Qian Meigui walked down the spiral staircase, walking through the living room before entering the grand, sun-lit kitchen. She found her siblings, the twins—Song Jinyi and Song Jun—along with her older sister Song Ren who sat parallel across them.
It seemed that Song Jinyi and Song Jun were arguing over a trivial matter, so she approached Song Ren, who was reading a newspaper article while drinking a cup of black coffee.
Song Ren stared at the newspaper intently, engrossed with current events, not identifying her presence. Her long jet-black hair cascaded from the curve of her ear to the end of her torso. Her expression looked reserved and guarded as always, though she was rather gentle and caring with those who knew her well.
Their father, Song Rui and his wife were working overseas in a different country, though their parents would often visit the country, unlike Song Sheng, who promised to visit but failed countlessly.
Throughout the last two years, he missed birthdays, celebrations, and holidays; therefore, she no longer looked forward to special days if he wasn't there.
Qian Meigui, deep down, had always felt unsettled by his departure. Still, she supported his decision either way as he appeared to be busy, going from one place to another, without stopping.
Now Qian Meigui had adjusted to him not being in the picture, though she ever so silently wished for his return. Song Sheng was someone who always stood by her side, and would perhaps continue if he were here.
Song Ren did not seem to notice her until their younger sister Jinyi yelled, "Mei Mei! Happy Birthday!"
Song Ren then coughed over her bitter coffee as she looked over to Qian Meigui and said, "Happy birthday Song Mei," with a subtle smile.
"Mei Mei, it's your birthday?" Song Jun asked. Qian Meigui frowned until his twin sister Song Jinyi slapped him across the head. "I reminded you every day for the past week," she said to him coldly.
"I forgot," Song Jun said, rubbing his head, glaring at his sister, feeling wronged.
Song Ren resumed drinking the rest of her coffee while reading over current events. Qian Meigui sighed, predicting an expected response from her older sister, Song Ren.
She was only a year older than her—twenty-three, but cold and aloof, yet dignified. Nonetheless, Song Ren had the nerves of steel but the heart of flames. She was someone Qian Meigui looked up to when Sheng wasn't home.
"Mei Mei, yellow suits you. You look so pretty," proclaimed Song Jinyi, who approached her as her short-black hair swayed against her shoulders.
It warmed Qian Meigui's, cool heart. After all, Qian Meigui felt plain in comparison to the elegant and stark beauty of the Song family.
They each had a head of jet-black hair, as dark as shadows on a bright day, with porcelain and unblemished skin. They were each beautiful, potential to be models or actors, yet they strongly valued privacy and felt content with inheriting jobs in their father's pharmaceutical company.
Song Ren, the twins, and Song Sheng each had brown eyes flecked with gold, inherited from their father. Qian Meigui had dark brown eyes and dark brown hair, though she passes as one of them due to her adoptive mother's genes who were similar to hers.
The twins were four years younger than Qian Meigui, eighteen years old and in their final year of school. And Since CEO Song Rui and his wife had four children, many did not question Qian Meigui's relation to them, thinking she was part of their litter all along.
"Shoot! I almost forgot 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 over a decade, she still had not adjusted to the life of elites.
Today was her birthday, though they were later attending a banquet for their grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. An event that they could not miss even if their father were no longer a member of the main house.