After the Early-Deceased White Moonlight of a Wealthy Family Returns (GL) - Chapter 33

The weekend.

Upon learning that her best friend was joining her for the cruise party, Meng Dongdong was so excited she came to find her early in the morning.

The two “little ones” conducted their secret transaction behind the adults’ backs.

“The design sketch from last time.” Meng Dongdong pulled a black jewelry box from her small shoulder bag and handed it to Shen You’an. “The finished product is done. Take a look—are you satisfied?”

Shen You’an opened the box and took a peek.

“How is it? My family’s craftsmanship isn’t bad, right?” Meng Dongdong swayed her head like a little peacock, boasting, “I’m not bragging, but when it comes to custom jewelry, our master’s skill is second to none.”

“Thank you,” Shen You’an said.

Meng Dongdong waved her hand. “What’s there to thank me for? It’s not like you didn’t pay.”

“This is for you.” Shen You’an handed the small box she had prepared earlier to Meng Dongdong.

Meng Dongdong was puzzled. “What’s this?”

“A birthday gift from A-jie and me,” Shen You’an said. “She provided most of it, and I drew the design.”

Meng Dongdong took it with pleasant surprise. When she opened it and saw the pink gemstone inside, her breathing stopped. For a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“This…”

Fancy Vivid!?!

An average person might not recognize the difference between pink diamonds, but Meng Dongdong, born into a jewelry dynasty and a die-hard pink diamond enthusiast, could never mistake it.

“This is too precious.” For the first time, Meng Dongdong felt guilty about receiving a gift. “An-jie, this is a bit inappropriate.”

Even though the diamond content in the brooch wasn’t high, just those small fragments could be sold for hundreds of thousands if pried off.

Dongdong felt apprehensive.

“A-jie said the diamond isn’t expensive.” Shen You’an had worried about this before, but she had asked Su Wu, who claimed it was just an ordinary lab-grown diamond. To put Meng Dongdong at ease, Shen You’an brought out the small crown she had received earlier. “They are the same kind of diamond. See?”

“…” Meng Dongdong watched as Shen You’an handled the small crown casually. She rushed forward, cupping the small ornament with both hands, saying humbly, “Hold it steady! Hold it steady!”

Seeing Shen You’an’s look of total ignorance, Meng Dongdong wept in her heart.

The poor Argyle Fancy Vivid—with a value of sixty million—had actually fallen into the hands of an owner who didn’t recognize its worth.

“Who bought this for you?” Meng Dongdong asked curiously.

“A-jie gave it to me a while ago,” Shen You’an replied.

Meng Dongdong: “…?”

How is anyone supposed to live?

They were both “little sisters.” When she asked Meng Xi for something worth six thousand, Meng Xi acted like it was the end of the world. But Su Wu? She hands out sixty million like it’s nothing.

Meng Dongdong realized Su Wu hadn’t told her friend the price and guessed Su Wu had her own reasons, so she didn’t expose it. She only reminded her, “You must keep this gift safe.”

Shen You’an said, “Of course!”

She wasn’t wearing it today; she had only brought it out to show Meng Dongdong. After the look, Shen You’an placed the small crown back on the jewelry stand.

Meng Dongdong’s heart skipped a beat. “An-jie, listen, I’ll send you a safe later today.”

Shen You’an: “…?”

Once the “Venerable Pink Diamond Master” was safely laid to rest in its little jewelry home, Meng Dongdong breathed a small sigh of relief and shifted the topic to their styling.

Shen You’an had selected a fashion direction for Meng Dongdong early on: Miss Auras: The Red Book.

A girl in a white dress with red lips and green eyes, holding a small vintage booklet in her palm.

Meng Dongdong loved this painting. She felt instantly that the confident, cheerful, upturned corners of the girl’s mouth in the painting were just like her own.

Using the famous painting as a reference, Meng Dongdong’s outfit today was primarily an elegant white dress with red accessories. She specifically prepared a small red leather book to hold in her hand. When speaking to people, she would open the book halfway to cover half her face, leaving only a pair of round, sparkling eyes.

Cute and noble. It matched the impression Shen You’an had of Meng Dongdong.

“You’re wearing white too.” Meng Dongdong looked at Shen You’an, asking curiously, “What’s the veil for? Is it from a painting too?”

“Yes.” Shen You’an adjusted her outfit in front of the mirror, lifting the veil hanging by her ear to cover the lower half of her face, just like Meng Dongdong. In the haziness, only a pair of pitch-black pupils remained, seemingly capable of absorbing everything.

“Whose painting is it?” Meng Dongdong asked.

“Sorolla.” Shen You’an showed Meng Dongdong the photo of the oil painting saved on her phone. “This one—the woman in a white dress on the beach.”

The same white appeared playful and youthful on Meng Dongdong. But on Shen You’an, the white dress paired with her deep black pupils and the veil made people instinctively think of the word “silence” when she stood there without speaking or smiling.

If one added a sense of “eeriness,” it wouldn’t have been out of place either.

After the two “little ones” finished their preparations, Meng Xi came to pick them up for the cruise.

“Old Su has some business; she’ll come a bit later,” Meng Xi said, seeing that Shen You’an wanted to ask.

She recognized the ornament on her sister instantly.

“Sister Su Wu and An-an gave it to me.” Meng Dongdong straightened her back proudly, showing off the gift on her chest. “A pink diamond.” She huffed twice. “Meng Xi, bet you didn’t expect that.”

Meng Xi truly hadn’t expected it. “Did you step in dog poop before leaving today?”

“Hey!”

“How did you suddenly strike it rich?”

Su Wu was never stingy with money, but this was the first time Meng Xi had seen her be so generous toward Meng Dongdong. She thought it over and fixed her gaze on the girl chatting with Meng Dongdong.

Right.

Meng Xi understood. It was likely her unreliable sister had done something that had a positive influence on Xiao An, so Su Wu, acting like a God of Wealth, had returned the favor with a gift.

“During the party later, take good care of Xiao An,” Meng Xi reminded. “Don’t get carried away playing and forget everything.”

“I won’t!” Meng Dongdong patted her chest as a guarantee. “Do you even need to worry? Xiao An is my friend!”

Despite saying that, Meng Dongdong was a bit nervous when they lined up to board the cruise.

“It’s my first time here, too,” Meng Dongdong said. “I always hear Meng Xi mention that the Astra is super high-class. Usually, without a certain status, it’s hard for us ‘second-generation punks’ to come here.”

“Second-generation punks?”

Meng Dongdong coughed. “I mean me.”

“An-jie, stay close to me; there are a lot of people today.” She explained to Shen You’an as they walked, “Chens City has always had this tradition. To let the younger generation socialize deeply and exchange resources, an annual date is chosen for a coming-of-age gala. And on this day—I heard from senior girls—some people play really wildly.”

“As long as it’s not too out of line, the parents won’t intervene.”

Shen You’an found it novel. The place her family used to live didn’t have so many ceremonial traditions. At most, a few familiar families would gather; her mother never liked taking them to such activities where social obligation outweighed sincerity.

Mother.

Shen You’an lowered her gaze, hiding her fluctuating emotions.

After boarding the cruise, both Shen You’an and Meng Dongdong used their invitation cards to exchange for a room key to the lounge. The party would last for a day and a night; if anyone got tired of playing, they could return to their rooms to rest.

Meng Dongdong was a typical party animal, full of energy as soon as she boarded. She pulled Shen You’an to the “kids’ area.” She was a popular figure in Chens City; as soon as she arrived, many people greeted her.

Correspondingly, many people cast curious glances at Shen You’an beside her. These children, socialized from a young age, were incredibly adept at certain things; they probed for Shen You’an’s family background and status through veiled conversation. They would decide how to treat this new friend based on the answers they received.

“Asking this and that.” Meng Dongdong waved them away, annoyed. “Are you here to play or to run a census?”

“Can’t we even ask?” Shen Yanchen’s casual voice came from behind.

He was dressed in a European knight’s outfit, likely using a painting with “war” elements as inspiration. The clothes were good, but Shen Yanchen’s frame was average and his height wasn’t impressive. Wearing the dashing outfit only highlighted his mediocre aura. Yet, he still put on an air of arrogance, looking down on everyone.

Shen You’an turned with Meng Dongdong to look at him.

Shen Yanchen was instantly captivated by the veiled girl before him. He felt she looked familiar no matter how he looked at her, but he couldn’t remember why.

Meng Dongdong wanted to snap back at Shen Yanchen, but seeing someone approaching in the distance, she smiled and gave a warm reminder: “Shen Yanchen, your sister is here.”

Shen Yanchen looked back, puzzled.

A girl in a black dress pushed a girl in a blue hat forward. One wore an outfit with a Russian Realist style, while the other directly referenced the color scheme of the world-famous Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Shen Yanchen’s eyes were full of disdain. He snorted and whispered, “Who does she think she is?”

The children from the same clique as Shen Zhirou and Si Qi went to greet them. Someone asked, “Zhirou, Auntie Shen never comes to these parties. Who’s accompanying you today? Is your sister back?”

Shen Zhirou shook her head.

Si Qi took her hand and said with a smile, “A-rou came with my family.”

Shen Yanchen clicked his tongue. Ever since Shen Zhirou rejected him, he was annoyed whenever he saw her. If he had to choose between Shen Zhirou and Meng Dongdong, he’d rather see Meng Dongdong—at least his eyes would be more comfortable.

He turned back to continue bickering with Meng Dongdong, but in a momentary daze, the eyes above the veil entered his field of vision again.

In a flash of realization, a chill ran down Shen Yanchen’s spine. He finally remembered why those eyes were familiar.

Shen Huaijin, Shen Zhiyu. They all had a pair of eyes like that.

It was just that Shen Zhiyu’s eyes were gentle, Shen Huaijin’s were cold, but this nameless girl before him was silent and eerie. When she looked at someone, it was as if there was a whirlpool in her pupils that could suck everything in.

“So boring. Let’s play a game,” someone among the restless kids suggested. “The Color Hunt—want to play? The rules are simple: I have an app that randomly selects a color block. If you draw a color, you have to find an item on this cruise that matches that color. And the item must be on a guest! Clothing, jewelry, things like that. Daily necessities don’t count! And no asking parents for help! Once found, you must bring it over. The time limit is half an hour. Whoever doesn’t find it has to accept a punishment! We’ll decide on the specific punishment later. What do you say? Anyone in?”

“Shen Yanchen, what are you spacing out for? It’s your turn. Pick a color. Are you playing or not? Pick a color.”

Shen Yanchen snapped out of it and nodded perfunctorily. He touched the screen randomly, his eyes searching for the figures of Meng Dongdong and the veiled girl, but they were already gone.