Chapter 27: Chapter 25 Distinguished Guests
His father was a designer at a private advertising company. Since his mother had an "iron rice bowl" job, the family only allowed for one child. Adding to that, the firstborn, Chu Mo, was a boy, so he quite straightforwardly became an only child.
In the previous generation, his father had two siblings, making Chu Mo the nephew of an uncle and an aunt.
The aunt married far away, and for the first few years, she managed to return for the holidays. However, after that, contact became less frequent, and in recent years, even during New Year\'s celebrations, she was rarely seen.
As for the uncle\'s family, it was a different story, quite prosperous and fruitful.
The uncle had five children, four girls and a boy, stopping only after the birth of a son on the fifth try.
Cousin Chu Xiner was the third child in her uncle\'s household and the only one among them to get into university, while the much-cherished youngest cousin had already dropped out of school to work.
Even if the uncle was willing to sell everything to support his education, the boy simply wasn\'t material for academics—he barely scored more than one hundred and fifty combined on several major subjects in middle school!
Chu Mo\'s memories of this little cousin were faint, mainly because their ages differed too greatly. The four-year age gap all but ensured they couldn\'t play together.
What he remembered most was this little girl often running after him, and how much it annoyed him. As to why she liked following him, Chu Mo couldn\'t quite recall the reason.
Perhaps, it was because his mother worked at a state-owned company and their family\'s situation was better than the uncle\'s?
At the age of eleven, his mother transferred jobs and the family moved to the city.
Subsequently, during a festival visit to his hometown, he played at his uncle\'s house, seeing Chu Xiner, who only came up to his chin, washing dishes in the kitchen...
By then, the youngest cousin had been born, and all the best things in the household went to him; the slightly older female cousins had started doing farm work, and Chu Xiner, wherever she went, was always being followed by the youngest cousin, still a baby being breastfed…!
Getting into the University of Science and Technology in the city of magic—Chu Xiner must have endured hardships beyond Chu Mo\'s imagination!
At the very least, Chu Mo knew that because his uncle\'s family was saving money for the youngest cousin\'s house and wedding, Chu Xiner had to support her own tuition and living expenses for college.
That\'s why there was the present situation of her sleeping only four hours a day, dedicating the rest of her time to studying and part-time jobs!
That\'s why Chu Mo said that compared to this cousin, he really was worthless!
...
"Are you really Xin\'er\'s brother? How come I\'ve never heard Xin\'er mention you before?"
A slightly mischievous voice rang out, bringing Chu Mo back from his brief daze to reality.
The surroundings were the elegant and quiet halls of a luxury goods store, and next to each counter stood a salesperson with an attractive appearance. At the side, the Valentino counter, with a salesgirl possessing a 92-point beauty, still respectfully bowed to see off...
When Chu Mo removed his gaze from Chu Xiner beside him and turned it towards the girl with a loli face in front of him, a sense of reflection suddenly surged in his heart.
Perhaps, the three girls in front of him didn\'t intentionally leave Chu Xiner behind.
Each one of the three girls in front of him possessed pleasing looks, and most importantly, they could appear together in such a luxurious store; judging from their attire and manner, it was easy to draw conclusions.
His cousin, who had to work part-time and rely on scholarships to support herself, was not in the same circle as the three girls in front who lived a refined and lavish life!
"Birds of a feather flock together" might just be the true portrayal of these four girls!
However, that was all in the past!
From the moment he became an unlimited tycoon, not only himself, but also the cousin beside him—resembling an ugly duckling—her life would change along with his!
Chu Mo didn\'t want to ask what the relationships between the girls used to be, whether they were strangers, little followers, or even the subject of exclusion; all that was in the past.
In the past, he didn\'t have the ability to intervene in Chu Xiner\'s way of life, but now, that was all going to change!
...
"I\'ve always been busy with work in other places and didn\'t have time to pay attention to family matters, so I\'ve neglected many things at home. It\'s only now, with my career finally stabilizing, that I have the time to care for those around me.
Xin\'er may seem soft and fragile, but she\'s actually very stubborn and doesn\'t like to talk about family matters. However, I must still thank you for looking after Xin\'er. Let\'s reintroduce ourselves; my name is Chu Mo, \'Chu\' as in the state of Chu, \'Mo\' as in ink, and I\'m Xin\'er\'s elder cousin!"
As his words fell, the first to react was a girl with a Lolita-like face who immediately said with a smile,
"My name is Tao Yun, not only am I Xin\'er\'s roommate but also in the same major! Hello, Brother Chu!"
Beside her, a girl with shoulder-length hair and eyes that curved into crescent moons when she smiled said crisply,
"Hello, my name is Song Xiaoxi; it\'s a pleasure to meet you!"
After the two had introduced themselves, Chu Mo turned his gaze to the last girl, who was also the most stunning.
She was wearing alluring light purple stockings; her straight, long legs perfectly embodied the ideal Gold Ratio. The light gray body-hugging miniskirt and sleeveless blouse revealed fair and firm skin, which seemed so tender that a pinch might make water spring forth.
Her delicate features and the gentle curves of her face involuntarily gave off a very comfortable feeling, and just standing there casually, she radiated an enchanting charm.
"Zhou Yuanyuan!"
Without any pleasantries or the warmth shown by the other two girls, the one named Zhou Yuanyuan exuded an aura of unapproachability from the inside out!
It seemed that getting Chu Xiner integrated into such a small social circle wouldn\'t be as easy as he had imagined.
Chu Mo was even certain that if today ended with just a hurried greeting, come Monday, those three would still form their small circle, and Chu Xiner would remain the outcast!
As the roommates Xin\'er would be spending her days with for the next two years, Chu Mo knew he had to break the tight-knit relationship among these three girls today.
There was a moment of hesitation in his eyes, but it lasted only an instant before his expression became exceedingly serious. Addressing the three girls before him, he said,
"Xin\'er is too introverted, which can lead to disadvantages, and she\'s also quite stubborn, never willing to tell her family about anything. I, as her brother, can\'t manage things at her school.
You are Xin\'er\'s friends, and I may need to trouble you to look after Xin\'er in the future. So, since it\'s now lunchtime, I\'d like to invite everyone for a casual meal on behalf of Xin\'er. You must give me this chance as her brother to express my gratitude!"
Chu Mo\'s expression was very sincere as he looked at his sister, who stood beside him with her face flushed red, only daring to look down at her toes. He felt an overflowing affection and couldn\'t help a touch of sorrow.
This little cousin of mine has really been through a lot!
"Um... it won\'t be too much trouble for you, will it, Brother Chu?"
The most outgoing girl with the baby face said softly as she suddenly stepped forward, took Chu Xiner\'s arm, and teased,
"Xin\'er, that dress is really stylish, it\'s Valentino, right? The brand is quite famous for women\'s clothing and shoes...!"
"I...I didn\'t know, my brother insisted on buying it for me!"
Chu Xiner\'s voice was as soft as a mosquito\'s, but when Chu Mo saw the glint of joy in her eyes, a pang of heartache flashed through him. This girl was so happy just to be on the receiving end of a bit of polite conversation!
Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number, and after only two rings, someone answered.
"Mr. Chu, what can I do for you?"
The voice on the other end was somewhat hoarse but exceptionally respectful!
"Shortly, I will be bringing a few esteemed guests over for a meal. Have everyone prepare accordingly, and make the lunch a bit more sumptuous," Chu Mo said in a calm voice, but with particular emphasis on the word "esteemed."
Without any hesitation, the hoarse voice on the phone promptly responded,
"I will follow your instructions, Mr. Chu!"