Chapter 576: Deception
"Miss Chen... this is not just about us." Zhou Huifang uttered. "We have rallied people that she offended in the past and ... we are adamant on destroying her." To Zhou Huifang, the reason why his father is not the CEO of their company is because of Lily.
In response, Chen Shi narrowed her eyes. "You are hiding something." She uttered. "What is it? What is your true goal?" Chen Shi had been scheming since she was a child. Does this people think that they could just lie in front of her face like this? She sneered inwardly.
"Well... I believe that is the only thing that you needed to know for now. We will tell you all the details once you decide to work with us." Qi Xia eyed Zhou Huifang. He knows that Zhou Huifang is desperate to ruin Zhou Jingren. However, in his opinion, informing someone as treacherous as this Chen Shi is the wrong move. It is always better to keep some information to themselves.
However, Zhou Huifang does not think like this. He opened his mouth and decided to tell Chen Shi bits and pieces of their plan. "We are targeting Zhou Capital and Zhou Wu Yang's company. We need some distractions. Surely a troubled Lily is enough to make distract her husband."
Qi Xia instantly frowned. He wanted to slap his own face at this man's stupidity. How could he think that Chen Shi is a simple person that would not take advantage of their plans? He gritted his teeth. He understood that Zhou Huifang is desperate but... this is just too much!
He already told him not to tell Chen Shi about this to avoid some complications! How could Zhou Huifang act so careless now?
"Zhou Jingren's father?" As expected, Chen Shi instantly showed interest at the mention of Zhou Capital and Zhou Wu Yang. Their conversation was interrupted when the door was opened and the attendant that served Chen Shi earlier walked inside with the orders that Chen Luan made for them.
The trio did not utter a word as they waited for the woman to leave.
"Tell me about his father." Chen Shi continued when the attendant left. "And tell me about this... plan."
"We can't tell you anything for now. If you want to find out about his father, then... you do the research. And as for our plans... you will know everyone once you agreed to work with us." Qi Xia said, his face stern. He wanted to end this meeting before the stupid Zhou Huifang could make another mistake.
"Really?" Sarcasm laced Chen Shi's tone. She eyed Zhou Huifang, then smiled at Qi Xia. "Well then... I will call you tonight. I needed some time to decide about this matter." She then stood from her seat. "I already paid for the coffee." She uttered before leaving the room with Chen Luan.
The moment she left, Qi Xia's face instantly turned dark. "Are you crazy?"
"What?" Zhou Huifang asked.
"How could you tell her about Zhou Jingren's father? That woman... is dangerous! Don't you understand?" Qi Xia grew up in a household surrounded by entertainers. Both of his parents were in the entertainment industry for years! Surely, she can spot a fake person like Chen Shi.
"Xia... relax." Zhou Huifang leaned against the chair and gave a languid smile. The distressing reaction that he showed Chen Shi earlier vanished as if it was never there in the first place.
"What do you mean? Obviously, she is looking down on us!"
"Let her," Zhou Huifang smirked. "Let her underestimate us. Let her think that we are stupid. Let her insult us." He elegantly took a sip of his coffee. "All warfare is based on deception. As someone who experienced Lily's schemes... you should already know that." He looked at the man sitting next to him.
"Huifang..." Qi Xia didn't continue his words. Deception? He met his eyes as he furrowed his brows. "So you wanted her to let her guard down? Why? She is not the enemy."
Zhuo Huifang clicked her tongue before he gave a low chuckle. "She is smart and cunning. She is resourceful and experienced. We all know that she is more influential than us. In front of dominant power, we need to act weak. Let her think that we are not capable of betraying her."
"Then... we can be her ally. Use her resources and plans. We can use her influence and once she tries to do something against us... we retaliate at the most unexpected moment." Zhou Huifang pursed his lips as he tilted his face towards his friend. "Do you get it?"
Qi Xia frowned. For some reason, this Zhou Huifang seemed to change a lot since Zhou Kang's disappearance. His eyes had become sharper, his brains more alert, and his smile... is more sinister. Slowly, he nodded at Zhou Huifang's words.
"You see... a war needed resources. If we can win a war by using other people, then... why not? We can watch as Chen Shi scheme against them. Then... wait for Lily and Zhou Jingren to become exhausted. And... we strike them."
For the second time, Qi Xia nodded. "Are you sure that we are capable of turning the shareholder against Zhou Jingren's father?"
"Of course! They saw what my father did to the company! They knew what he is capable of. Just because the company belongs to him by birth, doesn't mean that he should manage it. Zhou Wu Yang had been gone for too long. He doesn't have any idea how to run a company."
"Alright then... we should go" Qi Xia said as he rose and from his seat. The duo then left the restaurant with their confident smiles.
Meanwhile, Lily was smiling from ear to ear. She was lying on her husband's legs as she looked at the calendar on her phone. "Two more weeks." She uttered.
"What do you mean?" Zhou Jingren asked. He was reading a document when Lily asked if she could use his leg as her pillow. Despite knowing that they have more than four pillows in the bed, Zhou Jingren complied without saying anything.
"Two weeks!" Lily repeated as she rolled her eyes and beamed. "Two more weeks!"
....
Chapter 577: What if...
Sky City
The lingering aroma of black coffee inside the kitchen made Lily frowned. She stared at the mug in Zhou Jingren's hands. "That coffee smells... weird." She uttered and went back to reading the book in her hand. Since the fire at the mansion, Lily and Zhou Jingren decided to stay for a few weeks in Sky City before going back to The Peak. This is because Zhou Jingren did a lot of changes in the house for security.
"Then... I won't have this brand of coffee anymore." He said as he put the mug to the sink. "It's a new brand that I decided to try because of Chef Yang's suggestions."
"Hmmm... we should drink more tea instead of coffee." She said. Lily understands that pregnant women have a better sense of smell than normal people. However, she had actually not experienced smelling something that made her uncomfortable, until now. "And keep that coffee away from me." She added as she started eating her salad. She then shifted her gaze towards Yang Mi. "It's Sunday... you are supposed to have a day off. Why are you here?"
"I receive some phone calls from Mr. Qin Chuan. He had been asking if you are going to be busy in the next few weeks. He wanted to schedule a visit and have dinner with you and Qin Yuanfeng."
"He should have called me."
"He said... he does not want to disturb your rest. Moreover, he only wanted to know if you are going to be free. So he called me instead." Yang Mi explained.
"Alright... I guess I would have sometime after I cross the first trimester two weeks from now. Book an excellent restaurant for dinner."
"I understand." Yang Mi nodded. She glanced at Zhuo Jingren as she wondered why Lily seemed to be in a poor mood this morning. She wondered if it was because they fought or... it was because of the coffee. She shook her head inwardly. Maybe being pregnant would make someone more unpredictable. The thought of pregnancy instantly made her cringe.
This is the reason why Yang Mi would never want to become pregnant.
"President... there is also something that Cathy and Mr. Qin Yuanfeng discovered in social media just yesterday. I figured... you needed to know this." She handed Lily the tablet that was showing a screenshot of a social media post. "Qin Yuanfeng created a..." she made a deliberate pause. "Like a program that would detect Chen Shi's image once posted on any social media platform. He is uh... very adamant that we create something like this for the people who offended you in the past."
Lily furrowed her brows. She narrowed her eyes at the photo before giving the tablet to Zhou Jingren that was sitting opposite to her. Chen Shi and Qi Xia? That is an unexpected collaboration, however... the man sitting next to Qi Xia is a different story.
"Where did he get this?" Zhou Jingren asked. Yesterday, he and Lily spent the entire day lazing around while watching movies. Since he does not want to be disturbed by any random call, he put his phone on silent and discovered that he missed a call from Qin Yuanfeng last night.
"An attendant working in a restaurant posted it. The images were taken down a few hours after it was posted. f course it was already too late. It was obvious that she took it without their consent."
"Zhou Huifang? I thought his father and sister took care of him and convinced him that Zhou Kang is the evil one?" Lily asked Zhou Jingren. "What is he trying to do now?"
"He always thought he would inherit the company after his father." Zhou Jingren said. "I will tell his father about this matter."
Lily pursed her lips before she nodded. Chen Shi, Qi Xia, and Zhou Huifang are people from different industries. Aside from business prospects, the only reason that those three are seeing each other is because of Lily and Zhou Jingren. Slowly Lily rested her elbow on the table as she started twirling her hair around her finger.
They are planning something. They should be. Lily then looked at Zhou Jingren. "Are you aware of this program that Yuanfeng is making?"
"I am. I have helped him create some algorithms for this software."
"A software..." Lily uttered, her tone soft as she smiled. "So... it is something that we can install in a computer and we can use remotely for another purpose?" she asked.
"We created it to track social media posts and mentions about you and the people who might target us. There is no other purpose." Zhou Jingren said, his voice stern, hoping that it would be enough to change Lily's mind.
As Lily's man, Zhou Jingren already knew that Lily is thinking about the other thing that can make her happy. Profits.
"Oh! But... we can also create something similar and install it..."
"No." Zhou Jingren said. Seeing his serious face, Lily laughed and shifted her gaze to Yang Mi.
"Yang Mi... you should find someone like him in the future. Someone that is not afraid to say no even if..." she looked at Zhou Jingren as the smile on her face vanished. "He knows that he will sleep on the couch tonight."
Yang Mi gave Lily an awkward smile as she shook her head inwardly. The President's tendency of thinking about profits while dealing with some issues is very... unique. How could she think about enemies then just switch to thinking about ways of earning money?
Yang Mi tried her best to keep a straight face. "President, since it is Sunday, I am not staying for long." She managed to say before excusing herself and leaving Sky City.
As someone who had been around Lily all this time, Yang Mi can see the changes from her attitude. She cringed. Being pregnant is scary, ah!
Yang Mi made a mental note not to get pregnant. She could not deal with something like this. Moreover, Lily seemed lucky not to experience the morning sickness from the movies. What if she is not like that?
And what if... she won't find a husband as understanding as Zhou Jingren?
....
Chapter 578: Tremble
Today, Lily went to The Peak to check out some constructions that Zhou Jingren insisted to have. It has been days since Lily saw the place so she took some time to check everything. Moreover, Lily is off to an important mission today.
Since her last conversation with Jiang Ruo, the latter had been sending her texts and updating her about certain charities. This time, she did not invite Lily and forced her to do anything. Instead, she updated her about certain activities that their community is hosting.
While Lily found this funny, she would sometimes send a reply and appreciate the older woman's efforts and dedication. It was obvious that Jiang Ruo wanted to make herself and her family look good. And this is not Lily's business anymore.
To Lily, acknowledging insignificant things like this would only waste her energy. To her, Jiang Ruo is not a friend nor an enemy. She was just someone that she met. There is no point in wasting her brain cells to someone like this.
However, today is different. Last night, Jiang Ruo sent her a text about having brunch with some women in the community.
"Lily! I was not expecting you to come!" Jiang Ruo greeted Lily with the same smile that she always has on her face. She then gestured for Lily to take a seat next to her.
"Elder sister... did you forget to inform us that Miss Lily will join us today?" Yu Yanwan's shrill voice echoed inside the private room of the restaurant. "I thought this is for everyone living in..." she did not continue her words as she narrowed her eyes at Lily.
Technically, Lily is someone living in The Peak while she... Yu Yanwan is not. She eyed the other four women with them and stayed quiet when she saw them smiling at Lily. She had forgotten that these people were so used to faking their faces that this had become a habit. These women always had smiles plaster all over their faces as they roll their eyes inwardly.
"Is there a problem... Miss Yu?" Lily smiled.
"Sister Yanwan... we should just forget about what happened in the old man's birthday. It wasn't Miss Lily's fault that the old man liked her gift more than he liked yours." Madam He added fuel to the fire. She then sent a meaningful gaze at Liu Chin who was also joining them. "Isn't this the best time to forgive and forget?" These women didn't know that Lily and Yu Yanwan met a few days back at the old man's house. So they immediately assumed that Yu Yanwan does not like Lily for the embarrassment that they received because of her gift.
As expected, the thought of what happened at the birthday party immediately made Yu Yanwan frowned. How could she miss the poison in Madam He's words? She wanted to rub it in her face that the old man liked Lily's gift more than he liked her gift! What is more hateful is the fact that she could say nothing against her words!
They were already suggesting that they forgive and forget. Saying no will only make them look down on her. Yu Yanwan knew that this woman only wanted to provoke her into fighting with Lily. And she would not allow that.
"Madam He is right," Lily nodded. "Forgiving and forgetting are fantastic. Unless that involves someone cheating on their husband, then... that is a different story." She laughed. "Of course... what happened at the party is not comparable to that terrible— terrible thing." She dramatically widened her eyes. "Isn't that right... Madam He?"
"Lily... why would you even mention such a thing?" Madam Liu answered. Lily's appearance was unexpected. However, she would not let this ruin her day. This lunch was supposed to be for another charity that they were planning. That is why she, Liu Chin, Madam He, and even Yu Yanwan is here because they were the ones who are organizing this charity. "We are here to discuss the charity and not sinful things like that."
Lily only smiled at Madam Liu. According to her research. Madam Liu is a very religious woman. While she loves luxury and shopping, she spends most of her money donating to Christian organization that helps the poor and people in need.
Don't get Lily wrong. She has nothing against religion. However, she found most of these religious people as hypocrites. She eyed Madam He and gave her a knowing look. She then wondered what would happen once this Madam Liu knew that his son is... screwing with the married Madam He. Would she ask her husband to write him off his will? Would she fight with Madam He?
A fight... would be entertaining to see. Lily frowned inwardly. A pregnant woman like her should not wish people to fight, no?
Lily chuckled inwardly when she saw Madam He's ashen face. "Of course." Lily uttered while staring at the older woman's eyes. Originally, Lily was not planning to attend this brunch. In fact, she already declined Jiang Ruo's offer. However, she immediately changed her mind when she knew that Yu Yanwan would also attend the meeting.
Would Lily really miss the opportunity to provoke Yu Yanwan into doing something? Of course not!
"It's alright mother... Miss Lily, we are actually here because of a certain charity event two months from now. It was something that..." she started explaining about the purpose of the charity. "I would assume that you are here because you decided to... donate some funds?" Liu Chin gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Liu Chin knew that Lily would decline and would ...
"Of course!" Lily's smile interrupted her thoughts. "Money is not a problem. I can always give some donations to children who needed an education." Lily said.
As someone who grew up in a very tough environment, Lily didn't have a very good educational background. This topic is very important to her. Aside from her donations to various charities, she also had a lot of scholarship opportunities for college students.
"Really?" Liu Chin asked, surprised flashed in her eyes.
Lily nodded in response. "I am very particular about learning. This is the reason why I despise people who pay their way to get a degree. Why not give that money to someone who needed that education?" A tit for tat. Since she already knows everyone's dirty little secrets, Lily decided to have a little fun. She gave Liu Chin a provoking smile. "This reminds me... I heard that you will graduate this year. May I know your plans after your graduation?" she asked Liu Chin.
This Liu Chin is pretty lucky. She was born into a rich family that pampers her and her brother. Growing up, this woman spent most of her time shopping and building social networks with other rich kids from all over the world. However, despite all this, Liu Chin was forced by her mother to go to a university to study.
And since Liu Chin does not want to take the exams, her mother used their influence to get her into university. Since her IQ and extracurricular activities didn't pass the universities requirements, her mother paid a lot to let her in.
Her mother, Madam Liu cheated, and Liu Chin knew.
And watching them tremble under Lily's gaze is really entertaining. Lily wondered if this was because she is pregnant... or she is just turning more and more like her true self every single day.
.....
Chapter 579: Counter-productive
Lily smiled at the two women across her.
"I — " Liu Chin stuttered. It was as if a bucket of water was spilled inside her as she stared at Lily. Shen then bit her lips as she wondered if Lily knew about the matter with the university. "I am already an intern in my grandfather's company. After graduation, he will hire me to become a manager in one of our stores in Mainland China." She answered. This was originally her mother's plan.
While Liu Chin does not approve of this and wanted to spend her time doing vlogs and traveling, she could not just say this in front of Lily.
"Good plan. Congratulations on your future graduation, by the way." Lily said.
"Chin Chin... working in your grandfather's company while going to school at the same time must be tough. Are you planning to take a momentary break after graduation?" To make the atmosphere lighter, Jiang Ruo instantly swayed the conversation away from Lily. "Perhaps a vacation in the Maldives?"
"Oh..." Liu Chin shifted her gaze at Jiang Ruo as she balled her hand into a fist. "I would directly work at my grandfather's company. I don't need to have breaks or vacation." This was a lie. But Liu Chin doesn't care. In front of Lily, she would never say something that would make Lily look down on her.
"Sister Chin is a very hardworking woman," Madam He added. "She would not spend her time doing such things. After all, her grandfather is planning to train her for the VP position."
"Really? That is impressive." Lily said and eyed the attendant who is bringing the tea that she ordered.
"My Chin Chin is very outstanding," Madam Liu beamed, pride visible in her eyes. "In fact, her father and I have been receiving a lot of marriage proposals. Mostly, they are from other prominent families in Mainland China. But after our thorough examinations, not one of the gentlemen passed our requirements."
"Well... marrying someone that your family likes is very important." Lily nodded. This was another statement aim to infuriate Yu Yanwan.
According to the information that she received, Yu Yanwan married someone that does not have the same status as the Yu Family. The man was also younger than her and very good looking.
He was one of the old man Yu's employees. While the old man didn't say anything about this marriage, Yu Yanwan's brothers were against it. They always thought that the man only married Yu Yanwan because of her money. After all, she wasn't that beautiful and her attitude is also very nasty. Even her brothers knew that it would be hard for a man to marry someone like her.
Because of this, Yu Yanwan chose to marry her husband abroad and only came back when she was already pregnant with her eldest son. This forced her brothers to accept her marriage with her husband. But, until now, it is said that this husband of hers does not really attend family events because her brothers always gave him the cold shoulder.
They would often ostracize him and exclude him in their conversations. Additionally, the old man used this as an opportunity to challenge his sons by making the man a manager despite his mediocre accomplishments. When the man proved to be useless in the office, the old man was quick to throw him in the gutter, leaving him jobless. Slowly, this created a rift between the Yu Siblings.
Currently, Yu Yanwan's husband is trying to create his own business. Since he didn't have the job nor the funds, he is currently using Yu Yanwan's money. This only made Yu Yanwan's brother look down on him.
The fact that her brothers look down on her husband should be one of the reasons why Yu Yanwan poisoned her own mother. After all, her mother never did anything to help her out from the bullying that she received from her 'family.'
Now that Lily thought about this, Yu Yanwan was only the victim of her own circumstances. Maybe she loves her husband and maybe she only wanted to become happy with her family. However, her family's ways forced her to fight and even aim for something higher.
Of course, this was all Lily's speculations. Yu Yanwan poisoned her mother, and that is just horrible. There is not enough reason to justify such actions.
Lily shifted her gaze to Yu Yanwan and smiled. Sometimes, anger and over all emotions are counterproductive. And Lily was trying to take advantage of this fact.
She wanted to make Yu Yanwan angry and emotional. This will not only make her lose her composure. It will also make her do things that will reveal weaknesses and true colors.
Why, you asked?
Because Lily already received the result of the investigation that Zhou Jingren did. The fire was indeed not an accident, and someone very familiar with the mansion caused it. That person used some of the CCTV's blind spot to get in and get out of the mansion in a few minutes.
Too bad the newly installed CCTV outside of the mansion caught him sneaking in and out of the property without his knowledge.
After a very 'thorough' interrogation. They found out that Yu Yanwan paid him to create a minor fire that was supposed to burn down the mansion's kitchen. Of course, it was a failure.
The women turned silent at Lily's words. They knew about the things that happened with the Yu family as it was one of the biggest scandals in the Yu Family years ago. This only made the environment more awkward.
"You are wrong." Yu Yanwan spoke. "If you love someone... why does the opinion of other people matter? They are not the ones marrying your partner. They are not the ones that will live with him until you grow old. So why would you care about what they think?" She met Lily's eyes. "Love is love, and it has nothing to do with your family's approval. You should think about the things that will make you happy instead."
As expected, Madam Liu's face turned ugly after Yu Yanwan's words. She glared at Yu Yanwan. "Well... we have unique values and traditions."
....
Chapter 580: Love is a Blessing
"Of course, I don't blame you for growing up like that." Madam Liu's tone was harsh. When it comes to her values, Madam Liu is known to be very strict. She would not hesitate to argue with someone who insulted her way of raising her two children.
To Madam Liu, love is a blessing. But falling in love and staying in love are two different matters. As someone who had been married for almost thirty years, Madam Liu knew that starting a family needs hard work and patience. It needs devotion and faith. Without these... a marriage will fail.
Now she understands the need for attraction in marriage. However, she also believed that looking for the ideal qualities in a partner is needed for a long-lasting relationship. And this is where... she and her husband comes in.
Madam Liu feels that she has all the right to choose these qualities for her daughter's future husband. After all, she only thinks about her daughter's welfare. She only wanted what's best for her.
Yu Yanwan's face contorted. She glared at Madam Liu. "Well... are you going to live with your daughter's husband? Why would you think that you know what's best for her? This is her life. Why not let her decide who she wanted to marry? After all, she will be living with the man until she grows old." she argued. Yu Yanwan knew that Madam Liu is unlike her own mother.
While her mother never cared about her decision, Madam Liu was the exact opposite. But for Yu Yanwan, Madam Liu's controlling actions will soon ruin her children's future.
"That is enough." Liu Chin interrupted the awkward silence. She already saw her mother's face getting redder and redder, and she would not want to make her more furious. Liu Chin knew that the result would be horrible if her mother loses her composure. "I think you already made your point." She looked at Yu Yanwan.
She then held her mother's shoulders. "My mother is exhausted. We are going to leave first." She uttered. Without saying a word, Madam Liu stood from her seat and walked out of the room.
"Well... that was intense." Lily chimed in. As the 'bystander', Lily thoroughly enjoyed the show. She gave Yu Yanwan a provoking smile. "Quick and intense but... you have an excellent point."
Jiang Ruo cleared her throat. "Why don't we... um... relax. Let's take some time to calm down." She said while shaking her head inwardly. What happened earlier was too quick and unexpected that she felt her brain short-circuited and she could not react in time. She then eyed Lily's smiling face and sighed.
Lily only said a few things and the conversation completely turned for the worse. With the same smile on her face, Lily watched as she enjoyed the drama. She instantly wondered if Lily deliberately did it. However, if one would analyze things properly, Lily would not benefit if these women would turn against each other. So why do it?
Was it because she wanted to entertain herself? But what kind of terrible human being would create some chaos just for fun? Another sigh escaped her lips.
"I think you have done enough trouble for today." Jiang Ruo froze when she heard Yu Yanwan's voice. She looked at her sister-in-law, surprised apparent in her face. How could Yu Yanwan say something like that to Lily? Is she courting death?
"What do you mean?" the smile on Lily's face was innocent. This, however, was enough to infuriate Yu Yanwan even more.
"You think I didn't know what you were trying to do?" Yu Yanwan sneered.
"Sister in law... please... I think we all need to relax. Miss Lily is here for the charity. Let's all— "
"This woman is trying to get our inheritance and yet you — you dared invite her here!" Yu Yanwan gritted her teeth. "Don't you know what happened when she met with father?"
Jiang Ruo awkwardly eyed Madam He. "Sister, this is our private matter. I think we should not discuss this in front of other people."
"Why?" Yu Yanwan asked. Lily's face only made her more infuriated. After seeing the Lius left, Yu Yanwan realized that Lily manipulated her! She had fallen into a trap! She lost her composure and now... she owes the Liu Family an apology!
Yu Yanwan was not planning to make any enemies today. Especially not from someone coming from one of the well known political families in Hong Kong. Today, Yu Yanwan wanted to get close to the woman and create some connections that might help her husband with his business.
Obviously, this relationship already crumbled before it even started.
"Are you afraid that people will laugh at the Yu Family?" she sneered. This Jiang Ruo is just good — too good. And it is honestly, making her more angry. How could Jiang Ruo try to act cordial around a woman like Lily? Isn't she afraid that the old man will make Lily the heir?
Yu Yanwan already informed her brothers about this matter. In fact, she made some exaggerated stories about Lily just for them to hate her! So how could she stand Jiang Ruo acting all friendly towards Lily?
"Sister in law— "
"Stop it! Before you say something dumb, ask your husband for this woman's records in Europe!" Yu Yanwan had seen Lily's records and achievements. She knew that Lily is a very greedy businessman who loves acquiring companies. She is scheming and evil through and through. How could Jiang Ruo associate herself with a woman like this?
Yu Yanwan then shifted her gaze at Lily. She narrowed her eyes. "Father will never make you an heir. I will never allow that to happen!" she declared, her face stern. There is no way that she would allow Lily to have their company. Yu Yanwan needed this money and she will not hesitate to fight against Lily if she will stand in her way.
.....