“Keep your posture and don’t slouch! Yes, that’s it. Move slowly and try to keep that smile on your face. A lady knows that her smile is her best accessory.” Miss Qiao had been teaching her since morning and Lu Xinyi felt that her feet were already screaming to her to get it off and her facial muscles strained from the smiling she’d been doing all day.
Lu Xinyi greatly improved in a short time with practice. Miss Qiao and Xiao Lan were patient enough to correct her whenever she makes mistakes. Shen Yi was elated at his wife’s progress.
She looked alluring and delicate with her modest pale pink dress that reached up above her knees. Her long hair was trimmed and curled into nice waves that made her face look younger and emphasized her round eyes.
Even Lu Xinyi herself couldn’t believe that Xiao Lan and Miss Qiao can make her beautiful. She’d always believed that she wasn’t pretty since she was young. Her cousins from the Sun family always mocked her, telling her she was too plain and looked like a maid’s daughter instead of being the daughter of the fourth miss of the family.
Not only her appearance was changed, but her whole wardrobe was also filled with designer items from clothes, bags, and down to the accessories. The wardrobe was practically stuffed with an assortment of business casual type clothing, clothing that she considered that fit for a princess. There were silk button-up shirts, cashmere sweaters, designer skirts and pants that she’d never seen in her life. Everything was even on her size.
If she didn’t know Shen Yi, she might think that he was trying to buy her with some silly and expensive wardrobe. At least, Miss Qiao spared her and let her keep her old and measly clothing she had before marrying Shen Yi.
It was both flattering and creepy that they were able to provide all her needs in a short time. They even knew what all she preferred. Then again, the Shen family was one of the most powerful families within the county.
Shen Yi and Xue were watching silently as Miss Qiao guided her to walk gracefully. Unlike her first attempts, Lu Xinyi didn’t trip this time. Xiao Lan clapped her hands in excitement when Lu Xinyi didn’t make a mistake this time.
“That’s great, Miss Lu. Keep on practicing and you’ll be able to present yourself tomorrow without a problem.” Miss Qiao praised Lu Xinyi.
Lu Xinyi gave her a bright smile. She’d never paid attention to her looks before but staring at herself at the mirror Miss Qiao set on the wall, she felt like a desirable woman. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Shen Xue slurped his noodles before pulling a can of soda and opened it. Washing down the food, he burped out loud making his brother winced beside him.
“Disgusting,” Shen Yi gave him a dirty look as if he would rather be somewhere else than to sit next to his brother.
“Shut up. I wasn’t able to eat the lunch Big Sis cooked earlier. How unfair Y’all to me? I brought you all the things you needed but you didn’t spare to leave some Orange Chicken for me?”
Shen Xue was already drooling at the thought of it. He loved fried chicken and just about everything sweet. His eyes sparkled as he imagined the sweet, sour, savory glaze of Orange Chicken. If it wasn’t for his brother’s request—no, more like an order, he should’ve arrived earlier. He could only sob at the corner when he learned from Madam Jin what they had for lunch.
“You can order takeout if you want some.” Shen Yi taunted him. Of course, Lu Xinyi’s Orange Chicken was way better than those takeouts. She said she wanted to be a chef, a pastry chef to be specific but with her cooking skills, Shen Yi believed that his wife could do more aside from doing pastries.
“No! We both know Big Sis’s is better than those. You know I’m still appalled that she married you.”
“Shut up,” Shen Yi snapped back. “You don’t understand anything between me and Xinyi.”
“But marriage! For someone who hates to date and avoids women for years?”
“Why do you care? It has nothing to do with you or anyone else.” Shen Yi hated that his brother still thinks that he was stringing Lu Xinyi all along.
“Because it’s you. You’re my brother and it’s her.” Shen Xue pointed to Lu Xinyi who was laughing beside Xiao Lan. “She’s kind, considerate and beautiful―”
“Why else would I love her?” Shen Yi roared at his brother.
His sudden outburst ensued a silence between them. It was deafening. Shen Xue’s chopsticks fell on the ground as they stared at each other.
