A birthday party took place at an extremely extravagant mansion. It was for the honor of Xia Yixuan's birthday—the second daughter of the Xia Family. She was dressed in a beautiful gown fit for a princess, and her lovely face beamed out a bright smile as she basked in all the well-wishes she received.
Not far away, a little girl stood and watched. Her view was that of a beautiful, gentle mother standing next to a well-composed, mature father. A young, adorable daughter was in between them, too. Together, they looked as if they were a still picture of a perfect family painted with warmth and happiness.
The little girl curled her lips to a pout. With hands tightly clasped together, she asked her mother in question, "Mum, have you forgotten? Today is my birthday, too." Xinxin sniffled and walked away. Before tears could even roll down her cheeks, she reached up and wiped it away.
It had been a long time since she last had a birthday celebration.
She hugged her old, worn out doll against her chest as she stood outside. Her father gave her that dol —but then again, he was not her real father. It had been ages ago since she last saw her real father; she could no longer even recall how he looked like. She could only remember him as someone handsome and full of life.
It's not that her father did not want her anymore, but people said that he died and won't be coming back. After that, she suddenly had a new father and a new sister.
And her mother no longer loved her. Mummy only had eyes for her sister.
"Who let you in?" said a muffled voice. She turned around and hugged her worn out doll even tighter.
From the shadows, a boy wearing a black tuxedo stepped out. He was the same height as her. With lips pursed together, he hinted a slight aloofness in him. He was definitely young, but he exuded an air of arrogance far greater for his age.
"Why are you crying?" the boy—all of a sudden—walked closer to her, placing his hands on her cheeks. It felt cold.
She could only blink her eyes. "Today is also my birthday." She pouted and suddenly felt wronged as bad memories sank in again.
She suddenly felt something hanging around her neck. She lowered her head and saw that it was a beautiful jade amulet. "This is for you," the boy said as he placed his hand back on her face again.
"Little brother…" Her soft voice sounded exceptionally pleased.
With the corners of his lips curled up, the boy said, "I will come back. Remember, you only belong to me." Even though he was still young, his words were already domineering.
Xinxin vehemently nodded her head, and a smile finally appeared on her tear-streaked face.
It was a pact they made when they were young. He never forgot about it and neither did she.
But it was still a mistake.
—-
Rows and rows of white roses decorated the hotel and guests gathered together on the sides. The Chu and Xia families, two of the biggest leading enterprises in the country, would soon join their families together in marriage at that hotel. However, no one was really optimistic about the wedding.
If one was to look closer, only the parents of the bride and groom were present. Mr. and Mrs. Chu had been forcing themselves to smile, while Mr. and Mrs. Xia maintained a passive look. There seemed to be some invisible hostility among them.
In the main hall, all the decorations were in white. It looked far from a wedding, and instead, it felt more like a funeral was taking place—white roses, see-through crystal glasses, and a white crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
It might have been a sign to give the newlyweds some well-wishes, yet it would baffle anyone at the lack of joy for such a festive occasion.
A lady was reapplying her makeup in the powder room. She had a satisfied smile on her face.
Out of curiosity, the woman next to her asked, "Don't you find it strange that Chu Lui is marrying Xia Yixuan's elder sister? It's only been three months since she passed away. He was so in love with her."