Picking up the photograph and looking at the woman with a gentle smile in the lens, Chen Xi didn't feel any warmth. Instead, there was an inexplicable sense of annoyance.

Why did he like her mother?

She began to ponder this question.

Was it because of her looks?

The young girl thought as she put the clothes back into the box, then hugged it and walked out of the room.

Standing in front of the mirror in the living room, she put down the items in her hands and started comparing the woman in the photo with her reflection.

"What the... I'm clearly not uglier than her..." Chen Xi muttered, touching her fair cheek, "Could it be... because of the clothes?"

She first glanced at the white dress she was wearing, then at the woman in the photo, and finally, her gaze fell on the box beside her.

To be precise, it fell on the blue and white long dress.

But the young girl didn't choose to try it on. Instead, she pouted, her expression somewhat defiant, snorted coldly, and tossed the photo back, landing it right on top of the clothes.

She didn't return the box to its place, just left it in the living room, then retraced her steps back into Yan Feng's room.

This time she came out quickly, empty-handed.

Chen Xi stood at the doorway, feeling a bit deflated, glanced at the box in the corner, and suppressed her wavering heart.

The reason was simple, even though Bai Xi was no longer around and hadn't seen Yan Feng for years, in her heart, it was still a competition between the two.

She refused to admit defeat, no matter what.

At least, that's what she thought at the beginning.

Later, she realized she was wrong, terribly wrong.

Yan Feng's daily life was extremely simple, even terrifyingly so, consisting of only three parts: work, life, and Bai Xi.

Apart from those headache-inducing documents and plans, almost all of his hobbies were related to Bai Xi.

The guitar was taught by Bai Xi, the cactus was left by Bai Xi, the bridge they walked past was one Bai Xi took him to, and even the spicy beef sauce he learned to make was for Bai Xi...

An inexplicable feeling surged in the young girl's heart, unpleasant, like eating a plum just sprouting from a branch, leaving only sourness and bitterness.

The more Chen Xi thought about it, the angrier she got, biting her lip and hugging her shoulders, she lay on the sofa for half an hour.

Several times, when her will wavered, she couldn't help but glance at the box with the clothes, and as soon as the thought of trying them on emerged, she would forcibly extinguish it, then snort coldly and turn her head away.

But she had no other choice.

That box seemed like a charity from the victorious Bai Xi, symbolizing her identity as a loser, carrying a heavy sense of humiliation, even if that wasn't the reality.

Should she accept it?

Chen Xi gritted her teeth, her eyes flickering, unwilling to compromise.

But she thought of a reasonable explanation.

"It's just a try, it's okay, like the self-strengthening movement in the textbook, learning from the foreigners to defeat them..."

So she really put on that blue and white long dress, and even styled her hair like Bai Xi in the photo.

After not wearing it for so many years, the dress didn't have any odor, just a bit wrinkled, and wearing it, she looked somewhat different from Bai Xi in the photo.

And there was a certain emptiness in a particular area, making her pout unwillingly...

But other than that, there was no difference from the photo.

No matter how much Chen Xi resisted, she was still Bai Xi's daughter, with a face strikingly similar to her mother's, equally gentle and kind, and wearing that long dress, she could easily pass for her.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the young girl sighed inwardly, her eyes showing a hint of loneliness, but then she thought of the surprised look Yan Feng might have when he saw her, and couldn't help but bite her lip, looking at the mirror, giggling foolishly.

The waiting time was long, she wore that long dress, pacing back and forth in front of the mirror, occasionally jumping, landing, spinning, like a confident dancer.

Although her movements seemed a bit amateurish, her stunning beauty made up for it, making one imagine that even if Chen Xi stood still on stage, just a smile would win countless cheers.

When the dance stopped, she was a bit tired, stopped to catch her breath, and looked at herself in the mirror.

An inexplicable impulse hit her, Chen Xi squinted her eyes, suddenly spoke, word by word:

"I'm prettier, younger, smarter, and he will definitely like me more!"

"He definitely will!"

The young girl's body was ultimately delicate, and after some exercise, she was a bit tired. Not wanting to delay her meeting with Yan Feng by going back to her room to sleep, she had to curl up in that long dress and take a nap on the sofa.

And this nap lasted until the evening.

10 PM.

Outside, there were faint sounds, like someone was trying to pick the lock, and Chen Xi was just awakened by it.

Without the self-defense electric baton at hand, her instinctive self-protection made her clench her fists, biting her lip, looking nervously towards the door.

Finally, with a crisp sound, the door was slowly pushed open by someone.

The moment she saw the man, the vigilance in the young girl's eyes was thrown to the wind, leaving only seventy percent joy, thirty percent anticipation, and a hint of instinctive shyness.

Would he like how she looked now?

He would, right... he definitely would...

Thinking this, Chen Xi gathered her courage, raised her head, just about to say something, but her eyes reflected a dark shadow rushing towards her.

At that moment, she thought a lot.

There was joy, nervousness, anticipation for the future, and fear of what was about to happen.

She... was still a virgin... some things... were bound to be experienced...

Fortunately, she had already decided that the person to accompany her for the rest of her life would only be Yan Feng, so... those things happening a bit earlier... wouldn't be a problem, right?

Thinking this, she moved her arms away, assuming a posture of embrace, welcoming the man's arrival.

But tonight, she was destined to be disappointed.

Yan Feng crashed into Chen Xi's embrace, causing a sharp pain, and the overwhelming smell of alcohol made her instinctively frown.

He had been drinking... a lot...

She hated the smell of alcohol because it quickly made people lose their senses, unconscious, like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.

But she didn't hate the smell of alcohol on Yan Feng. On the contrary, she found it pleasant, with a peculiar fragrance that made her sniff a few more times.

Looking at the man lying in her arms, she suddenly felt a strange impulse in her heart, couldn't help but help him onto the sofa, letting him rest his head on her lap.

The young girl reached out her fingers, gently brushing Yan Feng's cheek, like a gentle mother, tidying the messy hair on his forehead.

She had never observed the man's face so closely, so carefully.

During tutoring, she only stole a few glances, never had the chance to look closely. Now, looking at him, Yan Feng was indeed extraordinarily handsome.

Sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with distinct features, not the effeminate kind of a pretty boy, but full of masculine vigor.

Unintentionally, she became mesmerized, her breathing heavy, one wave after another, brushing against the man's face, bringing a warm itch.

She lowered her head, looking at Yan Feng's slightly parted lips, couldn't help but lick her dry lips, swallowing the saliva crazily secreting in her mouth, brushed aside the obstructing hair, and slowly leaned down...

Closer, closer...

Instinctive shyness drove her to close her eyes, her heart pounding wildly with excitement, the blood in her veins tinged with restless energy, as if everything pointed to that so-called sweet love.

Until... a murmur sounded.

"Sister... I miss you so much..."