Xu Youheng felt incredulous and turned to stare at Meng Zhen.

Meng Zhen raised her hand and brushed aside the strands of hair on her temples, speaking slowly and methodically, “Since Xuero has already mentioned this, you should ask her what frightened her so much that she behaved strangely at the banquet.”

Upon hearing that, Xu Xuero momentarily choked. She never expected Meng Zhen to dig a hole for her here. If she told the truth, wouldn’t her lies become exposed?

Under the gaze of her family members, Xu Xuero became so anxious that she broke out in cold sweat. The color drained from her cheeks and lips, making her look as if she had a serious illness. Her expression was clearly far from good.

Xu Ruixi grabbed his sister’s hand and forcefully pushed Meng Zhen away, angrily saying, “Are you still trying to sow discord? It’s not Sister’s fault that you suffered in the orphanage. It was the traffickers who caused you to be like this. You’re simply unable to distinguish right from wrong, that’s why you keep targeting her.”

Xu Ruixi was young, but his youth wasn’t an excuse for his rude behavior. Meng Zhen gave him a cold look and said, “How do you know it’s me targeting Xu Xuero and not the other way around?”

As she spoke, Meng Zhen directed her gaze towards the trembling young woman, and said meaningfully, “Aren’t you accusing me just a moment ago? Why are you hiding behind Xu Ruixi and unable to speak up now? Tell me, have you ever seriously studied the erhu or diligently practiced the piano? Practice makes perfect. Certain skills become ingrained in your bones and blood, they become instinctual. It’s your own lack of diligence that led to failure, yet you blame it on me. Don’t you feel guilty?”

Xu Xuero hid behind Xu Ruixi, burying her head like a frightened quail and not daring to utter a word.

Seeing her adopted daughter’s timid demeanor, Zhao Rong couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity. She intervened to ease the tension, saying, “Since it’s already happened, there’s no use dwelling on it. Xuero will just practice diligently in the future and try not to make mistakes.”

Xu Xuero nodded with tears in her eyes. She wanted to calm things down and not ruin the image her parents had of her.

But Meng Zhen wouldn’t let her off so easily.

“Mom and Dad, do you know what Xu Xuero is afraid of? Do you know why she behaved strangely?”

Meng Zhen held her phone in her palm, as if ready to search for that photo.

Xu Xuero was startled, and at that moment, her rationality snapped. She disregarded her image as the distinguished daughter of the Xu family and rushed forward, forcefully grabbing Meng Zhen’s phone and throwing it to the ground. Unsatisfied, she even stomped on it several times with her high heels.

“Xuero, what’s gotten into you?” Xu Ruixi quickly grabbed her shoulder, his voice filled with deep concern.

Tears streamed down Xu Xuero’s face as she bit her lower lip, staring at Meng Zhen with a deeply aggrieved expression. “Meng Zhen, aren’t we sisters? Even if we have no blood ties, I’ve never done anything to harm you. Why do you keep trying to sabotage me again and again?”

“Really?”

Meng Zhen glanced at the shattered phone, removed the memory card from it, and inserted it into another device. She had anticipated Xu Xuero’s outburst earlier today, so she had prepared two phones to carry with her.

Xu Youheng’s head was spinning from the sisters’ quarrel. He rubbed his throbbing forehead and asked hoarsely, “What exactly are you two talking about? Can’t you just say it directly?”

“I like to, but unfortunately, someone doesn’t. What can I do?”

The light from the phone screen stung Xu Xuero’s eyes, filling her heart with waves of despair. She dug her nails into her palms, feeling a faint, lingering pain.

“Since you don’t like me, why pretend to be a loving sister? Are you just acting for the elders?” Meng Zhen walked up slowly to Xu Xuero and lifted her chin with her index finger.

Xu Xuero couldn’t avoid it in time and could only meet those beautiful almond-shaped eyes in panic.

Xu Ruixi was infuriated by Meng Zhen’s arrogant behavior. He growled lowly, “Are you done yet? Sis is nothing like what you’re saying. She’s just too kind and gentle to stand up to you!”

Meng Zhen couldn’t be bothered to argue with this brother from the same parents. She simply pulled up a screenshot of the post and shoved it in front of Xu Ruixi’s face, sneering coldly, “Take a good look. This Weibo post was personally made by your kind and gentle sister. She hated me from the very beginning. She looked extremely caring on the surface but secretly looked down on me, someone who grew up in an orphanage and who didn’t even attend high school. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have posted such sharp remarks online. Xu Xuero is addicted to acting, and you’ve really been fooled by her acting skills. What’s the point of having a brain if you can’t use it?”

At this moment, Xu Ruixi felt his eyes were playing tricks on him. He was certain that Xu Xuero had posted that comment because just six months ago, she had bought Late Autumn’s comic book when it was first published.

A while ago, that book suddenly disappeared, and Xu Ruixi had been thinking about buying Xu Xuero another copy. Could it be that she had thrown it away herself?

Xu Ruixi stared at Xu Xueruo in disbelief, while Xu Youheng and Zhao Rong rushed forward to check the screenshots on Meng Zhen’s phone. Then the couple exchanged glances, their ears buzzing.

“Xu Xuero, do you have any conscience? You’ve been enjoying wealth and prosperity in the Xu family, while Zhenzhen suffered in the orphanage. She never owed you anything. Why would you do this?” Xu Youheng questioned sternly.

Xu Xuero seemed to have been drained of all strength and her legs gave way as she collapsed onto the cold floor.

She had known all along that Meng Zhen wasn’t a good thing. If not for her, her parents wouldn’t have blamed her. She wished Meng Zhen were dead!

Today, Meng Zhen destroyed Xu Xuero’s chance to become a ‘lucky star’, and tore off the hypocritical mask from her face. Meng Zhen glanced at Xu Xuero’s disheveled appearance, feeling a bit of the pent-up frustration dissipate from her chest. She didn’t want to bother with the Xu family and left the villa area on her own, taking a taxi back to her apartment.

———pr

At this moment, in a certain country in the eastern hemisphere, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man stared at his phone with fascination. Suddenly, he spun around in place, snapped his fingers, and said to his assistant,

“Darling, what’s the name of this Asian sweetheart? She’s like Aphrodite from mythology, an elf in the mortal world. Look at her wearing the pure white fishtail dress I designed. Doesn’t she resemble the little mermaid that turned into foam?”

Assistant: “……”

“I’ll go check right away, Boss.”

The assistant was very efficient, and in less than half an hour, she had all of Meng Zhen’s information laid out in front of the man. The man, or rather, Benjamin as he was more appropriately known, held Meng Zhen’s photo in his hand, his eyes filled with infatuation. His tone was extremely gentle as he said, “So she’s from China? She looks beautiful in qipao, and she’s a celebrity too.”

Benjamin was Phoebe’s new chief designer and a genius in fashion design. He had a keen sense of beauty since he was a child, and thanks to this talent, he became the designer for the prestigious brand at the age of 33. He successfully elevated Phoebe, which was somewhat declining, to a higher position.

“The company is planning to select an ambassador for China, right? I think Meng would be perfect for it. Let’s choose her.” As he spoke, Benjamin’s gaze remained fixed on the photo, his fingertips delicately tracing its edges. He made his decision decisively.

The assistant’s eyes widened and couldn’t help but advise, “Boss, Meng is just a newly debuted celebrity so she doesn’t have much popularity in China at all. She’s not suitable to be an ambassador.”

“It’s just an ambassadorship, not a brand endorsement. There’s no need to worry so much. Besides, Meng is so beautiful, she’s bound to become popular in the future.” Benjamin said confidently.

The assistant couldn’t change the designer’s mind and had no choice but to report Benjamin’s decision to the company headquarters.

Initially, Phoebe’s senior management didn’t agree with Benjamin’s idea. However, he was extremely headstrong. In his eyes, Meng Zhen was the muse who perfectly matched his aesthetic. If it weren’t for the many matters holding him back, Benjamin would have already flown to China to see his angel.

Benjamin always believed in his sense of aesthetics. With his strong-willed attitude, even the senior management of Phoebe had no choice but to compromise. They agreed to let the head of their China branch contact Meng Zhen, but they wouldn’t directly appoint her as ambassador. Instead, they decided to add a six-month probation period for observation.

Benjamin understood well how stubborn these long-standing blue-blood brands could be. He knew that getting them to compromise was already difficult, so he reluctantly agreed to the arrangement.

———pr

Three days later, Fei Yun personally came to Meng Zhen’s apartment. Her usually serious expression softened into a gentle smile as she spoke, “Yesterday, I met with the Phoebe executives. They are interested in having you as the ambassador for the new season, but there will be a six-month probation period to assess your compatibility with the brand.”

Meng Zhen’s face showed a hint of surprise. She hadn’t expected Phoebe to consider her as a candidate for ambassadorship. Phoebe was a brand with a history of over a hundred years. Its chief designer, Benjamin, was renowned for designing wedding dresses that were popular worldwide. The style could be best described as glamorous and dreamy.

Phoebe had been in the Asian market for many years without ever appointing a brand ambassador aside from one Japanese actress. That’s why Meng Zhen was so surprised.

Fei Yun took a sip of water and explained, “Didn’t you wear a white fishtail dress from Phoebe before? That photo made its way online, and Benjamin, their chief designer, saw it. He personally spoke to the executives, which led to your inclusion in the evaluation list.”

“The company has signed a contract with Phoebe. From now on, whenever you participate in public events, Phoebe will provide your clothing. Your temperament aligns well with Benjamin’s design style, so make sure to seize this opportunity.”

Meng Zhen nodded. She understood how difficult it was to become an ambassador for Phoebe. If she succeeded, it would greatly benefit her future career development.