My heart skipped a beat, feeling as though my innermost thoughts had been laid bare. My hands instinctively clenched.
“Thank you, Father,” I replied quickly, masking my internal turmoil.
To be honest, there was a sliver of genuine emotion in that response. I wasn’t naive enough to believe I had suddenly become precious to him, yet the gesture caused an inevitable ripple in my heart.
On the return trip, Jiang Shitian took the controls from the pilot, personally flying the helicopter away. Jiang Jun and I, after seeing him off, boarded our private jet and followed close behind.
Upon returning to the Jiang residence, no one rested. Jiang Shitian immediately ordered lavish gifts to be prepared. He selected an auspicious day for Jiang Jun and me to return to the Zhou family for the formal bride’s visit.
The day arrived as scheduled. The opulence of a wealthy family’s procession was, naturally, beyond anything ordinary people could imagine. As we headed out, I discovered that Jiang Shitian had specifically assigned Uncle Zhong, the external butler, to be our driver.
En route to the Zhou house, we encountered the media. Fortunately, Uncle Zhong handled everything. His statements were official and polished, as if every word had been rehearsed. I suspected Jiang Shitian had leaked the news himself; otherwise, how could the press have known exactly where to wait?
…
We arrived at the Zhou residence.
There to greet us were my grandmother, my father, my stepmother, and Zhou Qing. Zhou Qing stood with her fiancé, Fu Jin, intimately clutching his arm. Every member of the Zhou family was at the door to welcome us, as if I were some vital pillar of the family.
Only I knew the truth: this was mere etiquette. They weren’t welcoming me; they were showing respect to the Jiang family.
“It’s good to have you back. Seeing you married so well brings peace to my heart,” Grandmother said, looking like a picture of elderly relief.
I saw right through her hypocrisy. Married well? Married a mess, more like. She was just lying to herself to clear her own conscience. Bitterness welled up inside me. The Zhous never cared about my well-being; they only cared about profit.
My father stepped forward with a hollow laugh, exchanging a few pleasantries. My stepmother shot him a look, and he immediately began scratching his head, turning awkward and fidgety. After a few polite words with Jiang Jun, my stepmother ushered us inside. Everything was handled with business-like formality.
In our family, the stepmother managed all external relations. Though she acted pampered at home, she was consistently shrewd in public. She re-introduced the family members to Jiang Jun. They had only met once at the wedding and were essentially strangers.
Zhou Qing looked at Jiang Jun with blatant curiosity. While holding Fu Jin’s hand, her eyes never stopped scanning my husband. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Jiang Jun looked back at her and gave a slight nod.
Zhou Qing flashed a bright, toothy smile. “Brother-in-law,” she called out boldly.
Jiang Jun’s body wavered almost imperceptibly, clearly unaccustomed to the address. Seeing his reaction, Zhou Qing giggled. She looked so radiant. Having been the center of the universe since childhood, she rarely concerned herself with the feelings of others. I knew I couldn’t entirely blame her; my stepmother’s indulgence had made her this way.
“Qingqing, be careful where you walk. Don’t trip,” my stepmother reminded her gently.
Fu Jin immediately moved to steady her, acting as if she were made of glass. Zhou Qing wasn’t pregnant; this was simply how the Zhou family cherished her.
In this same house, I was nothing.
…
During dinner, we sat around the table.
“The kitchen prepared a magnificent feast for today’s visit,” Zhou Qing announced.
I looked at the table. Despite the abundance, there wasn’t a single dish I liked. The truth was, the Zhous had no idea what my preferences were. My stepmother pointedly moved the King Crab in front of Zhou Qing.
Zhou Qing had loved crab since she was a child but never learned how to peel it. My stepmother used to do it for her; now, Fu Jin had taken over the task. He meticulously deshelled the meat for her while she sat back and enjoyed the results. It all seemed so… natural.
I lowered my head and ate what was in my bowl. It tasted of nothing.
Zhou Qing remained focused on Jiang Jun. She chatted with him animatedly. “Brother-in-law is truly handsome. Zhou Li… Sister is quite lucky.”
Both Fu Jin and I paused. Hearing her call me “Sister” instead of just my name was jarring. Moreover, hearing the word “lucky” from her lips felt like a cruel irony. I remained silent, continuing to eat.
After peeling the crab, Fu Jin placed the meat in Zhou Qing’s bowl and went back to his own food. Jiang Jun, seemingly flattered by the compliment, had adjusted to the environment and was soon laughing and talking with Zhou Qing.
My stepmother watched Zhou Qing with pride, as if admiring her greatest masterpiece.
Fu Jin and I finished our meals quickly and, by unspoken agreement, both headed to the garden for air. It felt as if Jiang Jun and Zhou Qing were the protagonists of this visit, while Fu Jin and I were merely background extras.
“Why did you come out too?” Fu Jin asked. He was sitting on the edge of a flower bed, poking at the soil with a fallen twig.
“It was stifling inside. I needed air. You?”
Fu Jin laughed. He didn’t answer directly, but noted, “It’s early March. How can it be stifling?”
I sat down beside him, staring into the void. I didn’t care if his tone was kind or malicious. In the Zhou house, it was rare for anyone to speak to me at all. My only regular conversation partner used to be my dog, Lily, and she wasn’t here.
Fu Jin continued poking the dirt, his movements looking more like a release of pent-up frustration.
“Was the food not to your taste? You barely ate,” he said.
I didn’t respond.
“You children of the elite don’t know how good you have it,” he continued. “You’re so used to luxury that you don’t know how to cherish it.”
I turned to look at him, my expression cold. “There is much you don’t know. You aren’t me, so how could you know my heart? Some bitterness can only be understood by the one tasting it. Everyone has their struggles. No one has the right to judge another.”
Fu Jin stopped moving. He looked up at me, his eyes full of suppressed emotion. He looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated.
Finally, he said, “I get the feeling we are similar in some ways. Maybe we could even be friends.”
He wiped his hands and extended one toward me in a gesture of friendship. I looked at his hand but didn’t move. His behavior was baffling; I couldn’t figure out what he was playing at.
Seeing my lack of reaction, he gave a self-deprecating laugh and withdrew his hand. He stood up, stretching his limbs. “I just mean that besides being Qingqing’s sister, we could be friends.”
I opened my mouth to reply when—
“Jin-jin! Why are you with my sister?”
Zhou Qing appeared at the doorway, shouting toward Fu Jin.