Chapter 116

Lan Xin was startled when her mother suddenly rushed in. She panicked and instinctively tried to hide, but before she could, her mother pulled her into her arms.

Lan Xin was stunned.

"Lanxin, I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to think that way..." Lan's mother cried, her heart filled with remorse for her daughter. "I apologize to you, I shouldn't have said you were being unreasonable."

As Lanxin listened, her nose suddenly stung, and tears streamed down her face.

This time, when she cried, she cried with immense grievance. She accused, "Waaah, you and Daddy are no good at all! You scolded me and yelled at me because of that person! I know you just think she's better than me, and you like her more than me..."

Hearing this, Lan's mother was deeply saddened, and tears immediately streamed down her face.

“No,” she explained eagerly, “in your father’s and my hearts, you are the best, no one can compare to you.”

"But you scolded me because of that person!" Lanxin accused, raising her head and looking at her beloved mother with teary eyes, she said aggrievedly, "How could you scold me because of her? You don't love me at all!"

This was indeed true, and Lan's mother couldn't refute it. However, she still patiently explained to her daughter, "It was wrong of us to scold you, but no matter the reason, Li..."

Under her daughter's unfriendly gaze, Lan's mother swallowed back the extremely affectionate "Lili" and said in a somewhat stern voice, "Baoli did save your father and me. That car was driving so fast and in such a hurry. If she hadn't pushed your father and me out, we would definitely have been seriously injured."

"She saved me and your dad, but you treated her so rudely. What are we supposed to do?"

She looked at her daughter reproachfully.

Lan Xin felt a little guilty, her eyes darting left and right. She muttered, "Well, who told you to be so nice to her? I finally got a holiday and came back to China, and all I saw was you guys fussing over a stranger..."

At this point, she suddenly felt she had a good reason, and looked at Lan's mother with a righteous indignation, saying, "Who told you to treat her so well and even bring her to live in our home!"

There are many other ways to repay someone, but her parents chose to do something that upset her. She felt a sense of grief and indignation, as if her parents had been taken away from her.

At this point, Lan's mother could no longer speak with conviction. She reached out and touched Lan Xin's damp cheeks, sighing, "This is something your father and I didn't think through. Your father and I apologize to you, okay?"

Lan Xin was finally happy, but she still held her head high and said coyly, "It was all your fault..."

Lan's mother stroked her cheek tenderly, saying, "Look at you, crying like this."

Upon hearing this, Lanxin realized something and hurriedly lowered her head, haphazardly wiping her face. Her face gradually turned red—the thought of crying like that in front of so many people made her feel incredibly ashamed.

Lan's mother watched her actions with a smile, gently stroking her head, her eyes full of tenderness for her daughter.

“Miss Xu…” Suddenly, she turned to Xu Gui and asked, “You just said that Bao Li has a problem, what exactly is the problem?”

Lan's mother pursed her lips: "She really did save my husband and me back then. We saw it with our own eyes, and the hospital did diagnose that she was lame. Surely all of this can't be fake?"

The car came so fast that if she hadn't been careful, Bao Li might have not only been left with a limp, but she might have lost her life. If all of this is fake, then this is just too risky.

To Lan's mother's question, Xu Gui had only one answer: "With a lame leg, you can earn millions, or even tens of millions, of assets. Do you think it's worth it?"

Lan's mother was taken aback.

Xu Gui continued, "Even if that child really did die in the car accident, you who were rescued must feel extremely guilty towards her family. What if her sister appeared at that time?"

"Your younger sister lost both her parents, and her only support, her older sister, died in a car accident... Given your personalities, you would definitely take her in and care for her, right? You see, even if you go around in circles, the final result is still the same."

In the end, a child still entered their home with dignity.

"..."

A sudden chill ran down Lan's mother's spine.

Xu Gui said thoughtfully, "To accomplish this, the person behind it must know you two very well, knowing that you are both kind-hearted and soft-hearted. So, who introduced this girl named Bao Li to you?"

Coming to her senses, Lan's mother subconsciously replied, "It's a community worker..."

...

Like the original Qiao's mother, Lan's mother and her husband also have a habit of doing charity work. They often sponsor some children in need of help through the introduction of community workers.

Bao Li was introduced to them by a community worker they knew.

According to staff, Bao Li's parents have both passed away, and she has no relatives above her or elders below her who can rely on her. She only has a younger sister who depends on her for survival. Her life can be described as very hard, and she can't even afford to go to school.

"She's still in junior high, but because of family reasons, she's planning to drop out and work... Sigh, I felt sorry for her and wanted to help her," the staff member said at the time.

When Lan's parents heard his introduction, they felt sorry for the girl and offered to sponsor her, paying for her tuition and providing her with a certain amount of living expenses each month to ensure that her studies could continue normally.

Their support has actually lasted for three years, starting three years ago. In the first two years of those three years, they did not have any physical contact with each other; they were connected through community workers.

They had some contact in real life, which was only in the past year. The other party successfully passed the high school entrance exam and, under the pretext of wanting to thank them in person, arranged by the community worker, they finally had contact in real life.

After getting to know her, they found that Bao Li was considerate, capable, thoughtful, and very perceptive. They couldn't help but feel more sorry for her. Coincidentally, their daughter Lan Xin had gone abroad to study, so they naturally transferred some of their affection to Bao Li and had more frequent contact with her.

Later, it was Bao Li who saved the couple. Feeling guilty and grateful, they decided to take her in as their goddaughter.

Before today, Lan's mother hadn't thought much about it. After all, Bao Li had indeed saved their lives, so who would suspect their savior of having ill intentions? But now, after Xu Guiyi's words, Lan's mother suddenly remembered something.

"...The reason we wanted to take Bao Li as our goddaughter was because that staff member suggested it." She looked at Xu Gui, her eyes even showing a hint of fear—who wouldn't be scared upon hearing such a thing?

If the other party is truly after their family's property, they will definitely try every means to sow discord between them and their daughter Lanxin. After all, only when their relationship with their only daughter is strained will they become closer to this so-called "adopted daughter".

If things really continue to develop in this way, then the final outcome... Xu Guiyi's initial assumption might actually come true.

Lan Xin suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

The live stream audience was in an uproar, with heated discussions in the chat. Some felt that Xu Gui's guess was too conspiratorial, arguing that there was no evidence and that it was unacceptable to make wild guesses about others.

The girl was already pitiful enough with her leg limp; she'd likely suffer countless scornful looks for the rest of her life. If the Lan family had helped her later, her life might have been alright. But now Xu Gui, without any evidence, is accusing her of doing it intentionally. Isn't that harming her? What if she's innocent? Can she take responsibility?

[Huh, what am I seeing? Someone in Xu Gui's live stream is actually questioning Xu Gui's authority? Does nobody know that Xu Gui is a diviner?]

[Those who have followed Xu Gui since he first started fortune-telling say that what Xu Gui said is basically true. In fact, even now, Xu Gui's divination results still have a 0% error rate and a 100% accuracy rate.]

[Someone who has been proven wrong multiple times says, "You should still believe what Xu Gui predicts."]

So, the Lan family really was set up? If what Xu Gui said is true, then this matter is truly terrifying to think about. These people have been plotting for so many years just to seize the Lan family's wealth? That's too horrifying!

[My relatives seem to have encountered a similar situation. Like the Qiao family, they only have one child, both parents are good-natured, and the family is relatively wealthy. Last year, they suddenly decided to adopt a godson, ignoring all advice from outsiders. Now, because of this, their relationship with their biological daughter has become extremely strained… Could they have been set up?]

[Actually, isn't this a form of exploiting a child who has no family to rely on? If there's only one child in the family, and the relationship between the parents and the child is successfully sown, then the parents will only have this adopted child by their side. After that, wouldn't they be able to do whatever they want?]

[This is highly impractical, isn't it? After all, what parent truly doesn't care about their child?]

[What if this adopted child saved their parents' lives, like the Lan family parents? And don't forget, the families they choose are carefully selected; the parents all have excellent character!]

This is truly a chilling thought.

*

Netizens felt a chill just from discussing it, let alone the Lan family mother and daughter involved. Lan Xin was so frightened that she leaned against her mother and eventually hugged her tightly, as if that was the only way to feel safe.

"This is terrifying..." she murmured, thinking about how she had been treating Bao Li so badly lately, and suddenly felt a little scared. She stammered, "Won't she hold a grudge and want to take revenge on me for treating her like this?"

After all, the other party is so cunning.

Lan's mother patted her head and said, "Don't worry, with Mom here, nothing will happen to you."

Lan's mother's eyes were firm; she had made up her mind.

As for this matter, Xu Gui and his group couldn't offer much help. The specifics of what to do next depended on the thoughts of Lan's parents. Xu Gui had already explained the situation to them, which was already a great help.

So after sitting at the Lan family's house for a while, Xu Gui and the others prepared to leave.

"Aren't you going to stay for dinner?" Lanxin was a little reluctant to see them go.

“If we could, we would like to stay a little longer, but we really can’t right now.” Fu Xia pointed to the camera that was being filmed and said, “Xu Gui is still filming a program, and she has to earn 100 million yuan in a month. It’s a very difficult task, and we don’t have time to waste right now.”

Upon hearing this, Lan Xin naturally abandoned any thought of trying to persuade them to stay. She readily gave Xu Gui the 1.5 million yuan she had promised, and then encouraged him, saying, "Master Xu, keep it up! I believe you can definitely earn 100 million yuan within half a month!"

She had confidence in Xu Guike.

“If anyone on my side needs your help, I’ll recommend you!” she added.

Upon hearing this, Xu Gui smiled and thanked her.

Xu Gui and the others left. Lan Xin and her mother watched them go. Then, Lan Xin's mother looked at Lan Xin and asked suspiciously, "What's the deal with the 1.5 million reward?"

Heaven knows how surprised she was when she saw her daughter transfer 1.5 million yuan to Xu Gui. If it weren't for saving face for her daughter, she would have asked immediately. She held back until Xu Gui and the others left before asking.

After all, although their family was somewhat wealthy, 1.5 million was not a small amount. This was probably about a third of their daughter's savings over the years. Seeing her so generously hand it over, Lan's mother naturally had some doubts.

When Lan's mother asked, Lan Xin answered honestly. After she finished speaking, she said, "Mom, you don't know, Master Xu is really amazing. She's a fortune teller. Countless people want to have their fortunes told by her. If Fu Xia and I weren't friends, we wouldn't have been able to find her to help us."

Lan's mother: "...This Miss Xu is actually so amazing?"

Lanxin was afraid that she wouldn't believe her, so she specially searched for Xu Gui's information online to show her, and said, "Didn't I say before that Master Xu was doing a live stream, that is, making money by telling fortunes on live stream? This time she's going to challenge herself to earn 100 million in half a month!"

Lan's mother almost thought she had misheard: "...How much did you say you wanted to earn?"

Lan Xin: "One hundred million!"

Lan's mother: "..." Is she out of touch, or are today's young people too arrogant?

Lan Xin was already calculating: "Master Xu earned more than five million yesterday, and with the one and a half million I'm giving you now, wow, Master Xu has already earned more than seven million! He might even earn ten million today!"

"Master Xu is truly amazing!" she exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Lan's mother, listening to her words, was completely dumbfounded. Their company only earned tens of millions a year. After deducting costs and expenses, the remaining profit was only ten or twenty million. But what this Master Xu earned in two days was something they earned in a year.

"...Are you sure you're not joking?" she asked her daughter.

Lan Xin wrinkled her nose and said, "I'm not joking. If you don't believe me, just search it online. I saw that someone posted a thread online specifically to record how much money Master Xu has made, and it's updated in real time. A lot of people are following that thread!"

Everyone was curious whether Xu Gui could complete the challenge. Looking at her current rate of making money, it seemed like it was possible, but it also felt particularly dangerous. It was this situation of having some hope but feeling that the chances were slim that made people even more interested, and more and more people clicked on the post.

When Lanxin checked the post in the morning, there were only a few thousand replies, but when she clicked in again this time, she found that there were already more than 50,000 people.

Lanxin: Surprised.

After hearing Lan Xin's words, Lan's mother was surprised and carefully searched for Xu Gui's information online. After confirming that what her daughter said was true and not exaggerated at all, she had only one thought in her mind: This Miss Xu is actually a master?!

Lanxin said, "Mom, Master Xu helped us, so we should try our best to help her too! You and Dad run a company, so you must know more wealthy people than I do. You must help keep an eye out for those uncles and aunts who might need help!"

She muttered to herself, "Master Xu's asking price isn't high. If the matter is serious, four or five million will suffice. If the matter is easier, two or three million will do. That's acceptable."

Hearing her words, Lan's mother gave her a helpless look and said, "Do you think everyone's money grows on trees? You think you can just give away millions like that?"

Lan Xin disagreed, saying, "A master like Master Xu is a rare find. It's not worth it to hire him for a little money. Humph, I know those so-called feng shui masters who charge millions. Isn't Master Xu more capable than them?"

Hearing her chatter on and on without stopping, Lan's mother sighed helplessly, "Yes, yes, you're right..."

Lan Xin: "What I said makes perfect sense!"

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Lan's mother, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself. Lan's mother said helplessly, "...Just say what you want to say, don't pretend with me."

Is that expression you're making intentionally for yourself?

"Since you've asked, it would be inappropriate for me not to answer, wouldn't it?" Lan Xin, having gotten the benefit, feigned innocence and said this before finally revealing what she wanted to say.

"I just want to ask, you already know that Bao Li isn't a good person, so what are you and Dad planning to do?" She asked hesitantly, her posture awkward and her tone timid, while secretly observing the expression on Lan's mother's face.

Lan's mother sighed and said, "I need to discuss this with your father... Don't worry, your father and I will definitely not take her as our goddaughter. You know, your father and I love you the most."

Hearing this, Lan Xin couldn't help but curl up her lips, and she said smugly, "Hmph, I knew you guys liked me the most!"

Seeing her expression, Lan's mother felt both bittersweet and happy—it had been a long time since her daughter had spoken to her in such a coquettish tone after returning from abroad and learning of Bao Li's existence.

Lan's mother couldn't help but reflect on her own actions, realizing that they should have paid more attention to their daughter's thoughts.

...

When Lanxin's father returned in the evening, Lanxin's mother told him everything that had happened that day.

"...I've always said that Lanxin is our precious child, and I will love her for the rest of my life, but I have to admit that I was still influenced by Baoli." Lanxin's mother said sadly, "The more considerate Baoli is, the more I feel that Lanxin is immature and willful."

“But she’s our daughter!” She looked at her husband, tears welling in her eyes, and said, “She’s willful and throws tantrums at us. Her personality is a result of our spoiling her. We never thought there was anything wrong with her behavior before, but why do we suddenly start to feel that she’s not considerate or understanding enough?”

After realizing this, Lan's mother felt incredibly guilty.

After hearing his wife's words, Lan's father felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his mind seemed to become extremely clear in an instant.

He realized that his wife was right; they were indeed influenced by Bao Li. Because of Bao Li's stark contrast, they felt their daughter's personality was even more unbearable... Looking back now, Bao Li's actions were partly intentional.

However, if anyone is at fault in this matter, the biggest fault lies with the couple themselves.

Mr. Lan was somewhat agitated. The couple remained silent for a long time before Mr. Lan finally spoke.

"Is that Master Xu really that amazing?" he asked. "Are you sure everything she said is believable?"

Lan's mother had already guessed her husband's reaction. After all, this kind of thing was not scientific, and anyone who didn't know Xu Gui would have doubts about it. So Lan's mother had already thought about how to persuade her husband.

It's actually quite simple; she just needs to present the facts to her husband. Here, she has to thank the netizen named "Zhe Er Gen" whose edited video was of great help to her.

After watching the video, Lan's father's tightly furrowed brows furrowed and relaxed, then furrowed again.

"What are you going to do about Bao Li's situation?" Lan's mother asked her husband.

Mr. Lan's eyes were cold as he said, "Since they dare to scheme against our family, we don't need to be lenient with them... Let's call the police."

Lan's mother looked at him in surprise and reminded him, "But we have no evidence. It's all just Master Xu's words. Do you think the police will believe us?"

“You said it yourself, it was Master Xu’s words!” Mr. Lan emphasized the title “Master Xu” and said, “Master Xu is famous online now, and the name of the diviner is known throughout the internet. The police may not care about what we say, but do you think they can ignore what she says?”

Lan's mother nodded in agreement, feeling that what her husband said made a lot of sense. After all, so many facts had already proven that this Master Xu was truly capable, and her words were indeed highly credible.

...

The Lan couple are indeed good people with good tempers, and they have always been doing good deeds. However, having a good temper does not mean that they have no temper; it just means that they do not lose their temper easily.

Having built their own company from scratch, the couple were both decisive. After deciding what to do that night, they went directly to the police station to report the crime the next day.

Moreover, since they had already determined that Bao Li had ill intentions, they naturally stopped paying attention to her. After that day, they never went to see her again, as if she never existed. However, while they could sit still, Bao Li couldn't.

At first, she only sent messages to the couple, but when the messages disappeared without a trace, she started making phone calls. However, she eventually found that she couldn't get through to them either. They probably realized that something was wrong. One day, the community worker who had introduced Bao Li to them suddenly came to their door.

Whenever Lan's mother saw the other person, she felt a surge of anger whenever she thought about what the other person had been thinking when they introduced Bao Li to her and her husband. It was difficult for her to show the other person a friendly expression.

However, when facing the Lan couple, the other party had a lecherous grin on his face, with the same expression as always.

“I heard from Lili that you haven’t been in touch with her much lately, and you haven’t replied to her messages. She’s worried that she might have done something to upset you, so she asked me to come and ask her…”

"As you know, Lily's parents died early, and she has long regarded you two as her biological parents..."