Fork over some cash, Dad!

Lu Xiaoxiao put on a pitiful act, but her inner commentary was razor-sharp.

[Seriously, Lu Yubai and Lu Jiaoyue look so alike. How can one face be so likable and the other so infuriating? No wonder he ends up so miserable.]

The early part of this novel was indeed about a girl adored by everyone, but things stopped being so idyllic once the female lead's romance began.

The male lead, Gu Sipei, was a complete psycho. To make Lu Jiaoyue depend on him alone, he engineered the Lu family's bankruptcy.

After that, the Lu family's sons, once the cream of the crop, all lost their former glory. Lu Yubai, the most willful and reckless of them, even went down the wrong path and nearly lost his life.

Lu Xiaoxiao cast him a regretful glance from the corner of her eye, then slowly lowered her lashes.

Of course, that all happened much later in the story. Lu Yubai still had plenty of time to throw his weight around.

[Being adopted by the Lu family clearly wasn't something I could decide as a little kid. When they needed someone to soothe the pain of losing their beloved daughter, they treated me like a treasure. The moment their biological daughter came back, they dumped every problem on me. What kind of ultimate sucker do they take me for?]

She discreetly glanced at Lu Yuan again and pressed her lips together.

[It's bad enough that Mom's so indecisive, but Dad's irresponsible too. He had all these kids and never bothered to raise them properly, acting like none of it had anything to do with him. What a disappointment. They might as well send me back to being an orphan.]

The accusations in her thoughts stunned Lu Yuan. His dignity as the head of the family instinctively made him want to lash out, but the sight of Lu Xiaoxiao's stubborn, tear-reddened eyes left him speechless.

More importantly, after thinking it over calmly, he had to admit that Lu Xiaoxiao had a point.

To outsiders, he was unquestionably a successful man, but only he knew how superficial his relationships with his family were. His marriage to Song Zhilan was a business alliance, and at best, they treated each other with polite respect. Most of his children feared him. For all its apparent liveliness, the Lu household lacked the warmth of a family.

"Enough. Who says she isn't your older sister?" Lu Yuan broke the tense silence with a stern rebuke. "Lu Yubai, sit down and eat. And don't let me hear that kind of nonsense again."

Lu Yubai had always feared his father most. The moment he was reprimanded, all his anger and resentment evaporated. He immediately sat down, even ducking his head instinctively.

Recalling Lu Xiaoxiao's earlier thought that "he ends up so miserable," Lu Yubai figured it probably wasn't true, but he couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.

He had never been superstitious, even as a child. Having grown up spoiled, he rarely took the people around him seriously.

But after experiencing this mind-reading business, Lu Yubai couldn't shake the feeling that there was something uncanny about Lu Xiaoxiao.

Who knew whether she could predict the future?

The thought made Lu Yubai shudder, but he immediately decided he was being ridiculously melodramatic. His imagination really knew no bounds. He shook his head and dismissed the idea.

Whatever. At worst, he could keep a close eye on her for a while longer. He would figure it out eventually.

Lu Yuan turned his gaze back to Lu Xiaoxiao, his tone softening. "You don't need to overthink it either. Once you joined the Lu family, you became one of us. You're my child, just like the others."

Lu Xiaoxiao froze briefly, then her eyes curved into a smile. "Thank you, Dad."

Her thanks rang out clearly. It was the most sincere thing she had said all evening.

[Fine, I'll take back my earlier assessment for now. Dad's pretty good too. At least he's reasonable!]

Lu Yuan: ...?

Lu Yuan was a little surprised by how easy his daughter was to please. He was accustomed to the way things worked in business: without offering sufficient benefits, there was no hope of getting anything in return.

Yet all it took to change Lu Xiaoxiao's opinion of him was that brief remark-an utterly ordinary statement of fairness.

Once his surprise passed, guilt welled up in its place.

Lu Yuan remembered telling Lu Xiaoxiao that very morning to vacate her room for Lu Jiaoyue. Looking back now, he felt he had not thought it through.

Lu Yuan couldn't help speaking again. "Your room... have you cleared it out yet?"

Lu Xiaoxiao said, "No."

She had actually been ready to move out, but according to the system, fighting over the room was also part of putting Lu Jiaoyue in her place.

Before coming downstairs, she had already rehearsed a tantrum in her head. Now it was time to recite it!

Lu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and squeezed out a few more glistening tears. "Dad, if you're wondering why my eyes are always filled with tears, I can only say it's because my love for this room runs so deep. For these past ten-odd years..."

"You don't need to clear out your room," Lu Yuan said.

Lu Xiaoxiao, interrupted mid-cast, said, "Huh?"

Lu Yuan repeated himself. "There's no need to clear it out. You can keep living there. I'll have Uncle Liu get the room next door ready for your younger sister."

Uncle Liu was the Lu family's butler. Upon hearing Lu Yuan's instructions, he immediately turned and sent people to get to work.

"Oh, and didn't you just say your sister's clothes don't suit her status? When you have some free time tomorrow, take her to the nearby mall and buy her some clothes she likes." After a pause, Lu Yuan added, "If you see anything you like, buy that too."

Lu Xiaoxiao was a little bewildered at first. Once his meaning sank in, she began struggling to suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

Lu Yuan watched her eyes gradually light up. Then she stared straight at him, as though she was waiting for something else.

A little puzzled, Lu Yuan immediately listened to her thoughts.

[Dad, Dad! Fork over some cash, Dad!]

Lu Yuan: ...

As though it were nothing, Lu Yuan took out a black card and slid it over. "Use this card. There's no spending limit."

Lu Xiaoxiao feigned reluctance. "Oh! Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Her hands, however, did not hesitate. She snatched it up as quickly as if she feared he might change his mind.

[Hehehehehe, Dad, you're the best! I love you, Dad!]

Lu Yuan gave a light cough. Her blunt inner declaration had even turned the tips of his ears a little red.

He had never realized his daughter had such an amusing personality.

"There's nothing inappropriate about it. If I give you something, just take it. Tell me whenever you need anything. For now, let's finish dinner."

Beside them, Lu Yubai was practically staring his eyes out. He nearly spat out the mouthful of soda he had just taken.

Since he was still a high school student and frequently got into trouble, his family kept a fairly tight rein on his spending. So he was genuinely jealous!!!

Lu Xiaoxiao felt his intense stare too and gave him an innocent look.

[Hehehehehehe, you don't have one, do you, you little brat? So jealous, huh? Green with envy, huh? So what? I'm having a great time.]

Lu Yubai: ...

He suddenly felt he would be better off without a superpower like mind reading.

So! Damn! Noisy!

But his feelings were no longer on Lu Xiaoxiao's radar. She was in a wonderful mood now, and even her appetite had improved.

Once she had eaten until she was comfortably full, Lu Jiaoyue slid a plate of dessert toward her.

Her voice was a little nervous, and the friendly overture was obvious. "Xiaoxiao, would you like some cake? You can have this."

Lu Xiaoxiao instinctively wanted to accept, but just as she opened her mouth, she received a warning from the system:

"Host, tonight's events have already diverged significantly from the original novel. If you keep this up, you and the real heiress are going to develop a harmonious sisterly bond."