Chapter 10

Thinking that Lu Yao's wardrobe was still completely empty, Madam Li wanted to take Lu Yao shopping and buy him some clothes.

When Lu Qi heard that Lu Yao and Madam Li were going shopping, he ignored his own overflowing wardrobe and shamelessly claimed that he needed new clothes too, so he could go out with them.

Although it was National Day, Taigu Mall, which gathered countless luxury brands, was still deserted. The fashionably dressed salesmen and saleswomen were not worried about their sales at all. After all, what mattered most in their line of work was the average order value. As long as they closed a few deals each month, the commissions alone were enough to let them live very comfortably.

Anyone even remotely connected to the fashion industry knew the renowned fashion queen, Madam Li, much less these salespeople. Thus, when they saw Madam Li enter their store with Lu Yao and Lu Qi, the aloof expressions they had worn moments ago vanished as they immediately crowded around them.

Madam Li had an excellent eye for fashion, and Lu Yao was a handsome, well-proportioned clothes hanger. When he put on the clothes Madam Li had selected and strode out of the fitting room on his long legs, even the saleswomen, who were used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women, brightened at the sight.

In Lu Yao's view, the salespeople's endless praise was merely meant to sell more products, so he did not take their words seriously.

Meanwhile, Madam Li and Lu Qi could not help smiling with pride when they heard the compliments.

Thinking of Father Lu still working overtime pitifully at the company, Madam Li secretly snapped a photo of Lu Yao's back as he turned to return to the fitting room and change out of his clothes, intending to send it to Father Lu.

Lu Qi leaned over to look at the photo Madam Li had taken, curled his lip, and said bluntly, "Mom, your photography skills are really terrible."

Madam Li had originally wanted to glare at Lu Qi, but when she saw him take out a photo he had secretly snapped of Lu Yao's back earlier, she said matter-of-factly, "Send me this photo first. Bundle up the rest and send them to me later too."

Madam Li did not believe that he had only secretly taken one photo of Lu Yao.

After sending the photo Lu Qi had taken of Lu Yao's back to Father Lu, Madam Li also posted it on her personal Weibo account, adding the caption, "My handsome young man," as she subtly showed off Lu Yao.

When she saw Lu Yao come out after changing, Madam Li put away her phone.

Although Madam Li might not post a single Weibo update all year, quite a few people followed her verified account, most of them well-known figures—popular celebrities, actors, designers, and people from all walks of the fashion industry.

She had suddenly posted something today, and it happened to be the National Day holiday, when many people had nothing to do but scroll through Weibo. The moment they saw Madam Li's post in their special-following feed, regardless of their motives, they immediately liked it. Some who were closer to her also left a few comments.

Madam Li, who was busy picking out clothes for Lu Yao, had no idea how lively her Weibo comments had become.

This was the first time in all these years that she had personally bought clothes for this child. Whenever Madam Li saw something suitable, she could not help wanting to buy it for Lu Yao.

Lu Yao looked at the several saleswomen around him, all of them holding armfuls of clothes. None of the garments had price tags on them, but it was obvious at a glance that they were extremely expensive.

Lu Yao had little material desire. As long as he had enough clothes to wear, that was enough for him, and he never paid much attention to matching outfits. If not for his looks, with his plain and unadorned style of dress, he would have blended into the crowd in no time.

He had wanted to persuade Madam Li not to buy so much, but she happened to turn around with a smile, holding a jacket up against him as she said brightly, "Yaoyao, this one seems to suit you too. The season will be changing soon, so you can wear this then. Pair it with that white shirt from earlier, and it should look very good on you."

Seeing the happy, expectant expression on Madam Li's face, Lu Yao swallowed the words that had reached his lips. He obediently became an emotionless mannequin and let Madam Li dress him up.

Fortunately, the store offered home delivery. Otherwise, Lu Yao felt that he and Lu Qi probably would not have been able to carry all these clothes home intact.

After shopping for clothes, Madam Li saw that it was nearly mealtime and took Lu Yao and Lu Qi—the fan-site manager who had been secretly taking photos of Lu Yao—to a restaurant in the mall.

"Li Guigu, look over there. Isn't that your aunt and Lu Qi?"

Li Guigu was the son of Madam Li's second older brother. His parents had died in a car accident when he was young, and he had been raised by Old Madam Li. Over the years, as Old Madam Li's health gradually declined, the power in her hands had steadily transferred to her eldest son. Unfortunately, that eldest son was incapable of shouldering the responsibility, and the Li family's development had worsened year after year. The Li family had already fallen to the bottom ranks of Haishi's second-tier wealthy families.

Li Guigu was in the same school and class as Lu Qi. If it were not for the marriage alliance between the Li and Lu families, as well as Madam Li's influential fashion group, their schoolmates would not have been willing to give Li Guigu any face at all. As a result, several followers from relatively ordinary family backgrounds trailed after him. Today, he had happened to come here with them to have fun.

Hearing the person beside him say this, Li Guigu looked in the direction he pointed. Upon seeing Lu Qi and Madam Li there, he spoke in a tone that suggested he was very close to Madam Li. "That's my aunt and them. I'll go say hello to her and Lu Qi. You guys wait here for me."

The corners of his lips could not help rising as he said this.

Li Guigu would never give up any chance to cozy up to Madam Li and strengthen their relationship.

After saying that, he walked straight toward Madam Li and the others, leaving the followers who also wanted to greet Madam Li behind.

Thinking of the envious looks his classmates had given him when they saw his aunt earlier, Li Guigu could not help secretly feeling smug. Once he became his aunt's son, they would have even more to envy. But by then, given those people's family backgrounds, they probably would no longer be qualified to be his friends.

Back when Madam Li had given birth to Lu Yao, perhaps because she had become a mother, her relationship with the Li family had gradually eased somewhat. However, when Madam Li had been devastated by Lu Yao's disappearance, Old Madam Li had suddenly come to her door with Li Guigu. She said that Li Guigu's parents had both died, so he could be adopted as Madam Li's son. That way, when it came time to divide the family assets in the future, Madam Li would not be disadvantaged for having no son.

Lu Yao had merely been missing, yet in the Li family's mouths, he seemed to have already become a corpse.

Because of this matter, Madam Li had cut off all contact with the Li family over the years. Yet whenever the Li family mentioned Madam Li in public, they always acted as though they were extremely close. Some people who did not know the truth actually believed them.

The Li family still did not know that Lu Yao had been found and brought back to the Lu family. They were still foolishly hoping to invite Madam Li's family to Old Madam Li's birthday banquet in a while, where the old lady planned to raise the matter of adoption with Madam Li again.

In their eyes, Lu Yao had long since died in some unknown corner. Madam Li and Father Lu were a blended family, and if Father Lu and Madam Li died one day, their enormous fortune would all be inherited by Lu Qi alone. To the Li family, this meant they were suffering a huge loss. After all, when it came to inheritance, should their Li family not get a share too?

Under the influence of the Li family's bizarre way of thinking, Li Guigu had long regarded Father Lu and Madam Li's property as his own.

In Li Guigu's view, being adopted by Madam Li as her son would be beneficial to everyone.

In terms of blood relations, he was certainly closer to Madam Li than Lu Qi, Madam Li's stepson. Although Madam Li had no biological son, once she adopted him, he and Lu Qi would both be heirs of the Lu family when it came time to divide the assets. The share the Li family could receive would certainly not be small.

Moreover, since his parents had died in a car accident when he was very young, Madam Li would not have to worry about him favoring his biological parents' side. When Madam Li grew old, he could even support her in her later years, considering that she had adopted him.

But all these delusions rested on the premise that Lu Yao remained missing.

Li Guigu obediently greeted Madam Li and Lu Qi. Madam Li merely nodded coolly.

Lu Yao's figure had been blocked by a stone pillar earlier, so Li Guigu had not noticed him. Once he approached and saw Madam Li speaking gently to an unfamiliar boy, he curiously asked about Lu Yao's identity.

Although she had severed ties with the Li family, Madam Li still answered his question for the sake of Li Guigu being a junior.

When Madam Li introduced the boy before him as Lu Yang from childhood, Li Guigu's expression twisted for an instant, but he quickly resumed his usual obedient and gentle demeanor.

Although Li Guigu inwardly wished Lu Yao had died long ago without even a corpse left behind, he spoke gently and greeted Lu Yao with a smile. "Hello, Lu Yao. I'm your cousin, Li Guigu. You can just call me Brother."

Although Li Guigu had reined in his expression immediately, Lu Yao had been sensitive to other people's emotions since childhood. He easily sensed Li Guigu's rejection of him, even his disgust.

Lu Yao nodded coldly in response but ignored Li Guigu's request for him to call him Brother.

Lu Qi had not reacted much when Li Guigu came over. Although they were classmates, their relationship was extremely distant—so distant that they might not even greet each other when they met. But when he heard Li Guigu tell Lu Yao to call him Brother, dissatisfaction instantly appeared in Lu Qi's eyes. He had not even heard this kid call him brother yet! Who did this two-faced, sarcastic bastard think he was?

Fortunately, Lu Yao ignored Li Guigu's words. Otherwise, Lu Qi's jealousy probably would have overwhelmed even the fragrance of the mall's perfumes.

Seeing that Madam Li and the others had no interest in talking with him further, and that staying any longer would only make him unwelcome, Li Guigu perceptively ended the conversation.

As he watched the three of them leave together intimately, Li Guigu's smiling face darkened instantly.

He had already been missing for so many years. Why did he have to show up now?!

After thinking with a grim expression for quite a while, he finally took out his phone and called Old Madam Li to inform the Li family of the situation. The Li family was thrown into chaos upon hearing the news. Hadn't this child died long ago? Why had he suddenly appeared?

Li Guigu had no mood to continue shopping with his followers. After calling them and saying that he had something to do, he hurried back to the Li residence.