Lily took off her flats in the car and changed into high heels before stepping out. Seeing Butler Zhong walking towards her, she waved and greeted him.
"Uncle Zhong, long time no see."
The first time she came to the Zhou house, she was only four years old, attending Royce's aunt's wedding with Mrs. Mei. Butler Zhong had already been serving the Zhou family then. She had a good impression of him.
"Miss Lily, long time no see." Butler Zhong, having adjusted his emotions, smiled as he greeted her, his gaze lingering a moment longer in surprise.
The Lily standing before him was completely different from the one who had come pleading for an engagement with Royce.
Back then, she had been shrouded in sorrow, fear, and resentment. Now, she wore a beige cashmere coat reaching her ankles, her bun pinned up with a crabapple blossom hairpin, her skin as white as snow, exuding a pure aura.
She was just as beautiful as before, but the gloom and irritability seemed to have vanished. She smiled, her eyes curved in genuine happiness.
Butler Zhong wanted to ask why she was here today, but considering Edmond had allowed her in, there had to be a reason, and it wasn't his place to pry. So, he invited her in with a bright smile, "It's cold outside. Please come in quickly, don't catch a chill."
It had rained the previous day, causing a sudden drop in temperature. The wind outside was strong. The internal turmoil wasn't any less intense. Making a living these days was indeed not easy.
Nadia was visiting the Zhou family's old house for the second time. During her last visit, she had met many people, but as soon as she arrived, Malika had slapped her and pulled her hair, turning her into a joke. No one had bothered to introduce her to the people in the room.
Today, there were twice as many people. Back in her hometown, the bride's first meeting with the groom's relatives would be led by the mother-in-law, but her mother-in-law hadn't even attended the wedding and now completely ignored her in front of so many people.
Royce, noticing her discomfort, held her hand and introduced her to all the elders, and she received quite a few meeting gifts. However, few people looked at her properly, and those who did seemed to view her with disdain.
Knowing she wasn't welcome here, Nadia tried to be helpful, arriving at noon with Royce to find ways to assist and chat with peers, hoping to ingratiate herself with the elders.
However, the peers kept their distance, and the few elders who did engage her did so only to provoke Malika. They asked about her parents who sold vegetables, her brother who dropped out of high school and spent his days gaming, and her shabby relatives at the wedding.
They knew such questions were inappropriate for today but asked them deliberately, under the guise of concern, to mock and irritate Malika, creating conflict.
Seeing Malika's increasingly dark expression, Nadia wanted to seek help from Royce, but he had been pulled away by his cousin Franklin after introducing her to everyone. Feeling uneasy, she secretly messaged Royce for help. Just as she hit send, there was a commotion at the entrance.
The sound of high heels clicking drew everyone's attention. When they saw that face, the entire living room fell silent.
Lily? Lily acted oblivious to the strange atmosphere around her, walking over with a bright smile, clapping her hands and warmly greeting everyone.
"Hello, everyone! Did you miss me?" She blew a kiss to the crowd. "I've missed you all so much!"
Everyone:"???"
What was she talking about? What kind of relationship did she have to miss them? Who was she missing so much?
Royce, having just received Nadia's distress message, came down from upstairs. He had just reached the stairs when he saw Lily and his eyes widened in shock.
"Lily?"
Hearing his voice, Lily looked up, her smile growing even more radiant.
"Hello, dear nephew."
Royce:"?"
Dear nephew?
Everyone:"?"
Dear nephew? Lily had gone mad. That was the collective thought of everyone in the Zhou family, including Franklin.
Franklin absolutely detested Nadia, and he had deliberately pulled his cousin away, leaving Nadia to face the hostility of the women in the Zhou family alone. His cousin had barely taken a sip of water, and already Lily was acting crazy? Calling his cousin "big nephew"?
Hey, how did she suddenly elevate her seniority like this? If his cousin was her nephew, wouldn't that make him her nephew too? Franklin immediately rushed downstairs, grabbed Lily's arm, and asked in a low voice, "Have you been drinking fake alcohol?"
He leaned in to sniff her, but there was no smell of alcohol.
Lily stood still and slapped him on the forehead.
"You brat, mind your manners. I'm your aunt, show some respect."
Franklin clutched his forehead. "Aunt?" Everyone was puzzled. "Aunt?" With that title, everyone understood. This girl had placed herself in the role of Edmond's wife? "Lily, stop fooling around."