Chapter 123: Treat Them Fairly

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Treat Them Fairly

"Hmm?" Qiao Meixia blinked, looking thoroughly perplexed.

Having returned home after a hectic ride, she had completely wiped the previous day’s retail spree from her memory.

"Did you completely forget about our shopping trip, Qiaoqiao?" Jiang Suhan chuckled softly at her bewildered reaction. "These are the clothes we selected for you yesterday."

"Oh..." Qiao Meixia uttered, realisation dawning on her. She reached out and accepted the heavy packages into her arms. "Thank you."

"Of course. Get some proper rest tonight. Good night, Qiaoqiao." Jiang Suhan said warmly.

"Hmm... good night to you as well." Qiao Meixia replied.

With a satisfied smile, Jiang Suhan turned and walked toward his own bedroom.

Downstairs, after spending another few minutes seeking comfort from her mother, Jiang Yanna finally returned to her private bedroom. The second she closed her door, her sweet front shattered, and she gritted her teeth in pure resentment as the vision of those luxury shopping bags flashed continuously in her mind. It had been far too long since Jiang Suhan had presented her with a lavish gift, and a bitter, green wave of jealousy consumed her chest.

While she was drowning in her foul mood, her smartphone buzzed with a sudden notification chime. Snatching the device off her vanity, she glanced at the screen and saw a message from Chen Xiaoqing. Wondering why the girl would be reaching out to her at such an hour, she tapped open the image attachment.

It was a sharp, clear photograph capturing Jiang Suhan, Jiang Fenfang, Jiang Boqin, and Qiao Meixia walking together harmoniously in a high-end shopping centre.

Directly below the image, a taunting caption read: ’Jiang Yanna, how come you weren’t out enjoying the weekend with your own siblings and cousins? I was under the impression that you were so close with your family.’

Jiang Yanna’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her phone with terrifying intensity, her eyes glaring daggers at the mocking message.

"That miserable bitch is deliberately trying to provoke me." Jiang Yanna spat out through clenched teeth, her voice dripping with venom.

Refusing to grant Chen Xiaoqing the satisfaction of an angry response, she aggressively tossed her phone onto the side table, pulled her silk covers over her head, and forced herself to go to sleep.

The next morning, Jiang Yanna woke up considerably earlier than usual. Stepping up to her vanity and catching her reflection in the mirror, she could not help but grimace at her restless, exhausted appearance. The prominent dark circles under her eyes were impossible to ignore. Shaken by her tired look, she immediately began applying heavy layers of concealer and foundation to thoroughly cover up the discolouration.

Once she felt satisfied with her polished appearance, she picked up her smartphone to go through her unread notifications. There were a handful of unread text messages from her social circle, but she did not bother opening any of them. Instead, her fixed gaze drifted back to the photo Chen Xiaoqing had sent her the previous night.

It was a candid shot capturing Jiang Suhan, Jiang Fenfang, Jiang Boqin, and Qiao Meixia together. The four of them looked completely relaxed and happy, clearly enjoying each other’s company.

The longer Jiang Yanna stared down at the screen, the more intense her hidden resentment grew. She had always firmly believed that Jiang Fenfang and Jiang Boqin were vastly closer to her than to Qiao Meixia, even if they had not hung out as much in recent months. After all, they had grown up in the exact same elite social circles and shared years of familiarity, unlike Qiao Meixia, who had been raised in the impoverished slums.

Yet, in such an impossibly short span of time, they had already bonded so naturally with Qiao Meixia to the point of going on casual shopping outings together. The sheer reality of it was infuriating.

"Why on earth are they getting so close to her?" Jiang Yanna muttered under her breath, her eyes flashing with envy.

Sliding her phone into her designer backpack, she stepped out of her suite and glided down the hallway toward the grand dining room. When she arrived, Jiang Chinan was already seated at the table, quietly enjoying his breakfast.

"Good morning, Sister Yanna." Jiang Chinan greeted her warmly.

"Mmm... good morning, Chinan." Jiang Yanna replied, instantly masking her sour mood with a gentle, graceful smile.

As she pulled out a chair and sat down, her mother finally entered the room.

Feng Lan stepped up to the dining table and immediately caught sight of her daughter’s unusually pale, tired complexion.

"Yanna, sweetheart, why do you look so terribly worn out? Did you not catch a single wink of sleep last night?" Feng Lan inquired, her voice filled with immediate concern.

"I just could not seem to sleep very soundly, Mom." Jiang Yanna offered softly.

"You look absolutely exhausted. Should I call the school and request a medical day off for you?" Feng Lan offered anxiously.

"I am completely fine, Mom. There is really no need for that. I can manage school today." Jiang Yanna reassured her, gently shaking her head before glancing around the quiet table. "Where is Sister Meixia? Is she still fast asleep in her room? Should we send one of the maidservants upstairs to wake her?"

"No need to bother. She already left for school ages ago." Jiang Chinan chimed in.

"How do you know that?" Jiang Yanna asked, looking over at her brother.

"I heard the roaring engine of her superbike echoing down the driveway earlier." Jiang Chinan replied nonchalantly.

"Oh... I see," Jiang Yanna nodded smoothly. She then turned her focus back to her mother. "Mom, when exactly is the family acknowledgement banquet scheduled for?"

"It will be held this coming weekend." Feng Lan answered.

"This weekend..." Jiang Yanna repeated under her breath, her mind racing.

"Yes, dear. Why do you ask?" Feng Lan frowned slightly, feeling a bit puzzled by her sudden interest.

"Oh, it is nothing major. I just wanted to be clear on the date." Jiang Yanna offered a sweet, innocent smile. "Have you already notified Grandpa and Grandma about it?"

"Your father mentioned that he would handle contacting them personally." Feng Lan stated.

"What about Grandpapa and Grandmama?" Jiang Yanna inquired further, referring specifically to her maternal grandparents.

"I notified them, but I am not entirely certain if they can make the long trip back in time, considering they are currently residing in Paris." Feng Lan explained.

Jiang Yanna was secretly desperate for her maternal grandparents to attend. Since her paternal grandparents openly favoured Qiao Meixia and treated her with cold indifference, she desperately needed her maternal grandparents present at the banquet to serve as her powerful personal backing. She felt absolute confidence that her refined maternal grandparents would equally despise a crass, uncultured girl like Qiao Meixia.

Right at that moment, Jiang Suhan walked into the dining room, dressed in a sharp business suit.

"Good morning, everyone." Jiang Suhan greeted the table calmly.

"Good morning, Eldest Brother." both Jiang Yanna and Jiang Chinan responded obediently.

Jiang Suhan’s eyes scanned the open dining chairs, noting Qiao Meixia’s empty place. So his ears had not deceived him earlier. It really had been the roar of her superbike heading off so early in the morning. He could not help but wonder if she had even paused long enough to grab a proper breakfast before rushing out.

Taking his seat at the head of the table, Jiang Suhan began pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Feng Lan looked at her eldest son, her expression stern as she brought up her earlier grievances.

"Suhan, you simply cannot openly favour one sister while blatantly neglecting the other. You had better make sure to prepare an equally lavish gift for Yanna as well. Do not forget that she is just as much your younger sister." Feng Lan reminded him in a sharp, protective tone.

Jiang Suhan paused, casting a cool glance between Feng Lan and Jiang Yanna. Since it was early in the morning, he had zero desire to engage in an exhausting verbal spat with his mother and manipulative younger sister. Consequently, he offered a low, noncommittal response.

Jiang Yanna’s eyes instantly sparkled with a flicker of triumphant delight.

"I will arrange to prepare something suitable whenever I happen to find spare time." Jiang Suhan added casually, taking a sip of his coffee.

Jiang Yanna’s mood plunged straight into an abyss. His dismissive tone made it painfully obvious that in her eldest brother’s eyes, she was not even worth a fraction of the time or effort he spent on Qiao Meixia.

Sensing her favourite daughter’s sudden, crushing disappointment, Feng Lan immediately stepped in to soothe her bruised ego.

***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. Thank you, from your shameless author, ZerahNeko***