Yao Yuan looked at the mother and daughter with abject disapproval.

He knew how imperative it was that Yao Tang should return to their household, for the sake of his career and the sake of their family as a whole.

The girl was only 17 years old, yet she had already established such an incredible social network that probably spanned across the country.

She could prove to be a great asset in his plans for the future, and might even help him gain a more secure foothold in City A.

“Yes, Dad,” Yao Ranmuttered, her voice quiet.

She lowered her head and bit her lips to keep her emotions from showing.

Qin Man opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it in the end. She could only look at her husband with pleading eyes and sigh.

And just like that, the atmosphere in the Yao Residence turned somber, with each of the family members deep in their own thoughts until Sunday rolled around.

There was a buzz of excitement in the neighborhood the following day.

Everyone knew that it was the birthday of the Young Miss Qin, and they were looking forward to the grand celebration that evening.

Qin Jing woke up early and skipped around their house in a princess dress.

Distinguished guests began to trickle in that morning to pay their greetings and drop off presents. Qin Jingand her mother received them graciously, but the only peopleQin Jingreally wanted to see were her friends from school.

…

That evening, in Qin Jing’s bedroom.

“Hurry and put on my makeup! I want to be ready as soon as possible.”

Her servants attended to her in a flurry of movements, fixing her hair and applying her lipstick. Qin Jing wanted to be the first one to greet her friends the moment they arrived.

Just the thought of having them here made her feel giddy with excitement.

In the past, her birthday guests only consisted of classmates and some distant relatives, no one she truly felt attached to. But now, she had her very own circle of friends, people who liked her for who she was and not the power behind her family name.

Their attendance alone was enough to make this birthday a very special one.

Madam Qin entered the room just then, and she couldn’t help but grin at the sight of her daughter so excited.

A few years ago, she had had to drag Qin Jingdownstairs just to participate in her own birthday party. The girl didn’t even like to greet the guests who had come to celebrate her day.This time, however, it seemed thatQin Jingcould barely wait for the party to start. What a pleasant surprise!

Madam Qin came over and put a hand on Qin Jing’s shoulder. “Jingjing, make sure to have fun with your friends later. The friendships you make at this age are some of the most precious things in life.”

They exchanged a smile in the mirror.

“Of course, Mom. Won’t you go down and see if my friends have arrived? They’ll be here any moment now.”

“Sure!” Madam Qinchuckled. “Give me their names, and I’ll see to it that they are well taken care of.”

“Great! Thank you, Mom!”

Madam Qin dropped a kiss on her daughter’s forehead before heading out.

It was already half-past six, and the front hall was slowly filling up with guests. They were ushered to the ballroom, where wine and hors d’oeuvres were served.

The whole villa was well lit, with sweet violin music playing in the background. It was a formal occasion, to be sure, and the guests were dressed in suits and evening gowns.

The Young Master Qin stood at the foyer, welcoming each guest as they arrived.

He had taken up the mantle when his father had died, and now onlyQin Rui,Qin Jing, andMadam Qin were left in the Qin family.

Madam Qin had just reached the first-floor landing when she spottedQin Manwalking through the front door withYao Ran.

She frowned, puzzled at their sudden appearance.

As far as she could remember, they had invited no one from the Yao family. Was it possible that she was just mistaken?

In any case, the guests, though unexpected, were already here after all. Madam Qinsaw no need to make a fuss over something so trivial.