When Xu Musen approached, the car doors unlocked automatically.
Xu Musen didn't hesitate and opened the door to sit inside.
Inside the car was indeed Zhu Yulan's older sister.
This woman, in her thirties, had a curvaceous figure and an extraordinary demeanor, truly at her most perfect age.
Today, she was wearing a black dress. Her face, bearing some resemblance to Zhu Yulan's, carried a slight smile as her gaze traveled back and forth over Xu Musen.
"All of these matters today were orchestrated by you, weren't they?"
Xu Musen spoke calmly.
He had carefully considered the events planned by Huang Tianming, realizing that if Zhu Yulan hadn't appeared suddenly with the evidence,
Huang Tianming might really have escaped justice.
But for a half-capable rich second-generation like him, such a meticulous plan was impossible without someone else's guidance behind the scenes.
And this person was likely the elegant-smiling woman before him.
Xu Musen's question also carried an accusatory tone, although it was she who ultimately helped him win a victory from the jaws of defeat.
But still, she had schemed against Xu Musen, and even her own sister.
Yet, faced with Xu Musen's interrogation, Zhu Xianglan casually adjusted a strand of hair by her ear and nodded in admission.
Zhu Xianglan seemed utterly unashamed as she said with a smile, "Otherwise, could that little Huang whelp come up with such brilliant ideas?"
Xu Musen watched her for a while.
The sisters truly were complete opposites.
Zhu Yulan appeared to be a short-tempered mistress, but was actually just a naïve sweetheart new to the world.
However, Zhu Xianglan, always smiling at everyone, harbored chilling scheming depths within.
Zhu Xianglan, seeing Xu Musen silent, provocatively spoke: "Now that you know all this, do you still plan to seek revenge on me?"
Xu Musen simply withdrew his gaze and spoke indifferently, "Since you dare to come to me directly, you must not be afraid of revenge. Speak, what do you want from me?"
Zhu Xianglan observed his calm demeanor and smiled after a moment: "In fact, you fit the image of my future brother-in-law in my mind perfectly. Why don't you reconsider my sister?"
Xu Musen glanced at her, ignoring her words.
"Ah, my foolish little sister has always been one step behind."
Zhu Xianglan shook her head and sighed, then saw her smiling sister welcoming visitors at the entrance of the shop and smiled again: "But it's good, this ordeal has made her grow quite a bit."
"This way of making her grow might make her hate you."
"Whether she hates me or not isn't important. Her hating just me, avoiding so many other enemies, isn't that also worth it?"
Zhu Xianglan's smile remained on her face, inscrutable.
"If you care about her so much, why must you always push her so hard?"
Xu Musen couldn't fathom what she was really thinking.
Zhu Xianglan silently watched through the car window as her sister, now fully integrated among the small gig workers, smiled at the front of the milk tea shop.
"My sister has been pampered since she was young. Spoiled by mom when little, and later by our eldest sister. When they were gone, I should have been the one to spoil her. But then, I thought, what if one day I'm not around? When no one is there to spoil her, can she truly handle so many people and so many situations alone?"
Zhu Xianglan spoke slowly, recollecting the past, her smile turning into a complex reflection: "I used to be even more stubborn than her. Once, to rebel against a marriage arranged at home, I ran out and even slept under a bridge for several days, hungry and rummaging through trash bins for food. I even thought that I'd rather die outside than return. But then they said, you may run away, but can your sister run away as well?
You were born into the Zhu Family, enjoyed glory and wealth, and should contribute to the family. I understand this, but these large families all have a common flaw: they do not let women wield power. Our existence seems limited to alliances through marriage; even rebellion is wrong, disloyal, ungrateful. "
Zhu Xianglan spoke, her tone mocking.
Xu Musen could understand too; such large families had been around for centuries, with many traditions passed down from old society.
"Our father, obsessed with his enterprise, sometimes I can understand him. He represents the family, controls power, and that comes with a price. We are that price.
In others' eyes, we could marry into equally wealthy families, seemingly guaranteed lives of ease and luxury, a life many would beg for. We seem as if we do not appreciate our blessings."
Zhu Xianglan scoffed, everyone has their troubles, they had all the life everyone desired,
but alone lost the freedom in life.
Xu Musen nodded, he'd discussed this topic with Zhu Yulan before.
Freedom trumps everything, voluntary shackles are real responsibility."
"So, since then I knew avoiding issues was futile. I used to be stubborn because I had my mother and my elder sister to protect me. But when they were gone, I no longer had the privilege to be capricious, because... I became the sister who had to protect her."