Two years later—
In the affluent suburbs beyond the city, an estate sprawled so vast that its boundaries seemed to dissolve into the horizon. The entrance alone felt like the gate of a private kingdom, and the long drive before it had been transformed into a glittering exhibition of wealth. Luxury cars lined up in dense rows, their polished bodies reflecting sunlight like cold jewels—sleek, extravagant, unmistakably expensive. Engines purred softly, doors opened and closed, and chauffeurs moved with practiced efficiency as the guests arrived one after another.
Today was Mu Xiaonan's eighteenth birthday—her coming-of-age celebration.
Within the upper circles, everyone knew her story. She had been adopted by mistake, brought into the Mu family through an accident of fate, yet she had proven herself remarkably outstanding. Talented, obedient, poised, and dazzling in public, she had become the darling of the household. The Mu family doted on her, and society followed suit; a girl beloved by such a powerful family was inevitably treated as a star.
Naturally, her birthday banquet was not simply a birthday banquet.
It was a social event—a stage.
And the influential were obliged to attend, if only to show their faces and maintain their ties.
In the garden, balloons floated above the lawns like drifting clouds, their ribbons trembling in the breeze. At the center stood a towering cake, taller than a person, layered and ornate like a fairy-tale monument. Mu Xiaonan wore a princess gown that shimmered with delicate embellishments. She stood beside the cake with flawless posture and a radiant smile, receiving congratulations as if she had been born to be celebrated.
Compliments rose around her in waves.
"I heard Xiaonan placed second in an international piano competition last month—extraordinary!"
"And in the citywide joint exam, she ranked third! That's incredible."
"Mr. Mu, you've raised your daughter so well. She brings such honor to the family."
Mu Xiaonan responded to each praise with a standard, polished smile—gracious, humble, perfectly measured. She nodded gently, offered modest words, and never once let her expression slip. Beside her, Mu Lei smiled with satisfaction, the pride in his eyes barely concealed. It had been worth setting work aside to return for this banquet. This girl—this "daughter"—gave him face. She made him look good.
But not everyone's tongue was as refined as their clothing.
Mu Madam lifted her thin, meticulously painted brows, and her voice cut through the pleasant atmosphere—sharp, shrill, and deliberately loud enough to be heard.
"Our Nan Nan is the best," she said, brimming with pointed disdain. "Unlike that someone. Rebellious and ungrateful—she runs away and stays gone for two whole years. I'd say she doesn't respect us at all!"
Mu Xiaonan's smile did not waver, but she hurried to play the peacemaker, softening her tone as though she were gently restraining a mother who had spoken too harshly. "Mom, please don't say that," she coaxed. "Sister Qingyue will come back once she's thought things through."
"Who cares whether she comes back?" Mu Madam scoffed. "A sparrow is still a sparrow. Even if you give her a chance to perch on a branch, she'll never become a phoenix."
The two of them spoke in concert—one sharp, one sweet—striking the same target from different angles. Mu Lei's brows knitted, irritation flashing through his expression. Around them, the guests exchanged glances, their smiles thinning as their assumptions hardened. In their eyes, that absent "eldest Miss Mu" was exactly what the rumors claimed: useless, troublesome, and humiliating.
Mu Madam's real name was Ning Xi—a mistress who had climbed into the position of wife.
She adored Mu Xiaonan precisely because Mu Xiaonan knew how to flatter her, how to please her, how to make her feel secure. She despised Mu Qingyue because Mu Qingyue's existence was inconvenient, disobedient, and impossible to mold.
Besides—neither girl was her biological daughter.
So of course she would choose the one who was easier to control.
At that moment, Old Master Mu emerged from the hall, leaning heavily on his cane. His face was stern, and the air around him carried the weight of authority. When he heard Ning Xi's words, his expression darkened at once.
"Enough!" he snapped. "Qingyue is still Mu blood. Who are you to call her a sparrow?"
"Dad, don't be angry," Mu Lei hurried to say, rushing forward.
"Grandfather, Mom only spoke too quickly," Mu Xiaonan added at once, stepping in with a dutiful, concerned expression. "Please don't take it to heart."
In the Mu family, the old master's word was still law. His displeasure was not something anyone dared treat lightly.
Behind Old Master Mu walked a young man with an unusually cool, clean aura—handsome, pale, restrained. His temperament was calm, almost aloof, as though he carried a quiet distance from the noisy world around him. His gaze landed on Mu Xiaonan, and he gave her a slight nod.
"Happy birthday," he said.
Mu Xiaonan lowered her head shyly, cheeks faintly pink, voice soft. "Thank you, Brother Ziqiao."
Ning Xi, having been publicly scolded, did not dare argue with the old master. Yet resentment simmered in her heart, refusing to die. She drifted closer to Qin Ziqiao and muttered in a low voice, as though speaking to herself rather than planting poison.
"Mu Qingyue was rotten mud from the start—you can't prop her up no matter what. How could she possibly compare to our Nan Nan?"
Qin Ziqiao heard her clearly.
His swordlike brows furrowed. Irritation tightened at the corner of his eyes.
Just moments earlier, he had been with his elders and Old Master Mu. From the way they spoke, it sounded as though they intended to arrange an engagement between him and Mu Qingyue.
The thought made his mood sour.
Years ago, he had seen Mu Qingyue once. The memory was unpleasant—heavy makeup like a ghost's mask, chaotic hair, tasteless clothing. She had looked crude, awkward, and out of place, as though she were wearing someone else's world like an ill-fitting costume. As Ning Xi said, she couldn't compare to Mu Xiaonan in any way. And in his mind, she certainly did not deserve to become his wife.
The more he thought of it, the more agitated he became.
Mu Xiaonan, keen as she was, seemed to notice his discomfort. She stepped closer and looked up at him with gentle eyes, voice soft enough to melt. "Brother Ziqiao," she said sweetly, "will you cut the cake with me?"
Qin Ziqiao forced a smile and nodded. "Of course."
Today was Mu Xiaonan's coming-of-age ceremony. No matter what he felt, he would not ruin her celebration.
Together, they walked toward the towering cake table in the center of the garden. Cheerful music flowed like a bright stream. Guests clustered around them, laughing, clapping, teasing them with affectionate shouts, urging them to hurry and make the first cut.
The atmosphere was lively, bright, and almost festive to the point of excess.
"So lively," someone remarked.
Then—
A voice rang out behind them.
Clear and melodious, like crystal striking jade—beautiful enough to make the surrounding noise seem suddenly crude.
"So this is where all the excitement is."