One is Gu Zixuan, and the other is He Xiaoqi.
They exchanged a glance, and Gu Zixuan looked down quickly in surprise.
The awkwardness of the scene, and He Qimo's penetrating gaze, made her feel laughably self-indulgent time and time again.
Perhaps it was the same way ten years ago when they first met, mistaking admiration for affection toward herself.
Beside her, Zhou Huimei finally couldn't hold back and laughed sarcastically, "Take you? Zixuan, have you been so absent-minded with preparing for pregnancy that you've lost your mind? What's your situation now! Instead of staying quietly at home, you're out there wandering around!"
Zhou Huimei didn't say the last part, but through her unsaid words, Gu Zixuan knew it was 'You've got to be really shameless to expect my son to take you to such an occasion.'
He Xiaoqi also sneered, "How did I forget, sis-in-law has accumulated quite a collection of clothes and jewelry over the years. Fine, I'll go to your room later."
Gu Zixuan said nothing, but all the gazes focused on her made her face heat up, and her heart tremble.
Pausing momentarily, before the silent ridicule spread further, she put down her bowl and chopsticks and stood up, "I'm full. Xiaoqi, if you want clothes or jewelry, just come up later."
With that, she turned and left to go upstairs.
Zhou Huimei watched her always cool and proud back, Dai Mei furrowed in disdain.
But He Qimo cast his gaze on her bowl of rice, from which she had eaten barely a bite, with a certain ripple.
Remembering her earlier words, his lips pressed slightly together.
In the bedroom, Gu Zixuan was sipping a cup of lemon honey water.
He Xiaoqi came up and, seeing her, didn't hold back, "Haven't you spent a lot of my brother's money on jewelry over the years? Let me take a look, tsk tsk, Chanel, Cartier, Bulgari, Chopard... have you collected them all?"
Gu Zixuan just smiled without saying anything.
Most of her money came from writing for financial magazines, and as for how she had helped He Qimo transform a nearly bankrupt small company into the leading real estate tycoon it was today, no one in the family knew besides He Qimo himself.
She wasn't interested in explaining any of this to He Xiaoqi.
If it was meant to be taken, let it be taken, as people's hearts weren't in it, what's the use of wealth?
He Xiaoqi was rummaging through Gu Zixuan's wardrobe, and after a while, she took out a black evening gown.
It was a refined ready-to-wear version of a black dress from last year's Paris Fashion Week show, with a slit in the back, pearls adorning the chest, limited edition, very exquisite.
Gu Zixuan glanced at it and said, "It doesn't suit you."
"It's none of your business whether it suits me or not."
He Xiaoqi rolled her eyes at her, flicked her short ear-length hair, and went straight to change.
Gu Zixuan sneered and, holding her water cup, turned toward the window.
When He Xiaoqi came out wearing the black evening dress, it indeed felt unsuitable.
Clearly, she was thinner than Gu Zixuan, but it seemed she wasn't thin in the right places. The chest wasn't supported well, and the waist was tight to the point of breathlessness.
She glanced over in jealousy.
But in a moment of raising her gaze, she noticed a document envelope placed on the bed.
Her eyes shifted, and He Xiaoqi nonchalantly walked to the bedside.
Sitting down, she covered the document envelope with her dress.
"Don't I look just fine in it?"
Gu Zixuan turned back, looking at He Xiaoqi's youthful face of twenty set against the solemn black, her brows knit disapprovingly.
He Xiaoqi saw it and her heart and liver hurt with anger.
But she still held back and said, "Help me pick out a pair of shoes, I don't know how to match them."
Gu Zixuan pursed her lips, her fingertips turning slightly white, and finally said nothing, placing the water cup on the windowsill beside her, she then walked into the wardrobe.
In the bedroom, He Xiaoqi stared at the elegance that could be maintained no matter how provoked, gritting her teeth in resentment.