Mrs. Fang always sat in the back seat, with Qin Xiaoyu sitting next to her. A Lei, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't help but turn around to look at her.

Qin Xiaoyu felt shy under his gaze, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at him.

"Has anyone ever said you look like a toad?" A Lei brought up the old topic again.

"What are you saying?" Madam Fang's eyes widened. She was old, her eyes bulged, and she was sensitive; A Lei's words were harsh to her.

Qin Xiaoyu quickly looked out the window, trying hard to suppress her laughter.

“I was talking about the little fish. Uh, it was a joke.” That was the only explanation A Lei could offer.

"You're the toad! You're a frog in a well who only turns back into human form after being kissed by a little fish!" Madam Fang's mouth was always sharp, and since A Lei had unintentionally stung her, she was bound to retaliate.

"Fine, I'm a toad." Are sighed, resigned to his fate.

Qin Xiaoyu's face turned red from holding her breath, sustained only by her strong will to survive.

As their car rounded the bend, Qin Xiaoyu saw A Lei's mother get into the car behind them.

For some reason, Qin Xiaoyu felt that her figure was somewhat lonely.

Upon entering the lobby of the Jinjiang Hotel, Qin Xiaoyu immediately became the center of attention.

Mrs. Fang's high heels were barely cat's paw heels, which didn't add much height to her. Standing next to A Lei, she still looked exceptionally petite.

Wearing a formal dress, A Lei appeared even taller, and she looked like a delicate pink doll, hanging on his arm, looking adorable.

Mrs. Fang led them through the guests, introducing them one by one. Qin Xiaoyu only remembered to smile, smile, until her face was stiff from smiling.

She saw envy, jealousy, and hatred on the faces of these people—mainly from some of the young women.

A Lei stared straight ahead, as if Qin Xiaoyu was the only woman in the world and everyone else was genderless, which made him somewhat hateful.

There was another commotion at the entrance.

Miranda proved with her abilities that her position as creative director at New York's largest fashion magazine was earned through her own hard work.

As she entered the banquet hall, she immediately attracted everyone's attention.

She wore a simple, modernized cheongsam dress; the minimalist, three-dimensional cut accentuated her perfect figure. Large red flowers scattered across the white satin were particularly eye-catching, and a thin belt around her waist was the perfect embellishment. Only one thing was missing: her signature large black sunglasses were gone.

Qin Xiaoyu realized that her older sister was right. Miranda and Mrs. Fang were playing a game of hide-and-seek; they never appeared in the same area, each ruling their own territory.

Of course, the main character was still Qin Xiaoyu. Madam Fang did not shy away from the identities of Xiaomei and Hanhan, but proudly introduced them. Hanhan and Xiaomei were poised and confident, without the slightest bit of stage fright.

Commander Zhou and his wife acted as Qin Xiaoyu's family members, appearing as her parents.

So, the news that A Lei was going to marry was that of a widow from an unknown small town in northern China.

"She is beautiful, but men can't stay still, especially someone like A Lei. Let's see how long she can hold onto him." There are many conversations like this. These people are well-dressed, but their sharp tongues and meanness are no less than ordinary people, and they are even more incisive.

Almost everyone was waiting to see Qin Xiaoyu make a fool of herself.

"We'll see," Qin Xiaoyu vowed to herself.

"Sister-in-law, what are you saying?" Tang Wenwen heard this and came closer.

"I'm saying, let them wait and see."

"So you know you're being envied? You're leaving tomorrow, and you still don't realize how serious it is. I bet the whole city will be talking about you tomorrow, and you'll be heading north sneezing." Tang Wenwen laughed.

"Wenwen, am I really bad? Why are people jealous of me? Is it a happy feeling?" Qin Xiaoyu smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"You don't know yourself well enough. If you were just a dignified and elegant Qin Xiaoyu, do you think A Lei would be so infatuated with you? You still have a bit of a seductive side to you," Tang Wenwen said bluntly.

"What are you saying!" Qin Xiaoyu protested. "Only a little? I'm going to be Daji!"

"Stop it, you should save your breath. You still need to look in the mirror," Tang Wenwen teased her, and the two of them burst into laughter.

Miranda happened to walk by while talking to an old friend, and gave him a stern look.

Qin Xiaoyu didn't want to confront her directly, so she turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly she saw two people not far away, both of whom she recognized: Manager Zhang and Qin Xiaoye.

Qin Xiaoye wasn't planning to come today; it was only because Qin Xiaoyu insisted that she gave in.

Qin Xiaoyu always felt that she would feel at ease if more relatives were present on such an important day.

Qin Xiaoye's dress was borrowed from a department store.

She wore a beige suit, her black hair was simply styled in an updo, and she had no makeup on, not even lipstick. Her slightly pale lips, however, matched her cool and aloof temperament.

This girl is always cold and unapproachable. What am I supposed to do if I want to discuss business with her?

"Miss Qin, are you tired?" Manager Zhang greeted her as soon as he saw her.

"It's alright, these shoes just don't fit quite right," Qin Xiaoyu said, sticking out her tongue.

"Wait a moment, I'll bring you a chair." Manager Zhang was considerate and left immediately.

"Congratulations, sis," Qin Xiaoye finally said.

"You should also work hard. Happiness is something you have to fight for yourself. If I don't give it my all, I'll have nothing."

Manager Zhang had already brought over a retro high-backed chair. Qin Xiaoyu hurried over and was about to sit down when she heard a voice behind her.

"Don't sit."

They turned around and saw Miranda, like a persistent ghost, appearing behind them.

"I'm tired, I'll just sit down for a bit." Qin Xiaoyu saw the chair and wasn't about to let it go, she was willing to throw caution to the wind.

"If you continue sitting like this, it will have a crucial impact on your family and career. Think about the consequences yourself." Miranda walked away. Qin Xiaoyu stood there dumbfounded. It was just sitting for a few minutes, how did it become a matter of life and death? Was it going to be World War III or something?

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?" Tang Wenwen walked over from a distance.

"It's okay. I'm just a little tired. Is there a rest area?"

"Come with me." Tang Wenwen took Qin Xiaoyu's arm and led her to the back lounge.

“Tell me if you’re tired, don’t keep pushing yourself.”

Tang Wenwen saw that her feet were already red from taking off her high heels and said with heartache.

These shoes were supposed to fit perfectly, but over the years, the glue has hardened, making them unsuitable.

"How would I know so many rules? What she just said was so scary," Qin Xiaoyu pouted.

Someone knocked on the door, and Qin Xiaoyu nervously put her shoes back on.

"Madam Luo, please come in." Tang Wenwen ushered Madam Luo in.

"This is an engagement gift for Miss Qin." Madam Luo handed over a beautiful little silver box with enamel openwork patterns, which was very exquisite.

Qin Xiaoyu took it with both hands, opened it, and saw that it was a card, which probably meant that she would be a member of Madam Luo's Beauty Salon from now on.