Jiang Chunlan glanced at the boy sitting next to her inside the car.
Neon lights flew past outside the window, lending a stern edge to his young face.
"Chen, what do you think of the Li family's granddaughter?"
Jiang Jinchen's brows furrowed slightly. "Nothing special."
He didn't like speaking ill of others.
His mother grew silent for a brief moment before sighing. "The Cheng family won the bet."
Despite the ambiguity of her words, Jiang Jinchen understood everything in an instant.
Jiang Chunlan patted her son's hand gently and said, "Mom won't force you to do anything. Just take some time to get to know each other first. If you find that you're not suitable, after all, then you can forget all about it."
She sighed again. "The young master was right about everything. I do hope our family is fine in the end."
Jiang Jinchen was very curious about this young master's identity. His mother had talked about the person all day, but she sounded mysterious, even through Jiang Chunlan's words.
...
Lin Qing returned home dejectedly. Zhu Wentao had just gotten off work and met her at the door.
"How did it go?"
She shook her head in dismay. "Madam Jiang isn't willing to help us."
Her husband sighed helplessly. "I knew it. The situation in the capital has changed. Madam Jiang can't even take care of herself now."
Lin Qing couldn't really understand what he meant. "What should I do, then?" she cried out. "Should I just stand by and watch Shaodan go to jail? He is still so young…"
Zhu Wentao was no less anxious. He shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. "I'll think of another way."
The company's branch in the capital had also been going through some troubles recently. He had been working overtime to deal with it and barely had time to catch his breath, much less take care of his family affairs.
The adage proved to be true—when it rained, it really did pour.
He trudged inside the house to find Nanny Zhou cleaning up the dining area. There was a huge pot sitting on the dining table, and a faint scent drifted over to Zhu Wentao, sparking a sudden hunger in him.
He rushed over and opened the lid to take a look. There was still enough soup left to fill half a bowl. "Nanny Zhou, hurry and get me a bowl."
The woman looked startled. "You haven't eaten yet, Sir? You should have told your assistant to notify us so that we could prepare your meal in advance."
"I forgot, I was too busy. But this soup smells very good. I'll make do with it for now."
Zhu Wentao grabbed the bowl from Nanny Zhou's hands and served himself the leftover soup. He took one sip and immediately sang its praises. "This is excellent! What kind of soup is this?"
Nanny Zhou smiled. "It is made of Poria, walnut, and lean meat, with ten other Chinese herbs added into the mix. It is nourishing to the liver and the kidney, and has a mild taste. Miss Ming Jing prepared it especially for the Old Madam."
Zhu Wentao was taken aback. "That child is filial, at least," he nodded approvingly. "Not bad at all."
He had hardly seen this other daughter of his since that initial meeting. She didn't have much presence in the house, to begin with, as if she were some invisible guest just loitering around. She should have just taken the initiative and participated in the family's everyday life.
Behind him, Lin Qing pursed her lips and sniffed. "What cheap tricks."
As for Zhu Xiangxiang, she went straight to her room and took out the number of the private detective her mother had previously hired.
Ever since that conversation with Madam Jiang, a question had been hanging over her head. She had always trusted her intuition, so of course, she had to verify the matter for herself.
They had already given this investigator a huge reward in the past, so he was more than eager to answer all her questions.
Zhu Xiangxiang's mother had gotten pregnant out of wedlock and was unable to raise a child. After the two girls had been exchanged, the woman had left Ming Jing at the entrance of the Lonemoon Nunnery on top of the Snowy Peaks. As the story went, the Grand Master Heartless had adopted the child, the second among a total of five disciples she had taken in.
The Grand Master Heartless was said to be kind and wonderful. At the foot of the mountain sat a village, whose residents were poor and frequently ill. Without the means to see a doctor, they were left with little choice except to pray that they survived even a simple fever. But the Grand Master Heartless would often come down and deliver the medicine they needed, along with other useful herbs and potions they might need. In doing so, Lonemoon Nunnery became renowned, not only for the order's generosity, but also for their expertise in the field of medicine. Some people even traveled far and wide in seek of treatment from the nunnery.
"Did Ming Jing go down the mountain often?" Zhu Xiangxiang asked the detective.
He paused and considered the question. "Based on what I learned, she seemed to have traveled to the village once, along with three of her junior sisters. It was the day of the temple fair, and a lot of people were out and about. I heard that they even encountered a bit of trouble in town, but given their master's reputation, the villagers banded together and helped the nuns sort the matter out. If I remember correctly, the Grand Master Heartless has passed away three months ago."
Zhu Xiangxiang proceeded to task the man to investigate Madam Jiang's visit to Snowy Peaks two years ago, but the detective refused without a second's hesitation. "I'm afraid I can't accept this assignment. Are you trying to get me killed? You actually dare to have them investigated?" Then, without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone.
Though she didn't get the information she wanted, Zhu Xiangxiang wasn't disheartened. She just hoped she wasn't overthinking things, and that her suspicions were unfounded.
...
In the morning, class eight and class one of year one of the fourth high school had physical education classes at the same time.
The next morning, Class 8 of the first year and Class 1 of the second year had to take their Physical Education course together.
Usually, the class started with a round of warm-ups, followed by the 800-meter dash for boys and girls respectively, and then the students were free to do any exercise they wanted. As it was, the P.E. teacher had decided to merge the two classes in order to even out the numbers and get more reliable test results.
Students were expected to change into a designated uniform, which consisted of blue and white, short-sleeved jerseys, and similarly-patterned jogging pants. It was reminiscent of everyone's youth.
Ming Jing stood at 1.7 meters, making her stick out from the rest of the girls. She was also slimmer than most of them, and she didn't fit even the smallest size uniform. It was a little loose around her torso, and the armholes were wider, too. Some of the girls who loved fashion sneaked glances at her and tried to mentally measure her body. Then they grumbled to themselves, envious of the calculations they had come up with. "What the hell? Her figure is like that of a supermodel. It's not fair."
Because of her height, Ming Jing was placed at the end of the line. She stood there, waiting quietly, when someone patted her shoulder.
"What a coincidence, Ming Jing. We're having. P.E. together."
It was Zhu Xiangxiang, sounding chipper and overly friendly. Ming Jing looked straight ahead and ignored her.
Inasmuch as Jiang Jinchen was the campus heartthrob, it could be said that Zhu Xiangxiang was the campus belle. No matter where she went, she commanded everyone's attention. She was greatly idolized, especially among the first years.
Now, as they watched her chatting up an unknown transfer student, her fans were quite baffled. Tao Xingxing, who stood in front of Ming Jing in the line, pricked up her ears to eavesdrop. Every gossipy cell in her body was primed and ready for action.
Knowing she couldn't afford to be rude in front of everyone, Ming Jing let out an indifferent "Mm." Her eyes never swayed.
"Why don't we become partners?" Zhu Xiangxiang persisted. "We can run together later. I really hate the 800-meter dash. It's too taxing, and my body is all sore afterward. You should be mentally and physically prepared before we start."
"Thank you."
A buzz went around the onlookers. What was going on? Where had the cold and aloof school beauty gone? She was eagerly striking a conversation with some dull person, yet this other student actually dared to ignore her good graces?
Finally, it was the last group's turn. Ming Jing positioned herself at the starting line, with Tao Xingxing and Zhu Xiangxiang on either side of her.
"Shall we make a bet?" Zhu Xiangxiang suggested all of a sudden.
Ming Jing glanced sideways at her and said nothing.
But Zhu Xiangxiang took this as a sign that she had finally gotten through to the other girl. She raised her chin proudly. "If I win, you'll change into a nicer wig tomorrow. If I lose…"
She narrowed her eyes before continuing: "I promise to do you one favor. As long as you don't violate my personal limitations, I'll do anything you want."
If Ming Jing changed wigs the next day, it wouldn't matter whether it looked good on her or not—everyone would know that she was wearing a wig, and they would no doubt wonder about it. These rowdy teenagers would then spread rumors, and in the end, Ming Jing would still be on the losing side.
But instead of bowing out, she curled her lips in anticipation. Her eyes caught flecks of sunlight, and they glittered like tiny little stars reflected on an austere lake.
"Just promise to leave me alone."
Zhu Xiangxiang stiffened at that. Not once had she imagined Ming Jing speaking so ruthlessly.
The starter pistol was fired, and the five girls set off at the same time. For the next few seconds, the track was filled with the sound of Zhu Xiangxiang's fans as they cheered her on. Even those who were in the middle of their classes in the adjacent building craned their heads to see what was going on.
Ming Jing fell behind, while Zhu Xiangxiang and another girl advanced together, pushing her farther into the last place.
Despite her long legs, Ming Jing was neither fast nor slow. Her pace was steady and no trace of tension could be seen on the lines of her body. By all rights, she looked like she was just enjoying a jog in the park. But she did make a point of keeping a distance from Zhu Xiangxiang, who was bursting to the head of the race.
Most notable of all was the difference in the girls' facial expressions. While the rest of them sported a ferocious look that spoke of their exertions, Ming Jing looked relaxed, refreshed even.
To those who were watching avidly from the sides, none of it made sense at all.