Helen Jiang snorted coldly and said, "Cousin-in-law, you sure know how to talk your way out of anything. I have nothing to say to that. But I heard you come from a common background, so I wonder—how long can you really hold onto the position of the Yin Family’s young mistress?"
Anyone could hear the hostility in Helen Jiang’s words.
Cecilia Gu frowned slightly.
She had never provoked Helen Jiang, had she?
Ever since she married Charles Yin, it seemed like a lot of people were unhappy about it.
Helen Jiang’s displeasure, though, was really out of nowhere.
She wasn’t even her real sister-in-law, so why did Helen Jiang have to look at her with such obvious dislike?
Just then, Eric Jiang’s voice came to Cecilia’s rescue: "Huiyin, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!"
Helen Jiang turned around and saw Eric Jiang. Instantly, her sharp, unfriendly expression vanished, replaced by the cute and charming look Cecilia had seen when she first met her.
If Cecilia hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would have thought she was dreaming.
"Aunt’s looking everywhere for you! Aren’t you going to hurry over?" Eric Jiang said indifferently.
"I’ll go right now. Brother, you’ll come too, won’t you?" Helen Jiang immediately put on a cute face, looking up at Eric Jiang with big, innocent eyes.
"Good girl." Eric Jiang affectionately ruffled Helen Jiang’s hair. Only then did Helen Jiang shoot Cecilia a warning look before turning and leaving.
That hostility—seriously, where did it even come from?
After sending Helen Jiang away, Eric Jiang smiled at Cecilia and said, "If Huiyin was rude to you just now, let me apologize on her behalf."
Cecilia Gu gave a light chuckle. "It’s fine."
Eric Jiang’s gaze lingered on Cecilia’s face for a few seconds before he slowly looked away. "Your photos are beautiful."
Cecilia froze. "Huh?"
Where did that come from? Seriously, what was that about?
Eric Jiang’s lips curled into a faint smile. Cecilia actually felt like he was looking right through her at someone else…
Wait a minute...
Could he know Nora Yun too?
Cecilia suddenly felt that idea was ridiculous, but she just couldn’t shake the feeling.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Cousin?" Cecilia couldn’t help but ask. "Isn’t today the first time we’ve met?"
"Yeah, first time..." Eric Jiang’s face actually looked a little dazed.
Mrs. Yin, Vivian Jiang, was beautiful, so it was no surprise the Jiang family members were all good-looking too.
Eric Jiang, standing before her, had a unique kind of charm.
He was nothing like Charles Yin’s dangerous charisma, or Max Mo’s gentle warmth—Eric Jiang had a wild pride about him, but it wasn’t off-putting.
Cecilia lowered her eyes. "Cousin, are you mistaking me for someone else?"
Eric Jiang’s eyes suddenly grew much deeper. "You really are smart, little sis!"
"So I guessed right. You know Nora Yun?" Cecilia asked bluntly.
"Know her? That’s putting it mildly." Eric Jiang gave a bitter smile. "In my whole life, she’s the only one who ever truly amazed me..."
Well, no need to say anything more—Cecilia already understood.
This Eric Jiang was clearly one of Nora Yun’s many admirers.
"You really do look a lot like her," Eric Jiang said honestly, not hiding anything. "Sometimes, when I look at your photos, I almost think she’s come back to life."
Cecilia suddenly felt a little jealous of her twin sister.
They were real sisters, but it seemed like Nora Yun lived in the spotlight, while she herself was always invisible.
"I’m sorry, I’m not Nora Yun," Cecilia said apologetically. "I’m just Cecilia Gu."
"I know," Eric Jiang replied, sounding a little down. "I know you’re not her. But you two really... look so much alike."
Cecilia didn’t say anything else.
"You must have a lot to take care of. I won’t bother you anymore," Eric Jiang said, then turned and left.
Watching Eric Jiang’s back as he left, it almost looked like he was running away.
Just as Cecilia was feeling puzzled, Sophie Mo’s gentle voice sounded behind her: "Back then, he and my brother were the biggest rivals. But in the end, Nora Yun chose my brother."
Cecilia turned around in surprise to look at Sophie Mo.
Sophie Mo gave Cecilia a gentle smile.
Today, Sophie Mo wore a blue-and-white formal dress that made her look even more elegant and graceful. She must have caught the eyes of countless men.
"Eric Jiang and my brother met Nora Yun one after the other, and of course, they both fell for her. But Nora Yun rarely went out because of her health. My brother had all the advantages, so eventually, Nora Yun agreed to be with him. By the time Eric Jiang realized what was happening, my brother and Nora Yun were already together." Sophie Mo explained quietly. "Cecilia, you don’t have to worry about Eric Jiang, but there’s someone you should watch out for."
"Who?" Cecilia asked, surprised.
"Helen Jiang." Sophie Mo explained softly, "Helen Jiang isn’t actually a blood relative of the Jiang family—she was adopted by Mrs. Jiang. The Jiang family always wanted both a son and a daughter, but in Eric Jiang’s generation, there was only a son. Mrs. Jiang felt it was a pity, so she adopted a daughter. Helen Jiang is obsessed with her brother, and her hostility toward you today probably comes from Nora Yun."
Cecilia couldn’t help but laugh: "Just because I look like Nora Yun? So she hates me by association?"
"That’s pretty much it," Sophie Mo laughed too. "Sounds ridiculous, right? But that’s just how the Jiang family is! Back then, Eric Jiang actually had a chance with Nora Yun, but Helen Jiang kept interfering—so my brother ended up with her instead."
Cecilia smiled at Sophie Mo. "Why are you telling me all this?"
"I don’t want you to get hurt!" Sophie Mo raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I don’t like Helen Jiang either! She always acts so innocent and cute, but she’s over twenty! There’s a limit to how much you can pretend to be a kid!"
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"So, you think your own innocence is being challenged?" Cecilia teased Sophie Mo.
Sure enough, Sophie Mo couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. "Only you would say something like that."
After their joking, someone came looking for Cecilia.
As the hostess, Cecilia couldn’t stay away for long, so she and Sophie Mo headed back to the main hall.
Sure enough, as soon as they returned, Cecilia was immediately surrounded by a crowd.
Cecilia smiled gracefully and handled them with poise, looking every bit the elegant young lady.
Grandma Evelyn Yin saw this and nodded quietly to herself.
Even though Cecilia Gu had been raised outside the family all her life, she was still born into a prestigious lineage.
Just a few days of crash-course lessons were enough for her to hold her own in high society.
It was a pity that Madam Yun couldn’t make it in person this time.
She’d really wanted to have a good showdown with that old lady.
"I really didn’t expect a commoner like Cousin-in-law to know all these manners." Helen Jiang’s sharp voice rang out from a corner again.
Cecilia could only sigh helplessly.
Apparently, Helen Jiang wasn’t satisfied with giving her a hard time in private—now she wanted to embarrass her in public too.
Sure enough, as soon as Helen Jiang finished speaking, quite a few people’s expressions changed.
Mrs. Yun immediately stepped to Cecilia’s side and took her hand. "The Yun family is just a modest household, nowhere near as grand as the Jiangs. Forgive us for making you laugh, Miss Jiang."
Cecilia hadn’t expected Mrs. Yun to step up for her so quickly, and her eyes grew wet with gratitude.
Helen Jiang glanced at Mrs. Yun—of course she knew who Mrs. Yun was!
She’d kept a close eye on the Yun family, all because of their eldest daughter.
But the Yun family’s status was clear for all to see, and Helen Jiang didn’t dare pick a fight with them directly.
"Mrs. Yun, you’re joking—I never said anything about the Yun family. I’m talking about my cousin-in-law, Cecilia Gu. She’s a Gu, not a Yun." Helen Jiang shot Cecilia a look, and when she saw Cecilia’s calm face, she grew even more annoyed. "Cousin-in-law, what do you think?"
"Mom, Helen’s just complimenting me," Cecilia smiled and patted Mrs. Yun’s hand. "To marry into the Yin family from humble beginnings, and now to be able to converse with so many ladies from distinguished families—that’s no small feat. But somehow, I managed it. Helen’s just congratulating me, isn’t she?"
Cecilia shot Helen Jiang a glance.
Helen Jiang’s face turned pale. She had no intention of complimenting Cecilia!
Mrs. Yin’s expression changed slightly, but she quickly glanced at Cecilia and said nothing.
She wanted to see how Cecilia would handle things without admitting to being a Yun family member.