The Xie Family's Second Son Made an Unusual Entrance

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

"Okay," Shen Baili said.

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

After her lunch break, Shen Baili worked through a set of math problems to wake herself up. Then she picked up where she had left off yesterday and continued with her study plan. She had finished the first semester's high school math, so today she would preview a chapter each of physics and geography, then watch two episodes of Peppa Pig in English. Studying called for a balance of work and rest.

Shen Wan was also cramming everything she could about wealthy families, from the other prominent families that worked with the Xie Family to banquet etiquette.

Mother and daughter were taking the same crash course in upper-class life, but neither had a lesson scheduled today.

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

At three o'clock one afternoon, the latest seasonal clothing arrived as scheduled. Row upon row of garments stood neatly arranged in the living room, creating an extraordinary spectacle—it was no exaggeration to say they had moved an entire boutique into the house.

More accurately, they had brought a fashion show into the house. Every major brand had sent over its latest designs for the season, along with models whose figures resembled Shen Wan's and Shen Baili's. The models walked the room in complete outfits, with jewelry, shoes, and handbags all coordinated.

Shen Baili's eyes were opened yet again. Television dramas had been downright conservative.

They sat on the sofa and watched the models show off the clothes. Whenever they liked a style, they said so, and the Personal Assistant recorded their choices.

An exquisite afternoon tea was laid out on the coffee table for them to enjoy whenever they pleased.

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

They both kept quite a few pieces—tops, pants, and dresses in all kinds of styles. It was 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. They never had to lift a finger, yet the whole experience was delightful.

"Are you 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 walk around 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.

Shen Wan said a word to the Personal Assistant, then left the living room with her daughter supporting her by the arm.

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

Inside the living room, the employees from the luxury clothing store watched them leave. They exchanged glances and saw the same envy in each other's eyes.

"They're so beautiful," a young saleswoman exclaimed. "And so elegant. You can tell they're a wealthy family's lady and daughter."

It was like a novel about the rich brought to life.

She had only recently joined the store and usually worked on the sales floor. This was her first assignment away from it.

From the moment she had entered the villa compound, she had felt like a country bumpkin visiting a grand estate. Everything she thought she knew about rich people had been turned on its head.

And for the first time in her life, she had met a woman whose looks and bearing were both extraordinary. Two women, in fact!

She could hardly take her eyes off them!

Mrs. Xie was gentle and graceful, dignified and poised. Miss Xie had her mother's eyes and brows, but her features were even more finely sculpted and coolly beautiful. When she smiled, she looked fresh and sweet.

They were both so kind and polite. Listening to them speak, the saleswoman had found herself breathing more quietly, afraid of disturbing the beauties.

An older saleswoman glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, she said with a gossipy, spiteful edge, "That lady knows exactly what she's doing. She had the big boss wrapped around her finger, married into one of the richest families on her second try, and even brought her daughter along as baggage."

She was a longtime employee who had served plenty of wealthy customers and heard all the latest gossip from 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 than her, a little fairer, a little more elegant... There were plenty of beautiful women in the world. Why was this one lucky enough to marry a big shot and leap straight into the upper class?

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

The young saleswoman's eyes widened at the shocking gossip, but she whispered in protest, "Mrs. Xie was so gentle. She didn't seem anything like that..."

The older saleswoman clicked her tongue and was about to say more when the supervisor snapped, "What are you whispering about? 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 one. Her instincts told her the woman was bad news.

The older saleswoman rolled her eyes in irritation. She could not be bothered with them and wandered off to another corner to slack off.

The supervisor had heard those envy-soaked remarks. The idiot nearly made him laugh with anger. Just because she was having an affair with the assistant store manager, she threw her weight around all day.

And now she dared to gossip openly 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 could not stand it.

Fortunately, no one else had heard that outrageous rant. Was offending a major client her idea of adding excitement to a job she found too comfortable?

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

He pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then he turned to resume supervising the staff—and saw the imposing figure of the big boss standing not far away. The man had not said a word, yet his presence alone was enough to make the supervisor feel the pressure.

Sweat poured down the supervisor's back. "Ch-Chairman Xie. Hello."

How long had Chairman Xie been standing there? Had he heard that idiot's remarks?

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

That damned fool! he cursed inwardly.

An Unusual Entrance for the Xie Family's Second Son

Shen Baili walked toward the backyard with her arm linked through Shen Wan's. A Glass Greenhouse stood there, filled with beautiful flowers.

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