One month later:

For weeks now, Xue Guangli had been working diligently in her store, even checking up on Xue Liena and Xue Teegan to make up for the fact that they covered for her.

She continued the pace of designing dresses and finding dressmakers to help make her vision come to light. Every day their small company expands. Long Huojin occasionally drops by, and she was aware of Yin Shou helping Xue Teegan.

At work, someone had run into the store, realizing it was Xue Liena. Her face flushed from the physical activity, and she handed her a letter.

When Xue Guangli saw the sender"s name and address, she knitted her brows in confusion.

She opened it and read the letter carefully. Her eyes widened, and she skimmed over, reading it a few times more.

Her eyes shot up to Xue Liena. "It says...I won the contest for Best Dress under the category of Upcoming Fas.h.i.+on Designer."

Xue Liena smiled broadly.

"But...I didn"t apply for it," said Xue Guangli, unbelieving.

Xue Liena shook her head. "Long Huojin asked me to send it in with snapshots of the dress you made for the Song couple. The one you made for Qian Meigui was stunning and worthy."

Xue Guangli glanced once more at the letter. The coordinators also invited her to Fas.h.i.+on Week, but she had to compete with other Designers to win the spot. If she were to win, that would bring more traffic towards Summer-Autumn Designs.

"Long Huojin did this?" she asked her younger sister.

Xue Liena smiled and nodded.

"Long Huojin knows that you don"t like depending on him. But he does know how to help without doing anything for you directly. The rest is your own hard work, Guangli."

Xue Guangli then approached her sister, hugging her tightly, squeezing.

"I can"t breathe," Xue Liena said. Xue Guangli let go of her. She then wondered just how much Long Huojin did for her without her knowing.

It was the wedding of Li Qiang, another member of the High Society; he was the Chief Executive Officer of a commercial-banking operation and an old friend.

Xue Guangli attended alone. She wore a forest-green maxi dress with thin straps on her shoulders and a short train at the end of the dress, exposing one of her legs through a slit. Her reddish-brown hair curled, ending at the arch of her back.

It seems it has been a habit of attending wedding celebrations alone, though, she didn"t mind.

The ceremony had pa.s.sed, and it was time for the celebration.

Xue Guangli sat in one of the back tables with people she had never met before, and as she spoke to someone, she realized it was a table full of singles. Excellent, she thought.

Xue Guangli saw a waiter coming around with c.o.c.ktails, and she stopped him, grabbing two of them.

When she was sipping from her c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s, she realized that w.a.n.g Weimin and Zi Yingtai were approaching her. She rolled her eyes, pretending as if she didn"t want to see them, but it was part of her plan anyway. She put her c.o.c.ktail down and stood.

She put on a fake smile.

"Guangli," w.a.n.g Weimin called her.

"h.e.l.lo, Mr. w.a.n.g," she said formally. She then faced Zi Yingtai, "Miss Zi," she said.

Zi Yingtai returned the sentiment, "Miss Xue," she said.

Despite having a fallout with her, Xue Guangli was glad that if they ever had to b.u.mp into each other, they both behaved like civil adults. Zi Yingtai had never done anything to embarra.s.s her or harra.s.s her, perhaps she feels guilty for what she did years ago.

"I received word that Long Huojin was on the guest list to the wedding. It"s a shame he didn"t attend. Why? I thought it he would attend with you," he said.

Xue Guangli hung her head low. She pretended that he hit her with a blow.

"Even though I dislike him for what he did for my family. I know that he"s a sensible man. Settling for you was a mistake for him, as it was for I."

Xue Guangli clenched her fists.

"I warned you," he continued. "That he would dump you once he got a taste of what he thought he wanted. It"s a shame, really that you"re no longer worth anything."

Xue Guangli gritted her teeth. She expected that response, although.

w.a.n.g Weimin then turned to face Zi Yingtai. He kissed the knuckles of her hand and said in dismissal, "My dear, I will see you at the table."

Zi Yingtai then walked away without saying a word.

w.a.n.g Weimin approached Xue Guangli, and she cautiously narrowed her eyes.

He faced her with a curious gaze. "I can take you back," he said low.

Xue Guangli scoffed, glancing at Zi Yingtai.

"Oh, yes. I am going to marry her, still. But I can have you as a mistress. I can pay for your expenses, and you won"t have to end up in the bottom of a pit that you and your sisters dug," he said.

"How dare you?" she said. "You"re already thinking of cheating on your future wife," Xue Guangli responded.

w.a.n.g Weimin smiled cruelly. "We already made some conditions. She says I can f.u.c.k whoever I want as long as I am discreet."

Xue Guangli gritted her teeth. "I will pa.s.s," she said. "I wouldn"t stoop to being a mistress, even if I lost everything."

w.a.n.g Weimin"s smile wider. "Very, interesting," he said. "You"re right, Guangli." He took another step closer, "You"re far too pretty to be a mistress."

"I can make you a wife," he said, next.

"How?" she asked. As much as it made her blood recoil to ask; she had to ask.

"Why don"t we get back at Long Huojin?" he suggested.

"I"m listening," Xue Guangli said. She had to seem desperate.

"We can take him down together; if we do, then I can make you my wife."

Xue Guangli made an expression that seemed to have considered it. She could taste the bile coming up her throat, at how she had to pretend.

"So let"s take him down," she said with a spider smile.