As far as Lu Xiaoxiao knew, she should have two older brothers. The eldest, Lu Xunli, was the CEO of Lu Corporation. Having been groomed as the successor since childhood, he became the company's workhorse at a young age, often staying at the office for three to five days without returning home when busy.
The second brother, Lu Shiyan, was a top idol and film emperor. Usually filming all over the country, he was even harder to spot. Additionally, due to past conflicts with their father over his insistence on entering the entertainment industry, his relationship with the family remained awkward, which explained why he wasn't present today.
Lu Xiaoxiao's gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Lu Jiaoyue, who was wearing a white dress and seated at the center of the dining table.
The newly returned girl appeared somewhat timid, her small face free of makeup yet stunningly beautiful, like a dust-covered pearl seeing light for the first time.
Her large, round almond eyes watched Lu Xiaoxiao with great curiosity, long thick eyelashes fluttering with each blink. She looked incredibly sweet and adorable, making it truly difficult for anyone to dislike her.
Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes instantly lit up.
[Holy crap, baby you're like a sweet, soft little cake – I just want to hug you to death with kisses!]
Hearing this excited female voice, Lu Jiaoyue froze in surprise.
She blinked twice in confusion, tilting her head toward Lu Xiaoxiao, thinking she must have misheard.
[Ahhhhhhhhh she tilted her head at me ahhhhhhhhh!!! So freaking cute!!! My dear sister, I won't allow anyone but me to defy you!!!]
Lu Jiaoyue: "…"
After a few seconds of processing, Lu Jiaoyue finally realized these were Lu Xiaoxiao's inner thoughts. After another moment's consideration, she reached a conclusion: this sister absolutely adored her!
Lu Jiaoyue began to feel somewhat shy, lowering her blushing face, too embarrassed to look at Lu Xiaoxiao anymore.
Lu Yuan and Song Zhilan, who had also heard Lu Xiaoxiao's inner thoughts, were equally stunned. But both being people who had weathered many storms, their age and experience allowed them to quietly adjust their expressions without drawing attention.
Lu Yuan wasn't particularly close to this adopted daughter. He had originally adopted Lu Xiaoxiao to comfort his emotionally devastated wife after Lu Jiaoyue went missing.
In truth, Lu Yuan wasn't particularly close to any of his children. His life focus had always been on work, and what he wanted most was family harmony and peace. Hearing that Lu Xiaoxiao held no resentment toward Lu Jiaoyue in her heart, his gaze toward her held more approval.
Song Zhilan also felt quite relieved. Having been Lu Xiaoxiao's mother for so many years, claiming no emotional attachment would be false.
Hearing these inner thoughts delighted her, confirming that the child she raised was indeed kind-hearted and lovely.
The quiet autistic youth Lu Baichen glanced emotionlessly at Lu Xiaoxiao before silently looking away.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, Lu Yubai's expression turned utterly horrified.
What… what… what did he just hear?
Lu Xiaoxiao actually liked Jiaoyue-jie???
A chill ran down his spine as he vigorously rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, his glare toward Lu Xiaoxiao growing even more venomous.
Impossible, this had to be Lu Xiaoxiao's act!
In Lu Yubai's mind, Lu Xiaoxiao had always been a hypocrite. He silently resolved to become Lu Jiaoyue's dedicated protector!
Everyone had their own thoughts, yet Lu Xiaoxiao, who had caused all this, remained completely unaware.
Song Zhilan spoke with a smile, "Xiaoxiao, come sit down. This is your younger sister, Lu Jiaoyue. I mentioned her to you before."
Lu Xiaoxiao then sat down beside Lu Jiaoyue. Remembering her mission to put Jiaoyue in her place, she deliberately scrutinized the other girl from head to toe with a critical gaze before covering her mouth with a light laugh:
"Oh, this outfit on Jiaoyue-mei… it's really too plain. Is it because you're used to living in a poor family?"
"This won't do. You're now a young lady of the Lu Family. If you don't dress yourself more glamorously, you'll embarrass the Lu Family, you know~"
As she spoke, Lu Xiaoxiao shook her head with tsk-tsk sounds, even feeling her own tone was somewhat nasty.
[As if she'd embarrass anyone! Good-looking people don't need fancy clothes – they'd look good even in a potato sack. But with my sarcasm like this, she's bound to get upset, right?]
Lu Jiaoyue nodded, her eyes sparkling brightly: "What elder sister says makes sense! Elder sister's dress today is especially beautiful! Your makeup is particularly lovely too! Even prettier than celebrities on TV!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: ?
She felt something wasn't quite right.
Lu Xiaoxiao tentatively continued her attack: "After all, this is a custom-made dress specially arranged by big brother for me. It's haute couture by LAWA's chief designer, so naturally it stands out."
[Actually, I asked for it myself. Big brother's usually too busy to care about me, but she doesn't know that. She must think I'm showing off how much big brother dotes on me.]
Lu Jiaoyue continued nodding: "How wonderful! Big brother is really good to elder sister!"
Lu Xiaoxiao: ?
Wait, can this girl really not detect the sarcasm at all?
Just as Lu Xiaoxiao was falling into self-doubt, Lu Yubai slammed the table and stood up:
"Hey! Lu Xiaoxiao, don't go too far! Jiaoyue-jie is pure-hearted so she won't bother with you, but don't think others can't see what you're up to."
After saying this, Lu Yubai couldn't help but curl into a secretly proud smile.
Hehehehe, didn't expect that, did you, woman! I, your lord, am the chosen one with superpowers – I can hear your inner thoughts! No matter how well you pretend, it's useless!
But the next second, he saw the other party smile too.
Lu Xiaoxiao was genuinely happy this time. She had thought her provocation had failed, but judging by Lu Yubai's reaction, it was quite effective after all.
She knew her acting skills were good!
Having received indirect validation from Lu Yubai, Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly found him much more agreeable.
"Yubai, you're overthinking things. What ill intentions could your elder sister possibly have? I know you're still young and inexperienced, but it's better to maintain some elegance during meals."
Lu Xiaoxiao picked up her wine glass, took a delicate sip, and looked at Lu Yubai with affectionate eyes: "Elegance never goes out of style."
Lu Yubai: ???
Lu Xiaoxiao's constant use of "Yubai" and "elder sister" thoroughly disgusted him. Combined with his hatred for people saying he was young and immature, the youth's face instantly turned ashen, and he almost immediately erupted:
"Lu Xiaoxiao, don't go too far! And who said you're my sister! You're just an imposter! If my father hadn't adopted you back then, you'd still be an orphan now!"
Lu Xiaoxiao frowned slightly, not responding immediately.
She wasn't the original owner of this body, so she wouldn't truly be hurt by these words, but for the original Lu Xiaoxiao, this statement was indeed deeply painful.
No wonder she became the Villainous Female Supporting Character—wasn't this just forcing her down the path of corruption?
According to Lu Xiaoxiao's own temperament, she would absolutely confront Lu Yubai in such a situation, but her current persona was that of a green tea b*tch, so she had to restrain herself.
Within a few seconds, Lu Xiaoxiao recalled all the sorrowful experiences from her lifetime, successfully squeezing out a few tears. With a trembling voice full of grievance, she sobbed:
"Yes, I'm not a biological child of the Lu Family. If everyone truly dislikes me… just send me back to continue being an orphan!"