She witnessed the black Maybach stop at the villa gate.
The car was impressive, piquing her curiosity.
She watched for a while, but no one got out.
Nor did the car show any sign of leaving.
Xuan Yao was about to go downstairs to check, but just then the driver's door opened, revealing a familiar figure.
Looking closely, she recognized Shen Li, Zhou Dang's assistant.
Xuan Yao then confirmed that the person in the car was Zhou Dang.
She was somewhat pleasantly surprised, but before she could get excited, she saw Shen Li go to the back door and open it.
Shen Li helped a woman out of the car.
It wasn't until the woman walked around the front of the car toward the villa that Xuan Yao made out her face.
She recognized her at once.
Xuan Yao was stunned, unable to believe it was Xuan Yang.
Why was Xuan Yang getting out of Zhou Dang's car?!
...
Xuan Yang was a bit tired. She had been busy all day, her nerves on high alert.
Now that she was home, she finally relaxed. She just wanted to go upstairs and rest.
But she didn't expect to run into Xuan Yao on the stairs, who was coming down.
Xuan Yao's expression was unpleasant, her eyes dark and complex, filled with intense emotion as she looked at her.
Xuan Yang found it a bit strange.
However, she had no intention of talking to her, just offered a polite smile and intended to go upstairs.
But Xuan Yao stopped on the steps and blocked her way when Xuan Yang tried to ascend.
So Xuan Yang had to stop and step down two stairs to keep her distance.
She looked up at Xuan Yao, who was looking down from above, and slowly frowned: "What does this mean?"
Although Xuan Yang didn't want to admit it, Xuan Yao's hostility toward her was now unprecedentedly obvious.
In fact, it wasn't just now. Since nine years ago, when Lin Yao returned to the Xuan family as Xuan Yao, and they went from high school classmates to nominal sisters, Xuan Yang had vaguely sensed Xuan Yao's resentment toward her.
Their relationship had become even more distant than when they were classmates, with an intangible barrier.
Back then, Xuan Yang thought Xuan Yao was just not used to being back in the family, and maybe over time they could become like real sisters.
But later, her adoptive parents forcibly sent her to New York to fend for herself for nine years.
Now that she was back, meeting Xuan Yao again, their relationship had grown even more estranged.
So Xuan Yang hadn't thought about trying to get close to her as a sister.
She just wanted to coexist peacefully and let things take their natural course.
But now it seemed that balance was ultimately unsustainable.
Xuan Yao looked her up and down with a condescending gaze.
A faint trace of hatred flickered in her shrewd eyes. Suppressing her emotions, she spoke calmly: "I just saw you getting out of Zhou Dang's car. Did you meet him secretly again?"
Xuan Yang raised an eyebrow. The word "secretly" made her expression deepen. She said sternly, "Xuan Yao, watch your wording."
She let go of the stair railing, crossed her arms, and looked at her solemnly: "As long as I don't break the law, I think I have the right to meet anyone I want without reporting to anyone."
"I don't need to 'secretly' meet anyone behind someone's back."
Xuan Yao realized she had misspoken, her expression flickering, but she refused to back down: "You know that's not what I meant!"
Xuan Yang looked at her calmly: "Then what do you mean? Just say it plainly."
Xuan Yao: "... I just wanted to remind you that Mom and Dad have already arranged a marriage for you, and you're about to marry into the Chen family. You'd better not get too close to other men."
Xuan Yao: "Anyway, you're still the eldest Miss of the Xuan family. When you go out, your words and actions represent the Xuan family. You should think more about Mom and Dad."
She frowned, forcing an explanation.
But Xuan Yang wasn't buying it: "First of all, Chen Xingyue and I aren't even married yet. Even if we were, are you saying I can't have normal interactions with other men?"
"Is this what Mom and Dad taught you in the past nine years?"
This remark somehow struck a nerve with Xuan Yao, making her expression turn cold. She sneered, "Yeah, I'm not as good as you. You've had a good education since childhood, you're the top socialite in Jingbei City, the eldest Miss of the Xuan family."
"But don't forget, you have all this because you're my substitute!"
"What right do you have to be so smug in front of me? You're just an orphan who stole my life!"
Xuan Yang was stunned for a moment, stung by the words "substitute" and "orphan."
When Xuan Yang was five, her adoptive parents brought her to the Xuan family. Before that, she had countless dreams about "home" and "family."
Later, she heard that her adoptive parents had visited many orphanages and finally chose her. Xuan Yang once felt very lucky.