Chapter 76

The next afternoon, Rachel finally got her wish and became Zhou Yi's date, accompanying him to the banquet hosted by the Ashford family.

Rachel, who had used all sorts of tricks like throwing tantrums and acting cute, easily persuaded Zhou Lan, and as a mother, Zhou Lan directly decided that Rachel would be Zhou Yi's date. Faced with her mother's decisiveness, Zhou Yi had nothing to say.

Zhou Lan spent the entire day having the most professional makeup artist from her staff do her beloved youngest daughter's makeup and styling. She used a thick foundation to cover the unique patterns on Rachel's face and put in colored contacts to hide her unusual eye color.

To conceal her pointed ears, Rachel usually wore a beret. However, for such a formal banquet, it was impossible to attend wearing a hat. Therefore, they spent the longest time styling her hair to cover her ears.

In the end, they decided on a somewhat unusual updo that covered this feature. The hair was pulled back and slightly down on both sides, with intricately braided small braids forming a small cover around the ears, perfectly concealing the difference. Then, exquisite gold leaf hair accessories were pinned on both sides of the updo. After completing this step, there was no longer any sign of Rachel's differences.

What was even more amazing was that when Rachel finished all her styling and put on the evening gown that Zhou Lan had already prepared as a coming-of-age gift for her beloved daughter, she underwent a stunning transformation. She looked so beautiful that even Zhou Yi was amazed.

All along, Rachel, as his sister, had always appeared lively and innocent in front of him. This often made Zhou Yi overlook her age, as if in his eyes, Rachel was always the little mischief who hid behind him, tugging at his clothes, and asking for things in a babyish voice.

But now, when the beautifully dressed Rachel appeared before him, he suddenly realized that the beloved sister he had protected for so many years had truly grown up. She had grown into a stunning young woman.

Her wine-red hair was styled into an elegant updo, and the golden leaf hair accessories on both sides added a sense of inviolable purity and sanctity. The somewhat heavy makeup, which would be too much for an average woman, complemented her perfectly. After all, she was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl with fair and healthy skin that was not marred by the makeup.

Thus, this makeup made her look much more mature. Instead, it transformed her already radiant youth into a cold and noble beauty. Her exquisite face had a charm that could captivate the soul, especially when her emerald eyes gazed around. It was as if a goddess from mythology was looking down at you.

The crystal-clear, sparkling white dress designed by Zhou Lan was like draping this goddess in a cloak of starlight. The pure white silk gown, when worn by Rachel, outlined the best figure for her age.

The single-shoulder Greek-style strap exposed one side of her collarbone and delicate arm, the dazzling white skin of which was no less brilliant than precious snow silk, and even more dazzling. The deliberately designed straps further highlighted Rachel's extremely slender waist.

This deliberate design compensated for her age, making her body curves indescribably beautiful. The long, split skirt occasionally revealed the delicate lines of her white legs. When she put on the slightly open-toed high heels, her charming thighs had a beauty that could make any gentleman bow in admiration.

However, in the face of such stunning beauty, many people would find it hard to have any impure thoughts. Especially with Rachel, who was almost 1.8 meters tall in high heels, they could only look up at her, as if looking up at a goddess. The light from the tiny diamonds on the dress was dazzling and piercing, preventing any evil thoughts from creeping in.

No one could have imagined that Rachel would be so beautiful after dressing up. Her friends were completely stunned, losing their ability to speak. Oro and Jean Grey also sighed in admiration, their eyes filled with unhidden praise and envy. As for Zhou Lan and the makeup artist, they looked like artists who had completed a perfect work, their eyes filled with fascination, unwilling to move their gaze even a bit.

Even Rachel herself could not have imagined she would look like this. She pinched the hem of her dress and carefully examined herself in the full-length mirror, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Wow, is this me? It's so magical, I feel like I'm Cinderella, just transformed by a fairy to attend a prince's ball. I don't even recognize myself."

"Yes, dear. This is definitely you," Zhou Lan gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Seeing Rachel like this, she felt a mix of bittersweet emotions, as if sending her daughter off to marriage.

Hugging her mother's shoulders, Zhou Yi also sighed.

"Yes, Rachel, you look amazing. I'm sure if you appeared on any stage, you would overshadow everyone else, making them seem nonexistent. You look like a goddess who has descended to earth."

Hearing this, Rachel grinned, completely unreservedly pulling her dress and rushing to her brother, shouting, "Really, really? You're not lying to me? I can't stand it, I need you to announce to everyone here that Rachel is the most beautiful girl, hear that, you bad guy."

Her playful tone and coquettish manner were typical of a young girl. When she acted like this, she seemed to revert to the mischievous and adorable little sprite she usually was. Seeing her like this, almost everyone laughed.

This laughter made Rachel a bit shy, and she hid behind Zhou Yi, tightly hugging his arm. Her beautiful face turned a faint red that she couldn't hide. Everyone thought she was shy because of her performance, but they didn't suspect anything else.

But Rachel's best friend and confidante knew the truth. Rachel wasn't shy because of her performance, but because of her brother's praise. No one knew better than her how much Rachel adored her brother. She wanted to advise her friend but had no way to do so.

Looking at the handsome and beautiful brother and sister, Katie took a deep breath and suppressed her thoughts. She didn't want to hurt her friend or be hated by Rachel, so she remained silent. She could only pray to God that Rachel wouldn't get too deeply involved. But God never listens to human prayers.

After saying goodbye to her mother and Oro, Zhou Yi held Rachel's slender hand and got into the car heading to the ancient Ashford family estate in the suburbs. The Ashford family had meticulously arranged everything to invite this financial giant from America.

Servants and maids had been preparing everything in advance, delivering guest lists, arranging dedicated transportation, and providing precious jewelry and exquisite evening gowns for Zhou Yi and his date. They even sent a top chef to prepare lunch and desserts. This level of attention made Zhou Yi satisfied but also wary.

The Ashford family's formality was far beyond what Zhou Yi had expected. It didn't seem like they were inviting a business associate but rather a leader of higher status. This kind of hospitality was abnormal and eerie. Even if the Ashford family was declining, they shouldn't act this way.

After carefully considering the Ashford family's unusual behavior and recent events, Zhou Yi found no clues of anything amiss. Although Alfred had limited power, he had always managed to maintain the Ashford family's reputation. He shouldn't be in such dire straits that he needed to seek help from outsiders.

Unable to figure it out, Zhou Yi put aside these useless thoughts. Suspicion was never as reliable as what he could see with his own eyes. His status was such that he was not afraid of a minor noble's schemes, so he decided to step into the situation and see what awaited him.

Thinking about this, Zhou Yi looked at Rachel, who was uncomfortably fidgeting. She seemed a bit uneasy.

"What's wrong, Rachel? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"

"A little bit," Rachel said, somewhat bashfully. "Yi, how do those celebrities who walk the red carpet every day manage to wear these clothes and high heels without feeling uncomfortable at all?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yi understood. His sister, who was used to being free, was not used to such formal attire and felt uncomfortable.

He suppressed his laughter and tried to keep his expression normal.

"Dear, they have undergone countless training sessions. To present their most beautiful selves in public, they must endure some discomfort."

"Is that so?" Rachel murmured, a bit puzzled. "Do I really have to always present myself like this? Oh, that would be so uncomfortable."

"You're overthinking it, dear," Zhou Yi, unable to mess up Rachel's hairstyle, held her hand and comforted her. "It's not as bad as you think. You only need to dress like this for the most formal occasions after you come of age. You can be yourself in everyday life. No one will say anything."

"Do you think I look prettier like this or in my usual style?" Rachel's face turned a bit red as she clung to her brother's arm and asked in a sweet voice.

"You look very beautiful like this. Seeing you like this almost stunned me. I didn't think you were my sister but rather a goddess. Of course, you are always beautiful, no matter what. You are the most dear and important person to me," Zhou Yi praised his sister without reservation. In his heart, he could never praise her enough. However, he didn't realize that some things shouldn't be said.

"Is that so?" Rachel's eyes were a bit misty. "Okay, I'll have to try harder. I'll be the most beautiful Rachel Ferguson."

"You already are the most beautiful," Zhou Yi patted her hand, his eyes on the outside. The Ashford family's estate was already in sight. No matter what, a plot was about to unfold before him.