Aunt Yun recalled, "Staff from the international shopping mall delivered some clothes this afternoon, saying they were for Miss Su Rong. I had them placed in the eldest miss's room."
Old Madam Su said, "Those must have been bought by your mother. Are the sizes right?"
"They fit quite well," Su Rong felt a tightness in her chest. Since Bai Fei and Su Xuer had conspired to put her in prison, she found it impossible to feel grateful toward them.
Aunt Yun clarified, "I asked them, and they said it was the young master who bought them."
So, it was Su Heng.
Ever since she returned, Su Heng had looked at her with disdain, his words cold and sharp. She hadn't expected him to buy her so many clothes, and in the correct sizes, no less!
Su Rong couldn't quite put a name to the feeling.
Old Madam Su said, "Aheng has always been fond of Rongrong since they were children; he was very thoughtful. It's getting late, Rongrong. Get some rest early; you need to be in good condition for Yugong tomorrow."
"Yes, Grandma. You should get some rest too." Su Rong returned to her room.
When she got up in the morning, she reached for the clothes she had bought herself the day before, having agreed with Liu Xu to wear matching outfits to Yugong.
Sitting before the mirror, she applied a delicate layer of makeup. Her skin had once been fair, delicate, and flawless without any need for cosmetics, but three years in prison had taken a toll.
Just as she was ready to head downstairs, she saw the clothes Su Heng had bought her. After a moment's thought, she took off the outfit she was wearing and put on one of Su Heng’s. She couldn't let his gesture go to waste.
Opening her bedroom door, she ran into Su Heng just as he stepped out of his own room. He gave her a thorough look; the clothes fit perfectly, and with her makeup on, she was a great beauty, though she was still a bit too thin—she needed to take better care of herself.
Recalling his coldness over the last two days, Su Rong said politely, "Thank you for buying these clothes for me."
Her tone remained distant and guarded.
Su Heng didn't like her attitude. In the past, whenever he bought her a gift, she would act pleasantly surprised, either jumping into his arms or hugging him and acting spoiled, calling out "Brother, Brother" incessantly.
Because of that, he had made sure to bring her a gift wherever he went. Even when he wasn't traveling, he would buy her little things from time to time just to make her happy.
What was this now? His hard work had only earned him a lukewarm "thank you." She kept a straight face the entire time and couldn't even bring herself to call him "Brother."
Su Heng replied irritably, "No need to thank me. I just didn't want outsiders saying the Su Family mistreats you."
The implication was that it was for the sake of the Su Family's reputation, not out of any concern for her.
Su Rong laughed at herself. "Yes, I understand."
Understood? What did she understand!
That wasn't what Su Heng was thinking at all. He wasn't doing it to protect the family's reputation; he was genuinely concerned for her, which was why he had bought her so many clothes. She couldn't feel that at all—it was like throwing his heart at a cold wall!
With a cold snort, he quickened his pace, leaving her behind.
Su Rong's heart trembled. The clothes she wore suddenly felt awkward, but since she had already put them on, she had no choice but to brace herself and wear them for the day.
After breakfast, Su Rong and Liu Xu went to Yugong. As a daughter of the Liu Family, Liu Xu was naturally a member.
Seeing Su Rong, Su Xuer looked shocked. "How did you get in here?"
Liu Xu had never liked Su Xuer. "If you can come, why can't Su Rong?"
Su Xuer played dirty behind the scenes but put on a facade of sisterly harmony in public. "I just meant that you have to pass a screening to join the Socialites Hall; you can't just walk in."
Liu Xu looked triumphant. "Su Rong is so outstanding that she doesn't need any screening. She was admitted directly."
"How is that possible?" Su Xuer had been thinking just yesterday that Su Rong couldn't possibly pass the screening. Had she been proven wrong so quickly?
Qin Yu linked arms with Su Xuer. "This isn't according to the rules. Su Rong, you didn't use some shady methods, did you?"
The sight of her made Liu Xu angry. Before Su Rong's background was revealed, Qin Yu had scrambled to curry favor with her, but the moment Su Xuer returned, she immediately turned her back to please Su Xuer instead.
"Only someone like you, a fair-weather friend, would be good at shady methods. Su Rong joined fair and square; it was specially approved by President Sheng himself."
"Sheng Qiye?" Su Xuer remembered. At the Old Madam's birthday banquet, Sheng Qiye had stood up for Su Rong, though she had assumed he was just being nosy. "Since when did you get so close to President Sheng, sister?"
Su Rong’s eyes darkened. "Is there a problem with that?"
"That’s impossible..." Su Xuer dialed Old Madam Su's number and only then learned that it was the Old Madam who had approached Sheng Qiye. "So it was Grandma's influence again."
Does Old Madam Su really have that much pull?!
Seeing more people arrive, Su Xuer introduced her enthusiastically. "This is my sister, Su Rong. She's new here, so please look after her."
Everyone offered perfunctory greetings, but as soon as they turned away, they began to whisper.
"The one who just got out of prison?"
"How could she be allowed here?"
"I suddenly feel like Yugong’s socialite club isn't so high-class anymore. If any cat or dog can come in, why should we?"
"A single rat dropping ruins the whole pot of soup. How dull."
Su Xuer's eyes reddened. The whispers weren't loud, but she heard them clearly. Not wanting to let the crowd be too merciful, she decided to kick Su Rong while she was down.
"Everyone, please don't say that. My sister is actually very talented. She has already paid the price for what happened three years ago. I believe she will turn over a new leaf; we should give her a chance to start over..."
Liu Xu wanted to snap at her, but Su Rong stopped her. Since she dared to come, she had already anticipated what she might encounter. She decided to ignore what she didn't want to hear and pulled Liu Xu to a seat.
So much for being "socialites"!
The socialite club was a place for wealthy young ladies to cultivate themselves. They could choose courses they liked and book them according to their own schedules—they didn't have to come every day, just two or three times a week. It was quite flexible, though they were evaluated regularly.
Su Rong was currently in the piano room, filled with Steinway pianos, one for each student. No wonder the club’s fees were so high.
While the others were still whispering, Professor Zhang walked in. He was an internationally renowned pianist who had won numerous awards. "We have a new student, I hear? Why don't you come up and introduce yourself to everyone?"
Su Rong walked to the stage and bowed gracefully. "Hello everyone, my name is Su Rong... I’m new here, so I hope you will..."
"Please look after me" was not going to happen. "I remember someone once said that the prejudice in people's hearts is like a mountain. I hope that one day, I can help everyone overcome that mountain."
Professor Zhang had looked into Su Rong's past and trusted Sheng Qiye's judgment. "Miss Su, I see from your resume that you have participated in piano competitions and won awards. Why don't you play a piece for everyone?"
He hoped she could use her skill to silence the crowd.