C1 Return!

A gentle sea breeze, carrying a cool, salty tang, swept in, easing the summer heat. White-capped waves softly lapped the wet, soft sand, taking away the coarse grains. Stars filled the sky, nearly overshadowing the night, while the Milky Way stretched out like a silver ribbon.

Not far away, the five-star oceanfront hotel was bustling. Pink balloons adorned the entrance, and reporters were held back by expressionless bodyguards, ensuring the guests weren't disturbed.

Inside the hotel's presidential suite, Bai Chuman stood behind the crowd. In her short-sleeved top and jeans, she was understated compared to the beauty surrounded by admirers. Her face was expressionless as she watched her sister, whose cheeks were flushed with happiness. Her sister's eyes sparkled, announcing her joy to the world, while her mermaid-tail gown perfectly highlighted her alluring curves.

Nearby, Bai Chuman saw her father with his wife, their eyes filled with pride and reluctance—a picture-perfect family, if only she weren't there...

In the hotel's banquet hall, the guests were all wealthy or influential. The decor was primarily white, accented with red roses, and every detail was exquisite. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, casting light from different angles, making the hall as bright as day, pure and dreamlike. Bordeaux red wine, flown in from a French vineyard, was placed on intricately carved ice boats, flowing along an artificial blue stream. Waiters, with practiced smiles, retrieved bottles, expertly uncorked them, and poured the rich liquid into wine glasses, moving effortlessly through the crowd with trays in hand.

This was a lavish affair built on wealth, yet Bai Chuman's simple white dress made her blend into the crowd, almost invisible. In contrast, her sister stood out, radiant on the arm of her handsome fiancé, smiling with happiness and a touch of shyness.

As Bai Chuman listened to the compliments around her, a dull ache settled in her heart. The sight of the perfect couple was almost unbearable, and she longed to escape the crowd and avoid her family's subtle slights. But someone always seemed determined to thwart her plans.

"Chuman, you're back!" Bai Aixue intercepted her through the throng, her face alight with a genuine-looking surprise and excitement, as if she couldn't believe her sister had come to her wedding.

Bai Chuman recognized that familiar smile from childhood, but it only made her feel queasy. She nodded stiffly, her gaze flitting awkwardly away from Jee Hanxin, who stood beside her sister.

Bai Aixue noticed Chuman's discomfort, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes as she playfully addressed her fiancé. "Look at you, my sister seems more concerned about you than me, her own sister." Jee Hanxin offered a slight smile but said nothing.

Chuman's face turned pale at the words, and the guests around her began to scrutinize her. She smirked internally; her sister never missed a chance to embarrass her in public.

"Sis, how could you say something like that at your own engagement party? I just wanted to see if your fiancé is worthy of you, and now I'm being accused..." Chuman's voice was a mix of feigned hurt and playful teasing.

Jee Hanxin's expression was unusually stern; Bai Aixue's comment had clearly put him in an awkward position too.

"Chuman hasn't been back in ages, and the moment she returns, you two are bickering. You're engaged now; you should be more considerate of your sister."

As the atmosphere grew slightly tense, the elegant Ling Hantong approached with Bai Hechi, her slender, well-maintained fingers gently tapping Bai Aixue's forehead.

"When will you learn to be more sensible? You're an adult now, yet you still squabble with Chuman." With just a few words, she turned the sisters' discord into mere playful banter, painting Chuman as the unreasonable younger sister.

Chuman chuckled inwardly; outsiders might think the Bai family doted on her, the illegitimate daughter. This was the matriarch's skill—no wonder Bai Hechi had never been swayed by any other woman all these years.

When she first joined the family, she genuinely believed that this mother and daughter were of good character. She even blamed her own mother for hurting them, only to later discover that they were just putting on an act, secretly oppressing and humiliating her.

As Chuman glanced up, she met Jee Hanxin's gaze. He seemed displeased with her recent retort, his brow slightly furrowed. In response, Chuman gave him a cold smile. The seemingly blissful wedding ceremony before her was nothing more than a facade built on lies, a happiness she had traded her life for. She was curious to see how far this false happiness could go.