As far as Lu Xiaoxiao knew, she had two other brothers. Her eldest brother, Lu Xunli, was the CEO of the Lu Corporation. Raised from childhood to be its heir, he had become a corporate workhorse at a young age. When things got busy, he could spend three to five days at the office without coming home.
Her second brother, Lu Shiyan, was an award-winning actor and a top star. Filming took him all over the country, so he was rarely around. On top of that, his insistence on entering the entertainment industry had driven a wedge between him and their father, leaving his relationship with the family painfully awkward. No wonder he hadn't come today.
Lu Xiaoxiao's gaze swept around the table before finally settling on Lu Jiaoyue, who sat at its center in a white dress.
The girl, who had only just been brought home, looked a little timid. Her small face wore no makeup, yet she was stunningly beautiful, like a pearl finally seeing the light after years buried in dust.
Her big, round almond eyes studied Lu Xiaoxiao with curiosity. Her long, thick lashes fluttered with every blink, making her look so sweet and adorable that it was practically impossible to dislike her.
Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up at once.
[Holy shit, baby, you're a sweet, soft little cupcake! I want to hug you and kiss you to death!]
Hearing an excited female voice, Lu Jiaoyue froze.
She blinked twice in bewilderment and tilted her head toward Lu Xiaoxiao, thinking she must have misheard.
[Aaaaaah, she tilted her head at me! Aaaaaah!!! She's so cute!!! My sweet little sister, I won't let anyone defy you except me!!!]
Lu Jiaoyue: "...?"
After a few seconds, Lu Jiaoyue finally realized she was hearing Lu Xiaoxiao's thoughts. After another moment, she reached a conclusion: this older sister really, really liked her!
Lu Jiaoyue began to feel a little shy. Blushing, she lowered her head, too embarrassed to keep looking at Lu Xiaoxiao.
Lu Yuan and Song Zhilan, who had also heard Lu Xiaoxiao's thoughts, were stunned as well. But both had weathered plenty of storms, and their age and experience served them well. Once the surprise passed, they quietly composed their expressions without saying anything.
Lu Yuan wasn't particularly close to his adopted daughter. He had only adopted Lu Xiaoxiao after Lu Jiaoyue went missing, to comfort his wife, who had suffered a mental breakdown.
In truth, though, Lu Yuan wasn't particularly close to any of his children. His life had always revolved around work, and what he wanted most was a peaceful, harmonious home. Hearing that Lu Xiaoxiao felt no hostility toward Lu Jiaoyue, he looked at her with a little more approval.
Song Zhilan felt relieved as well. After being Lu Xiaoxiao's mother for so many years, it would be a lie to say she had no affection for her.
The thoughts she heard delighted her. The child she had raised was indeed kind and lovable.
Lu Bochen, the autistic teenage boy who had remained quiet throughout, gave Lu Xiaoxiao an expressionless glance, then silently looked away.
On the other side of the table, however, Lu Yubai's expression turned utterly horrified.
W-w-w-what had he just heard?
Lu Xiaoxiao actually liked Jiaoyue???
A wave of revulsion washed over him. He vigorously rubbed the goose bumps on his arms and glared at Lu Xiaoxiao even more fiercely.
Impossible. This had to be an act!
In Lu Yubai's eyes, Lu Xiaoxiao had always been a hypocrite. He silently resolved to be Lu Jiaoyue's devoted protector!
Everyone had their own thoughts, while Lu Xiaoxiao, who had caused all of this, remained completely oblivious.
Song Zhilan spoke with a smile. "Xiaoxiao, come sit down. This is your younger sister, Lu Jiaoyue, whom I told you about."
Lu Xiaoxiao sat down beside Lu Jiaoyue. Remembering her mission to put Lu Jiaoyue in her place, she deliberately looked her up and down with a critical gaze, then covered her lips and gave a light laugh.
"Oh, Jiaoyue, that outfit of yours... it's really rather plain. Is it because you're used to living with a poor family?"
"That won't do. You're a young lady of the Lu family now. If you don't dress yourself up properly, you'll embarrass the family, you know~"
As she spoke, Lu Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue and shook her head. Even she thought she sounded a little obnoxious.
[Embarrass the family, my ass. Pretty people look good in anything. She'd look gorgeous in a burlap sack. But with me mocking her like this, she's bound to be upset, right?]
Lu Jiaoyue nodded, her eyes sparkling. "You're right, sis! Your dress today is so pretty! And your makeup is gorgeous too! You're even prettier than the stars on TV!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: ?
She felt as though something wasn't quite right.
Lu Xiaoxiao tentatively pushed harder. "Well, our eldest brother specifically arranged for this dress to be custom-made for me. It's haute couture by LAWA's head designer, so naturally it stands out."
[Actually, I asked for it myself. Our eldest brother is worked to the bone. When would he ever have time to fuss over me? But she doesn't know that, so she must think I'm showing off how much he dotes on me.]
Lu Jiaoyue kept nodding. "That's amazing! Our eldest brother is so good to you!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: ?
Seriously, could this girl not recognize a backhanded remark at all?
Just as Lu Xiaoxiao began doubting herself, Lu Yubai slapped the table and stood up.
"Hey! Lu Xiaoxiao, don't push it! Jiaoyue is too innocent to hold it against you, but don't think the rest of us can't see what you're up to."
After saying that, Lu Yubai couldn't help curling his lips into a secretly smug smile.
Hehehe, didn't see that coming, did you, woman? I'm the chosen one with superpowers! I can hear your thoughts, so no matter how well you pretend, it's useless!
But the very next second, he saw her smile too.
This time, Lu Xiaoxiao was genuinely pleased. She had thought her provocation had failed, but judging by this idiot Lu Yubai's reaction, it was still quite effective.
She knew her acting was great!
Having received this indirect acknowledgment from Lu Yubai, Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly found him much more pleasing to the eye.
"Yubai, you're overthinking things. What bad intentions could your big sister possibly have? I know you're still young and don't know any better, but you should still behave a little more elegantly at the dinner table."
Lu Xiaoxiao raised her glass of red wine and took a small sip, looking at Lu Yubai with benevolent affection. "Elegance never goes out of style."
Lu Yubai: ???
The way Lu Xiaoxiao kept calling him "Yubai" and referring to herself as his "big sister" thoroughly disgusted him. And since he hated being called young and immature more than anything, his face turned livid. He exploded almost immediately.
"Lu Xiaoxiao, don't push your luck! And who said you were my sister? You're nothing but a fake! If my dad hadn't adopted you back then, you'd still be an orphan!"
Lu Xiaoxiao frowned slightly and didn't immediately respond.
She wasn't the original Lu Xiaoxiao, so those words didn't truly hurt her. But to the girl who had originally lived this life, they would have been deeply wounding.
No wonder she became the villainess. Wasn't this practically forcing her to turn evil?
With Lu Xiaoxiao's own temperament, she would absolutely have torn into Lu Yubai in a situation like this. But her current role was a scheming girl who played innocent, so she had to restrain herself.
Within a few seconds, Lu Xiaoxiao ran through every sad thing she had experienced in her life and successfully squeezed out a few tears. Her aggrieved voice trembled with sobs.
"Yes, I'm not the Lu family's biological child. If you all hate me that much... just send me back to being an orphan!"
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