After the Bankrupt Heiress Married into a Rich Family - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Cynthia

Fxxx me, please.

The anchored yacht swayed gently on the vast ocean. Above, the bright moon hung high in the deep night sky, and stars fell into the shimmering surface of the water; heaven and earth twinkled in unison.

The cabin guest room was luxurious, the bathroom pristine. Steam billowed and diffused, blurring the features of those within.

In the massage tub on the left, Rong Zhao’s white one-piece swimsuit and Mingzhu’s red cherry bikini floated aimlessly. Under the shower on the right, Mingzhu gripped Rong Zhao’s waist tightly with her left hand to keep from slipping. Breathing in the fragrance from the back of Rong Zhao’s neck, she murmured softly, “Rongrong, thank you.”

Rong Zhao held onto the safety rails on the wall with both hands, her slender waist slightly arched. Her pale cheeks were flushed a fiery red by the mist, and it was impossible to tell if the moisture on her full forehead was sweat from the heat or water from the shower. “Is this how you thank me?”

Mingzhu let out a small laugh. “You gave me four gifts. I’m so moved, I wanted to thank you properly.”

She was truly moved, and truly grateful. She felt that aside from Bai Zhaolin and Shao Simian, Rong Zhao was the person who treated her best. Even her biological parents hadn’t contacted her once this past month; she certainly couldn’t count on them.

Of course, He-He and Jiangjiang were also good to her, but she felt awkward accepting such expensive gifts from them for no reason. Even if the expensive gifts from Rong Zhao were born out of a business cooperation rather than affection, she was still touched.

So, she expressed her gratitude through action—piously, vigorously, and with great excitement.

Rong Zhao’s hurried breathing tightened again and again, the sounds escaping her throat making even her own ears burn with embarrassment.

But Mingzhu’s excitement had a threshold. After a long while, as her energy began to wane, Rong Zhao deliberately spoke in a cold voice, pushing Mingzhu back: “That’s enough.”

Predictably, Mingzhu instantly rallied, pressing herself close again. “Don’t be like that… the swaying of the boat gives it such a great feeling, don’t you think?”

Rong Zhao smiled silently, her face red. She knew Mingzhu well; the more she was rejected, the more spirited she became. Once denied, Mingzhu’s threshold for excitement had no ceiling. She continued to indulge and lead Mingzhu into mischief.

In truth, those gifts worth hundreds of thousands didn’t mean much to the Mingzhu of the past, who spent money lavishly. But Mingzhu was someone who found happiness easily. When she received a gift, she beamed uncontrollably. Even when moving the equipment down to the cabin earlier, she had been stifling giggles behind Rong Zhao’s back.

Rong Zhao loved seeing Mingzhu’s bright eyes and radiant smile—whether it was a boisterous laugh or a secret, delighted giggle, she loved it all.

Mingzhu was indeed very happy tonight. Having been penniless recently, receiving any gift was a joy, let alone professional gear worth a fortune. Add to that the wine she’d drunk, and the sight of a post-shower Rong Zhao—hair damp, body trembling, voice soft, yet still trying to push her away—she became even more exhilarated.

In her abandon, she called out Rong Zhao’s English name.

“Cynthia.”

Mingzhu said softly, “Turn around. I want to look at you.”

Rong Zhao’s body gave a violent shudder, her heart racing. “How do you know…”

Mingzhu bit her tongue. “Photographic memory. He-He mentioned it.”

Cynthia was Rong Zhao’s English name. When they were children, they had their own foreign tutors who would stay with them during summer and winter breaks. The first time she heard Rong Zhao’s English name, Mingzhu had looked it up in the Oxford dictionary and asked her own tutor.

Both the dictionary and the tutor said that Cynthia was an epithet for the Moon Goddess in Greek mythology, as well as the Goddess of the Hunt. In poetry, it was often used to refer to the moon. To Mingzhu’s young ears, the name sounded like a princess in a castle.

Cynthia, Cynthia, Cynthia.

She didn’t know how many times she had whispered it to herself as a child. The more she said it, the more she felt Cynthia sounded much better than her own name, Gemma, or her nickname, Gem. Cynthia was so beautiful, elegant, gentle, and sacred.

That was why, when she saw Rong Zhao at school, she could never help but glare at her secretly. Was it jealousy, or something else? She didn’t know.

Mingzhu called again: “Cynthia, turn around.”

Rong Zhao took a deep breath and turned. Her hot, damp back pressed against the cool wall. Half cold as the moon, half smoldering with desire, she looked at Mingzhu.

Fuck me, Gem, Rong Zhao said in her heart.

She felt her blood beginning to boil, her body becoming more sensitive than ever before.

Fuck me, please, Gem.

Mingzhu didn’t know what Rong Zhao was thinking. She only knew she loved seeing Rong Zhao trembling and soaked; she loved seeing Rong Zhao indulge her and obey her. She wanted to break all of Rong Zhao’s composure and calm. She wanted to hear Rong Zhao lose herself, pleading in a trembling, tearful voice. She had wanted this since they were children.

They tossed and turned for over an hour before finally falling asleep.

Once it was over, Mingzhu reverted to her clingy self, pillowed on Rong Zhao’s shoulder. Her arm was around Rong Zhao’s waist and her leg draped over her body, as if Rong Zhao were a human-sized plushie.

The waves had calmed slightly, but the yacht still rocked gently, like a swing. It was so comfortable that Mingzhu’s eyelids grew heavy.

“Still want to watch the sunrise?” Having recovered with a drink of water, Rong Zhao wasn’t particularly sleepy. She twirled a lock of Mingzhu’s hair around her finger.

“No…” Mingzhu murmured.

She was almost asleep, but a shred of logic reminded her that Rong Zhao had to work on Monday. If she dragged her up for the sunrise, Rong Zhao wouldn’t get enough sleep and would feel unwell during the day. However, she was too tired to explain this and fell completely asleep seconds later.

Rong Zhao stared into the dim room. She turned her gaze to the porthole. Faint light filtered in from outside, showing the dark sea churning.

You won’t even watch the sunrise with me?

Listening to the sound of Mingzhu’s deep breathing, Rong Zhao looked at the black porthole, which mirrored the lonely sea of her own heart.

The light outside the porthole shifted from dim to gray, then to a bright, shimmering yellow. The golden sun rose from the sea, distant and bright, casting a golden reflection over the layers of blue water.

The sunrise had come. The yacht set sail for Biyue Pier. Simultaneously, a plane from Jiangyue City flew toward Ligania, Africa, via a layover in Doha, cutting through the sky.

Rong Zhao had to work in the morning and didn’t want to go straight from the boat. Mingzhu drove her back. She knew Rong Zhao was meticulous; she probably felt the water on the yacht wasn’t good for her hair and wanted to wash it again at Rongguang Tianjing.

As the car pulled up to the villa, Mingzhu saw stacks of boxes and gift sets under the porch. She had wanted to show off her new camera gear to Auntie Guan, but her curiosity was piqued by the boxes instead.

Inside the living room, there were even more gifts. “What are all these?” Mingzhu asked in surprise.

Rong Zhao walked behind her, holding the pink jade bracelets from her grandmother. “The brands probably sent them yesterday afternoon. Stay home today and unbox them. Keep what you like; give the rest to He Chan.”

Mingzhu: “…?”

Auntie Guan walked over with a smile. “Good morning, Miss, Madam. You’re back. These arrived throughout yesterday afternoon.”

Mingzhu laughed happily. “Good thing the doorbell system was fixed, or these would never have made it in.”

Auntie Guan glanced at Rong Zhao. “…Indeed.”

Rong Zhao nodded, saying she was going to shower. She reminded Mingzhu to have someone bring in the filming equipment from the car before heading upstairs.

Auntie Guan understood Rong Zhao’s nod meant she could explain further. She said patiently to Mingzhu, “The news of Rong Li being sent to Africa has spread. Some brands think this is a signal of the chosen successor from the Rong Group. They sent many things yesterday afternoon, along with various invitations.”

Mingzhu understood: “Social climbers and opportunists.”

“Does the Madam still want to open them?” Auntie Guan asked.

Mingzhu smiled broadly. “Open them.”

Rong Zhao didn’t care for freebies, but Mingzhu did. After helping bring in the camera gear, she sat on the floor ready to unbox. The pile of gifts looked like a small mountain of Christmas presents. Only someone like Rong Zhao wouldn’t be excited.

Auntie Guan hurried over with a cushion. “The floor is cold. Lift up a bit, Madam.”

Mingzhu sat on the cushion and eagerly began unboxing. She found a perfume set—a fresh floral scent, but neither rose nor jasmine. She set it aside for He-He. She found a haute couture evening gown; she had Auntie Guan close the curtains so she could try it on. It featured a black strapless bodice and a flower-shaped skirt with diamond accents. The chest and waist were a bit tight—it felt tailored to Rong Zhao’s measurements. She’d keep it for her.

She opened three more: a colorful tourmaline bracelet for Jiangjiang, a lily-of-the-valley brooch for Rong Zhao’s mother, and a pair of vintage orange-red sunglasses for herself.

Mingzhu put on the sunglasses and looked around. She spotted a stack of invitations. The one on top was red with gold embossing—it looked like a wedding invitation. She picked it up; it was an invitation to a 70th birthday banquet.

Upon seeing the name, Mingzhu’s breath hitched, and her gaze turned vacant. The elder celebrating his birthday was the Chairman of Lufu Power—if she remembered correctly, he was Lu Zi’s grandfather.

The Lu family grandfather is having a banquet… will Lu Zi come back?

Mingzhu’s heart fluttered with an inexplicable panic. Without even checking the date, she snapped the invitation shut and stuffed it back into the middle of the pile, quickly picking up another to hide her reaction. It was for a charity auction. But Mingzhu just stared blankly at it, unable to process the words.

The gold-embossed “Lu” seemed to float in the air. If Lu Zi came back, would her identity as “Mrs. Rong” come to an end?

Noticing Auntie Guan nearby, Mingzhu acted as if nothing were wrong, flipping through the rest of the invitations. The sunglasses masked her turmoil. There were invitations for restaurant openings and ribbon-cuttings.

Once Auntie Guan left, Mingzhu pulled out the grandfather’s invitation and stared at the cover. Lu Zi, the girl who loved cherry blossoms, was coming back. Rong Zhao must be very happy, right?

What about me?

Mingzhu’s aura turned despondent. Her shoulders slumped, her brow furrowed. In an instant, her hair seemed messy, and her eyes were filled with uncertainty and apprehension. She sat in a daze for several minutes before she managed to find her positive spirit again.

Don’t worry in advance. Don’t overthink. Just go with the flow. If the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten out. Just act like I don’t know.

If Rong Zhao really wanted a divorce, she would just work hard. She hated being a service provider, but she had skills. There was always a way.

Mingzhu took a deep breath, poked the corners of her mouth to force a smile, and decided to stay “heartless.” She spotted a ribbon-cutting invitation for a nail salon. She forced herself to be interested. It had been over a month since she’d had her nails done, so she actually became curious. She used her phone to scan the QR code to see their work. The designs were beautiful. She lay on her stomach, kicking her feet in the air.

Rong Zhao, having showered and changed into a silk deep-V camisole and a matching silk robe, walked downstairs. She carried a charming fragrance, looking elegant and sexy as she descended. Seeing Mingzhu lying on the floor like a child, Rong Zhao smiled softly.

“Want to get your nails done?”

Rong Zhao’s voice sounded particularly cool in the spacious living room. Mingzhu turned over, her head resting on the floor as she looked up at a suddenly very tall-looking Rong Zhao. “You scared me!” she snapped.

Mingzhu wore the vintage orange sunglasses, making her skin look white with a rosy glow. Her pout and her glare were barely hidden by the lenses.

“The color of those lenses suits you. Your skin is fair; they look beautiful,” Rong Zhao praised.

Mingzhu cheered up immediately. She didn’t care if the praise was sincere; she was happy either way. She swung her feet and held out the invitation. “A nail salon invited you to their ribbon-cutting. The owner seems to be a friend who had dinner with you once.”

Rong Zhao took the invitation. She didn’t remember the person. Her gaze slowly traveled down to Mingzhu’s fingers, which were trimmed neatly into rounded shapes.

Mingzhu’s hand flinched back. She suddenly remembered that her hands didn’t just belong to her anymore. Last night, she had used them to pinch, rub, and play… she blushed for no reason.

“…I was just looking.”

“It’s okay if you don’t do extensions.”

“Huh?”

Rong Zhao suddenly knelt down. She picked up the invitation, her voice low enough that only the two of them could hear: “If you like getting your nails done, go ahead. I’ll buy some finger cots on my way home from work. What ‘flavor’ do you like?”

Mingzhu: “…”

It was broad daylight, and she hadn’t been drinking. Mingzhu’s skin was thin today; she turned red instantly. Even the sunglasses couldn’t hide her stuttering: “I… I don’t… go eat your breakfast! Aren’t you going to work?!”

Rong Zhao let out a delighted, soft laugh. As if on purpose, she patted the invitation against Mingzhu’s backside before getting up to go to the dining room.

Mingzhu stayed on the floor, watching Rong Zhao’s sexy back. On one hand, she realized she loved the sound of Rong Zhao’s laugh—it made her ears tingle all the way down to her shoulders. On the other hand, she recalled the birthday invitation, and her heart sank with a heavy dread.

Mingzhu took another deep breath, shook the invitation off her, and sat up to continue unboxing.

As she did, her phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. Usually, Mingzhu ignored such things—they were mostly spam or shop updates. Today, she picked it up and clicked in.

“Mingzhu, it’s Lu Zi. Do you remember me? I just heard about what happened to your family. Are you okay?”