Chapter 35: Exploitation

"Wrap it up."

Zhu Wenhui did not hesitate to pull a card from her bag and hand it to the sales clerk.

"This..." The clerk looked at Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue with a troubled expression. This garment had already been reserved by them; how could she possibly sell it to someone else?

"Hmm?" Zhu Wenhui cast a sharp, piercing glance at the clerk, the pressure within her gaze clearly visible.

"Yes, yes, of course, Mrs. Zhu. I will wrap it up immediately."

Who was Zhu Wenhui? She was the head of the Zhu family, known for being decisive and ruthless. To offend her was to court disaster. In her presence, Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue were truly insignificant.

"Thank you, Mrs. Zhu." Although Lu Yao did not know why this woman was helping her, she deeply appreciated the kindness.

Beside them, the faces of Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue were unsightly. Xu Xingyue, in particular, was fuming. She had hoped to take this opportunity to properly deal with Lu Yao, but she never imagined that the "bitch" would be so lucky as to encounter a noble benefactor while simply buying a dress in a shop. It was enough to make her choke with rage.

"Mrs. Zhu!" Cheng Gang arrived after parking the car, only to find Zhu Wenhui chatting with Lu Yao in the shop. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes.

Zhu Wenhui, however, showed no surprise when she saw Cheng Gang. Instead, she offered a knowing, enigmatic smile. "Is this how you protect people?"

Zhu Wenhui had first met Lu Yao at Xiang Zhihua's jewelry banquet. Although she hadn't stepped forward at the time to question the authenticity of Xiang Zhihua's collection, seeing Cheng Gang appear today made everything clear. The people around Xiang Zhihua rarely ventured out; they were either by his side or handling his private affairs. Cheng Gang’s presence here proved that the girl hadn't lied at the banquet—she truly belonged to Xiang Zhihua. Now, she could rest easy.

Cheng Gang was momentarily stunned. When Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue saw him arrive, their faces turned pale. He was a trusted confidant of Xiang Zhihua; they dared not remain in the shop a second longer.

"Mrs. Zhu, your clothes," the clerk said, handing the packaged items to Zhu Wenhui with a polite bow.

"Give them to her," Zhu Wenhui said, gesturing toward Lu Yao.

"Yes, yes, of course." The clerk nodded hurriedly. Never in her life had she dreamed she would encounter two such influential figures as Zhu Wenhui and Cheng Gang in succession, and she regretted her earlier hesitation deeply.

"This girl is quite good," Zhu Wenhui said, openly praising Lu Yao in front of Cheng Gang. "Very pleasant, sensible, and adorable." She nodded with satisfaction, looking at Lu Yao as if she were her own daughter-in-law, her eyes filled with undisguised appreciation and warmth. "Tell him, since he has found such a wonderful young girl, he must cherish her well and not let just any low-life come and bully her."

As for the "low-lifes" Zhu Wenhui spoke of, Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue had already slipped away the moment Cheng Gang appeared.

*

Back at home, Mother Xu was unaware of the trouble her daughters had caused Lu Yao at the mall. That afternoon, she had been invited to the Water Garden by other socialites for a game of mahjong—a standard daily routine for these wealthy wives: drinking tea, eating snacks, gambling, and gossiping about jewelry, fashion, and social affairs.

At the table, Mother Xu’s luck was extraordinary; she was winning hand over fist. Two of the other wives were beginning to look uncomfortable.

"Three of ten thousand!" Zhu Wenhui, sitting opposite, tossed a tile into the center of the table nonchalantly. "Mrs. Xu, do you want this?" She smiled at Mother Xu. "Your luck is quite good today." She wondered if Mother Xu would still have the appetite to play once she heard what was coming next.

"Oh, not at all," Mother Xu said modestly, though she was practically bursting with joy inside. Her luck today was like a torrential flood; she kept winning hand after hand.

"Mrs. Xu, don't be so humble," Mrs. Huang chimed in with a sour tone. "Winning like this isn't just luck; I suspect your ancestors must be blessing you from the grave."

Mrs. Liu giggled. "Mrs. Huang, are you worried about losing too much and upsetting your husband?"

"I'm in the same boat as you!"

"What is there to fear?"

"Pfft, as if I'm afraid of him," Mrs. Huang retorted, rolling her eyes.

By the final round, Mother Xu was still the big winner.

"Mrs. Xu, I heard you have two biological daughters and one adopted daughter," Zhu Wenhui asked, feigning curiosity. "But looking at them, why is it that only the adopted one seems to be of any real use?"

Mother Xu’s hand froze mid-air. "What does that mean, Mrs. Zhu?" Was she suggesting she hadn't raised her own daughters well?

Zhu Wenhui curled her lips into a smile. "Nothing in particular. It seems we can't finish this game. I just wanted to advise you, Mrs. Xu, that you should find the time to educate your two daughters properly. They shouldn't go around bullying others just because they think they have status."

Zhu Wenhui left it at that, but the gazes the other wives cast toward Mother Xu turned complex. Mother Xu’s good mood evaporated instantly. By the time she returned home, she was in such a fury that she erupted at Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue the moment she walked through the door.

Xu Xingyue was terrified. In the three years since she had been taken into the Xu family, Mother Xu had always been kind and affectionate. She had never seen this angry, distorted face before, and for a moment, she didn't even dare to approach her to act spoiled.

"Tell me, what kind of trouble did you cause today?" Mother Xu asked, though her eyes were fixed squarely on Xu Xingyue. This made Xu Xingyue feel extremely uneasy. Mother Xu was no fool; she knew Xu Yanran’s character well—she was dim-witted and easily manipulated. Xu Xingyue, however, was much more calculating. Mother Xu suspected that she was behind the incident.

Xu Yanran flashed a look of guilt. "Mom, what are you talking about? Xingyue and I just went out to buy some clothes and do some shopping. Why are you coming home and throwing such a tantrum? It’s frightening."

"Yes, Mom, my sister and I just went to the mall to buy some clothes," Xu Xingyue said, finally finding the courage to speak. "We really didn't cause any trouble."

Mother Xu didn't believe them. "If you didn't cause trouble, why would Mrs. Zhu call you both out by name in front of so many people today?"

*Mrs. Zhu?*

Hearing that name, Xu Yanran and Xu Xingyue instinctively lowered their heads.