Chapter 34 The Warm Red Stain

Su Jianan was dragged to have makeup put on her the moment she returned home in the afternoon.

It was the same makeup artist as last time. But this time, Tang Yulan was also in the makeup room.

Tang Yulan wore a low-key grey bespoke suit and wore black leather heels. Her hair had been artfully arranged and her makeup suitable for the occasion. She wore a set of expensive emeralds, looking elegant and grand. She had a sophistication that was the result of several years of experience which made her seem extremely warm and kind.

Su Jianan was stopped by Tang Yulan the moment she entered. Tang Yulan looked very excited as she said, “Jianan, I decided to pick an evening gown for you. Will you try it on? We can change it to another if you don’t like it.”

The makeup artist showed the evening gown to Su Jianan.

The long evening gown was tight on the chest and waist. The upper part of it was lace and was covered in diamonds carefully. It was exquisite and luxurious, but understated. It was very elegant. There was a thin white belt at the waist and the skirt below flowed, making it seem especially elegant.

The workmanship on the dress was exquisite and the material was good. It was obvious that it was expensive.

Su Jianan could not find anything she was dissatisfied with. Furthermore, it had been a long time since she had worn anything a mother picked out for her.

Even though it was a light pink dress, she still said, “Let me try it on.”

Su Jianan changed and emerged. Even the makeup artist’s eyes brightened. She said, “Mrs. Lu, this evening gown suits you very well no matter in terms of style or disposition. Your skin color makes the nude pink very bright and the nude pink also makes your skin seem paler and brighter. Old Madam is really good at picking gowns.”

Su Jianan turned around toward Tang Yulan uncertainly and asked, “Mom, is it really ok?”

She had rarely worn light pink clothing since her mother’s death. She was not very confident wearing this color.

“Of course!” Tang Yulan walked up and helped Su Jianan to arrange her skirts. “It’s too beautiful! I already said that my daughter-in-law would wear this better than those internationally renowned models! Jianan, just wear this, what do you think?”

Su Jianan smiled, nodded and said, “Alright.”

“Then you do your makeup. I’ll wait for you downstairs. Oh right, Boyan’s clothes are in the closet. Get him to change when he gets back later.”

Tang Yulan left for downstairs after she left the instructions. Su Jianan sat before the large mirror and allowed the makeup artist to do her work.

About an hour later, they were finally done. Su Jianan heaved a sigh of relief. She heard the sound of the door opening just as she stood up. It was Lu Boyan.

“You’re back.” It was rare that she would smile the moment she sees him. She pointed at the closet, “Mom said that your clothes are in there. Take them and get changed. We’re going to leave soon.”

Lu Boyan did not move. He looked at Su Jianan up and down. Su Jianan walked up to him and twirled around, a smile that was as radiant as the afternoon smile on her face. “Mom picked this gown for me. What do you think?”

She had on light makeup and her exquisite face looked flawless. One could not see any flaws in her clear almond-shaped eyes. Her shoulders and beautiful collarbone were bare, showing off the beautiful lines of her upper body. It was very alluring.

It was only when they were up close when Lu Boyan discovered that while Su Jianan was thin, the areas that were not supposed to be thin, were not thin at all.

It seemed that his Little Monster had… hidden depths.

Su Jianan’s already tiny confidence disappeared as Lu Boyan looked at her. “Do you think it doesn’t look nice?”

How could it be described as just “nice”?

She was so beautiful he wanted to drag her back into the room and tear her gown into halves.

“Forget it.” Su Jianan sniffed, “Anyway, I don’t intend to change!”

Lu Boyan pulled her and said, “When did I say it’s not nice? You’re so happy because my mother picked this gown for you?” Was prancing around before him happily something that grown-up Su Jianan would do? It was evident that she was in a good mood.

“No one has ever bought me clothes since my mother passed away.” Su Jianan was a little sad. “The clothes that my brother sent were all picked by his secretary.”

Lu Boyan’s eyebrows picked up and he suddenly noticed the red mark on Su Jianan’s collarbone. A hint of unnaturalness flashed in the depth of his eyes as his gaze fixed on it.

Su Jianan thought he was looking somewhere else and wanted to scold him for being a gangster. However, the makeup artist was there, so she could only hold it back. She glared at Lu Boyan, flushing.

Lu Boyan’s lips picked up and he whispered in Su Jianan’s ears, “Even though you’re not ‘flat’, there isn’t much to see. I can’t take too big of an advantage of you.”

Su Jianan was speechless.

Lu Boyan called the makeup artist over and pointed at the mark on Su Jianan’s collarbone. “Cover it for her.”

Su Jianan had discovered the mark earlier this morning in the shower. But she had always had fragile skin, which marked even if she hit anything lightly. She thought that she had hit it accidentally or had been bitten by a mosquito, so she had not minded it.

But Lu Boyan had instructed the makeup artist, and the makeup artist who was experienced smiled… Her mind felt as if it was exploding and her face flushed blood red.

She glared at Lu Boyan angrily while Lu Boyan comforted her with familiarity, “Don’t be angry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

He was doing it to mislead others!

Su Jianan stomped angrily, “What has this to do with you?”

“She’s so stupid”, Lu Boyan thought. This was his work, so how could it have nothing to do with him?

However, the Little Monster might bite him if he said that.

He did not say anything and went to get his clothes and got changed.

“We can cover this,” the makeup artist comforted Su Jianan. “Mrs. Lu, don’t worry. Nobody can see anything once it’s covered up! Don’t be shy!”

Su Jianan felt like crying— things are not what you think they are.

Lu Boyan changed and came out in a short while. He was still wearing a suit but had changed the knot of his tie. He had added a white pocket square to his shirt pocket. He looked noble and elegant, and every movement he made was like that of a gentleman.

The man was an elegant elite at work and was like a noble at social events. He was mesmerizing no matter which angle you looked at. No wonder so many women were dazzled by him.

Devil’s spawn! Trouble!

A certain devil came over and held Su Jianan’s hand, leading her downstairs.

Su Jianan struggled at first, but Lu Boyan remained unmoved. Indeed, when she saw Tang Yulan, she did not struggle again and was as obedient as a kitten.

Tang Yulan was very pleased and smiled when she saw the two coming down hand in hand. “The car is waiting outside. Let’s go.”

There were two cars parked outside, belonging to Lu Boyan and Tang Yulan respectively. Su Jianan thought about it and slid her hand out of Lu Boyan’s grasp and ran over. “Mom, I’ll ride in your car.”

“What’s wrong?” Tang Yulan was afraid that the two were at loggerheads and her eyes were filled with worry.

“Mom, nothing’s wrong.” Lu Boyan walked over and looked at Su Jianan dotingly. “She wants to chat with you. We’ll both ride in your car.”

Tang Yulan smiled and held Su Jianan’s hand. “Then we’ll take the backseat. Boyan, will you drive?”

“Alright.”

Lu Boyan took the keys the driver handed and slid into the driver’s seat. Su Jianan looked at him gloomily. Why can’t she get rid of this guy?

The distance between the mansion and the hotel was rather large. Lu Boyan was focused on driving while Tang Yulan and Su Jianan chatted about things from 14 years ago in the backseat.

14 years ago, 10-year-old Su Jianan had a completely different character than she had now. Tang Yulan talked about how she used to follow Lu Boyan around calling him big brother. Su Jianan flushed.

If she knew what would happen today, she would have chosen the ice princess path 14 years ago. She would not bother Lu Boyan at all!

“You used to call him ‘Brother Boyan’ when you were little.” Tang Yulan mimicked her child-like voice. “It made me feel all soft inside.”

“I…” Su Jianan stuttered. “I’ve forgotten everything…”

How could she forget?

She used to call him “Brother Boyan” sweetly, the words sounding as if they had been soaked in honey. Everyone who heard it would all feel sweet and warm and only Lu Boyan could not be bothered with her and would often scare her.

Back then, she felt that Lu Boyan must hate her. Her tears would drip down and she would pout and turn to walk away. But then, he would make lollipops appear as if by magic and she would stop crying and smile and call him brother again.

She had everything back then, and it was enough that Lu Boyan gave her a lollipop.

Back then, she was so… spineless.

But it was not long before Tang Yulan brought Lu Boyan to America and she never saw him again. She never had such a tasty lollipop again either.

At first, she was still sad for some time. Su Yicheng thought that it was because she missed Lu Boyan. She looked up tearfully at Su Yicheng and said, “Brother, I want to eat lollipops. The kind that Brother Boyan gave me.”

Su Yicheng teased her for being a glutton and got his friend to bring her a large box of lollipops back from abroad. It was the same kind of lollipops, made with the same ingredients and recipe and she received it in the same packaging. But she felt that it tasted different.

She ate many of them, but never found the same taste that Lu Boyan gave her.

Su Jianan sighed as she thought of it. Tang Yulan thought she was thinking of the past, and comforted her. “It’s alright that you’ve forgotten the past. You both have a future.”

Su Jianan only smiled.

Tang Yulan was wrong. She remembered everything that happened in the past. But she and Lu Boyan would not have a future.

Lu Boyan looked at Su Jianan’s smile through the rearview mirror. He did not need to think to know what she was thinking about.

Silly.

They arrived at the location where the auction was taking place at 7 sharp. Tang Yulan brought Su Jianan around the location. Many guests arrived at 7:15. Tang Yulan arranged for Lu Boyan to check on the items up for auction while she brought Su Jianan to the entrance to welcome the guests.

The people in the circle already knew Su Jianan, and after the incident on social media where her details were dug out, Su Jianan was even more famous in the social circle. Tang Yulan had long released news that Su Jianan would be present tonight, and several women who were close with her mother came especially to see her.

“Jianan, we haven’t met for a few years. You have grown to become a beautiful young woman, you even married the man of the dreams of several socialites in the city. Your mother can rest in peace. We all missed your mother in these years.”

Su Jianan had a good memory and could still smile and greet the ladies by their names accurately. The ladies all smiled happily and wanted to treat Su Jianan like their own daughters.

It might be true that they missed her mother, but Su Jianan chose to smile when they said they came especially to meet her.

If she had not married Lu Boyan and came dressed nicely to this event, but instead wore her white robe and dissected bodies in the autopsy room, who would come especially to meet her?

Tang Yulan saw that it was about time and did not want everyone to bring up Su Jianan’s mother and make her sad. She called Lu Boyan over and asked him to take Su Jianan away.

Lu Boyan could see that his Little Monster was a little sad and asked softly, “What’s the matter?”

Su Jianan shook her head and before she could say anything, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind.

“Brother-in-law!”