Translator: 549690339
Butler Ling truly feared another incident like yesterdayâs would occur and hurried over to counsel Xu Chaomu.
âMiss Xu, why donât you have a chat with Miss Bai? Miss Bai wonât do anything to you.â
Butler Ling really was patient and earnest, tugging Xu Chaomu along like a kind elder.
But Xu Chaomu felt uncomfortable, biting her lip tightly, she looked up at Bai
Man.
In the realms of presence and aura, she had lost to Bai Man. She had no confidence, not even a bit. Bai Manâs words pierced her heart like a thorn, and she instantly lost all self-assurance.
âI just want to say a few words to you, if you are willing to listen, then come over,â said Bai Man, glancing at Xu Chaomu and stepping out of the living room in her high heels.
Butler Ling tugged at Xu Chaomuâs sleeve: âGo on, Miss Bai isnât as fierce as you think.â
Xu Chaomu still followed, walking into the Shen Familyâs grand garden alongside Bai Man.
Bai Man treaded across the lush green grass, ascending the gardenâs heights along the steps.
The pavilion was quite windy, seated atop it, the breeze swept in from all directions.
Today, Bai Man had donned a sky-blue gown, the hem fluttering about, perfectly blending with the deep blue sky above. Her long hair too danced in the wind, looking like a beauty who had stepped out of a painting.
No wonder everyone said that Bai Man was the most beautiful woman in C City.
Xu Chaomu glanced at herself, having tied her hair in a ponytail, donned in a plain white loose-fitting tee with an immature-looking chubby rabbit printed on it, paired with a pair of jeans â regular high-school student attire.
Xu Chaomu sat across from Bai Man: âSay what you need to say.â
âI think I donât need to beat around the bush with you, youâre not stupid, you can understand,â Bai Man looked at her.
Xu Chaomu frowned, staying silent.
âWhen everyone treated me as Shen Chiâs fiancée, only you never did. I know it all,â said Bai Man, her tone listless, âbut this is the truth, even if you donât acknowledge it in your heart, you should understand.â
âSo what?â Xu Chaomu was calm.
âShen Chi stood up for you and treated you very well; I wonât deny it, nor am I jealous. Because, similarly, Shen Chi treats me well too. But these âtreatmentsâ are different. Towards you, itâs the care a brother should have. But towards me, itâs the affection for a wife.â
Bai Man paused, before continuing, âEven if Shen Chi doesnât say it, you should know. Donât mistake Shen Chiâs kindness towards you as something else, he is never going to like you.â
Xu Chaomu didnât speak, so Bai Man went on.
âTherefore, you shouldnât harbor any inappropriate thoughts towards Shen Chi. Though he stood up for you yesterday, he apologized to me later that night. He said that you are young and asked me to go easy on you. I think he was right, I will go easy on you, but you should at least give me the basic respect I deserve.â
âHe really said that?â Xu Chaomu lifted her sparkling eyes to Bai Man, her gaze dimming.
âYes,â Bai Man asserted firmly, âhe said a lot to me last night. If you donât believe me, I can play the recording for you.â
Bai Man turned on her phone; she had secretly recorded her conversation with Shen Chi the day before.
At first, the recording was filled with noise, interspersed with intermittent piano sounds. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Xu Chaomu didnât know where it was recorded, but it didnât take long for the recording to quiet down.
Then, she heard their dialogue. âShen Chi, youâre here.â
âMm.â
âOrder some things you like to eat.â
âHow did todayâs play go?â
âIt went smoothly, no major issues. If nothing unexpected happens, we will soon be done filming, and weâre planning to hold a press conference.â
Xu Chaomu listened, and halfway through the recording, she heard Bai Man ask, âWhy⦠did you bring it with you?â
Xu Chaomu didnât know what it was, but Bai Man, stroking the sapphire necklace around her neck, said, âThis necklace, he specially delivered it to me last night.â
In the recording, Shen Chi said, âThe one I gave you, you donât want it anymore?â
Xu Chaomuâs long eyelashes dropped, and just then, Bai Man pressed the stop button.
âWant to listen further? Afterward, Shen Chi personally put the necklace on me; you can ask Shen Chi about all this yourself,â Bai Man looked at Xu Chaomu with an amused gaze, âI tell you this, not to boast or anything, but I think you should clear things up in your mind, and stop being hopelessly one-sided. Itâs not good for you, and itâs not good for Shen Chi either.â
âI donât know why you like Shen Chi, maybe itâs just a simple crush, or perhaps⦠youâre after the Shen familyâs background. Yes, such an excellent opportunity â who wouldnât want to stay in the Shen family, marry Shen Chi. If you do, youâll never live a poor and lowly life again, even without effort, youâll be assured a life of prosperity. He is your only lifesaver; you want to hold on to him tight, right?â
âYes, if I could marry him, I wouldnât have any worries, so I like him. No, so I cling to him, stick to him. As long as I can marry him, what do I need my dignity for!â Xu Chaomu became emotional.
She couldnât be bothered to explain. What was there to explain anyway?
Probably not just Bai Man, but everyone in the Shen family thought the same.
Even she herself thought that Shen Chi and Bai Man were well-suited, one handsome and dashing, the other alluring and charming. The Shen Family and the Bai Family were allied by long-standing connections, both prominent and reputable clans.
Their match seemed ordained by heaven itself.
She no longer had the courage to love Shen Chiâ¦
âI donât care what you think, but thereâs one more thing I want to tell you,â Bai Man said, âShen Chi will definitely marry me.â
Confidence was written all over Bai Manâs face, with a provocative look in her eyes. She emphasized the word âdefinitelyâ with great certainty. Xu Chaomu looked up at her face, finding no hesitancy there.
âWhy?â Xu Chaomu blinked, but still asked.
Bai Man curved her red lips, giving a slight smile: âWhy? Because he loves me, thatâs why.â
âOh,â Xu Chaomu said indifferently, âI only see him as a brother.â
The day before, Shen Chi had warned her, âFrom now on, whether in public or private, always remember, I am your fourth brother. Youâd best treat me as if I were your real brother! Donât go doing something overboard again!â
She had deeply etched it in her heart!
âYouâd best mean what you say,â Bai Man said lazily, âThat would be better for everyone.â
âIâm off to climb a mountain.â
Xu Chaomu stood up, no longer wanting to continue the conversation with Bai Man.
Bai Man did not stop her, perhaps because she had said everything she wanted to.
When Xu Chaomu reached the last step of the pavilion, she paused. Without turning back, she said lightly, âMiss Bai, you lack confidence in yourself. In fact, I really envy you.â
After that, Xu Chaomu walked away, not looking back.
She was speaking honestly; she did envy Bai Man. Envious of her family background, her beauty, the complete family she had, loving parents, and many, many friends.
Everything she envied, she did not possess..