Reborn Aristocrat: Return of the Vicious Heiress

Chapter 1 - 10

Reborn Aristocrat: Return of the Vicious Heiress - Chapter 1

Wen Xinya ran into Wen Family’s old mansion looking worried.

The old mansion was surrounded by reporters. When they saw Wen Xinya, they swarmed towards her like bees to honey. There were camera flashes all around. Wen Xinya tried hiding her face with her hands, screaming, “Stop… Stop taking pictures!”

“Miss Wen, are you the person in the video clip that went viral on the internet?”

“Miss Wen, is it true that your enemies’ retaliation has caused you to lead a wandering life not long after you were born? It was said that you started swindling and stealing at five-years-old, haunted the streets as a thug at ten-years-old, and had affairs with many different men when you were fifteen-years-old. Is it true?”

“Miss Wen, someone said your unruly behavior continued after you returned to the Wen Family, and even got addicted to drugs. How long have you been taking drugs?”

“Miss Wen, please answer our questions…”

Finally, Wen Xinya got away from the reporters, exhausted. She came into the living room of the mansion. There was her stepmother Ning Shuqian, her stepsister Wen Yuya, and Xia Ruya, who had replaced and took away everything from Wen Xinya during the 15 years of her disappearance.

Wen Xinya looked anxious. She frantically asked, “Where is Grandpa? I want to see Grandpa.”

“Your Grandpa has already made the announcement to sever all ties between the Wen Family and you. You no longer belong to the Wen Family, and he will never see you again,” said Ning Shuqian with a cold smile and evil look in her eyes.

Wen Xinya looked dejected. She unconsciously shook her head and mumbled to herself, “No… No way! Grandpa would never treat me like this. I am the eldest daughter, the only descendant of the Wen Family and the only rightful heir. He would not do this to me…”

Suddenly, she froze her stumbling body and yelled at Ning Shuqian, “Grandpa would not do this to me. You’re lying! You must be lying, slut!”

Ning Shuqian walked to Wen Xinya and stood in front of her with a look of contempt on her face. She said with a sarcastic smile, “Your video clip is still being circulated on the internet. You are a loose woman, and your actions have caused much disgrace to the family. What a cheap slut!”

“You…” Wen Xinya stared at Ning Shuqian with her eyes wide open. She felt like slapping Ning Shuqian hard on her face.

Wen Yuya stepped in between them to defend Ning Shuqian. She caught Wen Xinya by the wrist and gave her a vicious look.

“You are one poor and pitiful stupid wretch. Who are you to act snobbishly here?” Wen Yuya said coldly.

Boom! To Wen Xinya it felt like something had snapped within her.

“Keep quiet! You have no right to talk to me like that. You set me up and caused me to become what I am today.”

Not long after Wen Xinya had just returned to the Wen Family at age 15 she was coaxed to a bar, where she was then drugged and raped. There were even photographs taken of her indecent acts.

The entire Wen Family came to know about it. Grandpa was extremely disappointed in her, Grandma loathed her, Wen Haowen reproved her, and even the servants despised her.

At age 18, she was kidnapped and had a large amount of liquid drug injected into her body. This was how she got her drug addiction. She had tried almost all methods within her means to quit on drugs, but failed at every attempt as there was always someone trying to intervene. In the end, she gave up quitting as her drug addiction became stronger and started to sink into a life of utter depravity.

She was forced to give up her dreams of pursuing jewelry design.

The man she loved so dearly had also left her…

***

Scenes from the past started to appear before her. Her heart was filled with hatred, and it devoured her mind every day and night. She worked hard to give up on her drug addiction, behaving like a walking corpse and struggling with every breath to survive. Her only goal was to have her…

Revenge!

What a pity! Her plan for revenge had just started, but it was intercepted and she felt too weak to carry on.

From spiking her drink to capturing her on video with a few disgusting men and having the video published on the internet, it was meticulously planned to set her up. The objective was to turn Wen Xinya into a loose woman and destroy her reputation so that she would be condemned by everyone, including the Wen Family.

Wen Yuya smiled radiantly. She looked as if she was a beautiful carnivorous flower opening a mouth full of saw-like teeth, waiting to devour Wen Xinya anytime.

“Do you know who spiked your drink not long ago, captured you on video with a few other men and had it published on the internet, causing your reputation to go down the drain?” asked Wen Yuya.

“Who could it be?” Wen Xinya thought as she slowly closed her eyes. The voices sounded as cold as the howling of the devils from hell.

She could feel her back shivering with hatred. The three people in front of her became the greatest villains of her life, waiting for her final judgment.

How could she not be aware of their acts?

But it did not make any difference.

She was alone, without any influence or power. There was little she could do to challenge them!

“It was me!” exclaimed Xia Ruya as she walked gracefully towards them.

Her movements were very elegant, and she looked even more distinguished than usual.

Wen Xinya watched Xia Ruya as she moved trippingly like a butterfly. Her actions were classy and refined. She wore a pink dress and had a slender silhouette of her back that resembled a stalk of a beautiful pink lotus.

She had beautiful features, comparable to the delicacy of a pink lotus. As perfect and spotless as she was, her eyes seemed to reveal traces of devilish enchantment.

The dew-like pupils in her eyes reflected Wen Xinya’s embarrassment, insanity, and ugliness as she held a disdainful attitude towards her.

In contrast to her own elegance, Xia Ruya despised her uncouth behavior and felt that Wen Xinya was pitiful, unfortunate, and ridiculous…

Wen Xinya started laughing out loud. “Ha Ha Ha…” She had a scrawny face caused by years of drug abuse.

“Everyone said Xia Ruya is a pure, kind-hearted and elegant lady. I think you are just a devil covered in human skin. You are ugly, greedy, disgusting, dirty…” she said with a devilish fierce look on her face.

This was her life, filled with drama and tragedy.

Wen Xinya was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and was supposed to be the rightful heir to the family’s wealth and privilege. But with a twist of fate, she had led a wandering life for 15 years enduring the bitterness of life.

Finally, when she was found and returned home, it turned out that she became the shame of the family.

On the other hand, what about Xia Ruya?

She was an illegitimate daughter who had replaced Wen Xinya and took away all that had rightfully belonged to her—identity, status, education, and kinships.

Xia Ruya gave her a cold look and said, “You have failed to live up to our expectations. It wasn’t our fault.”

Wen Xinya gave a perfunctory smile. “Hehe…” She replied in an eerily cold voice, “For all that you have done, the objective was to cut my ties with the Wen Family as the heir so that you could inherit all of the Wen Family’s wealth. Now you have finally achieved your goal!”

She thought she was unable to accept an outcome like this. But she realized she was able to stay calmer than she would have thought. It had been 10 years and she was exhausted…

Suddenly, she started losing consciousness. That familiar feeling of utter misery returned to attack her, and it felt like her heart was being ripped apart. The pain was so intense that she started to have difficulty breathing. Her body was trembling with a total loss of dignity.

Lying on the floor with her body curled up, Wen Xinya saw flashbacks of a scene where she was brought back to the Wen Family 10 years ago. There she was standing in the majestic living room, feeling a great sense of pride and with a confident look on her face, she told herself, “Zhang Xiaolan, go for it! One day you will become a worthy descendant of a prestigious family.”

Soon afterward, she saw Xia Ruya who took everything that originally belonged to her.

Xia Ruya was honorable, she was unrefined.

Xia Ruya was elegant, she was insignificant.

Xia Ruya was pure, she was immoral.

Xia Ruya was kind-hearted, she was evil.

Xia Ruya was a princess of the Wen Family, she was the shame of the Wen Family.

There she was, frequently being compared with Xia Ruya.

She finally understood it wasn’t easy to be part of an aristocratic family. Returning to the Wen Family made her feel like she was falling into another trap. She was constantly being framed, slandered, despised…

She should have had it all: kinship, attention and being doted on. But now she had to work hard and fight for what should have belonged to her. Without any recognition for her efforts, she wasn’t accepted no matter how hard she tried. This pushed her into greater despair and hopelessness.

It had been 10 years, had her struggles finally come to an end?

Ning Shuqian appeared before her and pinched her cheek so hard that it forced Wen Xinya to look back at her. Ning Shuqian said, “It isn’t my fault. If you must, blame it on your fate that you are Mo Yunyao’s daughter. What is so good about that Mo Yunyao bitch? Why is everyone making comparisons between us? Haha… I just can’t stand it! As outstanding as she was, I will make her daughter her greatest humiliation. Her daughter’s life shall be ruined by drug-abuse, alcohol, fights, adultery, hahaha…”

“I will not forgive you for insulting my Mother!” said Wen Xinya as she pounced on Ning Shuqian. Both of them fell to the ground. She had bitten on Ning Shuqian’s ear as hard as she could, not aware of how much strength she had used. There was a bloody taste in her mouth as a loud moan of pain rang in her ears.

Still dazed, she could feel someone pulling her away with extreme strength, and then she was beaten up viciously.

Xia Ruya bent down in front of her and said gently, “Oh I almost forgot to inform you that Jingnan and I are getting married soon. We will have the most magnificent wedding ceremony. Xinya… do give me your blessing!”

“Jing… Jingnan!” Wen Xinya immediately remembered that handsome, young man who had already become Xia Ruya’s fiancé.

Using a gentle voice that was as calming as the heavenly sound of nature, Xia Ruya said, “Xinya, I am grateful to you. You know, I took over everything that used to be rightfully yours. Please be assured that I will continue to live a blessed life, and enjoy all the happiness on your behalf…”

Suddenly, Xia Ruya took a syringe and stabbed it into Wen Xinya’s arm. She said, “Please… rest in peace! Remember to bless Jingnan and me from heaven.”

As the drug entered Wen Xinya’s bloodstream, she started losing consciousness. The chandelier in the hallway seemed to become a rainbow as it colored her eyes. With her last breath, she clenched her teeth and shouted, “You have destroyed my life, I will come back to haunt you even if I die…”

On this day, the eldest daughter of the Wen Family was pronounced dead due to a drug overdose.

Chapter 2: Rebirth

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Wen Xinya had a splitting headache. She unmindfully pressed her hands against her forehead and could feel the numbing effects of alcohol gushing into her brain. After jolting her head twice with great strength, she started to regain some consciousness. As if she was in a nightmare, her entire world was being torn apart between the deafening DJ music in a devilish beat and the flickering disco light.

Her head was heavy with dizziness, and she could feel her stomach cramping. Covering her mouth with her hands, she dashed into the public washroom like a madwoman and threw up all the food inside her together with some gastric fluid and bile. Feeling much better after, Wen Xinya turned on the tap and splashed the running water onto her face, trying to keep herself awake.

Feeling refreshed, a question sprung to her mind—wasn’t she already dead?

Raising her head slowly from the basin, she could see a pretty, young face from the reflection in the mirror. It was not covered in thick layers of cosmetics. No eye bags or eye rings could be found beneath the pair of beautiful eyes. The pair of eyes had sparkles and brightness in them, instead of being dull and colorless caused by long-term alcohol abuse. There was also a waist length of soft, silky hair attached to the pretty face, rather than a set of bright red spiky hair.

It was like time had been reversed and everything was back to the beginning!

Wen Xinya touched her face with trembling hands. The baby-soft skin on her face belonged to a young teenage girl.

She darted out of the washroom recklessly. Seeing a waiter passing by with a tray in his hands, she grabbed him by the arm and asked, “Which year are we in right now? What is the date today?”

The waiter looked at her with his eyes wide open as if she was a lunatic, and replied, “March 28, 2010.”

Year 2010, it was the year she returned to the Wen Family at age 15!

Did she just experience a rebirth and went back to the year when she turned 15?

Wen Xinya couldn’t believe it. She ran dementedly into the crowd, grabbed a woman on the dance floor, and asked, “Which year are we in right now? What is the date today?”

The woman pushed her hands away and said, “Lunatic. Today, March 28, 2010.”

Again, it was March 28, 2010.

“Which year are we in right now? What is the date today?”

“Which year are we in right now? What is the date today?”

Wen Xinya kept on asking anyone she could find. People in the club treated her as if she was a madwoman and shunned her away wherever she went.

Indeed! She just had a rebirth and returned to the year when she was fifteen-years-old.

She had not lost her virginity underage, no drug abuse, and no spiked drinks that caused her to be caught on video acting indecently. The tragedy had not yet begun.

Wen Xinya felt enormous youth and power in her younger body. It was a feeling she had not experienced in 10 years! She smiled and cried with joy. Thank God she was able to return to when she was a 15-year-old. She was going to have a second chance. She decided she would live on her own terms.

While Wen Xinya was still in her own thoughts, she vaguely saw a man walking away from the crowd towards her. She stared at him with her eyes wide open. She would recognize this man even if he turned into ashes.

It was him… who destroyed her life and caused her to suffer 10 years of agony!

She recalled that today was the day when Xia Ruya visited Grandpa and Grandma at the Wen Family. The whole family was happy at her presence and surrounded her, while Wen Xinya hid in her own shadows with envy and jealousy as if she had stolen someone else’s happiness.

Xia Ruya was elegant while Wen Xinya was unrefined. She couldn’t help but feel ashamed of her own inferiority.

When Wen Xinya chanced upon Xia Ruya in the garden afterward, her uncouth behavior complementing Xia Ruya’s elegance.

Xia Ruya even humiliated her. “You are just a little sparrow, don’t even dream of becoming a phoenix.”

As a 15-year-old teenage girl, Wen Xinya was rebellious and impulsive. She never tolerated any insult. She lost her cool and fought Xia Ruya, accidentally causing Xia Ruya to fall into the water. The servants saw what happened and the news quickly spread to the rest of the Wen Family. Grandpa reprimanded her for being rebellious. Grandma blamed her for being vicious. Father regretted having her as a daughter.

Wen Xinya used her ruthlessness to complement Xia Ruya’s elegance.

At the same time, Ning Shuqian and Wen Yuya showed concern toward her. The 15-year-old Wen Xinya was innocent and naive. She was immensely touched by their kindness. Soon after, when her stepsister Wen Yuya brought her to a bar for relaxation, it was then that Wen Xinya got drunk and lost her virginity.

The man took nude pictures of her and blackmailed her for 5 hundred thousand dollars. She had just returned to the Wen Family at that time and did not have that much money. In the end, Grandpa and Grandma got to know about this matter. Grandpa was disappointed in her, and Grandma felt disgusted.

That man in the bar suddenly grabbed Wen Xinya from the back and said, “Hey Hey! Young girl, how much for a night? Let’s go! Follow me and let’s have some fun. I promise I’ll make you extremely happy as if you’re in the seventh heaven.” The man’s lips landed on the back of her ears, trying to kiss and sniff her. He had a strong smell of alcohol mixed with body odor, making her feel sick.

There was a burning hatred within Wen Xinya. She had red bloodshot eyes from drinking too much alcohol. With a ferocious burst of energy, she reached to her waist and grabbed the man’s hand by one of his fingers and swang it downwards forcefully.

The man let out a loud cry of pain. “Argh!” But it was soon covered by the thunderous DJ music.

Wen Xinya followed up with a back kick, causing the man to fall to the ground. Putting one leg in between the man’s thighs, she gave a cold smile and threatened. “If you want to court death, I shall grant your wish. I’ll let you experience what ‘crotch pain’ means.”

Feeling the increasing pressure between his thighs, the man immediately became sober. His face turned pale with fear, perspiring profusely on his forehead. Realizing he was dealing with an overbearing, intractable girl, he quickly pleaded for mercy. “I… I won’t dare do it again… Please let me go…”

Wen Xinya knew she had caused the man to have urinary incontinence when she noticed that the middle of his pants became wet. She turned her leg with force and heard the man cry in deep pain. With such a level of strength, the man was unlikely able to create further harm to other women in the future.

With his hands covering his groin, the man rolled on the floor in pain. He screamed, “Bitch, I will not let you off! I’m going to sue you for this.”

Wen Xinya bent over, pinched his face, and said with a cold smile, “I did this as a form of defense. It’s just too bad that I couldn’t control my leg’s strength. But are you… able to go through the investigation? You’d better not take any chances!”

The man had finally understood that he was facing an intractable young girl. Now he couldn’t help but hate the person who had sent him those anonymous photographs and messages.

Wen Xinya moved closer and said in a harsh tone, “I don’t care what Ning Shuqian, Xia Ruya, and Wen Yuya have instructed you to do to me, but remember the one who’s right in front of you now. You’d better learn your lesson and avoid me whenever you see me later, and then I might just let you go.”

“My dear Missus, please let me go. It was my fault offending you. I will not dare to do it ever again.” The man pleaded bitterly. The sharp pain between his legs made it difficult for him to be rational, but he was able to regain awareness and abruptly recalled the name of these three people. It must have been them who sent him the anonymous messages, informing him where he could find a woman for pleasure and telling him to blackmail her with nude pictures. Otherwise, he would not have met with this nemesis.

At last, she would be able to take revenge for what happened to her in her previous lifetime. Wen Xinya’s sorrow started to disappear as her eyes burned with hatred. Memories of the moments before her death came flooding back to her and paused right at the scene of her last breath. She clenched her fists so hard that the joints on her fingers turned colorless. Her nails pierced through her palms until they turned bloody. She decided she would not let go of those who had done her wrong.

Chapter 3: Stepmother

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The Wen Family was descendant of a scholar family. The Wen Family’s old mansion was built with a lavish European-style structure, mixed with an internal Chinese-style courtyard. This type of mansion was unique and was a popular topic to talk about in the capital city.

Wen Xinya could recall clearly when she was brought back to the Wen Family in her previous life, she was deeply amazed by how grand and majestic the mansion appeared to be. During that time she was inspired and motivated, and yet at the same time felt worried and doubtful. She questioned herself repeatedly if this was really going to be her future home.

However, little did she expect that the Wen Family members were keeping watchful eyes on her. Materialistic—this was the first impression she had given to the Wen Family. They felt disgraced by such behavior. From then onwards, no matter how hard she tried, it was difficult to change their perspective of her.

Wen Xinya arrived back home at eight-thirty sharp. She grinned with satisfaction as she was back just in time when she saw the clock.

Ning Shuqian and Wen Yuya were sitting in the living room. They were shocked to see her.

Unable to suppress her astonishment, Wen Yuya asked, “Why… Why are you back so early?”

She certainly remembered she had made Wen Xinya drink till she was dead drunk. Shouldn’t she be in one of the private rooms in Black Sunday being violated and having her nude pictures taken? Why was she back so early?

Wen Xinya coldly smirked. “You are not being nice, Sister. You brought me to Black Sunday and left me there alone. Luckily, I got sober just in time. It’s hard to imagine what could have happened at such a sleazy place!”

Wen Yuya stared with eyes wide open, not expecting Wen Xinya to respond in this manner. She exclaimed, “Nonsense! How could I have brought you to such a sleazy place like Black Sunday? Don’t malign me!”

“Sister, you know what kind of place Black Sunday is?” asked Wen Xinya without expression.

Wen Yuya was tongue-tied. Glaring at Wen Xinya, she said angrily, “Don’t spout nonsense! How could I possibly know what kind of place Black Sunday is?”

Just with a few words, she got Wen Yuya trapped. Wen Xinya stood there quietly, calm like a viburnum tree, filled with confidence. Her face was fair and smooth just like a viburnum flower, magnificent and enchanting, radiant and elegant. She looked as pure as the white snow.

She was stunning and mesmerizing in white!

Is this the cowardly, inferior and stupid Wen Xinya? Ning Shuqian instantly noticed she was a changed person.

Could it be the personality traits of descendants from a scholar family? Even though she had been leading a wandering life on the streets at a young age, her uncouth behavior was unable to match her elegant and classy characteristics.

Ning Shuqian instantly diverted her thoughts. She brought a warm smile to her face and asked tenderly, “Xinya, it’s late. Are you hungry? Shall I get the servants to prepare some food for you?”

Though at the age of 35, Ning Shuqian was glowing with a beautiful and flawless complexion. The few fine lines at the corner of her eyes were like beautiful extensions from her willow leaf-shaped eyebrows. There were almost no traces of age on her charming and seductive face.

It was no wonder Father was attracted to this bewitching woman and had an affair with her while Wen Xinya’s Mother was pregnant with her. Within six months from her Mother’s death by dystocia, Father had remarried Ning Shuqian, who brought into the Wen Family her own child who was two months younger than Wen Xinya.

Wen Xinya remembered how she used to be easily deceived by Ning Shuqian’s caring and warm character. She drooped her head slightly, attempting to conceal the hatred in her eyes. “Aunt Ning, I am not feeling well and do not have any appetite,” she said while raising her head with a sincere smile on her face.

Seeing her innocence again, it was just like the same Wen Xinya that she knew. Ning Shuqian thought she was probably overly worried. “Oh, you are unwell. Do you need me to fetch the family doctor for you?” she asked.

Wen Xinya shook her head and responded, “It’s okay. I probably had too much alcohol just now. I think I should be fine after some rest.”

Ning Shuqian gave a sigh of relief. She said with a broad smile on her face, “I’m glad you are fine. You smell of alcohol. If Grandpa and Grandma find out, they will not be happy about it.”

Wen Xinya used to feel that these words from Ning Shuqian were words of concern. But after her rebirth, she saw through Ning Shuqian’s ulterior motive. She must be afraid of Grandpa finding out that Wen Yuya brought Wen Xinya to Black Sunday. She also knew that Wen Xinya would want to get into Grandpa and Grandma’s good books and not make them upset. Therefore, by putting it to her this way, Wen Xinya would definitely not mention this incident to Grandpa and Grandma.

Wen Xinya looked anxious and worried. Noticing how easily shaken she was and how she lacked the charisma of an affluent family’s daughter, Ning Shuqian felt at ease. “I don’t know what sort of place is Black Sunday, but it surely doesn’t sound like a nice place. In our circle of life, there are no boundaries on how we should enjoy ourselves or where we should have fun. Most importantly, Grandpa and Grandma must not find out about this incident.” she said with a sense of sarcasm.

Wen Xinya acknowledged. “Aunt Ning, I understand. Thank you for reminding me!” It sounded like a gentle reminder earlier, but now it surely served as a stern warning. This was what Ning Shuqian was capable of. She could make a warning sound like a moving speech.

Wen Xinya had been wandering on the streets at a very young age. She had lost all the opportunities to learn the good qualities a girl from a respectable family should possess—charisma, virtue, education and values. She did not even know how she should behave as a daughter from an affluent family. Ning Shuqian had been trying to mislead her by saying words like “there are no boundaries on how and where she could have fun”.

Ning Shuqian saw her obedience. She held Wen Xinya’s hands and said, “I’m glad you know. You just returned to the Wen Family and are not familiar with many things from around here. Grandpa and Grandma are old, I do not wish to see you agitating them with any of your bad behaviors. It wasn’t easy for you to reunite with the Wen Family. It could be daunting to constantly be worried for the children. Let’s not trouble them with all these unnecessary matters.”

Wen Xinya looked like she only had a hazy notion of Aunt Ning’s words. She said with her eyes wide open, “Aunt Ning, I understand that Grandpa and Grandma have spent a great deal of time and effort to look for me. I will not let them down.”

Wen Xinya smirked. Previously, she had said the same thing. And that was the reason why she had tried to hide the unhappy incidents from Grandpa and Grandma and dealt with them all by herself. In the end, she was mistaken by everyone in the Wen Family and was unable to seek any understanding nor praises no matter how hard she tried.

Ning Shuqian looked extremely satisfied. “I’m glad that you understand. You just returned to Wen Family, so approach me for any matters if you need,” she assured.

Wen Xinya smiled back and answered gratefully, “Thank you, Aunt Ning!”

“Promptly return to your room and have a good rest since you are not feeling well. Wake up early tomorrow morning for breakfast with Grandpa and Grandma. This is one of the traditions of the Wen Family.” Ning Shuqian told her in a gentle tone.

Wen Xinya left the living room after wishing both Ning Shuqian and Wen Yuya goodnight.

Chapter 4: Grandpa

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Wen Xinya took a deep breath. She strolled leisurely in the courtyard at the back of the Wen Family’s old mansion. In the courtyard, there was a viburnum tree with branches evenly spread apart. It looked spectacular. It was a warm spring season this year, and the pure white flowers had already started appearing on the branches before the arrival of summer. The petals swayed gracefully under the mild breeze, resembling dancing butterflies. It was a magnificent view.

Upon her return to the Wen Family, she fell in love at first sight by the romantic ambiance created by this viburnum tree. When given a choice to which room she would like to stay in, she told Grandpa she wanted a room closest to this tree.

At this moment, the night breeze blew on her face, still warm from the booze she had earlier. It was an indescribable feeling of comfort.

She took a deep breath and noticed the mild fragrance of the viburnum flowers that greeted her nose. It helped her to instantly calm her raging heart that was full of vengeance.

How long had it been since the last time she enjoyed the pleasant night breeze?

It had been 10 years!

That’s right! It was 10 years ago when she returned to the Wen Family for the first time. And then experienced death by heart failure at age 25 when Wen Ruya injected a high dosage of drugs into her body. It had been 10 years of suffering where she lived in someone else’s shadow. She was always at the mercy of others and constantly being plotted against, causing her to fall into despair.

Wen Xinya opened her arms and raised her head. Looking at the sky, she thought to herself: I am back. Are you ready?

“Where did you go? Why did you come back so late?”

It was a deep, stern voice, sounding cold and harsh. Wen Xinya froze. She stood right at the same position, feeling stiff. She did not even have the courage to turn her head! This was the old man who cared about her, and he was also the one who gave up on her in her previous life.

Old Mr. Wen said, “You have just returned to the Wen Family. You’d better stay at home and not loiter away. The media has their attention focused on you now. You have to watch your behavior carefully and not act as you wish like last time.” There was disapproval in his voice. He knew about Wen Xinya’s shameful past but had insisted to fetch her back to the Wen Family on account that Wen Xinya was his descendant. After all, he could not bear to see her continue living astray. Little did he expect that Wen Xinya had not changed for the better and was disappointed in her when he found out she pushed Ruya into the water.

Wen Xinya gently wiped the tears in her eyes and turned slowly towards him, acknowledging. “Yes, Grandpa, I know. I will stay at home more often from now onwards.”

Old Mr. Wen walked towards her. He frowned when he detected a strong smell of alcohol from afar. He warned. “You have no excuse to get drunk no matter what happened. You are no longer the Zhang Xiaolan who used to lead a thug life, but the prestigious Miss Wen Xinya of the Wen Family. I do not care if you are able to adapt to your current lifestyle, but you need to learn how to behave like the descendant of an affluent family.”

“Grandpa, how should the descendant of an affluent family behave? Is it just like how Xia Ruya behaves?” Wen Xinya asked Grandpa in a soft tone, with a strong feeling of being wronged.

She had just returned to the Wen Family and never had the opportunity to live with Grandpa. On the other hand, though Xia Ruya was adopted, she had been living with Grandpa for 20 years and therefore had a closer relationship with him. Wen Xinya hoped Grandpa would realize who was the genuine eldest daughter of the Wen Family.

Old Mr. Wen was at a loss for words. He had just recognized the fact that Wen Xinya had lived a stray life for the past 15 years, unlike Ruya who had the opportunity to learn the virtues and values of being part of an affluent family.

Looking at the speechless old Mr. Wen, Wen Xinya lowered her head, pulling the edge of her skirt sadly. She said, “Grandpa, am I a disgrace to the Wen Family? Do you regret fetching me back?” There was anxiousness on her face when she continued, “I did not push Ruya into the water deliberately. Please believe me, Grandpa, it wasn’t deliberate. Please don’t send me away…”

Old Mr. Wen frowned deeply and said, “When did I say I wanted to send you away? You are the eldest daughter of the Wen Family. Now that you are back home I have no intention to send you away.”

Wen Xinya mustered her courage. Looking at Grandpa, she said, “But Grandpa, I don’t know what I should do to be like Xia Ruya. Does it really not matter?”

Old Mr. Wen got angrier. He said, “You and Ruya are different, do not compare yourself with her. She stayed in the Wen Family at a very young age and have had a very different upbringing than you. You just came back, thus you will have to start learning from scratch.”

Wen Xinya started sobbing and felt sorry for herself. She replied, “Everyone has been comparing me with Xia Ruya, feeling that I am uncouth and lack her good virtues.”

In this lifetime, she had made up her mind not to be compared with Xia Ruya anymore. She would go all out to create better opportunities for herself. From now onwards, she wanted her Grandpa to be full of compassion for her and stand by her side.

Old Mr. Wen recalled the scene where Xia Ruya came to visit the family. Everyone surrounded her, happy to see her. While Wen Xinya was hiding in a corner, feeling envious. He had chosen to act as if nothing had happened. Now, he felt sorry about this incident, and told her, “You just returned to the Wen Family and have not adapted yet. Soon I’ll get a teacher to teach you all about etiquette.”

Wen Xinya’s eyes lit up with excitement and happiness. She asked, “Grandpa, do you mean that I will have the opportunity to learn and work on skills like social etiquette, social dancing, wear high heels and red wine tasting?”

“Yup, and a lot more…” replied old Mr. Wen. He suddenly had mixed feelings. Having been away for 15 years, Wen Xinya had lost all the time and love she would have with the family. She should have been given the right education and the chance to learn about good virtues. Old Mr. Wen realized his impatience. He had neglected the child’s feelings by wanting her to act by his standards without giving her more time to learn.

After hearing this, Wen Xinya had a sparkle in her eyes. She said happily, “Grandpa, please be assured, I will put in my best effort to learn these skills. I will become the prestigious Wen Family’s daughter and not let you down.”

The young girl glowed with determination. She was wearing a red dress that did not fit her. The dress was too tight for her hips, and too long for her height. It made her look extremely weak and small. Old Mr. Wen recollected this was the dress Ning Shuqian had recently bought from France as a present for Ruya. Ruya only wore it only twice and did not wear it again. He did not expect this dress to end up with his precious granddaughter.

It had been almost five days since Wen Xinya returned home and she did not even have clothes that belonged to her! The Wen Family had truly neglected her. It was hard to blame her for her actions today.

She was his genuine granddaughter and the Wen Family’s eldest daughter! Old Mr. Wen realized he had not been a good Grandpa.

Wen Xinya felt a sense of hope. She just returned to the Wen Family, and Grandpa’s attitude towards her would determine her status in the family. She knew she could not behave too aggressively or show her determination to fight for Grandpa’s attention. Either way, she would easily be compared to Xia Ruya. If she remained calm and innocent, she would be able to get everyone’s acceptance easily.

Chapter 5: Family (Part 1)

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The orange and red sunlight of the early morning arrived with clouds of mist, causing the viburnum tree from outside the windows to pass through the light blue screenings, infiltrating the bedroom. The light, warm yellow shadows brought rays of soft light.

With a rare good night’s sleep, Wen Xinya sat up in her bed and stretched. Getting up, she walked to the window and opened the light blue colored screenings. A branch of viburnum flowers peeked out. All she had to do was stretch her arm and touch it.

The morning was slightly cold, and the viburnum flowers outside the window were in full bloom, inviting Xinya with the slightly cold moisture in the surrounding atmosphere. The warm sun refracted brightly and beautifully.

Today would be a wonderful day!

With that thought in mind, she turned and went to the bathroom to wash up. She changed into a white gown, which was left behind by Xia Ruya. Xia Ruya was dressed and fed like royalty, so even at 15 years old, she was already 163 centimeters tall. Even the growth of her body had good proportions. Unlike Xinya, who was starved as a child and grew up to be only 158 centimeters tall. With a skinny body, her growth could not be considered great. Wearing Xia Ruya’s clothes was really not a good fit for her.

When she first arrived in the Wen Family, she was mesmerized by the variety of beautiful clothes in the wardrobe and did not care about whether they fit her. Hence, the Wen Family did not think that she needed new, fitting clothes.

However, now, she would not be moved like she was in the past. Whatever belonged to her, she would fiercely fight for it!

As she arrived in the living room, Grandpa and Father were reading the newspaper, Grandma was talking to Ning Shuqian, and Wen Yuya was happily playing games on her phone. Xinya smiled and greeted, “Grandpa, Grandma, good morning! Father, Aunt Ning, good morning! Sister Yu, good morning!”

Grandpa put down the newspaper, glanced at the dress that did not fit her and frowned. He then gently asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

“I slept well!” As Wen Xinya caught sight of his tightly knitted brows, she lowered her head to inspect herself. Then, she cowardly went to sit next to Wen Yuya.

Grandpa nodded and returned to his newspaper.

Grandma only glanced at her once, then returned to talking with Ning Shuqing.

Ning Shuqing smiled towards her then turned away.

Only Wen Yuya kept her head down, playing games on her phone, acting as though Wen Xinya did not exist.

Wen Xinya did not mind either.

However, Grandpa frowned. He put down the newspaper in his hands and shouted, “Did you not hear your older sister greet you? Did you feed the manners you were taught to the dog?”

Pa! Grandpa’s cold words scared Wen Yuya until she turned white and dropped her phone on the floor.

Although Grandma did not seem to like Wen Xinya much, Xinya was still the Wen family’s blood and kin. Grandma could not stand the ignorance of a towing oil bottle. “The Wen family has raised you for many years, even changing your surname. When you see the eldest daughter of the Wen Family, it would not be too unreasonable to greet her, would it!”

Wen Yuya felt wronged deep inside. Why should she greet this uncouth sl*t? Before Wen Xinya returned to the Wen Family, though Grandma did not treat her cheerfully, at least Grandma would not give her looks of disapproval. Grandpa did not interact with her much, but he would never have scolded her. Ever since the return of Wen Xinya, everything changed.

Ning Shuqing was shocked and hurried to say something. “Father! Mother! It’s Yuya’s fault. Xinya just returned to the Wen Family, so she might not be used to it yet. I’ll lecture her later.” She then turned towards Wen Xinya with an apologetic expression. “Xinya, your sister is still young and immature. Please do not mind her insensitivity. Aunt Ning apologizes to you.”

Wen Xinya was uneasy. “Aunt Ning, have I done something wrong? Is that why sister is ignoring me on purpose? Was it because of last night…”

A piercing glare landed on her and caused Wen Xinya to immediately stop talking. As she slowly looked towards Ning Shuqing, her gaze immediately softened. If she were to look closely, she could see the deeply hidden warning in Ning Shuqing’s eyes.

At this moment, Ning Shuqing softly said, “Don’t spout nonsense! Yesterday you were not happy, but she still brought you out to have some fun, didn’t she?” She then pulled Wen Yuya and sternly said, “Greet your sister!”

Wen Yuya did not expect her own mother to stand on the side of this sl*t. Still feeling wronged, she bowed her head and said, “I’m sorry, sister!”

Wen Haowen put down his newspaper and said, “Alright! We are all family, there’s no need to be so fussy.”

Despite saying that, he glanced sideways at Wen Xinya, his eyes bringing a hint of warning.

Wen Xinya acted like she did not see it.

Grandpa knitted his brows and glanced at Wen Yuya, then shifted his glance towards Ning Shuqing. His stern glare brought a hint of coldness. “You joined the Wen Family for 15 years, but not only did you not expand the family, but you are also unfilial. At this point, I can only hope that you put all your efforts into taking care of Xinya. After all, she is the Wen Family’s only heir.”

Grandpa’s words were stern, causing Ning Shuqing’s face to turn white. She forced herself to keep her smile. “Father, since Xinya returned, I treated her like she was my own daughter. If you do not believe me, you can ask Haowen.”

Wen Haowen glanced at his wife, whose face was white with a grievance. Those eyes of hers that held autumn’s water seemed to be brimming with tears, brightening with every passing second. She had an enchanting, flirtatious feeling, and he felt the heat of his own passion. “Father, even though she did not give the Wen family an heir, ever since Shuqing married into our family, she gave her best effort into taking care of you and Mother. She’s been taking care of Xinya wholeheartedly since Xinya returned. How could you speak to her like that!”

Going against him in front of the whole family made Grandpa livid with rage. “Scoundrel! You…”

Grandma saw that both father and son were about to quarrel, so she quickly stepped in. “Alright, Haowen, your father is getting old, so don’t provoke him.” She also saw that Ning Shuqing’s eyes were filled with indignation. “Shuqing, don’t you know to diffuse the situation, seeing that Haowen went against his father for you?” Then, Grandma lowered her voice to pacify Grandpa. “Old Wen, you are already old. Where are you getting this temper from? Be careful of your health.”

Grandpa shot Ning Shuqing a meaningful glance. “After eating, bring Xinya to buy some fitting clothing and let her dress up a little. She has been back for a week already but is still wearing Ruya’s clothes. Their figures are different, so wearing Ruya’s clothes are not a fit for her. I thought you, as her stepmother, would have thought of it. I never thought this old man would have to point it out.”

Obviously an insult, Wen Haowen reddened, and then he glanced at Wen Xinya. He only now realized that her dress was too big for her, as he then pretended to cough and hardened his face. “Father is right. This is your mistake as a stepmother. Later, keep Ruya’s belongings in a guest room. Buy whatever Xinya needs for her everyday use using my own money.”

A gloomy look flashed in Ning Shuqing’s eyes, and her expression was distress at its maximum. She forced a smile and said, “Father, this is all because of my negligence, causing such an inconvenience to Xinya.” She then looked at Xinya once more and apologized. “Xinya, ever since you returned you kept yourself to your room. Aunt Ning did not know how to interact with you, causing this oversight. You wouldn’t be angry at Aunt Ning, would you?!”

Chapter 6: Family (Part 2)

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Just like that, with a few words, Ning Shuqing plucked herself clean. She felt that it was incredible as Wen Xinya picked herself up and shook her head in disbelief.

Back in those days, she wore Xia Ruya’s clothing for a whole year, and the clothes that did not fit her body clung to her identity like a shadow. Even though she was the eldest daughter of the Wen Family, she still had to wear the clothes of the Wen Family’s adopted daughter, Xia Ruya. To others, Wen Xinya was an unpresentable eldest daughter who was not loved. It was natural that everyone looked down on her.

The Wen Family did not notice it at first. When they finally did, they were manipulated by Ning Shuqing saying that the reason Xinya wore Ruya’s clothes was that she was jealous of Ruya, causing her to be loathed by the family even more.

In this life, she would not allow that to happen again!

Wen Haowen retrieved a bank card from his own wallet. “This is your allowance. Yuya gets 10 thousand a month, thus you will get 20 thousand a month since you are the eldest daughter. However, considering that you wandered outside for many years and endured many hardships, I’m giving you 30 thousand a month. The allowance for the past 15 years will also be credited into your account, so just get whatever you need.”

Wen Yuya’s eyes nearly popped from all her glaring. There was deep jealousy hidden in her eyes.

“Thank you, Father!” Wen Xinya accepted the bank card with mixed feelings. This situation was exactly the same as the previous time.

The fifteen years worth of allowance totaled to a little more than 500,000. Imagine a wandering girl who had never seen this much money in her life suddenly possessing such a huge amount of money. How would she be able to suppress such monstrous wealth? With a heart that constantly compared herself to Xia Ruya, in addition to the bad teachings of Ning Shuqing and Wen Yuya, how could she not have gone astray!

The previous time, the outside world must have viewed her as vulgar, extravagant, arrogant, and an idiot!

In this life, this money would become the capital for her transformation.

Wen Haowen nodded and said nothing more.

The breakfast was served today was Western cuisine. The combination of bacon, turkey eggs, bread, and milk was very appetizing. Ignoring the cutlery in front of them would make the scene even more perfect than it already was.

Ning Shuqing was indeed trying to manipulate the Wen Family into having the impression that Xinya was uncouth. In her previous life, Xinya embarrassed herself at this very Western meal, causing Grandma to excuse herself from breakfast out of disgust, Father to coldly take his office bag and leave for work, and Grandpa to reluctantly finish his breakfast and return to the study. Her stepmother and stepsister then comforted her before leaving.

She observed the coldness in the entire hall. Behind her back, the servants were gathered together, gossiping and mocking her.

In her anger, she brushed the whole table of barely touched food to the floor. The sound of the plates shattering was deafening, but she had gained an even more irritable reputation.

She only saw how vulgar she was that day after a long time, so she worked hard to learn all forms of manners. Her mannerisms got no worse than Xia Ruya’s, but by then, she already had a coarse impression carved into everyone’s heart. So no matter what she did, she could not replace Xia Ruya’s place in the hearts of the Wen Family members. Naturally, she could not surpass Xia Ruya despite her best efforts.

That was the reason why she was so dejected, even giving up on herself in the end!

Something as small as etiquette during a Western meal could not daunt her, but at the moment, she was supposed to have just returned to the Wen Family. Naturally, she could not expose herself.

Grandpa thought about what Xinya said last night and was thinking of asking the servants to prepare two sets of Chinese cuisine breakfast. That was when he saw that Wen Xinya used her hands to pick up the bread on the table and began eating. She ate it really slow. The way she was eating was not refined nor elegant, but at least it was calm!

Ning Shuqing and Wen Yuya were secretly paying attention to her the whole time, quietly waiting for her to embarrass herself in front of everyone.

Wen Xinya finished eating the bread, gulped down her milk, and then shyly announced. “Grandpa, Grandma, Father, Aunt Ning, I’ve eaten my fill!”

She did not even touch the cutlery in front of her! Ning Shuqing hurried and said, “Why does this child eat so little? Is it because the breakfast was not to your liking? Do you want me to get the kitchen staff to prepare something else?”

Wen Xinya shook her head and said, “There’s no need to trouble you, Aunt Ning. Breakfast was delicious, but I really am full. I…” Wen Xinya was actually feeling a little down, so she coughed a little before adding, “I have never eaten such a delicious breakfast!”

Grandpa put down the cutlery in his hands, losing his appetite in the scrumptious meal before him. “I’m also done with breakfast. Xinya, help me to the study.”

Everyone at the dining table looked at one another, noticing that Grandpa did not even touch his breakfast. His health was in top form, he certainly did not need anyone to help him!

Wen Xinya stood up, gently pulled her chair aside to walk to Grandpa’s side, and gently supported his arm as they left the dining hall.

When they arrived at the study, Grandpa called for the servants and asked for the desserts to be brought to the study.

Grandpa patted her hand, comforting her. “It’s okay to not know about Western dining etiquette. No one is born with the knowledge of dining etiquette. In a few days, I will get Secretary Cao to arrange etiquette classes for you.”

Wen Xinya was touched. “Grandpa, I know. I was simply afraid that you would reject me before I even had the chance to prove myself.”

In her past life, that was exactly what happened. She did not even have the chance to prove herself before being rejected by the Wen Family.

Grandpa petted her hair in pity. “You silly girl. You are my family’s only heir. As long as you don’t bring loss to the family, I will never reject you.”

Wen Xinya’s eyes were red in seconds, as tears as large as beans fell one by one. Exactly how disappointed was Grandpa in the past life to have rejected her!

Grandpa’s wrinkled hands clumsily wiped her tears. “You’re already so old, yet you still act like a child, crying at the tiniest thing!”

Grandpa’s hand was like the bark of a eucalyptus tree, tough and rough. But to Wen Xinya, it was the world’s warmest pair of hands. “I’m not. It’s just sand in my eyes.”

She never knew that Grandpa, who was stern and cold, would show such warmth to her.

He did not know whether to laugh or cry at her stubbornness. “Brat. How would there be sand in the house?”

Wen Xinya lowered her head in embarrassment.

At this moment, Mother Wang brought several intricate desserts into the study. Mother Wang was more than 50 years old and had been working for the Wen Family for over 30 years. She could very well be the oldest servant the Wen Family had. In Xinya’s last life, this old lady was the only other person besides Grandpa who cared for her. But at that time, she was like an arrogant peacock, looking down on the servant. Afterward, Mother Wang retired and was never seen again.

When Mother Wang smiled, her round face looked kind. “Miss, I don’t know what kind of dessert you like, so I simply made a few. If there is anything you like, do let me know and I will make it for you next time.”

Wen Xinya thanked her gratefully. “Thank you, Mother Wang!”

Mother Wang looked at her clean, young little face and remarked. “Miss looks so much like her mother.”

After Mother Wang left, Grandpa sighed. “Your mother was a warm and beautiful girl. After marrying into the Wen Family, everyone loved her. It’s a pity that she lived such a short life. Until today, many servants still miss her!”

It was no wonder that in her past life Mother Wang cared so much about her. It was because Mother Wang loved her mother too.

Chapter 7: Nemesis

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

At 10 o’clock, Ning Shuqian went out with Wen Xinya and Wen Yuya. Grandpa had arranged for his own personal driver, Old Tao, to send them.

They arrived shortly at Pearl Mall and saw Xia Ruya at the entrance.

Xia Ruya wore a lotus green dress tailor-made by Fan Sizhe. Matched with an entire set of diamond jewelry, she looked slender and elegant.

Even if Xia Ruya was back to square one, she continued to have a good life. Everyone will have a nemesis in their lifetime. Just like Xia Ruya was Wen Xinya’s nemesis.

Wen Xinya had a faint rose-shaped birthmark on her chest. When her mother Mo Yunyao passed away soon after giving birth, everyone was devastated and had not paid much attention to the newborn baby. It was that moment of negligence that caused a tragedy that lasted 15 years. The newborn Wen Xinya was carried away by an enemy and abandoned at a club’s entrance.

The Wen Family used up all their resources to trace their precious little granddaughter. After three years, they finally found a female baby with a faint rose-shaped birthmark on her chest. Because of how much they had missed their lost granddaughter, they immediately took this baby girl back and named her Wen Ruya without even doing any DNA tests.

Wen Ruya had a minor accident at the age of 14 and required a blood transfusion due to a huge amount of blood loss. Her blood belonged to a rare Rh-negative type, and the hospital did not have such a blood type in their reserve. The hospital had asked the members of the Wen Family for help, but not one in the family nor the late Madam Wen had the Rh-negative blood type. It was at that moment they realized Wen Ruya was not the granddaughter they were looking for.

However, Wen Ruya knew how to turn things to her advantage. Though she wasn’t the Wen Family’s granddaughter, she continually made Grandma happy, so she did not mind if Ruya wasn’t her genuine granddaughter. On the other hand, old Mr. Wen didn’t want to give up looking for his lost descendant. He also had a sense of guilt towards Wen Ruya and therefore secretly helped her look for her lost family.

Due to the rarity of the Rh-negative blood type, they easily traced her back to the Xia Family. Xia Ruya was the illegitimate daughter of Xia Haolin, the CEO of the Xia Emporium Group.

The Xia Emporium Group had malls built in every corner of the country. Though the Xia Family was considered wealthy, they were incomparable to the Wen Family’s wealth. The Xia Family quickly agreed to fetch Xia Ruya back on the accord that the Wen Family groom her to be a well-mannered and elegant young girl for many years. Furthermore, this would be a good excuse for them to be connected to the prestigious Wen Family. They even wanted to please the Wen Family by just changing Ruya’s surname to Xia and not the original name the Wen Family gave her.

Xia Ruya always had lady luck on her side. After living a life of high status for 12 years, she continued to be a wealthy family’s daughter even after she had to leave the Wen Family.

Xia Ruya happily walked towards Wen Xinya and the rest when she saw them. She said excitedly, “Aunt Ning, Yuya, Xinya, I’m glad to see you here. Shall we go shopping together?”

Wen Xinya laughed with sarcasm in her heart. She knew it was not a coincidence to see Xia Ruya here. It must be Ning Shuqian who had informed her.

Ning Shuqian showed an expression of unwillingness and glanced towards Wen Xinya’s direction. She said, “We’re here today for Xinya. We need to get her clothes and other accessories, therefore…”

Wen Xinya grinned and thought to herself: What a hypocrite! By saying that Ning Shuqian wanted to bring out the contrast between Xia Ruya’s gracefulness and Wen Xinya’s uncouthness.

Wen Yuya was happy to see her too. She tightly held Xia Ruya’s arm and said, “Sister Ruya, what a coincidence! You have such an affinity with the Wen Family that we ran into each other even on the streets.”

Wen Xinya felt disgusted watching these three women’s acting. She then said with sarcasm, “Of course there’s a strong affinity, so strong that she had been an adopted daughter to the Wen Family for 12 years.”

Xia Ruya did not expect to hear this. Her head drooped with a sense of wrongness and said, “Xinya, I know you dislike me and think I was the one who took everything from you. But it wasn’t my fault! I was also very sad when I had to leave my beloved Grandpa, Grandma, Father, and Aunt, as well as my dearest little sister.”

Wen Yuya could not stand it any further. She stared at Wen Xinya, blaming her, “Wen Xinya, you think you have truly become the Wen Family’s eldest daughter? Look at you. Your uncivilized behavior does not even make you close to being part of the Wen Family. You are just a little gangster from the streets. But Sister Ruya is different. Although she isn’t the real Wen Family’s daughter, she is so much better than you! Do you really think you have become a phoenix? You are just a little sparrow in disguise.”

Pearl Mall was a well-known luxurious shopping mall. It was frequented by the wealthy. In her previous lifetime, Ning Shuqian and Wen Yuya had brought her there as well. And similarly, they had also met Xia Ruya there. After exchanging a few sarcastic and offensive words, the previous Wen Xinya could not hold her temper and started fighting with Xia Ruya on the spot, thus attracting a lot of attention. It was at that time that she got a bad reputation for being a shrew, and then became a laughing stock to the other wealthy ladies.

With no expression on her face, Wen Xinya said to the both of them, “Sister Yuya, why are you agitated? I have not finished my sentence. I mean to say that since the Wen Family can have one daughter, of course we wouldn’t mind having another one.”

These words drove Wen Yuya mad. She looked at Wen Xinya’s expressionless face and really felt like giving her a hard slap!

Meanwhile, Xia Ruya was observing Wen Xinya closely. She noticed the change in Wen Xinya overnight. She was able to keep her cool and stand quietly. Her face was clear of cosmetics, showing her real beauty from within. This reminded Xia Ruya of the old viburnum tree in the Wen Family’s old mansion. Wen Xinya was beautiful, calm and pure, just like that tree.

Realizing that her initial plan to shame Wen Xinya had failed, Ning Shuqian stepped up and pulled Wen Yuya aside, worried that she might embarrass herself at a public place. She added, “We are going upstairs to help Xinya select a few nice outfits. Ruya, do join us!”

Xia Ruya replied with a smile, “I haven’t shopped with Aunt Ning for ages. I would definitely like to join you!” She then turned to Wen Xinya and said, “Xinya, you wouldn’t mind, would you?”

Wen Xinya frowned slightly, “Aunt Ning is our elder. I have no objectives since it’s her idea.”

Ning Shuqian happily pulled Xia Ruya along. She said, “Ruya has an eye for style. Her comments will be useful! I am already over 30. My taste for clothes would be different from younger girls like you.”

Wen Yuya also went up close to Xia Ruya and exclaimed, “Indeed! Sister Ruya has good taste. She has helped me to choose a lot of nice outfits.”

The three of them spoke with perfect synchronization, leaving Wen Xinya behind all by herself. Wen Xinya didn’t mind. She would just enjoy their act.

Chapter 8: Where Did That Smell Come From? Did You Brush Your Teeth?

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Ning Shuqian brought the girls to a shop named Jo-ramst. It was a luxury brand owned by the Wen Corporation that was nominated as one of the top 10 international luxurious brands. The brand carried products like clothing, perfumes, cosmetics, ladies’ shoes, jewelry and purses that were extremely popular.

Speaking of this brand, it had a great association with Wen Xinya. When Mo Yunyao was pregnant with the eldest grandchild of the Wen Family, old Mr. Wen had high expectations for the child regardless of the gender. Therefore, he created the Jo-ramst brand.

For the past 15 years, this luxury brand successfully created its own trend by strictly following Country Z’s traditional and contemporary clothing style. It had since become one of the top brands in the world.

Wen Xinya looked lost. Ning Shuqian thought to herself sarcastically: Wen Xinya’s behavior shows that she’s green and inexperienced. She isn’t able to catch up with the trend. What a disgrace!

Wen Yuya sneered. “Do you know what is the name of this brand?”

Wen Xinya responded replied, “Sister Yuya, you know French? You are indeed knowledgeable.”

Wen Yuya was stunned. This brand’s name was French, but she knew nothing about French. But how could she not be aware of the brand since it was owned by the Wen Corporation?

Xia Ruya held Wen Yuya gently by her arm and smilingly said, “Sister Yuya doesn’t know anything about French, but she frequently shops at Jo-ramst and therefore knows this brand well.”

Having Xia Ruya speaking up for her, Wen Yuya became arrogant again and mocked Wen Xinya. “This is one of the brand luxury shops belonging to the Wen Corporation. I bet this is the first time you’re here!”

Knowing Wen Yuya’s intention to scoff at her, Wen Xinya didn’t mind at all. She looked at Ning Shuqian and smiled. “I will need to trouble Aunt Ning to bring me here more frequently in the future so that I can catch up with the trend.”

Ning Shuqian turned stiff. She tried to hide it quickly by pulling Wen Xinya’s hand gently with a wide, warm smile. “Yes, of course! Your mother has passed away, and since I am your stepmother, I will definitely bring you out shopping more frequently!”

Noticing that they were in a public area, Ning Shuqian knew she had to present herself well.

Wen Yuya clenched her teeth tightly and stared at Wen Xinya, hating her to the core!

Xia Ruya was shocked to find out that the actual Wen Family’s eldest daughter had only returned home for barely a week and could already completely adapt and blend into the lifestyle of an affluent family. The old uncouth Wen Xinya who was full of vulgarity and vicious words and got into fights easily had totally disappeared.

Ning Shuqian brought them into the shop.

A shop assistant came forward and greeted them enthusiastically. “Welcome, Madam Wen and the two young Misses Wen! How can I assist you today?” She wore a tight-fitting black outfit.

The two “young Misses Wen” she greeted were Xia Ruya and Wen Yuya. Wen Xinya was walking behind, wearing a dress that did not even fit her. She was being completely ignored.

Wen Yuya whispered to Wen Xinya cockily, “See? I was right! You’re just an unworthy sparrow. Don’t ever think you can become a phoenix. You are not even fit to be compared to Sister Ruya. You don’t possess a single bit of the aura of a Wen Family’s daughter. Having you visit such a luxurious shop just enhances your unworthiness.”

Wen Xinya suddenly turned away and used her hands to fan in front of her nose. She blurted out, “It stinks! Where did that smell come from? Sister Yuya, did you brush your teeth this morning?!”

Wen Yuya turned pale with anger and tried to rebuke. “You… You…”

Ning Shuqian tugged Wen Yuya lightly and introduced Wen Xinya with a broad smile. “This is our Wen Family’s eldest daughter, Wen Xinya!”

The shop assistant looked puzzled. She thought to herself: Isn’t the Wen Family’s eldest daughter Miss Wen Ruya? Who is this Wen Xinya? As a shop assistant, she had to be far more observant than anyone else. This was the first time she saw Wen Xinya and had already noticed her natural beauty and elegance within despite her wearing a loose dress that barely fitted her.

She immediately shifted her attention without feeling embarrassed about her mistake, as she then said to Wen Xinya with a wide smile, “Welcome, Miss Wen!”

Wen Xinya nodded lightly.

The shop assistant then looked at Xia Ruya, wondering about her identity. Wen Yuya gave the shop assistant a hard stare and said in an arrogant tone, “What are you looking at? Though Sister Ruya is not part of the Wen Family, she is still the prestigious daughter of the owner of the Xia Emporium Group. She is still much worthier than you.”

The shop assistant remained calm with a smile on her face. But she knew in her heart that the Xia Emporium Group and the Wen Corporation were far apart in terms of size and wealth.

Xia Ruya felt a little embarrassed. She signaled for Wen Yuya to stop and tried turning the attention back to Wen Xinya, saying, “Xinya, do you have in mind which type of clothes you like? Do you need any recommendations?”

Wen Xinya shook her head. “I’d like to decide on my own. I can make better choices of clothing that suit me best.”

In such a situation, Ning Shuqian had to display her demeanor as a stepmother. She said in agreement, “Sure, go ahead and make your own selection. We are here to help if you need us.”

Ning Shuqian was harboring the intention of letting Wen Xinya make a fool of herself. After all, what good of a choice could a green and inexperienced boorish bitch make?

Wen Xinya nodded and started walking towards the shelves to choose an outfit for herself and quickly found a light-blue mini-skirt that she liked.

The shop assistant exclaimed, “Miss Wen has a very nice curvy figure that captures attention, especially your legs! They display all the gracefulness that a woman should possess. I’ve never seen such a perfect pair of legs!”

Wen Xinya wasn’t tall and slim like Wen Yuya, nor was she as voluptuous as Xia Ruya, but she had a nice bone structure, a long neck of a swan, and a rounded, petite shoulder. Though she was not as busty as she should be at her age, she had an attractive slim waist and a young and innocent aura.

She had a pair of long slim legs that glowed and looked as pure as ivory. She was able to carry herself well in these legs and they brought out the sexiness in her.

It reminded Ning Shuqian of Mo Yunyao, and she suddenly felt a sense of unconcealable fear. Trying to remain in her usual gentle outer self, she remarked. “This outfit looks really nice on Xinya!”

In the beginning, Wen Haowen had chosen to marry Mo Yunyao over her. Mo Yunyao had a better family background and was more presentable and prettier than Ning Shuqian. After Ning Shuqian entered the Wen Family as Haowen’s wife, the media made numerous comparisons between the two. Therefore, Mo Yunyao was her most hated person.

The shop assistant tried to be sensitive. She wasn’t sure if the compliment was directed to Wen Xinya or the outfit.

Xia Ruya bit her lip in abomination. She then said with reluctance, “Xinya is indeed beautiful.” She could sense Wen Xinya’s beauty when she first saw her. However, at that time Wen Xinya was behaving in an unrefined manner and bad temper. This behavior was a mismatch to her beauty. Now that she was a changed person, Xia Ruya felt a strong sense of shame.

Wen Yuya criticized. “The saying that ‘the clothes make the man’ is true indeed. Even if worn by a mother hen, such a beautiful outfit would still be able to bring out the elegance in her.”

Little did Wen Yuya expect that a bitch like Wen Xinya could look stunning after dressing up. She felt a strong hatred and jealousy in her heart.

Chapter 9: How Dare You Challenge Me? — Umm?

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Wen Xinya was looking at her reflection in the mirror. Hearing what Wen Yuya said, Wen Xinya turned and walked gracefully towards her. She displayed a strong characteristic of elegance and inner beauty within her. With each step, she had brought out the class of high status coupled with a high level of confidence.

“What… What do you want?” Wen Yuya stammered with anxiety. She suddenly felt flustered and did not dare to look at Wen Xinya in the eyes.

Wen Xinya raised the corners of her lips. She looked sharp—beautiful as a flower and calm as snow; as if a strong breeze of courage just swept through her.

At this moment she was glowing with charm. It felt like the refracted light from the chandelier brought her elegance into the limelight, making it difficult to look at her directly without the glaring light hurting the eyes. Only the contour of her face was slightly visible.

Wen Xinya stopped right in front of Wen Yuya. She lowered her body slowly until she was in a squatted position. She then looked up to Wen Yuya like a devoted believer looking up at God.

Except she did not have the gracefulness of God. Anyone under this beautiful light became so attractive that was able to touch the soul. Even though Wen Xinya was looking up from a lower position it felt like she was the one calling the shots.

“What… What are you doing, bitch? Get away from me…” Wen Yuya started stuttering. She was panicking and her heart was beating faster and faster. Lub-dub! Lub-dub!

Ning Shuqian was certain that Wen Xinya wouldn’t do anything silly in front of her at this moment. Therefore, she didn’t mind her actions. However, seeing her own daughter turning pale and panicky with sweat all over her forehead, she felt something wasn’t right. She had to interfere. “Xinya, what are you doing?”

Wen Xinya did not respond. She raised her hands towards Wen Yuya’s cheek and combed her hair with her slim, long fingers. Wen Yuya could feel the unfriendliness from the touch of her hands. She almost froze and didn’t dare move an inch, asking in a trembling voice, “What do you want?”

Wen Xinya placed her fair and slim fingers on Wen Yuya’s cheeks gently and moved slowly downwards along her rounded cheeks. Then, she held Wen Yuya’s chin authoritatively and lifted her head. “I just wanted to see if you looked like a mother hen too. We are from the same chicken coop, so it doesn’t make sense if I look like a mother hen and you don’t,” she told her.

“Argh! Get lost…” Wen Yuya started screaming nervously while trying to push Wen Xinya’s hands away.

Wen Xinya took her time to stand up. She adjusted her clothes in a tranquil manner. She turned towards the shivering Wen Yuya and gave her an icy look that pierced through her heart like a knife.

Ning Shuqian and Xia Ruya who were watching by the side had chills running down their spines.

“How dare you challenge me? — Umm?” Wen Xinya said in a domineering voice. There was no way to defend against her words that attacked like a secret weapon.

The “Umm” even sounded with great power of influence.

Wen Yuya bit her lips tightly. She looked at Wen Xinya with a pair of eyes that were filled with bitterness and resentment. She hated Wen Xinya to the bone.

Ning Shuqian couldn’t believe that she was stunned by a 15-year-old’s words. She quickly recovered from her shock and reproached. “Xinya, Yuya is your sister. How can you treat her this way?”

Unbothered, Wen Xinya turned to Ning Shuqian, asking her, “What have I done to her? I did not beat or scold her, did I?”

Ning Shuqian was speechless. Indeed, Wen Xinya had done nothing to harm Wen Yuya physically. She could only look at her poor daughter suffering in fear and hatred after being browbeaten by Wen Xinya’s words. Yet, there was nothing she could do to help except feel sorry and harbor a great sense of enmity towards Wen Xinya.

She had underestimated this little bitch!

Seeing Ning Shuqian suffering from humiliation, Xia Ruya had to step in. “Xinya, Sister Yuya is someone who speaks from the heart. She is so outspoken and direct that sometimes even Aunt Ning cannot do anything about it. You’ll get to know her better after some time.”

Xia Ruya managed to catch her breath. She almost felt breathless earlier when Wen Xinya walked towards Wen Yuya with such an unspoken power of authority. Her brain was screaming for her to escape. To Xia Ruya, Wen Xinya was as scary as a devil that came from hell.

Wen Xinya answered, “Yes, I have just returned to the Wen Family. Hence, I don’t know her as well as you do.” Then she looked at Ning Shuqian and apologized respectfully. “Aunt Ning and Sister Yuya, please pardon me if I have offended you in any way.”

When Ning Shuqian was just feeling a little better and wanted to display her broad-mindedness, Wen Xinya interrupted. “Aunt Ning, pardon my honesty. There is nothing good about being direct and outspoken. Calling others names like ‘mother hen’ or ‘bitch’ won’t do any good to Sister Yuya’s reputation as an adopted daughter of the Wen Family, and could even do a discredit to the Wen Family. Fortunately, it was me who was being scolded by Sister Yuya today. I won’t hold it against her, naturally, but it could be a different story if she did it to someone else.”

She then spoke to Wen Yuya in a lecturing tone. “Sister Yuya, you have to take note of this. The Wen Family could buy anything you want, but not your reputation.”

Ning Shuqian almost spat blood onto Wen Xinya’s face. She never expected to be lectured by this little bitch. She became so speechless that it felt like almost nothing she said was going to make things right.

By now, Wen Yuya who was seated at the sofa, feeling extremely pissed. As she heard this, she sprung up from the sofa. However, Ning Shuqian swiftly grabbed her hands and said in a moderate tone, “Your sister is right. You are an adopted daughter of the Wen Family. You grew up with a civilized upbringing. Do watch your behavior as a daughter of the Wen Family.”

After hearing Ning Shuqian’s words, Wen Yuya tilted her head up high. She was 1.66 meters tall and looked tougher than Wen Xinya, who was only 1.58 meters tall. She felt a sense of great contentment from within.

Wen Xinya chose to ignore such attempts to ridicule her. She turned around and walked away.

Wen Xinya did not realize there was a man sitting at the resting area at a short distance away. With a magazine in his hands, this man had seen everything that just happened.

That beautiful silhouette of Wen Xinya looked slim and charming under the refracted lights from the chandelier. The man had captured the act of this enchanting character in his eyes. He mumbled to himself, “Is this the eldest daughter of the Wen Family?”

After seeing what just happened, the shop assistant was trembling with horror. It was the first time she saw someone being able to attack relentlessly with her words and still maintain a class of high status and elegance. The eldest daughter of the Wen Family seemed to be a powerful character.

The shop assistant quickly walked up to her with a welcoming smile on her face, saying, “Miss Wen, we have just launched a new series of long dresses with a nostalgic design. You have long beautiful legs and will definitely look nice in them.”

It had been a common misconception that long dresses are made especially for ladies with shorter legs to conceal them. Those with a pair of long legs would present themselves even better in long dresses with a nostalgic effect.

Wen Xinya followed the shop assistant’s lead to browse for other outfits.

Chapter 10: The Mysterious Man

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Retro long dresses were simple and elegant. They looked fresh and enchanting. Wen Xinya was immediately attracted to this batch of long dresses. She chose a light-green colored dress with peach-blossoms of her size and went on into the fitting room.

Wen Xinya got changed and came out very quickly. The shop assistant couldn’t believe her eyes. Green was such a seductive color, but it matched Wen Xinya so well that it was as if it was custom-made just for her. The dress brought out the class and charm in her. The shop assistant added, “You look nice! Adding some matching accessories should make it better. Please wait a while, let me pick a few accessories to go with this dress.”

The shop assistant came to the accessories section that was right beside the rest area. She saw the VIP customer who came in the morning. He was standing at the accessories section browsing around.

That customer looked dark, cold, and malicious, thus the shop assistant kept a distance from him. She didn’t even have the courage to look up at him in the eyes.

She secretly stared at his hands. He had nice long fingers with some long fingernails. From his actions, these fingers looked hard and felt as if there were some unlimited powers hidden within.

Within a couple of minutes, the man had already selected at least five pieces of accessories, including headwear, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

The shop assistant caught herself drifting and suddenly realized she was here to pick up some accessories for Miss Wen. She then hurriedly resumed her actions to pick the accessories from the shelf.

Jo-ramst was a brand that carried nostalgic clothing that followed Country Z’s traditional style. It also had a lot of matching retro-styled jewelry and accessories. Therefore, this brand was extremely popular amongst the ladies of the upper class. Moreover, the jewelry shop owned by the Wen Corporation was also well known internationally. Both their articles of clothing and jewelry were often sold in matching pieces. The shop assistant focused her attention on the shelf that displayed jade. She thought: Miss Wen has a simplistic and elegant charm, thus a piece of jade accessory will look perfect on her!

“Give these accessories to Miss Wen,” said the man in a thin but powerful voice, sounding distant.

“Yes!” The shop assistant took over the tray of accessories. When she looked up at the man, he had already left the rest area through its glass door. She watched the back of the man slowly disappearing away from her as he moved away in steady steps.

Who was this man? What was his relationship with Miss Wen and why did he choose the accessories for her?

The shop assistant examined the accessories in the tray. These pieces were the main selection for the current season. They were sold in this shop because it was the shop with the top sales in the entire country.

Selecting matching accessories to go with the outfits was one of the successful sales strategies used by the Wen Corporation. On the one hand, it attracted customers. And on the other hand, it also helped to promote new jewelry. Therefore, this branch had the opportunity to display the most expensive and newest selection of each season’s trend.

This shop even carried one of the most expensive jewelry that the entire corporation had on sale—the pigeon-blood ruby.

The shop assistant returned with the tray of accessories in a daze. Miss Wen was already trying a second outfit. It was a yellow long skirt, with a white petals design. She looked so pure and innocent, exactly like what a 15-year-old should be.

“Miss Wen, a man has selected these five pieces of accessories on your behalf. Please see if you like them,” said the shop assistant while putting the tray on a white marble table with a light-purple orchid design.

Wen Xinya asked curiously, “Man? What man?”

The shop assistant said with a puzzled look on her face, “He was quite tall, and had a very decent and simple look. I’m not sure who he is, but he doesn’t seem to be an ordinary man.”

Wen Xinya just returned to the Wen Family. For the past 15 years, she had only seen gangsters and lower-income people who were always slogging away, not including those from her previous life. After hearing the shop assistant’s description of the man, he seemed to be someone with wealth and influence. Wen Xinya thought it was unlikely that she knew someone with such status. Therefore, she didn’t give extra thought and focused on the accessories in the tray.

There it was, the pigeon-blood ruby sitting right in the tray. It looked like the ruby was covered in bright red pigeon’s blood, glowing and as bright as a burning flame. The burning flame effect was greatly enhanced by the way it was polished.

These pieces of jewelry added up to 10-carat of gems. Combining the cost of all these earrings, necklace, ring, bracelet, and the most expensive pigeon-blood ruby, they were worth a total of 10 million plus dollars…

Wen Xinya’s heart sank. She knew the prices of these pieces of jewelry was much more than she could afford.

After taking a quick glance, she looked away and said, “Just help me find some simple accessories.”

The shop assistant suddenly recovered from her trance. She realized she had made a big mistake. She knew that if Miss Wen had wanted all the five pieces of jewelry, she would have a hard time explaining to the management. Although this shop belonged to the Wen Corporation, Miss Wen would still have to pay for the items she bought. Even if she was given a 50% discount, these few pieces would still have cost a bomb. She would not be able to make such a big decision on the shop’s behalf.

She then selected some other matching accessories that could match Wen Xinya’s status.

Wen Xinya was pretty satisfied.

Apart from outfits, Wen Xinya also selected matching shoes and bags to go with.

When Ning Shuqian received the bill from the cashier, her face turned as black as coal, because she was the one to foot the bill. The billed items included clothing, accessories, shoes, cosmetics, perfume, and a hat. It cost her over two hundred thousand dollars even after a 50% discount.

She turned to look at Wen Xinya who was still hanging out at the perfume area. Grinding her teeth with anger, she passed her credit card to the cashier for payment.

Wen Yuya was mad too. “Father gave you a credit card this morning, didn’t he? Why don’t you pay the bill yourself?” she reprimanded.

Wen Xinya looked sorry and uncertain as she replied, “I am not sure as I have just returned to the Wen Family. Father had asked Aunt Ning to get me new outfits this morning. Grandpa also asked Aunt Ning to take care of me. I…”

As Ning Shuqian noticed that the employees of the shop were watching, she then instantly told Wen Yuya off. “Yuya, how can you say that? Although Xinya isn’t my birth daughter, there is nothing wrong with me buying things for her as a stepmother. Quickly apologize to your sister.”

Wen Yuya was full of hatred. She looked at Wen Xinya and apologized reluctantly, “I… am… sorry!”

Wen Xinya gave a cold smile without saying anything. She kept challenging Wen Yuya not because she felt that she was stupid, but because she had a quick-witted mother.

Xia Ruya tried to break the awkward silence by saying, “Xinya has just returned to the Wen Family, so I guess she hasn’t bought any daily necessities. Let’s go to the female section and see if there’s anything she needs.”

Ning Shuqian appreciated Xia Ruya’s quick thinking. Xia Ruya was indeed a sweetheart to the Wen Family. She grew up in the family and always knew when to do the right thing. It was no wonder Grandma liked her so much. Ning Shuqian added, “Of course, let’s go to another shop. Although she is the eldest daughter of the Wen Family, she shouldn’t be only wearing brands that belong to the Wen Corporation.”