Zhang Su was reminded of the unpleasant memories from the welcome banquet as well, so she said, “Yes. From now on, every year on your birthday, I’ll personally design an evening gown for you. Of course, that’s assuming you won’t get tired of it.”
Jiang Youli smiled happily. “I won’t! Of course I won’t, Mom! From now on, I want to wear an evening gown designed by you every year on my birthday!”
Watching this heartwarming scene unfold, Jiang Xing and Jiang Zhao felt an overwhelming ache in their hearts.
The two brothers exchanged a glance and sighed silently to themselves.
Thinking back on all the things their family had done to their little sister, Jiang Youli, and comparing that with the way their uncle and aunt treated Xiao Li, they now felt both pathetic and laughable.
Asking their sister to forgive them?
What an impossibly distant wish.
When they returned to the villa in the eastern district, Jiang Youli didn’t even turn her head as she said coldly, “You two don’t need to come inside. Just wait here.”
Jiang Xing froze and looked toward his uncle and aunt. “Uncle, Aunt, I…”
He had actually wanted to go inside and talk with his sister, Jiang Youli, and their uncle and aunt—to express his apology.
Jiang Yehan saw through Jiang Xing’s thoughts and cut him off. “Haven’t you two brothers already stopped coming around these past few years? Youli is right. Don’t go inside. Just wait here.”
Jiang Xing lowered his head in shame. “…All right.”
The night was quiet. Only the occasional chirping of insects broke the stillness.
About five minutes later, Jiang Youli slowly walked out of the courtyard.
Clutched tightly in her hand was a small porcelain bottle. Under the moonlight, it gave off a faint glow.
Once she came to a stop, Jiang Youli tossed the little bottle at Jiang Xing without hesitation.
The bottle traced an arc through the air, like a shooting star across the night sky, flying straight toward him.
Jiang Xing quickly reached out and caught it securely. He didn’t open the cap right away. Instead, he held the little bottle tightly, as though it were an incredibly precious treasure.
Seeing that Jiang Xing had caught it, Jiang Youli turned around and started back. She had no intention of saying another word. But after only two steps, she heard two voices calling out behind her.
“Xiao Li…”
“Xiao Li!”
One voice belonged to Jiang Xing, while the other came from Jiang Zhao.
Jiang Youli stopped. Slowly turning around, she stared at the two brothers expressionlessly and asked coldly, “What is it?”
Jiang Zhao spoke first, a trace of expectation in his voice. “Your birthday is coming up. Is there anything you want as a gift?”
Jiang Xing quickly added, “Xiao Li, whatever gift you want, we’ll do our best to get it for you.”
Jiang Youli listened to them without the slightest change in her expression. After a moment, she said flatly, “What makes you think I’d invite you to celebrate my birthday with me?”
Her voice was as calm as stagnant water, devoid of any emotion.
Then she drew a deep breath and continued, “After all, I was switched at birth. It wasn’t until twenty years later that I was brought back to this family. But I wasn’t the daughter or sister this family had been hoping for. What right do you think you have to celebrate my birthday for me?”
With that, Jiang Youli stopped paying attention to Jiang Xing and Jiang Zhao and turned decisively back into the courtyard.
As she left, the courtyard gate slowly closed, shutting Jiang Xing and Jiang Zhao outside.
When Jiang Youli returned to the living room, she saw her beautiful mother and handsome father sitting on the sofa, looking toward her.
“Youli, come here. Take a look at the evening gown I designed for you.”
Warmth surged through Jiang Youli’s heart at the sight of this scene. She hurried over with light, cheerful steps.
“All right, Mom~”
This was her real home!
…
“Jiang Zhao, what are you planning to do from now on?”
Outside the gate of the villa in the eastern district, Jiang Xing and Jiang Zhao did not leave right away. They continued standing there, staring at the lights glowing from the living room.
Faintly, they could still hear the laughter and lively chatter coming from inside.
Jiang Xing opened the porcelain bottle and swallowed the pill inside.
Although it was an antidote, it was so bitter.
Jiang Zhao’s gaze was filled with determination. “I’m going to keep writing songs and become the number-one person in the music industry. Then I’ll hold the grandest concert ever and give Xiao Li the most unforgettable birthday celebration in history.”
After a pause, he turned to Jiang Xing. “What about you, Big Brother? Grandpa no longer plans to hand the company over to you. What are you going to do from now on?”
Jiang Xing lowered his eyes. “After everything that happened, I’ve realized that being healthy and staying alive is more important than anything else. I think it’s time for me to live differently. I want to go to Jianshan Village and stay there for a while—to experience what life was like for Xiao Li back then.”
Jiang Zhao looked at him in surprise. “You want to go to a village and experience rural life? Brother, Dad has always placed such high hopes on you. Do you think he’ll agree?”
Jiang Xing gave a bitter smile. “I’ve decided that I’m not going to keep obeying Dad in everything.”
“It was because I listened to Father in the first place that I grew more and more distant from Uncle and Aunt. And now, tonight, I don’t even have the right to enter the villa in the eastern district.”
Back then, because he knew that his uncle and aunt had no children and was afraid they would be lonely, he had even told them that he would come often to keep them company.
As he grew older, he had forgotten those original intentions.
It was all because Father was always telling him that he would inherit most of the Jiang family’s wealth in the future and couldn’t become too emotionally attached to his uncle and aunt. Even if they didn’t have children now, they would still be people he had to divide the family fortune with someday.
But what about now?
Not only had he lost his inheritance, he had also lost his relationship with his uncle and aunt.
Jiang Zhao had no way to refute him.
“Jiang Zhao, don’t tell Mom and Dad that I’m leaving the capital to live in Jianshan Village.” Jiang Xing looked at him earnestly as he made the request.
Jiang Zhao was silent for a moment before finally nodding. “All right.”
…
After discussing the details of the evening gown with her beautiful mother, Jiang Youli returned to her room. When she came out after taking a shower, she saw a message Qi Huan had sent ten minutes earlier.
[I’m planning to go to the sanatorium tomorrow and ask Qi Tianxiang about my younger brother’s whereabouts.]
Clearly, the chances of finding someone through such a blind search were extremely slim.
After feeding Xiao Lü and the others, Jiang Youli climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself.
She picked up the phone beside her pillow, opened her chat with Qi Huan, and started a video call.
The call was answered almost instantly. Seeing Qi Huan appear on the screen, Jiang Youli’s lips curved into a faint smile. Teasing him, she said, “Huanhuan, were you sitting there waiting for me to reply with your phone in your hands?”
Qi Huan still had the kind of handsome face that made it impossible to look away.
His hair was slightly tousled, which only made him look more carefree.
His thin lips curved into a faint smile as he replied softly, “Yes. I’ve been holding my phone and waiting for fifteen minutes. I was afraid I’d miss your message.”
Jiang Youli leaned against the headboard and adjusted her position to get more comfortable. Hearing this, she returned to the matter at hand. “I’ll treat you tomorrow at noon, and then I’ll go to the sanatorium with you.”
Qi Huan smiled. “All right. Actually, that was exactly what I had in mind.”
At these words, a hint of indescribable bitterness surfaced in his dark eyes.
“Little Li’er, I still can’t bring myself to torture and interrogate my father, Qi Tianxiang. But we can’t delay finding my younger brother any longer.”
