No one knew exactly how Chu Qingyang had persuaded Father Chu that night, but the next day, though he still had that same sour look on his face, he ultimately refrained from sniping at Chu Susu and Pipi again.
Among his four children, Chu Zhen had always doted on this sensible and precocious eldest daughter the most, so he would always listen to what she said.
All these petty family squabbles were something Chu Susu had long grown numb to, and she couldn’t be bothered to argue.
Anyway, as long as her dad wasn’t throwing a tantrum, she naturally wouldn’t go looking for trouble out of boredom. It was best to just keep quiet.
And so, for the time being, a superficial calm was maintained between the two of them.
Li Yan got up early to specially simmer a big pot of trotter and flower soup for Chu Susu, saying that since she’d hurt her head, she needed to nourish herself properly.
After all, she’d been bustling around for quite a while, so even though Chu Susu didn’t particularly like this stepmother, out of politeness, she thanked her and silently downed a big bowl.
She was in the middle of drinking the soup when the doorbell rang. It turned out Fang Chen had arrived.
“Chenchen-ge.”
Fang Chen was carrying quite a few things. The moment he saw her, he raised his hand with a grin. “Brought these for you—the dress and shoes to wear to the birthday banquet.”
“Hm?” Chu Susu set down her soup spoon. “I have plenty of clothes. No need to buy extras on purpose.”
“It’s no big deal. It’s a major occasion, after all, so dressing formally is better.”
Fang Chen spread the still-wrapped dress out on the sofa and opened the shoebox. “Try them on. See if they look good.”
It was an apricot-colored long-sleeved high-neck gauze dress—elegant in design, but the style was way too conservative. From neck to ankles, it was covered up tight, as if it were determined not to show a single inch of skin.
The high heels were the same: only someone with a dignified and poised air could pull them off.
It really didn’t match Chu Susu’s usual style at all.
She glanced at it and immediately recognized the pricey brand. “You picked these?”
“Yeah. What do you think? I figured they’re pretty nice.”
As he spoke, Fang Chen pulled a new invitation out of his bag. “The one you wanted—for your friend.”
He might be conservative and stuffy, but he was easygoing and never made decisions for others without consulting them first. So Chu Susu could tell at a glance that he hadn’t chosen them.
She took it and paused for a moment. “My dad, right?”
Truth be told, Chu Susu had already suspected as much earlier. Fucheng Enterprise was in real estate, and Fang Chen’s company was just bidding—getting even one invitation was impressive enough. Where would he get the pull for so many?
After racking her brains, the only one who could pull it off was Chu Zhen. And only someone his age would have tastes like this.
Fang Chen hesitated, then nodded. “Uncle’s got a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Deep down… he still cares about you. He’s getting on in years, and sometimes he says things that come out wrong. Just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
Chu Susu said flatly, “As long as he doesn’t inexplicably blow up at me, I naturally won’t pay him any mind.”
“Do you like the clothes?”
“Like or not, doesn’t matter. I’ll go try the size.”
She really didn’t like them much, but if she refused to wear them, it’d inevitably spark another fight with Chu Zhen—and there was no point in that.
Besides, the birthday banquet counted as a work occasion. Dressing appropriately wouldn’t go wrong, and Chu Zhen was actually right about that.
She just hadn’t expected… a man who’d always treated her so poorly to actually think of picking clothes for her.
Something that would be totally normal for any other father felt strangely surprising coming from Chu Zhen.
But Chu Susu couldn’t be bothered to dwell on what was going through his head.
“Susu.”
Fang Chen called out to her silhouette as she grabbed the clothes and headed upstairs to change. “Are you still blaming Uncle… for what happened in high school?”
He saw her footsteps pause up ahead, then she turned her head slightly.
“No.”
Chu Susu’s refined profile was full of detachment. She lifted her gaze slightly, her tone as calm as still water.
“I forgot about it long ago.”
Fucheng Enterprise was loaded, so their precious eldest daughter’s birthday banquet was naturally extravagant. The guests that day filled their largest hotel under the group to the brim—absolutely packed.
If Chu Zhen could snag that many invitations, so could others. Aside from those deliberately there to bid, plenty were like Chu Susu, riding in on family or personal connections.
In the end, she wore that apricot long dress. Li Le’er and the others who came with her were dressed similarly, though not quite as thoroughly wrapped up as Chu Susu.
“You know what you look like?” Li Le’er propped her chin, sizing up Chu Susu’s outfit for the day.
To match the dress, she hadn’t even put on her usual bold red lipstick—instead, a soft bean paste shade. Her hair was pinned up behind her head, with a pair of jade earrings, giving her a gentle and refined air.
Only those who knew her well could spot the sharp glint in her eyes, restrained by the long skirt.
“Like what?” Chu Susu shot her a sideways glance.
Li Le’er told it straight: “Like a delinquent girl caught skipping class, reformed by the dean, all trussed up and obedient.”
Chu Susu smiled faintly, then suddenly reached out to pat Li Le’er’s head—before covertly pinching her ear hard and whispering, “Getting too big for your britches, huh?”
“My bad, Eldest Miss.” Li Le’er stuck out her tongue and begged for mercy. “Let go, let go, let go.”
The guests’ meals were pre-arranged, and the first-floor hall also had a dazzling array of pre-dinner desserts, with suited waiters constantly serving dishes. The atmosphere was noisy enough that no one noticed their table.
Zhou Xiaoying and Qiao Qian had just gone to the bathroom. By the time they got back, a few exquisite little cakes had been placed on the table.
“When does it start?” Qiao Qian looked around anxiously.
“Soon.” Zhou Xiaoying checked the time. “Fucheng Group’s chairman will give a speech first with the birthday girl herself, then a few executives and partner merchants will offer blessings… After that, it’s the dance.”
What they called a dance—well, everyone there knew the score. Everyone had their own agenda; it was all about networking with who you wanted to network with.
The client for Chu Susu’s previous project was among the guests—and a high-up from her project team’s liaison, no less. If she could make a connection, it’d help the project going forward and boost her chances for a promotion.
“Speaking of which, Fucheng is loaded.” Li Le’er smacked her lips in amazement. “How much do you figure this shindig costs?”
Qiao Qian shook her head. “Forgot this is their own hotel? Doesn’t cost them.”
“Still got operating costs—not cheap.” Chu Susu took a bite of cake.
Just then, the lights dimmed, and the speakers all around suddenly blared the host’s voice, announcing the chairman’s appearance. Up on the distant stage covered in red velvet, a burly middle-aged man walked up and began his speech.
The crowd quieted down, listening intently.
“Thank you all for attending my daughter’s birthday banquet.” The chairman beamed. “My daughter has prepared a special speech. Please bear with us for a moment.”
And the star of the banquet—Fucheng Group’s eldest young miss—finally appeared before everyone.
Cameras zoomed in slowly, the overhead HD screens displaying the father-daughter duo’s faces.
Fucheng’s eldest young miss wore a one-shoulder red gown, her neck long and graceful like a swan’s. Even without flashy jewelry, she exuded an innate nobility, blooming in full splendor.
Li Le’er froze for a second, then leaned close to Chu Susu and tugged her long skirt’s sleeve.
“Hey, Eldest Miss, don’t you think…” she whispered, “she looks exactly like the person in that photo?”
The sound system was blasting, making Chu Susu’s ears ring. She hadn’t paid attention to the young miss’s face and asked indifferently, “What photo?”
“The one Xia Zilu took of Han Xuan that you showed me…”
Back then, Xia Zilu had someone snap photos of Han Xuan for her, complete with digital versions. Chu Susu had only told Li Le’er, asking her to check if they’d been Photoshopped.
The mysterious woman with Han Xuan in those shots had always been an enigma.
Li Le’er ran a photography studio, so she had a sharper eye for portraits than most—and she’d spotted it right away.
Chu Susu frowned and looked up at the long wavy hair and vivid lips. She pulled out her phone, opened the email attachment, and quickly toggled between screens for comparison.
The photos mainly focused on Han Xuan; this woman was way out of focus, and the one side profile was blurry. But…
“Look at their jawline angles, and the jewelry—same brand.”
Li Le’er chattered in her ear, pointing at the screen.
“All the features match too well. It’s gotta be the same person. And don’t forget how pricey that Porsche was. Not many could afford it, but for Fucheng’s young miss? Pocket change—and it all adds up.”
After her airtight analysis, Chu Susu was mostly convinced.
But… how was Han Xuan connected to Fucheng Enterprise’s young miss?
Across the table, Zhou Xiaoying watched the two whispering, her gaze dark and inscrutable. She took a deep breath and subtly nudged Chu Susu’s foot under the table with her shoe tip.
“Susu, come out with me for a sec.” She cut into their murmurs. “I have something to tell you.”
The overhead lights crisscrossed in beams—perfect cover to slip out unnoticed.
“Wait.” Chu Susu’s thoughts were a jumble. “Let me just…”
“It’s about Han Xuan.”
As soon as the words “Han Xuan” came out, Li Le’er and Qiao Qian both cast their gazes over. Especially Qiao Qian, whose expression suddenly carried a trace of fear.
Chu Susu glanced at her, not understanding what medicine was being sold in this gourd.
She remembered previously asking Zhou Xiaoying to inquire about Han Xuan through her friends at the art academy, but after learning about Han Xuan’s special traits, she hadn’t urged Zhou Xiaoying anymore.
After all, Han Xuan’s abilities were not ordinary. Even if regular people tried to inquire, they probably wouldn’t dig up much.
But from Zhou Xiaoying’s tone, it seemed this matter was quite important, so she said, “Alright.”
—
After they left, Li Le’er, bored out of her mind, wanted to turn and chat with Qiao Qian, only to find the other’s complexion off, as if sitting on pins and needles.
“What’s up with you?” she asked. “Feeling unwell?”
Qiao Qian forced a smile and said, “Yeah, I’ve got lactose intolerance. That cake’s making me uncomfortable. I wanna hit the bathroom.”
“Then go ahead.”
Li Le’er gave her a puzzled look, thinking to herself, if you need the toilet, just go—why the hesitation?
Qiao Qian nodded. “Mm, okay.”
With that, she also left her seat.
