"Why aren't you wearing a mask?!" Mu Shuyu roared. She despised Wen Xi, hated that a common servant could bear such a resemblance to her. She wanted nothing more than to rip that face to shreds. Wen Xi bit down hard on her lip, her clenched fists trembling before she finally forced them to relax. Thank God, she hadn't been found out. If she had, both she and her mother would be thrown out of the Mu household, and there would be no hope of treating her mother's illness. "Let me catch you like this again, and I swear I’ll take a knife to that face of yours!" she spat, her voice dripping with disgust. A worthless servant who probably never bothered with her skin, yet her face was more delicate than Mu Shuyu’s, despite the fortune she spent on creams and serums. And to top it all off, Wen Xi was the woman with Lu Qinghan that night. The bitch was a liability. A menace. As Mu Shuyu stared at Wen Xi’s face, a venomous hatred coiled in her eyes, as if she wanted to devour her whole. Just then, a phone rang. Mu Shuyu glanced at the caller ID, and her expression instantly softened. "Qinghan," she cooed into the phone, her voice turning syrupy sweet as she turned and headed upstairs, "Yes, I'm still awake…" Wen Xi finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, practically fleeing back to her own quarters. Hadn't Lu Qinghan's call just saved her, in a way? She had no doubt Mu Shuyu would have made good on her threat. Her heart still pounding, the tinny ringtone of her old phone suddenly blared. It was her best friend, Mo Di. "Wen Xi, where have you been? I've called you like five times." She steadied her breathing and replied softly, "Sorry, I didn't hear it ring. What's up? It's pretty late." "It's your birthday the day after tomorrow! We should totally skip class and go do something fun. It only comes once a year, and our Wen Xi deserves a happy birthday!" A small smile touched Wen Xi’s lips. She had been so preoccupied with her mother that she’d completely forgotten about her own birthday. She was surprised Mo Di remembered. "Mo Di, thank you." "Thank me for what? I already got you a gift. Try not to cry when you see it!" A gift? A warmth spread through Wen Xi’s chest. In this world, besides her mother, Mo Di was the only one who ever made a fuss about her birthday. After chatting for a few more moments, she hung up and rummaged through her bag. Inside, she found a white jade pendant, and she froze. The jade was flawless, smooth and translucent, with a subtle cloud-like pattern on its surface. It was understated yet luxurious. When could Mo Di have slipped it in there? She hadn't felt a thing. Wen Xi hesitated for a moment before texting Mo Di: *Saw the gift. I love it. Thank you, Mo Di.* Putting her phone down, Wen Xi fastened the pendant around her neck. She didn't know the first thing about jade or jewelry, but she could see that this piece was pure and perfectly round, its color clean and free of impurities. It must have been expensive. After a moment’s thought, she tucked the pendant beneath her shirt, feeling a little safer with it hidden. The jade felt cool and smooth against her skin. She loved it. *** The next day, as soon as her morning classes at A University ended, Wen Xi rushed off campus. The Lu family was coming for a visit at noon, and last night, Steward Zhang had warned her in his snide voice that she’d better not be late—or else he’d throw both her and her mother out of the Mu household. She had just made it past the school gates when a red supercar screeched to a halt right beside her.