Looking up, Rylee saw Manfred. She smiled wryly. “When I was young and was performing on the
Children’s Day, I always peeped at the parents sitting offstage. At that time, my mother would sit there
on time. I used to complain about why my father hadn’t come to see me. Ha... What a fool I was.”
“If you’re willing, Rylee, I’m here to give you warmth and happiness,” said Manfred affectionately,
holding Rylee tightly.
Joseph rushed over frantically and yelled, “Girl, why haven’t you put on makeup yet? Hurry up!”
Joseph dragged Rylee away. He looked back and glared at Manfred unhappily.
***
Pouting, Joseph said in disgust, “What were you doing? Why did that old man cling to you so closely?
Didn’t you feel sickened?”
Rylee glared at Joseph. “Hey, brat! You’d better watch your language. Who are you call old man?”
Joseph raised his chin in Manfred’s direction. “Who else? That man who was surnamed Shawn. He
looks ugly and brainless. I’m so sickened to see him.”
Rylee wiped her cold sweat off. “Joseph, are you blind? How shameless you are to say Manfred is ugly.
He’s much more handsome than you. Have some self-awareness, okay? I know you’re just jealous of
him.”
“I'm jealous of that old man? Gee... I’m Joseph Hans, the super handsome and charming...”
“You can’t call Manfred old man! Take it back! Stop it!”
“Old man! Old man! Old man!”
Rylee and Joseph yelled at each other face to face, almost spitting.
The makeup artist couldn’t stand them any longer. Pulling her hair, she let out a cry, “Do you still need
makeup or not? Stop being like two childish clowns!”
Joseph and Rylee immediately stopped their meaningless argument. With a flattering smile, Joseph
pressed Rylee on her shoulders to make her sit down and said, “Miss, I’m giving you this wicked girl. I
can’t wait to see the miracle. Please make this ugly woman into a stunning beauty!”
Puff--
The makeup artist burst into laughter, feeling amused.
Rylee helplessly exhaled. “Joseph, could you stop being so childish?”
She wondered how she had become friends with Joseph. This dumb dumb!
When they were in middle school, Joseph was selling Rylee’s photos, taken when she was two, at a
high price. When Rylee was standing behind him with a long face, Joseph was still shouting to the boys
a few meters away from him, “Do you guys want to see Rylee’s photos when she was a chubby meat
ball in the kindergarten? If you are willing to offer me a high price, I can give it to you.”
“Miss, look. Her eyes are so small. Does she need those false long eyelashes? Besides, doesn't the
purple eyeshadow suit this girl the best? Miss... Miss...”
Joseph was like a fly circling Rylee and he kept bothering the makeup artist.
Instead, Rylee crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and started napping.
In a corner, Daphne was helping Andrea up, looking over at Rylee.
Andrea looked quite upset and disappointed. Biting her bottom lip, she said in anger, “Does Joseph
only care about that bitch? Didn’t he know I was injured? Why didn’t he come to see me? I’m so
pissed!”
“Did you see that, Andrea? That slut is indeed good at hitting on men, just like her temptress mother!”
Daphne pouted in unhappiness.
“Why didn’t you go to prepare for the show? What are you doing here?”
Caroline walked over. She was wearing a white dress with the hemline reaching the floor, looking like a
fairy. Her was going to perform a piano solo.
Andrea lowered her head and said in anger, “It’s so unfair! Why cheap women could ways gain men’s
hearts?”
Caroline followed her sisters’ gazes and sneered. “Calm down. As an illegitimate daughter like Rylee in
our circle, she can’t marry into an influential family. We’ll choose our future husbands among the
superior government officers and rich men. Hence, Rylee can never be comparable to us. If you don’t
believe me, let’s just wait and see.”
“For real, Caroline?”
Caroline stroked Andrea’s hair gently and said, “I overheard Dad talking to Deborah. They seemed to
want to bring you and Joseph together. Our two families will have a picnic together. Then you’ll get
engaged. Are you happy now?”
Daphne immediately smiled, “Whoa! Andrea, your dream will come true!”
Andrea smiled too. “I knew it! Mr. and Mrs. Hans like me. They don’t like Rylee.”
Daphne giggled. “Will Rylee cry then? Since childhood, Joseph has been her knight, but he’ll dump her
soon. I bet she's been dreaming of becoming Mrs. Hans.”
Caroline sneered. “Really? Who does she think she is? Don’t worry. Even all women in this world were
dead, the Hans family wouldn’t accept her upon Rylee’s identity. Such a bastard doesn’t have the
chance to marry into any rich family.”
The performance began officially.
All senior officials of the government and wealthy businessmen were sitting in the auditorium.
Brook Carroll didn’t belong to the wealthiest circle but a lower level, so he sat in the middle.
The front rows were for the super-rich men, the mayor, and other senior government officials.
The first performance was a cheery dance.
Twenty pretty girls were wearing traditional costumes, holding fans when appearing on stage.
Andrea was standing among them. But with her ordinary looks, she didn't stand out.
“That’s Andrea! Have you seen it? She's the second one from the left on the third row. It’s our Andrea!”
Brook clapped his hands in excitement, grinned, and said to Deborah.
Deborah nodded with a smile. “Yeah. Our Andrea is so pretty and adorable. Honey, hurry up and take a
few photos of her.”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot. Thank you.” Brook immediately pulled out the camera, taking photos for
Andrea.
As soon as this performance ended, the donation started. A business owner offered a hundred
thousand dollars.
There was applause.
Andrea ran offstage excitedly. Holding Joseph’s arm, she said, “Yeah! I made it! Our program was a
success as the first one. You know what, Joseph. A business owner offered a hundred thousand dollars
for my dance. Awesome!”
Andrea was quite excited, but Joseph looked unimpressed. He deliberately yawned to wave away her
hand and said in a lazy tone, “It’s just a group dance. What’s so good about it? Only a hundred
thousand? Not so much.”
Andrea was taken aback.
Shaking his head, Joseph turned away.
Andrea stood there motionlessly for a while. Her eyes reddened gradually.
She wondered why Joseph didn’t want to see her at all.
What Rylee had done to bewitch Joseph?
The donations for the following two performances were both around a hundred thousand dollars.
It was time for Caroline to play the piano solo.
When the curtain was pulled, Caroline appeared on the stage gracefully. She bowed at the audience
enchantingly, and there was applause.
Caroline cast a glance at Manfred with a faint smile. Then she sat in front of the piano elegantly.
Deborah tilted her head and whispered in Manfred’s ear, reminding him, “Have you seen that? That’s
how a gentlewoman is like. Rylee Carroll is nothing.”
Manfred frowned. Obviously, he didn’t want to listen to his sister, so he leaned to the other side.
Deborah gritted her teeth and sit straight again. Looking at the stage, she listened to music that she
couldn’t understand at all.
Brook was filming Caroline with a proud face, immersing himself in watching his daughter play the
piano very much.
While everyone was concentrating, they heard inhaling sounds from the entrance.
Deborah looked over in surprise. The next second, she widened her mouth. Nudging Brook and
Manfred fiercely, she said, “Honey, Manfred, look who is here! The tycoon of Asia, Timothy Wheeler.
The richest guy. Manfred, Manfred, hurry up and go to him! Go greet him. Weren't you two alumni of
the same university? Go ahead, Manfred! He’s the richest man!”
Manfred gazed at Timothy, who had just arrived, and sat motionlessly.
He wondered why Timothy would attend such an unimportant occasion.
Once a governor from America came to town. The mayor invited Timothy to join their visit, but Timothy
refused. He was so proud. Why did he come to watch such an unappealing show?
The pretty quiet hall suddenly became noisy.
From the entrance, Timothy, with his group of men, slowly walked in.
Let alone the two lines of his bodyguards in black, even the deputy mayor on the first row stood up in a
hurry. He trotted to Timothy and greeted him.
That was Timothy Wheeler, who was respected in both legal and illegal means.
The deputy mayor was the most superior official on the scene. He bowed and fawned on Timothy, let
alone other officials.
The wealthy men sitting in the front rows were taken by a start when seeing Timothy. They stood up in
unison with flattering smiles together.
They had to respect Timothy.
If the man sneezed, the Asian financial market would shake.
If he predicted the end of any enterprise, the next morning, the enterprise would close
down.
The deputy mayor was the most superior official on the scene. He bowed and fawned on Timothy, let
alone other officials.
The wealthy men sitting in the front rows were taken by a start when seeing Timothy. They stood up in
unison with flattering smiles together.
They had to respect Timothy.
If the man sneezed, the Asian financial market would shake.
If he predicted the end of any enterprise, the next morning, the enterprise would close
down.
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