Song Wei sneered coldly. “I’m bullying you now? So, you’re allowed to mock me sarcastically, but I’m not allowed to fight back? Is language something your family invented, where only you can speak and others can’t? You cry, and suddenly you’re in the right? I just don’t understand—what do the boat, the fish, or the orca have to do with you at all?”
“I-I’m just standing up for them,” Yu Qin replied, her voice lacking confidence, avoiding Song Wei’s gaze.
“Wow, you’re so virtuous. Should I bring you a lotus pedestal to sit on?”
Everyone looked at Song Wei, puzzled. What did she mean?
Yu Qin frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
Song Wei’s tone was indifferent. “Oh, nothing. It’s just that we’ve abandoned superstitions and stopped believing in gods and Buddhas now, haven’t we? But you seem perfectly suited for it. With your compassion, why not save the world instead of causing trouble for me?”
“Pfft…”
Someone couldn’t help but laugh, followed by several others stifling their chuckles.
Aunt Lian rolled her eyes at Song Wei. “You cheeky little thing. You dare say anything, don’t you?”
Unable to outtalk Song Wei, Yu Qin stomped her foot, red-eyed, and ran off.
The other people dispersed gradually, leaving only Aunt Lian and a few other aunts close to Song Wei.
“Go on, change into your dress so I can see if it needs any adjustments.”
Song Wei nodded and went to change.
She emerged wearing the dress—a light blue piece that resembled a cheongsam on the upper half, accentuating her slim waist. The lower hem, however, was not slit like a traditional cheongsam. Instead, it had pleated underskirts, resembling a blooming flower in shades of blue and white.
Song Wei was already beautiful, but after twirling once in the dress, the aunts couldn’t take their eyes off her.
“How gorgeous!”
“Oh my, where did this fairy come from? The dress is stunning!”
“Not only is the dress beautiful, but so is the person wearing it. Comrade Lin is one lucky man.”
Even Aunt Lian’s three children and Hei Dan were wide-eyed, staring at her in awe.
“Sister Song, you’re so pretty!”
Clearly, even children loved beautiful things.
Song Wei smiled and patted their heads.
“Hei Dan, stay here with Aunt Lian until we return, okay?”
Since it wasn’t appropriate to bring Hei Dan to the Friendship Hotel, the little boy obediently hugged Song Wei’s waist, looking very attached.
“Then come back soon, Sister Song. Hei Dan will wait for you here.”
At Aunt Lian’s house, Song Wei quickly tidied her hair. Since the dress didn’t match her braided pigtails, she looked around the courtyard and spotted some bamboo. Choosing a suitable bamboo branch, she trimmed it with a knife to make a simple hairpin. Gathering her long black hair, she casually twisted it into a bun and secured it with the bamboo pin, creating a simple yet elegant hairstyle that perfectly matched the dress.
The aunts standing nearby were momentarily stunned.
With just a change of dress and hairstyle, paired with a light green coat resembling a trench coat she’d bought from the department store, Song Wei looked radiant. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but her fair complexion, naturally rosy lips, and shining eyes made her appearance even more striking.
Just standing there in the crowd, she was incredibly eye-catching.
Aunt Lian couldn’t stop smiling. “With this outfit, there’s no way you’ll embarrass yourself—you’ll definitely make us proud!”
Lin Zhen and Song Jing arrived in a military jeep to pick her up. Since they were going to the Friendship Hotel, their superiors had approved the use of the vehicle to ensure they made a good impression.
Embarrassing themselves internally was one thing, but losing face in front of foreigners was absolutely unacceptable!
Lin Zhen had mentally prepared himself before coming to pick up Song Wei, but when he saw her, he froze.
Standing at Aunt Lian’s doorway, he couldn’t move, his eyes fixed on the stunning figure in the courtyard. His heartbeat was completely out of sync.
Sensing his gaze, Song Wei turned her head and looked at him, blinking before waving.
“What are you standing there for? Come in.”
The aunts burst into laughter.
“Looks like he’s smitten! His eyes are glued to her. But honestly, we’re all just as captivated by how beautiful Song Wei is. Totally understandable.”
Even Song Jing, her brother, was amazed by her appearance.
“You look amazing, little sister.”
If possible, he wanted to buy her more pretty dresses.
Lin Zhen’s face and ears turned bright red. He walked awkwardly, stumbling slightly before regaining his composure. His clumsiness amused the aunts even more.
“Auntie, we’re leaving now. Hei Dan, behave and wait here for us.”
Hei Dan and Aunt Lian’s children stood at the door, watching them leave with longing eyes.
The banquet hosted by Orlen was grand. Not only were the foreigners staying at the Friendship Hotel in attendance, but many domestic officials and wealthy individuals also participated.
Song Wei and her companions arrived neither too early nor too late, but their appearance still drew some attention.
The primary reason was Song Wei’s striking dress, which everyone was seeing for the first time.
Lin Zhen and Song Jing, both tall and upright with impressive physiques, also stood out. Together, they were like walking mannequins, exuding charisma and energy.
While their presence drew some glances, no one lingered on them for too long.
“Are you an idiot? How could you mess up something so simple? Do you know how much this outfit costs? Selling you wouldn’t cover it!”
An angry, foul-mouthed voice echoed in the corridor, accompanied by a woman’s repeated apologies.
When Song Wei and the others approached, they saw a brown-haired foreign man shouting angrily. His words were harsh.
Before him stood a woman repeatedly bowing in apology, her face pale with fear and stained with tears.
A man who seemed to be the manager approached, apologizing profusely to the foreigner but scolding the woman harshly.
“How useless can you be? You can’t even handle such a small task properly.”
The woman, overwhelmed with grievance, explained tearfully, “I was carrying the wine carefully and even stepped aside for them, but he suddenly stuck out his foot and tripped me.”
Because of this, the wine spilled, and she fell to the ground, cutting her hand on broken glass. Yet she still had to apologize to the culprit because the wine had spilled on his pants.
“So you’re saying it’s my fault? Is this how your country treats guests?”
Song Wei stepped forward, grabbing the woman’s hand and instructing someone to bring supplies to bandage it. “So, you deliberately stuck out your foot?”
She spoke fluent English, leaving Lin Zhen and Song Jing momentarily stunned.
Song Wei knew they were surprised—she hadn’t shown her English skills before. During the fish sale, Orlen’s translator handled communication, and the original owner of her body hadn’t learned English.
But now, she couldn’t hold back her anger. If she didn’t vent, she’d feel stifled.
And Song Wei never let herself feel stifled.
Jack looked at the suddenly appearing woman and didn’t take her seriously at all.
“So what if I did? That foolish woman was blocking my way.”
“Your build is so wide. Frankly, even the pigs in our squad don’t block paths like you do.”
Jack roared in anger. “Did you just call me a pig?”
Jack’s towering figure seemed imposing compared to Song Wei, but Lin Zhen and Song Jing stepped forward, their sharp gazes locking onto him.
Leave a Reply