Xu Xinchen glanced at Chen Ningsheng in surprise.

Real estate speculation was arguably the hottest thing in her era. The soaring housing market made many speculators profit, and they regretted not buying more when prices were low. But he, now, has the foresight to see things from a higher perspective.

She instantly felt that the person in front of her might have an unlimited future.

She put down her teacup. "Who can predict the future? Maybe real estate will become the leading industry?"

Chen Ningsheng glanced at her, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Xu Yujie: "No way, are you this confused too? But you and Asheng get along well, and no one around them supports him buying a house."

Soon it got dark. After the others left, Xu Xinchen read a book alone in the room for a while. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Zhao Lanzhi's nephew Pipi's toys were left there. Thinking that the child would cry when he woke up and didn't find his toys, Xu Xinchen got up and took them to him.

She originally planned to knock on the door, leave the toys at Zhao Lanzhi's door, and leave immediately, but she could faintly hear arguing coming from inside.

Xu Xinchen stopped in her tracks and pressed her ear against the door.

"How could you do this? That was my dowry!" Lu Shuangshuang's angry voice reverberated in our ears.

"There's nothing I can do about it... I lost a little while playing mahjong, and I was thinking of just making up for the loss, but I didn't expect to lose more and more. But... Mom will win it back in the future."

Zhao Lanzhi sat in that chair, head down, not daring to look Lu Shuangshuang in the eye.

"In the future? What future? They're getting married soon, and if your daughter marries without a dowry, she'll be laughed at by the whole town!"

"Don't worry," Zhao Lanzhi comforted her, calming herself down. Her eyes darted around, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck her. She smiled, "I have a plan. Do you remember what kind of background Lu Minshi's mother has?"

"How would I know?" Lu Shuangshuang asked, puzzled, then suddenly realized something, "You mean..."

Zhao Lanzhi exchanged a knowing glance with her. "That's right. Her mother was the daughter of a landlord. Back then, your father was considered to be marrying above his station when he married her. I've seen the dowry she left for Lu Minshi. It was all top-quality stuff."

Lu Shuangshuang was happy for a while, then hesitated and said, "Will Dad agree to this? He dotes on Lu Minshi like his own mother..."

Zhao Lanzhi waved her hand, "I don't need his permission." A smile played on her lips, and her eyes gleamed. "I have a brilliant plan."

The next night, Lu Shuangshuang secretly went to Zhao Lanzhi's room. As soon as she closed the door, she saw Zhao Lanzhi staring blankly at the large wooden box in front of her, motionless, not even noticing who had come in.

She walked over, and as soon as she got to Zhao Lanzhi's side, she was stunned when she saw what was in the box.

The box was filled with a dazzling array of colorful treasures, a sight to behold. She squatted down, picked up a string of jewels and jade ornaments, their vibrant colors reflecting in her eyes, sparkling brightly.

"Mom, this..." Her voice trembled, and she opened her mouth several times but could not utter a word.

Zhao Lanzhi seemed to wake up suddenly, rushed towards her, and covered her mouth and nose.

"Shhh."

She held her index finger to her lips, as if afraid of disturbing something.

She peeked around and looked left and right to make sure no one was watching before whispering, "Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

He glanced at her and added, "Especially your dad."

Lu Shuangshuang nodded vigorously after hearing this, but then froze instantly as if she had just thought of something.

"What if he finds out?"

"How would he have found out if you hadn't told him? Once he found out and it was too late—you're already married—what can he do to you? You're his own daughter, don't worry."

Lu Shuangshuang hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

That evening, Zhao Lanzhi lost again while playing mahjong. After vowing to win back her losses and profits that day, she went to Aunt Wang's house next door after dinner.

Under the dark blue sky, silvery laughter echoed in the courtyard of the Lu family.

Xu Xinchen was tired from playing with Pipi, and the two of them collapsed on the bamboo chairs in the yard. After a while, she sat up straight and nudged Pipi, "Pipi, can I ask you for a favor?"

Upon hearing that something was wrong, Pipi sat up straight immediately, looking at her with bright, sparkling eyes.

She patted his head, whispered a few words in his ear, and Pipi's lips curled up. He obediently jumped off the bench and walked towards Zhao Lanzhi's room.

Zhao Lanzhi lost badly at mahjong again today. She was in a bad mood when she got back and lay in bed. The moon shone through the window onto her bedside, and she could hear Pipi snoring like a kitten.

She sighed sadly. Her daughter was getting married in a few days. It was hard not to feel sad that her daughter, whom she had raised for more than 20 years, was suddenly leaving her. Moreover, she was the one who had opposed the marriage in the first place. Even though she had reluctantly agreed to it now, she still felt a little unwilling. She always felt that her daughter should choose a better family.

Feeling stifled and uncomfortable, she slowly got out of bed, put on a light shirt, and tossed and turned. For some reason, the image of the dazzling jewels from that day resurfaced in her mind. She had never seen more beautiful things in her entire life.

She was itching to go and take another look when she suddenly heard a noise from the side. She turned around and saw that Pipi had kicked off the blanket.

She gently covered him with the blanket again and tucked the corners in, but Pipi suddenly opened his eyes.

"Auntie, I need to pee."

Zhao Lanzhi wiped the sweat from her body. She had finally managed to solve the little devil's physiological problem, but Pipi then pestered her to tell her a story. It took a lot of effort to finally coax Pipi to sleep, and she finally had a chance to catch her breath. Her eyelids were drooping, and she quickly fell asleep.

On the wedding day, the festive drums and gongs resounded, and almost everyone in the town came. The place was bustling with people and incredibly lively.

The banquet alone had dozens of tables set up. Zhao Lanzhi, who had been looking unhappy, finally broke into a big smile when she received hundreds of gifts. She busied herself greeting the people coming and going.

Xu Xinchen waited silently in the room. Lu Shuangshuang's interpersonal relationships were really bad; she was the only bridesmaid.

At this moment, Lu Shuangshuang was admiring herself in the mirror, looking at herself from every angle. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of Xu Xinchen sitting on the bed in a daze. Her gaze swept over Xu Xinchen. This bridesmaid dress was one she had specifically chosen; it was definitely the ugliest one she had ever tried on, but somehow, it looked good on her.

Lu Minshi looked completely different. The tight dress accentuated her curvaceous figure, and her rounded waist and hips were enough to ignite anyone's desire. The small section of her tender arm extending from the sleeve revealed smooth and delicate skin that made people linger for a few more seconds.

Whose wedding is this anyway? A surge of frustration rose from the soles of her feet, and her face unconsciously hardened.

Suddenly, someone waiting outside the door shouted, "The groom has arrived!"

Lu Shuangshuang reacted for a moment, then quickly stood up and went to the door. The footsteps outside sounded like a thousand troops, indicating that quite a few people were coming. Lu Shuangshuang turned around and made a gesture to Xu Xinchen, then quickly sat back down in front of the dressing table to make sure that her makeup was flawless.

"The bride is here!" came the best man's shout from outside the door.

Xu Xinchen walked over and pulled open the door. Outside, pairs of eyes stared at her, stunned. Xu Yujie remained in the position of knocking, and it took him two seconds to slowly lower his hand.

Xu Yujie struggled to tear his gaze away from her, but as soon as he turned his head, he saw Chen Baifei's eyes seemingly fixed on her. He coughed softly, and Chen Baifei, as if waking from a dream, awkwardly turned his head away, greeted him, and went inside.

At this moment, Lu Shuangshuang sat in front of the dressing table, dressed in a red wedding gown that made her skin look fair and flawless. She was a beautiful woman with a vibrant and alluring appearance, but the corners of her mouth had long since stiffened.

Whether Lu Minshi did it on purpose or not, she let the groom in so easily. Didn't she know the custom of giving a red envelope before the groom enters? No, how could she not know? She was there when Aunt Wang's son next door got married. She was deliberately trying to sabotage the wedding.

Thinking of this, she desperately wanted to tear off Lu Minshi's annoying, hypocritical face, but at this moment she could do nothing but bite...

He bared his teeth and glared at her fiercely.

When Chen Baifei came in, his face immediately put on a reserved smile.

The bride and groom were surrounded by everyone, chatting sweetly. Xu Xinchen had nothing to do, so she stood aside. Suddenly, her shoulder accidentally bumped into someone. "Sorry," she said hurriedly.

When she looked up, she saw a cold, handsome face with slightly raised eyebrows, exuding a chilling aura. His eyes were incredibly aggressive. She couldn't help but think that if this face were born in the 21st century, he would be more than qualified to be a star. But his whole demeanor was too cold. She wondered what kind of woman could handle him in the future.

She was lost in thought when she came to her senses and realized that the man in front of her was looking at her with a half-smile.

Chen Ningsheng's gaze slowly slid down her delicate face, taking in her features, and a thin smile appeared on his lips. "I thought it was you getting married today."

His tone was slightly teasing, and she only realized what he meant after he left. She looked at the person in the mirror opposite her, wondering, "Is there something wrong with this dress?"

This was Xu Xinchen's first time attending a wedding as a bridesmaid. She didn't expect there to be so many customs involved. It was not as simple as just helping the bride with her makeup as she had imagined. She not only had to deal with the guests, but also had to personally toast each table with the bride and groom.

In her previous life, Xu Xinchen was quite successful in the entertainment industry, so such banquets were commonplace for her, which honed her excellent alcohol tolerance. However, she still disliked them and would not drink a drop of alcohol unless absolutely necessary.

Fortunately, it was the bride and groom who were drinking, but after toasting several tables, Lu Shuangshuang started to feel the effects of the alcohol, her cheeks turning slightly flushed. Chen Baifei couldn't bear to watch.

So, he had no choice but to drink with Lu Shuangshuang. After a few more tables, everyone insisted on toasting each other, and Chen Baifei couldn't take it anymore. Lu Shuangshuang felt so sorry for him, seeing that he was clearly in pain but was pretending to be fine. She squeezed his hand and then smiled at the guests, saying, "I'm so sorry, Baifei can't hold his liquor. How about my sister drinks it for us?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Xinchen and Chen Baifei looked at her immediately.

Chen Baifei realized what was happening and quickly stopped her, laughing, "It's okay, I'll drink. I can still drink."

Lu Shuangshuang whispered in his ear with dissatisfaction, her sleeve being tugged. "What can you drink? Don't try to be brave."

Then, smiling at the people at the table, he said, "My sister is a heroine among women, she can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, so everyone, please feel free to drink with her."

A cheer erupted at the table, creating an even more enthusiastic atmosphere. Several men had been eyeing the bridesmaid covetously. Although she stood behind the bride, she was no less beautiful than the bride, and perhaps even more so. She had already aroused the desires of several men at the table, and now that they had the opportunity, they rushed over to offer her a toast.

Xu Xinchen remained silent for a moment, then obediently picked up the wine glass on the table. However, she did not expect that the first glass she drank would cause a burning sensation in her stomach and her face would slowly turn red.

Oh no, she forgot that this was Lu Minshi's body, not the battle-hardened Xu Xinchen at all.