Cynical Romantics - Chapter 3 Birthday

Three years had passed and she still experienced the same nightmares of her parents. She keeps it from her family and pretends that her invisible scars have been healed.

It was 6 A.M and Qian Meigui felt that she should wake. She removed the comforter from her body and approached her white vanity and grabbed a concealer. She massaged eye cream before applying concealer under her eyes, covering the restlessness from last night.

Today was her eighteenth birthday, but she did not feel cheerful or spirited, she had not felt that for years. Qian Meigui glanced at her reflection in the mirror from the faint light of her lamp.

A knock was heard, before she turned to see someone entering. “Mistress Mei, the young master and young mistresses await for you in the kitchen table downstairs.” Qian Meigui nodded, “I will be down soon,” she said. The maid smiled faintly before retiring to her duties and closing the door.

Qian Meigui changed into a light yellow dress, with thin straps over her shoulders. She combed her long hair flat before approaching the kitchen.

Qian Meigui walked down the spiral staircase and walked through the living room before entering the kitchen. She found her siblings, Song Jinyi, Song Jun, Song Ren seated.

It seemed that Song Jinyi and Song Jun were arguing over a trivial matter, so she approached Song Ren the eldest daughter first, who was reading a newspaper while drinking a cup of black coffee per usual.

She stared at the newspaper intently, engrossed with current events, as Qian Meigui was envious at how intelligent she was. She looked reserved and guarded as always, though she treats everyone the same.

After her parents died, Qian Meigui had nowhere to go because she did not know any relatives. It was Song Rui chairman of Song Group and Pharmaceuticals, that told the police he and his family would look after her.

Qian Meigui did not know who Song Rui was, despite claiming to be a childhood friend of her father. At the end of the year, the Song family decided to adopt her and hiding her identity, now pretending to be their real daughter, their real sibling and a real member of the Song family.

Chairman Song and his wife were in America for business. Song Ren seemed to not have noticed her until, her younger sister Jinyi yelled, “Mei Mei! Happy Birthday!” Song Ren coughed over her coffee, she looked over to Qian Meigui and said, “Happy birthday Song Mei,” with a subtle smile.

“Mei Mei, it is your birthday?” Song Jun asked. Qian Meigui frowned, until his twin sister Song Jinyi slapped him across the head. “I reminded you everyday for the past week,” she said coldly.

“I forgot,” Song Jun said rubbing his head, glaring at his sister feeling wronged. Song Ren resumed drinking the rest of her coffee, reading over current events. Qian Meigui sighed, feeling that it was an expected response from her older sister Song Ren. She was only a year older than her, nineteen, cold and aloof. Hopeless.

“Song Mei, we will catch up to you!” proclaimed Song Jun. Song Jinyi responded, “Yes, we will be like triplets.” It warmed Qian Meigui’s cool heart. “We look nothing alike,” Qian Meigui replied.

Indeed. Qian Meigui felt plain in comparison to the elegant and stark beauty of the Song family. They each had jet-black hair, as black as raven feathers, with porcelain and unblemished skin.

Song Ren and the twins had brown eyes flecked with gold, even their eldest brother Song Sheng whom was not at home at the moment . Qian Meigui had dark brown eyes and dull brown hair. The twins were two years younger than Qian Meigui, nearing sixteen years. Since Chairman Song and his wife had four children, many do not question her relation to them, thinking she was part of their litter all along.

“We must go to our dressing appointment!” Said Song Jinyi while tearing the newspaper from Song Ren’s hand. Qian Meigui almost forgot. After living with the Song family for three years, she has still not adjusted to the life of the wealthy.

Today was her birthday, though they were later attending a banquet for their grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary.