Translator: Tuiwen Editor: Tuiwen
It was late at night when Uncle Wen returned to the Zhu family villa. He saw Zhu Xiangxiang waiting just outside the garage.
“Good evening, Miss.”
She looked around before saying, “Follow me.”
Zhu Xianxiang led the way into the garden. When they were safely out of anyone’s earshot, she whirled at him. “How did it go?”
Uncle Wen handed her a USB drive. “The photos are all inside. Miss Ming Jing has a senior sister named Ming Xin, who is just about her age. She has been sick all this time, and shut herself in her room. I wasn’t able to see her in person. There are three younger sisters in the nunnery—nine-year-old twins, and the youngest is six years old. They usually rely on the villagers below the mountain for support. Other than that, nothing seems to be unusual.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Wen.”
“The nunnery is really difficult to reach. It sits high on such a steep mountain. I almost feared my old bones are going to break at the waist. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that Miss Ming Jing spent her life in such an environment. But it is cold and bitter out there.”
Then Uncle Wen seemed to have remembered something. “I heard many things about Miss Ming Jing from the villagers, too. She is said to be a kind child who has helped a lot of people. They practically worship her.”
“That’s also part of the reason why I asked you to pay them a visit. Those nuns are Ming Jing’s sisters, which means that they are my sisters as well. In the future, Uncle Wen, please arrange for gifts to be sent to them once a month. You may deduct the expenses from my fund.”
When Zhu Xiangxiang turned twelve, Lin Qing had set up a trust fund for her. Every month, without fail, she would deposit a fixed amount into the account.
“It’s so kind of you, Miss Xiangxiang. I’m sure Miss Ming Jing will appreciate this.”
“It’s the least I can do, Uncle Wen.”
…
Zhu Xiangxiang went straight to her room and turned on her computer. She plugged in the USB drive and browsed through the photos it contained.
The nunnery was indeed dilapidated. It didn’t look very big, but there were ancient trees, both inside and outside the courtyard.
One of the photos showed three little girls dressed in nun’s robes. Two of them looked to be older, though they had their backs turned, so she couldn’t see their faces.
Zhu Xiangxiang stared at the girls’ figures for a long time. She couldn’t help thinking that if she and Ming Jing hadn’t been exchanged at birth, she would have been the one living a quiet life in the secluded nunnery now.
She felt terrified just thinking about it.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, Zhu Xiangxiang felt extremely fortunate.
…
“This dress suits Miss Zhu very well. The gentle yellow color brings out makes her skin glow, you see, and her fresh and noble temperament goes perfectly with the ensemble. Just as expected from the top socialite of Jiang City. She really is worthy of the name.” The moment the designer had arrived to deliver her dress, he proceeded to shower her with all kinds of flattery.
To be fair, though, the custom-made dress did suit Zhu Xiangxiang. Even Lin Qing nodded in satisfaction. “Of course! My Xiangxiang looks good in everything. But I must admit, your craftsmanship is pretty good, too.”
The designer smiled before realizing something. “Oh, right! We have another one here. Will Miss Ming Jing please try it on?”
He took out another dress as he spoke.
“Give it to me,” Zhu Xiangxiang said, pretending not to see the frown on her mother’s face. “I’ll give it to Ming Jing. She doesn’t like talking to strangers.”
“It’s such a hassle to bring it upstairs,” Lin Qing huffed. “Just call her down.”
The designer lowered his gaze, pondering over the ambiguous position of this true daughter in this prominent family. It seemed things weren’t going smoothly.
As for Zhu Xiangxiang, she had no choice but to fetch Ming Jing and bring her to the living room.
Ming Jing was wearing a white dress that reached down to her ankles. She practically glided down the stairs and into the room, mesmerizing the designer.
She was much taller than Zhu Xiangxiang, which made her look even slimmer than her already slender frame. As if to accentuate this, her clavicle jutted out clearly from her chest.
With the sort of job that he had, the designer naturally interacted with models frequently. With a single glance, he could immediately tell that Ming Jing’s figure was completely in line with the golden ratio of supermodels. Even the simple and loose dress she was currently wearing looked amazing on her.
As he looked even closer, she realized that her complexion was very pale, as though she had never gone out in the sun for a full year. Her eyelashes were long and delicate as they fanned over her eyes. She was quiet, but in an elegant kind of way.
But then the designer sighed. Her good looks and enchanting temperament meant nothing in the end—they were both ruined by her hairstyle. If she had gotten a different, more exciting cut, she would definitely be a stunning beauty.
“This is Miss Ming Jing, right? She does have Madam Zhu’s style from her younger years. I’m sure you will only get more gorgeous as you grow older.”
Lin Qing pasted a fake smile on her face and turned to Ming Jing. “This is a custom-made dress tailored especially for you. Go and try it on, see how it fits.”
“I will go with Miss Ming Jing,” the designer offered almost instantly. “This dress can be tricky to put on. She can use some help.”
A while later, Ming Jing walked back to the living room wearing the said dress. Lin Qing glanced at her coldly, but then her eyes widened in the next second. She frowned.
“It doesn’t look good on her. Give her a different one.”
The designer had already opened his mouth to praise Ming Jing, but he froze at Lin Qing’s words.
Thankfully, Zhu Xiangxiang walked over with a smile. “I think it looks good. It’s perfect for Ming Jing. Let’s just have her wear this one.”
Lin Qing’s frown deepened. “But it’s too garish. You are but guests at Madam Jiang’s party. There’s no need to stand out.”
It was all the designer could do to keep from blurting out a handful of curse words. ‘Miss Ming Jing hasn’t even had her hair done yet. What the heck is this Madam Zhu thinking? What kind of mother would not want her daughter to shine beautifully and stand out from the rest? Listen to her talk as if Miss Ming Jing wants to steal the limelight. She didn’t have this attitude toward Zhu Xiangxiang. Is this what they call favoritism?’
Ming Jing glanced at Lin Qing in her usual indifferent manner and said nothing. Even so, the taunting disdain in her eyes didn’t escape the older woman’s notice. Lin Qing felt her breath catch.
“Mom, this is going to be Ming Jing’s first public appearance since her return to the family. Of course, she has to look better than everyone else. Otherwise, the Zhu family itself is going to lose face. Don’t you think so, too?”
Lin Qing paused and seemed to consider this. “Fine. Forget it, let’s just go with that dress.”
That was all the designer needed to hear. He eagerly turned to Ming Jing. “Miss, please allow me to recommend a stylist to you. She can come and do your hair on the day of the event.” He produced a business card and gave it to Ming Jing.
“Thank you.”
…
The tea party was set for two o’clock that Sunday afternoon.
In order to maintain her figure, Zhu Xiangxiang had been eating light meals for the past three days. She hadn’t even had any rice or bread. She felt so light by the end of it, she was slightly afraid she might float into the air.
Unlike her, however, Ming Jing was eating as she normally would. Zhu Xiangxiang realized then that no matter how much Ming Jing ate, she just wouldn’t gain weight. It must be because of the diet she had adopted back at the nunnery. And yet she didn’t appear to be suffering from malnutrition at all.
But Zhu Xiangxiang gained weight easily. Hell, she could even gain a few pounds just by drinking water. All these years, she had resisted the temptation of good, hearty food just to maintain her image as the campus belle and goddess. She didn’t even know what fried chicken tasted like, nor had she eaten a bite of dessert. She had all the money and status anyone could ask for, but she still wasn’t able to enjoy the best the world had to offer. It was depressing to think about, sometimes.
Now, as she looked at Ming Jing’s slender back, she couldn’t lie to herself and say that she wasn’t feeling envious.
Especially when Ming Jing had finally finished preparing for the tea party. She donned the dress, put on some light makeup, and changed to a more suitable hairstyle. When Ming Jing came down the stairs and stood in the living room, Zhu Xiangxiang felt something break inside her heart..