"Heh, see?" The man suddenly patted her shoulder.
Xia Zhi shuddered, a chill creeping up from her back.
"It's true what they say, comparisons are odious! Xia Zhi, why is your life so unlucky? Other people's adoptive parents love their daughter more than your biological parents do!"
"You went to great lengths to snag a rich second-generation heir at school, and what was the result?" The man, fearing the fire wasn't burning bright enough, said, "She didn't even have to move, and the eldest son of the Huo family came running over to dote on her!"
"Enough!"
Every word the man uttered was provoking Xia Zhi's sensitive and fragile nerves.
Xia Zhi suddenly raised her head and glared at him, but in the end, she slowly retreated out of fear, her shoulders trembling as she suppressed the resentment and anger in her heart.
The man smiled slightly, patted her shoulder, whistled, and walked away.
He has achieved his goal.
It seems Mr. Lu was right; people like Xia Zhi, who can't stand seeing others do well, will be their most powerful weapon.
*
Central City.
Lu Ran finally managed to shake off all the bodyguards and ran all the way to the hospital.
Learning from her previous experience, she didn't take the main road into the hospital this time, but instead chose a side path.
Moreover, instead of wearing her usual clothes, she wore an oversized top and jeans today, and covered her small face with a wide-brimmed hat.
Just to be on the safe side, she didn't take the elevator and climbed up to the eighteenth floor via the emergency exit. Only when she arrived at the ward at the end of the inpatient corridor did her tense nerves relax a little.
"Mom, I'm here," Lu Ran called softly.
The woman on the hospital bed was pale, weak, and emaciated; it seemed that only those cold tubes were keeping her alive.
"mom……"
Lu Ran walked over, dipped a cotton swab in water, and gently wiped her lips twice.
The woman twitched her eyelids, but did not open them.
Lu Ran sighed. Her mother was currently in a coma for most of the day, and when she was awake, she could only watch her quietly, coughing incessantly after only a few words.
"Mom," she muttered to herself as she straightened the blankets for her mother, "Don't worry, Dad said they've found a kidney donor. As long as I behave, your surgery will be scheduled soon..."
“Mom, I’ve been a good girl.” Lu Ran sat down in front of her and smoothed the messy hair at her temples. “Dad asked me to sign, so I signed… That document is a share transfer certificate that my uncle gave me. He’s going to transfer a portion of Qingshan Entertainment’s shares to my name.”
The woman's fingers twitched, and her breathing became slightly rapid.
Lu Ran knew that her mother could hear everything, but she was too weak to open her eyes and express herself.
"Mom, don't worry, let me finish!"
"Dad told me to sign my own name, then make up an excuse to fool my uncle and aunt so they wouldn't see the document, and then secretly manipulate things so the shares would be in his name... Ha, I'm not that stupid!"
Lu Ran's eyes widened, and she whispered in her ear, "I signed Lu Xiaoyou's name."
“I secretly checked the records. Lu Xiaoyou hasn’t appeared in all these years. Legally, it’s impossible to determine whether she still exists, so those three words have no legal effect! Mom, don’t worry, even if Lu Xiaoyou doesn’t exist, I won’t touch her things… the shares, Qingshan Entertainment, the Lu family’s assets, they should all belong to her, I won’t touch a single penny!”
Lu Ran looked at her mother, her eyes slightly red, and forced a smile. "However, I have to figure out how to fool Dad first... Once your surgery is successful, we'll tell you the truth! Mom, you must persevere, and I'll stay by your side!"
The woman's expression relaxed considerably, and her face beneath the ventilator seemed to be smiling.
“Mom, there’s one more thing,” Lu Ran continued, “The DNA samples from before were all obtained by Dad through connections. I made some inquiries, and those samples match my uncle and aunt’s samples quite well… Do you think Dad knows where the real Lu Xiaoyou is?”
The woman struggled to open her eyelids, her eyes dull and lifeless, and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Then I have to follow the clues and investigate this matter thoroughly!" Lu Ran said excitedly. "If we can find the real Lu Xiaoyou through those DNA samples, a huge weight will finally be lifted off my shoulders!"
*
Jiang Mianmian applied to go to Southeast Asia for an exchange program. Because there were many people going, the program was extended from two weeks to a month.
Although she was extremely reluctant to part with Huo Junyu, she still felt a little excited when the plane landed on Southeast Asian territory.
The exotic charm of Southeast Asia and the novelty of her first trip abroad slightly lessened her longing for Huo Junyu.
After the students got off the plane, they took a bus to their hotel, chatting and laughing all the way. Jiang Mianmian also looked out the window curiously, taking pictures and sending them to Huo Junyu.
"Huo Yu, look! This is the tallest palm tree I've ever seen!"
"This place is so beautiful, like a fairyland! I heard you can even see fireflies at night!"
"Huo Yu, this photo is of the Grand Palace! We just passed by the Grand Palace!"
Huo Junyu was on the other end, looking at the photos and smiling.
He was very familiar with these sights, and judging from the route her bus had taken, the next stop would be the Yin Family Manor, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
She probably didn't know that the artist who had copied the painting of the two-winged firefly lived in the manor.
Jiang Mianmian was very excited. Xu Xiaonuo, who was sitting next to her, leaned over to take a look and couldn't help but laugh.
"Send it to your husband?"
Jiang Mianmian blushed slightly and smiled shyly.
Xu Xiaonuo looked up at the luggage rack.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
