Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mia led us into an alley. The buildings here weren't tall—no more than ten floors—and the paint on the walls was peeling off. Two bodyguards followed behind us, carrying gifts. When we reached the third floor, she knocked on the door.

A woman in her fifties opened the door, wearing an apron around her waist. When she saw Shao Qin and me, she broke into a big smile, "I'm Mia's mom, Sophia Chen. Her dad, Brian Carter, is in the kitchen. Come in, come in, have a seat! The food will be ready soon."

As we walked inside, I noticed that the living room, though small, was clean and tidy. After the bodyguards brought in the gifts, they took the initiative to wait outside. Sophia Chen looked at the piles of gifts, her eyes filled with greed—like a mouse that had stumbled into a granary. But she said politely, "You didn't have to bring so many things."

The dishes were brought to the table one after another, and Sophia Chen urged us to start eating. Throughout the meal, Shao Qin held Mia's hand and never let go. Even though the room was air-conditioned, there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead—he must have been really nervous.

There were only five of us at the table. Just as we were about to start eating, I asked, "Mia, didn't you say you have a twin sister? Shouldn't we wait for her?"

Upon hearing this, the three of them—who had been smiling just a moment ago—all froze in unison. It was Sophia Chen who broke the awkward silence first, "Oh, Mia's sister went out with her friends. We don't need to wait for her. Young people love going out; they can't sit still at home."

Mia and Brian Carter both nodded repeatedly in agreement. The more guilty they looked, the more curious I became. I glanced at my brother, who was busy stuffing food into his mouth, and I really wanted to knock some sense into him—stop eating and wake up!

During the meal, Brian Carter said, "Our Bai family is just an ordinary family. We never thought about climbing up to a wealthy family like yours. We just want our daughter to find someone who treats her well. Who would have thought she'd meet the young master of the Gong family by chance? Seeing how much these two kids like each other, we as parents can rest easy."

Shawn nodded repeatedly, "Uncle, don't worry. I will definitely treat Mia well."

Sophia Chen quickly chimed in, "If Mia does anything wrong or doesn't understand something, Miss Gong, we hope you'll guide her. As long as the kids are doing well, we parents will have no regrets in this life."

I smiled faintly and said, "By the way, I didn't have time to prepare much for this visit, so I brought small red envelopes for you two." As I spoke, I took out three red envelopes. I gave one to each of Mia's parents and held the third one in my hand, "This one is for Mia's sister. I heard she's a top student. When she comes back, I'd love to meet her."

Sophia Chen subtly tucked the red envelopes into her pocket and said, "Who knows how long that girl will be out? It would be a shame if she delays your time."

"It's okay, I can wait," I replied.

Seeing that I was insistent on waiting for Mia's sister to come back, Mia nudged her mother's shoulder, "Since Miss Gong wants to meet my sister, Mom, why don't you call her and tell her to come back early and be obedient?"

Mia emphasized the word "obedient" slightly. Sophia Chen nodded and said she would make the call. Soon after, we heard the sound of a key unlocking the door. A thin girl walked in. It was July or August—hot summer—but she was wearing long pants and a high-necked long-sleeved shirt. Her eyes looked at everyone in the room timidly.

Although she had the exact same face as Mia, her aura was completely different. When Mia first met me, she was a little shy, but after a few more interactions, she was quite confident and outgoing overall. This girl, however, had a look of genuine fear in her eyes—like a bird that had been startled by a bow.

Mia stepped forward warmly, wanting to link arms with her, and said, "This is my sister, Luna Carter." But just as Mia was about to take Luna's hand, Luna subconsciously stepped back a little. It happened in just a second, but Mia was quick—she grabbed Luna's hand and smiled as she introduced us, "This is Miss Queenie Bennett of the Gong family, and my boyfriend, Shawn Bennett."

Luna looked flustered and forced a smile.