Chapter 45: Wearing the Same Outfit Isn’t Scary — The Ugly One Feels Awkward

Wen Nian had just returned to the courtyard when she saw someone she didn’t want to see.

Wen Xue was wearing a deep purple qipao.

Another woman, with her back turned, wore a white long dress.

The two of them stood chatting enthusiastically by the roadside in front of the Lu family’s small house.

It wasn’t clear what Wen Xue was saying, but the woman was laughing so hard her whole body was shaking.

The moment Wen Xue saw Wen Nian, she immediately cut off the conversation.

Wen Nian curled her lips, intending to pretend she hadn’t noticed.

But maybe she was mistaken.

It just felt like Wen Xue had lost a lot of weight over the past few days.

Her face looked much more haggard.

Like a frostbitten eggplant, drooping and wilted.

Wen Xue smiled sweetly as she walked over.

Blocking her way.

She even warmly linked arms with her and pulled her toward the woman.

“Xinyi, let me introduce you. This is my sister Wen Nian, she’s currently living at the Lu family’s place.”

Hearing the familiar name, Wen Nian raised her eyes.

Oh!

It was someone she knew!

Wasn’t this the girl who had come over last time as a matchmaking candidate for Lu Hanzheng?

The one who had run off crying?

Why was she here again?

The Ding family didn’t even live around here.

Ding Xinyi’s mood instantly soured when she saw Wen Nian.

Unpleasant feelings stirred in her heart.

That day at dinner, she had thought Wen Nian was just a little maid.

But after going home, her parents had scolded her severely.

Only then did she realize Wen Nian was a benefactor the Lu family had been looking for for many years.

Ding Xinyi immediately felt a strong sense of danger.

Since Wen Nian stubbornly refused to leave the Lu family, her target was definitely Lu Hanzheng.

She said nothing, just stared fixedly at the white dress on Wen Nian.

Her eyes burned with fierce hatred, as if she wanted to burn Wen Nian’s dress to ashes.

Wen Xue wore an expression like she was enjoying the show.

Casually, as if it was nothing, she pointed at the two dresses.

“Oh my, what a coincidence! Did you two plan this? Both wearing white qipaos, and your hairstyles are quite similar too.”

Ding Xinyi was furious.

“Who planned it with her?”

Her dress was from Shanghai, one-of-a-kind in size and color.

How could a village girl afford to wear the same dress?

As if she deserved it!

What made her even angrier was that the village girl’s dress looked even more stylish.

The closer-fitting design showed off a curvy figure, a slender waist that could be grasped in one hand.

Ding Xinyi glanced down at her own dress, which was loose and long.

Her bone structure was never petite, especially her waist, which was somewhat thick.

It made her look slightly bulky overall.

She gritted her teeth.

“Where did you get your dress?”

Wen Nian frowned slightly and shook off Wen Xue’s arm.

She didn’t want to have too much contact with Wen Xue.

After her rebirth, Wen Xue always gave her a feeling of hidden hostility.

She hadn’t forgotten how Wen Xue had tricked her into coming home last time.

And now, here she was pretending to be a good sister.

As for Ding Xinyi, just seeing this sticky woman annoyed her.

Even though Lu Hanzheng paid no attention to her.

It was annoying to have others eyeing what was hers.

Wen Nian didn’t hold back in snapping back.

“Why should I tell you?”

She had just happened to see this dress at the supply and marketing cooperative last time.

Thinking the style was nice, she bought some satin fabric and drew the design herself.

Then she took it to the tailor, who made a copy based on it.

She just made some slight changes to the style.

The upper part was changed to a mandarin button closure; the leftover fabric became ribbons tied at the waist for decoration, and the hem was pleated a bit more.

Wearing the same outfit isn’t scary; the one who looks worse feels awkward.

People came and went in the courtyard.

The three of them happened to be standing right in the middle of the courtyard’s main thoroughfare.

As long as anyone passed by—whether man or woman—they would inevitably steal a few glances in their direction.

Everyone’s gaze, without exception, landed on Wen Nian.

Ding Xinyi’s face darkened extremely.

If this were the past, she would have been the center of attention wherever she went among the crowd.

But now, she had become just a backdrop for someone else.

Wen Xue didn’t care at all.

After more than a decade of life’s hardships, she was no longer as obsessed with appearances as before.

At least she could put on a calm front.

In her previous life, she had entered the Lu family.

In this life, even if she couldn’t climb up to Lu Hanzheng’s high status, she would never let Wen Nian have it easy.

So, when she remembered Ding Xinyi’s secret crush on Lu Hanzheng and how she purposely waited here to make things difficult for Wen Nian…

Wen Nian was too lazy to argue with Ding Xinyi.

She turned to leave.

But Ding Xinyi suddenly blocked her path.

Relentlessly scolding, she said,

“Stop! Where did you get that dress?”

Both were white dresses, but the other woman looked ethereal and graceful.

She herself looked like a country bumpkin—short and stout.

And the hairstyle too.

Last time, when visiting the Lu family, she had seen Wen Nian’s braided hair.

Today she had deliberately styled hers the same way.

But when compared,

Wen Nian looked like a forest elf,

While she looked like a wild pheasant had scratched her hair.

The more Ding Xinyi looked, the angrier she became.

She began to blurt out spiteful words:

“You think you can live at the Lu family forever just because of that tiny favor? I advise you to give up now. Don’t stubbornly cling to the Lu family and don’t even dream of climbing the social ladder. Brother Hanzheng looks down on a village girl like you.”

Wen Nian rolled her eyes inwardly.

Jealous over her boyfriend and making a fuss in front of him like the real owner.

Wen Nian snorted coldly with disdain.

“Tch! Who’s the one being shameless? Commander Lu already rejected you so thoroughly, yet you still shamelessly come rushing here.”

One after another, they all stared at her boyfriend.

Were all the men in the world dead or something?

Everyone else was already riding on her head.

Wasn’t it normal for her to defend herself?

Ding Xinyi stomped furiously, wanting to pounce and tear apart that sharp tongue of hers.

She wanted to scratch her pretty little face.

“Who are you calling shameless?”

“Xinyi, what are you doing here?”

A military green jeep had stopped beside the three without anyone noticing when.

Along with a clear, crisp voice,

A handsome face appeared from the driver’s seat.

Wen Nian, who was now facing away from the road, had been so busy arguing that she didn’t notice when the jeep stopped behind her.

They were at most a meter apart.

Wen Nian shifted her gaze from the side of the jeep to the man’s face.

She took a deep breath in her heart.

Wow!

A top-tier handsome guy!

The man had a fair, refined face with smooth lines.

His fox-like eyes slanted slightly upward, a high, straight nose bridge, and thin, sexy lips.

He wore a pine-green military uniform with the top two buttons undone.

Below his Adam’s apple was a shallow scar about three centimeters long,

Like an old wound from a shrapnel scrape.

Leaning his left elbow on the car window, the sleeves of his military shirt were loosely rolled up, showing tight, well-defined arm muscles.

The whole man was handsome beyond words.

Yet his aura was mysterious and elusive.

In terms of looks, this man was on par with Lu Hanzheng.

In terms of temperament, the two were completely opposite.

But equally outstanding.

Is there such a character in this story?