328 Acknowledging a Master
After kneeling and kowtowing nine times, Jiang Xue officially became Xue Liu’s disciple.
Thunderous applause contrasted with Jiang Xue’s indifferent facade.
Jiang Xue could not help but think about the banquet held to introduce her upon her return to the Jiang family. She laughed awkwardly. Who would have known life could be so wonderful?
Jiang Xue used to believe her fate was to live a life in poverty, find a rich husband, and thereby elevate her social standing and wealth.
She never thought her fate would change to such a degree. The things she had previously wanted were now at her fingertips; nothing was beyond her grasp.
With her current status, those of meager wealth, those same individuals she would have had to curry favor with in the past would now try to do the same with her. Oh, how the tables had turned.
Even Xiang Cheng, who had abandoned her, was no longer worth her attention.
Jiang Xue gracefully conversed with those who greeted her. When she saw Xia Ling still unconvinced, contempt surged to the forefront.
Jiang Xue was escorted back to the Xia family by the two elders.
Xia Chun, who had long received the news, was delighted to see Jiang Xue return. There was no doubt in her mind that her daughter was outstanding. To have caught Xue Liu’s eye so easily… It was impressive.
“Xue’er, you’re amazing!” Bai Yu praised Jiang Xue with much satisfaction.
Xia Fen, who had just entered the house, thrust her coat into the servant’s hands with a cold snort. Seeing Xia Huang standing to one side, she asked to see her daughter upstairs.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I lost to Jiang Xue.” Xia Huang bowed her head in defeat, apologizing as soon as she stepped through the door.
Xia Fen was not overly concerned by her daughter’s defeat. Instead, she consoled her, saying, “It’s fine. Xue Liu is only an opportunity; there will always be others. Don’t blame yourself.”
Xia Fen laughed at herself in self-deprecation. She had lost to Xia Chun, so how could she blame her daughter for doing the same with Xia Chun’s daughter?
Since they were children, her parents had always doted on her sister, Xia Chun. Perhaps it was because her parents had no male heir, but Xia Chun became the apple of their eye, and they had always done their best to raise her well.
It was a pity that Xia Chun would never meet her parents’ expectations.
Xia Chun fell in love, but the man was unwilling to join their family. Unwilling to settle for the man the family had arranged for her, Xia Chun cried and made a fuss.
Xia Chun went so far as to drug Xia Fen, her sister, and used the opportunity presented by her addled state to force the man she was supposed to marry on her instead, and ran away after that.
Xia Fen remembered it all vividly. At that time, she was discussing the possibility of marriage with her boyfriend. But because of Xia Chun’s irresponsible act, her boyfriend and his family caught her in bed with another man.
She had begged, oh how she had begged, but her boyfriend’s family would hear nothing of it. They would not allow her to marry their son.
To make matters worse, she got pregnant. Not knowing whose child it was, she had wanted to abort it, but her parents blackmailed her into giving birth to the child on pain of their joint suicide should she not comply with their demands. Everything turned on its head when her child was born.
After ten months, she went into labor and gave birth to twins. Xia Fen immediately called for a DNA test. Fortunately, the children were not fathered by Xia Chun’s betrothed but by the man she loved.
Xia Fen thought there was a glimmer of hope for them to be together, so she happily took the results to show him. But by then, the man she loved had already married someone else.
Years and years later, she still had not gotten over it. Xia Chun’s return with a daughter in tow was merely the icing on the cake. With her glib tongue, Xia Chun’s daughter had her grandparents wrapped around her finger.
Xia Fen held the pen her old boyfriend had gifted her in a vice. The hatred she had buried surged to the surface, but she had nowhere and no one to vent it on. She couldn’t accept this. She couldn’t accept this!
Whenever she heard how the man she once loved pampered his wife, her mind would drift to a thousand ‘what ifs.’ Would she have found happiness if her sister had not ruined her life? Would she be the one living happily with the man she loved and not whoever he had married?
She could not stand it!
Xia Fen buried her face in her hands and wept, her heart clenching in pain, and her breathing came in hiccups and gasps.
She quickly popped a pill and swallowed it. She had to stay strong. She still had her two beloved children, the twins sired by the man she loved.
Slowly, Xia Fen recovered. She booted up her computer and immersed herself in her work, throwing the dirty, unbearable past to the back of her mind.
–
Meanwhile, Jiang Xue received an update from Beijing about the situation surrounding the Guan family.
“Young Master Guan from the Guan family in Beijing is called Guan Lei?” Jiang Xue shouted in disbelief.
Xia Chun did not understand her daughter’s reaction. She nodded and said, “Yes, that’s right. However, most people don’t call him by his name. They call him Young Master Guan.”