The Beautiful Older Sister I Picked Up Is Good at Flirting - Chapter 23
Chapter 23
The eldest daughter of the Xia family invited almost half of Bincheng’s elite to her birthday banquet. To show how grand the occasion was, it was specially held at the Xia family’s ancestral home.
When Fu Siyi received the invitation, she was reluctant to attend. But thinking of how her mother needed the Xia family’s support for the election, she decided to go.
When she arrived at the Xia residence, the banquet had not yet begun. The brightly lit hall was crowded with people. As she descended the spiral staircase from the second floor, she spotted many familiar faces. Fang Songxian and Shen Tian were among them, each holding a wine glass and chatting with people nearby.
Fu Siyi’s looks stood out in any crowd—she was instantly the most striking figure. Xia Yicheng immediately spotted her, picked up her dress skirt, and ran over to cling to Fu Siyi’s arm with a sweet smile.
“Xiao Siyi, why are you only arriving now?”
Xia Yicheng wore a classic little black dress, her black hair neatly twisted into an elegant bun. A rare set of violet-pink pearls adorned her fair neck, each bead round and lustrous, giving her the air of a pampered yet graceful princess.
Fu Siyi took the opportunity of presenting the gift to withdraw her arm, subtly putting some distance between them. She handed over the gift with both hands and said politely, “Yicheng, happy birthday.”
Xia Yicheng, unaware of the subtle distancing, accepted the gift happily and leaned closer again, “Xiao Siyi, sit at the main table with me later.”
Fu Siyi hesitated briefly, a touch of awkwardness on her face.
Only family members typically sat at the main table—what would it look like for her, an outsider, to sit there?
“No, thank you. I’ll sit with Songxian and the others.”
Xia Yicheng’s face instantly fell. Just as her pampered temper was about to explode, a stern voice cut through.
“Yicheng, don’t be unreasonable.”
Fu Siyi looked up to see a graceful woman in a jade green cheongsam walking toward them, as gentle and elegant as spring water in Jiangnan.
“Madam Xia,” Fu Siyi greeted her with a refined, polite smile.
This was Xia Chenxiao, Xia Yicheng’s Alpha mother, a powerful figure in Bincheng’s business world who was also running for a seat in parliament.
Compared to Fu Weirong, Fu Siyi’s own mother, Xia Chenxiao was much more low-key. While Fu Weirong was out campaigning and giving speeches, Xia Chenxiao rarely made public appearances, even quietly offering strategic advice to Fu Weirong. She was often jokingly referred to by rivals as “the tactician tutoring the crown prince.”
Xia Chenxiao’s voice was soft and gentle, making her seem easy to get along with. “Sorry about that, Xiao Siyi. Yicheng’s been spoiled by me—please don’t take offense.”
“You’re being too polite,” Fu Siyi responded with her usual calm elegance. “Madam Xia, I’ll go say hello to Songxian now. Please excuse me.”
Xia Chenxiao gave her a graceful smile. “Go ahead. Treat this place like your home. Don’t be so formal.”
Fu Siyi nodded slightly and hesitated briefly in Fang Songxian’s direction, but quickly lost interest and instead headed toward the terrace.
Cool night breezes blew across the terrace. In the distance, a mirror-like manmade lake shimmered under the lights.
Leaning on the carved stone railing, Fu Siyi gazed at the Xia estate’s night scenery and unexpectedly noticed the Xia family butler and former councilman Sun Chu behind the rockery, engaged in some sort of discreet struggle.
She was too far to see clearly, but she recognized their silhouettes. From their gestures, it looked like a gift was being handed over. Fu Siyi surmised that the butler was delivering gifts on Xia Chenxiao’s behalf.
It seemed that Madam Xia wasn’t as “Buddhist” and nonchalant as rumors claimed. She might not be truly supporting Fu Weirong after all.
In fact… she might be her mother’s strongest competitor.
Fu Siyi silently reminded herself to warn her mother to stay alert and prepare accordingly.
Just as she stared into the lake in deep thought, someone lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Startled, Fu Siyi turned and saw a delicate-looking Omega standing behind her.
“Hi!”
The Omega was unfamiliar. Fu Siyi asked, a little confused, “Hello, do we… know each other?”
“Nope,” the Omega smiled, her long lashes forming crescent moons. “But I know your name. You’re Fu Siyi, president of the Fu Group.”
Fu Siyi looked more puzzled.
The Omega explained with a grin, “You have a classmate named Ai Qing, right? She’s my cousin’s girlfriend. I saw your photo at her place.”
The confusion in Fu Siyi’s eyes faded, and she offered a light smile.
“I’m Sun Yuqing. My mother is Sun Chu.” The Omega extended her right hand, eyes gleaming with joy and a hint of expectation. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Fu Siyi.”
Sun Chu? The former councilman’s daughter?
After a brief pause, Fu Siyi reached out and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too, Miss Sun.”
Behind a Roman column not far away, Xia Yicheng was hiding in the shadows, silently watching their interaction, grinding her teeth furiously.
Suddenly, a voice sighed behind her.
The tone was teasing and smug, deliberately provoking.
“Sigh, looks like little Siyi’s about to be snatched away by Sun Yuqing.”
Xia Yicheng turned around in irritation and saw Shen Tian walking toward her with a sway in her hips. She glared angrily, “Shen Tian, stop gloating. If I can’t have Siyi, you won’t either.”
“You’ve got it all wrong.”
Shen Tian was a scheming Omega—completely different from Xia Yicheng’s straightforwardness. She was skilled in manipulation and emotional tactics. “I admit, I really admire Siyi. She’s the most capable Alpha I’ve ever met. But admiring someone and liking them are two very different things. I’ve never thought of competing with you.”
She leaned in with a sweet smile and wrapped her arm around Xia Yicheng’s shoulder. “Yicheng, I’m just an illegitimate child no one acknowledges. It means a lot to me that you’re even willing to be friends with me… Besides, my brother still relies on the Xia family. How could I ever go against you?”
Then she gently turned Xia Yicheng toward the terrace. “Yicheng, Sun Yuqing is your real rival.”
Beneath Shen Tian’s affectionate smile lay calculated malice. Unfortunately, Xia Yicheng had been sheltered her whole life and had never encountered true scheming. Even though Shen Tian’s tactics were clumsy and childish, they worked effortlessly.
Staring at the two chatting warmly on the terrace, Xia Yicheng’s eyes blazed with fury. “I won’t let Sun Yuqing have Siyi. Absolutely not!”
“Are you going to pull them apart? That won’t work… Didn’t you see how your mom treated Councilman Sun? She won’t let you make trouble.”
Shen Tian’s gaze turned cold and sinister for a brief moment. When Xia Yicheng looked at her again, she already wore a worried, supportive expression. “Yicheng, I do have an idea, though I don’t know if…”
Xia Yicheng grabbed her arm anxiously. “What idea?”
Shen Tian leaned in, whispering in her ear, “Here’s what you should do…”
Xia Yicheng, naïve and unsuspecting, had no idea she was being used as a pawn. “Shen Tian, I owe you one for this. I’ll repay you someday.”
Shen Tian deliberately scolded her, “What are you saying? We’re best friends.”
Her smile lasted only until Xia Yicheng left the banquet hall. Then the corners of her lips slowly dropped into a sinister smirk.
She walked over to the very spot where Xia Yicheng had stood, pulled out her phone, and sent a message. Less than a minute later, a greasy-looking fat man crept out from behind a column.
“Miss Shen…”
Shen Tian looked around warily, lowering her voice. “Do you have the stuff?”
The fat man handed her a packet of powder. “This is an induction agent—it causes even incompatible Alphas and Omegas to feel the urge to bond. But it goes against natural A/O instincts and is banned in the Soviet states. Miss Shen, I’m risking prison to get this for you.”
Shen Tian took the packet, giving a harmless smile. “Relax, Qiangzi. You’ll get every cent I promised.”
The man grinned obsequiously. “I trust you completely, Miss. But…”
He paused, then asked curiously, “Why not just use an aphrodisiac on Miss Fu? That way you could—”
“What do you know?”
Shen Tian often had him procure illegal goods, so she didn’t bother hiding things from him. “If Fu Siyi doesn’t love me, even a full mark won’t change that. I’d still never have her heart.”
She weighed the packet in her hand and smirked, “But with this, she’ll become addicted to my pheromones, madly in love with me. Then, the power will be in my hands. As for Fu Siyi… I’ll have her completely under my control.”
The fat man gave her an oily grin. “Miss Shen, you’re brilliant. I’m in awe!”