"Have you ever looked closely at the story behind the jewelry Pandora wears?" It's not that Jenny's jewelry looked cheap. The thing was, Pandora's pieces practically screamed old money. Each gem seemed like it came with a history, built up from years and years of family legacy.
Standing next to Pandora made Jenny look even younger. But youth had its own sparkle. The jewelry Jenny chose gave her a playful, lively edge on top of her natural elegance.
"Later, when you link arms with Grandma and wait for me outside school, you two will totally steal the show." Claire truly believed Pandora's beauty was proof that real elegance never faded, no matter how many years went by.
Jenny was striking in her own way, a blend of East and West. Maybe she didn't have that classic, irresistible grace like Pandora, but she lit up the room like a rose in full bloom. And honestly, who could resist that?
On the morning of the big exam, Edison dropped by. As he watched Jenny walking downstairs arm in arm with Pandora, his eyes widened in amazement. Claire caught that look. She could tell Edison totally loved Jenny's style today.
"Pandora, you look as graceful as ever," Edison said first, then turned to Jenny. "And you look beautiful too."
Jenny grinned, a little bashful, and said, “Still, I could never pull off the kind of beauty my aunt has. That classic grace is all yours."
Edison gave her a reassuring smile. “You don't need to. You can rock your own style."
Claire cleared her throat pointedly. "Hello? I'm about to be late for my exams."
They'd just finished breakfast at home, and Claire realized she'd spent half the morning admiring how gorgeous Pandora and Jenny looked in their qipaos. She had to drag herself away, otherwise she really would be late.
Edison hurriedly apologized. "My bad, let's go. We'll all walk you."
That finally got Claire to relax. On the way, Edison double-checked her bag and pencil case, making sure her admission ticket and everything else were set.
The school was right across the street, so there was no need to stress about traffic. The four of them walking together were an absolche head turner the crowd of parents outside the school barely noticed anyone else once they showed up.
Claire's looks spoke for themselves, of course. With Edison and Jenny on either side, they looked like royalty And Pandora she hardly were much jewelry, just a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a bracelet, but even that had people quietly gawking. Some things you just couldn't fake.
“Is that her grandma? She's stunning. Sure, she's got some wrinkles, but you can
tell she was a total beauty when she was younger,” a dad whispered to his wife.
The mom shot him a look. "Just look at her outfit and jewelry. You know she comes from money. Now look at me. What do I have?"
The dad scratched his nose awkwardly. "You have me and our son's love..."
She snorted and decided not to argue anymore.
A few steps away, another mom spoke quietly. “Hey, the girl they're dropping off is Claire from your class, right?"
Her son nodded. “Yeah, but I thought you said she was switched at birth, not the James Family heiress anymore, and that her real family's from the countryside?"
She stared at the group in disbelief. None of these people looked anything like they were from some struggling rural family. In fact, standing next to them, she felt like the country bumpkin.
Her son shrugged. "Just because her family's from the country doesn't mean they're poor."
He'd never seen Claire looking down-and-out. Not even after she left the James Family. She still seemed put together, dressed well, ate well. People said she was ving off savings, but apparently all she took with her was a suitcase of clothes and maybe some textbooks.