Titanic: Parallel World

3

Two maids entered, carrying prepared dresses, and laid them out in front of Shen Rui for her to choose. Shen Rui picked a light green one. A maid knelt on the floor to adjust the lace on the hem of the dress, while Mrs. Cabot took a ring from the jewelry box and slipped it onto Shen Rui's finger: "Look, how well it complements your skin tone." The enormous ring made Shen Rui gasp, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. She had never seen such a large diamond before; even those on the hands of movie stars couldn't compare.

Ruth leaned in close to Shen Rui's ear and whispered while the maid turned to fetch shoes: "Wear it, and don't let me see you take it off again." Shen Rui's eyes widened, and she quickly nodded. How much could this be worth? From now on, she would definitely wear it even while sleeping. If she had to flee, these would be her lifeline.

Time in the movie was vague. Shen Rui only remembered that about two nights had passed because the important events all happened at night, but beyond that, she couldn't recall anything else. Her eyes glanced at the jewelry box on the dressing table. She had to take a good look at what was inside that could be exchanged for money.

The maid who had brought in the flowers earlier knelt at Shen Rui's feet with a pair of shoes, while another maid held her hand. Shen Rui froze, unsure of what to do. "Does the young lady not like these shoes?" the maid asked matter-of-factly, then picked up another pair: "What about these?" Shen Rui nodded randomly and stuck out her foot. The maid slipped the shoes on gently, as if afraid of hurting her. Shen Rui had never experienced such service in her life. She swallowed her surprise and strangeness, careful not to let anyone see that she wasn't Rose.

Cal waited at the door like a gentleman, waiting for the lady to finish dressing. He lit a cigarette and gestured for a maid to bring him a cup of tea. Usually, Rose took nearly an hour to put on her makeup and dress, giving him enough time to rest and enjoy a cup of tea, perhaps with a few pastries.

A maid bent over and asked Shen Rui, "What kind of perfume would the young lady like to wear?" Shen Rui was about to shake her head but stopped herself. She didn't know if wearing perfume was also part of the etiquette. She glanced at Ruth, Rose's mother, who had dressed herself as if for a wedding, with a high collar around her neck and jewelry draped all over her body. A long pearl necklace circled her neck three times. And her scent overpowered even the fragrance of the roses, rendering the room full of flowers pointless.

Was this the proper etiquette? Shen Rui reluctantly sat at the dressing table and let the maid do her makeup. She shook her head at the powder box: "No, not this." Then she shook her head at a long string of pearls: "No, not this either." Wearing this for breakfast, she suspected her head would sink into the bowl of porridge—if there was porridge for breakfast.

The maid was at a loss. She went outside and said to another maid, "The young lady isn't satisfied with the necklace. Bring some others." Valuable items were, of course, kept by the butler, locked in a safe. The ones on the dressing table were the ones Rose usually wore.

Ruth showed no reaction. She sat naturally in an armchair, smoothing her skirt, while the maid quickly brought her a cup of tea. She carefully spread a napkin over her lap and reached for an almond candy, popping it into her mouth. She held her head high, waiting for the maid to bring other necklaces.

The maids' actions caught Cal's attention. He raised an eyebrow and walked to the bedroom door, leaning against the frame as he looked at Rose in the mirror, who hadn't started dressing yet. "Not satisfied with the necklace?" His gaze swept over Mrs. Cabot. One thing was certain: Rose was like her mother—they both loved large, sparkling jewels. In his opinion, the yellow rose in her hair already made her radiant.

But these were minor issues to him. He walked over and said to Rose in the mirror, "When we get to America, have Tiffany send over some selections. You can choose what you like and have them custom-made."

Shen Rui was stunned by his extravagance but quickly realized that this was the kind of man who could buy the Heart of the Ocean for his fiancée. Jewelry probably meant as little to him as daily necessities.

Shen Rui turned her head and said to Cal, "Can I... not wear these?" These things looked beautiful in the box, but if she actually wore them around her neck, she wouldn't even be able to walk properly. Besides, she didn't want to be paraded around like a jewelry display. Seeing Cal's surprised expression, she added, "I think your wealth is evident enough without me wearing it." Mrs. Cabot gave Shen Rui an approving look from where Cal couldn't see.

This pleased Cal. He lifted Shen Rui's hand and kissed it: "Of course, you can choose whatever you like." If jewelry couldn't make her happy, perhaps she would prefer a gentle horse.

The maid brought over other pieces of jewelry, and Cal considerately stepped outside. Soon, Shen Rui was ready. Cal saw his stunningly beautiful fiancée appear before him. She hadn't drawn her eyebrows, sprayed perfume, or adorned her hair with any of the elaborate jewelry. He smiled and crooked his arm for Shen Rui.

Shen Rui didn't react immediately until Ruth stepped past her and hooked her arm through Cal's. Only then did she understand what she was supposed to do. But clearly, no one else found her behavior strange. As she left, Shen Rui said to the maid, "Leave the necklaces there. I'll think about which one to wear for dinner."

The smile on Cal's face faded. He turned to Rose and said, "So as not to be impolite in front of Mr. Dawson?"

Shen Rui looked at Carl with confusion, not knowing who this Mr. Dawson he was talking about was. However, she controlled herself well and didn't say too much. Perhaps Rose had known this man before. Shen Rui made up her mind that no matter who she saw later, she mustn't show any surprise. They might all know Rose.

Mrs. Kabot took over the conversation, "Of course Rose doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of others. I'm afraid Mr. Dawson doesn't even know how to use a knife and fork." Her harsh words brought a** smile to Carl's face. It seemed that Rose really didn't remember this person, and Carl was satisfied as the corners of his mouth curled up.

Shen Rui suddenly felt nervous. She still didn't know who Mr. Dawson was, but she knew she couldn't use a knife and fork properly herself. At most, she could manage two, which she had learned with great difficulty when she went out for a luxurious Western meal with her colleagues. She remembered that the nobles had the most complicated way of eating—was it five or six utensils?

People passing by in the corridor nodded to Carl, and he responded with a polite smile. He only bowed and greeted an elderly couple as they passed. Shen Rui made a mental note of this; it certainly wasn't because Carl respected the elderly.

Before entering the dining room, Lufu whispered in Shen Rui's ear, "Behave well." Shen Rui's face was stiff, and she didn't know what to do. If she used the utensils incorrectly later, would they think she was protesting? Even if she didn't make any mistakes, she still didn't know how to behave well. Finally, she decided to speak less, listen more, and observe more. Perhaps what they were saying now would be useful later.

Ames was already seated at the table. He didn't stand up when he saw Carl but nodded to the two ladies. Shen Rui thought, this old man must be very wealthy. Even Carl's face lit up with a sincere and earnest smile when he saw him. Unknowingly, she had started to use Carl as a benchmark for judging people.

The red-haired woman sitting on the side looked Shen Rui up and down and then smiled, "Miss Kabot, finally I get to see you in person." She popped a candy into her mouth and said, "I was blinded by your jewelry before." Then she burst into laughter.

Mrs. Kabot's face looked like she had just swallowed a fly. Shen Rui didn't know this woman. She thought that Rose must have dissatisfied her or offended her somehow.

"Of course, Rose is beautiful enough without any decorations," Carl comforted Shen Rui by placing his hand on her shoulder and seating her next to him. He attentively spread a white napkin for her and whispered in her ear, "Be quiet." This was a rebuke for Rose running out of the tea party yesterday. High society had never accepted Margaret Brown, who came from a humble background. This woman was probably mocking Rose's behavior and manners because of that. After all, Rose had just said some inappropriate topics at the tea party yesterday.

Was Rose's temper really that bad? Shen Rui wouldn't retaliate over such a thing. She smiled and nodded at the red-haired woman. Smiling was the best way to respond when she didn't know what to say.

Mrs. Kabot looked pleased. She took a sip of black tea and said to Ames, "Rose's ability to find such a good husband is certainly not just luck." Having a beautiful daughter was probably the proudest thing in Mrs. Kabot's life.

"I would say the same," said the Countess, arriving late. Mrs. Kabot stood up to exchange greetings, and Shen Rui stood up too, not knowing if it was the right thing to do but following Mrs. Kabot's lead.

"I heard Rose went to university," Shen Rui felt nervous for a moment. Was she going to discuss university life with her? Soon, Shen Rui relaxed and realized that this was no different from having dinner with elders during the holidays. What the Countess had just said was similar to "Rui Rui got into university, that's great" or "Rui Rui found such a good job, that's wonderful."

"Of course, a woman should find a good husband, and Rose has already done that," Mrs. Kabot continued to boast, and the Countess smiled in agreement. The red-haired woman across from them clearly didn't think so: "I think women have more uses besides giving birth."

No one agreed with her, so Shen Rui could only nod in her heart. She didn't expect to meet a progressive thinker here. She secretly observed the red-haired lady. Shen Rui's gaze was clear, with some curiosity and agreement, so Mrs. Brown immediately warmed up to her and smiled at her.

Ames said at this moment, "The maiden voyage of the Titanic will definitely win the Blue Ribbon. After breakfast, Captain Smith will take us on a tour of the entire ship." Shen Rui didn't know what the Blue Ribbon was. If she did, she might not feel so relaxed now. But she was looking forward to the tour. It was always good to familiarize oneself with the layout beforehand.