After breakfast, Xu Lian all but yanked Yang Lixue out of bed and into the bathroom to get ready.
"Hurry up!" Xu Lian's voice was muffled but nonetheless excited. "We have to get into the mall before the good stuff is gone!"
Yang Lixue shook her head, giggling quietly as she hastily put on her clothes. She couldn't help but be caught up in Xu Lian's excitement even if part of her still doubted the entire enterprise.
By the time they walked out into the cool morning air, the city had already sprung to life. Traffic and chatter filled the streets, and the contagious energy of the city coursed through the air.
The city mall was huge and crowded with people, as they walked around the mall people threw glances at the girls
It was hard not to.
The red-haired girl had long silky hair that flowed down to her waist, her pink plump lips were formed into an adorable pout and her crystal blue eyes curiously turned to look everywhere in the mall.
The stunning beauty looked like she'd rather be anywhere but here,
She wore light grey joggers paired with a matching large hoodie which was perfect for the cold weather, the dull color of her clothes complemented her lustrous red hair that bounced with her movements.
The other girl had blond curls that people would die to have, she spoke rapidly to her friend, her grey eyes filled with excitement as she rambled on even though her friend didn't answer her, or rather it seemed she wasn't hearing anything.
"Are they from the entertainment industry"
" I don't know, they look like Idols but I don't think I've seen anything online about them "
" Hey, don't you think the redhead looks really familiar, she looks like a newbie actress "
" Doesn't matter, I just know that they are both gorgeous! "
The subtle not-so-subtle compliments reached Xu Lian's ears, and her lips turned upwards a little, her eyes turned to look at Yang Lixue who was unaware of the whispers around them, her lips still set in a pout of having to come out of her hotel room.
She was grateful the girl didn't hear anything or know people's eyes were on them, because knowing the shy girl, that would have made her unbearably uncomfortable.
Xu Lian pulled them over to the escalator that took them up to the furniture section, she took the lead, her cell phone gripped in one hand as she searched online reviews for home decor stores. "We have to choose some basic things," she spoke as they walked. "Throw pillows, works of art, possibly plants. You know, things to make the place feel homey."
As she spoke, Yang Lixue read her lips to catch on.
She gave her overly enthusiastic friend an amused look.
You do know we don't really have the penthouse yet, yeah?
Xu Lian waved her off. "Details, details. You can't win if you don't believe!!"
Against her better judgment, Scarlet couldn't stop smiling. Maybe Xu Lian was right. Perhaps a touch of hope — and a touch of craziness — was exactly what they needed."
Yang Lixue's eyes glided over sleek furniture and quirky decor as they walked from store to store visiting each, and as the visions of how it would feel to live in a place like the one Xu Lian had described danced at the back of her mind.
And perhaps — just perhaps — their luck was about to change.
She spoke too soon though.
Rounding the corner to the section she stood was someone she didn't want to run into anytime soon, but since they stayed in the same city, encountering her twin sister was inevitable.
Before Yang Lixue could look away, Yang Limei's identical eyes immediately caught hers.
She stopped in shock as if she was t expecting Yang Lixue in the city.
Yang Limei frowned at that, it seemed her parents didn't inform her sister of her arrival, no wonder she wasn't home the day she'd arrived, because knowing the kind of sister she had, she would happily stay over to somehow show Yang Lixue how happy their family had been in Yang Lixue's absence
The shoppers around seemed to notice the resemblance between the two.
Yang Limei was tall and slender dressed in a white dress that made her look dainty like a flower, Her sister was a bit shorter and more adorable in her hoodie and black slides with socks.
" Isn't that Yang Limei, the new star actress under Starlight Industries? I heard rumors that she was a twin but I didn't know that a gorgeous redhead was her sister."
" Yes come to think of it, Yang Limei is the only newbie in Chen industries with a striking beauty, and this woman we saw earlier looked really familiar. The only difference is their hair!"
" Oh my, the heavens really have favorites! I need a picture of both of them together."
Xu Lian sneered in her heart, of course, they had heard about Yang Limei venturing into the acting industry and thriving all thanks to her good looks and the Yang family's connections, although she wasn't a bad actress, still, it still wouldn't have been this easy for a regular newbie to climb this high in such a short timeframe.
" Sister! " Yang Limei called out with a cheerful smile.
She made her way over to Yang Lixue with hurried steps pulling the bewildered girl into a hug.
'Why was she acting like she hadn't wronged me or anything? What's going on?'
For the past two years Yang Lixue spent in New York, she had expected her sister to at least reach out and try to talk, or maybe over an apology to assure her that it wasn't a setup, that she hadn't told her to confess her feelings only to claim the man as her boyfriend. But the only time she heard about Yang Limei was about her thriving career and her beautiful relationship with the Yu family's Heir, Yu Shen who treasured her with all his heart.
" Sister? Sister? Can you hear me? Do you have your hearing aids on, I'm sorry I still don't know how to sign."
The whispers grew again.
"Oh, she's deaf."
" What a pity, wasted looks on such a young lady."
Yang Lixue remained stoic, staring at her sister. Her eyes trailed to Yqng Limei's back, a girl of their age stood there staring at the exchange, Yu Nina, Yu Shen's Little sister.
Although the woman's face held many similarities with Yu Shen's, she gave off the same mild mannerism and gentle countenance, like Yang Limei, she was also dressed in a white dress that made her look gentle and appealing.
Yang Lixue sent a nod in her direction and the girl returned with a hesitant smile.
' Yang Xian is back? , two years ago when this girl left the country, her brother had changed absolutely, he became colder and distant. He wouldn't talk about her for months and they didn't dare mention anything about her near him, but one day, she had overheard him talking to his friend one day drunk out of his mind talking about how much he missed his best friend who probably hates him now.'
Her eyes trailed over to her brother's girlfriend Yang Limei, with the wide smile on Yang Limei's face but she couldn't deceive everyone, her fists were clenched by her sides and Yu Nina could tell that her smile was a bit stiff, after all she was also a witness to the day her brother spiraled.
After that day though, no one had mentioned the incident and her gege had carried on spoiling his girlfriend and loving her.
But what would happen if he ran into this girl someday?
Paying no mind to the people around, Yang Lixue brought out her tablet and typed out in large letters,
[ At least keep a genuine smile on your face sis. Aren't you an award-winning actress? ]
Xu Lin had read the words over Yang Lixue's shoulder and she did nothing to hide the gleeful expression on her face.
Yang Lixue thrust the tablet into her sister's face to read.
Yang Limei's cheeks turned red in anger but she couldn't burst out and spoil the well-built image of her in front of the onlookers.
" Well, Lixue it seems you have in your hearing aids so you can hear me, You should come home this weekend, mom and dad haven't seen you for a while, they would be happy to see you, I'll be around too. It'll be fun!"
Yang Lixue almost rolled her eyes. It was evident that their parents didn't inform Yang Limei that she had come home the day she arrived. She didn't even want to know the reason why; all she wanted to do now was go back to sleep.
School was resuming soon and the stress would soon begin, she would like to enjoy these few free times before it all began.
Yang Lixue nodded her head in agreement.
"Oh, Xu Lian dear I didn't see you there good af—"
Before Yang Limei could finish saying her false greetings Xu Lian hissed pulling Yang Lixue away gently.
" Who in the world are you fooling with your stupidity?"
Yang Limei stared at their backs in shock and the last words Xu Lian had thrown at her rang in her ears.
'That Xu Lian had always been mean to her from the beginning, who on earth did she think she was! '
" Come on Yang Limei, we still have some things to buy. "
Yang Limei turned to meet Yu Nina's eyes.
" Okay, let's go Erhm, Yu Nina, can you keep my sister's arrival between both of us, I don't want your brother knowing yet, I'll tell him myself when we see."
Yu Nina paused, and she shrugged her shoulders
"Sure." It was none of her business after all
Yang Limei sent her a smile before intertwining their hands with a calm smile.
But deep inside, her blood raged, ' Why was Ying Xian home, and why didn't she know about her arrival?
Above all, how would Yu Shen react to this news? '