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.