Lu Chi, oh Lu Chi, so what if you're her biological brother?

Lu Chi sneered. "No need to trouble yourself, Second Sister."

Lu Qingru snorted and said sarcastically, "Fine, I won't. You're so amazing, so capable. Make sure you bring home a prize!"

Lu Yuanqing reprimanded Lu Qingru. "I already said he's only going to build his confidence. Winning a prize doesn't matter. As his second sister, how can you be so small-minded? Why are you locking horns with your little brother?"

Pan Feng was also somewhat displeased.

"Qingru, honestly. You're an international superstar, yet you won't even coach your own little brother. As the saying goes, when you rise to wealth and honor, don't forget those you knew before. Now that you've made something of yourself, you've forgotten how we nurtured you back then."

"Mom! You're scolding me because of him?"

"You're actually scolding me over this country bumpkin?"

Lu Qingru had been scolded by her mother because of Lu Chi.

She felt terribly upset.

Her voice was already thick with tears.

Ever since she was little, her parents had always doted on her, her eldest sister, her younger sisters, and her little brother Jiyang. They could barely bear to say a harsh word to them.

Now they were actually scolding her over a country bumpkin who had only come back a few weeks ago?

Hearing Lu Qingru call Lu Chi a "country bumpkin," Pan Feng's face darkened, and she said:

"Stop calling him a country bumpkin every other breath. Lu Qingru, Chi'er is your biological brother! You're a grown woman, yet you don't understand a thing!"

"Hmph!" Lu Qingru didn't talk back anymore, but her tears were on the verge of spilling.

Their eldest sister, Lu Sangning, was looking at her phone nearby when she heard Lu Qingru mock Lu Chi and then get reprimanded by their parents.

She raised her head and glanced over.

Her lips moved, but she said nothing.

Their third sister, Lu Yanxin, and Lu Xiaoyue were there too.

Lu Yanxin rose from the sofa, walked over to Pan Feng, and patted her shoulder, soothing her. "Mom, don't be angry."

Then she turned to persuade Lu Qingru. "Second Sister, don't get into a huff with Mom. You don't want her dizzy spells acting up again."

Their fourth sister, Lu Xiaoyue, also tried to mediate:

"Mom, Second Sister, both of you should say a little less. Lu Chi hasn't even spoken yet, and you're already arguing. It's just a competition. I think the result doesn't matter either. What matters is getting some practice."

Lu Chi stood awkwardly where he was.

He hadn't wanted to speak, but continuing to stay silent now would seem out of place.

After all, the original owner's ready-made mother was speaking up for him.

Lu Chi walked over and said to Pan Feng, "Mom, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."

Pan Feng nodded and stroked Lu Chi's head, saying with tender concern, "My Chi'er, you've had it hard. Don't worry. With your mom and dad here, no one will get to bully you!"

After saying that, Pan Feng even glared at Lu Qingru.

Lu Qingru burst into tears. "Mom, I barely said anything to him! How is that bullying him?"

Lu Chi: Idiot! The fake young master used you the moment you came back. You don't have a single thought of your own!

Lu Jiyang watched Lu Chi and Lu Qingru bicker.

He secretly reveled in it.

Lu Chi, oh Lu Chi, so what if you're her biological brother?

I'm the one Second Sister dotes on!

"Second Sister, today's Wednesday. Tomorrow's Thursday, then Friday. I'll come home at lunchtime and after school in the afternoon. Please coach me then."

Lu Jiyang seized the chance to flatter Lu Qingru and win her over. "Second Sister, you're so amazing. Who in the whole world doesn't look up to you and admire you? With your coaching, I'm sure I'll take first place!"

Lu Jiyang's flattery worked wonders, and Lu Qingru immediately cheered up.

She wiped away her tears and shot Lu Chi a couple of glares.

Lu Chi grumbled inwardly.

Pah! Shameless fake. Bootlicker!

Lu Qingru: "You're the one who's-bzzz, bzzz, bzzz..."

The family had a late-night snack, sat together for another half hour, then went back to their rooms to rest.

Lu Chi returned to his spacious, bright bedroom, pushed open the glass door, and stepped onto the terrace.

There was a champagne-colored sun umbrella on the terrace, with a clear glass coffee table beneath it.

On the coffee table sat a vase filled with freshly arranged flowers.

There were roses, lilies, and carnations.

The colors went well together too, complementing the flowers planted along the terrace's edge from across the space.

A faint floral fragrance drifted over.

His beauty-loving mother must have told the servants to arrange it for him.

He had to admit, this ready-made mother and father were genuinely good to him.

Thinking of the later plot, in which they would be murdered, Lu Chi couldn't quite bear it.

No, I absolutely can't let that happen!

My sisters treat me badly, so what happens to them has nothing to do with me. But the original owner's parents have been very good so far!

Since I've transmigrated into the book in the original owner's place, I have ties to this family. I need to find ways to stop a lot of things from happening.

Two soft, pure-white stools stood on either side of the coffee table.

Lu Chi sat on the terrace, sipping coffee and listening to songs.

He wondered which song he should sing at Saturday's concert.

According to the book, Lu Jiyang really did have a gift for music, and he sang very well too.

Presumably, he would choose one of the more famous songs in this book's world.

For Lu Chi, it was even simpler.

Before he transmigrated into the book, the real world he lived in had a stable society and a thriving entertainment industry that had produced countless celebrities and famous songs.

All he needed to do was pick any song that had been a huge hit in the real world and sing it, and he could crush Lu Jiyang in minutes.

Saturday arrived in the blink of an eye.

Following the competition procedures.

Lu Chi arrived at Jing City Television Station accompanied by his parents and four sisters.

They were supposedly accompanying him, but in truth, only his parents were really there for him.

The other four sisters were accompanying Lu Jiyang. They had merely come together in two cars because their parents had insisted on having the whole family together.

In any case, it amounted to everyone accompanying everyone else.

Their eldest sister, Lu Sangning, had an important international conference to attend, so she hadn't come.

As early as six months ago, this music competition had been promoted nationwide in a sweeping publicity campaign through television stations, newspapers, official accounts, Douyin, Kuaishou, and major media and independent media platforms. Many people had signed up.

By now, the open auditions were already over.

Because their second sister, Lu Qingru, had put in a word, Lu Jiyang and Lu Chi had skipped the open auditions and gone straight into the preliminary round.

The requirements for the open auditions weren't high to begin with. As long as contestants didn't sing too badly, they could generally get through.

The two luxury cars drove along, and as soon as they arrived outside Jing City Television Station, the family got out one after another.

A large crowd of reporters immediately swarmed over.

Cameras and microphones all pointed at the family.

"Mr. Lu, have you accompanied your wife to The Voice of Huaxia today to cheer on your son, Lu Jiyang?"

"Mrs. Lu, your elegant attire today shows how much you care about your son Lu Jiyang's singing competition. How do you view the balance between studies and personal interests?"

Lu Yuanqing and Pan Feng briefly answered the reporters' questions.

They waved and finally entered the television station's main entrance as their bodyguards struggled to escort them through the crowd.

Outside the entrance, Lu Qingru and the others were still surrounded by reporters.

Even Lu Chi couldn't get away.

Everyone aimed their cameras at Lu Qingru and Lu Jiyang.

"Hello, Sister Ru. We hear Young Master Lu Jiyang is a born musician who was granted special admission straight into the preliminary round. Is that true?"

Lu Qingru kept her mouth shut.

A reporter then asked Lu Jiyang, "Young Master Lu, as the Lu family's only young master, are you confident about this competition?"

Hearing the reporter call him the Lu family's only young master, Lu Jiyang was delighted beyond words, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

He spoke loudly into the reporter's microphone. "It's only singing. Piece of cake~"

The reporter followed up. "Young Master Lu, have you studied music since childhood?"

Lu Jiyang glanced at his second sister, Lu Qingru, beside him and unwittingly began flattering her again:

"As you all know, my second sister is an international superstar. Having grown up surrounded by her influence, I naturally developed a strong interest in music. And I do have a tiny bit of talent myself."

As the reporters asked questions and he answered, Lu Jiyang felt like a dazzling superstar, with every spotlight shining on him.

Meanwhile, Lu Chi finally squeezed out of the crowd and pushed through the television station's revolving glass door.

Apart from the Lu family and their bodyguards, no one there even knew who he was.

Lu Yuanqing and his wife looked at Lu Chi as he came through the door, their faces full of heartache.

How lonely their son was, how forlorn!

Lu Yuanqing lowered his head and said to Pan Feng beside him:

"Honey, I'd like to hold a family recognition ceremony in a couple of days, give our Chi'er his rightful status, and formally welcome him back into the family. What do you think?"