After the Fake Heiress Died, She Was Filled with Regret - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Xia Shinan Isn’t Dead, She Came Today…

The climate in Hecheng is most pleasant. Warm sunlight shines on the sparkling sea surface. Waves gently roll onto the beach, then recede.

Not far from the shore is a coconut grove lawn, dotted with hydrangeas, forming a path that is both natural and beautiful.

At the end of this path, a pure white circular arch is set up, also adorned with layers of fresh flowers.

Standing in front of the arch is a girl in a wedding dress. The white satin gown looks incredibly elegant, though her expression is somewhat nervous.

The solemn wedding march begins to play at this moment. Everyone turns around, and her gaze follows, moved to tears.

From behind the guests, another girl slowly walks forward in a heavily embroidered wedding dress. Tiny diamonds are sprinkled on the skirt, glittering under the sun.

The girl wears a crown, like a princess, slowly moving toward the front.

It is clearly a wedding for two girls. Many guests were invited to the wedding, and everyone sincerely offers applause and blessings to the newlyweds.

The two girls finally come together. As they hold each other’s hands, their eyes become slightly teary.

“Don’t cry. So many people are watching.”

“I won’t cry! My makeup took four hours today!”

The ceremony ends with the two girls’ kiss and the guests’ enthusiastic applause. Afterward, the newlyweds change clothes before returning to greet guests, toast, and so on.

Tang Yin is wearing a tailored women’s suit, her hair tied back in a low ponytail, looking sharp and striking. She walks toward the backstage and knocks on the door.

“Come in!”

She enters after being permitted. Inside stands a woman who has just changed into a white suit.

“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were going to the banquet hall to eat?”

“Mainly to say congratulations one more time in person,” she says with a smile.

“Although I’ve heard many people’s blessings today, yours is always the best.”

The woman in the white suit is Ming Jing. The makeup artist has redone her hair and makeup, making her look quite sharp and capable. She turns around, smiling, and asks: “Wife, don’t you agree?”

The curtain behind her pulls open, and the other bride, who has changed into a light pink evening gown, looks playful and elegant.

She slightly lifts the hem of her skirt and walks over, smiling at Ming Jing: “Don’t call me wife. It makes me feel old!”

“Who says? You’ll never be old,” Ming Jing coaxes her.

Tang Yin also looks at her, smiling gently: “Little Yu Mao, congratulations.”

Qian Yu snorts. “Who allowed you to call me Little Yu Mao? The only people who call me that are Ming Jing and Xia…”

Her words stop abruptly, but everyone knows who the unspoken person is.

Tang Yin lowers her eyes, taking a Tiffany jewelry box from her pocket. “For you. A wedding gift.”

Qian Yu takes the box, opens it, and sees a pair of diamond starry sky earrings.

“This… isn’t this too valuable?” Qian Yu’s eyes widen. “Tang Yin, are you secretly in love with me?”

Tang Yin: …

“Ming Jing said you like stars, and I bought this after looking around. Just consider it… a gift from Xia Shinan.”

Qian Yu freezes.

Five years have passed, but Tang Yin still refuses to believe that Xia Shinan has passed away.

She even sends gifts on behalf of Xia Shinan for birthdays, New Year’s, and now for the wedding.

She smiles, takes off her current earrings, and puts on the ones Tang Yin gave her, asking Ming Jing: “Do they look good?”

Ming Jing smiles and says, “Beautiful.” Then she looks at Tang Yin and sincerely expresses her gratitude: “Thank you. Without you, Little Yu Mao and I wouldn’t have reached this point.”

The Qian family was initially reluctant about her marriage to Qian Yu.

What success could their precious daughter have with an ordinary girl?

But Tang Yin directly gave the Jing City project to the Qian family, calling it a “bride price” to show sincerity.

After their daughter’s pleading and a barrage of commercial inducements, the Qian parents finally agreed.

“You don’t need to thank me. Without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” Tang Yin says lightly. “I’m just returning a favor. Little Yu Mao lent me the first sponsorship money for my startup.”

Qian Yu looks at Tang Yin. Five years is enough time to change and grow significantly.

Everyone thought Tang Yin would rely on the Xia family for development in the future.

But in her senior year, she started a business while preparing for graduation. Later, she moved to Hecheng, established herself, and took root here.

Who hasn’t heard of SN Media, the hottest rising star now?

Especially in the last two years, SN’s live streaming and short video app have been thriving. After the second division ventured into film and television production last year, they had several web dramas with good reputations by the beginning of this year.

Today, Tang Yin, this young, decisive, self-made business new noble, has become a legend in the industry. The future of SN, the future of Tang Yin, will only be better.

It’s also rumored that she is intentionally competing for the Xia family’s projects in A City, but Tang Yin always smiles and says, “It’s just rumors. I won’t target anyone or any company without reason.”

But only Ming Jing and Qian Yu know that seizing the Xia Group and suppressing the Lin family are real. However, whether it’s for herself, the dissatisfaction of her youth, or Xia Shinan, perhaps Tang Yin knows best in her heart.

Tang Yin doesn’t want to bring down the mood on this happy day. “Alright, no more talk. My blessings are delivered. I need to get busy. Something came up at the company, and I need to go back for a while.”

“Then come over tonight! I’ve booked a private room. I’ll text you the address,” Ming Jing says with a smile, not insisting she stay.

“Mhm.”

As Tang Yin walks out, she bumps into a staff member, who spills juice all over her.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it!” The staff member looks small, like a university student. The girl’s skin is somewhat tanned, and her face is filled with fear after her work mistake.

Tang Yin looks at her stained suit pants, then at the girl’s panic, and remembers her past self.

That time, her salary was deducted, and she lost her job due to a work mistake.

“Ma’am, would you like to change? I promise I’ll wash it for you! Please don’t complain about me? I’ve only been interning for two days…”

“It’s alright,” Tang Yin smiles. “No need to wash it. Just be careful with your work in the future.”

With that, she turns and walks toward the parking lot.

“Thank you…”

The girl is stunned, then immediately thanks her, thinking Tang Yin is a good person.

She squats down to pick up the cup on the floor. Another woman walks up to her. A pair of high heels comes into view. The feet are beautiful, and a lotus flower seems to be tattooed on the ankle.

The girl looks up, stunned.

The woman in front of her is wearing a light beige slip dress. Her long, wavy hair is like seaweed, swaying in the wind, but she is wearing a large woven straw hat that covers most of her face.

Only her smiling lip shape is visible, but the girl is sure this woman must be very beautiful.

The woman smiles at her. “Hello, excuse me. Is the bride’s changing room over there?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the girl answers, standing up. “Are you a friend of the bride? I can take you there.”

The woman hesitates for two seconds, then smiles and shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

She takes out a gift box wrapped in cute colored paper from her bag. “Could you please give this gift to the bride for me?”

The girl is confused. “Ma’am, aren’t you afraid I’ll take it?”

“Of course not,” the woman laughs. “I trust you. You won’t take it, will you?”

The girl blushes. “I’ll go deliver it to the bride right now!”

The woman smiles gently. “Thank you.”

Watching the girl go toward the changing room around the corner, the woman’s smile fades, replaced by a trace of sorrow.

She had promised Qian Yu that they would be each other’s bridesmaids, but now… she doesn’t even have the courage to attend the wedding. She can only silently send her blessings.

It’s okay. Seeing Little Yu Mao happy is enough.

She just didn’t expect her to be with Sister Ming. Two girls deciding to marry and hold a wedding must mean they love each other very much. So, she isn’t worried.

What about… that person? She should be doing well these past few years.

Everyone is busy at the wedding. She figures the gift won’t be opened until tonight. Since there are so many people, Qian Yu probably won’t know it was from her.

After all, everyone believes she is long dead.

She walks out of the venue. A ride-sharing car pulls up at the entrance. After confirming the details, she gets in and heads to her next destination.

Her phone suddenly rings. She looks at it and answers. “Sister Juan.”

“Shinan, are you on your way?” Wen Juan’s tone is gentle. “We’ve already set off. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll also be there in about twenty minutes,” Xia Shinan replies, noticing that the hem of her left skirt is snagged somehow. She slightly frowns.

“Then we’ll meet downstairs at SN.”

“Alright.”

After hanging up, the traffic light ahead turns red, and the driver slowly stops the car. Xia Shinan turns her body, looks down to check the snagged spot. It’s not very noticeable, but she has an important audition soon, and it feels like a bad omen.

The light is red. The driver glances at her and asks with a smile: “Are you here on vacation?”

Xia Shinan looks up: “For work.”

The driver is curious: “What kind of work?”

Xia Shinan doesn’t answer. She closes her eyes, silently listening to the music in the car. Seeing this, the driver doesn’t ask further, muttering quietly, pouting: “She’s pretty, but so aloof.”

Xia Shinan hears him, of course, but over the years, she has learned a truth.

For a girl alone outside, indifference is the best weapon for self-protection. Especially in the face of sudden concern and attempts at striking up a conversation, cold dismissal is the best approach.

The red light at this intersection is particularly long. Tang Yin rests one hand on the steering wheel, listening to the piano music in the car, occasionally tapping her fingers along and humming a tune.

Her gaze casually drifts outside the window. Parallel to her is an ordinary white ride-sharing car. The driver is a bald man, and the passenger in the front seat seems to be a woman, wearing a woven straw hat and looking down, doing something.

Strange. Why wear a sun hat inside the car?

The next second, just as she is about to see the woman look up, her phone rings.

It’s Ming Jing calling.

Tang Yin frowns. It should be the toasting segment with guests now. Why the sudden call?

She closes the car window, completely isolating herself from the outside. The car is connected to Bluetooth. After answering, Qian Yu’s crying is heard through the car speakers.

Tang Yin frowns. “What’s wrong?”

Ming Jing’s voice is anxious: “Tang Yin! Someone just delivered a gift…”

A gift? What’s wrong with a gift?

Qian Yu has received quite a few wedding gifts in the past few days.

Qian Yu cries, grabbing the phone: “Tang Yin! Shinan is not dead! She must have been here today! I received a wedding gift from her!”

Tang Yin freezes. Her long-dormant heart seems to be beating wildly at this moment. She can’t hear what Qian Yu and Ming Jing are saying. Her mind is filled with Qian Yu’s voice—

Xia Shinan is not dead. She was here today!

The red light has long turned green. The cars behind her are honking incessantly. Tang Yin snaps out of it, starts the car, slams the accelerator, and turns around, driving toward the direction of the beach.

“Are you crazy!”

Xia Shinan opens her eyes and looks in the direction of the bald driver’s gaze, but only sees the rear of a car.

“These days, rich people are getting more and more arrogant. They stop at a red light and don’t move, making people admire their luxury cars, huh?”

Maybe the person had something urgent, or the car had some issue… Xia Shinan thinks to herself subconsciously, but she doesn’t speak. She closes her eyes again for a short rest, mentally reviewing the key points for the upcoming audition.

Arriving at the destination, Xia Shinan gets out of the car and sees Wen Juan waving at her. She quickly walks over.

“Sister Juan.”

Wen Juan looks at Xia Shinan and smiles, nodding: “Done with your business? Have you eaten?”

“Done. I’m not hungry yet. I was planning to treat you to dinner tonight,” Xia Shinan says with a smile.

Wen Juan looks at the girl she just signed and likes her more and more.

She recalls Shu Qing, whom she had personally mentored before. She was once her most proud work, but the scandal ruined her reputation and made her a laughingstock among her peers for a long time.

So she decided to start fresh and personally mentor a new talent.

Xia Shinan worked and studied in Singapore, completed her degree, and even filmed a couple of micro-films. Her acting was good. Although she didn’t make a splash domestically, the international response was very positive.

She most enjoys mentoring girls like this: clean and obedient. With striking looks and a talent for acting, a girl like this would definitely become famous in time.

So Wen Juan personally flew to Singapore for a meeting. Initially, Xia Shinan adamantly refused to return to China. Just as she was about to give up, Xia Shinan agreed.

Wen Juan couldn’t figure out the reason for her change of heart, so she decided not to ask. Everyone has their privacy. As long as it doesn’t hinder making money, everything is fine.

In the past two years, Xia Shinan has played several supporting roles in web dramas, and the response has been good. So, she is particularly serious about the female lead role in this SN-produced web drama, even accompanying Xia Shinan herself.

She was just surprised that Xia Shinan arrived a day early, saying she had some private business.

Hearing that it was the wedding day for the Qian family’s daughter, Wen Juan looked at Xia Shinan again, pondering the connection between the two.

She smiles at Xia Shinan: “You don’t need to treat me to dinner. I’ll treat you. Don’t be nervous for the audition. Just be yourself. I believe you will definitely land the role.”

Xia Shinan nods: “Thank you, Sister Juan. I will do my best.”

The dressing room door is suddenly flung open. Tang Yin nearly falls, unsteady on her feet. After steadying herself, she walks toward Qian Yu.

“How do you know Xia Shinan was here?” She tightly grips Qian Yu’s shoulders, her face a mix of emotions: panic, surprise, and fear.

“Little Yu Mao, tell me quickly, where is Xia Shinan!”

“Tang Yin! Calm down first!” Ming Jing looks at the almost frantic Tang Yin, quickly trying to soothe her. “Little Yu Mao is just guessing. It might not be Xia Shinan!”

Qian Yu cries, her four hours of makeup running down her face.

“I don’t know… but I think it must be her… Tang Yin, your persistence was right. Shinan is not dead.”

Tang Yin freezes, releasing her hands. She first smiles, then takes a deep breath and calms down, seemingly returning to her usual self. She looks at Ming Jing, speaking faintly, “What exactly is going on?”

Ming Jing explains simply, “A staff member brought a gift, saying a woman delivered it, but she didn’t know the woman’s name, only that she was very beautiful.”

“I was worried the gift might have a problem, so I opened it on the spot, and found… it was almost identical to the item you gave.”

Tang Yin stares blankly as Ming Jing shows her a necklace, also from the Tiffany Starry Sky collection.

Qian Yu cries, saying, “A necklace worth over a hundred thousand, and she knew I liked stars and the Tiffany style. If it’s not Xia Shinan, who could it be? If someone else sent something this valuable, why would they give it to me anonymously?”

“She saw this and immediately called you. I’ve already asked the manager to check the surveillance footage. Both of you… don’t panic.”

Ming Jing has a headache, but she is tongue-tied, unable to say anything other than “Don’t panic, don’t rush.”

The hotel manager arrives quickly, followed by the girl who delivered the gift.

She doesn’t know what’s happening and is very scared.

The video is played, first showing the scene where Tang Yin was splashed with juice by the girl. The hotel manager glares at the girl.

In the footage, right after Tang Yin leaves, the woman the staff mentioned arrives.

“That’s her… wearing a big sun hat. I couldn’t see her face clearly. Her voice was very pleasant. She didn’t seem like a bad person. I thought she was Miss Qian’s friend…”

Qian Yu’s eyes are red. Tears stream down her face as she watches the video, her tone certain:

“It’s Xia Shinan. It’s her!”

But Tang Yin is completely stunned, looking at the woman’s figure in the video, and hearing the girl’s words in her ear.

“Wearing a big sun hat…”

Her whole body stiffens. Her blood almost freezes, then instantly speeds up, and her heart pounds fiercely.

She suddenly recalls the girl she saw in the car. That was Xia Shinan!

Tang Yin is in disbelief. She abruptly turns and runs out.

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