Chapter Three: Have You Ever Seen The Splendid Family?

Back when Xia had just started middle school, it was right after Grandma Qiong Yao's “Romance in the Rain” had finished airing, and everyone was at a loss for what to watch on TV. At that time, CCTV began broadcasting “The Story of a Noble Family.” The dashing arrogance of Chen Kun’s character and the cool, aloof temperament of Dong Jie’s role naturally captivated Lin Xia and her group of young girls.

Lin Xia was deeply enamored with the show too. Later, during university, she watched the entire series again from the beginning. “Hmm, just yesterday the episode aired where Jin Yanxi and Leng Qingqiu had an argument. Leng Qingqiu said, ‘Jin Yanxi, we are not the same kind of people. We are destined not to be together.’”

Here, Lin Xia paused, tantalizing her audience.

“And then? Come on, tell us!” Ren Jie urged impatiently.

Lin Xia smiled, pursing her lips as she continued, “Then Jin Yanxi replied, ‘I never said we were the same kind of people, but please believe me, because I love you. Even if we are not the same, we can still be together.’”

Ren Jie clasped her hands together as if in prayer, closed her eyes dreamily, and exclaimed, “I adore Yanxi! He’s so charming, isn’t he? If only someone like that appeared in my life, it would be wonderful.”

Looking at her, Lin Xia laughed and teased, “Even if a prince like that appeared, you still wouldn’t be the heroine of the story.”

The four of them were, at best, considered pretty in a plain way. Lin Xia and Li Jing were both dark and slim, Ren Xia had medium-toned skin, and only Ren Jie was fairer.

Because Ren Jie was the fairest among them, she stood out the most, and, naturally, put the most effort into her appearance.

Yang Yanju couldn’t help but laugh at Ren Jie and urged Lin Xia, “What happened next? Did they make up? Go on!”

“Then Leng Qingqiu cried, ‘People who are different cannot be together. It’s like the grapevine in our yard—can it ever grow lilies?’ And then comes the scene you saw in the opening credits—Leng Qingqiu pushes open the door and sees lilies blooming in the courtyard.”

“How romantic, so romantic!” Ren Jie clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling with stars.

Even Yang Yanju, though less exaggerated, was filled with envy and longing. Lin Xia sighed inwardly—this was exactly how girls their age were supposed to feel. Subconsciously stroking her chin, she wondered if, among her friends, she was the odd one out. Should she pretend to be girlish too?

But the thought of playing cute made Lin Xia shudder. At nearly thirty, acting like a teenager—never mind if others noticed, she herself couldn’t stand it.

Forget it, she thought. If people found her different, they’d just think she was precocious. She certainly wasn’t about to put on a childish act with her young face.

With that, she nudged Ren Jie with her elbow and teased, “Are you really this dramatic? Just look at you! You’re the textbook definition of a lovesick girl.”

“Come on, you’re no different. I bet even if you don’t show it, you’re dreaming about your Prince Charming inside. Don’t you ever fantasize about your own white knight?”

Lin Xia cast her a sidelong glance and replied coolly, “Who was it, after watching that Rainy Romance, who became obsessed with He Shuhuan and swore to find a boyfriend just like him?”

Ren Jie was unfazed. “Please, the world is full of wonderful people—why stick to just one show? Every drama brings a different kind of heartthrob. Of course I like to change things up. It’s called keeping up with the times, something you wouldn’t understand.”

She paused, then added with suspicion, “Wait a minute, weren’t you infatuated with Jin Yanxi just a few days ago? Why are you picking on me today, huh?”

A faint blush crept up Lin Xia’s face. Good heavens, she’d actually had a crush on the ‘Flower of the Western Depot’! Just thinking of Yu Huatian from “Flying Swords of Dragon Gate” made Lin Xia shudder. Those flamboyant costumes were indeed alluring, but really—not her type at all.

Of course, with Lin Xia’s dark complexion now, the others couldn’t tell she was blushing. And with the mind of a twenty-eight-year-old, she deftly changed the subject: “Have you learned to sing the theme and ending songs yet?”

Lin Xia remembered how Ren Jie had been especially fond of those two songs. The show always aired several minutes of commercials before the songs, but Ren Jie, determined to learn them, would wait by the TV for the opening theme, and stubbornly sit through all the ads after the episode just to hear the ending song before turning off the television.

Sure enough, at Lin Xia’s question, Ren Jie answered dejectedly, “I’ve only managed to copy down the first verse of the lyrics. There are still a few lines I can’t get.”

“Show me the lyrics. I remember them and can help you finish writing them.”

—Just wrote a bit for now, will upload and continue tomorrow. Too tired.