Like the first ray of moonlight rising over the horizon, silk and gauze shimmered with the softness of stars and clouds. Tiny diamonds adorned the hem of the skirt.
A dress like moonlight hung quietly at the very back of the wardrobe.
It was not a long gown, but a slightly puffed skirt. Silver rose-pattern embroidery was woven into the hem, luxurious and exquisite beyond compare.
“Wow—”
Yan Sui carefully took the dress out, as though she were pulling an entire galaxy from the closet.
So beautiful.
A dress that perfectly matched her aesthetic had mysteriously appeared in her wardrobe. It definitely had not been there yesterday.
No one in this family could possibly have given her something like this.
To be precise, she did not think any of them possessed either the wealth or the taste.
Even though Yan Sui knew little about luxury brands, she could tell that this dress was probably worth more than all of Lin Ran’s dresses combined.
She blinked, a thought crossing her mind. Running to the window, she suddenly yanked the curtains open.
For a brief instant, she felt a scorching gaze fixed upon her.
It vanished as quickly as it appeared, like an illusion.
Outside was complete darkness.
The upscale neighborhood had large distances between houses. Dense shrubs and trees filled the area below. There was no moon tonight.
Everything was silent.
She withdrew her gaze and happily narrowed her eyes in a smile. Hugging the dress, she rubbed her cheek against it, innocent and carefree, as though she found nothing strange about any of this.
“So pretty~”
She could not wait to try it on.
With her back to the window, she crossed her hands and grabbed the hem of her shirt, lifting it without warning—
Revealing a slender, fair waist.
A rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes in the distance.
The girl paused. In the end, she did not take off her shirt, instead looking out the window in confusion.
A stray cat had leaped from the bushes and darted away.
The feeling of being watched disappeared.
With her back still facing the window, the girl narrowed her eyes and curled her lips into a smile.
Slowly and deliberately, she changed her clothes.
The moment she put on the dress, she froze.
It fit as though it had been custom-made for her.
Every inch of the tailoring was perfect, as though someone had carefully and accurately measured every part of her body.
The pearl belt perfectly outlined her slender waist, while the moonlit sheen of the fabric made her skin appear smooth as jade.
Satisfied, she twirled once in front of the mirror.
Then she shook her schoolbag.
A long, slender object slipped out and instantly disappeared.
It was time to go out.
The bedroom door opened, and the crisp sound of small high heels echoed through the house.
The living room fell silent for a moment.
Countless gazes landed on her once again.
But this time, they were completely different from before.
She had an exceptionally beautiful face, delicate like a doll’s. A touch of lipstick made her more eye-catching than women wearing heavy makeup.
Her chin was slightly raised, the corners of her lips curved upward. There was not a trace of timidity left.
It seemed as though all the light in the room had gathered around her. Tiny sparkles flickered with every step she took, yet they were dim compared to her bright black eyes.
She looked like a real princess straight out of a fairy tale.
The conversations stopped.
Lin Jian looked at his daughter and, for a moment, failed to recognize that this was Yan Sui.
He Wan stared with wide eyes, dumbfounded.
Yan Sui walked down the stairs step by step and headed straight toward He Wan.
With a sweet smile, she asked,
“Auntie, are you satisfied?”
He Wan’s lips twitched. Her voice caught in her throat, and for a moment she did not know what to say.
Not far away, a group of boys whispered among themselves, unable to hide the amazement in their eyes.
“Damn, Lin Qi, that’s your sister? Since when did you have such a gorgeous sister?”
One of his classmates punched Lin Qi lightly while staring at Yan Sui’s back.
Lin Qi himself had not recovered from the shock.
In truth, he barely had any impression of Yan Sui.
He looked down on her and had never felt the need to interact with her.
When she had appeared earlier, he had not even bothered turning his head in her direction.
But now…
So this was what she looked like?
Without waiting for his answer, his classmate grinned.
“Lin Qi, I want to be your brother-in-law.”
“Get lost,” Lin Qi snapped.
“Your sister’s available, right? She’s way too pretty.”
“When are you bringing your sister out to hang with us?”
“Hey, she’s coming over. Damn, I almost feel embarrassed looking at that face.”
Yan Sui stopped in front of Lin Qi.
The boy stood up, his expression slightly awkward.
Yan Sui, however, smiled naturally.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
For some reason, Lin Qi felt a little happy.
A classmate beside him eagerly asked,
“Can I add you on WeChat?”
The girl narrowed her eyes sweetly.
“Sure~”
Lin Qi shoved his troublesome friends aside.
“Don’t pay attention to them.”
“It’s okay.”
Her smile was enough to make hearts skip a beat.
Just as Lin Qi was gradually getting along well with Yan Sui, He Wan walked over.
“Yan Sui.”
Though she was smiling, her expression clearly looked unpleasant.
Everyone paused and exchanged glances.
Before Yan Sui could speak, Lin Qi frowned.
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
He Wan felt her temples throbbing.
Pulling Lin Qi aside, she snapped,
“Why are you standing so close to her?”
Lin Qi looked baffled.
“How are we close? Are you going through menopause or something?”
Yan Sui lowered her head, unable to suppress the smile tugging at her lips.
When she looked up again, she wore an innocent expression.
“Auntie, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?”
The beautiful, fragile girl dressed in moonlight-like elegance and the red-dressed stepmother looking for trouble—it looked like a fairy tale come to life.
The moment He Wan saw Yan Sui’s pitiful expression, she wanted to tear her face apart.
But with so many people watching, she had to restrain herself.
With a cold laugh, she asked,
“Tell me. Where did that dress come from?”
Yan Sui looked confused and aggrieved.
“Auntie, weren’t all the clothes in my wardrobe arranged by you?”
“Lies!”
He Wan struggled to maintain her composure.
“You’ve been running around outside for so long. Did you pick up all sorts of bad habits? Which man gave you that dress?”
She practically convicted her on the spot.
Yan Sui’s eyes immediately reddened.
“Auntie, how can you say that about me? I know you’ve always looked down on me, but…”
Her voice choked with emotion.
She staggered backward two steps and was caught by Lin Qi, who held her shoulders.
Feeling the warmth beneath his palms, Lin Qi could not help speaking up.
“Mom! What are you talking about? How can you accuse someone like that?”
He Wan nearly fainted from anger.
She never imagined her own son would defend an outsider.
“What do you know?!”
Lin Qi rarely received such a harsh rebuke from his mother and was momentarily stunned.
With reddened eyes, Yan Sui said word by word,
“Auntie, if you don’t want me in front of you, you can just say so. There’s no need to humiliate me like this.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched a dark shadow move accurately toward He Wan’s skirt.
She had left a marker on He Wan.
It would never miss.
“You don’t have to pretend,” He Wan sneered. “I know exactly what kind of person you are.”
Yan Sui sniffled and suddenly took a step back.
Then she quickly blinked at He Wan.
He Wan froze.
Before she could understand what that look meant, something wet, cold, and slippery suddenly wrapped around her calf.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
A piercing scream rang through the room.
The elegant lady completely lost her composure.
Her face turned deathly pale as she frantically lifted her skirt and stumbled backward.
A snake!!
Everyone screamed and scattered in panic.
Yan Sui quickly retreated into the chaotic crowd, the corners of her lips lifting in satisfaction.
Guests rushed for the doors.
The security guards descended into confusion.
He Wan wailed hysterically while Lin Jian roared,
“Catch that snake!”
Now, no one cared about the dress anymore.
Covering her face as though utterly heartbroken, Yan Sui ran upstairs and returned to her room.
After closing the door, she finally could not hold it in any longer.
Throwing herself onto the bed, she burst into giggles.
Once she had laughed enough, she got up to get a glass of water.
Then her gaze suddenly froze.
Before going downstairs, she had brushed her hair.
If she remembered correctly, several strands of her long hair had been tangled in the comb she left beside the bed.
The comb was still there.
But the strands of hair were gone.