Gu Yucheng’s hands shook as he held the newspaper, flipping it back and forth like a fly.
But no matter how many times he looked, the prominent statement in the center remained there.
He read it again and again, his eyes locked tightly on the official seal at the end of the announcement.
“So that’s it… the seal was always in Lu Rao’s hands! No wonder I couldn’t find anything even after searching Lu Fantang!”
He truly hadn’t expected that Lu Rao would act on impulse and expel him from the Lu family in Lu Fantang’s name!
“You can’t do this! I am a son of the Lu family! My mother was properly married to the old master—”
“Do you have a marriage certificate?” Lu Rao asked calmly.
Gu Yucheng froze.
The clan members nearby immediately burst into mocking laughter at Lu Rao’s words.
Someone sneered, “Marriage certificates were already a thing in the Republic era. Did your mother and the old master ever register one? Did they ever publish a public marriage announcement?”
“Everyone in the Lu family knows it. She was just a servant who lived off the Lu family her whole life. The Lu family even raised the son she brought with her. To let him grow up with dignity, the old master specially gave him the status of an adopted son.”
“Gu Yucheng, you came to the Lu family at eight years old—you were old enough to remember things. Have you already forgotten your roots?”
“We call you Second Master out of respect, and you really started believing you were a Lu family son? Stop putting on airs!”
“You—!” Gu Yucheng’s face turned red with rage.
The fig leaf was torn off completely.
His greatest humiliation was exposed in public, and years of resentment surged up all at once, rushing straight to his head.
“PFFT—” He spat out a mouthful of blood onto the face of the person in front of him.
Everyone screamed and scattered.
Lu Rao frowned slightly.
He couldn’t die from anger just yet—that would be too cheap for him.
“Qiao Shuxin.” Lu Rao turned to her. “You’re the Lu family young miss now. You handle what comes next.”
She had already finished what she wanted to do. The rest, of course, would be dumped onto Qiao Shuxin.
A spoiled young lady—why talk about martial ethics?
“Lu Rao, do you even hear what you’re saying?” Qiao Shuxin was once again stunned by Lu Rao’s shamelessness.
When she was showing off just now, she was the Lu family heir. Now that it was time to clean up the mess, she was pushing everything onto the real young miss?
No—what real young miss?
Qiao Shuxin suddenly recalled what the clan members had just said.
“A servant… adopted son?”
“Young Miss, didn’t you know? Gu Yucheng isn’t even the Lu family’s son. You don’t need to care about him at all.”
One clan member said obsequiously.
The others quickly echoed.
They were still unwilling to leave, thinking Qiao Shuxin was easier to manipulate, hoping to squeeze some benefits out of her.
Qiao Shuxin froze.
Her ears, still ringing from the earlier slap, now buzzed even louder.
Her mind churned violently.
“Adopted son? Gu Yucheng isn’t a Lu? Then what about me? I’m his illegitimate daughter… doesn’t that mean I’m not related to the Lu family either?”
She suddenly turned to Gu Yucheng.
Only now did she realize—he had been lying to her all along!
She wasn’t a Lu family young miss at all. She was just a pawn he used to seize the Lu family assets!
Qiao Shuxin suddenly recalled the previous life. This scheme had actually succeeded. Although they never found the Lu family treasure, they still took the four dowry boxes and fled overseas.
It all felt ridiculous.
She had always thought Gu Yucheng was stupid.
But he wasn’t just stupid—he was both stupid and vicious!
Her body began to tremble.
She dared not even imagine what would happen if her identity as an illegitimate daughter was exposed.
The Lu family was involved in underground circles. Even if their power had declined, their connections alone could destroy her countless times.
She was terrified.
She forced herself to stay standing.
“Young Miss…” Gu Yucheng rasped, staring at her coldly with blood-stained teeth. “What do you have to say?”
So she knew now—and what?
He didn’t believe she would dare expose herself either.
If she did, then they would all go to hell together.
Qiao Shuxin felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze.
She finally understood the fear of being targeted by a mad dog.
She had thought that with her rebirth, dealing with Gu Yucheng and his wife would be easy.
Only now did she realize—it was never that simple.
“No. I have to get away from him—and from the Lu family!”
“The Lu family has already been emptied. It’s just a burden now. To me, both Gu Yucheng and the Lu family are ticking time bombs!”
Her mind cleared instantly.
She had grown up suffering in the countryside, lived two lifetimes—she wasn’t some naive country girl.
She quickly found the best option.
Leave.
Right now.
Otherwise, when the Lu family was investigated, she would definitely be implicated as the so-called young miss.
But before she could turn away, she was surrounded by the clan members.
They clamored for her to help them.
Qiao Shuxin finally snapped.
“You’ve already been expelled from the Lu family! What does it have to do with me? If you’re not satisfied, go find Lu Rao!”
“You are you, Lu Rao is Lu Rao. We only recognize the Lu family young miss! If you don’t help us, none of you are leaving today!”
The clan members started acting shamelessly.
Some women even grabbed her legs and sat on the ground crying and rolling around.
Qiao Shuxin was about to cry from anger.
But when she looked up, she saw Gu Yucheng’s cold, malicious gaze—and she didn’t dare say she wasn’t the Lu family young miss.
Her mind went blank, and she shouted:
“Then sell the Lu mansion! Split the money!”
The crowd instantly quieted.
Everyone stared at her eagerly.
Qiao Shuxin also suddenly felt it was a good idea.
She could take a large share too.
These clan members had already been expelled—just give them a little to shut them up.
The system clicked its tongue.
“They really are dreaming.”
“They’re practically drooling over nothing.”
Lu Rao had already stepped under the corridor of a nearby building, watching the group coldly.
She glanced at the sky.
“About time.”
She looked toward the entrance.
As expected, the street office from the neighboring Chaoyang building had already sent people to watch the situation.
When they heard about selling the mansion, the director immediately walked in with a lease agreement and a group of staff.
“This is impossible!”
Qiao Shuxin swayed when she saw the contract, but quickly steadied herself.
Forcing calm, she said to the director:
“I’m selling the house. It won’t affect your lease of the Lu mansion.”
The director nodded with a smile.
“No offense intended, just a question—Miss Qiao, do you have the property deed for the Lu mansion?”
“And do you have the official seal of the Lu family?”