Chapter 225: Face-Slapping Session During The Celebration – 2
Bai Yao patted Lu Chuwan’s hand and said, “Wanwan, when Fu Zhi shows up later, you must do your very best. You have to make mommy proud in front of Xu Wei and everyone. You have to show her who’s the rightful heiress of the Lu Family. Got it?”
Lu Chuwan nodded. “Don’t worry, mom. I will.”
Bai Yao felt relieved after getting a positive answer from her daughter. Since she still had to entertain the guests, she let Lu Chuwan go to Madam Lu.
Madam Lu was talking to her group of friends. When she saw her granddaughter, her eyes glowed and she pulled her over. “You’re so pretty today, Wanwan. You look just like a fairy!”
Lu Chuwan was delighted, but she did not allow her emotions to get the best of her. “It’s all thanks to my uncle. He’s the one who gave me the qipao, and I like it a lot.”
“Your uncle? If my memory serves me right, your uncle is Mr. Dong Cun from the Dong Family, right? You’re so lucky to have him as your uncle, Wanwan. I’m sure you have a bright future ahead of you!”
Everyone around them was praising Lu Chuwan, and Madam Lu was grinning happily like a Cheshire cat. However, her delight was cut short by a sharp voice. “Lucky? Well, she’s indeed lucky to have Dong Cun as her uncle, but don’t you think that studying hard and striving for a brighter future is what she should do at her age? How can she rely on her uncle so much? Anyway, sis, didn’t you invite all of us to admire your Tianyi Lotus Orchid half a month ago? Where is it now? Chop-chop, bring it out for us to see it.”
The newcomer was Madam Zhao, who had a strained relationship with Madam Lu. She was fully aware that Madam Lu had lost her Tianyi Lotus Orchid, and she was there to laugh at her.
As expected, Madam Lu’s expression changed and darkened when she heard what Madam Zhao had said. She stared at her with a frown as she said, “The orchid was still fine when I invited you all, but something happened and it’s gone now. I...”
“What? The orchid is gone?” Madam Zhao exclaimed. “How could that happen? Sis, don’t tell me you invited us to your birthday party just to make yourself look bad? In fact, you don’t even have the Tianyi Lotus Orchid? It was all nothing but a lie?”
“Who said that?” Madam Lu shouted back angrily. “Madam Ma and all the others can vouch for me!”
Madam Ma nodded after Madam Lu shot her a look, but Madam Zhao did not buy it. She let out a sneer and continued to speak. “Even if it’s true, you could’ve informed all of us in advance so that we didn’t have to come all the way here to get disappointed. Do you think it’s fun to make us look like fools?!”
“Even though the Tianyi Lotus Orchid is gone, my second uncle bought my grandma other orchids, all of which are expensive and have great ornamental value.” Lu Chuwan stepped forward and spoke with a smile, saving her grandmother from this predicament.
“Can they be more expensive than the Tianyi Lotus Orchid?”
“Of course!” Madam Lu shouted back. “My son is very nice to me, and he wouldn’t give them to me if they weren’t the best. Just you guys wait. The orchids he bought for me will certainly be better than the Tianyi Lotus Orchid!”
*
At the same time, a black Land Rover stopped outside the Lu Household, and the crowd of reporters was attracted by the sound of its engine.
All of them turned their heads in unison and were immediately stunned.
The girl standing beside Xu Wei had a flawless face. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her eyes were so innocent and captivating that they looked like the eyes of a deer, and she looked pretty even without make-up on. She was wearing a lime green spaghetti strap dress that exposed her arms and collarbone. Whenever she took a step forward, her dress would flutter around her legs, giving her the vibe of a fairy descending from heaven.
She had just arrived at the Lu Household a few minutes ago, yet she had successfully become the center of attention.
“Is she Mr. Lu’s adopted daughter?”
“She is so gorgeous. Her face, the air about her... She’s completely out of Lu Chuwan’s league!”
“Now I see why they picked her instead of the other kids. She looks just like a girl born with a golden spoon in her mouth!”
Noticing the commotion, Lu Chuwan turned her head. When she saw Fu Zhi, who was walking beside Xu Wei, a myriad of expressions crossed her face. Jealousy, anger, resentment... All sorts of negative emotions cramped on her face, but she willed them away. She took a deep breath to calm down, and her expression had returned to normal by the time she opened her eyes again.
Chapter 226: Face-Slapping Session During The Celebration – 3
Lu Jingqing turned to his daughter and said, “Zhizhi, follow your mom and your eldest brother to meet everyone. Daddy has to go say hi to your grandma first.”
Lu Yushen was still receiving treatment in the hospital, so he had not come to the party. Fu Zhi nodded in understanding and replied, “Don’t worry, dad. I’ll take care of mom and my brother.”
Xu Wei and Lu Yumo fell silent as a thought surfaced in both their heads. ‘We’re sorry for being such a burden!’
Lu Jingqing chuckled and then went to look for Madam Lu with the orchid pot in his hand.
When his mother saw him, a grin broke across her face and she said, “Jingqing, finally. Come on. Hurry up and show Madam Zhao the orchid that you bought for me.”
Lu Jingqing nodded at the people around and put the pot on the table.
It was a white orchid with several tiny blooms, but there were no leaves in sight.
Even though it was a delicate orchid in its own right, Madam Zhao burst into laughter as she said, “Isn’t this an Emerald Orchid? Besides, it’s not the latest breed either. Sis, isn’t the Lu Family one of the most prestigious families in Yu City? Why can’t you guys even get a decent orchid pot?”
Madam Ma tried to stop Madam Zhao from talking, but Madam Zhao paid her no mind. She added, “Well, I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. After all, of all the kids across the nation, you had to go to the extent to adopt the worst one from the countryside, so it’s really not that hard to see that you have poor taste. In my honest opinion, I would say that this orchid really suits your taste, don’t you think so?”
“Jingqing!”
Madam Lu’s expression turned grim when she heard Madam Zhao’s remarks. The smile on her face disappeared without a trace as she snarled at her second son, “Where is the Tianyi Lotus Orchid? What is going on with you? How can you bring this kind of crap to me? Do you really want to make your mother a laughing stock?”
Before Madam Lu could continue, Bai Yao, who had noticed the commotion, walked over. When she saw the orchid pot on the table, her smile dropped as she turned to Lu Jingqing and said, “Jingqing, don’t you think you’ve gone overboard this time? How can you bring this kind of crap to mom’s birthday party? You could’ve told me in advance if you were not willing to spend money on mom’s present. I would’ve bought the orchid myself!”
Lu Jingqing frowned and replied, “The Tianyi Lotus Orchid can only be bought at auctions abroad. The Emerald Orchid is already considered the best orchid species.”
Madam Lu’s expression darkened after she heard what Lu Jingqing had said.
“If that’s the case, then you should’ve told us and discussed it with us instead of just showing up with this rubbish and expecting mom to accept it. Your daughter is the culprit. She’s the one who destroyed the orchid. Were it not for her stupid plant, how is there any chance the worm would have gotten into the greenhouse and eaten the orchid? Since you’re the one who insisted on adopting her, as her father, don’t you think you are responsible for cleaning up the mess she made?” Bai Yao said, her voice sharp, leaving no room for arguments.
The few madams sitting around the table frowned, and their gazes were laced with contempt as they studied Lu Jingqing from head to toe.
They had heard that Lu Jingqing had founded a company with his friends, leaving his own family business in the lurch. If this was not impiety, then what was it?
Today was the day Madam Lu would introduce Fu Zhi to the public. Lu Jingqing did not want anything to happen, so he suppressed his anger and explained, “This is what we came up with after our discussion. If the Tianyi Lotus Orchid is what you yearned for, mom, I’m sorry for not being able to fulfill your wish. I’ll try my best to compensate you in another way.”
“Compensate her?” Bai Yao scoffed. This was the best opportunity for her to get back at Lu Jingqing for wanting to beat her kids, so there was no way she was going to let it slip like that. Therefore, she said, “Jingqing, it’s your duty as a son to take care of mom. Even if she wants all your money, you have to give it to her without any questions! You knew that it was mom’s birthday today, but you still cared about your money more than you cared about your own mother. What do you think others will think of our family, huh? Just like mom said, you’re making us the laughing stock of the whole town!”
Lu Jingqing stared at Bai Yao icily and asked, his voice bereft of any emotion, “So what do you suggest I do then?”
“It’s too late to buy the orchid, so let’s just forget about it. After all, you’re mom’s favorite son, and we’re in no place to say anything. As long as you feel it’s fine to splurge a few million and donate a building to the school for your daughter instead of buying an orchid for your mom, it’s fine by us too.”
Lu Chuwan shot a dissatisfied gaze at Lu Jingqing after hearing what her mother had said.
“That’s enough!” Madam Lu shouted. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life before, so she just wanted to end this farce as soon as possible. She looked at Bai Yao and said, “Just shut your mouth if you don’t know how to speak!”
Chapter 227: Face-Slapping Session During The Celebration – 4
Bai Yao muttered under her breath, “I was picking up the cudgel for you, mom! You’re his mother. You’re the one who raised him, yet he chose to side with other people!”
“Don’t get angry, grandma. Mom just thinks that you deserve better. As for Second Uncle, I’m sure that he doesn’t want to treat you and Zhizhi differently...” Lu Chuwan chimed in. However, this did nothing to smother Madam Lu’s rage. Instead, she loathed Fu Zhi even more.
Taking a deep breath, Madam Lu then said, “Forget it. You’re dismissed. I don’t want to see you right now.”
Lu Jingqing knew his mother valued her reputation above everything, so he chose not to argue with her and end this farce.
Filial piety was a traditional virtue, and more often than not, children would be branded as impetuous whenever they talked back to their parents.
Before Lu Jingqing could go away, a clear voice was heard. “The only explanation for this incident is that someone must have done something to my plants. After losing its host, the worm had nowhere to go and could only crawl onto your orchid.”
It was Fu Zhi!
Lu Chuwan’s face turned pale, and she involuntarily took a step back.
Bai Yao did not know what Fu Zhi was talking about, but this did not prevent her from lifting her brows arrogantly at her. She scoffed and said, “Stop making excuses. Do you have any idea how expensive a Tianyi Lotus Orchid is?”
“Do you have any idea how expensive my plant is?” Fu Zhi replied, emphasizing every syllable that escaped her lips. There was nothing but calmness in her eyes.
Lu Chuwan’s heart ballooned with fear when she heard Fu Zhi’s question. This was because several days ago, she had received a call from Dong Cun, who had confirmed the originality of the blue flower.
Initially, she had thought Fu Zhi did not know that the blue flower was actually the Valley Orchid, but it now seemed to her that Fu Zhi was fully aware of it. Otherwise, she would not have asked that question at all.
It was almost noon, and Dong Cun and Lu Ning would show up at the celebration at any moment. It had taken a lot of effort for her to gain Dong Cun’s trust, so if Fu Zhi exposed everything...
She forcibly stopped herself from thinking any further, for she dared not imagine what would befall her if that happened.
“Mom!” She called out to her mother as she pulled her back. She tried to calm down, offered Fu Zhi a smile, and said, “Since Second Uncle already bought another orchid for grandma, we will forgive you this time. Let’s turn the page, shall we?”
Fu Zhi looked back at her with a spurious smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Just as Lu Chuwan thought she was not going to say anything, she chuckled and said, “I don’t think that is possible. At least, not given our current situation.”
Lu Chuwan’s heartbeat spurred into a gallop, but she forced herself to calm down and said, “This is grandma’s birthday party, and you would only make the entire Lu Family the laughing stock of the city if you continued to act unreasonably. As the younger generation of the Lu Family, we should act more mature and protect our family’s reputation. Don’t you think so?”
Madam Lu thought that Lu Chuwan was right. She pulled her hand and said, “Wanwan, I know you’re a good girl and you want the best for our family, but no matter what you say, there’s no way it could get through that thick skull of hers, so you can save your breath. Anyway, if my memory serves me right, you’re going to lead a team into the national Physics competition, correct? Right now, all you have to do is focus on the competition and make all of us proud. That’s what matters the most.”
“The national Physics competition? Is it the one that only three teams from each province can participate in?”
Every guest was stunned, and they all looked at Lu Chuwan.
“Yeah, and she’s going to participate in the competition as a team leader. Judging from her current achievements, if she is directly admitted into Tsinghua University, then she is gonna be a force to be reckoned with in the future!”
“This is something that brings glory to the province. I didn’t expect the granddaughter of Madam Lu to be so awesome!”
“As the proverb says, there is no laggard among the children of a talented man. Her father is a successful businessman, so it goes without saying that his daughter would inherit his might!”
Plenty of teams participated in the competition. Each and every one of the participants was a genius of his or her own right, and only the best of them could emerge victorious from such an intense battle of wits.
A grin appeared on Lu Chuwan’s lips when she overheard the discussion of the crowd. The fear in her heart was slowly ebbing away, and her confidence returned. She straightened her back, looked straight back at Fu Zhi, and declared, “Don’t worry, grandma. I will not disappoint you.”
Madam Lu nodded in assent after getting Lu Chuwan’s promise. She pulled her aside and introduced one of her friends to her. “This is Madam Xu. She’s a member of the Physics Association, and she just returned from overseas not long ago. If you have any concerns or problems, you can share them with her.”
Chapter 228: Face-Slapping Session During The Celebration – 5
“Nice to meet you, Madam Xu.” Lu Chuwan greeted her sweetly.
Madam Xu returned the gesture by nodding before saying, “Your name is Chuwan, right? The purpose of the national Physics competition is to pick the best candidates to compete at the international competition. It’s a good thing that you will lead a team into the competition, so you have to do your very best. Don’t disappoint your grandma!”
Lu Chuwan grinned meekly and replied, “I’ll keep that in mind, Madam Xu.”
Just as Madam Xu was about to say something, a voice filled with doubt rang out behind her. “I thought only one team from No.1 High School made it into the preliminary round? Zhizhi is the team leader!”
Madam Lu’s headache returned when she heard Xu Wei’s voice. She had a terrible impression of both Xu Wei and Fu Zhi. The former was an airhead who often failed to read the room, while the latter was just someone with a twisted personality. Right now, she was certain that Xu Wei was going to say her granddaughter had stolen the title of the team leader from Fu Zhi or something like that.
Lu Chuwan turned her body sideways to look at Xu Wei and said, “Aunt Xu Wei, I’m pretty sure you’ve got it wrong. I’m the team leader. If you don’t believe it, you can go to the Education Bureau and check the registration form.”
Before Xu Wei could say anything, Madam Xu muttered, “Zhizhi?”
Then, as if she’d suddenly remembered something, her eyes shone and she exclaimed, “Zhizhi? Are you Fu Zhi? Are you from No.1 High School?”
“She just transferred to No.1 High School not long ago. She used to study in No.3 High School, and her grades were bad!” Bai Yao immediately shouted.
“You keep quiet!” Madam Xu shouted as she waved her hand at Bai Yao. She stared with rapt attention at Fu Zhi like a tigress locking on its prey. “Do... Do you remember me?”
The sudden change in the situation had thrown Madam Lu for a loop. She had never seen her make a blunder in public before. Initially, she thought Madam Xu had caught wind of all the bad things Fu Zhi had done at school—including that she had cheated in the examination—which was why she would behave so strangely in front of Fu Zhi. She was not sure about it, but that was the best explanation she had for Madam Xu’s odd behavior.
Her expression darkened, but she did not say anything.
Looking at Madam Xu, Fu Zhi shook her head and answered simply, “Nope. I don’t remember you.”
“That’s fine, that’s fine! Zhi... No, Miss Fu Zhi. As long as I remember you, it’s fine if you’ve forgotten me!” Madam Xu replied with a manic light in her eyes. After saying that, she turned to Madam Lu and said, “Actually, I came to Yu City to meet up with her!”
‘Meet up with Fu Zhi? Why does she want to meet Fu Zhi?’
Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard what Madam Xu had said.
Madam Lu then asked, “What do you mean?”
“One year ago, at the national Physics competition, our country had a chance to shine on the international stage, but your granddaughter... Do you know what she did? She withdrew from the competition after finishing the preliminary round!” Madam Xu was so excited that her eyes went red around the rims. “I was the one who marked her paper, and I was also the one who begged her to stay in the competition. Unfortunately, she refused to... Just as I thought she wasn’t going to take part in the competition this year, one of my students called me and said that he had seen her paper! With her as the team leader, I’m certain that the national competition will be in the bag!”
The more Madam Xu talked, the more excited she became. In the end, she even reached out for Fu Zhi’s hand.
Fu Zhi took one step behind and said earnestly, “Don’t worry. I’ll certainly win the competition.”
Madam Xu nodded, exhilaration creeping into her voice. “Good, good, good. I’m counting on you!”
Her attitude toward Fu Zhi was completely different from how she had treated Lu Chuwan. Madam Lu could not believe the things she had heard, as this was something that she had never expected.
Perhaps Fu Zhi might have performed brightly before, but that was already in the past. Besides, Lu Chuwan had told her that Fu Zhi had done so well only because most of the questions in the test paper had been retrieved from the question bank. Luck played quite an essential part in an examination, and Fu Zhi was the one who had hit the jackpot this time.
She believed her granddaughter, and that was why she felt Fu Zhi was no match for Lu Chuwan. However, after hearing what Madam Xu had said, Madam Lu felt that she might be wrong.
On the other side, anger was rippling through Lu Chuwan’s body. She clenched her fists tight, trying her very best to control her emotions. After all, the registration form had already been handed to the Education Bureau, so there was nothing they could do to change the name right now.