Xie Jinghong turned around and stretched, looking out at the beautiful scenery beyond the window, as if she had not taken Xie Cinan’s words to heart at all.
Before long, the clothes and toiletries that Lu Wenyin had ordered for her were delivered.
"Miss, these are the changes of clothes Madam prepared for you."
Three servants knocked and entered with several large bags. Although their tone was respectful, their eyes were full of disdain as they looked at Xie Jinghong.
"Just leave them there."
Xie Jinghong, indifferent to their attitude, pointed to a corner.
"Yes."
The servants did as they were told, but that did not mean they felt any respect for this "wild child" their mistress had just brought home.
"What year is it? Who still wears clothes like that?"
"I heard she came from a Taoist temple, but she looks like she crawled out of a slum."
"Do you think she has lice or mold on her? She smells musty—I hope she didn't bring anything unclean into the house."
"Oh, hush, keep it down. I’m the one who has to clean this room later."
After the servants left, they continued to whisper to each other along the hallway.
"I’m actually very clean and smell quite nice, you know," Xie Jinghong said, standing where she was and "explaining" to them with enthusiasm as she heard their words perfectly clearly.
The voices outside stopped instantly, followed by a flurry of rapid footsteps, a clattering sound, and cries of pain.
She was very particular about hygiene; she took a bath and washed her hair every day using fragrant oils and cleansers made from natural mountain herbs. Hmph, they were the ones who smelled of lice and mold.
Xie Jinghong walked over, unpacked the bags, tossed the clothes onto the bed, and examined the two bath bombs. They were cheap, mass-produced chemical products, but they would have to do. She threw them into the tub, turned on the water, undressed, and stepped in.
She had spent most of the day at the hospital; a good soak was needed to wash away the bad luck.
Lying in the tub, she lazily called her phone assistant to dial the old woman at Jiuhua Mountain.
"Old woman, I’ve arrived at the Xie family."
She kept her eyes closed, reporting the situation with a languid tone as she listened to the voice on the other end.
"Now that you have found your biological parents, just be a good daughter of the Xie family. Wealthy families value reputation above all else; remember to restrain your sharp edges, don't stir up trouble, and get along with your family."
The voice on the phone was deep and pleasant, but the tone was stern.
Xie Jinghong smiled faintly. With her snow-white arms resting on the edge of the tub, she remained calm and relaxed as she replied:
"I’m afraid that’s not really possible."
If she hadn't accidentally pinned Old Madam Xie with her needles to knock her out, who knows what kind of scene that old woman would have caused. In this household, so far, only her biological mother seemed to genuinely want her back. Her father was indecisive, and her eldest brother was brilliant but guarded against her.
After Xie Jinghong returned, Xie Chenghuan had locked herself in her room, refusing to eat or drink. Even Lu Wenyin’s coaxing had been in vain. It wasn't until the following day, when Old Madam Xie returned from the hospital, that she finally emerged, her eyes red from crying.
The Xie family eventually reached a decision: Lu Wenyin insisted on announcing Xie Jinghong as the Xie family’s biological daughter, but if they did that, the scandal of Old Madam Xie swapping the children years ago would come to light, dealing a fatal blow to the family’s reputation and stock price. Old Madam Xie insisted that Xie Jinghong not live in the house and refused to admit she had pushed Lu Wenyin, claiming it was an accident.
In the end, with the mediation of the father and son of the Xie family, both sides took a step back. They would not announce Xie Jinghong’s identity to the public for now, and they would wait for a suitable opportunity to discuss it later.
Upon hearing the news, Xie Jinghong only gave a faint smile. *How disappointing.*
However, once she uncovered the truth about the baby swap, she would make that old crone get on her knees and apologize. Regardless of what the Xie family thought, she didn't believe an old woman would swap a newborn for no reason at all.
That night, as she drifted off to sleep, she felt a sudden warmth. Opening her eyes, she saw Lu Wenyin asleep by her bedside, holding her hand tightly. Moonlight shone through the glass, illuminating a face that age had failed to leave a mark on, still streaked with fresh tears.
Xie Jinghong reached out to wipe them away. Lu Wenyin woke up with a start, looking at Xie Jinghong with sorrowful eyes.
"Did I wake you, darling?"
Xie Jinghong shook her head slightly. She had never known motherly love in the past twenty years; this fragile woman, who had done everything in her power to be kind to her over the last two days, made her feel a sense of warmth.
"I’m sorry, it’s my fault for being so powerless that I have to resort to such a stopgap measure just to keep you in this house."
Xie Jinghong looked at the woman's face, still covered in gauze, and said calmly, "You can take the bandages off tomorrow."
Hearing this, Lu Wenyin’s eyes reddened again.
"In a few days, there will be a banquet celebrating my recent success. I’ll take you along so you can get familiar with things."
Lu Wenyin was the principal cellist of the Beicheng Orchestra and had recently won a prestigious international competition. Xie Yongcong had sent out invitations early, inviting many people to celebrate her achievement.
Xie Jinghong felt indifferent about such things, but she agreed so as not to upset Lu Wenyin. Seeing her agreement, Lu Wenyin knew she was willing to stay. She immediately took a bank card from her palm and said:
"This is the money I’ve earned from performances and competitions over the years—it’s entirely my own. Take it, and if there’s anything you want or need, just buy it."
This was originally meant to be part of the dowry for Xie Chenghuan’s marriage. But now that her own daughter was right in front of her, it was only natural that she should have it. This was her personal savings.
For the past few days, Xie Chenghuan had been finding every excuse to occupy Lu Wenyin’s time, desperately asserting her position.
Soon, the day of the banquet arrived, and Xie Chenghuan did not miss the opportunity to put Xie Jinghong in her place. Wearing a custom-made, high-end evening gown, she knocked on Xie Jinghong’s door.
"You’ve probably never attended such a sophisticated banquet before. Be careful how you behave; don’t embarrass the Xie family."
Xie Jinghong looked her over. In her fancy dress and tiara, she looked like a proud peacock.
"Are you wearing all that to perform in a play, or are you just trying to show off your tail?"
Her provocation and mockery had failed, and her carefully designed outfit was now being ridiculed. Xie Chenghuan was furious.
"You ignorant country bumpkin! You couldn't pull this look off even if you tried. Let’s see how you embarrass yourself in front of everyone later!"
Rolling her eyes, Xie Chenghuan flounced off, calling out "Mommy" in a sweet, affected voice as she went to find Lu Wenyin.
On Xie Jinghong’s bed lay the dress and jewelry Lu Wenyin had carefully selected. Their tastes were surprisingly similar; even the accessories were simple and elegant. Not only that, but Lu Wenyin had also arranged for a professional makeup artist and hairstylist for her.
After changing, she walked out and saw Xie Chenghuan in the hallway, clinging affectionately to Lu Wenyin’s arm, directing servants to take their photos. Seeing Xie Jinghong appear, Lu Wenyin pulled her arm away from Xie Chenghuan and waved enthusiastically.
"Jinghong, come here! Let’s take a picture together."
Before Xie Jinghong could speak, Xie Chenghuan immediately shook her arm and whined, "Mommy, her dress color clashes with ours. The photos won’t look good. Let’s take some of just the two of us first, and then I’ll take some for her, okay? Mommy, you know I’m a great photographer. Since she’s just back, we should take some really beautiful solo shots of her."
Xie Chenghuan spoke with such feigned sweetness. She had even won a photography award in college, something Lu Wenyin had praised her for endlessly at the time.
Xie Jinghong was wearing a pale blue dress with tassels, while Xie Chenghuan and Lu Wenyin were in pink and white respectively. They were all light colors and did not clash at all. Lu Wenyin looked embarrassed; she knew Xie Chenghuan was right about her technical skill, especially her photo editing, but she didn't want to leave her biological daughter out. She forced a smile, but as she tried to pull her arm back, Xie Chenghuan held it even tighter.
"You two go ahead. I don’t like taking pictures," Xie Jinghong said coldly. She saw right through Xie Chenghuan’s petty schemes and didn't want to waste her brainpower competing over such trivial matters.
Toys were things one played with when one had the leisure and interest. When she wasn't in the mood, she would let the child play by herself for a while.
What did annoy her was that the aggressive man from two days ago still hadn't paid her consultation fee. After she finished with today’s events, she would have to settle the account with him—and charge a little interest as well.