Chapter 44: The Same Dream

"Sister-in-law, where are you going?" Hua Lianxi had just stepped out of her room when she turned around and bumped into Kong Huan, who was about to knock on the door.

Pausing in place, Hua Lianxi was momentarily speechless.

Yes, where was she going? Where could she go?

Could she just leave suddenly like Kong Chengyu had?

She couldn't, at least not without a reason. And if she had to explain it to the elders, how would she even begin?

Suppressing her sadness, Hua Lianxi forced a faint smile onto her face. "Kong Huan!"

"This is for you, I hope you like it!" Kong Huan, ever cheerful, didn't notice Hua Lianxi's unease and eagerly handed her a black gift bag.

Hesitating, Hua Lianxi wasn't sure how to refuse the gift.

Seeing her hands fidgeting and not reaching out to take the gift, Kong Huan grew anxious. Puffing out her cheeks, she blurted out, "Don't you like it? It's a classic! Or… sister-in-law, do you think it's not valuable enough?"

Unable to hold back a laugh, Hua Lianxi reached out and tucked Kong Huan's loose hair behind her ear. Her heart suddenly felt lighter, and she found herself even more fond of Kong Huan's straightforwardness.

"It's not that I don't like it, nor do I think it's not valuable. I'm just embarrassed because I didn't prepare a gift for you." Taking the gift bag, Hua Lianxi immediately opened it and saw the elegant square bottle of the world-renowned high-end perfume that was often advertised on TV.

"I've never bought or used perfume before! But I've heard of this classic. There's even a saying that every girl must own it to truly be considered a woman!"

"What? This is your first bottle of perfume?" Kong Huan exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes widening. "Hmph, I'll have to scold my brother later. He doesn't even know to give you perfume!"

At the mention of Kong Chengyu, the smile on Hua Lianxi's face froze.

"Sister-in-law, don't be upset. Let's go shopping later and bring home all the perfumes that suit you. We'll just swipe his card!" Kong Huan, now realizing her sister-in-law's sadness, patted her chest and promised to accompany her shopping.

"Huanhuan, thank you. I really like the gift you gave me!" Forcing a smile, Hua Lianxi decided to push away the lingering sadness. "To make up for not having a gift for you, I'll help you pack your luggage! Let's go to your room!" Since she couldn't leave the Kong family mansion, she didn't want to stay in her room, feeling as if she was constantly surrounded by Kong Chengyu's presence. Helping Kong Huan pack would be the perfect distraction.

Kong Huan's eyes lit up instantly, and she quickly linked arms with Hua Lianxi, as if afraid she might change her mind. "Sister-in-law, you're really going to help me pack? I'm terrified of packing. Organizing things is like torture for me!"

Amused by her exaggeration, Hua Lianxi linked arms with her and walked toward her room, teasing, "What did you bring back? Will packing scare me away?" In her mind, traveling only required the essentials, so her luggage was always simple. She couldn't imagine what Kong Huan was so afraid of.

"Hehe, it won't scare you away. It's just… I have a lot of small things, and they need to be sorted one by one…" Kong Huan's voice trailed off as she recalled the chaos of packing before returning home, and she couldn't help but shiver.

Two square suitcases stood side by side under the window. Hua Lianxi paused, not thinking that packing two suitcases would be such a daunting task. "It's just two suitcases. Why are you so scared?"

Cheerfully letting go of Hua Lianxi, Kong Huan quickly dragged the suitcases over. With her sister-in-law's help, the usual dread of packing suddenly didn't seem so bad. "For me, it's a huge challenge. I usually just throw things in randomly. Now I have to sort everything. Isn't that just torturing me?"

Shaking her head, Hua Lianxi crouched down, ready to tackle the problem.

Playfully sticking out her tongue, Kong Huan also crouched down, glancing at her as she slowly entered the password and reluctantly opened the suitcase.

The moment the suitcase opened, Hua Lianxi's calm demeanor vanished. Her mouth fell open in shock. "You… you came back like this?"

This wasn't a packed suitcase. It was a jumble of clothes rolled up and stuffed in, with more items crammed in haphazardly. The suitcase looked more like a compressed trash bin.

"Oops," Kong Huan chuckled awkwardly, almost covering her face. "It's just that folding clothes is so hard. The suitcase is big enough, so I just…" Her voice faded as she couldn't continue, silently noting the random items that might pop out at any moment.

This was undoubtedly the most unimaginable suitcase Hua Lianxi had ever seen. It took her a moment to process the sight. "Alright, we'll need more time. Let's take all the clothes out and put them on the bed, then fold them properly and sort them according to your preferences!" Quickly formulating a plan, Hua Lianxi began directing Kong Huan, who had zero packing skills.

Nodding without any objections, Kong Huan started pulling out the crumpled and tangled clothes, pants, and even dresses.

"This… moisturizer?" Just as Hua Lianxi had picked up two oversized T-shirts, she next pulled out a silver bottle.

"This… perfume?" As the moisturizer was placed on the floor, Hua Lianxi fished out a clear glass bottle with a faint fragrance, unmistakably perfume.

"Hehe, well, I didn't want to waste it, so I just threw it in there!" Kong Huan, recalling how she had casually tossed things in, broke into a cold sweat. Suddenly, the embarrassment of her messy packing didn't seem so bad compared to the ordeal of organizing it all.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Hua Lianxi placed the perfume on the floor. "Huanhuan, if these had leaked, they could have ruined your clothes. It's better to put them in a toiletry bag." Unable to hold back, Hua Lianxi voiced her thoughts.

"Okay, next time, sister-in-law, you'll supervise me. Please do!" Kong Huan raised her hand to her forehead in a playful salute, happily accepting her advice.

As they continued, one peculiar item after another emerged from the suitcase, but nothing surprised Hua Lianxi as much as the other suitcase, which was filled to the brim with books.

"These… are all yours?"

Kong Chengyu had never shared much about Kong Huan, who lived abroad. Hua Lianxi only knew her name and that she was studying overseas. She had no idea what Kong Huan was studying, but this suitcase full of books made her feel a sudden sense of closeness.

Kong Huan, who was battling the mountain of clothes on the bed, jumped down excitedly at Hua Lianxi's exclamation. "Yes, these are my treasures! I even left behind some of my comfiest clothes to make room for them!"

"You're studying design? What's your focus?" Strangely, this straightforward girl shared a similar passion for design, both loving the art of sketching and creating.

"Interior design. My dream is to become a designer and create dream homes that make people feel happy the moment they step inside!" Holding her books, Kong Huan blurted out her dream without hesitation, not seeing it as just a fantasy but a goal she was determined to achieve.

"Interior design?" The same dream?

"Yes! Have you heard of the famous Cheng Family Mansion here? I've been following it closely. It has an excellent reputation in the industry, and I'd love to intern there. Learning from their lead designer would be incredible!" One of the main reasons she had decided to return was the Cheng Family Mansion. She wanted to explore it and learn from the renowned designer there.

Running her fingers over the books she had once cherished, Hua Lianxi asked softly, "Do you really want to go that badly? Will your grandmother and the others let you work outside?" With the vast Cheng Group at their disposal, would Kong Chengyu really allow her to work for another company?

"I can make my own decisions. I told Grandma that if I come back, I'll do what I want to do. Otherwise, I'll just keep drifting abroad and not come back!" Kong Huan had her ways of convincing her grandmother, using a mix of撒娇 and threats. Once Grandma was on board, Kong Chengyu couldn't object.

"Then… I can try to help you get in touch with Cheng Shaobai." After a moment of hesitation, Hua Lianxi decided to help Kong Huan get into the Cheng Family Mansion. After all, it would just be an internship, a chance for her to learn and explore. Hua Lianxi believed in her passion for interior design, especially since she had dragged such a heavy suitcase of books across the ocean.

Kong Huan, shocked, dropped the book in her hands and began shaking Hua Lianxi excitedly. "Sister-in-law, are you serious? You know Cheng Shaobai? The CEO of the Cheng Family Mansion? I can really get in?" She had been racking her brains for a way to escape Kong Chengyu's influence.

"Stop shaking me, or I'll get dizzy and won't be able to call Cheng Shaobai!" Hua Lianxi finally cried out, unable to withstand the vigorous shaking.

"Oops, I'm just too excited! Sister-in-law, call him now. I promise I won't let you down if I get in!" Kong Huan immediately stopped, her face full of earnestness, as if she wanted to shove her phone into Hua Lianxi's hands right then.

Steadying herself, Hua Lianxi pulled out her phone and, after a moment of hesitation, dialed the number. "Brother Cheng, it's me."

Meeting Kong Huan's eager gaze, Hua Lianxi's initial hesitation melted away. "I have a friend who's studying interior design and is very eager to intern at the Cheng Family Mansion. Could you meet her and give her a chance?" As she flipped through Kong Huan's sketchbooks, Hua Lianxi noticed that some of her designs were quite unique, with a strong grasp of lines. She truly had the talent of a designer.

"Mm-hmm, yes, good. I'll have her bring her portfolio to meet you tomorrow." Just as Hua Lianxi had expected, Cheng Shaobai agreed without hesitation, though he wanted to see Kong Huan's work before making a final decision.

Hearing that she had gotten the opportunity so easily, Kong Huan was overjoyed. She threw herself at Hua Lianxi, planting kiss after kiss on her cheeks, almost screaming with excitement.

"Sister-in-law, you're the best! My brother made the right choice. I'll never let him bully you. If he does, I'll cut ties with him!"