jin Can was even more exceptional. His appearance was like the most perfect creation of the Creator – meticulously carved, with every detail precisely right.

Finally, their temperaments were completely different too.

Jin He, born with a silver spoon, was arrogant and domineering, while Jin Can was quiet and reserved, rarely showing much emotion.

“Fiancé?” At this moment, he raised an eyebrow slightly, as if hearing a rare word, “How old are you?”

“I’m 17. We got engaged when we were 14, arranged by our parents.” Xia Mi La answered his question seriously, then asked, “You’re also 17 this year, right?”

Jin Can didn’t answer this question.

Xia Mi La didn’t mind. She briefly explained to him the situation of the Jin family losing their child, and finally asked: “Are you willing to come to Seoul with me for a paternity test?”

Jin Can thought for a moment before countering: “What if I’m not him?”

Xia Mi La showed a faint smile, noticing a wisteria petal still clinging to his left shoulder.

She reached out, plucked the petal, and gently twirled it between her fingers: “That’s a reasonable concern. If you’re not the younger brother, then I’ll respect your decision. If you want to return to Busan, you can return to Busan, and I’ll compensate you. If you want to stay in Seoul, I can support you until you graduate from university.”

No matter what, he wouldn’t lose out. For an orphan like Jin Can who had nothing, this could be considered a heaven-sent opportunity.

Jin Can didn’t waste any more words. He looked at the petal in her hand, then at her: “I’m willing.”

The next day, Xia Mi La brought Jin Can back to Seoul.

She took him directly to Jin He’s mother. Since there was no definite conclusion yet, both kept a low profile and didn’t make any announcements.

Therefore, the hottest rumor circulating around Xia Mi La was still about Jin He being seen shopping and eating ice cream with another girl.

She had barely stepped through the door when she was interrogated by her stepsister Bai You Na: “Oh, you finally decided to come back? Did you meet with He? Who was that woman photographed with him the other day?”

The female lead’s mother had passed away from illness when she was four years old. She had been a gentle, water-like woman, and the female lead’s father had truly loved her, grieving for a long time after her death. Then when the female lead was ten, he met another gentle, water-like woman – that was Bai You Na’s mother, Jiang Xiu Zhu.

They married quickly, and Jiang Xiu Zhu moved into the female lead’s home with Bai You Na. The female lead’s father, Xia Ying Cai, was very satisfied with this arrangement. He believed the gentle Jiang Xiu Zhu would surely treat the female lead as her own and take good care of her.

And so began seven years of the cuckoo occupying the magpie’s nest.

Jin He only loves gentle and delicate women, as they evoke all his protective instincts.

In front of him, Jiang Xiu Zhu and Bai You Na indeed appeared fragile and delicate, but in front of the female lead, they showed a completely different face.

For instance, now that Dad wasn’t around, Jiang Xiu Zhu didn’t hesitate to launch a series of blunt questions.

Xia Mi La casually handed her luggage to the servant and then leisurely went to take off her shoes.

Bai You Na, irritated by her disregard, pushed her directly: “Hey, are you even listening to me?”

Her push wasn’t particularly strong, but unexpectedly, Xia Mi La stumbled and fell backward with a gasp.

A ceramic ornament on the side cabinet was knocked over in the chaos, shattering into pieces on the floor. Then, her arm scraped against it, immediately staining with blood.

Bai You Na stared at the mess and blood on the floor, at a loss.

Damn, she panicked inwardly how was she going to explain this if Dad saw it? From the moment she followed Jiang Xiu Zhu into the house, she had started calling Xia Ying Cai “Dad.”

*

When Xia Ying Cai returned home, Xia Mi La was resting on the bed.

The delicate and beautiful girl had changed into a cute pajama adorned with bows and lace trims. Already slender, the bandage wrapped around her forearm added to her fragile, glass-like aura.

It made Xia Ying Cai’s heart ache with concern.

Xia Mi La was his only daughter, and the bond between father and daughter was quite good. However, Dad wasn’t as attentive as Mom. Jiang Xiu Zhu was skilled at pretending, and the female lead had entirely inherited her mother’s docile and timid nature, never causing trouble. Thus, Xia Ying Cai remained completely unaware of the subtle tensions at home. To this day, he believed the family was harmonious and thought his newly married wife treated his biological daughter as her own.

“What happened?” Xia Ying Cai walked to her bedside and sat down, asking with concern. “Is the injury serious? You Na was terrified she was crying when she called me earlier.”

The hypocritical stepsister, Bai You Na.

Xia Mi La thought mockingly to herself, but on her face, she wore a soft smile.

She struggled slightly to lift her injured arm, supporting it with her other hand. “As soon as I entered today, Sister started anxiously asking me about A He. She must have been so worried that she accidentally pushed me. It was my carelessness I lost my balance and fell, cutting my arm in the process. It’s just a little blood. I’m sorry, Dad, I made Sister worry.”

Hearing this, Xia Ying Cai frowned slightly.

He felt that no matter how anxious one was, it wasn’t right to resort to pushing. You Na usually wasn’t this impatient he wondered what had gotten into her today.

And then there was that guy Jin He…

The thought made him somewhat displeased. “What about Jin He? Did he properly explain himself to you?”

“Not yet,” Xia Mi La shook her head.

From the incident until now, Jin He hadn’t sent a single message or made a single call it was as if he had vanished.

She lowered her arm, gently rubbing the gauze on it. “I didn’t ask either. Dad, if even you know about this matter, then Uncle and Aunt must know too. Ah He is probably being lectured right now, and I don’t want to add to his burden by pressing him for answers. This might just be a misunderstanding. If I chase after every little thing demanding explanations, everyone would feel exhausted. So, I’ll wait until he’s sorted things out and comes to me on his own.”

Her daughter’s thoughtfulness and consideration filled Xia Ying Cai with relief. Looking at her, he was reminded of his understanding late wife.

Xia Ying Cai sighed. “I hope that brat Jin He knows how lucky he is and doesn’t take my daughter’s kindness for granted.”

“Of course,” Xia Mi La laughed, acting coquettishly toward her father. “I have you, after all. If Ah He ever bullies me, you’ll stand up for me, won’t you?”

Xia Ying Cai was pleased by his daughter’s trust and dependence. He laughed heartily, “Absolutely! No one is allowed to bully my precious daughter!”

“Mm,” Xia Mi La beamed with innocence and brightness, “I knew you’d always have my back, Dad!”

While the Xia family was filled with warmth and joy, the atmosphere at the Jin residence was tense and confrontational.

Xia Mi La had guessed correctly Jin He was indeed being reprimanded.

Jin He’s mother, Lin Cheng Hui, had met with Xia Mi La earlier in the day, but her mind was now entirely preoccupied with other matters.

Jin He’s father, Jin Wan Yi, who was unaware of the incident, was furious with his only remaining son.

A newspaper was slapped onto Jin He with a sharp crack, and Jin Wan Yi’s angry voice echoed through the study.

“How could you cause such a scandal right after Mi La left Seoul? Instead of bringing honor to the family like she does, you’re only bringing shame to Han Lin. As a man, how can you fail at even this? Is the head on your shoulders just for decoration?”

Jin He kept his head bowed, obediently accepting the scolding.

His gaze fell to the newspaper that had hit him and now lay on the floor. The front page featured an article about Xia Mi La’s visit to the welfare home the previous day. In the large photo, she appeared approachable and humble, her smile sincere and gentle, instantly winning people’s affection.

The photo was remarkably effective it had even trended online, with netizens praising Xia Mi La as a kind-hearted and beautiful heiress. Some even took the opportunity to criticize him, saying a playboy like him was unworthy of her.

Jin He felt increasingly agitated.

*Just apologize*, he thought. *Put on a show of remorse and get out of here as quickly as possible.*

As he lifted his head with this thought, he met his father’s disappointed gaze.

That look seemed to say, *How did I end up with such a useless son? If your brother were still here, he would have done so much better. He wouldn’t be as incompetent as you are now…*

Jin He had heard words like these countless times as a child. Now that he was grown, his father no longer voiced them aloud, but whenever he saw that expression, those words would instantly resurface in his mind!

Jin He suddenly found it hard to control himself.

“What did I do wrong?” he retorted, raising his head. “What exactly have I done? Wasn’t I acting for the company’s sake? If Duo Xing’s father hadn’t…”

“Do you need to be the one to solve this?” Jin Wan Yi cut him off. “What is your status? Does someone like her require you to personally make amends?”

Jin He was left speechless.

Jin Wan Yi stood before the desk, looking down at him with the same gaze as before. “Go apologize to Mira tomorrow. As for that girl, you are forbidden from seeing her again from now on.”