Ting Wan’s dignified style of dress was modeled after the cloistered young ladies of old who never stepped out of their homes. However, since she still had to attend school, she couldn’t be too rigid. So, she came up with a look that was unflinchingly prim but not so antiquated that it looked like it had been dug out of a coffin.
She wore her hair in a braid with a hairpin tucked behind her ear, a blouse and a long skirt that covered her ankles, and a pair of small, heeled leather shoes. The makeup on her face was so subtle it was as if she wasn’t wearing any—in fact, it made her look even plainer than if she had worn none at all, giving her an extremely stiff appearance.
Su Xiaomo, who had changed into an exquisite qipao, curled her hair, and put on her finest jewelry specifically for the visit to the Shaoshuai Residence that evening, secretly breathed a sigh of relief after seeing her.
Mrs. Su praised her aloud, but inwardly, she was mocking Ting Wan for being a fool.
Only Mr. Su was very pleased with Ting Wan’s attire.
At his core, Mr. Su was still somewhat feudal, though it wasn’t usually apparent. Looking at Ting Wan’s outfit, he felt that his eldest daughter had finally grown a brain and understood what kind of appearance was dignified and beautiful.
However, he didn’t think his younger daughter, Su Xiaomo, was dressed inappropriately either.
On the contrary, he felt that Su Xiaomo’s attire served to better highlight Ting Wan’s propriety and dignity.
Ting Wan was very satisfied with Mr. Su’s aesthetic sense. She had been worried that Mr. Su would see her outfit and immediately order her to change.
But thankfully, that wasn’t necessary!
With no other interruptions, the family boarded the car sent by the Shaoshuai Residence right on time and headed for their destination.
Unlike the Su family’s residence, the Shaoshuai Residence was located in the most prosperous and magnificent area of Hong City. Although Xiao Tang was the only one living there, it was built like a small palace. Even the steps leading to the front door looked as if they were made of jade.
“Old Master, this Shaoshuai Residence is truly magnificent!” After getting out of the car, Mrs. Su’s eyes seemed to be frozen in place as she stared at the grand Western-style mansion, her voice filled with surprise and envy.
Yes, and if one listened carefully, there was also a hint of regret and a sense of determination.
“Alright, let’s hurry inside.” Mr. Su was also stunned by the opulence before him, but he felt that Mrs. Su’s reaction was a bit embarrassing. The Su Family had been considered a wealthy family back in Liu City, but even they hadn’t used jade to pave their floors! Even the Sang Family, the richest in Liu City, didn’t have a house that looked like a palace.
The Xiao family had truly made it big.
It was just a pity that only Xiao Tang was left.
Su Xiaomo had been silent since getting out of the car. Ting Wan glanced at her from the corner of her eye. Hmm, she was handling it better than her mother, but the expression on her face betrayed her.
It seemed she was quite captivated by the Shaoshuai Residence.
The family of four was welcomed into the house by Uncle Xiao and shown to their seats at the dining table. However, Xiao Tang, the master of the house, was nowhere to be seen.
“Mr. Su, Mrs. Su, Miss Su, the Shaoshuai still has some matters to attend to. Please wait a moment.” Uncle Xiao said with a polite smile on his face before excusing himself.
They were seated at the dining table, but the table was bare, and the host was in who-knows-what corner of the house.
Ting Wan secretly raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips.
Well now, this was both rude and a show of dominance.
Now, Su Xiaomo would probably think that Xiao Tang particularly disliked his fiancée, right?
In fact, Ting Wan wasn’t wrong. Su Xiaomo was currently pondering that the Young Marshal must dislike Ting Wan, which was why he was leaving them hanging here. In that case, she had a chance. Unlike Ting Wan, who was unlikable, everyone who knew her, especially men, adored her.
The Su family waited at the dining table for a long time. During this period, no one came to serve any dishes or anything else; they just sat there.
After about ten minutes, Xiao Tang finally made his belated appearance.
“Uncle Su, Auntie Su,” he said, his voice very cold.
Ting Wan looked up at him.
Well, she was finally witnessing the chiseled, heroic face and the bone-chilling aura described in the original novel. He was indeed profound and handsome, but his well-defined features and sculpted face gave Ting Wan an uncanny sense of being artificial. Coupled with that cold expression, as if someone owed him a fortune, it made Ting Wan feel as if she was the one in his debt.
Su Xiaomo, on the other hand, was different. The moment Xiao Tang appeared, it was as if she had witnessed the descent of a god—so handsome, so cool, so high in status. He ought to be her true love.
Ting Wan noticed the change in her expression and tapped her fingers together. As expected of the female lead, she was already seeing the male lead through a filter.
“Young Marshal Xiao, you’ve arrived. It’s been many years. You’ve become even more imposing.” Mr. Su was naturally unhappy about being slighted, but he was facing the Young Marshal of Hong City. Even though he was an elder, he had to be deferential and could only offer compliments.
Xiao Tang maintained his deadpan expression, his gaze sweeping carelessly over the four members of the Su family before he sat down in the host’s seat. “There’s no need for pleasantries. The Su family was once friends with my Xiao family, but my parents passed away early, leaving just me. I don’t know their friends. I wonder which one is the Miss Su my parents betrothed me to?”
Xiao Tang’s tone was far too casual, and he didn’t even look at anyone, as if he were asking about a stranger from some forgotten corner, not his own fiancée.
Mr. Su hadn’t expected Xiao Tang to be so disrespectful. He could only suppress his anger and introduce Ting Wan.
“This is my eldest daughter, Youning.”
Following Mr. Su’s introduction, Ting Wan greeted Xiao Tang, though her greeting was very dry. “Hello, Young Marshal Xiao.”
Just those simple four words, and then nothing.
The key was her rapid pace; the four words seemed to scald her tongue, tumbling out and vanishing. Someone hard of hearing might not have even caught them.
Xiao Tang looked up at her.
Mr. Su was infuriated by Ting Wan’s blink-and-you’miss-it greeting. Couldn’t she say a few more words? He immediately glared at her.
Ting Wan returned his glare with a “I’m scared” expression.
Then, at that moment, the considerate Su Xiaomo stood up.
“Young Marshal Xiao, my sister is timid and rarely goes out. This is her first time meeting someone as imposing as you, so she’s a little nervous. Please don’t mind her.”
Her voice was like an oriole’s song, her face wreathed in a smile, poised and graceful. She formed a stark—well, not so stark—contrast to the “frightened” Ting Wan, because Ting Wan’s expression was almost identical to Xiao Tang’s, both of them maintaining a straight face.
Xiao Tang shifted his gaze to Su Xiaomo. Whether it was the magnetic field between the male and female leads or something else, his expression changed from “someone owes me a fortune” to “someone owes me a small sum.” “And you are?”
“I am the second daughter of the Su family, Su Xiaomo,” Su Xiaomo replied quickly, her expression carrying just the right amount of shyness.
Xiao Tang grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t say much more. Instead, he directly called for Uncle Xiao to serve the food and begin the meal.
Ting Wan pondered for a moment. She felt the book’s description was a bit crude. How could she feel that the male lead wasn’t won over by the female lead’s gentleness and kindness? From what she was seeing now, it looked for all the world like Xiao Tang had fallen for Su Xiaomo at first sight.
However, it was normal for the plot to deviate now. It would be a problem if it didn’t.
If there were no deviations, wouldn’t her existence be a joke?
If this weren’t her first mission on the job, she would really want to get it over with quickly.
But precisely because it was her first mission, she had to test the limits of the small worlds in the Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Department. She was afraid that if she was too direct, she’d end up like that senior from the Film Department. All she did was kill off a moronic male lead, and the small world exploded, creating a temporal turbulence. The programming team from the Film Department had been working overtime for a month straight before she came to this world.
Of course, she was also doing this to pave the way for a more frenzied work pace later on.
Ting Wan had originally thought that Xiao Tang would ask about Su Youning’s future plans, just like in the book. She had even prepared her answer. But in the end, throughout the entire meal, Ting Wan, who silently devoured two bowls of rice while sandwiched between Xiao Tang and Su Xiaomo, didn’t hear Xiao Tang ask her a single other word.
She did, however, feel Xiao Tang glance at Su Xiaomo several times.
This trip to the Shaoshuai Residence finally came to an end with Xiao Tang’s “See Uncle Su and the others home.”
Ting Wan never got to deliver her prepared answer.
However, just because she didn’t say it at the Shaoshuai Residence didn’t mean it was over.
“Youning, what was wrong with you today? Can’t you learn from your sister? It’s not like the Young Marshal was going to eat you. Were you really so scared you couldn’t say a single word?”
Mr. Su was furious. He could be deferential, but Ting Wan could not.
Ting Wan looked at his furious expression, her heart completely calm. She even found herself wondering who would look more animated if Mr. Su and Xiao Tang got angry at the same time.
Mrs. Su had met Xiao Tang today. Although she was a little afraid of him, her belief that her daughter Su Xiaomo was the only one worthy of the Young Marshal hadn’t diminished in the slightest. Seeing Mr. Su’s anger, she seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
“Old Master, the eldest is timid. She hasn’t performed in plays, participated in recitals, or given speeches like our Xiaomo. I’m sure she didn’t mean it today.”
The subtext: She’s not presentable!
“That’s right, Papa. Sister didn’t do it on purpose,” Su Xiaomo said obediently.
Mr. Su was still very displeased.
“Forget it. Let’s rest for now. There’s still plenty of time!”
After saying that, he went upstairs first, completely forgetting his earlier promise to find schools for the two sisters to continue their education after they arrived.
Although Ting Wan didn’t need his help to find a school…
Halfway through her thought, Ting Wan suddenly felt it was better that he didn’t bring it up, so she wouldn’t have to.
She had been so busy with her own affairs that she had forgotten that in the original story, Su Xiaomo never went to school after arriving in Hong City.
“Sister.” Just as Ting Wan was thinking about when to go to Hongcheng Women’s University the next morning, Su Xiaomo hugged her arm and began to speak. “Don’t blame Papa. He’s just in a bad mood. Young Marshal Xiao is quite intimidating. I was scared too.”
Oh? When did I ever blame the old man? And you were scared too? Scared enough to cast a shy glance at him every two mouthfuls of rice?
“I’m not blaming Papa, Xiaomo. You’re overthinking it. Besides, now that I think about it, Young Marshal Xiao isn’t that scary. He’s my fiancé, and he’s so handsome. I can’t be afraid of him forever, can I?”
After speaking in an affected tone, Ting Wan pried Su Xiaomo’s hand off her arm and headed to her own bedroom.
She left Su Xiaomo behind, her heart in turmoil over that one compliment.