Chapter 2

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou had heard early on that Serena had been found by her biological family. The Lins were well-known locally—one of the most prominent families in Seattle, starting from Julian’s paternal grandparents.

They didn’t dare compete with the Lins, but for their son’s sake, they asked for a large sum of money.

Julian didn’t argue. The amount was trivial to him. He transferred it cleanly.

Serena was in her bedroom, packing her things. There wasn’t much to pack—her clothes were cheap, probably not worth as much as the outfit she was now wearing.

It was a名牌, a gift from Tiffany.

The color and style were nice, but the size was a bit large.

Tiffany kept apologizing, and Serena awkwardly reassured her.

Now she was just gathering the small handicrafts and knits she’d made and putting them in her bag.

“Serena, are you really… really leaving?” Her younger brother, Leo, appeared at the door. He had grown taller and leaned against the frame, sullen.

Serena looked at him—the boy she had no blood relation to but still felt close to—and smiled, beckoning him over.

Leo knelt on the floor next to her, lips pressed together.

He wasn’t bad-looking, with deep features, but always carried a youthful arrogance.

Serena took out a scarf she had knitted and handed it to him with a gentle smile. “I’ve been meaning to give this to you. Just finished it.”

Leo unfolded it. It featured a comic character he liked. His heart ached a little. “I’m sorry. For how my parents treated you. They were wrong.”

Serena patted his head. “That’s not on you. Study hard, okay? You can still call me if anything comes up.”

“Can I still see you?”

“Of course. We’re not enemies. I’m still your sister.” Serena genuinely liked this brother. Leo finally smiled and helped her pack.

Julian came to check. Leo glanced at him expressionlessly, then looked back at Serena, his voice softer. “Serena, I want to get into your university.”

“Then you’d better start studying.” Serena closed her suitcase, stood up, and said goodbye to Leo.

Julian took the suitcase from her and looked Leo up and down. Leo stared back, unfriendly.

Leo’s unexplained hostility annoyed Julian—especially the way Leo looked at Serena when she couldn’t see, with a possessive, male gaze. Irritated, Julian impulsively took Serena’s hand. “We should go.”

“Bye, Leo.” Serena was startled but didn’t pull away. She turned and waved.

“Bye, Serena.” Leo glared at Julian, grinding his teeth.

Julian had Serena sit in the passenger seat. As he drove, he casually asked, “So that’s your foster brother?” Like a little wolf cub, but well-behaved in front of Serena.

Serena clicked her seatbelt. “Yeah. Leo’s a good person.”

“Good? He let his parents treat you like that?”

Serena was silent for a moment, then managed a weak smile. “I was adopted. Leo is their real son. But he never bullied me.”

Julian scoffed. “Tiffany was adopted too. But Mom and Dad always treated her well. Never a single harsh word.” His tone softened when he mentioned her.

Serena noticed but just blinked and followed his lead. “Tiffany is… impressive.”

Julian glanced at her, his expression growing even softer. “You can talk to Tiffany about anything. There are probably things only girls understand.”

Serena nodded obediently.

Julian looked at his newly found little sister. She looked like him, but her features were softer, her almond-shaped eyes watery as if about to cry. Her smile was like that of a kitten just separated from its mother—soft and utterly adorable.

He had always felt a connection with Tiffany, but seeing Serena made him understand what blood ties really meant.

He had never dealt with a girl like this—and she was his sister. A sweet, tender spot formed in his heart. He reached out and affectionately patted Serena’s head.

Julian took Serena to the mall to buy some clothes.

The girl was too thin, and her clothes didn’t fit, making her look like a comical doll.

Julian asked who had bought them. Serena said Tiffany. Julian unconsciously pushed up his glasses, then smiled.

“She can be careless sometimes.”

Serena didn’t reply.

She didn’t know how to pick clothes either. Julian had the sales assistant bring out some of the best ready-to-wear pieces. Serena chose a few simple, elegant styles to try on—similar to her usual sporty, casual look.

Julian watched her in the mirror—T-shirt and jeans—and teased, “You still look like a little boy.”

Serena smiled shyly. “I used to have long hair. But I sold it to pay for tuition.”

Julian’s heart clenched. “From now on, do whatever you want. No one’s going to make things hard for you anymore.”

The girl’s smile deepened, joy sparkling in her eyes like scattered starlight. “I know. Mom and Dad, and Julian, and Tiffany—everyone’s been really good to me.”

Julian’s secretary, Wendy, called about documents needing his attention. Julian waited for Serena to finish shopping, then they went to the office together.

Wendy, seeing the soft, beautiful girl, immediately guessed she was the Lins’ newly found daughter. “Would you like some afternoon tea, Miss Lin?”

Serena quickly waved her hands, still unused to the changed attitude from others.

Julian noticed her discomfort. “Wendy, can you send in a fruit platter? And those strawberry mousse cakes we ordered last time—bring a few of those too.”

Wendy placed the documents on Julian’s desk and left.

Julian pointed to the lounge. “You can go rest in there. There’s a computer if you want to play games or watch something.”

Serena looked at the lounge, which was several times larger than her bedroom. The closet was half-open, revealing some women’s clothing. She looked back at Julian in confusion. He coughed lightly, fist to his lips, and awkwardly explained, “Tiffany stays here sometimes.”

Serena murmured “oh” and urged Julian to work, saying she’d just play on her phone.

By the end of the workday, Julian found Serena had fallen asleep. She lay on her side, cheeks flushed. The cake beside her was barely touched—maybe not to her taste. She slept close to the edge of the bed, her phone still playing music.

Julian leaned over and softly called, “Serena.” She woke instantly, sat up, and mumbled, “Julian.” He smiled. “It’s okay. Take your time. Tiffany texted—she made a reservation at a restaurant. The three of us are having dinner together tonight.”

For some reason, Serena didn’t like being alone with Tiffany. In less than a week, she could already sense Tiffany’s subtle hostility.

Serena thought: perhaps because Tiffany had been the family’s jewel, and now that the biological daughter was here, she felt threatened.

So Serena decided: eat more, talk less.

Tiffany was already waiting in the private room. As soon as Julian and Serena appeared, she stood up. Her flowing dress was sexy and alluring, making Serena look like a high schooler in comparison.

Tiffany waved to Julian. Julian smiled. “You’re here early.”

“I had nothing to do today. Spent some time at my café, then came over.” Tiffany flicked her chestnut waves and turned to the quiet Serena. “Little sis, do you like coffee? You should come by my shop sometime.” She gave her address and number.

Serena noted them but felt no real interest. She smiled weakly.

Tiffany pressed, “What kind of coffee do you like?”

Serena glanced at Julian, who was ordering and seemed not to notice their conversation. She bit her lip, hesitated, then answered honestly, “I’ve never had coffee.”

Tiffany sighed dramatically. “Then I’ll take you sometime. You’ll love it. I’ve loved coffee since I was a kid.”

Serena thought to herself: I grew up drinking water.

Julian handed Serena the menu. “See what you want to eat.”

Tiffany smiled deeply. “Julian, little sis said she’s never had coffee. Let’s order her one. We’ll have sangria as usual.”

Julian told Serena, “Order whatever you like.”

The menu was all Western food. Serena, who had rarely eaten Western food, frowned and chose the most ordinary steak—still expensive—then handed the menu back to Tiffany.

Tiffany ordered expertly, confirmed with the server, then began chatting intimately with Julian.

They had so much in common—a world Serena had never been part of. She blinked, listened, and soon drifted off, staring at the table pattern.

“Little sis? What are you thinking about?” Tiffany’s voice brought her back.

Serena murmured “nothing” and shook her head.

“Thinking about school? You’re going to UW, right?” Tiffany asked.

“Yeah.”

“That’s great. You’re such a good student. I’m sure college life there is so lively—lots of clubs and activities. I never got that experience. I was stupid and applied to schools abroad. Worked my ass off in the UK. Never really got to enjoy the whole ‘college experience’ close to home. You’re lucky.” Tiffany looked at her enviously.

Serena’s face grew hot. She felt a little angry. It sounded like showing off.

She knew Tiffany had also done her undergraduate studies abroad, at a very good university. Though Serena’s school was the best in the state, it couldn’t compare to Tiffany’s credentials.

Julian didn’t notice the tension. “Serena’s grades are solid across the board. I don’t think she’d have any trouble applying abroad for grad school. Little sis, have you thought about where you might want to go?”

Before Serena could answer, Tiffany cut in, “Julian, you’re getting ahead of yourself. She hasn’t even started college yet, and you’re already talking about grad school? You and Mom and Dad are all the same. When I was her age, you were always pushing me to study harder. And at night you’d force me to eat late-night snacks—‘for nutrition,’ you said. God, I got so fat back then…”

Though it sounded like a complaint, it actually showed how spoiled and cherished she had been in the Lin family.

Serena bit her lower lip, finally unable to bear it. She stood up abruptly. “I need to use the restroom.”