Translator: Tuiwen Editor: Tuiwen
The girl had thick, short hair that framed her delicate face.
Her skin was white and smooth as white jade, almost translucent where the sunlight hit. Her soft lips were slightly pursed, making them look plumper than they actually were.
Those striking eyes glanced at him briefly before looking elsewhere, as though he were just a blade of grass swaying by the side of the road, unworthy of her attention.
And yet, despite this, Gao Chang’s heart began to thunder uncontrollably inside his chest.
How could there be a woman in this world who could resist his good looks?
‘No, that’s impossible. She must be playing hard to get.’
It wasn’t that Gao Chang was narcissistic, he just knew for a fact that he wasn’t much worse compared to Jiang Jinchen. If anything, his fox-like eyes were more seductive than the latter. His only flaw was his loud mouth and his rude behavior. After all, he wasn’t the type to mince his words just to save other people some face. If he really put his mind to pleasing everyone who mattered, he might very well become the top student in the whole school.
“Hello there, little beauty,” Gao Chang crooned softly. “How come I’ve never seen you around before?”
His greatest selling point, even more so than his face, was his excellent memory. He never forgot a face he had once seen, especially when it came to girls.
Gao Chang was certain he had never laid eyes on this girl before.
The school was indeed full of surprises. Who would have thought that such an enchanting beauty was hiding within its stupid halls?
Ming Jing gently set her chopsticks down, then picked up her lunch tray and left.
She never wasted her food, so there were no leftovers in her bowl. She headed for the communal sink and began to rinse her plate, then deposited it in the disinfection cabinet before walking out of the cafeteria. She never looked back.
“Ming Jing, wait for me!” Tao Xingxing couldn’t care less about the rumors involving famous people, especially compared to her newfound friend. She scrambled to her feet and ran after Ming Jing.
Gao Chang, meanwhile, rested an elbow on the table and stroked his chin as he watched Ming Jing disappear through the door. “Her figure isn’t all that good, but there’s just something about her. She somehow makes the school uniform look… tempting.”
He smirked. “Ming Jing, huh? Her name sounds nice, too.”
“Are you acting up again?” Situ Lin gaped at his friend in disbelief. Gao Chang never seemed to run out of his romantic targets.
“Not at all.” There was a pensive tilt to Gao Chang’s head. “I’m serious this time. I have a feeling that she will become my muse, my goddess.”
Situ Lin scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Just when were you not serious? You say that all the time. It hasn’t even been a week since your last courtship, if you can even call it that.”
The entire time, Jiang Jinchen could not be bothered to join their conversation. He finished his meal in silence and left soon after.
He had always been aloof, which only made him all the more attractive to the girls.
His phone suddenly rang from inside his pocket. Jiang Jinchen fished it out and looked at the screen. His mother had sent her a voice message.
“Little Chen, there’s a banquet tonight. You have to come with your mother, okay? I’ll send someone to pick you up after school. Your clothes are ready and waiting for you at home.”
Jiang Jinchen frowned. His mother had never brought him to these boring events before? What was so different with this one?
After taking a deep breath, he typed a reply: “Okay.”
…
“That boy who talked to you just now is called Gao Cheng. He always ranked second on the school’s achievers list. I was so shocked when he spoke to us, oh, my God.” Tao Xingxing blabbered about their encounter all the way back to their classroom.
Ming Jing’s ears were already getting sore, but it didn’t show on her face. She looked as calm and patient as ever, and even sported a small, indulgent smile.
“Ah, but he’s also very fickle, which makes him unreliable.” Tao Xingxing finally looked at her companion.
“I think he likes you for real, but you must remain steadfast, Ming Jing. Boys like him are only meant for the eyes, we can look, but we can’t touch. Wanting more will only cause suffering.”
Ming Jing nodded and said nothing.
Tao Xingxing continued to skip around, absorbed in her own happy thoughts. “I wonder what kind of girl Jiang Jinchen likes.”
That made Ming Jing pause, and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Jiang Jinchen?” she asked in a casual tone.
It was rare enough for her to give a reply, let alone express interest on her own accord. Tao Xingxing opened her mouth and took a deep breath. She was going to make the most of this opportunity.
“He is the most handsome boy, always cool and brooding. He has everything a girl could want in a guy, God’s own favored son. I also heard that he comes from a special background. His family is said to be powerful. In short, no one can afford to cross him.”
Tao Xingxing lowered her voice for the next part of her speech. “I never really believed that he would like Zhu Xiangxiang, but I suppose they do suit each other.”
Ming Jing’s eyes flashed at that, and she chuckled softly to herself.
…
After school, Ming Jing was once again blocked and cornered by Zhao Zhen.
This time, however, she was very amiable. “Miss Zhu, I want to make friends with you.”
Ming Jing raised a sardonic eyebrow.
Noting her lack of protest, Zhao Zhen plowed on. “Your identity is no secret among the members of the upper class, you know. A banquet will be held tonight. Do you want to go with me, so you can understand what I mean?”
Then, afraid that Ming Jing would shut her down, Zhao Zhen hurriedly added, “I heard that your mother is attending along with your fake sister. I can’t believe she would bring that girl and not you. Don’t you feel wronged by this at all?”
Zhao Zhen leaned closer. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that everything is arranged for you.”
“Why would you do this for me?” Ming Jing asked tentatively.
“I just feel that we are fated to be friends,” Zhao Zhen smiled. “Don’t you think so, too? Look, I, Zhao Zhen, am a person who doesn’t tolerate nonsense. I don’t like keeping up pretenses and beating around the bush. I want us to be friends, and by the end of tonight’s banquet, I’m sure that’s exactly what we’ll be.”
To her dismay, Ming Jing still declined her invitation. The reason was that she had too much homework and too little time to finish them.
Zhao Zhen stared at Ming Jing’s retreating back and snorted. “Do you think that she really has no ambition or some sort of trick up her sleeve?”
Li Jiaojiao huffed beside her. “I think she’s a coward. She’s probably afraid that she might annoy her mother and that fake daughter, which could lead to her getting kicked out of the family. Since she’s out of the question, I guess we only have ourselves to rely on for tonight.”
…
The banquet was, in fact, in celebration of the 70th birthday of Li Jiaojiao’s grandfather. Needless to say, all the rich and powerful were invited to the event.
Lin Qing and Zhu Xiangxiang paid their respects and greeted the star of the party, and then they looked around in search of their target.
“Mom, what if Mrs. Jiang isn’t coming tonight?”
“She’ll be here. Li Jiajiao’s aunt has married into the Cheng family over at the capital, and their daughter-in-law is Mrs. Jiang’s distant cousin. Although it isn’t direct, Mrs. Jiang is still related to the Li family. I’m sure she will come, if only to pay her respects.”
Meanwhile, hidden in a dark corner, Li Jiaojiao was staring at Zhu Xiangxiang with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
Zhao Zhen came up beside her with a glass of red wine. “Zhu Shaodan is now involved in a lawsuit. The Zhu family is unable to settle it this time. They have probably come to beg for mercy.”
“Serves them right,” Li Jiaojiao gloated. “Anyway, who is the other part? How come even the Zhu family can’t silence them?”
Zhao Zhen gave her friend a pointed smile. “Who do you think?”
“I just want to know whom they had come here for.”
Zhao Zhen tipped her chin in the direction of the entrance. “Here she comes now.”
Right on cue, a woman in her thirties walked into the banquet hall. She was wearing a white qipao embroidered with mountains and rivers, which accentuated her graceful figure. Her hair was piled high on her head, held together by a white jade hairpin decorated with silver tassels that swayed with every step she took.
She was a beautiful and elegant woman who exuded a dignified charm.
The moment she came into view, all the other women faded into the background, in spite of their equally exquisite dresses.
On her side was a young man in a svelte white suit. He stood tall and straight, his eyebrows thick and tidy, his eyes refined. Not entirely unlike his mother, he gave off a sense of cold detachment, like he was a lone flower on top of a snowy mountain. All the girls felt giddy at the sight of him.
Li Jiaojiao’s jaw hung open. “Isn’t that Jiang Jinchen?”
Her grandfather immediately stepped up to greet the new arrivals. “Madam Jiang! What a pleasure to have you grace my humble abode with your presence.”
Madam Jiang smiled politely. “Elder Li, your words are so sweet, I fear I might get a toothache just listening to you. Today is your birthday, and I wish you good fortune and longevity.”
She then motioned at the boy beside her. “This is my son, Jiang Jinchen. Little Chen, hurry and greet your elder.”
The old man’s eyes glittered. “Good, good. He looks like a good child, indeed.”
The moment the guests overheard the words, “Madam Jiang”, they all perked up in attention. Someone who had been leaning against a pillar even straightened and ran a hand through his hair.
“Yes!” Lin Qing said excitedly. “Madam Jiang is finally here.”
She didn’t notice her that Zhu Xiangxiang hadn’t reacted at all. In fact, the girl was in a daze, staring blankly at the young man who had just entered the banquet hall..