The next afternoon I headed over to Lan Yue's family villa. Only Yue was home when I arrived.
"Where's Ruo-jie and her fiancé? Aunt Lan not around either?"
"Don't get me started," Yue sighed, lounging in a loose cropped tee and tiny lounge shorts. At 175 cm she matched Mother's height perfectly, and the thin fabric of her top did little to hide the prominent outline of her 32D curves—nipples faintly visible against the cotton.
"What happened?" I dropped onto the sofa like it was my own living room. Our families had been intertwined for years; this place felt like a second home.
Yue grabbed my usual chilled tea from the fridge and handed it over. "Ruo-jie met someone on her last overseas assignment. Mom kept pushing her to date seriously, so when she finally brought a guy home, Mom was thrilled—at first. They all went on that group trip together. Turns out… he's from the southern continent. Dark-skinned, ten years older than Ruo-jie."
My eyebrows shot up. "From the southern continent? How'd they even connect?"
"Her mission took her there. He's a local enforcer type—rough around the edges—but he speaks fluent Mandarin. To maintain cover she played the girlfriend role. Time passed, lines blurred, feelings became real. Mission ended, relationship didn't. She brought him back to introduce him properly."
I took a slow sip. "So why the sudden cold shoulder from Aunt Lan?"
"You know what Mom does." Aunt Lan—Lan Na-Wei—wasn't just a high-ranking provincial official; she oversaw major international cooperation programs, including aid initiatives to developing regions. "Mom has… strong opinions. Calls people from there lazy, unhygienic, always smelling of sweat and spices. She's obsessive about cleanliness."
"Didn't she know he was from there before meeting him?"
"She knew 'foreign.' Probably pictured some tall, polished European or something—sharp suit, charming accent. Not… this." Yue unlocked her phone and slid it toward me. "Here. Trip photos."
The first shot showed a broad-shouldered man, skin like polished ebony, flashing a wide grin full of slightly uneven teeth. Around 178 cm, sturdy but not gym-sculpted—just solid, everyday power. He looked ordinary, almost disarmingly so.
"This is him? Your future brother-in-law?" I couldn't hide my surprise. I'd half-expected movie-star physique—chiseled, towering, magnetic. Not this.
Ruo-jie stood beside him in most shots—176 cm of poised elegance, 34F assets straining a fitted white tank, long athletic legs under sport shorts, fair skin glowing under sunlight. Her face carried Aunt Lan's refined sweetness mixed with a soldier's quiet steel. How had someone so polished ended up with… him?
"Yeah, mismatch, right?" Yue leaned against my shoulder, her bare thigh pressing warmly against mine. "But Ruo-jie had never really fallen for anyone before. The mission intensity, the danger, pretending to be lovers—it flipped a switch. She fell hard and fast. Now they're glued together."
I scrolled slowly. Mountain trails, sparse crowds. Ruo-jie in a wide-brimmed hat, wrapped tightly in his arms, her tank clinging to every curve. At the frame's edge stood a strikingly mature woman—also in casual tank and shorts, but fuller, riper. Snow-pale skin catching the sun, sweet yet commanding features twisted in faint impatience as she watched the couple.
Aunt Lan Na-Wei herself. Forty-two, 175 cm, legendary 36J proportions that had earned her the private nickname "Jade Orchid Matriarch" among political circles. Governor, diplomat, the epitome of poised authority.
Most photos centered on Ruo-jie and her man—affectionate, carefree—while Aunt Lan hovered in the background, polite but visibly detached. Despite her surname implying "cold," Aunt Lan was warm by nature, tolerant. She hadn't lashed out or stormed off; she just… endured.
Further back, a selfie: him hugging Yue from behind, both arms locked around her waist, his cheek mashed against hers while she held the phone. Yue smiled brightly, seemingly unbothered by the closeness. His grip looked possessive, intimate—too intimate for a stranger.
"What's his name?" I asked, voice tighter than intended.
"Kaelo." Yue started filing her nails absently.
More shots: Kaelo draping arms over Aunt Lan and Uncle Lan's shoulders in group hugs—cultural warmth, he'd probably call it. Aunt Lan smiled thinly, body subtly leaning away.
"So… what do you think of him? Good match for Ruo-jie?" I probed carefully.
Yue shrugged. "He's okay. A little musty, kind of laid-back to a fault. But harmless. As for Ruo-jie…" She set the file down, leaned close, breath warm against my ear. "Wei… don't get mad, but Ruo-jie joked—if I didn't already have you, she'd want me to marry Kaelo too."
I froze. "What?"
"Don't be upset!" She pouted immediately. "I'm just telling you what she said."
"I'm not— I mean, I'm just… surprised." My pulse hammered.
"We've always been super close, even with the three-year gap. When we were kids we used to say we'd share a husband one day—like in those old stories."
"That's… not what I meant. Isn't that… complicated? Legally?"
"Not where he's from. If a man can provide, polygamy's accepted. Multiple wives, no issue." She giggled at my expression. "Relax, I never agreed. I'm just sharing. They're really happy together, that's all."
I swallowed hard and pivoted. "What about Aunt Lan? Isn't she off this week?"
Yue noticed the deflection and huffed softly, resuming her nails. "Provincial cultural festival tomorrow—October 1st. Mom has to make an appearance. She's at a prep meeting today. Oh, and I heard your master—your mom—will be there too."
Mother hadn't mentioned it.
I kept scrolling. Another group shot: Kaelo sandwiched between the sisters, one arm around each, both pairs of generous breasts crushed against his chest, their heads on his shoulders, eyes closed in mock bliss.
My stomach twisted. Heat pooled low despite myself.
Next: Kaelo kissing Ruo-jie full on the mouth—deep, casual. My fingers trembled on the screen.
Then the camera turned: same turn of his head, lips meeting Yue's. She looked startled but amused, eyes wide toward the lens as if caught off-guard.
In the following frame, Ruo-jie laughed openly while Yue and Kaelo stayed locked together.
After, Yue threw her head back in giggles, completely unfazed by kissing an older foreign man she'd just met.
She'd always been courteous, open-minded—probably saw it as harmless cultural friendliness.
One last photo haunted me: him embracing both sisters again, their bodies molded to his, breasts pillowed against him, serene expressions like a perfect, contented trio.
The rest were landscapes, occasional family candids.
Near the end: a roadside apricot tree on the mountain crest. Aunt Lan reaching futilely for fruit despite her height.
Then Ruo-jie nudging Kaelo forward. Next frame: him pressed behind Aunt Lan, arms around her waist, lifting her just enough to pluck the apricots.
Aunt Lan's expression softened slightly—less resistant, almost resigned.
One sneaky shot—probably Yue's—caught Kaelo between mother and daughter, his large dark palm unmistakably cupping Aunt Lan's full, rounded hip.
My body reacted before my mind could stop it—tightening, stirring, betraying me.
After that the photos thinned out—mostly scenic, the group enjoying the view.
I handed the phone back, throat dry.
Yue watched me quietly, a small knowing smile playing on her lips.