The Xie Family's Second Son Makes an Unusual Entrance

"In a few days, the staff will bring this season's clothes to the house. We can pick them out together."

Shen Baili said, "Okay!"

Once again, she marveled at how extravagantly rich people lived. They never failed to open her eyes.

After her afternoon nap, Shen Baili worked through a set of math problems to wake herself up, then picked up where she had left off yesterday and began today's preview. She had finished the first semester of tenth-grade math, so today she would preview a chapter each of physics and geography, then watch two episodes of Peppa Pig in English. Studying was all about balance.

Shen Wan was also cramming, learning about the other prominent families that worked with the Xie Family, banquet etiquette, and more.

Mother and daughter had the same crash course in high-society life, but as it happened, neither had a class scheduled today.

One upstairs and one downstairs, they spent a productive afternoon.

At three one afternoon, the new season's clothes arrived as promised. Racks of clothing stood neatly in the living room, row after row. It was a spectacular sight—no exaggeration to say they had brought an entire clothing store into the house.

More accurately, they had brought a runway show into the house. Every major brand's latest designs had arrived, along with models whose figures resembled Shen Wan's and Shen Baili's. The models walked in complete looks, with jewelry, shoes, and bags all matched to their outfits.

Shen Baili's eyes were opened yet again. The TV dramas had been conservative.

They sat on the sofa and watched the models show off the clothes. Whenever they liked a style, they said so, and a personal assistant noted it down.

Delicate, delicious afternoon tea sat on the coffee table, ready for them whenever they wanted it.

Shen Baili found it all novel. Watching beautiful models walk the runway in gorgeous clothes was a pleasure in itself.

They kept quite a few pieces between them: tops, pants, and dresses in all sorts of styles. It had been a fruitful afternoon.

Once they had finished choosing, the servants at the Xie Residence sorted the clothes by category and put them away in the mother and daughter's dressing rooms. Neither of them had to lift a finger, yet the whole experience had been delightful.

"Tired?" Shen Wan asked when she noticed Shen Baili yawn.

Shen Baili shook her head. "No, my eyes are just a little sore."

"Shall we take a walk in the garden?" Shen Wan suggested.

She kept the doctor's instructions firmly in mind and paid close attention to how much exercise Shen Baili got each day. Looking at some greenery would do her tired eyes good, too.

"Sure," Shen Baili agreed.

After giving the personal assistant a few instructions, Shen Wan let her daughter take her arm, and they walked out of the living room.

The sun had not yet set, but its heat had faded. It was perfect weather for a walk outside.

Inside the living room, the luxury boutique employees watched them go. They exchanged glances and saw the same envy in each other's eyes.

"They're so beautiful," a young saleswoman couldn't help saying. "And so elegant. Just what you'd expect from a wealthy family's lady and daughter."

It was like a rich-family novel come to life.

She had not been with the boutique long and usually worked in the store. This was her first assignment outside it.

From the moment she entered the villa district, she had felt like a country bumpkin visiting a grand estate. Everything she saw upended her idea of what it meant to be rich.

It was also her first time seeing someone so stunning in both looks and bearing in real life—and there were two of them!!!

She could hardly take her eyes off them!!

Mrs. Xie was gentle and graceful, noble and poised. Miss Xie had eyes and brows much like her mother's, but her features were more refined and striking. When she smiled, she looked fresh and sweet.

They were both so kind and polite. Just listening to them speak made the saleswoman hold her breath, afraid she might disturb the beauties.

An older saleswoman glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, she said with a spiteful eagerness to gossip, "That woman knows how to get what she wants. She turned the big boss's head, married into a top family on her second try, and even brought her daughter along for the ride."

She was a longtime employee who had served plenty of rich people and heard all the latest gossip about their circles.

Today she had finally met the woman at the center of it all. She was nothing special.

She was only a little prettier, a little fairer, and a little more elegant than her... There were so many beautiful women in the world. Why had this one been lucky enough to marry a big shot and leap straight into another social class?

"Don't let that sweet act fool you," the older saleswoman said disdainfully.

The young saleswoman's eyes widened at the shocking gossip. "But Mrs. Xie is so gentle," she objected softly. "She doesn't seem like that..."

The older saleswoman clicked her tongue and was about to say more when the supervisor snapped, "What are you whispering about over there? Get back to work, all of you! Don't you want your bonuses this month?"

The young saleswoman apologized at once and quietly moved away from the older woman. Her instincts told her the woman was bad news.

The older saleswoman rolled her eyes impatiently. She couldn't be bothered with her and went to another corner to slack off.

The supervisor had heard those bitter remarks. The fool was sleeping with the deputy store manager and spent every day throwing her weight around. It almost made him laugh in exasperation.

How dare she gossip so freely about a major client's family? If she wanted to ruin her own career, she could leave the rest of them—people who actually worked hard—out of it.

He was speechless. The fool was simply jealous that Mrs. Xie was beautiful and had married into a wealthy family. She couldn't stand it.

Luckily, no one else had heard that outrageous talk. Was she so comfortable in her job that she wanted the thrill of offending a major client?

The supervisor neither understood nor cared to. He decided he would report what had happened to the store manager as soon as he got back. With luck, the fool would be fired.

He pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat from his forehead, ready to resume supervising the staff. Then he turned and saw the imposing, commanding figure not far away. The man had not even spoken, yet his presence alone was enough to make the supervisor feel the pressure.

Sweat poured down the supervisor's back. "G-Good afternoon, Chairman Xie," he stammered.

How long had Chairman Xie been standing there? Had he heard what that idiot had said??

Xie Chengyue's impassive face gave the supervisor no clues.

That damned fool! He cursed inwardly.

The Xie Family's Second Son Makes an Unusual Entrance

Shen Baili linked arms with Shen Wan and headed toward the backyard. There was a Glass Greenhouse there, filled with beautiful flowers.

Because the two of them wanted to grow vegetables, Butler Lin had arranged for a gardener to clear a ten-square-meter patch in one corner. Shen Wan transplanted several tomato seedlings into it, and after the rest of the soil had been loosened, Shen Baili scattered cabbage seeds over it.