Chapter 50

Uncle Li and Chen Rong spoke one after another, with Old Madam Li occasionally chiming in from the side.

Lu Yao seemed to be growing impatient. He idly played with the phone in his hand, never saying a word, as though their words had gone in one ear and out the other.

Seeing Lu Yao's impervious attitude, even the usually patient Old Madam Li could not help but darken her face.

She gave Uncle Li a meaningful look, and he immediately understood.

Uncle Li pulled a long face and said sternly, "Lu Yao, your elders are talking to you. How can you just keep playing on your phone?! Is this how you treat your elders?!"

Old Madam Li spoke gently, stepping in to smooth things over. "Lu Yao is still young. Seeing so many elders at once must have made him shy and afraid to speak. Is something this minor really worth getting angry over as his uncle?"

Watching them play good cop and bad cop, Lu Yao sneered inwardly.

If it had been someone more naive, they might truly have believed that this kind-looking old woman doted on her grandson.

Lu Yao could not be bothered to waste time with them. He had already heard these stale old lines when his eldest aunt Chen Rong had approached him before.

Lu Yao stood up directly. "Are you done? I have things to do, so I'll be leaving first."

Old Madam Li hurriedly said, "Wait..."

Before she could finish, Lu Yao simply walked away and vanished from their sight.

Lu Yao's cold indifference enraged Uncle Li, who had a quick temper, so much that he viciously kicked the bench.

"Mom, just look at that brat's attitude. Do you think he can truly stand with the Li family? How exactly did your daughter raise her son? She raised a child with no manners at all."

Old Madam Li was also furious. "Enough. He spent so many years in a backwater like Mountain City. What manners could you possibly expect him to have?"

As soon as Lu Yao returned to the banquet hall, he happened to spot Ms. Li and naturally stayed by her side.

Seeing Lu Yao obediently accompanying her, and hearing the people around them praise him, Ms. Li's mood improved considerably.

Seeing the smile on Ms. Li's face, Lu Yao did not tell her about what he had heard in the garden just now.

But while Lu Yao was willing to let the matter go, Uncle Li was not willing to swallow his anger so easily.

As soon as he returned to the banquet hall and saw Ms. Li chatting and laughing so freely, he thought about how he was clearly her biological brother, yet she refused to lend his company a hand. Then he remembered how Lu Yao had treated him like air in the garden. His anger immediately flared.

Ignoring the fact that Ms. Li was still speaking with guests, Uncle Li walked over to her and said with a sarcastic sneer, "Little sister, your family's upbringing is truly impressive. You taught Lu Yao so well that he does not know how to respect his elders at all. When he saw us just now, he would not even greet us."

Uncle Li was clearly coming after Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was Ms. Li's untouchable bottom line. Hearing Uncle Li speak of him this way, she naturally would not tolerate it.

The smile on her lips instantly disappeared. Her gaze turned sharp as she said coldly and without courtesy, "I know my own child. I don't need you standing here and criticizing him."

Seeing that Ms. Li gave him, her older brother, no face whatsoever, Uncle Li sneered. "You're still as sharp-tongued as ever."

Hearing Ms. Li being mocked, Lu Yao's eyes darkened. He looked up at Uncle Li, his gaze filled with icy chill.

"Being sharp-tongued is still better than being as clumsy with words as you are," Ms. Li shot back forcefully.

Noticing the cold aura radiating from Lu Yao, she gently patted his hand in reassurance.

Old Madam Li had just taken Chen Rong to greet the wives from other families present. She had not expected that, in the brief moment she was not paying attention, her rash and brainless son would clash with Ms. Li.

The moment she noticed what was happening, Old Madam Li hurried over.

When Ms. Li saw Old Madam Li appear before her, her eyes lowered slightly, but she could not even be bothered to offer a perfunctory greeting.

Over the years, Old Madam Li had repeatedly tried to mend the mother-daughter bond between herself and Ms. Li. But unless it was unavoidable, like today, Ms. Li did not even want to see her.

Seeing this, Old Madam Li did not show the slightest bit of anger.

The moment she arrived, she seized the initiative and set the tone for the matter.

She pretended to scold Uncle Li. "What is wrong with you as an older brother? Don't you know to give way to your younger sister?"

Then she smiled at the people around them and explained, "These two siblings have loved bickering ever since they were children. They're both parents now, yet they're still like children who never grew up. They always have to exchange a few barbs whenever they meet before they feel satisfied."

Some guests who did not know the history between Ms. Li and the Li family had just come over. Hearing Old Madam Li say this, they did not think much of it and believed her explanation.

"Hahaha, the siblings in my family are the same."

"Sometimes, fighting and bickering between siblings is a sign of a good relationship."

"I thought something had happened. So they were only squabbling."

Ms. Li kept a cold face as she watched Old Madam Li forcibly patch things over.

It was true that she and her eldest brother had bickered ever since they were young. But it was hardly a sign of affection.

From childhood to adulthood, whenever she had an argument with her eldest brother, her mother never cared who was right or wrong. She automatically took his side and berated Ms. Li mercilessly.

Now that Ms. Li had cut the Li family off, her mother was instead taking the initiative to come close to her.

Unfortunately, the bond between mother and daughter had long been ground away by all the incidents over the years. Ms. Li had already grown too tired to care about the Li family's affairs.

Not long after Lu Yao went missing, Old Madam Li had brought Li Guigu to Ms. Li's door and urged her to adopt him, so that she would not be at a disadvantage in the Lu family. Ms. Li immediately saw through her ulterior motives. She wanted to use the adoption of Li Guigu as a way to reach into the Lu family.

Ms. Li had been so furious that she had a huge argument with the old woman. Angered into speaking without thinking, Old Madam Li threatened in a fit of rage to sever their mother-daughter relationship. Seeing her harsh expression, Ms. Li followed her words and declared that from then on, she would cut all ties with the Li family.

At the time, Old Madam Li believed that they were mother and daughter. No matter how harsh Ms. Li's words were, she surely could not truly sever ties with her. After all, blood was thicker than water. She was Ms. Li's biological mother.

But she had not expected Ms. Li to always mean what she said. Over the past decade or so, Old Madam Li had long regretted it terribly and often blamed herself for being too impatient back then, thereby angering Ms. Li.

Unfortunately, Old Madam Li now wanted to forcefully create the illusion of a harmonious Li family in front of outsiders, without even considering whether Ms. Li would cooperate.

Ms. Li's attitude was firm as she said coldly, "I have always meant what I said, but it seems you have forgotten what I told you before. Then let me say it again: I have nothing to do with anyone in the Li family, now or in the future! If you want to put on a show of being one loving family, there is no need to drag me in as part of the cast."

Over the years, the old woman had always been skilled at putting on an act in front of outsiders, using Ms. Li and her marriage ties to the Lu family to build connections with others.

It would have been one thing if Ms. Li had not encountered it before, but now that she had witnessed it firsthand, how could she indulge the old woman? Today, she intended to tear apart the Li family's lies completely.

Many people present were learning for the first time just how terrible the relationship between Ms. Li and the Li family was.

"Whenever I met Old Madam Li before, I thought she and Director Li were very close. So the Li family had been deceiving people all along!"

"No wonder the Li family has been doing worse and worse in recent years, yet the Lu family has never helped them out."

"Hah, what a joke. She previously swore to me that she was extremely close to Director Lu. I actually believed her at the time."

"It's no wonder we didn't know. Family shame should not be aired in public, and the Li family has put on a flawless act all these years."

Father Lu hurried over to Ms. Li with Lu Qi.

Father Lu lowered his head slightly and looked at Ms. Li's cold, exquisite face, concern evident in his voice.

"What happened?"

Ms. Li shook her head lightly. "Nothing. Let's go."

Today was Grandpa Jiang's birthday banquet. There was no need to let their family's troubles ruin the old man's mood on his birthday.

Old Madam Li had not expected Ms. Li to truly be so ruthless toward her maternal family, making her own biological mother lose face so badly in front of everyone.

Seeing the people around her whispering and pointing, a calculating glint flashed through Old Madam Li's eyes.

She stepped forward and grabbed Ms. Li's hand, putting on a humble and pitiful posture.

Old Madam Li pleaded, "Little sister, Mom is old now. Even if Mom did things wrong in the past and made you unhappy, can't you forgive Mom's past mistakes for the sake of my age? My remaining days are growing fewer and fewer. Before I die, I only want to see our family living together in harmony."

Uncle Li also realized that he had been too impulsive just now. His eyes shifted, and he said, "Mom has only this one simple wish. Are you, as her daughter, really unwilling to fulfill it?"

Some fools saw Old Madam Li acting so pitiful and softened for a moment, even speaking up to persuade her. "What deep hatred between a mother and daughter cannot be resolved?"

Chen Rong also chimed in from the side, saying to Ms. Li, "That's right, Auntie. Now that Mom, as your elder, has lowered her head to you, you should let go of your anger too. Mom is already getting on in years. She wants to see us living harmoniously. Shouldn't we, as her children, be a little more filial?"

Ms. Li brushed Old Madam Li's hand off her wrist. Her cold brows rose as she was about to retort when Lu Yao pressed down on her hand.

"Mom, I'll handle this."

After all, Ms. Li and Old Madam Li were mother and daughter. No matter how justified she was, when outsiders heard them arguing, people who did not understand the situation would inevitably gossip.

Lu Yao looked up at the old woman, who was putting on a pitiful expression. His gaze was blade-sharp as he demanded sternly, "Since you keep saying family members should live in harmony, why have you been urging me to guard against my brother Lu Qi and telling me to deal with him? Isn't my brother part of my family too?"

The moment Lu Yao finished speaking, the surrounding crowd erupted.

Everyone knew that even biological brothers in wealthy families could fight to the death over inheritance, but it was rare for something so blatant to be laid bare in public.

And what was this situation? The brothers of the Lu family had not even started fighting among themselves, yet the Li family was trying to provoke the Lu family's two sons into internal conflict.

At the request of many readers, a VIP membership feature with no ads is now available.

Click to view.

Old Madam Li, feeling guilty, hurriedly rebuked him. "What nonsense are you talking about, child? Don't slander us elders so recklessly just for your mother's sake."

Lu Yao gave a cold, scornful laugh.

He took out his phone and directly pressed play on the recording. The Li family's words in the garden, where they had urged Lu Yao on, immediately played aloud.

"...How can you compete with Lu Qi... Lu Qi's kindness toward you is nothing but a blade wrapped in honey... Lu Qi definitely won't let you off... We're doing this for your own good..."

Old Madam Li instantly fell into awkward silence. She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she did not know what to say.

Uncle Li was both embarrassed and furious. He rebuked, "You secretly recorded us! That is utterly shameless and despicable."

Lu Yao said coldly, "I didn't do it secretly. I recorded you openly. Didn't you just scold me for focusing only on my phone and not listening to you? Now I can listen carefully again and see whether I missed anything."

Only then did Uncle Li realize that Lu Yao had been recording them while playing with his phone. They had been careless, and now Lu Yao had obtained evidence against them.

Lu Qi had been angry from the moment he arrived. Hearing the Li family's words in the recording made him even more furious.

His eyes burned as he gritted his teeth and said angrily, "You already came to cause trouble for Lu Yao once before. Was that not enough? Do you have to see us brothers fight like beasts until one of us dies before you'll stop?"

Hearing that this was not the first time the Li family had done something so underhanded, the people nearby looked even more astonished.

"What exactly is the Li family thinking? They just cannot stand seeing the Lu brothers get along, can they?"

"They simply want to support Lu Yao in taking control of the Lu family. Once he gains power, if he loosens his grip a little, they'll naturally receive endless benefits."

"Actually, the Li family's words are not entirely unreasonable. They aren't biological brothers, after all. If they fight over the Lu family's enormous fortune in the future, it would not be impossible."

"They're getting along just fine now. Does the Li family really need to jump around so anxiously?"

"The Li family is truly a bunch of troublemakers. They won't stop until the Lu family is thrown into complete chaos."

"They probably think this child has only recently returned to the Lu family and is easy to manipulate, which is why they came looking for him."

"If I were Director Li, I wouldn't acknowledge a maternal family like this either."

"The Li family's conduct is truly disgusting!"

"Old Madam Li looks so kind on the surface. Who would have thought she was always doing this sort of divisive thing?"

Not only was Lu Qi angry, but Father Lu's face was now cold as ice as well.

His brows and eyes were filled with sharp frost as he said slowly in a low voice, "It seems my last blow was not hard enough for the Li family's hands to reach this far. This time, it is indeed time to uproot the problem completely."

Hearing that Father Lu seemed prepared to thoroughly tear apart all ties with the Li family, everyone present found it perfectly understandable. The Li company's days ahead were likely going to become even more difficult.

Uncle Li had recently been overwhelmed by problems at the company. Hearing Father Lu's words, he suddenly realized. "You were behind it?!"

Father Lu coldly ignored his question and was about to turn and leave with Ms. Li, Lu Yao, and Lu Qi, but Uncle Li tried to stop him and argue the matter out.

The commotion on their side had been so great that Grandpa Jiang had naturally noticed it long ago.

Grandpa Jiang had a fairly good relationship with Ms. Li. He also knew something about what the Li family had done to her in the past. He had long disliked the Li family's conduct, and seeing Old Madam Li's performance now made him dislike them even more.

The old man walked over to Lu Yao and the others, then harshly reprimanded the Li family. "What kind of spectacle is this? If you want to make a scene, go home and do it. Don't come here and ruin my mood."

Guests were guests. It would not sound good if word got out that they had been thrown out.

Father Jiang, who was supporting the old man, looked troubled and gently tried to persuade him. "Dad, they came to celebrate your birthday. We shouldn't do this."

The old man glared furiously. "Is it your birthday or mine? Does this old man's word not count anymore? Can't I even have a peaceful birthday?"

Hearing Grandpa Jiang tell them to leave, Old Madam Li instantly flushed red with embarrassment. She had never been humiliated like this in her life.

Jiang Bai, who had been following behind Grandpa Jiang, quickly went to the side the moment his grandfather spoke and signaled for the servers to come over and escort them out.

Looking at the several servers standing before her, Old Madam Li trembled with rage. "There is no need for you to throw me out. I'll leave myself."

Uncle Li felt that leaving in such a pathetic state would be far too humiliating, and he called out, "Mom—"

Old Madam Li snapped in exasperation, "Haven't we embarrassed ourselves enough? They look down on us and are throwing us out, yet you still want to stay here and let them trample on our dignity?"

Noticing the varied expressions of the people around her as they watched her, she turned toward the banquet hall exit with a furious face.

Seeing the backbone of the Li family leave, Uncle Li and his family hurriedly followed after her in disgrace.

Father Lu looked apologetic as he said to Grandpa Jiang, "I'm very sorry, Uncle Jiang. Our family's affairs disturbed your enjoyment today."

Grandpa Jiang waved his hand carelessly. "What's there to apologize for? If anyone ruined the mood, it was the few who just left. Now that they're gone, I couldn't feel better. Enough, let's not mention those unpleasant people."

Grandpa Jiang glanced at Jiang Bai, who was standing silently behind him, and said, "Jiang Bai, take Lu Yao and Lu Qi to have some fun. You young people must be bored standing here listening to us chat."

Jiang Bai nodded in agreement.

With the Li family no longer being an eyesore, everyone's mood improved considerably.

Learning that Lu Yao and Lu Qi had not eaten anything since arriving at the banquet, Jiang Bai led them to a long white table covered with food.

He picked up a glass of mango juice from the table and handed it to Lu Yao.

"Here. It was freshly squeezed just now."

Lu Yao took the juice. "Thank you."

Jiang Bai picked up a tray from the side of the table and smiled. "The desserts at this hotel are famous. You should like them."

He placed several exquisite cakes and desserts onto the tray, then turned back to ask Lu Yao, "Is there anything else you want to eat?"

Lu Yao glanced at the desserts on his tray. "That's enough."

The ones Jiang Bai had chosen happened to be the varieties Lu Yao wanted to try.

Jiang Bai's brows and eyes softened. "Then let's find somewhere to sit and eat."

Seeing that they had completely ignored him, Lu Qi spoke with dissatisfaction, making his presence known again.

"Were you two not planning to ask whether there was anything I wanted to eat?"

Jiang Bai looked back at him and replied blandly, "The tray is right next to you, and your hands are attached to your body. Take whatever you want yourself."

Lu Qi protested, "Jiang Bai, I'm a guest too. Is this how you treat guests?"

Seeing that the ice cream cake on the tray seemed about to melt, Jiang Bai could not be bothered to argue with Lu Qi.

He bluntly replied with undisguised disdain, "If you're not satisfied, you can leave right now."

With Lu Qi's temperament, hearing Jiang Bai say that only made him less willing to leave. He quickly picked up some food at random and casually placed it onto Jiang Bai's tray.

Seeing Jiang Bai's tray piled full, he smugly ordered him as though ordering around a server. "There, that's settled. Let's go."

Seeing him like this, Lu Yao helplessly rubbed his forehead inwardly. What a childish brat.

Jiang Bai could not be bothered to fuss with Lu Qi. Holding the tray, he scanned the room and spotted an unoccupied sofa in a corner not far away. Just as he was about to walk over with the tray, Lu Yao suddenly reached out and took it from him.

"I'll carry it."

Lu Qi had deliberately piled quite a lot of food onto the tray just now, and it was rather heavy.

The corners of Jiang Bai's lips curved slightly, and he did not argue with Lu Yao.

"Okay. I'll walk in front of you, so no one accidentally bumps into you and knocks over the food on the tray."

Watching their retreating figures, Lu Qi stood there blankly for a moment. The two of them seemed to have an inexplicable tacit understanding. He scratched his head, did not think much about it, and hurried after them.

Unlike the harmonious atmosphere inside the banquet, the Li family sat in their car with long, furious faces.

Even Chen Rong's spoiled daughter was frightened by the oppressive atmosphere in the car. Like a quail, she shrank into Chen Rong's arms and did not dare make a sound or throw a tantrum.

When he heard his phone notification chime, the Li family's eldest uncle checked it, and his mood sank even lower.

He looked toward the Li family matriarch, who had her eyes closed as she steadied her emotions, resentment in his voice. "Mom, they're asking for money again!"

The Li family matriarch opened her eyes irritably. "Didn't we just give him some not long ago? Why is he asking for money again so soon?"

"Mom, this can't go on," the eldest uncle said with a troubled expression.

The Li family matriarch snapped, "I know, but he has evidence on us. What can you do to him?"

Seeing the two of them bicker over this, Chen Rong held her child and muttered inwardly, If the old lady hadn't acted on impulse and caused that disaster back then, they wouldn't be so tightly controlled by a street thug now.

The old lady fell silent for a while before saying, "Give him the money. Tell him not to push his luck too far. If he drives us to desperation, the Li family isn't so easily bullied."

By the end, her words carried a trace of ruthlessness.

The VIP reading experience has been optimized. Tap the center of the screen to bring up the menu, where you can conveniently select "Settings," "Previous Page," "Next Page," or "Back to Top."