Naturally, neither He Congnan nor Lu Jinhuan heard what the people outside were saying.
The two of them had just entered the private dining room and been seated for only a few minutes when He Xiangbei walked in, followed by Lu Zhao, who looked preoccupied, and Li Haili, whose face was dark with displeasure.
Just moments earlier, when Li Haili had seen her daughter, her heart had nearly broken.
Her Xiaoyun had always been beautiful.
While she wasn’t as naturally alluring and captivating as Lu Jinhuan, she had still stood out among ordinary girls. Otherwise, she never would have distinguished herself from hundreds of applicants and earned a place in Suzhou City’s song-and-dance troupe.
But now…
Her whole body was swollen.
Dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Her hair had turned dry and yellow.
Freckles covered her face.
She looked nothing like the bright, lively Xiaoyun she once knew.
If she’d at least given birth to a healthy baby boy, all that suffering would have been worthwhile.
It would have secured her daughter’s position in the He family.
But instead…
She’d given birth to a tiny, skinny, dark-complexioned baby girl.
The child was already a month old, yet she didn’t even look like she weighed ten pounds.
When she cried, her voice was as weak as a kitten’s.
After only a few mouthfuls of milk, she’d choke, her little face turning bright red.
The He family hardly seemed to care.
There was clearly a housekeeper in the home who could help look after her daughter.
Yet Jiang Yun insisted that the housekeeper had been assigned by higher authorities solely to care for the two elderly grandparents.
Those two old people weren’t bedridden.
They could walk around perfectly well.
Why did they need a housekeeper attending to them all day?
Whenever they went out, they even took the housekeeper along.
Wasn’t that proof enough?
They simply didn’t value her daughter.
They looked down on her for failing to produce a grandson.
It infuriated Li Haili.
She had thought marrying into the He family meant her daughter would enjoy a life of luxury.
Instead, she’d been thrown into misery.
And that useless son-in-law wasn’t any better.
He just stood there like a telephone pole.
When the baby wet herself, he didn’t even think to lend a hand.
It was as if he were blind.
If he had been more capable, would the He family have dared treat her daughter with such contempt?
The more Li Haili thought about it, the angrier and more heartbroken she became.
Her frustration nearly suffocated her.
Of course, she didn’t dare vent her anger on the powerful He brothers.
So the soft-tempered Lu Jinhuan naturally became her punching bag.
“Xiaohuan.”
“Your sister treated you so well when you were little.”
“After chatting with the He family’s elders, couldn’t you at least have gone upstairs to see her?”
“How can you be so thoughtless?”
“You didn’t even say hello before running off to the restaurant.”
“Were you starving in your last life?”
“Or have you gone eight lifetimes without a decent meal?”
Before Lu Jinhuan could respond, He Congnan’s expression darkened.
“I brought her here.”
“If you’re upset, direct it at me.”
“Why are you yelling at her?”
Li Haili froze.
She had never expected this little brat to actually have some ability.
In less than an hour…
She’d already won over the He family’s eldest son.
Judging by his attitude…
Were the two of them already together?
Shameless little vixen.
Still…
At least she was useful.
Before leaving home, Li Haili had already prepared some medicine.
It was hidden inside her inner pocket.
She had bought it on the black market.
The seller had claimed that even an impotent man would become as uncontrollable as a bull in heat after taking it.
Originally, she’d planned to slip it into He Congnan’s food during dinner.
No matter what happened tonight…
He had to end up sleeping with Lu Jinhuan.
Only if that girl married into the He family could she help Xiaoyun.
And even if she couldn’t do much…
Having a new daughter-in-law would give the mother-in-law and sister-in-law someone else to focus on.
That way Xiaoyun could stay out of the line of fire.
Besides, Lu Jinhuan had such a gentle personality.
Even if she suffered, she rarely complained.
Now things were even easier.
She wouldn’t have to drug anyone after all.
“I wasn’t yelling at her…”
Li Haili quickly softened her tone.
No matter what, appearances still had to be maintained.
“Aunt Li.”
“Before we boarded the train, you repeatedly reminded me that I had to behave and obey.”
“Everything you’ve asked me to do on this trip, I’ve done.”
“I truly believe I’ve done my best.”
“But somehow…”
“You always manage to find fault with me.”
“I’m a person.”
“I’m not a cat or a dog.”
“You smile at me when you’re in a good mood.”
“When you’re unhappy, you just scold me.”
“I’m eighteen years old.”
“I have my dignity too.”
Lu Jinhuan felt deeply wronged.
Aunt Li had always been like this.
In front of her father, she acted gentle, kind, and virtuous.
Behind his back…
She had never once smiled warmly at her.
It always felt as though she wasn’t really part of the Lu family.
It wasn’t that Aunt Li denied her food or clothing.
But the constant coldness…
The way she deliberately excluded her…
Hurt far more.
Thinking about it made Lu Jinhuan’s nose sting.
Tears began rolling down her cheeks one after another.
The moment He Congnan saw her cry, his expression turned icy.
His gaze became as sharp and cold as the bitter winds of midwinter as he stared directly at Li Haili.
He Xiangbei’s face darkened as well.
“Aunt Li?”
“I thought Lu Jinyun said you two were biological sisters.”
“What exactly is going on with your family?”
When he had registered his marriage with Lu Jinyun, he’d seen her household registration.
Her surname was Lu.
Under her relationship to the head of household, it simply stated “daughter.”
It had never crossed his mind that she came from a blended family.
After their daughter was born, Lu Jinyun had suggested introducing her younger sister to He Congnan in hopes of pleasing her mother-in-law.
At the time, He Xiangbei had thought their sisterly relationship seemed unusually cold.
After all…
Who would willingly marry her own biological sister to a man believed to be infertile?
Wouldn’t that mean condemning her sister to a childless life?
So…
They weren’t actually blood-related.
Now everything made sense.
Li Haili secretly pinched herself in frustration.
Damn it.
She’d been so eager to see her daughter and granddaughter that she’d forgotten to remind the girl to change how she addressed her.
After so many years, even Li Haili herself had grown used to it.
“Well…”
“Xiaoyun and Xiaohuan really aren’t biological sisters.”
“When Xiaohuan was born, her mother died during childbirth.”
“Xiaoyun’s biological father died in the line of duty.”
“Old Lu and I remarried through an introduction.”
“Xiaoyun has always been very sensible.”
“She didn’t want people gossiping, so she voluntarily changed her surname and has always treated Old Lu as her own father.”
“Our family has lived together harmoniously for years.”
“It’s only Xiaohuan…”
“She’s too stubborn.”
“Even after all these years, she still refuses to call me ‘Mom.'”
Li Haili excelled at speaking with hidden barbs.
On the surface, she praised her own daughter for being considerate.
At the same time, she subtly painted Lu Jinhuan as distant, unfilial, and unwilling to fit into the family.
Back home, whenever she said things like that, Lu Zhao would usually comfort her by saying,
“Don’t argue with a child.”
He would also sigh that although Lu Jinhuan looked gentle, she was actually more stubborn than anyone else.
To Li Haili, that was the same as agreeing with her.
But…
Who were He Congnan and He Xiangbei?
They had grown up in an influential political family.
At gatherings, they’d heard countless adults praising one person while subtly belittling another.
How could they possibly miss the hidden meaning in Li Haili’s words?
He Congnan let out a cold laugh.
His eyes brimmed with contempt.
“So Lu Jinyun doesn’t even acknowledge her biological father’s bloodline.”
“How very filial of her.”
“I wonder just how disgraceful her real father must have been…”
“…that she didn’t even have the courage to admit who he was.”
After saying that, he picked up the coat draped over his chair, took Lu Jinhuan by the hand, and headed for the door.
“You all enjoy your meal.”
“I’m taking Xiaohuan back to the guesthouse.”
He Xiangbei looked genuinely surprised.
His older brother had always been the most composed.
He handled people with impeccable manners and was considered the model child by every elder who knew him.
This was the first time he’d ever seen He Congnan show someone so little courtesy.
It seemed this delicate little sister-in-law really was something.
She’d managed to capture his brother’s heart in a single evening?
Just look at him.
She cried a little, and he was already heartbroken.
Then again…
Who wouldn’t feel protective toward someone so soft and delicate?
If his own position weren’t so awkward…
Even he would have wanted to comfort her.