He stole his best friend's photos and fell for a tycoon's heir through online dating.

After they finished dressing, Lin's mother stood behind the two women, looked them over in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Ruoruo is getting more and more beautiful."

Xia Ruo looked at herself in the mirror—wearing a hazy blue starry sky tulle dress, with tiny sequins on the hem like scattered stars, her long hair styled into a low bun, revealing a slender swan neck.

Her skin looked almost transparently white under the light.

"Ruo Ruo, you're so beautiful!" Lin Wanzhi leaned closer, resting her chin on Xia Ruo's shoulder. "I wish I were a boy."

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around," Lin's mother said with a smile, taking out two sets of jewelry from the side, opening the box lid, and the brilliance of the diamonds instantly illuminated the mirror.

"One set for each person, put them on."

Both necklaces feature elaborate and ornate designs, with large main stones and numerous diamonds that shimmer and sparkle under the lights.

Xia Ruo's gaze fell on the two sets of jewelry, and she said with some difficulty, "Aunt Lin, this is too gorgeous. I'll just wear this one."

As she spoke, she took out the Bulgari necklace from her bag; the rose gold chain gleamed warmly under the light.

Lin's mother glanced at the necklace in Xia Ruo's hand, then at the misty blue gauze dress she was wearing, and shook her head:

"This one doesn't match the clothes. Wear Aunt Lin's outfit instead, be good."

"That's right, Ruoruo."

Lin Wanzhi took the jewelry set from her mother, went directly behind Xia Ruo, gently fastened the diamond necklace around her neck, stepped back to examine it, and nodded in satisfaction.

"We wear the same ones, just like sisters."

"Alright, I'm going downstairs now. You two take your time packing up, and come back down around 7 o'clock." Lin's mother smiled at the two of them, then turned and left.

-

At 7:30, voices began to be heard downstairs.

Lin Wanzhi pulled Xia Ruo downstairs. As soon as they reached the corner of the stairs, they heard Lin's father's hearty laughter in the living room, along with the voices of several unfamiliar men exchanging pleasantries.

Lin Wanxun stood behind his father, who was wearing a dark gray suit with a fine tailoring, and the silver buttons on the cuffs reflected the light from the crystal chandelier.

Noticing the gaze behind him, he slowly turned his head, and when his gaze fell on Xia Ruo, a hint of undisguised amazement flashed in his eyes.

He was even slightly stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and nodded gently.

Xia Ruo nodded as a greeting, and then followed Lin Wanzhi to a row of sofas by the window.

As soon as she sat down, Lin Wanxun came over with a wine glass in her hand: "The clothes fit perfectly."

During his business trip abroad, he passed by an exhibition and saw this misty blue dress through the shop window. The first person that came to his mind was Xia Ruo.

Sure enough, she looked even better in it than he had imagined.

Xia Ruo looked up and paused for a moment.

"Ruoruo, my brother picked out this dress," Lin Wanzhi whispered from the side, her eyes curving into two crescent moons. "He has great taste, doesn't he?"

"Thank you, Brother Wanxun." Xia Ruo lowered her eyes and gently rubbed her fingers on the hem of her skirt.

"Everyone here today has a good relationship with the Lin family. You two are about to graduate, so you can get to know each other so it'll be easier to take over in the future."

"Okay, brother, go ahead and do your work," Lin Wanzhi waved her hand, "I'll definitely take good care of Ruoruo."

Lin Wanxun smiled softly, turned around and left.

-

Xia Ruo leaned back on the sofa, took a sip of her juice, and the sweet and sour taste of passion fruit melted on her tongue.

Suddenly, Lin Wanzhi, who was next to her, exclaimed "Oh dear!"

"Ruo Ruo—" Lin Wanzhi looked down at the hem of her skirt, where the pale gold liquid of champagne had seeped into a small patch on the misty blue fabric.

"Wait a moment, I'll go take care of something."

After saying that, she lifted her skirt and ran away, quickly disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

Before Xia Ruo could say "okay," the person next to her was already empty.

She sat alone on the sofa, put the juice on the coffee table, and let her gaze drift aimlessly over the crowd.

Where's Mr. Huo? Hasn't he arrived yet?

Just as she was wondering whether she should get up and find something to eat, Lin's mother had already sat down next to her, smiling as she took her arm.

"Ruoruo, come here, Auntie will introduce you to some people."

Before Xia Ruo could react, Lin's mother pulled her to her feet and led her slowly through the crowd to a middle-aged man.

"Mr. Song, this is Xia Ruo, my goddaughter." Lin's mother smiled calmly and gracefully.

The slightly overweight Mr. Song had his hair neatly combed. His gaze lingered on Xia Ruo's face for a moment before he stepped aside to let the people behind him pass.

"Madam Lin, this is my son, Song Yu."

Xia Ruo's gaze followed his direction—

A young man stood there. He was wearing a dark blue suit, and his features exuded a gentle, scholarly air.

He slightly curved the corners of his mouth and nodded to Xia Ruo.

"Ruoruo, this is Song Yu, also a graduate of A University." Lin's mother's voice carried a light, deliberately suppressed joy.

Xia Ruo's brain went blank.

Is this... a blind date?

She turned to look at Lin's mother in disbelief, her peach blossom eyes widening slightly.

Lin's mother winked at her, leaned close to her ear, and whispered something that only the two of them could hear:

"Ruoruo, this Song Yu is very nice. He's gentle and considerate, and he just returned from studying abroad."

Xia Ruo opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, President Song spoke up:

"You two go over there and chat. Mrs. Lin and I have work to discuss."

"Miss Xia, let's sit down and talk." Song Yu politely turned to the side and gestured "please" towards the sofa.

Xia Ruo twitched the corners of her mouth and sat down on the sofa opposite Song Yu.

An awkward silence filled the air, a silence that defied description.

"I'm sorry," Xia Ruo spoke first, her fingers unconsciously tracing the side of her juice glass, "I didn't know there was this event scheduled for today..."

"It's alright," Song Yu said calmly. "Miss Xia, feel free to ask me anything you'd like to ask."

Whether it was her imagination or not, Xia Ruo felt a strange sense of familiarity about the man in the suit in front of her, the curve of his eyebrows, and the way he spoke.

"Mr. Song, you're too kind."

"Is Miss Xia at A University?"

"Yes, I'm a junior in the dance department."

"I heard from Uncle Lin that Miss Xia and Miss Lin are already doing their internships, and they even found the jobs themselves," Song Yu said with a hint of sincere admiration.

"There aren't many courses in my junior year, so it's good for me to get some experience."

"Miss Xia is not quite what I expected." Song Yu's gaze fell on her face, with a thoughtful expression.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Xia Ruo's heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sorry," Song Yu chuckled softly, "I heard about you from a friend before I came, but after meeting you in person, I feel that my friend's understanding of you was not comprehensive enough."

Xia Ruo's smile froze for a fraction of a second.

I understand. They must have learned that the original owner was of questionable character.

She gave an awkward laugh, picked up her juice, took a sip, and used the rim of the glass to cover her slightly stiff lips.

"Miss Xia," Song Yu suddenly spoke, his tone gentle yet polite, "there will be a ball later, may I invite you to dance?"