The maid did as she was told and returned it to her after a few days.
Coincidentally, Liu Meizhi called. "Su Xingyu, you wretched girl! Where the hell have you been?! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough at your sister's coming-of-age ceremony?! Hurry up and get your ass back here! Return the dress and necklace I lent you!"
The last sentence was the main point.
Su Xingyu could not be bothered to waste her breath on her and said, "I'll be back tomorrow."
It was not that she was willing to accept it. Going back to return the clothes this time was just a by-the-way. What she wanted to do was to move her personal belongings to where she was currently living. Since she would be living in this mansion in the future, there was no need for her to be reluctant to leave the Su family.
She got up and walked downstairs, wanting to tell the maid that she was going out tomorrow.
She had just reached the staircase on the second floor when she saw a man walk in from outside.
The man was tall and straight. As he walked, he took off his suit jacket and handed it to the maid; his steps hurried like the wind. When he was about to reach the stairs on the first floor, he looked up and saw her.
Su Xingyu felt a little awkward. She could neither advance nor retreat.
She had not seen him for the past few days, so much so that she almost forgot that another person was living here—the actual owner. Should she greet him? Smile? Or scowl at him? She could not bring herself to flatter him, but she was also afraid that her inappropriate behavior would anger him. This man was not to be trifled with.
Lu Shifeng, on the other hand, paused in his steps before continuing upstairs. He stopped beside her. "Are you already used to living here?"
She was stunned. "It's… not bad."
He nodded slightly, as if he was busy and was about to brush past her.
Su Xingyu was utterly convinced. This man's attitude towards his wife was bizarre. Perhaps this was what the ancient books described as 'treating each other as a guest.' She suspected he had purely married her as a decoration, just like the ceramic toys and sculptures that she could see everywhere in this mansion. They were purely for decoration and did not require any deep interaction.
Unexpectedly, she called after him. "Hey."
"My name isn't 'Hey.'" He frowned. She was finally getting a reaction.
"Alright, Lu Shifeng." Su Xingyu calmed herself down and felt that she should tell him about the call she had earlier. "I plan to return to the Su family tomorrow to get some stuff."
He seemed to frown again and said, "If you need anything, just get someone to buy it. How many good things do you have in the Su family?" He should naturally support his woman. It wasn't as if he didn't know about her situation in the Su family. What was the point of bringing those trash from before their marriage in their home now?
Su Xingyu did not expect him to have such an attitude. She bit her lip and said, "Some things… once you're used to them, you can't leave them." She looked at him carefully and added, "My mother's belongings are there."
Lu Shifeng's expression softened when he heard that he was going to take her mother's belongings. "Get the driver to send you there."
She said, "No need, I can do it alone…"
Before she could finish speaking, she saw that his expression had turned cold again and quickly shut her mouth.
Su Xingyu only let out a sigh of relief after watching his back view disappear into the study room at the end of the corridor. She then felt a chill down her spine. She did not know where she got the courage to talk to Lu Shifeng on her own accord. It was too scary, as though she had just fought a battle. She would never take the initiative to talk to him again.
The next day, she packed the sewed gown in a bag and went to the Su family.
The Su family was located in an ordinary villa district. The neighbors were all small tycoons who did not have much of a foundation. Compared to Lu Shifeng, they were not even on the same level. Su Xingyu guided the driver around the district in a familiar manner. The black Bentley attracted the attention of passersby, which caused a commotion.
The car stopped in front of the Su family, and the driver opened the door for her.
She got out of the car and instructed the driver, "Wait for me here. I'll pack up and leave immediately."
The driver asked, "Young Madam, do you need me to help you move them?"
Su Xingyu shook her head. "There's no need to." She did not want to take too much with her. One person was enough.
When she walked into the Su family, she realized that a small gathering was happening in the living room. Her stepmother, Liu Meizhi, was sitting on a luxurious sofa in the middle, drinking tea with her fingers crossed. Beside her was Su Xingqi, and not far away was Qin Mu. Other than that, there were four to five rich ladies, all of them dressed up to the nines.
When Su Xingyu entered the room, everyone's gaze landed on her.
"Why are you here?" Liu Meizhi, who was in the midst of a lively conversation, asked unhappily when she gained sight of her.
Su Xingyu's voice was cold. "I said that I would return your things yesterday. Have you forgotten?"
Only then did Liu Meizhi remember that this was indeed the case. However, she immediately thought of an even more important question—if Su Xingyu were to return the gown to her in front of so many wealthy ladies, wouldn't everyone know that the eldest daughter of the Su family had to borrow a gown? Wouldn't her reputation as a stepmother be smeared?
Liu Meizhi looked at the girl in front of her, and her expression changed. She didn't know what to say.
At such a crucial moment, Su Xingqi was quick to react. She stood up with a smile and went up to Su Xingyu, "Sister, you're finally back. Where have you been these past few days? Do you know how worried we were for you? Are you tired? Let me help you take a rest."
As she spoke, her fair and tender hands were about to wrap around Su Xingyu's arm.
Su Xingyu pushed her away, took out the gown from her bag, and then placed it on the table. She looked at Liu Meizhi and said, "Auntie Liu, this is the gown that you lent me during Su Xingqi's coming-of-age ceremony. I ruined it but made up for it, so it can't be considered returning the borrowed thing to its rightful owner. However, you've cheated me so many times over the past few years. This small matter isn't even enough for me to collect my interest. Please don't take it to heart."
Generally speaking, Su Xingyu was not a sharp-tongued person. In the past, no matter how much she disliked Liu Meizhi, she would always swallow her pride and bear with it. She did not want her sister, Su Xingqi, to be stuck in the middle and be upset. However, now that Su Xingqi's true colors had been exposed, not only did she snatch her fiancé away without any restraint, but she even accused her of betraying her body to earn money. Hence, she did not have to worry about anything anymore.
Liu Meizhi did not expect her to talk back to her in public. She was so angry that she was about to explode. "You! You damn…"
"Mother!" It was Su Xingqi again. Seeing that the situation was not looking good, she quickly interrupted her mother's outburst. She thought hatefully that this mother of hers was indeed a fruit seller. Even if she had been a rich wife for so many years, she still could not change her nature. The slightest provocation would reveal her shrewish face. Liu Meizhi did not care about her image, but she still wanted it. She was a popular model and was going to marry into the Qin family in the future. She had to pay attention to her family background and not let outsiders laugh at her for being poor!
All this while, Su Xingqi had been brooding over something. No matter how down and out Su Xingyu's mother was, she was still a proper heiress raised by a wealthy family. On the other hand, her mother was a nouveau riche who had climbed out from the well!
She hid the jealousy in her eyes and acted like a rich heiress. She took the dress casually. "Eh? That's strange. Didn't you buy this dress yourself? Why did you say that Mother lent it to you?"