Chapter 3
[In that moment, he was a ray of light that had entered my life-XunMi]
The sight left a strong impression in his heart, not to mention made him let out an audible gasp of admiration. If not due to his mom’s request, he hadn’t planned on attending this banquet, even leaving the invitation carelessly scattered on his table.
XunMi effortlessly maintained the original Qin Xun Mi’s haughty attitude. Not only will she not change this, but she wanted to her to be a member of the hautiest of the proud. After all, she naturally fills the proud character. Now, her eyes flashed before XunMi said, “Forget it. Father, I don’t want to fight. Today is my birthday so can you please show this lady to the door. She sucked in a breath as she wore a tired expression of pain. This wasn’t faked. This was the original Qin XunMi’s remaining feelings.
She walked passed those two, headed for the stage with her slim but firm back straight. Her high heels created a melodious rhythm as they clicked on the marble floor, as if embodying a phoenix’s wail that immediately transformed into a proud bird’s cry as the heels stepped onto the stage.
“Thank you everyone for coming to my coming of age ceremony today. Please feel at home.” She turned slightly to pick up a wine glass before she raised it and drank as thanks for the crowd, her eyes curved in a half moon unafraid in displaying their inner confidence. The air in her surroundings also transformed in this moment. When the crowd took a new look at this famous Eldest Miss Qin, everyone felt that the rumors about her could not be more false. The person in front of them is obviously a superior female king, arrogant and willful, exactly as she should be. She deserves to be the apple of everyone’s eye, protected and blessed by those around her. Being able to earn a slight smile from her would make them willing to give up their two hands in exchange.
With one gulp, XunMi finished the wine, nodded to the audience and prepared to step down from the stage. But some people just aren’t content with being a viewer and must force themselves into the action as well. Thus, Qin Sheng stepped onto the stage, along with Qin HuaiSe. “XunMi, I know you’re uncomfortable right now but I want to introduce you to your little sister. As the older sister and as the Eldest Miss Qin, you must take good care of her in the future, understand?” Qin Sheng realized events weren’t going as planned but didn’t worry too much. Afterall, he is the Qin family head so his words were the true authority. Having finished speaking to XunMi, he turned to address the guests with all smiles and said, “today’s ceremony is an opportunity for me to introduce my second daughter to everyone, Qin HuaiSe. I hope everyone in the future will help look after my youngest,” while intimately holding Qin huaise’s hand, giving the guests an overt view of his show of fatherly love.
Those watching from below had already started to judge Qin Sheng after XunMi’s speech. Now, without any consideration for his legal wife’s daughter, he has attempted to overstep his daughter’s big moment by making it about his younger illegitimate daughter. This biased treatment could not be clearer to the guests. But even if they denounce his actions in their hearts, their faces must reflect no judgement. Qin family isn’t an empire they can date offend, so they can only quietly sympathize with Eldest Miss Qin in their hearts.
XunMi, more desolate now, moved to the side and closed her eyes to force back the tears threatening to burst out. Even though she isn’t the original Qin XunMi, she could feel the sense of unworthiness emitting from her soul. With a cold heart, she let out a laugh, causing the hearts of those close enough to hear to squeeze in pity. With biting ridicule directed at both Qin Sheng and herself, she says, “Father…You really are my good father. You bring the daughter of the woman that killed my mother and tell me to take good care of her. Do you think I’m stupid or naive?
Don’t you think your actions are just a bit cold hearted, or was this your plan all along? To make me into a joke tonight and to use me as a stepping stone?” XunMi was finding it hard to decipher where the pain in her heart was coming from, but she did know that it was these two that killed Qin XunMi. Everyone spurned her and thought of her as vicious.
But all sh wanted was fatherly love. For 18 years, her father was never close to her. She thought her father’s personality was just cold like that, and so she held back her want, even though she knew her mother died because of him. But she only had her father left. The only person she could count on for support was her father. But today, she realized, her father was not cold or indifferent. He too can laugh, he can also be kind and warm to his daughter. Except the daughter wasn’t her. Seeing that her father can still turn and treat her so indifferently, XunMi’s face turned white as she unconsciously stepped back. In the moment, she hadn’t realized that she was already standing at the edge of the stage. Her heels didn’t make contact with ground, causing her whole body to fall backwards. In that one second, XunMi thought that if couldn’t be that she has just arrived and yet will die even sooner?
She closed her eyes, a smile forming on her lips, as if death was a way to free herself. Just like a bright red peony at full bloom, unparalleled in its beauty and elegant, abruptly being nipped up by a greedy person, forcing its life to end in a moment.
A certain man had also had his eyes locked into the stage like the rest of the guests, and noticed her misstep. Without even thinking, he intercepted and catches the falling figure.
XunMi found that instead of the cold hardness she was expecting from meeting the ground, she was taken into a warm embrace that made her feel comfortable and peaceful. When she opened her eyes, the man in front of her made her pause for a second. He had peach blossom eyes similar to hers yet more outlined and vivid than hers. Coupled with those dark pupils, his gaze could make you hopelessly lost and make you believe you were his whole world. He wore a nicely fitted tailored silver grey suit, with a similar colored tie adorned with a jeweled tie clip on one side, and subtly adding to the air of dominance his nearly 190 cm height provided. French windows allowed streaks of sunlight to shine in from outside, and land on the man’s back. A few stray strands on hair fell to cover his broad forehead. His alluring facial features had charm that seemed infinitely deep, infinitely aloof. Just for a second, XunMi found herself lost in the powerful arms holding her in a secure embrace close to his wide chest. She couldn’t help but admit that this man was the most attractive most perfect man she’d ever seen.
She lowered her eyes, slightly fidgeted, signaling the other party to let her go. Except, after XunMi had waited awhile, he still hadn’t let her down, conversely holding her tighter before heading out of the crowd.
XunMi froze in confusion. What is this situation? “That, sir, thank you for your help. I’m fine now, so you can put me down now.”
Tan Zixi first placed her safely onto a guest sofa before speaking.