On her way home, Yun Duoduo debated whether to tell her mom about meeting Yun Jianghai. By the time she reached the gate, she decided she had to come clean—and vent a little—to avoid any awkwardness later.
Dropping her basket, she checked for cameras and hollered, “Mom! I ran into Yun Jianghai today. The nerve of that man! He actually said I was poorly raised. If I really lacked manners, I would’ve slapped that whole family of three into next week. I’m so mad!”
After her outburst, she felt much better. She recounted the mountain drama from start to finish. “She got what she deserved! Who told her to be so lazy and greedy? Expecting me to pay for her? In her dreams!”
She began washing the dragon fruit at the sink, talking until her throat was dry, before she finally realized something was off. She had been rambling for ages, yet Li Qinglian hadn’t said a word. Had something happened?
Duoduo dropped the fruit and rushed inside. To her surprise, a woman with short hair sat opposite her mother. She wore a trendy grey plaid jacket and white trousers. Even sitting down, she looked tall and possessed the poise of a model—or more likely, an A-list star.
Duoduo froze, her hands hovering awkwardly. She thought this must be “Anna,” the Big Sister she had been chatting with, but she looked nothing like the photos of Anna online.
Plastic surgery? Tweaks? No—her features were exquisite and natural, radiating a high-end elegance. She was stunning, but she wasn’t the “Sister” Duoduo expected. Who was this?!
“Why haven’t you greeted our guest?” Li Qinglian stood and gave her a gentle nudge. “Forgive her,” she said to the guest. “She’s usually a wild one, she’s just a bit startled.”
Huai Jian nodded slightly. “It’s fine.”
Duoduo took a sharp breath. The voice was incredibly familiar. Her voice trembled as she asked, “You… you’re… An—An…”
Before she could finish, Li Qinglian whispered the introduction in her ear: “This is Huai Jian. The Best Actress, Huai Jian.”
When Huai Jian first arrived, Li Qinglian had been just as shocked. Though she wasn’t in the industry, she watched enough TV to be a fan.
“What?!” Duoduo stood there, completely dumbfounded. She stared at those large eyes and that high nose bridge. It was Huai Jian! Why was she here as a guest? Did the crew arrange this? No, the Heiress said she’d bribed them to make sure no one came. What was going on?!
And where was her “Sister Anna”?!
Huai Jian had traveled through the night. The mountain roads were exhausting, but seeing Duoduo’s kaleidoscope of expressions made her mood lift instantly. “Not welcome?”
“Welcome! Very welcome!” Duoduo nodded vigorously. Huai Jian was her role model! Of course she was welcome! But… she still missed her “Sister Anna.”
Huai Jian noticed the flicker of disappointment on Duoduo’s face. Is she sad that “Anna” didn’t come?
Duoduo looked at her, hesitant. After a moment, she did a quick search on her phone and realized Anna was actually Huai Jian’s manager and close friend. Turning back to her idol, Duoduo smiled shyly. “I just picked some dragon fruit. I’ll cut them… Sister Huai? I…”
She was so used to saying “Big Sister” (xiaojiejie) that she almost slipped up. She wanted to slap herself for being so forward. “Can I… can I call you Sister?”
Huai Jian nodded. “Sure. You can call me Huai Jian if you prefer.”
“That would be rude!” Duoduo chirped. “Sister Huai” felt much better. She pointed to the fruit. “I’ll get it for you. It’s the red-fleshed kind, very sweet. Do you like it? Or is there something else you prefer?”
Seeing her in person, Huai Jian found her even more adorable than in their chats. She nearly broke her cool exterior. “Anything is fine.”
Duoduo thought: No wonder she’s so famous. Her personality is top-tier! But if Sister Anna acted, she’d be a hit too, because she’s also wonderful!
Duoduo set the fruit down, ran outside to peer down the road—hoping Anna was just behind with the luggage—but saw no one. Back in the kitchen, she messaged “Anna”: “Sister, Empress Huai is here! Where are you? Do you need me to pick you up?”
“Anna”: “Isn’t it good that Huai Jian went?”
“It’s great! I’m stunned!” Duoduo replied. “But it would be even better if you were here too. Where are you?”
“Anna”: “Something came up. I can’t make it for now.”
Duoduo felt a pang of loss but replied graciously. “That’s okay! Good luck with your work. We’ll hang out next time. But thank you, truly.”
…
Duoduo brought the fruit in, standing somewhat stiffly by her mother. “Sister Huai, are you hungry? Should we prepare lunch, or do you want a tour?”
Huai Jian was still feeling the effects of the flight and the long drive. “Is there somewhere I can rest? I’m quite tired.”
“Yes, yes!” Duoduo opened the room she had prepared. “I’ve tidied it up. Go rest, and we’ll eat when you wake. Just call me if you need anything.”
Huai Jian entered the room. She hadn’t expected much from the village house, but she was pleasantly surprised. The decor was thoughtful and strikingly similar to her own taste.
“She spent the whole day cleaning, worried you wouldn’t be comfortable,” Li Qinglian said with a smile.
“I like it very much,” Huai Jian replied. She realized Duoduo had actually remembered the preferences she’d mentioned in their chats. She offered a rare smile. “I’ll go rest then.”
…
While Huai Jian slept, the mother and daughter chatted. “It must have cost the show a fortune to get Huai Jian,” Li Qinglian said, worried they were inconveniencing her.
“She’s the top star! Most crews can’t even dream of booking her!” Duoduo agreed. “She must be a truly good person.” She also made sure to praise “Sister Anna” for likely pulling strings behind the scenes.
Two hours later, while they were in the garden, the “Drama Family” arrived. Led by Yun Jianghai, they pushed open the gate aggressively.
The Heiress led the charge, sniffing. “Dad, don’t blame my sister. She only left me on the mountain because she had a ‘guest’ to attend to.”
“Guest? I doubt she could invite anyone. I’ve asked around. Stop defending her!” Yun Jianghai snapped, looking ready to slap Duoduo.
Li Qinglian froze at the sound of that voice, then turned around slowly.
Yun Jianghai was taken aback. He had assumed that without his support, Li Qinglian would be haggard and miserable. Instead, she looked better than she had years ago—elegant, poised, and almost ethereal despite her simple clothes.
His blatant staring made Duoduo uncomfortable. She stepped in front of her mother. “What do you want?”
Yun Jianghai softened his tone. “Duoduo, is that how you speak to your father? Apologize to the Heiress, and we’ll drop it.”
“Apologize for what?” Duoduo retorted. “She tried to take things without paying and then blamed me. Get your facts straight.”
“The Heiress has money; why would she steal? You must have conspired with the gatekeeper!”
“Then she had money but didn’t want to pay and wanted me to do it. So what?”
“I didn’t, Dad!” the Heiress cried, clinging to his arm. “They just wouldn’t let me leave and were being aggressive!”
Wu Heyue noticed her husband’s eyes lingering on Li Qinglian. “Forget it, Jianghai. Duoduo is young and doesn’t understand. She doesn’t realize country folk lack manners and might hurt the Heiress.”
“Disgusting,” Duoduo cut her off. “Who lacks manners? It’s your mind that’s filthy.”
Yun Jianghai felt humiliated by his eldest daughter’s sharp tongue. He felt stuck. “Fine. Qinglian, just apologize to Heyue and the Heiress, and we’ll call it a day.”
Li Qinglian stepped forward, holding Duoduo’s hand. She looked at her ex-husband with a cold smile. “Duoduo did nothing wrong. I will not apologize. Also, we have a guest resting. Please keep your voices down.”
The Heiress burst out laughing. “A guest? Stop joking! You don’t have anyone!” She lowered her voice, feigning kindness. “I know you’re mad about the guest situation. I only followed you because I wanted to invite you both to my place. We’re sisters, we have the same father.”
Duoduo rolled her eyes. To avoid waking Huai Jian, she tried to end it. “Fine, fine. I’m sorry I refused your ‘kindness.’ But I do have a guest now, so please, just leave!”
“Is there really someone here? Why don’t we say hi?” The Heiress pushed past Duoduo toward the guest room, grabbing the handle.
“What are you doing? She’s sleeping!” Duoduo tried to block her, but the Heiress pushed her aside and yanked the door open.
The door opened from the inside at the same time. A woman stood there, eyes slightly red from lack of sleep, looking quite annoyed.
The Heiress froze, stumbling back in shock. A single name escaped her lips:
“Huai Jian!”