The Lin and Zhou families had entered into a marriage alliance.
The eldest Miss of the Lin family, Lin Manqing, was devoted to her career and had no interest in marriage.
The second Miss, Lin Jingyun, was constantly breaking up and getting back together with her boyfriend, making her unsuitable as well.
The Lin elders turned their attention to the third daughter, Lin Yi’an, who had been lost for eighteen years before being found a few years ago.
Looking at the lengthy list of dowry gifts, enough to guarantee her a comfortable and prosperous life for the rest of her days, Lin Yi’an agreed without much hesitation.
Seeing how obedient and sensible she was, the Lin elders, who had always felt guilty toward her, added another substantial portion to her dowry.
Lin Jingyun came downstairs with her handbag in hand and plopped down beside Lin Yi’an, who was reading. She snatched the book from her hands. “You’re buried in books every single day. Aren’t you worried you’ll end up nearsighted? Come on, let’s go shopping.”
Even with her book taken away, Lin Yi’an showed no annoyance. She poured herself a glass of warm water. Lin Jingyun knew her cousin well. Since she hadn’t refused, it meant she had accepted the invitation. So Lin Jingyun poured herself a glass as well and waited for her.
Lin Yi’an slowly finished her water before standing up. “Let’s go.”
Setting down her glass, Lin Jingyun looked her over. “You’re not changing your clothes or putting on makeup?”
Lin Yi’an glanced at her white trousers and plain white short-sleeved T-shirt. “It takes too much time.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate looking nice. She simply preferred comfortable clothes. On ordinary days, she rarely wore makeup, mostly because she was lazy. Besides, she disliked having people smear cosmetics all over her face. Formal occasions were the exception, of course.
Lin Jingyun had expected that answer. Knowing there was no point trying to persuade her, she gave up and said enviously, “Only someone with your natural looks would dare go out without makeup. If it were me, I wouldn’t step outside without putting some on.”
Lin Yi’an smiled at her. “You’re a perfectionist.”
The second sister was only twenty-five. Her skin was fair and flawless, yet she always seemed dissatisfied with herself, constantly feeling she wasn’t beautiful enough.
Lin Jingyun took out a compact mirror to check her makeup and sighed. “I always think your eyes are prettier than mine. Yours are long and narrow, with slightly upturned corners. They’re the classic phoenix eyes with subtle double eyelids, elegant, cool, and a little mysterious. Mine are too big and round. They’re expressive, sure, but they don’t have enough character…”
Lin Yi’an casually picked up her handbag, slipped her phone and tissues inside, and said, “If your eyes looked exactly like mine, then you’d probably start envying people with big, round eyes instead. Besides, no one can have four eyes. That would be even stranger…”
Lin Jingyun burst into laughter. “How can you be so serious and so funny at the same time?”
Lin Yi’an walked outside and changed into a pair of flat casual sandals. “You’re very beautiful. Your features are bright and striking, your figure is curvy, and you have a healthy glow. There’s no need to envy anyone else.”
She had never really understood why her second sister, who came from a privileged family, had graduated from a prestigious university, and was undeniably beautiful, lacked confidence so badly. Why was she constantly anxious about her appearance?
Lin Jingyun slipped on her high heels. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Lin Yi’an really didn’t understand. Since her second sister had no intention of explaining, she didn’t press the matter. Instead, she looked at the shoes on her feet. “You’re wearing high heels to go shopping?”
Lin Jingyun nodded. “Yeah. This dress only looks good with high heels.”
Knowing how stubborn she was about these things, Lin Yi’an suggested, “How about having Zhizhi drive us?”
Ye Lingzhi was the driver and assistant her family had assigned to her. She handled many of Lin Yi’an’s personal affairs.
Lin Jingyun’s eyes lit up. “I still haven’t ridden in the car Grandpa gave you for your engagement. Why don’t we take that one today?”
Lin Yi’an nodded. “Sure.”
Ye Lingzhi was in the middle of directing people as they organized Lin Yi’an’s wardrobe. As soon as she received Lin Yi’an’s call, she immediately replied, “Miss Yi’an, I’ll be right there.”
After getting into the car, Lin Jingyun leaned back against the seat and sighed contentedly. “This car really is much more comfortable to ride in.”
Although Lin Jingyun envied her cousin’s luxury car, she never asked to borrow it. Being able to ride in it was already more than enough.
Ye Lingzhi drove steadily. After arriving at the shopping mall, Lin Jingyun linked arms with Lin Yi’an as they wandered around at their leisure, while Ye Lingzhi followed behind them.
Lin Jingyun bought herself quite a few new outfits, while Lin Yi’an picked up several pieces of clothing and accessories that caught her interest.
Naturally, everything would be delivered to the house. By around noon, Lin Jingyun said, “A new restaurant just opened next door. I heard the food’s really good. Want to give it a try?”
Lin Yi’an nodded. “Sure.”
After lunch, the two walked out of Tianxi Restaurant. Lin Jingyun said, “The food here really is good. It deserves all the praise it’s been getting.”
Lin Yi’an agreed. “Let’s come again next time.”
The weather was scorching, and the two of them held up umbrellas as they headed toward the parking lot.
Zhou Mingshi walked out of the Tyson Hotel across the street. By chance, he caught sight of Lin Yi’an on the opposite side. Without slowing his pace, he continued walking straight ahead.
Beside him, Assistant Chen reminded him, “President Zhou, Miss Lin is across the street.”
Zhou Mingshi responded, “Mm.”
Seeing that he showed no reaction, Assistant Chen asked again, “Should we go over?”
Zhou Mingshi’s voice remained calm and pleasant. “I’m busy today. I won’t disturb her.”
By the time he finished speaking, Lin Yi’an had already gotten into her car across the street. Assistant Chen said nothing more, but he could not help sighing inwardly. This engaged couple, who had been engaged for less than six months, was perhaps a little too calm.
President Zhou was calm, and Miss Lin was just as calm.
After their engagement, President Zhou had been busy. As for whether Miss Lin was busy, he wasn’t sure. But as far as he knew, the two had never even sat down for a meal together. In the past two months, they hadn’t even contacted each other. They hadn’t exchanged so much as a routine phone call.
Assistant Chen couldn’t help wondering how the two of them managed to remain so composed with this kind of relationship.
Neither of them seemed the least bit concerned about cultivating their feelings for each other. With the wedding only eight months away, would they really be able to get used to one another?
Or perhaps, in wealthy families like theirs, two people who were practically strangers before marriage could still settle naturally into married life afterward?
Lin Yi’an never noticed Zhou Mingshi. After parting ways, she and Lin Jingyun went to a beauty salon. By the time they left and returned home, the rest of the family had already arrived.
“Second Sister, Third Sister, where did you two go? Why didn’t you take me with you?”
Wang Xiujun’s voice reached their ears. Lin Jingyun rolled her eyes, while Lin Yi’an showed no reaction and walked straight into the living room.
Lin Yi’an glanced around at everyone in the living room. After greeting them, she took a seat beside her eldest sister, Lin Manqing.
The Lin family’s grandparents were advanced in years and lived year-round at the family’s vacation villa, where the mild climate was better suited to the elderly. This was the Lin family’s old residence. The second branch of the Lin family, Lin Jingyun’s parents, lived overseas, so she and her older brother, Lin Fan, stayed at the old residence with their eldest uncle’s family.
Seeing her younger sister return, the usually expressionless Lin Manqing softened her features. “You went shopping with Jingyun?”
Lin Yi’an smiled. “There wasn’t much to do at home anyway, so we went out for a walk.”
Wang Xiujun pursed her lips and complained, “Second Sister, Third Sister, I asked you two a question just now. Why did you ignore me? Why didn’t you ask me to come along when you went shopping? I wanted to buy some clothes too.”
Lin Jingyun replied, “Are you a little kid? Do you really need someone to take you shopping?”
Lin Yi’an agreed. “Why did we have to bring you? Couldn’t you have gone by yourself?”
Wang Xiujun looked aggrieved. “Aren’t we cousins?”