Chapter Two
The most luxurious residences in Hong Kong, besides the hillside mansions in Leeds Hill, are the Rui Xi Terrace in the Upper Town, which offers panoramic views of Waver Bay. Zhang Zhiran's family lives in the only penthouse duplex in Rui Xi Terrace, as this iconic residence was built by her father's company.
The elevator stopped on the 28th floor. Zhi Ran stepped out, swung her legs, and her two black high heels lay crookedly on the white carpet. Su Xuan sat on the curved sofa, bent down to take off her sneakers and put them neatly, then put on the slippers prepared by the maid and followed Zhi Ran inside.
A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, which is more than 7 meters high, illuminating the magnificent interior. Outside the glass windows, the magnificent sea view of Waver Bay is shrouded in darkness, and can only be glimpsed from the outline of the bay by neon-lit high-rise buildings.
This wasn't Su Xian's first time here. Over two years ago, Su Xian played the female lead in Zhi Ran's first drama, "Brilliant Life." At the time, Zhi Ran frequently had to do retakes, delaying the schedule and causing the staff to secretly sabotage her. Su Xian, who had been in the industry longer, took the initiative to help her, and the two became acquainted as a result. Later, Zhi Ran's parents would occasionally invite her to their home for meals, and their relationship grew stronger. Su Xian didn't have many friends, and Zhi Ran was considered one of their closest confidantes.
"You're back just in time, wash your hands and have dinner," Aunt Zhang greeted from the dining room.
When Su Xian sat down, Zhi Ran was holding a bowl and drinking soup.
"Xiao Xian, eat quickly, don't be shy."
Aunt Zhang's hair was always neatly pinned up at the back of her head, a stark contrast to Zhi Ran's casual personality.
“Mommy, why is it that every time Xiaoxian comes over, your opening line is always the same?” Zhiran put down her bowl, raised her eyebrows, and looked at Su Xian. “Her next line is always: ‘Xiaoxian, it’s been so long since you’ve come. You should come more often!’”
"You have no manners." Uncle Zhang frowned and interrupted her. "Miss Su, I'm sorry you had to see this."
Su Xian smiled and shook her head. After everyone had started eating, she picked up her chopsticks and put some vegetables from in front of her into her bowl.
"Have you lost weight again?" Aunt Zhang examined him for a while.
"Compared to Ranran, that's for sure."
Zhi Ran had just popped the peeled shrimp into her mouth when she gave Uncle Zhang a resentful look. The lazy Su Xuan table slowly turned, and a plate of poached chicken came to a stop in front of her.
"This poached chicken is perfect for you to eat while working out."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Su Xian picked out a few pieces of chicken breast. She never deliberately diets and maintains her figure more through exercise, but today she mostly ate vegetables.
"Is the food not to your liking? I'll ask Sister Lian to cook something else."
Aunt Zhang was about to call the maid when Su Xian quickly explained, "No, Aunt Zhang. I'm going to Fashion Week in a couple of days, so I need to control myself a bit."
Aunt Zhang nodded approvingly, then turned to scold her daughter, "You, how come you haven't been affected by Xiaoxian's ambition at all? You were the one who insisted on becoming a star, and you're the one who started the company for you to coast along. You're 25 and still have no ambition." Zhang Zhiran pouted, not daring to argue back.
"Xiaoxian, you have no idea. Yesterday, she was still awake with the lights on at two or three in the morning. When I went into her room, I found her using her phone to argue with her haters online through an alternate account."
This wasn't the first time Zhi Ran had done something like this. When they first met, Su Xian's spy drama "Nightingale" was airing, her first time playing a villainous role. Many netizens were criticizing both the character and the actress on Weibo. Knowing that Su Xian didn't have a personal Weibo account, Zhi Ran indignantly stayed up all night helping her criticize the haters. Of course, Aunt Zhang couldn't know about these things.
Su Xian comforted her, "Auntie, Zhi Ran has only been in the industry for a short time and needs time to grow. Don't worry."
Zhang Zhiran gave her a grateful look and quickly changed the subject, "Xiao Xuan, did you pick out your clothes for Fashion Week? Or are you still going to be Black Widow?"
"What Black Widow?" Uncle Zhang put down his phone and looked up to ask.
"You didn't even know that?" Aunt Zhang looked at her husband. "Xiao Xuan always wears black to public events, which is why she has the nickname 'Black Widow of the Red Carpet.' Some people say she's unoriginal, while others say she's cool and heroic, and that black suits her well."
"Mommy, you're still blaming me? You surf the internet all the time too. Like mother, like daughter."
Aunt Zhang was about to retort to Zhi Ran when her husband interrupted her with a question, "Is that so? Then why do you always wear black?"
"Daddy, you'd better not be curious. Xiao Xuan is going to give you a long lecture on the physics of black and visible light."
"Don't ask so many questions." Aunt Zhang glanced at her husband. "Xiao Xian is a top student at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. You wouldn't understand even if I told you."
"Hey, who said I don't understand? I did get an EMBA, after all."
"You don't even know the true value of your certificate..."
Aunt Zhang's words were interrupted by Uncle Zhang, and the two argued back and forth. Unlike Zhi Ran's mother, who was fiery and impulsive, Zhi Ran's father was more gentle. Most of the time, he gave in to his wife, but there were always a few situations where he had to stand up for himself, like now.
Zhi Ran was already used to their bickering. She covered her forehead with her hand and made a face. "Finally, the firepower has shifted." Su Xian smiled at her.
"How many days are you staying in France? I'd like to go visit too, want to come along?"
After Fashion Week ends, there's no need to immediately join a production team, nor is there a rush to return; a short vacation is possible.
Su Xuan nodded, "But I'll stay for a maximum of one week."
"Okay, workaholic." Zhang Zhiran muttered as she peeled shrimp, "I need to work on a travel plan tonight."
After dinner, Su Xian sat for a while before returning home. Su Xian's home is in a villa area at the foot of Leeds Mountain. Although it is not in the upper town, the air is very fresh because it is close to the mountain, and the privacy is also very good because there are not many houses. Therefore, Su Xian fell in love with this place on her first visit.
The two Elaeocarpus trees in the courtyard are evergreen all year round. Under the parasol in the corner, there is a rattan swing chair, where she likes to curl up and read. However, in the past two years, her schedule has become more and more packed, and she can count on one hand the time she spends at home each year.
Su Xuan entered her fingerprint to open the door, took off her shoes, and closed it. Unlike Zhi Ran's home, hers was in a minimalist style, with diamond-patterned white walls, wooden floors throughout, light gray sofas, and ivory white curtains. Although the brass chandelier wasn't as luxurious as a crystal chandelier, it still illuminated the room brightly, making it look no different from Zhi Ran's home.
Turning on the lights before leaving home is a habit Su Xian developed after she started living alone many years ago. This way, when she comes home at night, the house won't be dark, and it will feel like someone has left the lights on and is waiting for her to come home.
Su Xian loves tidiness, so the cleaning lady she hires is also very good at cleaning and tidying up, unlike Zhi Ran who always leaves her things lying around. Aunt Zhang has complained about this a lot, and once even joked that Su Xian should be her daughter.
Su Xian walked to the wine cabinet, took out a bottle of plum wine, and poured it into a Roc glass. In front of the rectangular walnut dining table, eight chairs were arranged symmetrically. Su Xian casually pulled out one and sat down. The wheat field pattern of the glass cast interlaced shadows on the table under the light of the overhead chandelier. Su Xian reached out to touch it, but the shadow slipped to the back of her hand, and she could feel nothing but the grain of the walnut wood.
The ice in the Locke glass was chilly. Su Xian took a sip; the cool liquid had a sweet and sour taste. This was her favorite bedtime drink lately.
Although the dining table was large, it rarely hosted any guests other than her agent Bai Lin and assistant Qing Qing. Su Xian remembered that there was always noise at the dining table at home when she was a child, but it was completely different from the bickering of Zhi Ran's parents. Back then, she would always keep her head down, silently shoveling food into her mouth, trying not to make a sound.
Later, Su Xian moved to the port city with her mother, and the dining table finally became quiet, though she often ate alone. Her mother worked two jobs to earn money, and she studied diligently. The house was always quiet, just like now, without a sound.
Su Xuan propped her head up with one hand, her fingers tracing the rim of the cup in circles. Childhood memories pounced on her like a ferocious beast. She shook her head, trying to drive them away, but more and more memories came at the command of this beast.
Su Xian sat up straight, picked up her wine glass, and downed it in one gulp. The glass slammed onto the table with a thud. She stood up, walked to the wall, turned off the light, and climbed the stairs without looking back, no longer wanting to see the darkness of the room or the memories trapped within it.
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