Translator: Tuiwen Editor: Tuiwen
The sun soon tamed its rays, its heat turning into a soft warmth.
A cool breeze blew in harmony with the sun’s efforts, leaving a trail of bamboo scent in its wake.
Servers began serving a selection of desserts, both of the Chinese and Western cuisines.
“I especially invited a pastry chef from the capital,” Madam Jiang said, looking at the girls. “I heard that his sweet chestnut mousse is top-notch. Everyone, please have a taste.”
“Thank you, Madam Jiang,” Gao Jia smiled. “I feel extremely fortunate.”
Jiang Chunlan nodded once, then reached for a plate of the said mousse cake. She placed it in front of Ming Jing and beamed. “Here you go, Ming Jing.”
“Thank you,” Ming Jing replied politely.
Gao Jia’s eyes darted between the two. “Excuse me, Madam Jiang, but have you and Miss Zhu met before?”
Their host’s attitude toward the Zhu family’s true daughter was in no way ordinary, certainly not something one would have for a girl she had just met.
Jiang Chunlan smiled, this time with genuine pleasure. “Ming Jing and I just happened to hit it off the moment we met. Let’s just say that we like each other and leave it at that.”
Upon hearing her words, Zhu Xiangxiang lost her sense of taste. She cast a sideways glance at Ming Jing beside her, and her grip unconsciously tightened around her fork.
“It’s been more than a month since you’ve returned to the Zhu family,” Ga Jia piped up curiously. “How are you doing? Have you gotten used to it yet?”
As usual, Ming Jing’s answer was short. “I’m doing fine.”
“I heard from my cousin that you used to lead a difficult life.” Ye Lan had a kind expression, like a caring elder sister speaking to a younger sibling. “You’ve been a nun all your life, right? You must have not had enough food and clothes growing up. It pains me even just thinking about it. But now that your family has found you, I’m sure you will only have good things in the future.”
“What?” Gao Jia interjected, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her eyes scoured Ming Jing’s body, sizing her up. “You were a nun?”
Jiang Chunlan shot her a disapproving frown.
But Ming Jing’s expression never changed. She was still as calm as ever.
“All right, that’s enough. These are Ming Jing’s private matters. Don’t bring it up again.” There was an edge to Jiang Chunlan’s tone that told them she wouldn’t stand for their behavior. The madam had always been gentle and dignified, and had never once lost her composure. This was the first time anyone had ever heard her speak harshly, albeit only slightly. The girls’ hearts picked up pace, and they lowered their heads to their plates. No one dared to breach the topic again.
Luckily, Ye Lan was a gifted conversationalist. She took the helm and stirred them toward other unrelated subjects. Now and then, she managed to make Madam Jiang laugh out loud, and the minutes ticked by easily.
“Excuse me for a moment.” Jiang Chunlan put on her scarf and rose from her seat. “You guys stay here and continue to chat.”
Once she was gone, the three girls breathed a collective sigh of relief. They visibly relaxed. Gao Jia leaned back against her chair and made a show of inspecting her newly-manicured nails. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Zhu Xiangxiang. How does it feel to be the fake daughter of a wealthy family?”
Ye Lan took a leisurely sip of her tea and said nothing.
Unfazed, Zhu Xiangxiang gave them a demure smile. “I am just thankful that the heavens love me. After all, I still am the top socialite in Jiang City, am I not?”
Gao Jia snorted. “As expected of someone who came from some backwater village. You’re embarrassing all of us here with your selfishness. Don’t you agree, Miss Ming Jing?”
Ming Jing tilted her head to the side, her face barely twitching.
Gao Jia could only grit her teeth and curse in her mind. This new girl really was unflappable. No matter what anyone had said throughout their tea part, she never responded apart from a few inane pleasantries.
“Based on what you just said,” Ming Jing said slowly, “it would appear that I am not qualified to sit at the same table as Miss Gao.”
“Why would you think so?” Gao Jia rushed to refute her, her lips curling into a forced smile. “The defining thing to any noble family is their bloodline. Although you grew up in some remote place on top of a mountain, you have noble blood flowing in your veins. If anything, your childhood may serve as some sort of training for you. For some people, however, no matter how high the branches they climb, they simply cannot change their origins.”
Zhu Xiangxiang sneered at that. She opened her mouth and was about to retort when Ming Jing spoke again. “The Zhu family that everyone knows now dates back to just 20 years ago. It was also in a poor rural area that they made their fortune. Even Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty was born a beggar, yet this did not stop him from establishing one of the greatest powers in history. If he didn’t strive for higher branches, so to speak, there would be no Ming Dynasty for the world to admire. Why don’t you look up the Gao’s genealogy when you return home later? If you go back a few generations, I’m sure you will learn that your ancestors were farmers who had to toil in the fields from sunrise to sundown.”
Ming Jing’s voice was crisp, not too loud, yet very clear all the same. For a moment, a storm appeared in her eyes, but then she blinked, it turned placid once again.
Zhu Xiangxiang stared at her with pursed lips, her cheeks twitching in an effort not to betray her own emotions. She held her tongue.
As for Gao Jia, she was stunned speechless. Then her shock quickly gave way to anger. She hid it well with a burst of laughter. “You’re really an interesting person. You even treasure Zhu Xiangxiang as a true sister would. You should watch out, though, you’ll get your reckoning sooner or later.”
Ye Lan joined in on the conversation then, afraid that things might escalate further. “All right, everyone calm down. People know their own limits. Let’s worry about ourselves and stop minding other people, okay?”
Ming Jing inhaled slowly and stood up. Zhou Xue quickly hurried over to assist her. “Miss Zhu.”
“I would like to go to the bathroom.”
“Of course. Please come this way.”
Zhou Xue led Ming Jing into the villa, leaving the three girls behind. Gao Jia watched them enter the living room, then turned to Zhu Xiangxiang with a mocking smile.
“I heard that Gao Chang has recently been chasing after the daughter of the Zhu family. At first, I thought to myself, ‘When did he lose his good taste in girls?’ But after seeing Zhu Ming Jing today, I realize that he might be on to something. I believe it won’t be long before that cousin of mine gets what he wants.”
Her voice was ringing with sarcasm, and Zhu Xiangxiang was finally unable to stifle her disdain. “Is that so? How come it’s different from what I heard? It’s true that Gao Chang has been relentless in his pursuit, but Ming Jing has never paid him any attention. I thought the Gao family was known for being classy and romantic? It turns out there are also some girls who can resist your charms. It’s rather surprising, actually.”
…
“Young Master Ming Jing, I never imagined that it would really be you.”
Ming Jing turned around at the sound of the voice. Madam Jiang, who always looked dignified and composed in front of others, was staring at her with excitement. She took a few steps forward and took Ming Jing’s hands in hers.
“So you are the true daughter of the Zhu family.”
The rumors had been swirling for a while now, but she hadn’t been aware of the details until now.
Ming Jing stepped back and picked a flower from one of the vases on display. “Amitabha, Madam Jiang.”
“Young Master,” Madam Jiang gasped. “Didn’t you renounce asceticism when you returned to your family?”
Ming Jing smiled and shook her head. “There is no such thing as renouncing asceticism. The Buddha will always remain in my heart.”
“You’re right, of course. How are you doing in the Zhu family? They are not bullying you, are they?”
The current madam and young lady of the Zhu family were quite challenging to deal with. Knowing this young master’s merciful nature, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if those people just pushed her around.
“You worry too much, Madam Jiang.”
“Oh, that’s right. It was you who saved me back at the Orchid Garden, wasn’t it?”
She had invited all the young ladies who more or less fit the description of her savior. But the moment she saw Ming Jing, she already knew the answer in her heart..