Am I That Important?

"Wait!" Chu Tianqing barked. Seeing everyone around her turn to look, she hurried off to the stairwell with her tail between her legs. After catching her breath, she said, "Brother, don't do this to me. Tell me the truth. Did Lin Bufan really agree?"

"She's called Shen Bufan now," Shen Heng said unhurriedly. "She's transferred her household registration back and changed her name. She needs a formal occasion to announce her identity. Why wouldn't she agree?"

Chu Tianqing's mind raced. She realized that because of her influence, everyone's life trajectory was changing.

In the original story, Lin Bufan didn't change her name and transfer her household registration until much later, because the fake heiress was the biggest obstacle. With Shen Xixi around, it wasn't so easy for Lin Bufan to come back.

Now the fake heiress had fallen without a fight, and Lin Bufan had smoothly set foot on the true heiress's road back home. Never mind how her relationship with her birth parents was developing; she would secure the tangible benefits first.

Yep, that was the true heiress's style.

All the same, this made Chu Tianqing feel even more strongly that there was no need for her to show up.

"Brother," Chu Tianqing said, squatting down and drawing circles, her face a picture of bitter resentment. "Do you want to hear the truth? I don't want to go. I feel like a fish out of water, and I really don't have the face to show up."

Shen Heng's voice was as calm as ever, as though he had guessed she would say that. "Xixi, if you don't come, what will people think of our Shen family? We raised a daughter for over twenty years and threw her away just like that, without the slightest regard for our past affection. That's truly cold-blooded and heartless. Once word of that gets out, who will still be willing to work with us?"

Chu Tianqing was speechless. It took her a long while to speak. "Am I that important?"

"Of course. When you watch a comedy, don't you have to have a happy ending?" Shen Heng emphasized solemnly. "You're an essential condition for that happy ending."

Shen Heng had talked Chu Tianqing dizzy. She slowly relented. "All right, I'll go."

To repay the Shen family for raising her, what was wrong with putting on an act? They had reached the grand finale anyway.

Chu Tianqing hung up and walked out, looking utterly grief-stricken.

Jiang Lean was waiting outside. Seeing how bad she looked, she asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Chu Tianqing pouted and threw an arm around Jiang Lean's shoulders. "An'an, I have to go make a fool of myself again."

After listening to Chu Tianqing's complaints, Jiang Lean patted her shoulder in comfort. "There, there. No matter how you slice it, it's only one evening. Besides, with your adoptive parents and that brother of yours there, no one will dare bully you. At most, they'll say a nasty thing or two. Can't you just pretend you didn't hear?"

That was right. Chu Tianqing quickly pulled herself together and prepared to face the weekend like someone marching to her death.

Starting around Thursday, people began receiving invitations one after another. They sent Chu Tianqing WeChat messages, trying every way they could to pump her for information.

Chu Tianqing played dead with all of them, too lazy to reply.

She really had been busy lately: walking the dog, playing with the dog, going to the building materials market, and supervising work at the restaurant.

The weekend arrived in the blink of an eye. She got up early, gave her face a quick wash, changed her clothes, and went out to walk the dog in a daze.

When she returned, she had a serving of soy milk and pan-fried buns in her hand. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she saw a tall figure standing in front of her door, startling her out of her daze.

"Whoa, it's you, Brother!" Chu Tianqing asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Baogang caught a somewhat familiar scent and pounced over excitedly, his tail wagging like a propeller.

Shen Heng's eyes filled with laughter. He bent down, scooped up the puppy, and hefted him in his hand. "He's quite a bit heavier, and he's grown too. You've done a good job raising him."

"You've got some nerve saying that." Chu Tianqing held out her hand and accused him indignantly, "You dumped the dog on me to raise, so why didn't you remember to give me some support money? You have no sense of responsibility at all. All you do is bully me!"

There was quite a bit of genuine feeling in her words, because after giving away that hundred thousand yuan, she really didn't have much money left.

Seeing that she didn't seem to be joking, Shen Heng asked, somewhat puzzled, "Are you short of money?"

From Shen Heng's point of view, there was no way Shen Xixi could be short of money. He knew his parents, and they wouldn't have cut off Shen Xixi's cards.

"Of course I am. If you have any conscience left, give me the money yourself. Don't wait for me to ask!" Chu Tianqing declared solemnly, hoping to secure Baogang a stable and prosperous life as a dog.

"No problem." Shen Heng didn't mind and readily agreed. "I'll have someone transfer you the money in a little while."

Chu Tianqing's face lit up. She opened the door and bowed politely. "Brother, please come in. What important business brings you here so early in the morning?"

Carrying the dog inside, Shen Heng changed into slippers in the entryway and answered with complete seriousness, "I was afraid you'd lose your nerve at the last minute, so I came to see how your preparations were going."

Chu Tianqing froze. She tossed a wet wipe at Shen Heng and said irritably, "Wipe the dog's paws clean before you put him down."

Shen Heng smiled, good-naturedly caught it, and carefully wiped the puppy's paws.

Meanwhile, Chu Tianqing had lost her appetite for breakfast. She threw herself onto the couch, a faint death wish appearing on her face.

After attending to the puppy, Shen Heng sat down opposite her with him in his arms and elegantly crossed his long legs. Without regard for whether Chu Tianqing lived or died, he asked, "What are you wearing tonight? Is it ready? This is a formal occasion. You can't dress too casually."

Chu Tianqing raised her head slightly, intending to say something, but one look at her dear big brother's expressionless face made her sink back down in defeat. "I know. I have a few evening gowns. I won't dress too casually."

"Wear something you've worn before?" Shen Heng disapproved. "That won't do. If people notice, they'll think the Shen family is treating you poorly."

Chu Tianqing struggled to prop up her head and swallowed back all kinds of curses. "Brother, I don't have the money to buy those outrageously expensive clothes," she said weakly.

The competition among socialite heiresses over evening gowns was on the same level as actresses walking the red carpet.

The difference was that actresses could borrow theirs, while socialite heiresses had to pay for their own.

But as before, Shen Heng didn't believe she could be out of money.

He thought she was just making excuses and deliberately trying to ruin the evening's banquet.

Fortunately, he had come prepared. He took a business card from inside his suit jacket, leaned forward, and slid it across the coffee table. "I've found you a stylist. Just go there, and they'll prepare everything for you."

Chu Tianqing's mouth fell open in surprise. Seriously? He's going all out. He even has to take care of this?

Shen Heng stood up, put the puppy on the floor, and looked down at her. "Tonight is very important to our Shen family. Rumors are flying everywhere, and they're bound to have some negative impact. I hope tonight will be a perfect evening, and that after today, people will stop talking about these things."

Chu Tianqing looked at his stern expression and slowly nodded. Somehow, she seemed to feel the pressure Shen Heng had exerted when he wanted to send his fake younger sister to prison.

All right, all right, all right. I'm scared. I'll be on my best behavior tonight and give Shen Heng back a positive world!

She didn't dare act recklessly or be negligent. At two that afternoon, she left on time for the stylist's studio her dear big brother had arranged for her.