The next morning, Wen Xinya changed into a light-green peach-blossomed dress, with a jade-rose sculpted hairpin holding her hair. On her ears were a pair of jade-rose earrings. The silver earring-findings had precious yellow jades on the tips as decoration, and they extended through these rose petals hooked onto her earlobes. These were beautiful earrings with thin translucent sculpted rose petals, quivering along as she moved.
The way she dressed up made her look even more pure and elegant.
Wen Xinya greeted everyone with a warm smile on her face. "Grandpa, Grandma, Father and Aunt Ning, good morning!"
Old Mr. Wen nodded. The originally stern face had softened. "Come and sit beside Grandpa," he told Wen Xinya.
She walked over with a big smile.
The ambiance in the living room became weird. Wen Xinya had opened up, thus Ning Shuqian and her daughter did not have an edge over her the day before. They wouldn't let the matter rest. In this family, Old Madam Wen loved her son dearly, and Wen Haowen was willing to listen to Ning Shuqian.
"Sister, why do you wake up so late every morning. The entire family has to wait for you." Wen Yuya remarked with an evil smile.
Ning Shuqian glared at her, signaling her to stop. "Do not make jokes about your sister." Then she looked at Wen Xinya. "Xinya, do not mind your sister. You know that she has an outspoken character. Oh yes! Did you have a good night's sleep?" she asked in a warm tone and with a smile.
With a simple statement, she had turned Wen Yuya's original intention of a challenge into a silly joke. And with another simple sentence, she changed the topic smoothly. Wen Xinya had no reason to show displeasure towards Wen Yuya. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt Ning. After shopping for the whole day, I was so tired that I fell asleep very soon. All the way until this morning," she replied.
Ning Shuqian slowly turned towards Wen Haowen and looked at him gently with a deeper smile.
Wen Haowen glanced at Wen Xinya. She looked like a totally different person with her new outfit. She looked much more charming and elegant. But what difference would it make? Though she managed to change her outlook, it didn't mean it would also change her unrefined nature.
"You are the eldest daughter of the Wen Family. Your actions and every word you say represents the Wen Family. You have just returned to the Wen Family, thus you need to be aware that some actions are considered appropriate while others are considered inappropriate. Do not display your past gangster-behavior in the family. Otherwise, it would cause a disgrace to the Wen Family."
"Yes, Father, I understand!" Wen Xinya dropped her head, feeling wronged. It must be Ning Shuqian who had spoken badly about her to Wen Haowen last night.
Wen Haowen felt angry after detecting her feelings of being wronged. "If you understand, why did you visit those sleazy places? If the media finds out, they will make a molehill out of a mountain. You would then have caused damage to the Wen Family's reputation."
Wen Xinya was taken aback by Wen Haowen's anger. She raised her head and looked at him. There was confusion in her almond-shaped eyes, as if she did not understand what he'd said.
"Father, did I do something wrong?" she asked innocently.
Wen Haowen was even more agitated by Wen Xinya's innocent look. Just when he had decided to lecture her, Old Mr. Wen interrupted with a pa sound by pounding the table with the newspaper in his hands. "Xinya is your daughter. Can't you talk things out nicely? Do you need to create a big fuss early in the morning?" he reprimanded.
Wen Haowen gave a quick hard stare at Wen Xinya, then looked at Old Mr. Wen with displeasure. "Father, can't I even lecture her as her father? Why didn't you ask her what she has done? Now it became known to the media, that our Miss Wen is an arrogant and unrefined person."
"Xinya has just returned home for a few days, and yet there's already bad rumors about her spreading. Did you analyze this matter with your brain? It is obvious that someone has been trying to make use of this pretext to create a big fuss."
Old Mr. Wen felt disappointed in Wen Haowen. Xinya was his birth daughter, after all, his own flesh and blood. Although she had been living a wandering life outside for 15 years and there weren't many bonds between them, but he did not have any reason to detest his own daughter.
Wen Haowen begged to differ. "If she didn't have a past like that, no one would be able to bad-mouth her."
Old Mr. Wen sighed. "Regarding Xinya's past, the Wen Family owns her much. She didn't have a choice to live like that. Let's not bring this matter up anymore."
After finishing his sentence, Old Mr. Wen stood up and walked to the study room upstairs.
"Father!" Wen Haowen pursued.
"What a disaster! Since you returned to the Wen Family, we have not had a day of peace. Sigh . It was a very different situation than when Ruya was around." Old Madam Wen stared hard at Wen Xinya. She followed them immediately as she was afraid that Wen Haowen and his father would start quarreling.
Only Wen Xinya, Ning Shuqian, and Wen Yuya remained in the living room.
Wen Yuya raised her eyebrow and seemed content at what had just happened. She said, "Don't ever think you are the real Miss Wen despite having returned to the Wen Family. In this family, only Grandpa acknowledges you."
Wen Xinya clenched her fists so tightly that her fingers turned colorless. Her sharp fingernails pressed against her palms, the pain almost piercing through her heart. She took a deep breath and forced her tears back. "I'm the eldest Miss Wen. This is an undeniable truth."
Every word sounded strong and crisp. Her voice had a hidden strength that was unchallengeable. She looked cold and unshakable. Wen Yuya was stunned and didn't know how to react.
"Why are you always against me? Are you jealous of me?" Her expression turned from gentle to cold and unbothered, especially at the last few words.
Wen Yuya unconsciously shivered and slowly recovered from her daze. Wen Xinya's words were like a sharp arrow that shot right through her heart, making Wen Yuya turn pale. She responded angrily, "Don't spout nonsense! Why do I have to be jealous of you? Do you know your etiquette on the dining table? Do you know social dancing? How about red wine tasting? I know all that you don't. You are just an unrefined girl, a gangster from the streets. Don't think too highly of yourself."
Wen Xinya smiled coldly and said, "Yes, I am indeed not worthy. But the title of 'eldest Miss Wen' is well worthy."
Wen Yuya suddenly jumped up from the sofa and wanted to rebuke. "You…"
Ning Shuqian held and patted Wen Yuya's hand, trying to console her. She said, "The title of 'eldest Miss Wen' is indeed worthy. But not everyone is able to match this title."
Wen Yuya realized her mother was right. Her anger was gone. She started to gloat over Wen Xinya's misfortune with a wide smile on her face. "What is the point of arguing? There's nothing you can do. It doesn't help to put a false front. You will soon get into deep trouble."
Wen Yuya's words acted as a reminder to Wen Xinya. She felt a strong sense of danger coming to her.
"Mother Wang, please get someone to send breakfast to my backyard shortly," said Ning Shuqian while pulling Wen Yuya away.
Now, only Wen Xinya was left in the living room. She saw Mother Wang walking towards upstairs with breakfast in her hands. "Mother Wang, is this Grandpa's breakfast? Please pass it to me! I will bring it upstairs," she requested.
Mother Wang gladly passed the breakfast to Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya brought breakfast to Old Mr. Wen's study room. She was approaching the door when she heard a commotion inside