"Basically everyone in the Su family knows I was kicked out, but... none of them dare to defy the old head of the Su family."
Su Zhiyi's gaze fell on the gold-stamped Su family emblem in the corner of the invitation, and a meaningful chuckle escaped her lips.
"Even if I shamelessly show up at the Su family's charity gala and keep pretending to be the eldest Miss Su in front of them, that old man will swallow it for the sake of the Su family's face."
The problem now was that she wasn't a member of the Su family, nor was she from any wealthy family.
She didn't have an invitation to the Su family's charity gala, so she had no right to enter.
So, how could she legitimately get into the Su family's charity gala...
Su Zhiyi lifted her gaze from the Su family crest at the bottom of the invitation.
She slowly raised her head, her gentle eyes falling on Li Yuexin.
Then, with elegance and composure, she folded the invitation in half, slipped it back into the envelope, and returned it to Li Yuexin intact.
"I've read it. But I probably won't be able to receive you that day."
She said subtly, "So... I can only welcome you in advance."
Li Yuexin put the invitation away and looked at Su Zhiyi in surprise: "But this is your family's charity gala. Aren't you going?"
Su Zhiyi's expression froze instantly at Li Yuexin's words.
The smile at the corners of her lips gradually faded. She lowered her eyes, looking melancholic and lost.
Li Yuexin's words seemed to remind her of something unpleasant. A layer of crystal-clear moisture suddenly appeared in her clear eyes, and her voice dropped so low it was almost inaudible.
"I... I'll go."
Su Zhiyi's emotions were too obvious. Li Yuexin immediately sensed something was wrong.
A beautiful person always looks so pitiful when they're upset.
The girl slowly lowered her head, her slightly wavy long hair slipping from her shoulders, covering half of her face.
Her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she were crying—so pitiable.
Had she said something she shouldn't have?
Li Yuexin felt a pang in her heart and grew sad herself.
Even though she didn't know what Su Zhiyi was upset about, the fact that Su Zhiyi changed like that after she said just one sentence inevitably made her wonder why Su Zhiyi's mood had shifted so quickly.
Such a... wronged look.
Could it be that the Su family had done something to wrong Su Zhiyi?
But Su Zhiyi was the pearl in the Su family's palm...
"What's wrong, Zhiyi?"
Li Yuexin half-bent down, softened her tone, and looked worriedly at Su Zhiyi's sorrowful brows and eyes.
"It's nothing."
Facing her friend's inquiry, Su Zhiyi forced a very reluctant smile, raised a hand to wipe the non-existent tears from the corner of her eyes.
She parted her lips slightly, took a light breath, and her voice was as soft as cotton: "Just remembered something a little unhappy. It's okay. I still welcome you to attend our Su family's charity gala."
"Zhiyi..."
"Don't worry about me. Isn't the next class painting?"
Su Zhiyi glanced at the clock hanging in the classroom.
"Go on, don't be late."
"Mm... okay."
Su Zhiyi clearly wanted to be alone. No matter how worried Li Yuexin was, she could only respect Su Zhiyi's wishes.
"Then I'll head to the art studio. Wanwan and I will wait for you there."
Before leaving, she added, "If you don't come before class starts, I'll tell the teacher you're sitting this one out."
"It's okay, Zhiyi. Get some rest."
She gave Su Zhiyi one last gentle comfort.
Some people need comfort when they're sad; others need to be alone to process it.
Su Zhiyi was the latter.
She gave Su Zhiyi enough space to let her sort herself out.
Li Yuexin didn't know why Su Zhiyi was sad, but Su Zhiyi's contrasting behavior planted a seed of doubt in her heart.
As soon as Li Yuexin's figure disappeared from the classroom door, Su Zhiyi's sorrow vanished completely in an instant.
There wasn't a single tear in her eyes, and she was utterly calm.
The next class was painting, and all the students had gone to the art studio. Now she was the only one left in the classroom, so she didn't need to wear her hypocritical mask.
Now she needed to calm down and think about how to use her relationships with Su Qinghuai, Song Lian, and Si Yanjing to legitimately enter the Su family's charity gala.
"Host, are you planning to ask Su Qinghuai for an invitation?"