The maid took it to mend as instructed, and within a few days, it was fixed and returned to her.
Just then, Liu Meizhi called: "Su Xingyu, you little brat! Where have you disappeared to again?! Haven't you embarrassed us enough at your sister's coming-of-age ceremony?! Get back here immediately and return the dress and necklace I lent you!"
The last sentence was the key point.
Su Xingyu couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so she simply said, "I'll be back tomorrow."
It's not that she was resigning herself to adversity. Actually, returning home to give back the dress was just incidental. Her real intention was to move her personal belongings to this place. Since she would be living in this villa from now on, there was no longer any reason to be attached to the Su Family.
She got up and headed downstairs, intending to tell the maid that she would be going out the next day.
As she reached the second-floor stairway landing, she saw a man entering through the front door.
The man was tall and well-built, taking off his suit jacket as he walked and handing it to the maid. His steps were brisk, like a gust of wind. As he approached the first-floor stairway, he looked up and saw her.
Su Xingyu felt a bit awkward, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
She hadn't seen him for days, almost forgetting that there was another person living here—the real owner. Should she greet him? Smile? Or glare at him? She couldn't bring herself to flatter him, nor did she want to risk offending him with inappropriate behavior. This man was not someone to be trifled with.
However, Lu Shifeng continued up the stairs after a slight pause, stopping beside her: "Are you getting used to living here?"
She was startled: "It's... um, okay."
He nodded slightly, appearing very busy, and was about to brush past her.
Su Xingyu was exasperated; this man's attitude towards his wife was truly bizarre. Maybe this was what ancient books meant by "treating each other with courtesy". She suspected he married her just to have her as a decoration, like the countless ceramic vases and sculptures scattered around the villa, purely ornamental, without any need for deep interaction.
On a whim, she called out to him: "Hey."
"My name is not 'Hey'," he frowned, finally showing some reaction.
"Alright, Lu Shifeng," Su Xingyu steadied herself, feeling it was necessary to inform him, "Tomorrow I plan to go back to the Su Family to fetch some things."
He seemed to frown again and said: "If you lack anything, just tell someone to buy it. What good things could you possibly have at the Su Family?" Naturally, he would take care of his own woman. He was well aware of her situation in the Su Family. What was the point of bringing over the rubbish from before the marriage?
Su Xingyu hadn't expected this reaction from him. She bit her lip and eventually said: "Some things... once you're used to them, you can't do without them." She glanced at him cautiously and added, "Some of my mother's belongings are there."
Upon hearing that she was going to retrieve mementos, Lu Shifeng's expression finally softened somewhat: "I'll have the driver take you."
She said, "No need, I can go alone..."
Before she could finish, she noticed his expression turning cold again, and she wisely chose to keep quiet.
Watching his figure as he walked further away, disappearing into the study at the end of the hallway, Su Xingyu exhaled, realizing her back had turned a bit cold. She wasn't sure where she found the courage to initiate a conversation with Lu Shifeng just now. It was terrifying, like fighting a battle. Next time, she'd rather die than speak to him first.
The next day, she packed the repaired dress in a bag and went to the Su Family.
The Su Family was located in an ordinary villa district, surrounded by small-time nouveau riche neighbors, nowhere near the level of Lu Shifeng's place. Su Xingyu expertly guided the driver through the twists and turns of the neighborhood, attracting the attention of pedestrians with the top-of-the-line Bentley, causing a minor commotion.
The car stopped in front of the Su Family's house, and the driver opened the door for her.
She got out and instructed the driver: "Wait for me here. I'll pack up my things and leave right away."
The driver asked: "Young Madam, do you need me to help you move anything?"
Su Xingyu shook her head: "No need." She didn't have much to take, one person was enough.
Upon entering the Su Family, she discovered a small gathering in the living room. Her stepmother, Liu Meizhi, was sitting elegantly on a lavish sofa chair, sipping tea with her pinky raised. Beside her was Su Xingqi, and not far away was Qin Mu. Additionally, there were four or five affluent ladies, all dressed in glitzy jewels and finery.
Seeing Su Xingyu enter, everyone's eyes turned to her.
"What are you doing here?" Liu Meizhi, in the middle of an animated conversation, suddenly appeared displeased and asked.
Su Xingyu's voice was indifferent: "I mentioned yesterday that I would come to return your things. Did you forget?"
Liu Meizhi then remembered, but quickly thought of a more pressing issue—right now, in front of so many wealthy ladies, if Su Xingyu were to return the dress, wouldn't that mean everyone would know that the eldest daughter of the Su Family needed to borrow a dress to wear? Wouldn't that confirm her stepmother's stinginess with her?
Looking at the young girl in front of her, Liu Meizhi's expression changed several times, and she was at a loss for words.
In a critical moment, it was Su Xingqi who reacted promptly, cheerfully standing up and approaching Su Xingyu: "Sis, you're finally back. Where have you been these past few days? Do you know how worried we were? You must be tired. Let me help you inside to rest."
As she spoke, her well-manicured hand reached out to hold Su Xingyu's arm.
Su Xingyu waved her away and took the dress from the handbag, placing it on the table. She looked at Liu Meizhi and said: "Mrs. Liu, this is the dress you lent me for Su Xingqi's coming-of-age ceremony. I ruined it, had it mended, and returned it, though it's not exactly in its original state. But over the years, you've wronged me so many times. This small matter isn't even enough to count as interest, so don't mind it."
Generally speaking, Su Xingyu wasn't one to be sharp-tongued. In the past, even if she and Liu Meizhi didn't get along, she mostly kept silent out of consideration for her younger sister Su Xingqi, not wanting to make things awkward for her. But now, with Su Xingqi's true colors revealed—she had shamelessly snatched away her fiancé and falsely accused her of making money by selling her body—there was no need to hold back anymore.
Liu Meizhi didn't expect her to retort publicly, angered to the point of explosion: "You! You little brat..."
"Mom!" It was Su Xingqi again, quickly intervening to stop her mother's outburst. She thought bitterly, her mother may have risen from the ranks of fruit-sellers, but even after so many years as the wife of a wealthy man, she couldn't change her nature. She would reveal her shrewish demeanor at the slightest provocation. Liu Meizhi might not care about her image, but Su Xingqi did. As a popular model and future bride of the Qin Family, she had to take good care of her reputation to avoid being ridiculed for not having the right background!
There was one thing that had always irked Su Xingqi—Su Xingyu's mother, despite her downfall, was still a genuine daughter of an illustrious family. And as for her own mother, she was just a nouveau riche crawling out of the marketplace!
She hid her jealous hatred and adopted the demeanor of a proper young lady, casually taking the dress: "Huh? Strange, wasn't this dress bought by you, sister? Why do you say Mom lent it to you?"