A Gift

Madam Lu's face turned grim. "Nonsense! Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

Bai Yao, who was sitting beside Madam Lu, was shocked as well. Her eyes seemed to be spitting flames as she said, "We already allowed you to adopt Fu Zhi, but how can you abuse the money of the Lu Family to get her into No.1 High School? Don't you think that this is inappropriate?"

'Just how much money has he spent to donate a laboratory building?'

Lu Jingqing tilted his body a little and put himself between Madam Lu and Fu Zhi. Then, he raised his head and said, enunciating every word, "Don't get so worked up, mom. I didn't use the Lu Family's money. The money that I donated to No. 1 High School is the money that I earned through my investment with my friends."

Unlike Lu Jingwen, Lu Jingqing was the most capable compared to his two siblings. Not only had he founded a company with his friends at a young age, but he had also moved out of the household of his family and bought an expensive mansion in Yu City. On the other hand, Lu Jingwen was his complete opposite. He and his family were a bunch of no-goods, so they could only stay with Madam Lu. Were Madam Lu not afraid that her eldest son would bring the company down due to his incompetence, she would not have needed to force Lu Jingqing to stay and manage the company. 

Bai Yao felt a little upset. "Even if the money is yours, you can't just blow it like that!"

Confused, Xu Wei looked at Bai Yao as if she was looking at a fool. Then, she said, "Why not? Jingqing is just spending his own money. I don't understand why you are getting so hot and bothered." 

Bai Yao was stumped, as she did not know how to reply.

Lu Chuwan handed a cup of water to Bai Yao, saving her from this predicament. Then, after putting her hand under her chin, she studied Fu Zhi for a short while before turning to Xu Wei. She did observe that there was some resemblance between them.

She cracked a smile and then changed the topic. "Well, since you're going to study at No.1 High School, please don't hesitate to come to me if you need any help."

When she heard what her daughter had said, Bai Yao's eyes shone again and she added, "Yeah, your cousin is going to meet up with Professor He. Maybe she can give you a remedial lesson so you can get into an ordinary university."

Fu Zhi had no idea why, but she could sense her auntie's growing hostility toward her. Her auntie obviously knew that she did not do well academically, yet she kept picking on her. 

Fu Zhi replied, "It's okay. I can study by myself."

Lu Chuwan had not expected Fu Zhi's response. She thought that after learning about their identity, even if Fu Zhi refused to flatter them, she would not act all cold and distant around them. 

She could sense an air of defiance about her, and it was really getting on her nerves. 

"If you really could learn something by studying on your own, there's no way you would have gotten those grades back at your school. Just admit your incompetence and drop the attitude!" Madam Lu harrumphed as she stared at Fu Zhi. 

She felt indignant whenever she thought that her friends might use Fu Zhi to criticize her. 

Mama Li immediately handed Madam Lu a cup of ginseng tea. It was only then that she felt better. She kept shooting daggers at Fu Zhi, but the latter just turned her head away, pretending that she could not sense her gaze. 

Xu Wei's heart ached as she looked at her daughter. "Mom, it's good for Zhizhi to be ambitious, don't you think so? Besides, she also brought you a gift. Let me show it to you!"

As she was talking, she rose to her feet and handed a paper bag that contained a pot of flowers to Mama Li. 

Madam Lu glanced into the paperbag and noticed a light blue flower in a celadon flower pot. Even though she could not tell what the name of the flower was, she was certain that it was just a wild flower that was very common in the countryside. 

'That's it? A pot of flowers? My son forked out a huge amount of money for you, and this is what you give to me in return?'

Madam Lu was speechless. 

Perhaps too many terrible things had happened today, as Madam Lu was tired. She rubbed her temples and said, "Forget it. Mama Li, put the flower in the greenhouse. Don't forget to tell the gardener to take good care of it."