Nie Yixiao stepped out of the bedroom and, at the instant he closed the door behind him, Xiaxia, who had been keeping watch by the door all this time, sighed in relief.

Watching Nie Yixiao finally heading towards his own guest room, Xiaxia’s heart also settled down.

When Mr. Nie went in, Xiaxia really felt as if every second was an eternity, fearing that someone would come looking for the third Miss.

He finally came out.

Sigh, but then again, it’s really quite strange.

Xiaxia looked at the retreating tall and lean figure of Nie Yixiao with some doubt.

Mr. Nie obviously still cares a lot about the third Miss.

No, it’s not just care.

If it was just ordinary concern, would Mr. Nie risk being discovered by the Chu Family to personally deliver milk to the third Miss?

But if Mr. Nie still liked the third Miss, why did he break up with her for the eldest Miss in the first place?

From the third Miss’s first love to the eldest Miss’s boyfriend, Mr. Nie’s switch was a bombshell in the Chu Family at the time, shocking all the servants.

The servants even heard that the eldest Miss and Mr. Nie were being intimate in the bedroom and were walked in on by the third Miss.

The eldest Miss, playing the victim, ended up chastising the third Miss instead.

This incident made Xiaxia so furious that she nearly turned purple; she felt so indignant on behalf of the third Miss.

To have her boyfriend stolen and, due to her awkward dependency status, being forced to swallow her pride, not only graciously handing over her boyfriend but also offering up her face to be slapped—that was just too tragic.

...

Meanwhile.

Nie Yixiao returned to the Chu Family’s guest room.

The earlier tumult on the man’s face had, upon returning to the room and closing the door, receded like the tide, leaving him with a clear and steady demeanor.

In his eyes, there was even an added measure of vigilance and iciness.

He took out his personal business phone.

Its unique design signified that this phone possessed anti-eavesdropping and anti-tracking functions, making it the most advanced communications tool in the world at present.

He pressed a speed dial number, obviously one he contacted frequently.

As the call connected, he swept open the French window with a "whoosh" and stepped onto the balcony, leaning one hand on the intricately carved balustrade as he gazed into the vast night.

After the call connected, he spoke a few sentences, and Nie Yixiao’s voice suddenly became colder,

"Don’t worry, the evidence is already under investigation."

...

"Before next month, I will try my best to get it sorted out!"

...

"Enough, don’t you know how much I’ve invested in this case? Are you still questioning my ability to handle things at this point?"

...

Although the man’s voice was deep, it was laced with anger, and towards the end, he was almost growling at the person on the other end of the phone.

The voice echoed in a small circle on the balcony.

It wasn’t until the call ended that Nie Yixiao’s face calmed from its angered state.

Turning around, as if venting his frustration, he threw the phone onto the bed with a forceful ’bang’!

——

Because of milk’s sleep-inducing effects, Jiayi slept particularly well that night.

Of the few days she had been in S Country, this was the most soundly she had slept.

Yet the moment her eyes opened, she was pulled back to reality.

She was in S Country, in the Chu Family home.

And she faced an even more daunting issue today.

A visit to the Ya Family.

The Ya Family’s banquet was set for seven in the evening, S Country time, but according to etiquette, members of the Chu Family had to arrive by six-thirty.

The day dragged on, long and agonizing.

Finally, night fell.

The Chu Family’s car was ready, parked at the front door, waiting for its passengers to depart.

As Jiayi descended the stairs, accompanied by Xiaxia, the moon was just rising, in a night sky sparse with stars, appearing peaceful and serene.

The nights in S Country were different from those in China.

In China, the night was lively and prosperous, especially in the economically booming coastal G City, where the night hid countless opportunities, wealth, encounters, and ambiguities, virtually a world of sensory pleasures that became more beautiful as the night deepened.

But the Capital, Nanga, of S Country, tended more towards a city with a long history, quiet and profound, like a land harbouring deep secrets.

At the Chu Family’s villa entrance.

Chu Yanhan’s arm was linked with the elegantly dressed Xuan Yu as they descended the stairs early, flanked on either side by Nanga’s loveliest set of twin sisters, Chu Xinyu and Chu Xinyue.

"Mommy, you look so beautiful tonight. Other ladies will be green with envy when they see you. Those who don’t know better might even think we’re sisters," Chu Xinyu sweetly complimented.

"You, with no other talent but a sweet mouth, sure know how to comfort people," Xuan Yu lifted her cherished eldest daughter’s hand into her palm, holding it tenderly, then turned her gaze to her younger daughter.

Since Chu Xinyue did not often leave the house due to poor health, Xuan Yu looked at her with inevitable pity and straightened her daughter’s hair behind her ears, "Xinyue also looks beautiful today, like a little princess."

"Hmph, am I not beautiful too? Mommy only fusses over Xinyue," Chu Xinyu’s attention was stolen, and she pouted her red lips jealously.

"Of course, sister is the most beautiful in our Chu Family. Who could compare with you?" Chu Xinyue smiled weakly, her tone very humble, sinking to the dust, like a flower unaware and unconcerned with worldly matters.

Not far off, Jiayi’s gaze rested on Chu Xinyue’s face.

This girl who seemed so modest, fragile, and ethereal, was she really the one who cut her dress last night?

What on earth was Chu Xinyue thinking?

...

"Alright, all three of you are beautiful, okay?" The man’s voice broke through the incessant chatter of Xuan Yu and her daughters.

Jiayi’s gaze shifted to her father.

Chu Yanhan was dressed formally in a black tailcoat that evening, his stature tall, his appearance refined and full of character, making him look much younger, without a hint of age showing.

Such a man, setting aside his noble status, was handsome, composed, and exuded an aura of elegance. No wonder her own mother fell for him, willing to bear his child and raise that child alone.

Thinking of her mother, Jiayi’s heart took another dive.

At that moment, Chu Yanhan noticed Jiayi’s presence and paused, "Jiayi’s here, why didn’t you say anything? Come here."

"Sneaking around without making a sound, just like a fox spirit, it’s clear she has the petty air of small folk, not fit for the grand stage," Chu Xinyu, though no longer daring to openly quarrel with Jiayi as before, couldn’t help but mutter a few words in her mother’s presence.

Xuan Yu was too late to stop her daughter’s tactlessness; Chu Yanhan, with his keen hearing, caught it, and his face turned stern, "Xinyu, what are you babbling about? Apologize at once!"

Chu Xinyu was scared of her father’s authority and dared not speak further, but hung her head, with absolutely no intention of apologizing.

Why should she apologize to a lowly girl in front of the entire family and so many servants?