“Oh my heavens… Ningning…” the bride exclaimed, her eyes widening in amazement.
“You look stunning.”
“That color was made for you.”
“It’s like a fairy has come down to earth.”
The bridesmaids burst into a chorus of excited praise.
Caught completely off guard, Jiang Yining lowered her head in embarrassment. Her fingers toyed nervously with the hem of her skirt, her shy and timid manner making her all the more endearing. Even the shop assistant could not resist joining in.
“Miss, you look absolutely exquisite in this dress. It feels as though it was tailored just for you.”
…
By evening, the fitting session finally came to an end.
The bride was picked up by her family, while Jiang Yining took on the task of driving the extra gowns belonging to her future sister-in-law and the bridesmaids back to the hotel. She was using her cousin Jiang Yunyan’s car, a fairly common mid-sized SUV.
As she gripped the steering wheel, her palms began to grow damp.
Although she technically had a driver’s license, and had even passed the test before, she had not actually driven in years. On top of that, the heavy rush hour traffic in S City only made things worse.
Her nerves were stretched tight as she carefully merged into the flow of cars, inching forward at a cautious pace while keeping a very safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
Suddenly, an impatient driver behind her, trying to change lanes, blasted the horn sharply.
The harsh sound startled her so badly that her hand jerked.
She meant to hit the brake.
Instead, in her panic, her foot slammed down on the accelerator.
Thud.
The impact was not severe, but it was unmistakable.
The car jolted forward and came to an abrupt stop.
Jiang Yining froze, her heart hammering wildly against her chest as her mind went completely blank.
It’s over. I crashed.
…
Right in front of her was a black Porsche Panamera.
Its sleek lines and understated design spoke of quiet luxury. Now, however, the rear bumper near the left taillight was visibly dented, with a long scrape marring the paint.
The driver’s side door opened.
A pair of feet in flat shoes stepped onto the pavement, followed by a young woman dressed in a champagne-colored suit. She looked capable and composed, though her brows were drawn together as she examined the damage to her car.
Inside the SUV, Jiang Yining fumbled frantically with her seatbelt.
The more she tried to unbuckle it, the more it seemed to resist her, refusing to release no matter how hard she pressed. Fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead from sheer panic.
After inspecting her car, the woman, An Kexia, walked over and tapped on the driver’s side window.
The glass slid down.
What greeted her was a delicate, beautiful face, flushed with anxiety and guilt.
The words An Kexia had prepared died instantly on her lips.
That face…
How could it look so much like the “Ningning” she had seen in Xiao Xiao’s photo albums?
“Miss? Are you alright?” Jiang Yining’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry, I’m really sorry. I got flustered, and now the seatbelt… it won’t unlock…”
An Kexia snapped out of her daze, forcibly suppressing the surge of shock in her chest.
It had to be a coincidence.
There were countless people in the world who looked alike.
Taking a steadying breath, she spoke in a calm, professional tone.
“Don’t panic. Relax, press the red button firmly, then push the buckle outward.”
Jiang Yining followed her instructions.
With a soft click, the seatbelt finally released.
She quickly got out of the car and hurried to the point of impact. The moment she saw the obvious dent on the luxury car, her expression fell.
“I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry,” she said, bowing repeatedly. “It was completely my fault. How should we handle this? I’ll follow whatever you say.”
An Kexia studied the girl’s flustered yet sincere demeanor.
She glanced at the damaged rear of her car, then at the ordinary SUV Jiang Yining had been driving, her brow twitching slightly.
“We’ll go through insurance,” she said. Then she paused, her tone turning faintly helpless. “However, the repair cost for this car might exceed your insurance coverage. The remaining amount…”
“I’ll pay it, I’ll pay the difference,” Jiang Yining cut in immediately, even as her heart ached.
If her mother found out she had hit a luxury car, she would probably be scolded on the spot without mercy.
With trembling fingers, she pulled out her phone and dialed Jiang Yunyan.
“Cousin, I… I got into an accident on Nanfang Road. I hit someone’s car, it’s a Porsche. Yes… please come quickly.”
…
Standing nearby, An Kexia clearly heard the anxious male voice on the other end calling out, “Ningning,” along with the girl’s tearful reply.
That name, Ningning, pricked at her again like a tiny thorn.
She looked at the girl’s face in the sunlight, so strikingly similar to the one in her memories.
That absurd thought began to surface once more, uncontrollable.
But she forced it down.
It was impossible.
That Jiang Yining had died eight years ago.
Shaking her head slightly, she tried to clear her mind.
…
Jiang Yunyan arrived incredibly quickly, almost as if he had flown there.
His face was pale, but the moment he saw Jiang Yining standing there unharmed, he let out a long breath of relief.
He immediately pulled her behind him in a protective gesture and apologized sincerely to An Kexia.
“I’m very sorry. I’m her brother. I’ll take responsibility for handling everything that follows. I hope you weren’t too shaken.”
He quickly assessed the situation, took photos, and contacted both the insurance company and his own service center.
Everything was handled efficiently and professionally.
As An Kexia watched him organize the aftermath, her gaze drifted, almost involuntarily, toward the girl standing quietly behind him.