Starting with a Breakup: Why Is the True Heiress My Possessive Ex? - Chapter 51

The banquet followed a largely Western-style format.

Exquisite dishes were arranged across long tables, allowing guests to freely choose whatever they wished to eat.

For Su Qingya, this was her first time attending an event of such scale.

Naturally, she appeared somewhat reserved.

After all, clothes made the person.

There was no need to question Su Qingya’s appearance.

As the genuine daughter of a wealthy family, her beauty was undeniable. With just a little makeup, she could easily become the center of attention.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t wearing the kind of outfit expected at such a grand occasion.

As a result, nearly every other young lady present appeared more dazzling than she did.

The situation felt strangely wrong.

According to the classic “real heiress versus fake heiress” storyline, this should have been the moment when the fake heiress tried to steal the spotlight or deliberately embarrass the real heiress.

Then, at the crucial moment, the real heiress would strike back brilliantly, stunning everyone and becoming the brightest star at the banquet.

No matter how hard the fake heiress tried to show off, she would inevitably become a stepping stone.

Or, if she attempted to humiliate the real heiress, she would only end up humiliating herself instead.

Reality, however, was completely different.

At the moment, it seemed that any random young lady in attendance was dressed more impressively than either of the Xu family’s daughters.

Su Qingya herself didn’t notice any of this.

Her only concern was that she was attending such a grand banquet for the first time.

Being surrounded by strangers instinctively made her nervous.

Aside from that, she felt perfectly fine.

Not only did she not regret her choice of clothing—

She was actually quite satisfied with it.

“Nian Nian, look at them. They’re all dressed so extravagantly. We absolutely must not learn from them.”

She even found the time to lecture Xu Nian.

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

The girls wore elegant gowns.

The boys wore formal suits.

This was the standard dress code for such occasions.

Xu Nian had never liked banquets.

Unfortunately, as one of the hosts tonight, hiding in a corner was no longer an option.

Both she and Su Qingya were destined to stand beneath everyone’s gaze.

Earlier, Xu’s mother had prepared a speech draft for Su Qingya.

If she felt confident enough to speak freely, she could do so.

If not, she could simply follow the script.

After all, this was her first time attending such an event.

A little preparation was completely normal.

Su Qingya only glanced through the speech once before memorizing it.

Soon, Xu Qingshan stepped onto the stage and delivered the opening remarks.

Then, with a smile, he introduced the star of the evening.

“…Thank you all for coming today. Next, please welcome my daughter, Xu Qingya, who has finally returned home after many years apart.”

This banquet wasn’t merely a celebration.

It was also an opportunity to formally introduce Su Qingya to Xu Qingshan’s social circle and gradually connect her with the relationships he had built over the years.

Simply put, if she performed well tonight and left a favorable impression, many doors would open for her in the future.

Su Qingya didn’t object when Xu Qingshan introduced her as Xu Qingya.

Given the current situation, that was indeed her name.

When her turn arrived, she calmly stepped onto the stage.

Her appearance attracted plenty of attention.

Naturally, nobody would openly criticize her outfit.

That would be incredibly rude.

Still, some people silently lowered their evaluation of her because of it.

Su Qingya couldn’t have cared less.

She only gave the speech because it was necessary.

If she had a choice, she would much rather stay beside Xu Nian.

She finished reading the speech at an astonishing speed.

Anyone could tell she wanted to leave the stage as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, as the protagonist of tonight’s banquet, she was destined to become the center of attention.

As expected, the moment she stepped down, numerous guests approached to greet her.

Meanwhile, Xu Nian casually swirled the red wine in her glass.

She wasn’t actually drinking.

She simply liked having something to occupy her hands.

Of course, she couldn’t stop people from approaching Su Qingya.

This was an important opportunity for her.

The more people she met tonight, the more connections she would have in the future.

The problem was that socializing had always been one of Su Qingya’s weakest areas.

As someone who knew her best, Xu Nian naturally stepped forward.

And honestly speaking—

She had no intention of helping Su Qingya overcome this weakness completely.

If Qingya remained distant toward everyone else, then she would naturally rely on Xu Nian more.

Only then would Xu Nian feel secure.

Only then could all of Qingya’s warmth belong to her alone.

Before the approaching guests could reach them, Xu Nian stepped forward and blocked their path.

“I’m sorry, everyone. Qingya hasn’t been feeling very well today, so she might not be able to chat for too long.”

Initially, several people thought Xu Nian was trying to steal the spotlight.

However, after noticing her attire, they quickly dismissed the thought.

Xu Nian attended banquets like this regularly.

There was no way she didn’t understand the unspoken rules.

Yet tonight, she had deliberately chosen clothing similar to Su Qingya’s.

That alone was enough to show how much she cared about her.

“I’m really sorry, everyone. My sister has only recently returned home, so she’s still getting used to everything. Please be understanding.”

Xu Nian joked lightly.

The surrounding guests laughed and accepted the explanation.

After asking a few simple questions and receiving polite answers, they gradually dispersed.

At that moment, a beautifully dressed girl standing within the crowd narrowed her eyes.

She had been quietly observing the two of them the entire time.

Observing their expressions.

Observing their interactions.

Observing their relationship.

After a moment of thought, she slowly approached.

Then—

Crash.

The wine glass in her hand slipped and fell to the floor.

Red wine splashed across the expensive carpet.

“Ah!”

The girl gasped.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t do that on purpose! Did I get any wine on your clothes?”

The wine hadn’t touched either of them.

However, her actions didn’t look accidental in the slightest.

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

Before Su Qingya could speak, Xu Nian stepped forward.

She had no intention of being polite toward someone obviously looking for trouble.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”

The girl immediately lowered her head.

Tears began streaming down her face.

“I really didn’t mean it. Please believe me.”

Her crying wasn’t loud.

Yet somehow, it instantly attracted everyone’s attention.

Seeing those tears, Xu Nian felt an inexplicable irritation rise inside her chest.

“Nian Nian, let’s just forget about it.”

Su Qingya tried to calm her.

“No.”

Xu Nian frowned.

“We absolutely can’t let this go.”

The irritation continued to grow.

The gazes gathering around them only made it worse.

“Wuwu… Please forgive me.”

The girl knelt down.

“I’ll do anything. Please don’t be angry.”

She even tried to wipe the wine stains from the carpet with her dress.

For some reason, the sight filled Xu Nian with a strange sense of destruction.

A violent impulse surged within her heart.

She wanted to crush the person in front of her.

Humiliate her.

Destroy her.

Before she realized it, Xu Nian had already lifted her foot.

Just as she was about to step forward—

Su Qingya suddenly grabbed her arm.

“Nian Nian!”

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Xu Nian’s expression wasn’t normal.

Without hesitation, Su Qingya pulled her away from the crowd.

At the same time, a strange scent drifted into her nose.

A scent she had never smelled before.