Chapter 138 - 096 Dream Butterfly Heart’s Pull
The driver, sent specifically by Yun Shu to pick up Kang Jinxian, noticed her pale complexion and couldn’t help asking, "Miss, are you feeling unwell?"
Kang Jinxian leaned weakly in the seat, having felt a lack of strength lately, probably due to insufficient rest. To maintain a good image, she devoted almost all her free time to studying, but it was still not enough; her grades were only considered above average, a bit short of excellence.
She thought herself clever, and over the years she’d pulled out all the stops trying to please Yun Shu and Yun Shen. Yet that cunning wasn’t enough for academics; sometimes, she felt utterly discouraged that God had not given her a pretty face, a good family background, and why not a smart brain as well.
Had she not carved her own path by crafting the image of an obedient and filial daughter, she might have remained unnoticed.
She had barely managed to obtain everything she had today: reputation, status, wealth. No matter the cost, she was determined to hold on tightly to them.
Upon returning home and not finding Yun Shu in the living room, she asked the maid Ah Huan, "Where’s Mom?"
"Madam is in the back garden."
The garden was ablaze with color, butterflies dancing among the blossoms, with large swaths of crabapple flowers blooming in the wind. Yun Shu was bending over, elegantly tending to her beloved May Kirin.
The May Kirin was the only exotic flower among the famed Eight Great Orchids, with slender, yet strong green stalks. Countless emerald petals, with yellow-tinged stamen and deep red pistils, created a stark contrast. The upper part of the petals and the stamen were arranged in order, and its leaves were long and upright, displaying elegance in the breeze, embodying a remarkable spirit.
Hearing footsteps, Yun Shu didn’t look back, "Back already? How was your outing?"
Kang Jinxian walked over, wrapped her arm around hers, and rubbed her cheek against Yun Shu’s arm, acting coquettishly like a little girl.
Yun Shu was always a sucker for this act, patting her hand and smiling as she turned to glance at her, asking softly, "What’s wrong? You look unhappy."
"I saw someone today who looked very much like someone I know," Kang Jinxian said gloomily.
Yun Shu had asked casually, "Who? Maybe you mistook someone after many years."
"It’s Yun Ya, brother’s daughter. She was so smart and cute as a child. I haven’t seen her for ten years. I wonder how she’s been living abroad all these years?"
At those words, she clearly felt Yun Shu stiffen.
She was certain that she had overheard Yun Shen and Yun Shu discussing how to deal with Ji Yunya at that banquet years ago. Yun Shu was ruthless, and after that night, Ji Yunya indeed disappeared. Yun Shu announced to the public that Ji Yunya had been traumatized by a kidnapping and was sent abroad for recovery, but she knew well that Ji Yunya had died years ago, and Yun Shu was only suppressing the news of her death due to media pressure.
Therefore, that person couldn’t possibly be Ji Yunya. She must have been imagining things—it had to be...
"Oh? Then you must have mistaken someone else. Yun Ya is recovering abroad. Just like her mother, she has some mental issues. For her safety, it’s better she stays overseas," Yun Shu’s gentle voice filled with a tinge of coldness, like a chill wind whistling through the heart on an autumn day.
Kang Jinxian bowed her head obediently, appearing exceptionally well-behaved, with a hint of pity in her tone, "Sister Yun Ya is so pitiful. I hope God blesses her with peace, not seeking wealth or honor, but a life of smooth serenity and happiness."
Yun Shu patted her back, "Ah Xian has a compassionate heart."
----
That evening, upon Yun Shen’s return, Kang Jinxian greeted him with a smile, naturally taking his coat.
"Brother, dinner is ready."
Looking at the tender and obedient girl under the lights with her big, clear, watery eyes, Yun Shen smiled and ruffled her soft, short hair, "Good."
Kang Jinxian felt a sweetness in her heart, akin to tasting honey, feeling as if the hand that landed on her head burned with a scorching heat, searing her heart...
She watched Yun Shen’s retreating back and drifted into a daydream. Ten years had not left any mark on him; he was still as handsome and aloof as when she first saw him. If there had been any change, it was that he had grown steadier, more mature...
Every move he made deeply attracted her, and she finally came to profoundly understand her sister’s feelings of unrequited love...
At night, Kang Jinxian tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her mind occupied with the image of that girl; that face superimposing with the young Ji Yunya’s...