“Your gift is with your Second Brother-in-Law!” Liu Meigui said with a smile as she looked at her husband—a refined, scholarly-looking man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a head taller than Liu Xun, fair skin, and a well-tailored light-colored suit.
Xia Xiaowan lifted her head and stared straight at her Second Brother-in-Law.
His looks were every bit as good as Liu Xun’s. This was just too melodramatic. How had all the handsome men in Peony City ended up in the Liu family?
She had heard Mother-in-Law mention that her Second Brother-in-Law, Zhao Tingyu, was a diplomat. He and Second Sister really were a perfect match.
Zhao Tingyu smiled. “Just wait. Your gift is in the trunk of my car!”
Liu Meigui’s small car was parked outside, and her husband rose and walked out.
A short while later,
Zhao Tingyu came back in carrying a leather bag.
Liu Xun craned his neck as far as he could. When the bag was opened, it revealed a very expensive set of fishing rods.
“I had a foreign friend search for the brand you wanted for a long time. Take a look. Are you satisfied?” Zhao Tingyu asked with a smile. Liu Xun held the fishing rods and nodded enthusiastically.
When Father-in-Law saw how happy his son was, he came over as well.
“Xun’er, why haven’t you thanked your Second Brother-in-Law?” Father-in-Law was a businessman, and there was something very pleasant about his tone of voice.
After Liu Xun accepted the gift, the family sat down and continued eating.
Only now did Xia Xiaowan realize that the standard of living in this family was worlds apart from Uncle’s household.
In her previous life, her younger female cousin had vaguely mentioned that the Liu family’s Second Sister was a terrible person who looked down on her younger female cousin completely. The financial power in the household had always been in Mother-in-Law’s hands as well. Whenever her younger female cousin wanted to buy something, she had to obtain Mother-in-Law’s permission.
And this Second Sister had always involved herself in Liu Xun’s life, completely disregarding her younger female cousin.
Her younger female cousin had lived a miserable life in the Liu family and eventually died tragically in a psychiatric hospital. Xia Xiaowan had even been the one to collect her body.
Yet Xia Xiaowan herself did not have that feeling at all. Second Sister treated her very well. The keys to the Liu family’s house and the household expenses were both in her hands, and she did not need Mother-in-Law’s permission to buy whatever she wanted.
At the thought, a smile spread across Xia Xiaowan’s lips, and she ate another bowl of rice.
Back on the second floor, Xia Xiaowan read in the bedroom where she lived. After eleven o’clock passed, she still was not sleepy, so she opened the door and went out for a walk.
The Liu family’s house was very large. From the second floor, one could see the living room on the first floor, and every section of the second floor contained several enormous antique decorations.
There were several famous paintings in the southern section, all of them oil paintings.
At regular intervals along the Liu family’s second floor stood wall lamps, and those lamps were never turned off at night.
Xia Xiaowan walked slowly along the corridor, studying the oil paintings on the walls.
“So you understand oil paintings too?” a girl’s voice came from behind her. It was so affected that it gave Xia Xiaowan goosebumps.
“Second Sister, what are you doing here?” Xia Xiaowan turned around and asked her in return.
“I couldn’t sleep. These oil paintings were all painted by Liu Xun. This painting was completed by the two of us together…” After Liu Meigui finished speaking, her body trembled involuntarily.
Xia Xiaowan chuckled softly. “Yes, memories are beautiful!”
From the moment Liu Meigui had stepped into the Liu family’s home, Xia Xiaowan had known that she had not come merely to pay a casual visit. Deep down, she looked down on Xia Xiaowan for her humble origins.
—To make her leave the Liu family of her own accord.
—That was Liu Meigui’s real purpose in coming here.
Xia Xiaowan was not the mindless Xia Xiuxiu, who knew only how to cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang herself.
In her previous life, she vaguely remembered that Liu Xun’s childhood sweetheart had remained at the company as his secretary and even borne him two sons. Liu Xun had never returned home again. Xia Xiuxiu had suffered a mental breakdown and eventually become completely deranged. By the time Liu Xun sent her to the hospital, she no longer recognized anyone. Wang Xiumei had wept as if her heart were breaking, regretting the marriage she had arranged for her younger female cousin.
Everything had been caused by the woman standing before her.
However, Liu Meigui had underestimated Xia Xiaowan. She had thought that Xia Xiaowan would go mad after hearing the story between her and Liu Xun, but she did not.
Xia Xiaowan followed behind Liu Meigui, moving from one oil painting to the next. She did not show the slightest hint of displeasure the entire time and even examined every painting with extraordinary seriousness.
Liu Meigui was nearly rendered speechless by her.
“Xiaowan, let’s stop here for today. I’m tired, so I’m going back to rest!” Liu Meigui’s eyelids were practically drooping shut. She had originally wanted to go to the kitchen to get something to eat, but she had not expected Xia Xiaowan to come out at that time, which was how the scene just now had happened.
Xia Xiaowan nodded and turned back toward the room where she lived. Liu Meigui arrived there at the same time. It turned out that the two women’s rooms were right next to each other.
With a smile on her face, Xia Xiaowan lay down on the bed. Only then did she realize that someone had replaced her mattress with an imported one. She had not noticed until she lay down on it.
She had always dreamed of becoming a writer. Since she could not sleep, she picked up a fountain pen and began scribbling in a notebook.
She continued writing until the sky began to lighten, only then stopping.
She returned to bed and fell asleep at once.
She did not wake up until noon the next day.
Xia Xiaowan looked at her watch. It was already eleven o’clock, so she had no choice but to make a phone call. “Hello, is this Manager Ma?”
Manager Ma knew that Xia Xiaowan was on annual leave. When he received her call, he thought something must have happened.
“It’s me. Is that Xiao Xia? What’s the matter?” Manager Ma wiped the sweat from his face.
“I woke up late. I’d like to take one day off. I’ll go to work tomorrow!” Xia Xiaowan said while rubbing her eyes. She had to be careful about staying up late in the future; she could not let it affect her work.
“All right. Come to work tomorrow!” Manager Ma trusted Xia Xiaowan’s character completely. He knew that the girl was not spoiled. At the Supply Cooperative, she was usually the first to volunteer for the work, arriving first and leaving last.
Xia Xiaowan hung up the phone, washed her face, and went to the living room on the first floor.
There was practically no one in the Liu family’s home at that hour, but Liu Meigui was downstairs chatting with Liu Xun, and laughter occasionally drifted over.
Xia Xiaowan said nothing. She knew that both of the siblings in front of her disliked her, so she poured herself a cup of hot tea and slowly took a few sips.
“Xiaowan, don’t you have to work today?” Liu Meigui’s voice was exceptionally gentle, making it seem as though she cared deeply about Xia Xiaowan. In reality, her heart was filled with demons.
“Second Sister, I took the day off. Where is my Second Brother-in-Law?” Xia Xiaowan widened her eyes and put on a pitiful expression.
“He’s very busy. He drove away first thing this morning!” Liu Meigui answered with a smile, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
“This afternoon, Liu Xun and I are going fishing. Why don’t you come too?” Liu Meigui asked with a smile.
“Second Sister, she doesn’t know how to fish at all. She’s only good at eating fish!” Liu Xun tossed the remark in Xia Xiaowan’s direction, then took Liu Meigui’s hand and went upstairs with her.
The auntie came out of the kitchen.
“Xiaowan, your Second Sister usually dotes on her younger brother the most. The two of them are very close, so don’t be upset,” the auntie said, looking at Xia Xiaowan somewhat awkwardly.
“Auntie, how could I be? The two siblings have such a good relationship—I’m envious if anything. What delicious food are we having for lunch today?” Xia Xiaowan asked coquettishly, wrapping her arms around the auntie’s neck.