The driver arrived late to pick up Lu Xingmian after making a few personal stops along the way. In an attempt to make up for the delay, he drove recklessly, slamming the brakes and accelerating abruptly.
This wasn’t how the driver usually drove; it was solely because Lu Xingmian was in the car.
When driving for Mr. and Mrs. Lu and Lu Sihang, the driver was always smooth. Even with a full cup of coffee in hand, not a single drop would spill, whether overtaking or turning, this was a basic requirement for him.
Since Lu Xingmian was unwelcome in the Lu family, the driver naturally didn’t treat him well either. A person unwelcome in the Lu family, seemingly easy to manipulate, he was just a child, what could he do, complain?
The driver dropped Lu Xingmian off at the Lu family home exactly on time. Lu Xingmian’s face was extremely pale when he got out of the car. His internal organs felt twisted, and he was very uncomfortable, wanting to vomit but unable to.
After entering the Lu family home, his complexion still hadn’t improved. Upon seeing Xia Yuefang, Lu Xingmian politely greeted her, “Hello.”
“What kind of expression is that? Are you so unwilling to be here?” Xia Yuefang felt even more displeased seeing Lu Xingmian like this. Why couldn’t he be affectionate with her like Lu Sihang? Never mind, she was also too lazy to say anything more.
Xia Yuefang was currently accompanying Lu Sihang as he played the piano. Lu Sihang’s piano skills were improving, and he was preparing for his Grade 8 piano exam.
The piano had been replaced with a new one, worth over a million. Lu Yan and Xia Yuefang were willing to buy anything for Lu Sihang.
Since they were attending the banquet as a family, they certainly had to appear together to minimize outside rumors. Lu Yan wanted to improve their public image, as many people were already discussing how heartless he and his wife were towards Lu Xingmian.
After Lu Xingmian arrived, Lu Yan told him to go to his room and change. Knowing Lu Xingmian didn’t have suitable clothes for the banquet, Lu Yan had arranged for a new outfit to be bought that afternoon, thinking it would fit Lu Xingmian reasonably well.
Lu Xingmian returned to his old room to change, only to find that it had been converted into a storage space for Lu Sihang’s figurines.
Lu Xingmian looked at the clothes Lu Yan had prepared for him; they were clearly too loose, not his size at all.
Of course, they had never truly cared about him. Fortunately, Lu Xingmian wasn’t as upset anymore. He had let go of it, he no longer cared, or rather, he was indifferent.
Just as Lu Xingmian took off his jacket, the door opened, and a figure slipped in, closing the door behind them. Lu Xingmian glanced over and saw it was Lu Sihang.
Lu Sihang glared at Lu Xingmian: “I told you not to come back, and you still dared to return.”
Lu Xingmian was already used to Lu Sihang’s sudden change in demeanor; this person was probably a drama queen.
Just moments ago, when they entered, Lu Sihang had acted so affectionately towards him.
Now, with just the two of them, Lu Sihang dropped the pretense.
Only he understood how worried and afraid he was that Lu Xingmian would steal everything that belonged to him.
No matter where he went, people would unintentionally ask about Lu Xingmian, even though they didn’t know or had never met him, they kept asking.
The more people asked, the more worried Lu Sihang became, fearing that his mother would soften. When he learned that his mother had called Lu Xingmian back, he became even more anxious.
He even suspected that Father and Mother Song’s visiting him last time was Lu Xingmian’s doing, a deliberate reminder that he wasn’t the real young master of the Lu family.
Lu Sihang felt that if he could make his parents dislike Lu Xingmian once, he could make them dislike him a second time, completely driving Lu Xingmian out of the Lu family and out of Yancheng.
Although his parents had made Lu Xingmian move out of the Lu family home, they let him live in a villa in SS City. SS City was too close to Yancheng; Lu Xingmian could return anytime, and his parents could still see him whenever they wanted.
If too much time passes, won’t his mom and dad get closer to Lu Xingmian? If they do, then he will be the one sent away, Lu Sihang thought, absolutely forbidding such a thing to happen.
So, he entered while Lu Xingmian was changing, intending to use his old tricks.
Lu Xingmian glanced at him: “Get out, I need to change.”
Lu Sihang walked to the cabinet, casually picked up a figurine, touched it, and then asked Lu Xingmian, “Lu Xingmian, do you know how much this figurine is worth?”
Lu Xingmian ignored his self-talk: “Please leave, I need to change.”
Lu Sihang seemed not to hear Lu Xingmian’s words and continued on his own: “This figurine is a limited edition, a tiny one, worth tens of thousands of yuan.”
“But tens of thousands of yuan is nothing to me. My monthly allowance can buy several such limited-edition figurines. But for you, it’s different, isn’t it? After all, you come from a small place, rarely see such expensive things, and don’t understand them, since you can’t even play the piano.”
Lu Xingmian: “What do you want to say?”
Lu Sihang: “What if I tell Mom and Dad that you got angry and smashed my limited edition figurine? What do you think will happen?”
Lu Xingmian: “Do whatever you want.”
Then, with a “smash,” the figurine was violently thrown to the ground, breaking into two halves. The tens of thousands of yuan figurine was carelessly shattered by Lu Sihang, without even a blink, because he knew he had to be ruthless to achieve his goal.
As if he still hadn’t vented enough, Lu Sihang picked up another figurine nearby and smashed it to the ground, again shattering it into several pieces. The floor was covered in fragments.
Lu Xingmian watched him calmly, his expression unchanged, as if observing a clown performing with all his might or a powerless person in a fit of rage.
Lu Sihang was stung by that look.
Lu Sihang: “Lu Xingmian, watch carefully. I smashed the figurines myself, but now I’m going to tell Mom and Dad that you deliberately broke them. Do you think they’ll believe you? Do you think they’ll hate you even more?”
“Just like those times before, it was me who intentionally fell down the stairs, me who purposely crashed into the rocks by the road, and of course, me who deliberately jumped into the water. Actually, I wasn’t unconscious then; I was pretending. But what good does it do if you know? You’ve explained so much to Mom and Dad, but they won’t believe you. They only believe me, they only love me.”
“Lu Xingmian, don’t think that Mom and Dad called you back for any special reason, and don’t harbor any illusions.”
“I’m going to tell Mom and Dad right now that you smashed my figurines.”
“Lu Xingmian, I just hate you.”
Lu Sihang wanted to see Lu Xingmian’s helplessness, even if he knew all the truth, but no one would believe him; he wanted to see him furious and frustrated.
Lu Sihang was about to open the door when Lu Xingmian called out to him.
“Wait a moment.”
Lu Sihang: “Are you going to beg me? Unless you…”
[Lu Xingmian, watch carefully, I smashed the figurines myself…]
[Just like those times before, it was me who intentionally fell down the stairs, me who purposely crashed into the rocks by the road, and, of course, me who deliberately jumped into the water…]
[Lu Xingmian, I just hate you.]
Lu Sihang’s voice came through crystal clear. These were all his own words from just now, not a single word missing.
Lu Sihang froze in place, his face pale: “You, you…” When did Lu Xingmian record this? When did he become so cunning?
Lu Xingmian shook the phone in his hand and chuckled, “Sorry about that. Live and learn. Lu Sihang, don’t think I’ll always stay silent, and don’t think no one knows what you’ve done either. You admitted all of this yourself.”
He had been silent before because he didn’t want to fight for anything.
But he also wouldn’t let Lu Sihang bully him repeatedly. Lu Ge once told him that the more timid he was, the more others would think he was an easy target.
So, when Lu Sihang entered, he already guessed what Lu Sihang was going to do, he’d only resort to such childish and petty tricks.
Therefore, Lu Xingmian had turned on his phone’s recording function when Lu Sihang came in. If Lu Sihang hadn’t said anything, that would have been fine, but he had spilled everything, and it was all clearly recorded.
Lu Sihang tried to rush forward and snatch the phone, but Lu Xingmian said, “I advise you not to make any sudden moves. What if you smash another one of your figurines and cause an even bigger commotion, drawing everyone’s attention? I’ll just play this recording publicly then.”
Lu Sihang immediately retracted his hand.
Lu Xingmian put away his phone: “You clean up the fragments on the floor yourself. Otherwise, I don’t mind playing this for your parents. If they hear this, what do you think their impression of you will be? Will you still be the well-behaved and sensible son they think you are?”
“You’re ruthless!” Lu Sihang gritted his teeth and went to find a dustpan and broom, sweeping up the fragments from the floor, then left in a huff.
Lu Xingmian smiled, put on the clothes, and then packed his changed clothes into his backpack.
Lu Sihang went downstairs, and Xia Yuefang asked him where he had been. Lu Sihang said he went to check on Lu Xingmian, wanting to ask him if the clothes fit and if he needed to wear his clothes instead.
Hearing this, Xia Yuefang only thought how truly sensible her Lu Sihang was. If only Lu Xingmian could be as sensible.
Lu Xingmian came downstairs after changing. When Xia Yuefang saw him, she was stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected Lu Xingmian to look so handsome in formal wear, completely like a distinguished young master with an elegant demeanor, like a brilliant diamond that, even if covered in some dust, still sparkled brightly.
The formal wear was a bit large and didn’t fit perfectly, but it wasn’t a major issue.
Lu Xingmian was still carrying a backpack. Xia Yuefang asked him, “What’s that?”
Lu Xingmian: “These are the clothes I changed out of.”
Xia Yuefang frowned: “Who goes to a banquet carrying a backpack like that? Do you have to carry it?”
No one would carry a backpack, but Lu Xingmian would, because his clothes were inside, and because he would leave directly after the banquet.
And so, the four members of the Lu family headed together to the banquet venue: The Lu clan manor.
