Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

  Shangguan Ning and Mi Xiaoxiao had visited many stores but still failed to zero in on an outfit they both liked.

  They two were about to enter another store, when Ning heard a familiar voice.

  “Lili, this dress looks so good on you. It accentuates your petite waist. Oh, you look so pretty!”


  “Hahaha, you really think so? Xue, you have the best taste! Excuse me, would you please pack this dress for me? I want this dress in all sizes, all of them, so that no one else can wear an outfit that is similar to mine.”


  On learning that this client wanted to buy those many dresses, the saleswoman was extremely happy and said with a smile, “We have only two dresses in stock, currently. You need not worry about someone else wearing the same dress as yours because we are the only store in A city, that sells them. In the rare chance that someone even sports a similar outfit, they lack your personality. Their charisma is no match to yours.”


  Hearing the conversation inside, Shangguan Ning pulled Mi Xiaoxiao, who was about to go inside. “Xiaoxiao, let’s try another store!”


  Mi Xiaoxiao looked confused. “Why? This store is a bit expensive, but the quality is quite good. Maybe they have a dress I like.”


  “Then we can check some other stores and come back to this one, later.” Shangguan Ning said, without giving any more details. She didn’t want to run into these two people, in case they found some pretext for another conflict. She was in a good mood and didn’t want her mood to be ruined.

  It was too late to leave now because the woman inside had already seen Shangguan Ning.

  “Well, well, look it is, after all? Dressed so provocatively, are you out to lure men again?”


  Jii Lili sneered at her, when she spotted her from where she stood.

  Shangguan Ning and Mi Xiaoxiao stopped in their tracks.

  Mi Xiaoxiao understood instantly why Shangguan Ning had suggested going to another store. Well, Shangguan Ning could be mild, but not Mi Xiaoxiao. She knew how to give it back.

  Hearing Jii Lili mouthing such insults, Mi Xiaoxiao said to Shangguan Ning, in a perfectly audible tone, “No wonder this woman is so bitter! It is because she is too ugly for anyone to find her interesting. Plain looking women are often jealous of other women who are pretty. I wonder why this store sells their outfits to such ugly people.”


  The saleswoman was confused. Mi Xiaoxiao had a pitiful expression on her face. She looked at Ji Lili and sighed, “What a waste of a good dress! It makes you look short and fat. Your friend is lying to you, and so is the saleswoman. I’m just being honest.”


  As a matter of fact, the dress Ji Lili had chosen was of knee length. It was made of lace and would make a tall and slender girl look very pretty. Ji Lili, on the other hand, was only a little over 5 feet. She was a pretty looking girl, but this dress highlighted her drawbacks and did nothing to enhance her beauty. ln fact, it made her look older than she was.

  Besides, this dress was apparently one size bigger than the one that would fit Ji Lili. It didn’t fall well on her, at all.

  Ji Lili was so full of herself that she chose not to believe a stranger. After all, Shangguan Rouxue was her friend, why would her friend lie to her? Of course Shangguan Ning would not want Ji Lili to look good, which is why Ning and her friend kept dissuading Ji Lili from buying the dress.

  Wherever they went, Shangguan Ning would be the one who garnered all the praise. She not only dressed better than Ji Lili, but she was also a better person. Shangguan Ning was definitely beautiful, but to add to that, she was mild and gentle, tolerating and forgiving, caring and warm towards everyone. Ji Lili, on the contrary, was a narcissist, who thought no end of herself.

  Shangguan Ning had been tricked by Shangguan Rouxue so many times before. When both the sisters were together, Shangguan Rouxue would try her best to outshine Shangguan Ning. It was the same even now. Shangguan Rouxue enjoyed being the centre of attention and would love to not have to share the limelight with Ji Lili. This is why she complimented Ji Lili on her choice of outfit, even though it was such a poor one.

  Ji Lili had been spoilt rotten ever since she was little. Everything had been handed to her on a platter. She lacked the ability to make her own decisions, so when Shangguan Rouxue complimented her, she was quite flattered. She still chose to believe Shangguan Rouxue and decided to purchase the dress.

  She turned to look at Mi Xiaoxiao and said. “Who are you to give me any advice? You are not allowed to talk, when I talk! I look good in everything and there is no need for you to get jealous. You two are the ones who are ugly. How dare you call me ugly? I will break your face!”


  Shangguan Rouxue held Lili’s hand and stopped her. “Lili, just forget about it. No need to argue and create a scene here. Just forgive them both.”


  She paused for a moment and then said to Shangguan Ning, “Sister, it was my mother’s fault, the last time around. My mother poured hot coffee on you. She is old and can’t think straight, but you poured hot water over her as well. Her body is full of burns and boils. Aren’t you even going to visit her to see how she is doing? She brought you up after all.”


  Shangguan Rouxue wasn’t wearing sunglasses or make up of any sort, so Mi Xiaoxiao took some time to recognise her.

  Hearing her address Shangguan Ning as ‘sister’, she stared at Shangguan Ning in surprise. So this popular socialite of A City, was Shangguan Ning’s sister!

  Wasn’t she the daughter of the Deputy-Mayor of A City? In that case, Shangguan Ning was also the Deputy-Mayor’s daughter? Shangguan Ning came from such an illustrious family and was married into an even more influential one, yet no one in the company knew all this about her. She was Deputy-Mayor’s daughter and she was married to Jing YIchen.

  Since they had run into each other by coincidence, there was no reason for Shangguan Ning to be the one to leave.

  She stared at Shangguan Rouxue and said coldly. “Oh yeah? She wasn’t thinking straight? Had she gone crazy? I already knew of her plan. She just wanted to show your fiancée what a ruthless woman I am, to scald her by pouring hot water over her, so that you can look like the kind and gentle one. I am the victim so why should I visit the person who is playing the villain in my life? She deserves all that she is going through and I have nothing to do with it!”


  “Besides, it was my mother who brought me up, till I was ten years old. After that your mother robbed my mother of my father’s love and affection. She drove her to death. It was my uncle who brought me up. Your mother was never there for me. All that your mother has done is try her best to get me out of the picture. She even drugged my food. You think that I’m blind to all this?”


  “Do you know how the two cats and the dog at home, died? I was upset and didn’t eat that day. I gave my food to them, unaware that it had been poisoned. They ate my food and died a slow and painful death. So, don’t talk to me about the lack of gratitude, otherwise I have enough instances from the past, that throw light on the truth!”


  Shangguan Rouxue eyes had tears in them. She said sadly. “Sister, you have misunderstood us. My mother would never even think of hurting you. She always regards you as her own daughter. She always gave you the best of everything. Every toy was given to you first. I only got the hand-me-downs. Even when it came to clothes, you had the nicest, most pretty looking outfits while I wore your discards. How can you wrong her in this way?”


  Shangguan Ning knew of the thought process behind this facade of kindness too. When Yang Wenshu gave Ning all the good things, Shangguan Zheng would think of Shangguan Rouxue as the one who always adjusted, and then Shangguan Rouxue would get better things because he felt that she had been wronged.

  Everyone would agree that Yang Wenshu was nicer to Ning than her biological mother but only she knew that Shangguan Rouxue’s new clothes would rot in a pile in the wardrobe at home, and she would put on her old clothes, every time she went out to meet people.