After circling Jiang Yin three full times, Jiang Ling nodded with immense satisfaction. “Excellent. It seems my skill in finding tailors has not declined. This outfit really suits you, Xiao Yin. Do you not agree, Zhenzhen?”
Ever the supportive audience, Jiang Zhen nodded vigorously. “Sister, your aesthetic sense is simply divine. One could search the heavens, the earth, the seas, and across every river and still not find a single person whose taste matches yours.”
“Pfft,” Jiang Yin was stifled into a laugh, her lips curving upward despite herself.
Even Jiang Ling found Jiang Zhen’s excessive praise a bit much. She pinched Jiang Zhen’s cheek and said helplessly, “You and your sweet talk.” Then, she feigned a sense of urgency. “Xiao Yin is finished trying hers on. Now it is your turn. Go on, hurry up!”
“Understood!” Jiang Zhen sprang up from the edge of the bed, clutched her dress, and ducked into her own room.
Once she had left, Jiang Ling walked to her dressing table. From a vast array of expensive jewelry, she carefully selected a wristwatch and several brooches.
“I always feel that pure white clothing is a bit plain,” Jiang Ling said, holding several brooches up to Jiang Yin’s neckline to compare them. “This one is nice. Pin it on and see.”
Jiang Yin took the brooch as instructed. After pinning it on with a few quick movements, she looked up at Jiang Ling, asking with her eyes if it was acceptable.
“This one does not work,” Jiang Ling shook her head, pulled out another one, and handed it over.
After trying four or five in succession, the two finally settled on the most suitable one.
“Wearing it like this,” Jiang Ling stepped back a few paces, examining Jiang Yin’s full outfit. “For some reason, it gives me the impression that you might not like men.”
Jiang Yin was startled. She turned her head away and cleared her throat lightly before turning back to speak with an unnatural stiffness. “Really?”
“Do not be nervous,” Jiang Ling laughed, seeing her discomfort. “Even if you really do not like men, it is no big deal. Our family is very open-minded. Even if you said one day that you did not like humans at all, it would be fine.”
“Um, huh?” Jiang Yin raised her head in surprise. “Dad, Mom, and Grandma? Can they accept that?”
“There is nothing they cannot accept,” Jiang Ling said with a wave of her hand. “Anything can happen in this world, and their way of thinking has long since ceased to be conservative.” She suddenly lowered her voice mysteriously and leaned into Jiang Yin’s ear. “When I was in university, I dated a girl.”
“What?” If every word had not been perfectly clear, Jiang Yin would have doubted her own ears. Her eyes widened in shock, filled with disbelief.
“Look at how scared you are. It seems you have seen too little of such things,” Jiang Ling burst into laughter. “Actually, it is just like a normal romance, except the partner happens to be a sweet, fragrant girl. In my opinion, getting along with girls is a thousand times better than with men.”
“Men only think about what happens in bed. It is nothing but sleeping, and the worst part is that every single one of them thinks he has great technique.” Jiang Ling rolled her eyes. She suddenly remembered something and asked nervously, “Xiao Yin, you are an adult, right?”
Upon receiving a firm confirmation, Jiang Ling felt relieved enough to continue. “But the girls I dated were different. They were always like a breath of fresh air. We had endless common topics, could experience so many things together, and the emotional value was perfect. It really was an unprecedented feeling.”
Jiang Yin looked up and silently wiped away non-existent sweat from her forehead. She had not expected her seemingly well-behaved sister to be so carefree behind the scenes. Beyond the shock, she felt a trace of admiration. Compared to a life lived strictly by the book, Jiang Yin’s heart also longed to experience something novel.
“You have never been in a relationship, have you?” Jiang Ling suddenly shifted the topic.
Jiang Yin shook her head honestly.
“That is fine,” Jiang Ling patted her shoulder. “When it comes to feelings and fate, things that are forced often end up unsatisfying. It is better to let nature take its course.”
“What are you two talking about?” Jiang Zhen pushed the door open halfway and peeked in. “I am finished changing. I am coming in now.”
With that, she pushed the door open, lifted her skirt, and walked in slowly.
As she moved, the hem of her black velvet, off-the-shoulder mermaid gown swayed gracefully like a black swan. The skirt was adorned with hand-sewn tiny diamonds that shimmered like ripples under the light. Around her waist was a slender silver chain that wrapped around her left hip, ending in several strands of brilliant tassels that swayed with her every move.
Below the waist chain was intricate diamond inlay, while above the chain, there were no extra decorations. The balance of complexity and simplicity complemented each other perfectly, feeling neither redundant nor plain. Jiang Yin’s gaze moved slowly up from the floor-length hem, coming to rest on Jiang Zhen’s collarbone, where she noticed a small brown mole. It was a soft accent against her fair skin, like a precious stone dropped into the mortal world.
She was dazed, unable to withdraw her gaze for a long time. It was not until Jiang Ling called her name again that Jiang Yin snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream.
“It looks very good,” Jiang Yin said. Realizing she had been staring, her ears grew hot. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “It suits Sister Zhenzhen very well.”
“Indeed. I knew my vision would not be wrong,” Jiang Ling nodded with satisfaction once more. “Do the sizes need any alterations?”
Both of them shook their heads.
“In that case, I will pay the remaining balance.” Jiang Ling picked up her phone and called her assistant.
“What kind of necklace do you think I should pair with this?” While Jiang Ling was on the phone, Jiang Zhen blinked and looked at Jiang Yin.
Jiang Yin, who had zero knowledge of fashion or aesthetics, felt a sense of regret for the first time. She lowered her head and said apologetically, “I do not understand these things very well.”
“It is okay,” Jiang Zhen suddenly took her hand. “Come to my room and look. Help me choose one.”
She waved to Jiang Ling, who had just hung up, and led Jiang Yin into her room.
Unlike Jiang Ling’s dressing table, Jiang Zhen’s jewelry was displayed in a cabinet similar to a wardrobe. Jiang Yin could only vaguely distinguish between pearls, gemstones, and diamonds based on their appearance.
However, despite her lack of expertise, she immediately took a fancy to a pearl necklace placed right in the center.
“This one,” she pointed to the necklace. “I do not know much about these, but I feel it would be appropriate.”
Jiang Zhen did not hesitate and immediately took the pearl necklace from the cabinet.
“Can you help me, A-Yin? I cannot fasten it myself.” As Jiang Zhen spoke, she turned around, placing her back to Jiang Yin.
The latter took the necklace naturally and gently placed it around Jiang Zhen’s graceful, swan-like neck. During the process, Jiang Yin’s fingertips inevitably brushed against the back of Jiang Zhen’s neck. Perhaps Jiang Zhen was sensitive, as the fair skin there gradually turned red.
“It is done,” Jiang Yin took a step back.
Jiang Zhen turned around and asked expectantly, “How is it? Does it look good?”
“Well,” Jiang Yin examined her seriously for a moment and nodded firmly. “I think it looks good. Should I go call Sister and ask her for her opinion as well?”
“No need,” Jiang Zhen said as she picked up a mirror from the table to look at herself. “I trust your choice.”
For some reason, these words felt heavy, landing on Jiang Yin’s heart with a thud. She blinked, her lips curving into a smile as she whispered, “Thank you.”
Jiang Zhen seemed a bit confused by her gratitude. “Why are you thanking me? We are sisters. Whatever you choose for me is surely the best.”
She seemed to say something else afterward, but Jiang Yin did not pay attention. Her mind only echoed with the phrase “We are sisters,” repeating like an endless, indelible loop of subtitles around her ears.
During this moment of distraction, Jiang Zhen’s phone suddenly rang.
“Hello, Sister Song? What is it? Next Wednesday? Why did you not tell me before? What? You said you had Sister Yinyin tell me? No, she did not.”
Listening to the conversation between Jiang Zhen and Song Xi, Jiang Yin felt an ominous premonition.
“Do I have to go? But I have something to do on Wednesday. It is a family matter, but I do not want to cancel either. Fine, I understand. I will let my family know.”
Jiang Zhen hung up the phone gloomily and turned to meet Jiang Yin’s gaze.
In the next moment, she spoke the words Jiang Yin least wanted to hear.
“I am sorry, A-Yin. I cannot come next Wednesday.” Jiang Zhen sat back abruptly, slumping onto the bed in dejection. “I have to go to another province for a commercial event next Wednesday. Sister Song told Sister Yinyin to inform me half a month ago, but she forgot. Otherwise, I would have had time to adjust the schedule.”
Jiang Yin did not remember how she comforted her. She could only vaguely recall saying things like “It is okay,” “There will be plenty of chances for banquets,” and “Work is important.”
She returned to her room and closed the door behind her. Her mood was inexplicably irritable. She did not even want to look at the revision tasks she had not completed for the day. Now, she only wanted to lie in bed and rest.
After quickly changing out of her clothes, Jiang Yin hung the formal dress neatly in the wardrobe. After ensuring there were no wrinkles, she prepared to close the wardrobe door.
The moment her hand touched the door, a ridiculous thought occurred to her. She did not want to go to the banquet next week either.
But that was impossible. Jiang Ling had said that their father, Jiang Yunian, had already sent out the invitations. If she were to bail at this time, it would cause the Jiang family to lose face completely.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yin slammed the wardrobe door shut.
Her personality had always been calm, a temperament developed since childhood. After all, as a child, she could remain composed enough to climb out a window and call the police while Li Weilong was at the door with a kitchen knife demanding money. This current situation, compared to back then, should not have caused her emotions to fluctuate so much.
Yet, she was simply frustrated.
Jiang Yin walked into the bathroom, attempting to use a shower to calm herself down. Amidst the warm spray of water, her mood gradually leveled out. However, the two sentences she could not shake from her mind continued to torment her nerves.
“We are sisters” and “I am sorry, A-Yin, I cannot come next Wednesday.” They were like a tightening spell. Every time those two sentences rang in her head, Jiang Yin felt her headache intensify.
She quickly finished her shower and dried her hair, preparing for bed. When she turned on her phone, Jiang Yin discovered there was a missed call. The call was from Li Xiuning.