Chapter 30: Such Audacity

"Xiaxia, move out of the Xia residence and come live with me."

Lin Yichen looked at Xia Rusheng’s nonchalant expression, and a sudden pang of heartache struck him. The ins and outs of the situation were easy to guess; Xia Yu was undoubtedly the one who had slashed the gown. She alone had the motive and the opportunity. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stepped on Xiaxia’s hem at such a convenient moment. Yan Xiaoli had already hinted to Xia Rui that the incident involved Xia Yu, but Xia Rui hadn't picked up on it at all.

As for why Xia Rui failed to realize it, it was simply because he didn't believe Xia Yu was capable of such a thing, yet he refused to trust his other daughter.

This evoked an unusual sense of pity in Lin Yichen for Xia Rusheng.

"Live together?" Xia Rusheng furrowed her brows into a knot. Lin Yichen was already in his twenties, so living together wouldn't be an issue for him, but she was only eighteen. Besides, wouldn't living together interfere with Lin Yichen’s "special quirks"?

Seeing her reaction, Lin Yichen assumed she was reluctant and added, "Once you move out, you won't have to endure the Xia family's moods anymore. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Of course it's not!" She hadn't even driven the people in the Xia family to their wits' end yet; how could she move out and let them live in comfort? Xia Rusheng tilted her head to look at Lin Yichen, her brow knitting again. "Lin Yichen, don't tell me you just want to move out yourself and are using 'living together' as an excuse? I don't exactly have a hobby of observing special fetishes."

Lin Yichen was left completely speechless. What on earth was going on in this little woman's head?

"Forget it if you don't agree. Go change your clothes; I'll wait for you downstairs." Lin Yichen felt a bit defeated. It was hard enough to find an interesting woman, yet no matter how he tried to lure her, she just wouldn't take the bait.

After sitting for a while longer, Xia Rusheng changed into the precious gown. Even though Yan Xiaoli was accustomed to various high-end couture, she couldn't help but gasp when she saw Xia Rusheng in this dress. She said, "The person who sent this dress must be the one who truly holds your heart, Miss Xia."

Yan Xiaoli did not overlook the smile that bloomed on Xia Rusheng’s lips after she put on the dress. It was a completely genuine, involuntary smile—one that never appeared when Xia Rusheng faced Lin Yichen.

Xia Rusheng tilted her head and pondered for a moment. The one who holds her heart? Why did her heart beat so fast at those words?

"How do you know Lin Yichen isn't the one who holds my heart? He is the one I am about to be engaged to."

Yan Xiaoli chuckled slightly and said, "A woman's intuition, I suppose."

"You are very candid, Miss Yan." Xia Rusheng hadn't expected Yan Xiaoli to be so observant, nor so bold about her findings. It was clear that Yan Xiaoli intended to befriend her, and in that case, she didn't mind making a friend.

After going downstairs, the banquet was about to begin. Lin Yichen stood on the crystal stage of the ballroom in a white suit, looking so handsome it felt almost surreal. Xia Rusheng stood at the corner of the staircase, which was adorned with white roses, and smiled at him. She then donned a crystal-encrusted half-mask and began to walk slowly down the stairs.

The spotlights in the ballroom instantly converged on the staircase. Under the brilliant glare, Xia Rusheng looked like a noble queen. The luxurious hem of her dress caught the light, creating shifting points of brilliance with every step, and the light reflecting off the diamonds and the spotlights was almost blinding to everyone present.

At this moment, Xia Rusheng was truly a diamond beauty, even more dazzling and noble than the diamonds themselves.

Lin Yichen grandly introduced Xia Rusheng to the guests and then knelt before her in public to propose. The ballroom erupted in applause and cheers, and guests raised their glasses to offer birthday and engagement blessings to Lin Yichen and Xia Rusheng.

Everyone wanted to see what the woman who had caused the young master of the Lin family to spare no expense looked like, but Xia Rusheng kept her mask on throughout, showing no intention of taking it off.

While Xia Rusheng enjoyed being the center of attention on stage, Xia Yu was behind the crowd, burning with humiliation and rage. She grabbed Tan Li’s arm and asked incessantly, "Mom, look at her dress. It’s covered in real diamonds! Did Dad buy it for her in secret? Did he?"

Tan Li’s eyes were locked on the diamond gown. Knowing Xia Rui as she did, she knew he definitely hadn't bought it. The price of the dress alone was far beyond what a second-rate socialite family like the Xias could afford.

"Then who bought it for her? Could it be the Lin family?"

Tan Li shook her head again. While the Lin family had the financial power, they were a political family that prioritized low profiles. Even when the eldest Miss Lin got married, it hadn't been this extravagant.

"Hmph! That brat is certainly lucky. I thought if I ruined her gown, she would make a fool of herself today, but she had an ace up her sleeve. And then she viciously pushed me down the stairs! I will definitely get my revenge, Mom, just wait and see. I’ve poured all that powder into her cosmetics. As soon as she has a drink, her face will start itching uncontrollably. She can just wait to be disfigured!" Xia Yu spoke with venom in every word, acting recklessly under the assumption that no one could hear her.

Tan Li knew her daughter felt wronged and let her vent, but they didn't notice the Lu brothers approaching from behind the stairs, having already overheard Xia Yu.

Lu Si'ang truly hadn't expected that the little tag-along who followed Lu Sining around all day would be capable of such underhanded schemes. It seemed he had misjudged her. Xiaxia’s actions today were clearly a silent counterattack, born from having seen through Xia Yu’s deeds. Neither of these two Xia sisters could be underestimated.

"Big brother, how did you see through it at a glance?"

Lu Siyun smiled without answering. When observing people from the shadows, one always discovers details that the parties involved overlook. A little brainpower was enough to reconstruct the truth. Unfortunately, his younger brother always believed only what his eyes saw and never liked to use his head.

Lu Si'ang felt a bit defeated, his gaze toward his brother filled with both admiration and reluctance. He then followed Lu Siyun’s line of sight and looked at Xiaxia on the stage.

On the giant LED screen on the crystal stage, photos of Xiaxia from childhood to the present were playing. Her appearance in them was completely different from the Xiaxia he saw today. Finally, Lin Yichen invited the entire Xia family onto the stage, and the images on the LED screen froze at the exact moment they stepped up.

"This eldest daughter of the Xia family is really getting more and more interesting..."

Watching the big screen, Lu Siyun couldn't help but chuckle again. The frozen image showed four photos pieced together: they included Xia Rui and his son, Xiaxia, and a strange woman, but notably, there was no sign of Tan Li or her daughter. Yet, at that very moment, Tan Li and her daughter were clinging to Xia Rui’s arm as they walked onto the stage, completely unaware of the strange looks starting to spread among the guests below.

"The lady of the Xia family is truly thick-skinned. The young master Lin’s fiancée doesn't even consider her family—she isn't even in the photos—yet she has the nerve to go up and show her face. If it were me, I’d want to find a hole to crawl into. How humiliating!"