Chapter 19

At night, Lu Yan woke up thirsty. She groggily went downstairs to get some water, and suddenly saw a man crouching outside by the floor-to-ceiling window.

She jolted awake, thinking that a thief had broken into the house. However, after a closer look, she recognized the man’s back—it was her eccentric dad, Lu Zhen.

Her dad had lit a cigarette with a lighter, carefully placed it between his lips, and was about to take a deep drag when—

“Dad, what are you doing up so late, playing thief?”

Lu Zhen was startled, inhaled a lungful of smoke, and immediately began coughing violently.

“What the heck!” He rubbed his neck, his face flushed from coughing.

Lu Yan blinked, looking a bit clueless. “What are you doing, Dad? Not sleeping at this hour, acting like a brooding teenager?”

“You…”

Lu Zhen’s face turned even redder with embarrassment. “I’m just having a smoke. Who’s acting like a brooding teenager? I’m not brooding at all.”

Lu Yan snatched the cigarette from his hand, put it out, and tossed it into the trash can. She asked, “Feeling down?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine,” Lu Zhen replied, though his voice didn’t sound entirely convincing.

“Is it because of Shu Mengfei?” she asked.

“Who… who said that? That kind of woman, I wouldn’t even spare her a second glance!”

Despite the words, his eyes betrayed him. He was clearly upset.

Lu Yan sat down next to him on the patio, gently tugged at his sleeve, and softly said, “Dad, you’ll meet a better woman in the future. Someone who understands you, loves you, and stays with you through all the long years of youth. She’ll even have a daughter as cute as me…”

Lu Zhen squatted next to her, furrowing his brows as he looked at her. “If I really had a daughter like you, I’d probably get so mad I’d die from anger.”

This wasn’t wrong. In her past life, when Lu Yan caused trouble at school, it was always her awesome dad who helped clean up the mess.

Lu Zhen ruffled her hair, and she squinted her eyes, affectionately nuzzling against his hand like a cat.

Now that she was back, she was going to help him sort out all the messy issues from his youth.

“Dad, seriously,” Lu Yan said earnestly, “Stop fighting with Shen Kuo. He’s not a bad person.”

When Lu Zhen heard Shen Kuo’s name, a surge of anger flared up inside him. He warned Lu Yan, “That guy is rotten to the core. He’s two-faced and a hypocrite. You’d better stay far away from him!”

Lu Yan casually replied, “Uncle Shen is actually quite righteous. This time, Zhao Shen and Wu Qiang got caught because of his anonymous tip-off.”

She briefly explained the situation, of course omitting the part where she nearly fell into the hands of those people, hoping that after hearing this, her father would change his attitude toward Shen Kuo.

However, Lu Zhen wasn’t surprised. He just said, “They’re all in the same gang, just fighting amongst themselves.”

Lu Yan sighed. “You’re just biased against him.”

Lu Zhen gazed at the countless stars in the night sky and said calmly, “After this incident, I finally figured it out.”

Lu Yan looked at him hopefully. “So, you’ve figured out that you shouldn’t fight with Shen Kuo anymore?”

Lu Zhen stood up and waved his fist at the deep blue sky, speaking with an air of confidence, “I can’t keep living aimlessly like this. What Shen Kuo can do, I, Lu Zhen, can do too! And I’ll do it better than he ever will!”

Lu Yan’s lips twitched. “What… do you want to do?”

“What he does, I’ll do! I’m going to go head-to-head with him!”

Lu Yan nearly dropped to her knees in disbelief.

Wake up! You can’t win against this big shot!

The New Star Cup Campus Talent Competition was approaching, and Meng Zhining invited Lu Yan to try on dresses.

Lu Yan met Meng Zhining on the first floor of the shopping mall. Although Meng Zhining was only thirty-nine, her delicate figure and well-maintained appearance made her look like a girl in her twenties. She seemed especially youthful.

She wore a loose beige shirt paired with high-waisted wide-leg pants, her hair softly curled and falling on her shoulders. Her makeup included earthy eyeshadow and dark red lipstick, embodying the popular Hong Kong style of the time.

Lu Yan ran over and warmly linked arms with Meng Zhining.

“Since it’s a school talent competition, we don’t need to dress too formally. Forget about fancy gowns and high-end dresses. Too extravagant would feel out of place for a campus event, it would look silly. So, Mom will pick out a few dresses that are more appropriate. Let’s go check them out.”

Lu Yan nodded in agreement.

In this era, Meng Zhining was a distinctive, independent career woman, never one to follow the crowd. Her fashion and style always stood out, and she had her own ideas about how to present herself.

“Mm! I’ll listen to Grandma!”

“Grandma? Call me Mommy.”

“Hey…”

Meng Zhining lovingly rubbed Lu Yan’s head, “My silly daughter.”

In fact, it wouldn’t be hard for Lu Yan to change how she addressed her family—calling Lu Jian “Dad,” Meng Zhining “Mom,” and Lu Zhen “Brother.” But there was always a barrier in her heart. She feared that if she truly embraced the identity of her “Little Aunt,” she might forget who she really was.

She wasn’t “Little Aunt” Lu Xiaoyan, she was Lu Yan, Lu Zhen’s daughter, and that was a fact she could never forget.

Meng Zhining led Lu Yan into a designer clothing boutique, with “Paris” engraved on the door, clearly indicating that the dresses here had been showcased at fashion shows.

As soon as Lu Yan walked in, she saw Shi Xuexian and her daughter, Shi Ya, trying on dresses in the boutique.

Shi Ya had also signed up for the New Star Cup Campus Talent Competition. When Shi Xuexian found out, she decided to use some of her private savings to custom-make a grand, elaborate gown for her daughter, hoping to boost her reputation.

When they suddenly crossed paths, Shi Xuexian’s expression subtly changed.

The last time they met ended unpleasantly, and Shi Xuexian had long been harboring resentment toward Meng Zhining. Despite her hatred, she didn’t dare openly confront her. After all, Meng Zhining was the precious jewel of the Meng family, and even Lu Jian wouldn’t dare speak harshly to her.

The last time Shi Xuexian was kicked out of the mansion, she had whispered to Lu Jian countless times, saying she couldn’t face people anymore and wanted to seek justice.

Lu Jian had simply replied, “Meng Zhining is the mother of my child and a woman I’ll never lay a hand on. You can try to provoke her, but I can’t guarantee what’ll happen to you.”

With that one sentence, Shi Xuexian understood. She couldn’t afford to provoke Meng Zhining.

Shi Ya walked out of the fitting room in a fluffy lace gown that looked like it had at least seven or eight layers. The gown was a light golden color, adorned with sparkling rhinestones—grand and elegant.

“Mom, does it look good?” Shi Ya twirled in the dress and then saw Lu Yan standing at the door. Her expression darkened. “You’re here too.”

Lu Yan glanced at the dress Shi Ya was wearing and smiled, “Looks like you’re making a grand entrance.”

“Of course,” Shi Ya raised an eyebrow. “My mom says I have the perfect figure for a dress like this.”

Shi Ya indeed had a great figure, inheriting it from Shi Xuexian—full chest, curvy waist, and she looked like a seductive beauty.

In contrast to Shi Xuexian’s sultry figure, Meng Zhining appeared more delicate and petite.

Shi Xuexian turned to Meng Zhining and said, “Miss Meng, the last incident was really a misunderstanding. My husband has already scolded me for my behavior, saying I shouldn’t have acted so thoughtlessly and shouldn’t have upset you. He even suggested that we visit you and apologize. Miss Meng, please don’t be mad at me. I’ve been spoiled by my husband. I didn’t mean to go against you.”

Meng Zhining’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes remained calm and indifferent.

She wasn’t unaware of the implication behind Shi Xuexian’s words. It was clear that Shi Xuexian wanted to flaunt her relationship in front of her, showing off her closeness with Lu Jian and intentionally pricking at Meng Zhining’s heart.

Meng Zhining casually said, “Lu Jian treats you so well. It seems like very soon, Yanyan and Little Zhen will have some siblings.”

Shi Xuexian’s hand, which was holding her bag, tightened sharply at these words.

Lu Jian had clearly said before that he wouldn’t have children with her, because he didn’t want to add unnecessary worries to the two children in the family, nor did he want anyone fighting with them over the inheritance in the future.

With just one sentence, Meng Zhining had struck a painful blow to Shi Xuexian’s heart.

“We… we’ll have children soon, thank you for your good wishes,” Shi Xuexian stammered.

Meng Zhining sneered coldly, “Oh, really?”

Seeing Meng Zhining’s mocking smile, Shi Xuexian understood—she knew everything!

For Shi Xuexian, there was nothing more humiliating than this.

The boutique was not just filled with them, there were several other customers, all of whom were from high society. Because of this, Meng Zhining didn’t stoop to having a verbal showdown with a woman like Shi Xuexian in public, lowering her status.

She turned to the staff and said, “Please bring out the few dresses I ordered for Yanyan the other day, and let her try them on.”

“Yes, Miss Meng.” The female staff member respectfully entered the back room and brought out several uniquely styled dresses for Lu Yan to try on.

Lu Yan picked a fresh, linen dress, as she planned to perform a guitar and singing piece on stage. A simple, artsy style would be more appropriate for the occasion.

“This is a custom-made everyday dress for Miss Lu, it really complements her temperament,” the staff smiled as she said to Meng Zhining. “She really resembles you.”

Lu Yan knew this was the highest compliment she could receive. When Meng Zhining was young, she had been known as the most beautiful woman in Beicheng, a title she certainly didn’t get for nothing.

To inherit even a small part of her grace made Lu Yan very happy—after all, people always say that granddaughters take after their grandmothers more.

“Isn’t it a bit too plain?” Meng Zhining asked Lu Yan. “Do you want to try something else? There are still a few more dresses reserved for you.”

“It’s fine, I like this one,” Lu Yan replied, looking at herself in the mirror. This type of “forest girl” style dress wasn’t common in this era, and she really liked it.

Shi Ya looked at the fluffy, glamorous evening gown she was wearing, then glanced at the simple linen dress Lu Yan had chosen. Somehow, she felt a little… strange about it.

She was going on stage to sing and dance, not to attend a wedding. Wearing something like this…

The style of the dress wasn’t the main issue. Shi Xuexian knew quality when she saw it. While Lu Yan’s dress was simple, it was high-quality and well-designed, clearly expensive. In contrast, the gown Shi Ya was wearing felt more like a photographer’s studio rental outfit.

Shi Xuexian turned to the female staff member and said, “Let’s have Yaya try on those dresses for her as well.”

“Sorry, Ms. Shi, the dresses Miss Lu ordered are custom-made, and we don’t have any others like them in the store.”

“Custom-made? When I came in a few days ago, didn’t you say there were no custom orders?”

“That’s true, but only our VIP customers are eligible for custom orders.”

Shi Xuexian didn’t want to lose face in front of Meng Zhining, so she said, “Then why not make us VIPs as well?”

The staff member replied, “Our VIPs are those who reach a certain spending threshold, after which they are automatically upgraded. Miss Meng has been a customer of ours for over ten years, so she has access to all the services our store offers.”

Shi Xuexian glanced at Meng Zhining, who stood beside Lu Yan with a calm and composed expression.

Of course, someone like Meng Zhining, a lady from a prestigious family, had always enjoyed the best services from the start, while Shi Xuexian had only crossed into a higher social circle by marrying a good husband—she and Meng Zhining were not on the same level at all.

Shi Xuexian could feel the sharp, almost mocking gazes of the socialites and ladies around her, as if each one of them was sneering at her, looking down on her.

Through gritted teeth, Shi Xuexian said, “Just tell me directly—how can I become a VIP customer here without worrying about the time requirements?”

“This…”

The staff member seemed somewhat helpless and said, “I need to consult with our manager. Miss Shi, are you sure you want to join?”

“Hurry up, I’m in a hurry.”

The staff member went to the front desk to call the manager. Meanwhile, Meng Zhining spoke calmly, “The clothes in this store are quite good. Whether for daily wear or for attending parties, they are more than adequate. Besides, Lu Jian probably won’t take you to any very formal occasions, right?”

After all, with Shi Xuexian’s status and upbringing, she was simply not presentable. Over the years, Lu Jian had attended all important events alone, never bringing Shi Xuexian to any banquet, not even to company annual meetings.

Shi Xuexian’s lips turned pale with rage, and her eyes seemed to almost shoot venom.

At that moment, the staff member came over to Shi Xuexian and said, “Miss Shi, you can join our VIP program, but the condition is that you need to first recharge a spending amount of 100,000 yuan at our store. Would that be acceptable?”

Lu Yan was secretly shocked. The value of 100,000 yuan in this era was far greater than in her time—it would be calculated in multiples.

Shi Xuexian had managed to save up some money over the years, but it had been a struggle. Although Lu Jian gave her some pocket money, she had no access to the true wealth of the Lu family, and for now, she wasn’t going to touch a penny of it. So, even though she had married into a wealthy family, in reality… this didn’t mean she was truly rich.

“Miss Shi, would you like us to assist you with this process?”

“Yes!”

Shi Xuexian glared at Meng Zhining, determined not to lose face in front of her.

100,000 yuan would almost entirely deplete her small savings.

“Get Yaya a custom-made dress, the best evening gown!” she ordered.

“Of course, we will make sure you are satisfied.”

The staff member smiled as she processed Shi Xuexian’s VIP gold card.

Meng Zhining sneered and said to the staff member, “Please pack the clothes we’ve selected and have them delivered directly to the Lu residence.”

“Certainly.”

Shi Xuexian immediately added, “The same for Yaya’s dress—have it delivered to the Lu residence as well.”

The staff member hesitated and said, “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Miss Shi. We require you to either come in person or send someone to pick it up.”

Shi Xuexian’s face darkened. “Aren’t I a VIP customer? Why is it that she can have her items delivered, but I can’t?”

The staff member glanced at Meng Zhining and explained, “That’s because Miss Meng is the owner of this store.”

Shi Xuexian was completely stunned.

She knew that the Meng family in Beicheng was in the clothing business, but she never expected that the high-end store she casually walked into was actually owned by Meng Zhining’s family!

So, all her savings, which she had just spent in a huff to provoke Meng Zhining, were now flowing straight into Meng Zhining’s pockets!

Meng Zhining took the VIP gold card with a light smile, walked over to Shi Xuexian, and casually slipped the card into her handbag. “Miss Shi, I wish you a pleasant shopping experience.”

—

Under the overpass, Zhong Kai, holding a burlap bag, walked excitedly toward Shen Kuo’s CD stall. With a mysterious grin, he said, “I’ve got some good stuff. This will definitely sell better than the usual CDs! We can at least double the price!”

Shen Kuo glanced at the bag and immediately understood what was inside.

He said coldly, “That’s disgusting.”

“Disgusting? Your parents didn’t raise you to do that kind of stuff, did they?”

Shen Kuo frowned. “It’s not the same thing.”

“What’s not the same?”

Zhong Kai crouched down and persuaded, “This is something I went through a lot of trouble to get. You should try it. It’ll really sell well.”

Shen Kuo’s dark eyes locked onto him. “There’s a lot of students passing through here.”

“Exactly, students! I’m telling you, high schoolers your age love these kinds of things. Even if they have to skip meals, they’ll spend their money on this stuff!”

Shen Kuo rolled his eyes and pushed him away. “I’m not selling this kind of CD. Keep it away from me.”

Zhong Kai knew Shen Kuo was a man of his word. If he didn’t agree with something, he wouldn’t do it, so he didn’t press the issue.

However, when Shen Kuo went to the restroom, Zhong Kai secretly took the CD out and slipped it into the pile of mixed movie CDs on the stall.

In order to avoid being caught, Zhong Kai even swapped the CD case with a legitimate one, so when someone bought the “special” CD and discovered its contents, they would likely return and frequent their stall in the future.

A girl in overalls, riding a pink bicycle, stopped in front of the CD stall. She looked at him with curiosity on her face.

“Little girl, looking to buy a CD? We’ve got new American blockbusters—come take a look.”

“Is Shen Kuo here?”

“Yo.”

Zhong Kai smiled and said, “It’s rare for a girl to come looking for our Brother Shen. Are you his classmate?”

“Yes.”

“He went to pee, just wait a minute.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yan nodded awkwardly, parked her bicycle on the side, and stood by the bike waiting for Shen Kuo to return.

Zhong Kai looked at her with curiosity. She had delicate features and a charming appearance, especially her pair of sparkling, watery peach blossom eyes that were captivating.

This girl… she’s sweet!

“Hello, I’m Zhong Kai, Shen Kuo’s buddy.”

“Oh! I know, you do business together, you’re his childhood friend.”

Zhong Kai’s eyes curved into a smile. “You know quite a lot. Are you friends with Shen Kuo?”

Lu Yan sweetly smiled. “I guess we’re friends.”

“That’s rare, a girl who would be friends with our Brother Shen.”

“Why wouldn’t there be?”

“He’s pretty fierce, and he doesn’t talk to people, especially not to girls.”

Lu Yan, with a thousand questions, kept asking why. “Why doesn’t he talk to girls?”

Zhong Kai leaned closer to Lu Yan and whispered, “Because his mom ran off with someone before, and he thinks all women in the world are like his mom—bad…”

Before Zhong Kai could finish his sentence, Shen Kuo walked over and stepped in between them, pulling Lu Yan to his side.

“Why are you getting so close to her?”

“Heh, talking about you.” Zhong Kai looked at Shen Kuo’s protective stance, then glanced at Lu Yan, clearly understanding something. “I’ve got something to do, I’ll leave now. You two take your time, see you next time, little sister. Bye!”

“Okay, bye!”

Shen Kuo interrupted the hand-waving goodbye between Lu Yan and Zhong Kai, pulling her to the side of the stall and asking in a low voice, “What are you here for again?”

“You ran off as soon as school was over. I ate, and wandered around aimlessly, then came by to see you.”

Shen Kuo crouched down, sorting the scattered CDs on the ground. “What are you looking at me for?”

Lu Yan immediately crouched down too, helping him sort the CDs. “Not looking at anything, just taking a look.”

Shen Kuo paused for a moment. Suddenly, he grabbed her slender shoulder and pulled her in front of him.

Lu Yan’s breath caught. She looked up at his handsome face, close enough to touch, and felt flustered. “Wh-what are you doing?”

He parted his thin lips slightly, “You said you wanted to look at me, so here you go.”

Lu Yan: …

She pushed away Shen Kuo’s hand and adjusted her collar, muttering softly, “That’s not what I mean.”

Shen Kuo raised an eyebrow. “Then what look do you mean?”

“Well… I can’t really explain it.”

Lu Yan squatted down again and looked at his CDs. “Where did you get all these CDs from?”

“Helping the friend from earlier sell them.”

“This is A Better Tomorrow… it’s so nostalgic!” Lu Yan picked up a CD. “I haven’t seen it, but my dad loves it. He watched it a bunch of times. By the way, are you selling them or renting them?”

“Selling, but renting is fine too.”

Lu Yan grinned slyly. “I also like watching movies.”

Shen Kuo understood what the little girl was implying—she probably wanted to borrow his free CDs to watch.

He didn’t say anything, just calmly sat down on a small chair, leisurely flipping through an English book.

Lu Yan reached out and tugged at the corner of his clothes, using the same tone she would when teasing her father. “Uncle Shen, can I borrow it?”

“Sure, but there’s a condition.”

“You tell me.”

“You like watching movies, I like listening to music.”

Lu Yan understood Shen Kuo’s implication immediately. “You want me to sing for you.”

Shen Kuo didn’t respond.

“No problem, I’ll sing for you right now.”

Just as Lu Yan was about to start singing, Shen Kuo reached out and covered her mouth with his hand.

His palm was warm, and the rough texture of his hand felt solid and firm.

“Mm…”

Lu Yan was confused.

Shen Kuo said, “Not now. For next week’s New Star Cup competition, the song you sing in front of the whole school, give that song to me.”

Lu Yan looked at Shen Kuo’s dark eyes, which carried some unspoken, ambiguous meaning.

She suddenly felt a little shy, her ears turning pink. “So, you want me to sing for you in front of the whole school?”

Why did it feel a bit strange?

“You have to have a reason, right?” Lu Yan glanced at him cautiously, biting her lip as she softly said, “Otherwise, I might think too much.”

“No reason. Think however you want.”

“…”

This was way too dismissive. He acted like a big shot, asking her to do something like this. A single CD in exchange for a song? He was getting the better deal.

The young girl didn’t say anything, and started rummaging through the pile of CDs, eventually picking a comedy film by Stephen Chow.

“Then I’ll go with this. I love watching Stephen Chow’s movies.”

Shen Kuo knew that though she was too shy to admit it, she had silently agreed to his suggestion.

A movie in exchange for a song. A song that she would sing just for him.

That day was Shen Kuo’s birthday.

For the first time in seventeen years, he had the thought of wanting to celebrate his own birthday.

Because he secretly had someone he liked in his heart, Shen Kuo felt…

His life should be worthwhile.

The afternoon before the New Star Cup Campus Talent Competition, Qi Yuzhi, who had just bought chips from the snack shop and returned to the classroom, mysteriously told Lu Yan—

“I just saw your stepsister, Shi Ya, buying a packet of itching powder from the snack shop.”

Itching powder, as the name suggested, was a prank item that, when sprinkled on someone, made them unbearably itchy.

In the early 2000s, when there was no 4G, no games, no TikTok, or Weibo, Lu Yan had seen all sorts of prank items. At the school snack shop, there was even a prank kit called “Expert in Pranks,” which included stink bombs that could destroy the world, and itching powder that would make you itch uncontrollably…

Generally, these things were bought by mischievous boys. Qi Yuzhi, who had a keen sense of things, noticed Shi Ya secretly buying a packet of itching powder. As a fan of the classic palace drama ^[1]“Princess Pearl” (《还珠格格》) is a highly popular Chinese historical drama series that originally aired in the late 1990s. It is set in the Qing Dynasty and follows the adventures … Continue readingPrincess Pearl, Qi Yuzhi quickly sensed something was off and rushed to report to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan took the small packet of itching powder from Qi Yuzhi’s hand.

“If she dares to cause trouble, use her own trick against her,” Qi Yuzhi whispered to her.

Lu Yan took the packet and looked at it. The itching powder’s white bag featured a cartoon character trembling all over, with the English letters “TCHINGPOWDER” printed on it.

It was imported.

That night, Lu Yan purposely said she was going to take a bath and left the door slightly open. Then, she stood by the gap behind the bathroom door, peeking outside.

As expected, a few minutes later, Shi Ya sneaked up to Lu Yan’s wardrobe, looking suspicious as she took out the packet of itching powder. Her hands trembled from nervousness, and it took several attempts before she managed to rip open the packet.

Lu Yan rolled her eyes.

Shi Ya tore open a corner of the bag and then opened the wardrobe door…

A shrill, painful scream echoed from Lu Yan’s room.

Shi Xuexian and Lu Jian were both drawn to the noise, with Lu Jian rushing in first. He anxiously shouted, “Yanyan, what happened… Shi Ya? What are you doing in Yanyan’s room?”

Seeing the opportunity, Lu Yan walked out of the bathroom, drying her damp hair. She saw Shi Ya covered in the itching powder, her face and body smeared with what looked like shredded pork floss.

She was screaming in agony, scratching at herself continuously, her long nails leaving red marks on her delicate skin.

“It’s so itchy! I’m going to die from itching!”

Shi Ya looked up and saw Lu Yan leisurely walking out, and she screamed in madness, “You set me up!”

Lu Yan shrugged. “Set you up? How did I set you up?”

“You… You put this stuff in the wardrobe! When I opened the door, it just… it just fell all over me!”

Shi Xuexian picked up the packet of itching powder from the floor, then glanced at Shi Ya, who was covered in red rashes. She was furious and immediately turned to Lu Yan, questioning her sternly, “What is this? What have you done to your sister?”

Lu Yan, seeing the accusatory tone from Shi Xuexian, felt a little irked. She controlled her temper and replied, “What did I do to her? Why don’t you ask her why she sneaked into my room in the middle of the night?”

A mother knows her daughter best. When Shi Xuexian saw that Shi Ya was also holding a packet of itching powder, she realized what had happened.

“Oh dear, Yaya, look at you. You’re all grown up, and you’re still playing pranks like a little kid, trying to prank your sister. Really… And Yanyan, you’re a girl too. Why are you acting like a boy, being so rough?”

Lu Yan had a hint of mockery in her eyes.

Lu Jian asked, “What prank?”

Shi Xuexian quickly explained, “Oh, they’re just kids playing around with pranks and little tricks. It’s nothing serious. Yaya, go back and take a bath, clean yourself up.”

After saying that, she pushed Shi Ya’s back, trying to get her to leave the room.

Shi Ya scratched her face and hands, glaring at Lu Yan with frustration.

As mother and daughter were about to leave the room, Lu Yan casually said, “Shi Ya wanted to put itching powder on my skirt, so I’d make a fool of myself during tomorrow’s performance.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jian’s expression changed. He turned to Shi Ya and asked coldly, “Is this true?”

Shi Xuexian hurriedly defended her, “It’s not that serious. They’re just kids having fun. See? Yanyan’s fine, but look at how miserable Yaya is. They’re both just kids.”

Lu Yan replied, “Fifteen or sixteen years old isn’t exactly a child. She sneaked into my room in the middle of the night and got what she deserved. What does that have to do with me?”

“You! You vicious woman!” Shi Ya, her entire body itching, was now even more irritable. She pointed at Lu Yan and yelled, “You’re so manipulative!”

Lu Yan thought to herself, Who’s more manipulative than your mother, who’s full of tricks?

“Enough.” Lu Jian stopped Shi Ya and said sternly, “In our family, if you do something wrong, you have to accept the punishment. Every child is treated the same way. Go clean yourself up, then come to the living room.”

Upon hearing this, Shi Ya quickly grabbed her mother’s arm. “Mom, I don’t want to be punished. Please, Mom, help me! Ask Uncle Lu to beg for mercy!”

As Shi Ya pleaded, Lu Zhen, who had been watching the scene from the door, crossed his arms and chuckled. “Yeah, when you do something wrong, you have to accept the punishment. Just a while ago, because of the fire incident, I got a few good lashes myself. Your mom even did it herself.”

Once those words were out, there was no room for negotiation.

Lu Jian glanced at Shi Ya, whose face was flushed with anger, and coldly said, “Don’t you want to be treated as part of the Lu family? In this family, if you do something wrong, you face the consequences. If you don’t want to accept your punishment, you can pack your things and leave tonight.”

Shi Ya sobbed and turned to Shi Xuexian. “Mom, let’s go. Let’s not take this humiliation anymore. Let’s leave this place!”

Just then, to everyone’s surprise, Shi Xuexian slapped Shi Ya across the face, producing a sharp slap sound.

“Shameless little brat, doing such a thing and embarrassing your mother!” Shi Xuexian shouted angrily at Shi Ya. “This is your home. If you do something wrong at home, you have to face the punishment!”

Lu Yan watched as Shi Ya’s face immediately turned red with five clear handprints. She thought to herself, For the sake of staying in the Lu family, Shi Xuexian really went all out, even slapping her own daughter.

But on second thought, it made sense. If she didn’t have this level of ruthlessness, how could she have become the biggest winner in the Lu family’s internal struggles in her previous life, managing to kick Young Master Lu out?

That night, Shi Ya truly got a dose of ^[2]“Bamboo shoots with stir-fried shredded pork” (竹笋炒肉丝) is a popular Chinese dish, but here, it’s being used metaphorically. The phrase is a humorous or ironic euphemism for … Continue reading”bamboo shoots with stir-fried shredded pork.” Her cries could be heard from far away.

No one felt sorry for her. If she wanted to be treated equally in the Lu family, then she should accept the punishment equally as well.

Shi Xuexian tightly gripped her handkerchief the entire time, glaring at Lu Yan, wishing she could tear her apart. Her face looked extremely unpleasant.

In this life, she had returned to protect her family and would not give Shi Xuexian any opportunity to take advantage of her.