Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

Every sentence is full of praise, every word is a comparison.

It was like an invisible slap that landed hard on Shen Xinyi's face.

She stood frozen in place, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt tightly. The sweet smile on her face vanished completely, replaced by a deep sense of resentment, jealousy, and embarrassment.

Tonight is her coming-of-age ceremony!

She's the main character!

Everyone should praise her, envy her, and admire her!

But as soon as Shen Jingshu entered, she easily stole all the limelight from her.

Not far away, Shen Mobai and Shen Yifan, who were entertaining guests, were also completely stunned.

They had long overlooked Shen Jingshu, and were used to her quiet, unassuming, and plain appearance. They had never seen her so dazzling and stunning.

Cool, composed, noble, and indifferent.

Every move they made exuded the elegance of a distinguished family.

Compared to Shen Xinyi, who deliberately acts obedient and loves to show off, Shen Jingshu at this moment truly resembles a well-bred young lady from a top-tier wealthy family, who has been carefully raised.

Shen Yifan's heart skipped a beat, and for the first time, a trace of regret arose in his heart.

They... seem to have really misjudged the person.

At the back of the crowd, Lu Ze, who had just arrived at the banquet hall and was standing at the entrance, fixed his gaze on Shen Jingshu through the crowd. His deep eyes were slightly fixed on her, and he did not look away for a long time.

Feeling the gazes of everyone present, and looking at the composed and calm girl beside him, Li Beichen felt a surge of pride.

He tilted his head slightly and chuckled softly at Shen Jingshu, saying, "See? My sister, she's the best of the show the moment she appears."

Shen Jingshu remained calm, her eyes showing neither pride nor any desire to compete.

She had no intention of stealing anyone's thunder.

What can be done?

Her mere presence is the epitome of beauty and elegance, surpassing all superficiality and ostentation.

The amazed gazes of the audience lingered for a long time.

Shen Jingshu stood quietly at the entrance of the banquet hall, her posture upright and her temperament refined. Although she was just standing there casually, she overshadowed all the carefully dressed socialites and ladies in the room.

Shen Xinyi felt a tightness in her chest, jealousy like vines tightly binding her internal organs, making her feel both embarrassed and resentful.

Today is her eighteenth birthday, a day she has been preparing for. She has dressed up carefully and gone to great lengths to make a grand entrance in front of all the dignitaries in Beijing, and especially to leave a perfect impression on Lu Ze.

But Shen Jingshu entered in a white dress, effortlessly overshadowing all of her brilliance.

In contrast, her pink dress covered in diamonds and luxurious jewelry appeared gaudy, ostentatious, and deliberately ostentatious, like a clown trying his best to attract attention.

Even Lu Manman beside her was still softly praising, her eyes filled with undisguised amazement: "Your sister's temperament is absolutely stunning, so aloof and sophisticated. I've never seen such a beautiful girl before."

Every word and phrase pierced Shen Xinyi's heart like a needle.

She clenched her fists tightly, forcibly suppressing the gloom and hostility in her eyes, and forced herself to put on a gentle and obedient smile as she walked forward in her high heels.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, she feigned intimacy, speaking in a soft and generous tone: "Sister, you're finally here! I thought you weren't coming today."

As soon as she finished speaking, she deliberately glanced up at Shen Jingshu's dress, her smile seemingly harmless, but her words concealed a deliberate test and veiled criticism:

"Sister, this dress is so beautiful, it suits you so well. But today is my coming-of-age ceremony, and I was thinking that if you didn't prepare a dress, I could lend you one beforehand."

These words seem considerate and heartwarming, but they actually contain a deeper meaning.

Ostensibly out of concern, what she really wanted to tell everyone present was that Shen Jingshu was carefree and lacked manners. She hadn't even prepared a dress for her relatives' coming-of-age ceremony. This dress was probably borrowed at the last minute or hastily put together, and it was simply not presentable.

Upon hearing this, many of the surrounding guests exchanged subtle glances.

Shen Mobai and Shen Yifan also subconsciously looked over, their expressions scrutinizing.

Lin Wanqing hurriedly followed, looking at her radiant eldest daughter, her heart filled with mixed feelings, both amazed and flustered, fearing that Shen Jingshu would embarrass the Shen family in public.

Under the spotlight, Shen Jingshu remained calm and composed, showing no sign of unease.

She lowered her eyes to look at Shen Xinyi, who was feigning gentleness and obedience, her lips slightly curved, and her voice was clear and gentle, unhurried: "No need to lend it."

She paused, her gaze calmly sweeping over Shen Xinyi's pile of diamond jewelry, and continued lightly, "I'm not used to borrowing other people's things, nor am I used to putting all my pomp and circumstance on someone else's turf, overshadowing them."

A single sentence struck!

Every word is penetrating, every sentence is piercing to the heart.

This instantly exposed Shen Xinyi's ulterior motives for being so flamboyant, stealing the spotlight, and deliberately suppressing others today.

Everyone present instantly knew who was stealing the show and who was deliberately being pretentious.

Shen Xinyi's smile froze instantly, her face paled for a moment, and she was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do.

She never expected that Shen Jingshu, who was always aloof and taciturn and never argued with anyone, would be so sharp-tongued today and expose her pretense in public!

A soft murmur arose from the surrounding area.

"So that's how it is... No wonder Miss Shen dresses so flamboyantly."

"It's their home ground, but they're overdoing it, which makes it seem petty."

"Miss Shen has such an extraordinary demeanor; she is calm and composed, never competing or vying for attention, yet she stands out the most."

Hearing the whispers, Shen Xinyi's cheeks burned with embarrassment, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

She clenched her fingers, her eyes slightly reddening, looking weak and vulnerable, as if she had been wronged but dared not speak out, trying to gain sympathy by feigning pitifulness: "Sister, I didn't... I just thought you were pretty, I didn't mean anything else..."

At this moment, Li Beichen stepped forward calmly, firmly standing beside Shen Jingshu. His brows and eyes were slightly cold, and his tone was casual, yet it carried an inherent sense of authority:

"You're overthinking it. Jing Shu's dress and all her accessories were custom-made by my brother and me in advance. They're exclusive haute couture, one of a kind, and much more valuable than those mass-produced diamond dresses on the market."

He paused deliberately, a faint smile playing on his lips, yet it was a slap in the face:

"Members of the Li family never need to borrow things from others to make an appearance, no matter what occasion we attend."

In short, it completely sets the tone.

This instantly blocked all of Shen Xinyi's options for feigning helplessness and gaining sympathy.

It also clearly tells everyone present—

Shen Jingshu's dignity was given to her by the Li brothers themselves.

It is a favorite of top-tier wealthy families.

They are simply incomparable to the Shen family.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Everyone suddenly realized.

No wonder Shen Jingshu has such a noble and composed demeanor; it turns out that she already has the powerful Li family behind her.

Shen Mobai's face instantly turned extremely ugly, and Shen Yifan was also completely stunned, his heart filled with shock and regret.

They used to think that Shen Xinyi was well-behaved, sensible, ambitious, and considerate, and was the only glory of the Shen family.

Only now do I see it clearly—

The one who truly embodies integrity, exudes glory, and is favored by top wealthy families is always their eldest daughter, Shen Jingshu, who has been neglected and ignored by them.

Behind the crowd, Lu Ze's deep eyes remained fixed on Shen Jingshu, his emotions deep and unfathomable.

Shen Xinyi stood there, utterly humiliated, her body ice-cold, the jealousy and hatred in her heart already taking root.

She stared intently at Shen Jingshu, who remained calm and composed, protected by the Li family.

Not reconciled!

She absolutely refused to accept this!

She absolutely cannot lose this coming-of-age ceremony!