Chapter 21 Boring Provocation
A serving of "Wuyi Snow Peak" and a set of "Shi Dabin's Xu Bianhu" completely changed Su Wantang's initial impression of the Lu family.
Grandpa Lu immediately made a decision: anyone who dares to speak ill of Jingyan's wife again will be punished according to family rules.
Although Grandma Lu didn't say anything, the sharp and sarcastic look in her eyes when she looked at Su Wantang was gone.
At this moment, Ye Manrou's face turned even paler. Finally, she forced a smile, said a few polite words, and took her leave, secretly plotting how to deal with Su Wantang.
Lu Jingyan, holding Su Wantang's hand, walked out of the main house amidst a cacophony of gazes.
The crabapple trees in the yard are lush and verdant; one can imagine the magnificent sight when they bloom.
Lu Jingyan carried two large suitcases into the house, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Su Wantang handed over a handkerchief, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief: "Chief, you've worked hard."
The man took the handkerchief, but instead of wiping his sweat, he grasped the hand she offered. His palm was burning hot; the dry heat penetrated his skin and reached his heart.
“At home, call me by my name.” He looked at her, his eyes deep, his voice slightly hoarse.
This man, flirting with such a serious demeanor, is the most deadly.
Su Wantang felt her ears getting hot, pulled her hand back, and turned to look at the layout of the room.
......
That evening, the Lu family held a banquet at their main residence, ostensibly to welcome Su Wantang back.
When Su Wantang and Lu Jingyan arrived, the living room was already quite full. Besides Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu, Ye Manrou, who had just suffered a setback that afternoon, was also present.
She was surrounded by several young men and women of similar age, who were clearly from the same circle.
When Ye Manrou saw Lu Jingyan enter, her eyes lit up and she immediately stood up.
"Brother Jingyan, you've finally arrived. Sister Wantang, come and sit down."
Her gaze swept over Su Wantang beside Lu Jingyan, a hint of coldness flashing across it before she quickly regained her friendly and warm demeanor.
She stepped forward and introduced the group of young people: "Come on, let me introduce you. This is Su Wantang, whom Brother Jingyan brought back from Shanghai."
She didn't mention "wife" or "sister-in-law" at all, but with just a casual "brought back from Shanghai," she firmly nailed Su Wantang's identity to the label of "outsider."
A boisterous girl with a few freckles on her face immediately stood up. She was Zhao Linlin, Ye Manrou's most loyal follower. She looked Su Wantang up and down, her eyes filled with sourness and undisguised criticism.
"Oh, so this is Jingyan's new wife? She's quite pretty, but she's too thin, like she could be blown away by the wind."
Another girl, who seemed a bit more shrewd, named Liu Sisi, nudged Zhao Linlin and tried to smooth things over with a smile: "Linlin, how can you talk like that? Wan Tang just arrived in Beijing, don't scare her."
He said he was trying to smooth things over, but anyone could see the amusement in his eyes.
Lu Jingyan's face turned cold.
Su Wantang seemed not to hear their sarcastic remarks. She nodded slightly to everyone as a greeting, and then sat down next to the old man with Lu Jingyan.
Their coordinated efforts perfectly excluded Su Wantang from "us".
The atmosphere became even more strange after the banquet began.
Ye Manrou and her friends chatted familiarly about old stories from the compound, about whose son had raided bird nests when he was a child, and whose daughter had secretly applied face cream. The atmosphere was lively, yet it was as if there was an invisible wall separating Su Wantang from the outside world.
The air pressure around Lu Jingyan was getting lower and lower, almost freezing over.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Seeing Su Wantang's consistently nonchalant demeanor, Zhao Linlin's anger flared even more. Her eyes darted around, as if she suddenly remembered something, and she deliberately raised her voice.
"Hey, by the way, have you guys read the newspapers? There's been a huge case in Shanghai lately, that Su's Department Store collapsed overnight! I heard the whole family got arrested, it's really gratifying!"
The laughter and conversation in the living room abruptly stopped.
All eyes immediately turned to Su Wantang.
There was sympathy, there was curiosity, but more than anything, there was schadenfreude, a desire to see the drama unfold.
This was more vicious than any form of exclusion. It was like publicly ripping open her wounds and trampling her into the mud.
Ye Manrou held a glass of wine, a smug smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with undisguised pleasure.
Liu Sisi lowered her head, seemingly uneasy about Zhao Linlin's "unrestrained speech," but a glint of shrewdness flashed in her eyes.
Grandpa Lu frowned, and Grandma Lu's expression also turned sour.
Regardless of whether one likes or dislikes this granddaughter-in-law, this is ultimately a family banquet of the Lu family. To publicly humiliate the Lu family members in this way is to disrespect them.
"Zhao Linlin!" Lu Jingyan's voice was as cold as ice.
Just as he was about to lash out, Su Wantang put down her chopsticks.
She gently wiped her mouth with a napkin, her movements elegant, without a trace of embarrassment or anger.
She raised her head and looked at Zhao Linlin, who had a defiant expression on her face, her expression as calm as a deep pool.
Thank you for your concern.
Her voice was clear and crisp, not loud, but clear enough to be heard throughout the entire living room.
Everyone was stunned.
This reaction is wrong. Shouldn't it be one of shame and indignation, or perhaps weeping?
Su Wantang continued, "I saw the newspaper. I only have one thing to say about this matter."
She paused, looked around, and finally her gaze landed on Ye Manrou's face, which seemed to be watching a good show.
“My father deserved his punishment, and I applaud the country for eliminating corrupt officials.”
Her tone was frank, open, and resounding.
Instead of being humiliated, Zhao Linlin, who asked the question, appeared narrow-minded and malicious.
This time, it was Zhao Linlin and Ye Manrou's turn to be stunned.
All the sarcastic remarks and "comforting words" they had prepared were swallowed back, leaving them speechless and blushing with embarrassment.
Why doesn't this woman play by the rules?
A hint of approval flashed in Old Master Lu's eyes.
What a decisive and ruthless girl! She's clear-headed and insightful; she's got the makings of someone who can do great things.
The icy coldness in Lu Jingyan's eyes instantly melted into a gentle lake. His wife could always surprise him.
Undeterred by her failed attack, Ye Manrou was unwilling to give up.
She immediately gave Liu Sisi a wink, and the latter understood and quickly changed the subject with a smile: "Oh, let's not talk about these unhappy things! Sister Manrou, I remember when you were little, you went to the back mountain with Brother Jingyan to raid bird nests, and you fell out of a tree. It was Brother Jingyan who carried you back!"
The topic immediately shifted to the shared memories of the children of the compound.
"Yes, yes, I remember! Uncle Ye even wanted to beat up Jingyan back then, saying he led you astray!"
"Another time, a few of us went to the river to catch fish. Jingyan filled a bucket by himself, while the rest of us came back empty-handed!"
"Sister Manrou, have you forgotten? Your favorite red dress was accidentally torn by Brother Jingyan, and you cried all day!"
They chatted amongst themselves, deliberately recounting childhood anecdotes that only they themselves understood, creating an invisible wall that tightly excluded Su Wantang.
This time, instead of attacking Su Wantang directly, they used a more sophisticated method—using shared memories and an unbreakable circle culture to completely isolate her.
You are an outsider.
You can't fit in.
You and we are from different worlds.
This is a silent verdict.
Lu Jingyan frowned again. He didn't like this feeling. Why should his woman have to suffer such humiliation?
He was about to pull Su Wantang away when Su Wantang stopped him.
Su Wantang stood up gracefully, neither refuting nor trying to join their conversation.
She simply picked up the glass of juice in front of her and raised it towards Ye Manrou, who was in the main seat.
"After listening to Ms. Ye's story, I realized how interesting your childhood was."
A genuine smile graced her face, like that of a listener attentively.
Ye Manrou raised her chin slightly, revealing a hint of victor's composure.
You're smart to know your place.
However, Su Wantang's next words completely froze her smile.
"I really envy you, growing up carefree in this compound since you were little." Su Wantang gently swirled the orange liquid in her glass, her eyes carrying a hint of wistful reflection and...pity?
"Not like me."
She changed the subject, her voice taking on a completely different quality.
“From a young age, I watched the ebb and flow of the Huangpu River, heard the firecrackers celebrating the opening of shops, and thought about how to expand my family business from one street to a city, and then from a city to the whole country.”
"Therefore, since we have different paths, the scenery we see is naturally different as well."
Her voice was soft, yet it was like a sharp knife, instantly slicing through the web of "circle superiority" that Ye Manrou had carefully woven.
While you were playing in the mud and collecting bird eggs, I was thinking about my business empire.
Your happiness comes from childhood memories, while my world is the stars and the sea.
Our paths diverge.
These three words are not about inferiority, but about overwhelming the opponent.
In an instant, Ye Manrou's proud "shared memories" and the "compound life" that highlighted their status seemed so... naive, laughable, and petty in the face of Su Wantang's grand vision.
The living room was deathly silent.
Zhao Linlin opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
For the first time, shock appeared in Liu Sisi's eyes.
Ye Manrou's hand holding the wine glass was trembling slightly.
She felt like a clown, showing off her glass marbles with all her might, only to discover that the other person was holding a dazzling diamond.
Su Wantang gave Ye Manrou, whose face was pale, a bright and radiant smile, and took a sip of juice.
Sweet.
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