Lin Longwei's principal residence was located in the Pearl Palace. His building was the most distant from the entrance and consequently ensured more privacy.

Going in and out the Pearl Palace was not an easy deal. The entrance consisted of a big gate for cars and a smaller one for bikes and people. It was equipped with a fully automated security system that opened upon face recognition.

When Xu Mei saw her face in the monitor, a green led turned on, and the small gate opened. It was faster than the image recognition programs she had seen until that moment.

She decided to use the subway to reach the dormitory.

It took her nearly one hour because she had to cross the entire city. She asked for her key at the reception and went to her room.

It was empty since her room-mates were probably attending classes.

She decided to use that time for herself. She made a face mask and put on light blue nail polish. She applied a fruit balm in her hair and finally took a long and hot shower.

For the gala, she had to find a suitable dress. She browsed online for a while to choose the shop where to go. It was nearly lunchtime when she went out for shopping.

The shop Xu Mei chose was quite expensive. The girl didn't like that kind of places. Still, she had to maintain designated standards if she didn't want to displease her grandfather.

She was examining one cream-coloured dress when a group of young women walked in the shop. The one leading them was Zhou Anan, the fiancée of her older brother, Xu Ting.

Xu Mei didn't want to provoke any conflict, but she was sure that trouble was coming for her the moment she saw that woman.

Xu Mei had purposely chosen to visit the shop during lunchtime, to avoid the crowd. She sighed and shifted her attention to another dress, this time a red one.

She always had light-coloured dresses during the events her grandfather compelled her to attend. The main reason was that she wanted to pass unnoticed. Wearing something so eye-catching was out of the question. But, the quality and shape of the dress were indeed exceptional.

She imagined how she would look in it and, for a moment, she considered buying it all the same. Unfortunately, the money the Prime Minister sent her was not enough for two dresses.

«Look who's here!» a voice a bit too loud said.

Xu Mei didn't get along with her soon-to-be sister-in-law but, for the sake of peace, didn't pick up fights. She used to ignore that woman and never responded to her provocations.

Luckily, Xu Mei stayed most of the time in the dormitory or at her mom's home, so she didn't have to restrain all the time.

«Hello, Zhou Anan.» she greeted politely.

«I already told you that you don't need to be so polite. You can call me sister-in-law.»

«You are not my sister-in-law, yet. When you officially marry my brother, I will call you that way.»

Xu Mei was strict from that point of view, and she didn't use appellatives when not necessary. She seldom used informal forms too, so the Prime Minister was her grandfather. The last time the girl had called him grandpa was when she was around seven years old.

That was all to distance herself from the Xu family, who treated her rather poorly.

«Are you going to buy that dress?» Zhou Anan asked.

«I was considering it,» Xu Mei nodded.

«I like it! If you opt for another dress, I will buy this one.»

«I'll tell you when I decide.»

«Do you think you can pull off that type of dress? You are too plain, sister,» one of the girls behind her popped in their conversation.

Zhou Anan liked to pick on Xu Mei but, at the same time, she had to take care of her own image when in public. In that kind of environments, she had underlings do the work.

«Now I really like this dress,» Xu Mei answered calmly, only her cold eyes showing how much she was upset. Still, she stayed calm.

«As you wish, but you will only make a fool of yourself,» the vixen continued. The girl didn't realise that the more she talked, the less Xu Mei was eager to let go.

«I will make the evening livelier. Don't you thing, Zhou Anan?» Xu Mei continued. Making Zhou Anan say something unpolite in public was almost impossible, but Xu Mei couldn't refrain from teasing her.

«Oh, don't listen to her, sister-in-law! You have to choose the dress you like, without considering the opinion of others. In the end, it's you that will have to wear it,» Zhou Anan answered, squeezing Xu Mei's shoulder with elegance.

Zhou Anan was a tough challenger: she wasn't easy to provoke, and she had been taught since young to act like a lady.

That was the reason why Xu Mei's brother often stood on the side of his fiancée, instead of that of his own blood.

Zhou Anan's actions were more impeccable, the more her real target was dirty. She had managed to drive the brother and sister pair apart with her little schemes during the nine years she frequented the Xu residence.

When she first met Zhou Anan, Xu Mei was still too young to see through that woman, and when Xu Ting proposed to his girlfriend, two years later, it was too late to unmask Zhou Anan's true self.

Her appearance was flawless, only her soul was dark like a night without moon.