Chapter 10: The Benevolence of the Xu Family
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Lu Yao felt disdainful. Seeing that she had no business there and not wanting to disturb the deep bond between the siblings, she turned to go back to her room. However, sharp-eyed Xu Feng called out to her.
“Wait, Yao Yao.”
Lu Yao turned to look at Xu Feng. “Second Young Master, is there something else?”
Did he think she hadn’t been deeply hurt by them yet?
“Second Brother, Yao Yao came back just yesterday.”
Xu Xingyue suddenly tugged lightly at Xu Feng’s arm and spoke softly, as if recalling something.
“Mom, Eldest Sister, and I thought you and Dad had been busy with company affairs lately, so we didn’t call to tell you. You won’t blame us, will you?”
Since the Xu family moved from the mainland to Hong Kong three years ago, they had started doing business. Now, their enterprise was thriving. However, recently there were some problems with the company’s accounts, and they were short on funds. Xu’s father hadn’t returned for several days, and Xu Feng had gone to the United States to negotiate investments.
They naturally hadn’t called to inform her about their bringing her back, fearing it would distract them.
“You’re just concerned about the family business.”
Xu Feng raised his hand to gently stroke her hair’s tip, praising her, “How could I ever blame you?”
After speaking, Xu Feng’s gaze suddenly fixed on Lu Yao beside him.
“Yao Yao, can we have a private talk?”
Three years apart had left his sister much thinner, her appearance changed completely. Gone was the coy, adorable girl who once shone under the spotlight. Without the resolute spirit shining in her bright black eyes, he might not have recognized her at all.
“Second Young Master, if you have something to say, please say it here.”
Lu Yao refused Xu Feng’s request. She did not want to be entangled with him any more than necessary, to avoid misunderstandings. After all, she was no longer the third young lady of the Xu family. She had severed ties with them and had no right to claim kinship. Nor did she want to share a roof with Xu Feng—it would only make her sick.
Xu Xingyue saw Lu Yao’s refusal as a coy resistance, believing she could thus attract Xu Feng’s attention. But with Lu Yao present, her little scheme was doomed to fail.
If you want to refuse, I won’t let you get away with it. Hmph!
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“Second Brother, maybe Yao Yao only refuses because I’m here.”
Xu Xingyue glanced toward Lu Yao while speaking with guilt, “Yao Yao, don’t worry, I’ll go back to my room right away and won’t bother you here anymore.”
Let’s see how you refuse now!
Xu Feng’s eyes grew complicated in an instant.
“Yao Yao, you weren’t like this before.”
After hesitating briefly, he spoke. Lu Yao used to love chatting with him alone. Even if he ignored her, she would run to him, chattering endlessly in his ear.
How could his sister’s attitude have become so cold and indifferent after three years?
Could it be because of that incident?
His gaze darkened deeply as he thought of it.
“Are you still resenting us for making you go to the countryside instead of Xingyue three years ago?”
He couldn’t think of any other reason why she would refuse to speak privately with him.
“Yao Yao, I know I wronged you. I shouldn’t have appeared before you and Second Brother back then.”
Before Lu Yao could reply, Xu Xingyue’s eyes were already red from crying in front of Xu Feng. To an outsider, it might seem as if Lu Yao had deeply wronged and hurt her.
“Please, just for Second Brother’s sake—he made a rare trip back this morning—talk to him alone.”
A mocking smile tugged at Lu Yao’s lips.
“What if I say I don’t want to? Will you think I’m being deliberately aloof?”
She asked softly, “Why should I have to agree?”
Across two lifetimes, she no longer cared about being a Xu family lady. Why wouldn’t they let her go?
Just because she wasn’t truly one of the Xu family?
Did that grant them license to scheme against and hurt her at will?
“Yao Yao…”
In Xu Xingyue’s eyes flashed a look of triumph. Seeing Lu Yao turn away without hesitation, she wanted to say more but was stopped by Xu Feng’s outstretched hand.
“Let her go.”
Xu Feng felt disappointed toward his newly returned sister—it was undeniable. She was just the same as three years ago: outwardly obedient and cute, but inwardly cunning and ruthless. She could never be compared to sensible Xu Xingyue.
In the following days, Lu Yao didn’t see Xu Feng at home. From Maid Wu, she learned that due to urgent company matters, Xu Feng had left shortly after returning that day.
This confirmed how perilous the Xu Group’s situation was.
“Miss Yao Yao, madam is here.”
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Maid Wu noticed Lu Yao’s absent-minded expression and thought she was still worried about the Xu company’s affairs. She gently tugged at her, fearing Lu Yao would continue to be distracted in front of Xu’s mother and cause displeasure.
“Yao Yao!”
As soon as Xu’s mother entered the kitchen, she pulled Lu Yao up from the stool where she was preparing vegetables.
“Maid Wu, didn’t I tell you not to let her meddle in kitchen matters? Why don’t you listen?”
Lu Yao was now the Xu family’s lifeline. She needed to be well cared for—how could they let her toil in the kitchen?
“This has nothing to do with Aunt Wu,” Lu Yao said, seeing Maid Wu’s helpless expression. She took the hand from Xu’s mother’s grasp herself. “I feel it’s improper to freeload off the Xu family, so I want to help in the kitchen.”
That way, when she left the Xu family, no one could say she was a freeloader or ungrateful.
Lu Yao’s strong desire to dissociate from the Xu family deeply displeased Xu’s mother. She thought that if Lu Yao spoke like this, what if the Xu family went bankrupt in the future? Would she just stand by and watch?
“Yao Yao, you’re thinking wrongly.”
Xu’s mother counseled earnestly, “We took you back to give you a good life. With you picking vegetables and cleaning, people might think the Xu family couldn’t afford a cleaning lady, so you were brought back just to do chores.”
“Don’t do those tasks anymore. Leave them to Maid Wu and the others.”
“Now, I have something else to tell you.”
Xu’s mother looked serious, as if about to speak of a matter of great importance, which inexplicably annoyed Lu Yao.
“Go ahead, Madam Xu.”
From her perspective, anything coming from Xu’s mother was rarely good news. She was curious to see what scheme was hidden behind those words.
“I’ve had someone prepare a room for you on the second floor,” Xu’s mother said kindly. “You’ll move up there tonight.”
“It’s not appropriate for you to keep staying in Maid Wu’s small room. When your father returns, he’ll surely be displeased.”
That was one reason. Another was that Xu’s mother was considering Lu Yao’s future marriage alliance with the Huang family. It would not be good for the Xu family’s reputation if she continued to live in such a humble space.
To show their magnanimity, letting her live upstairs was no big deal.
It would also highlight the Xu family’s benevolence toward her.