The New Year of 2007.
The atmosphere at the Ning family on New Year’s Eve was a bit gloomy. The villa was decorated with flowers and brocades as usual, and people ca and went just as many as before, yet it was much quieter than in previous years.
In the past, during the New Year, the whole family adhered to etiquette, not being too lively. However, from the hosts to the workers, everyone would wear a smile, reflecting the festivity and joy of the occasion.
This year was a little different.
Because the matriarch of the house, Gu Xihuo, had been in low spirits for several days, others couldn’t be happy either, or perhaps didn’t dare to show their happiness.
The Ning family was in the food business, and Ning Shizhao and his daughter Ning Wan were so busy in the months leading up to the New Year that their feet barely touched the ground.
Finally, on New Year’s Eve, they were able to sit down together for a cup of tea.
Even during this tea break, they had to keep discussing various company matters.
The two workaholics could talk endlessly about work and naturally had no mind for other matters.
Little Youyou was brought to the house by her aunt yesterday for the New Year, and now she quietly sat aside appreciating the flowers.
In the bright and spacious living room of her grandparents’ house, festive North Arican holly, elegant cyclan, moth orchids, and clivias were blooming splendidly.
Opposite her, Grandma Gu Xihuo sat with a somber face, occasionally glancing at her. Her gaze was full of words left unsaid, mixed with countless things she wanted to express.
On the tea table in front of her was a thick stack of already browsed entertainnt newspapers and fashion magazines.
You Guang had already read them. The headlines on the front pages were much the sa, with titles like "Big Scoop in the Entertainnt Industry! Rising Star Xia Youqing’s Romance Exposed!", "Xia Youqing and Mysterious Tycoon et at Five-Star Hotel Exposed!", "Shocking! The Private Life of a Popular Star is Like This?!", "Xia Youqing Brings Boyfriend Ho for New Year, Parents of Both Sides Have t?", "Inside Story of Famous Actress’ Romance, A Big Shot Sponsor Revealed?"...
However, Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt, and the house staff probably didn’t know she could understand them.
After watching the flowers, little Youyou sat quietly, while countless thoughts turned in her mind.
She felt that her rebirth might occasionally transform her into a butterfly.
Otherwise, her grandma, mom, her mom’s boyfriend Uncle Gu, and the managent company wouldn’t be in such a big ss now.
From the mont she saw Gu Cheng, she knew that her mom’s romance would sooner or later make its way to the family, but she didn’t expect it to be exposed at such thunderous speed before the whole nation.
In the previous life, at this ti, her mom didn’t accompany her to the animal shelter and Baiqiao Welfare Institute for charity work, and thus wasn’t fild by a reporter from Jin City’s hottest social news segnt "News Community" at the welfare institute, leading to an extensive report on "News Community" on Jin City TV that day.
If it hadn’t been reported on the "News Community" segnt, Xia Youqing’s popularity and national goodwill wouldn’t have soared so high, making her the most talked-about actress in entertainnt circles within days, prompting endless dia follow-ups and photography.
If it weren’t for the countless dia outlets tracking and secretly photographing her, Xia Youqing and Gu Cheng’s date in Jin City wouldn’t have been exposed.
At that ti, online dia was not developed, paper dia was dominant, and the speed of exposure of celebrity scandals was far less rapid and widespread than in the era of self-dia later on.
But the news frenzy regarding Xia Youqing lately was shocking enough.
You Guang leisurely thought, indeed, she would later beco a national goddess who could appear on Weibo hot searches in minutes, with her every move attracting countless attention.
Since Xia Youqing and Gu Cheng’s date had been photographed, the family would soon know about Xia Youqing’s romance.
The Xia family’s elders confird the authenticity of the news with Xia Youqing imdiately and then showed concern and care for little Youyou.
Having been together for so long, the Xia family knew too well that this child was decisive. Once they knew she fully respected her mom’s private feelings and was not hurt by them, they felt relieved and stopped excessively judging Xia Youqing’s new romance.
The Xia family could quickly accept the fact that Xia Youqing was dating.
Not the Ning family, especially Xia Youqing’s forr mother-in-law Gu Xihuo, whose face hadn’t improved since she knew her forr daughter-in-law had a boyfriend and that it had beco a city-wide sensation.
She had always considered herself a smart person; how could she not anticipate today’s scenario?
Yet, she was simply unwilling to accept it.
Why?
Why did her son not yet have a girlfriend or get married?
Why did Xia Youqing not only take the child to the Xia family but also not take good care of her, only to keep dating different people?
Did she not have any maternal duty?
Did she pay no regard to the Ning family or her son?
When the second Miss of the Ning family, Ning Xian, walked in with her grood husband and kids, she saw such a scene that was dramatically different from the past.
The second Miss Ning, dressed in pearls and dressed stylishly and exquisitely, skimd through the newspapers and magazines in front of her mother and imdiately understood why the family’s atmosphere was like this.
"Dad, Mom, Sis, little Youyou, everyone’s here."
Every New Year’s Eve lunch, Ning Xian would bring her husband and kids back to her parents’ ho for the al, and this year was no different.
She warmly started the conversation, and her husband Fang Jin sat next to father-in-law Ning Shizhao to drink tea with him.
The daughter, Fang Han, sweetly said auspicious words to everyone, which improved Gu Xihuo’s complexion significantly.
The son, Fang Huai, followed his sister’s greetings and then sat next to his cousin, happily calling out, "Sister Youyou."
The three Ning children, the young master Ning Yi, was the son both elders waited a long ti for. Originally, he could inherit the family business effortlessly as a CEO, but unexpectedly, Ning Yi, due to so anomaly, had an exceptionally long rebellious phase, not only becoming a teen dad after high school but also forsaking the CEO path to dive into the chaotic entertainnt industry aiming to beco a director, causing the Ning elders much headache.
Fortunately, the Ning family had a stable and capable eldest daughter, Ning Wan, who was career-focused, responsible, and had a strong sense of family honor, dedicating all her light and heat to the family business since university, growing it bigger with her still-sharp father.
Ning Xian, the second daughter, above her a sister devoted to the family business, and a brother to uphold the family’s image, got the most freedom among the wealthy family.
Originally, she had the best capital to rebel and live freely, but being a clever person since childhood, she always knew what she wanted and what she could do.
Not liking work, enjoying eating, drinking, having fun, and shopping, she lived as the face of high society heiresses in Jin City.
When it was ti to marry, she sought a compatible match and married into the equally wealthy Fang family, becoming their eldest daughter-in-law.
Logically, such a life plan should lead to a life of wealth and worry-free comfort.
If You Guang hadn’t been reborn, she would also have thought her aunt was truly smart and lived transparently.
However, she was reborn.
She saw far more than ordinary people could see. 1314
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