Chapter 48: Outsider
「A few nights before the party.」
Xu Si tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Perhaps it was the photograph, now back at her bedside, that was too jarring; whenever she closed her eyes, her thoughts were dragged back to the catastrophic rainstorm from four years ago.
Jet lag coupled with insomnia.
It wasn’t until three o’clock on Saturday afternoon that she finally woke, feeling listless. After washing up, Xu Si sat before the vanity mirror. She applied a light, clean makeup, using concealer to cover the faint shadows beneath her eyes and dabbing on a few highlights. She brushed her lashes until each one was distinct, further accentuating her already dimensional and captivating features.
When choosing a lipstick, her gaze fell upon the ones gifted to her by the young man. Habitually, she picked one up and brought it to her lips, then suddenly froze.
Four years had passed; the lipstick must have expired by now.
She swapped it for a new one from a different brand but in a similar shade. Only then did she finally lift her clear, bright eyes to study her reflection in the mirror.
This face, compared to four years ago, hadn’t changed much at all.
She studied her reflection for a few minutes before lazily rising and walking into the walk-in closet. From among numerous new dresses, she selected a haute couture gown from a luxury brand’s current season and put it on.
These brands favored the Xu Family, always sending new designs to the Xu Mansion first, regardless of whether she was on Hong Kong Island.