Chapter 16: He Wanted to Know Her Past

When Yun Manxia headed out, she made a special detour to the study door. "Hubby, I'm off!"

Bai Hedu nodded. "Go ahead."

But Yun Manxia didn't move.

Bai Hedu looked up from his desk. "What?"

"Why aren't you calling me Xiaxia anymore?" She was clinging to the doorframe, looking at him expectantly, thoroughly

shy but remarkably direct. "I like it when you call me that."

Bai Hedu's breath hitched for a fraction of a second. He looked at the girl gazing at him from the doorway with wide,

hopeful eyes. His own gaze was unfathomably deep. A long moment passed-

"Xiaxia." It sounded like a surrender laced with the faintest trace of helplessness.

A brilliant smile blossomed across Yun Manxia's face. "Mm! I'm going!"

She gathered her skirt hem and bounded away, practically skipping.

Watching the girl's barely contained jubilance as she disappeared from view, Bai Hedu's eyes remained deep and

contemplative long after her figure had vanished. He couldn't seem to refocus on the documents before him.

"Look into her situation at the Yun family all these years," he said. He wanted to know how she'd been living.

Lin Shen accepted the order.

...

The Yangcheng Hotel.

The venue for Xia Lian's birthday banquet.

The banquet hadn't officially begun, but quite a crowd had already gathered. Yun Yiyi was dressed to the nines,

surrounded by a cluster of young socialites her age.

"Yun Manxia isn't here yet?"

"Is she really going to wear that thing?"

"This one's even more bizarre than the last. Just thinking about it, my eyes are already starting to hurt!"

"Good heavens, your family's reputation is going to be dragged through the mud by her!"

When they spoke of Yun Manxia, their voices dripped with disdain and contempt. The reason for this conversation was that

earlier, Yun Yiyi had posted a photo in their group chat, claiming it was the dress Yun Manxia intended to wear today.

She'd been absolutely certain that Yun Manxia would follow her arrangements as she had every time before, so she'd

wasted no time spreading the word.

Listening to everyone's chatter about Yun Manxia, Yun Yiyi felt a secret thrill of satisfaction.

"This is your mother's banquet. How can you just let her carry on like this?" someone said to her.

Yun Yiyi offered a bitter smile. "I tried to stop her. But she wouldn't listen to me. She insisted on wearing that..."

"If you ask me, she shouldn't even be here! What's the difference between her showing up and her ruining the whole

banquet? This is your mother's birthday!"

Seeing the disgust on everyone's faces, the corners of Yun Yiyi's lips curved upward, almost imperceptibly.

But aloud, she sighed with practiced helplessness. "Manxia is my sister, after all. How could she not attend our

mother's birthday? If she makes a fool of herself later, I can only ask everyone to be understanding."

Someone beside her clicked her tongue. "You're too soft-hearted! She's not even your real sister. Why be so good to her?

She doesn't belong in our circle. Just let her fend for herself from now on!"

They spoke these words having entirely forgotten that while Yun Manxia was indeed not Yun Yiyi's biological sister, she

was the legitimate daughter of the Yun family. Yun Yiyi, on the other hand, was merely the stepdaughter.

If one were being precise, it was Yun Yiyi who didn't belong in this circle.

But Yun Yiyi herself seemed to have forgotten this. She simply wore a helpless expression and didn't bother to correct

them.

As they were chatting, someone came running over. "Yun Manxia is here!"

Every pair of eyes in the group lit up, expressions eager for the spectacle.

"She's here, she's here! Ah, my eyes are already hurting!"

"Should've brought eye drops today!"

"I wonder what kind of makeup she's got on this time?"

"Definitely hideous. Just think about all the previous times. Gothic, punk-oh God, why does she insist on torturing our

eyes!"

"She doesn't belong at an event like this. She belongs in a circus. They'd welcome her with open arms..."

They were chatting animatedly and didn't notice that the person who'd delivered the news had a strange look on her face.

"Not exactly..." The girl opened her mouth. "Yun Manxia today is... a little different from before."

Someone laughed mockingly. "Different how? Even more of an eyesore than usual?"

The others joined in with careless laughter and turned toward the entrance.

Then, all at once, every laugh died. Smiles froze on their faces. They stared, eyes wide with disbelief.

The entire banquet hall fell silent for a beat. Countless pairs of eyes locked onto the entrance in unison.

At the center of their attention was a young girl strolling in with effortless grace.

Eyes as luminous and clear as glass. A face as lovely as a blossom. A lake-blue gown with a skirt encrusted with crushed

diamonds that shimmered like a flowing galaxy with every step.

Yun Manxia's gown today had been specially commissioned by Bai Hedu. Her makeup and hair had been done by a professional

styling team.

She certainly wasn't fool enough to wear what Yun Yiyi had brought. With her husband's status, was she really going to

be short a gown?

"Am I- am I seeing things?" someone breathed, stunned. "How does she look so much like Yun Manxia...?"

"Has Yun Manxia always been this beautiful? I only remember her in those eyesore outfits, with that horrifying makeup,

looking like a clown..."

Yun Yiyi's smile was frozen solid. Her nails dug into her palms so hard they nearly snapped.

How was Yun Manxia dressed like this?!

Seeing the awestruck expressions on so many faces throughout the banquet hall, she nearly ground her teeth to dust.

Beside Xia Lian, someone remarked in surprise, "Your stepdaughter cleans up this beautifully? Then why on earth did she

used to look like that?"

Xia Lian's heart sank.

Again. Yun Manxia had slipped out of her control once again.

Was it a coincidence, or had someone at Imperial Garden Villa been teaching her?

On the surface, she laughed with practiced helplessness. "Who knows what that girl is thinking. She liked looking like

that before, and I didn't think it was my place to interfere too much."

Over by Yun Yiyi's group.

"What's going on? Yiyi, didn't you say Yun Manxia was going to wear that dress?"

The socialites all turned to Yun Yiyi.

Yun Yiyi forced a smile. "I don't know what happened either. Let me go ask her..."

She hurried over to Yun Manxia's side and lowered her voice, asking urgently, "Manxia, why aren't you wearing the dress

I prepared for you?"

Yun Manxia felt the stares coming from every direction and scoffed inwardly. Wear the dress she'd prepared? And continue

being a clown, providing everyone with entertainment?

She lifted her gaze casually, swept up her skirt, and did a slow turn. "Do I not look good like this?"

Noticing that every man and woman in the room seemed to have their eyes practically glued to Yun Manxia, Yun Yiyi's

smile grew strained. She went against every instinct in her body. "You look beautiful, of course, but it's a bit...

ordinary. Not as unique as before. The previous style suited you better."

There was no greater example of barefaced lying than this!

Yun Manxia glanced at her and suddenly smiled. "Second Sister, you really like that dress, don't you?"

Yun Yiyi, focused on coaxing her, answered without thinking. "Of course-"

"Then that's easy! I brought it with me. Why don't you wear it yourself?"

As she spoke, Yun Manxia made a gesture to someone behind her.

The next moment, someone walked in holding up a garment on a hanger.

The dress was displayed in full glory for all to see-every agonizing inch of its eyesore magnificence!

Someone actually went "Eww" out loud, wishing they could scrub their eyes clean.

Wu Xiaoya's heart lurched. Before she could speak, Yun Manxia's clear, melodious voice rang out-

"Second Sister, you said you loved this dress, didn't you? I brought it for you. Why don't you wear it yourself?"

"And from now on, you and Auntie Lian don't need to prepare clothes like this for me anymore. You and Auntie Lian might

think they look great, but I don't!"

"Before, you both liked them and insisted I wear them, and I had no choice, so I wore them for you. But I don't want to

anymore-because my husband said they're ugly too!"

She made no effort to lower her voice. Her displeasure was entirely undisguised.

Everyone around heard it. They all froze for a moment.

Then, one by one, they turned to look at Yun Yiyi and Xia Lian with very meaningful expressions.

All these years, Yun Manxia had been a joke! Whenever anyone mentioned her, the first thing that came to mind was that

clownish getup. People their age in their social circle had disdained even associating with her.

But now, from the sound of it, that entire image had been deliberately engineered by Xia Lian and her daughter?!