Chuan Jin frowned, “So you’re driving me away? Just to vent your resentment, you even had Wang Yujiang target me?”
Xia Helu’s eyes momentarily wavered when she recalled how Chuan Jin had nearly been killed by Hu San. But remembering the stolen card and the lost leading female role in “Ru Hua,” she straightened her back again.
“You personally promised that day you would leave and never disturb our family again. Yet you went and spilled everything to Mom and Dad afterward. Weren’t all your words just lies? Your acting skills surpass even mine as a professional actress. You must have planned all along to expose everything, right? Calling Mom, Dad, Big Sister, and Little Brother to the police station – wasn’t that just to humiliate me further?”
Growing more self-righteous as she spoke, Xia Helu said bitterly, “Besides, shouldn’t you leave? Do you know how much I wish you would immediately get out of the Xu Family every time I see Dad and Big Sister defending you?”
“You only see how well Dad and Big Sister treat me. What about Mom and Xu Longchuan? Do they treat me well too?”
Xia Helu snorted triumphantly, “Exactly. The happiest moments for me during this month in the Xu Family were seeing Xu Longchuan argue with you, and when you were ungrateful enough to oppose Mom. Mom and Dad may favor sons over daughters, but they’ve been plenty good to you. What good does opposing Xu Longchuan do you? Hmph, living the high life for too long has made you forget what real hardship tastes like.”
After hearing these words, Chuan Jin didn’t know what mindset to use to communicate with Xia Helu anymore.
Since she could already tell the Xu Family atmosphere was strange, she’d never once thought deeply about the reasons behind it. With that kind of brain, no wonder she kept being led around by Wang Yujiang.
Chuan Jin looked at her and said calmly, “I’ve truly witnessed today how wide the gap in thinking can be between people. I don’t want to explain how the Xu Family has lived these past twenty-plus years, because that would mean reopening old wounds. I won’t apologize for today’s incident either. As long as Zheng Jingyuan still wants to marry Big Sister, I’ll keep opposing him. Should I apologize to you every single time? Do I have nothing better to do?”
Rolling her eyes, Chuan Jin walked around Xia Helu and headed downstairs, not wanting to waste any more breath on her.
“The Zheng Family is powerful and influential. What’s wrong with Big Sister marrying Zheng Jingyuan? What right do you have to make decisions for Big Sister?” Xia Helu said angrily.
Stopped by the grip on her arm, Chuan Jin glanced at the pale fingers on her sleeve before coldly raising her eyes. “If you’re so eager for an arranged marriage, why don’t you go? Perfect timing – Lu Zhenjun came specifically for you today. The Lu Family is even more prominent than the Zheng Family. Care to consider it, Third Sister?”
Xia Helu frowned, “Xu Chuanjin, what nonsense are you spouting? I already have a boyfriend. How could I possibly enter an arranged marriage?”
“What if Mom and Dad want you to?” Chuan Jin raised her eyebrows with a faint smile.
“What did you say?”
Xia Helu was momentarily stunned when they heard Pei Lingna’s voice from downstairs: “If you can’t find her on the first floor, check the second and third floors. Do I need to teach you everything? Mr. Lu is still waiting. Hurry up.”
“Whether arranged marriage is a good thing or not, Third Sister will find out soon enough.”
As footsteps echoed from the staircase, Chuan Jin finished speaking, freed her arm, and went downstairs, passing several searching maids.
“Second Young Miss, have you seen Third Young Miss?”
“You mean Lulu? She’s upstairs.”
“Found her, she’s here. Third Young Miss, Madam wants you to come down immediately. She says a Mr. Lu from Hong Kong wants to meet you.”
…
In the dessert area, Chuan Jin chose a quiet corner to methodically finish small cakes one by one. While eating, her eyes remained active—this spot offered a clear view of the entire banquet hall.
Xia Helu had still been maneuvered by Pei Lingna to Lu Zhenjun’s side. Worried that Wang Yujiang might see and be displeased, Xu Anguo took him to meet several business partners, thus avoiding the awkward situation.
The task of entertaining the other guests fell to Xu Mianchuan, who became so busy that she didn’t even have time to attend to the Wei siblings.
Chuan Jin knew she ought to help her sister or seize the opportunity to build her own connections, yet she inexplicably had no desire to step into the bustling, glamorous banquet hall.
Swallowing the soft cake, Chuan Jin stared blankly at the half-eaten red wine mousse in her hand.
Her conversation with Xia Helu had indeed affected her mood.
When she told Xia Helu she didn’t want to discuss those twenty-two years in the Xu Family, it wasn’t because she lacked those memories. On the contrary, almost as soon as she spoke those words, a flood of memories from the fake heiress surged into her mind.
The first four years of neglect—the fake heiress received not a shred of parental affection. Xu Anguo wanted a son; another daughter stirred no paternal tenderness in him. Shortly after giving birth to Xu Mianchuan, the Pei family’s old residence, which had been sold off years earlier, was back on the market. The then-living Xu Family patriarch promised that if the second child was a grandson, he would pay to buy back the old residence for his daughter-in-law. But fate had other plans—the second child was another granddaughter. The patriarch naturally refused to spend the money, dashing Pei Lingna’s hopes that had built since pregnancy. She developed postpartum depression and took out her frustrations on the infant second daughter. Xu Anguo, deeply believing that “those who mistreat their wives will not prosper,” rarely reprimanded Pei Lingna unless she went too far.
During those years, the fake heiress Xu Chuanjin had only her older sister, Xu Mianchuan. It wasn’t until the Xu Family discovered the original host’s birth chart that things began to change.
Pei Lingna initially refused to believe superstition, denying that her status as a wealthy matron relied on the original host. Once, unable to resist making a sharp remark, she saw Changxu’s stocks begin falling the next day. After Xu Anguo learned of this and berated her harshly, the fake heiress received a few crumbs of maternal care.
But the birth chart became another shackle for the original host.
As an affluent family, the Xus never lacked educational resources. Xu Mianchuan went from an American high school straight to Stanford, receiving elite education abroad year-round, while Xu Longchuan took multiple study tours before taking a shortcut to F University.
Yet the original host, because of that damned birth chart, was always required by Xu Anguo to remain in Shen Shi. Studying abroad was impossible; visits to her sister overseas were time-limited; even for university, she wasn’t allowed to leave Shen Shi.
Over the years, Xu Mianchuan and Xu Longchuan gradually acquired properties under their names, but the original host had only the worst-conditioned bedroom in the corner of the east wing of the Xu residence.
When Chuan Jin first transmigrated, she discovered a hidden room in the original host’s bedroom—a small exhibition hall. Two walls of display cabinets were filled with books, another with trophies and certificates, and beside the large floor-to-ceiling window stood a black grand piano.
The original host was artistically gifted, with remarkable talent in performance, public speaking, piano, and painting. Such a person should have shone on the world stage, not been trapped in the Xu Family villa, forever treated as nothing but a lucky birth chart.
Chuan Jin felt a pang of sorrow. She was merely an outsider who had transmigrated into this novel, yet she completely empathized with this fake heiress. Those memories were so heartbreaking they made her want to cry.
The bitterness in her heart couldn’t be masked by the red wine mousse. Chuan Jin set down the cake and tried to compose herself.
She had promised her sister she would happily get through today—she wouldn’t allow herself to sink into sadness. It was just a plot in a book, nothing to fuss over.
Wiping away her tears, Chuan Jin steadied her emotions when suddenly a pair of long legs appeared before her. “Is this dessert so delicious that it moved Miss Xu to tears?”
A red handkerchief was offered before her. Chuan Jin looked up at the voice and unexpectedly met Zhou Lincan’s smiling eyes.
“President Zhou?” Chuan Jin quickly stood up.
[When did he arrive? Without making a sound?]
“No need to stand on ceremony, Miss Xu. Please sit.” Zhou Lincan gently pressed her back into the seat, his fingers briefly brushing her skin before immediately pulling away.
“It wouldn’t be proper for the host to sit while a guest remains standing,” Chuan Jin said with a light laugh, attempting to rise again. But Zhou Lincan had already taken the seat beside her, making it inappropriate for her to remain standing.
Awkwardly settling back into her seat, Chuan Jin defended herself: “I wasn’t crying, President Zhou. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Zhou Lincan tactfully replied, “Alright, I won’t misunderstand.”
Chuan Jin added, “The red wine mousse is just average. Who would cry over a piece of cake?”
“Mm, you’re right.”
“…”
[If you agree, then why haven’t you put your hand away yet!!]
The red handkerchief remained extended before her. With resignation, Chuan Jin accepted it and expressed her thanks: “Thank you for the handkerchief, President Zhou. I’ll return it to you at our next meeting after I’ve washed it.”
Zhou Lincan initially intended to say it wasn’t necessary, but after a moment’s thought, he smiled and said, “Alright.”
Sitting side by side in the rest area, the man’s presence was so overwhelming that Chuan Jin couldn’t help stealing glances at him.
Zhou Lincan wore a silver-gray suit with his hair simply styled, his face as handsome and sharp as ever. If not for his gentlemanly and gentle demeanor, he should have been difficult to get along with. Yet he had noticed her emotional state and proactively offered his handkerchief.
Chuan Jin intuitively felt that the real Zhou Lincan might be different from the rumors.
The surrounding silence felt increasingly peculiar. Chuan Jin initiated conversation: “When did you arrive, President Zhou?”
Zhou Lincan lowered his gaze and responded, “A while ago.”
He had been there long enough to hear quite a bit of Miss Xu’s inner monologue.
His mind-reading ability seemed particularly attuned to Xu Chuanjin’s voice, always able to clearly discern her thoughts amid noisy environments. Regarding Miss Xu’s unfortunate and helpless twenty-two years of life, Zhou Lincan had heard nearly everything.
Despite being a wealthy heiress, the educational resources she received were inferior to those of middle-class families. Despite having so many shining qualities, the Xu Family could only see some inexplicable birth chart reading. Despite having such a strong temperament—unwilling to suffer even small losses in his presence—she had actually endured years of grievances within the Xu Family.
Zhou Lincan couldn’t understand it.
“Ahem, President Zhou…”
A voice suddenly sounded by his ear. Zhou Lincan snapped back to attention to find Chuan Jin looking serious, leaning her head conspiratorially toward his shoulder.
He smiled and asked, “Hm?”