episode_0051

The banquet leaned toward a Western-style affair, with dishes laid out on tables for guests to serve themselves.

This was Su Qingya’s first time attending such a high-profile event, and she couldn’t help but feel stiff and uneasy.

Clothes make the man, as saddles make the horse.

There was no denying Su Qingya’s beauty.

As the true heiress, her natural grace needed only a touch of skillful makeup to make her breathtakingly stunning.

Yet, without the right dress to complement her, every other guest at the banquet seemed to outshine her.

Yes.

Something felt off.

In the classic tale of the true and false heiresses,

it should have been the fake heiress, Xu Nian, scheming to steal the spotlight or humiliate the true heiress at the banquet,

only to be inevitably outshone and defeated by the latter.

If she tried to steal attention, the true heiress would shine even brighter, becoming the most dazzling presence at the event and capturing the male lead’s heart.

No matter how much Xu Nian preened like a peacock, she would only serve as a stepping stone for the true heiress.

Or, if she tried to embarrass the true heiress, the tables would turn, and she would end up the laughingstock—much to everyone’s satisfaction.

But reality was not so predictable.

As it stood, every other young lady in attendance seemed to outshine both the true and false heiresses.

Su Qingya herself remained oblivious.

Her only fear stemmed from being in an unfamiliar environment, a natural reaction to her first high-society banquet.

Beyond that, she felt nothing else.

She didn’t regret her understated attire—in fact, she was deeply relieved.

“Nian Nian, look at them—all dressed so flamboyantly, so revealing. We must never follow their example.”

She even had the nerve to lecture Xu Nian about it!

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

Women in gowns, men in suits—

this was the standard, non-negotiable dress code.

Xu Nian disliked such occasions, but as the host family’s daughter, she couldn’t hide in a corner.

Both she and Su Qingya had to stand in full view, enduring the scrutiny of the crowd.

Earlier, Xu Nian’s mother had given Su Qingya a prepared speech, explaining that if she felt confident, she could speak freely, but if not, she could simply read from the script.

It was only natural to make allowances for a first-timer.

Su Qingya had glanced at the script and memorized it in moments.

First, Xu Qingshan took the stage to deliver the opening remarks, then introduced the guest of honor.

“…We are honored by your presence tonight. Now, please welcome my long-lost daughter, Xu Qingya, to the stage to introduce herself.”

The homecoming banquet wasn’t just to celebrate Su Qingya’s return—it was also an opportunity to formally introduce her to high society, allowing Xu Qingshan to gradually share his connections with her.

In other words, if Su Qingya made a good impression tonight, her future path would be smooth and paved with success.

Su Qingya didn’t protest when Xu Qingshan called her “Xu Qingya.”

Given the circumstances, it was only appropriate.

When her turn came, she stepped onto the stage and delivered her speech.

Her attire raised eyebrows.

No one would openly mock her for it—basic decorum forbade that—but it undoubtedly lowered their estimation of her, however slightly.

Su Qingya paid no mind. She didn’t care. She only gave the speech because it was expected—otherwise, she’d have much preferred to stay by Xu Nian’s side.

She spoke quickly, rushing through the script as if eager to finish and step down.

But as the guest of honor, being swarmed by well-wishers was inevitable.

Sure enough, despite her unconventional outfit, many guests approached to engage her in conversation.

Xu Nian swirled her wine glass.

It held only a small amount of red wine.

She wasn’t in the habit of drinking—she held the glass simply for something to do.

Xu Nian couldn’t intervene.

This was Su Qingya’s moment.

The more connections she made tonight, the more opportunities would open for her in the future.

But Su Qingya was terrified of socializing.

She had always been weak in this area.

As her girlfriend, Xu Nian naturally wanted to protect her.

But she had no intention of helping Su Qingya overcome this flaw.

Because only like this—only if Su Qingya remained dependent on her in this regard—

could Xu Nian feel secure.

Su Qingya had to be ice to everyone else, reserving all her warmth for Xu Nian alone.

Before the crowd could close in, Xu Nian stepped in front of Su Qingya.

“My apologies, everyone, but Qingya hasn’t been feeling well. She may not be able to chat for long.”

At first, the guests assumed Xu Nian was trying to steal the spotlight.

But one glance at her outfit dismissed that notion.

Xu Nian was no stranger to high-society events—she knew the rules.

Yet she had chosen to wear casual clothes nearly identical to Su Qingya’s.

That alone spoke volumes about her devotion.

“Forgive us, everyone. My sister is still new to this family and a bit overwhelmed, so please go easy on her.”

Xu Nian’s lighthearted tone eased the tension, and the guests smiled in response.

They asked Su Qingya a few polite questions, received the expected answers, and then dispersed without further incident.

Just then, a finely dressed young woman in the crowd turned her gaze toward the pair.

She studied them—their relationship, their faces—then seemed to ponder something.

Swirling her wine glass, the girl finally approached—only to “accidentally” drop it, spilling its contents across the floor.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—I hope I didn’t stain your dresses!”

The wine hadn’t touched either of them, but the move was far too deliberate to be an accident.

“What’s your problem?”

Before Su Qingya could react, Xu Nian stepped forward.

She had no patience for troublemakers.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen—sob…”

Tears welled in the girl’s eyes, her quiet cries carrying across the room.

The sound grated on Xu Nian’s nerves.

“Nian Nian, maybe we should just let it go.”

“No. We can’t.”

Xu Nian’s anger flared.

A nameless fury burned inside her, and even as the crowd’s eyes turned toward them, she made no effort to calm down.

“Sob… Please, forgive me. I’ll do anything to make it right.”

The girl knelt, using her own skirt to wipe the spilled wine from the carpet.

Watching her, hearing her cries, Xu Nian felt something dark stir within her.

She wanted—no, she needed—to destroy this person.

She raised her foot, ready to stomp on the girl’s head and humiliate her utterly.

Su Qingya suddenly noticed the twisted look on Xu Nian’s face. She quickly grabbed her and pulled her back.

At that moment, she caught a whiff of something strange in the air.