Within a week, Cheng Xining had already encountered Shen Mianmian for the second time. She felt that Shen Mianmian was like an unshakable ghost, clinging to Brother Nan in Licheng, and now in Beijing, had even cozied up to her cousin.
"Xining, you know Mianmian too?" Ruan Yiyang smiled, "It’s good that everyone is familiar with each other. Mianmian, don’t be too formal, we’re all family here." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝕟𝕖𝕥
Just as Cheng Xining was about to speak, He Nan stopped her with a glance. Annoyed, she stamped her foot and swallowed all her words back.
"Aunt Ruan, Uncle Ruan..."
Shen Mianmian didn’t bother with Cheng Xining but politely greeted the elders instead.
Cheng Xining’s eyes were nearly popping out, while Ruan Lingyu remained silent with a complex expression.
Within a week, she had encountered Shen Mianmian for the second time. Before hearing Cheng Xining talk about Shen Mianmian, she thought the girl was pretty and a good student, quite likable. But after knowing more, she began to see Mianmian as someone with deep scheming.
First, she ingratiated herself with He Nan, then acknowledged Yiyang as her god-brother. Suddenly, she was connected with two significant figures in Beijing. A nineteen-year-old girl with such capability spoke volumes.
This girl was far from simple.
Mother Ruan saw the off expressions of the two and knew there might be something she was unaware of, but being a smart woman, she showed nothing on her face, smiling as she took Shen Mianmian’s hand and led her into the house.
"Yiyang told us he had acknowledged a beautiful god-sister. Both his father and I were so delighted we kept telling him to bring you over for dinner, but he never had the time, so it was delayed until now."
As she spoke, she led Shen Mianmian to the sofa and then invited her to sit down.
He Nan also came in and sat next to Father Ruan.
"Mom, Mianmian isn’t just pretty, she also scored first in the entire province on her college entrance exams," Ruan Yiyang said proudly.
He had kept that detail to himself, waiting for the right moment to mention it.
Upon hearing this, Mother Ruan’s eyes instantly brightened, and Father Ruan too looked at Shen Mianmian with surprise. He hadn’t paid much attention to her before; as far as he was concerned, his son acknowledging a god-sister was fine by him, and he wasn’t particularly thrilled.
Having no daughter in the family, gaining a god-daughter didn’t matter much. His son kept emphasizing how pretty Shen Mianmian was, and he assumed she was just an empty vase, a pretty face with no substance. As long as nothing too outrageous occurred, he didn’t want to upset his son. Now hearing that Shen Mianmian had achieved first in the province, he couldn’t help but scrutinize her more closely.
The girl seemed quietly shy but had a pair of clear and bright eyes, which revealed her intelligence; no wonder she had scored first in the province.
For a family of scholars like theirs, having such a god-daughter was naturally something to be happy about.
It seemed that his son had indeed grown up and developed good judgment, not just focusing on appearances as he had previously thought.
So Father Ruan took the initiative to chat with Shen Mianmian for a few moments.
Shen Mianmian answered each question obediently. She observed the subtle changes in the expressions of Father and Mother Ruan, realizing why He Nan wanted her to get into Beijing University before getting involved with the Ruan Family; they valued academic achievement to such an extent.
Seeing how Shen Mianmian responded to his questions with ease, her tone neither rushed nor slow, and her demeanor calm but full of politeness, Father Ruan’s impression of her improved even further.
Such a child, if one didn’t know her background, might well be mistaken for a young lady from a wealthy and prominent family.
Mother Ruan was pleased with all this, but she also noticed that Cheng Xining was glaring angrily at Shen Mianmian, while Ruan Lingyu remained silent throughout.