Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Who Are You Calling a Wretch? Seeking Death
Jiang Ting had already seen her photo before Lu Sheng arrived, and it was also her consent to bring Lu Sheng to the Lu Family.
But as soon as she saw the girl, she still detested her to the point of itching teeth.
This face resembles Du Ran, that vixen, exactly; just one glance is infuriating.
If it were not for Old Mr. Fu insisting on meeting her, she would not have agreed to bring that wretch's child into her home.
But it was also good that she had brought her over.
Qianrou was the child she had painstakingly nurtured for over a decade, proficient in all manner of skills from music to chess, calligraphy, and painting, yet Lu Sheng was nothing but a wild girl raised in the countryside.
They could not take the initiative to propose an annulment of the engagement to Old Mr. Fu; once he met Lu Sheng in person and saw the difference between her and Qianrou, he would consider calling off the marriage himself.
Jiang Ting responded coldly with a single word.
Whereas Lu Qianrou took a deep breath upon seeing Lu Sheng reach out her hand.
... How is this possible.
The person she had sent to strangle Lu Sheng today had reportedly succeeded and even sent her a photo; how could Lu Sheng be standing here perfectly fine now?
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Was the assassin deceiving her, or was this person in front of her playing dead?
Lu Qianrou forced herself to calm down and instantly returned to her usual demeanor, smilingly shaking Lu Sheng's hand back, "Hello, Sister Lu Sheng, I'm also very glad to meet you."
"Hmph."
At that moment, Lu Youye, standing to the side, snorted contemptuously and rolled his eyes, which Lu Sheng caught sight of.
Lu Jingyan's secretary had introduced to her these five brothers, apart from the oldest, the twenty-three-year-old second brother Lu Siyan, a surgeon.
Then there was third brother Lu Ziye, who required no introduction as he was a current sensation in the entertainment industry, having won the title of Best Actor at only twenty-one.
As for fourth brother Lu Youming and fifth brother Lu Youye, the twin brothers were only a few months older than her and had just turned eighteen.
Although she had just met Lu Youye, Lu Sheng could acutely feel the hostility emanating from the youth.
It was clear from his subconscious move to wrap his arm around Lu Qianrou earlier that this fifth brother was indeed a sister-obsessed guardian, with his protective nature for Lu Qianrou on full display.
"Now that you are here, and your Aunt Jiang is willing to accept you, from now on you are a member of the Lu family, and you should call her mother outside."
Lu Chengye didn't expect that his newly acquired daughter would be this beautiful and seemingly well-behaved, which swiftly diminished his initial repulsion towards her.
"Your room is on the first floor. Let Qianrou show you there," Lu Chengye said offhand, "Are you wearing Qianrou's dress? It looks quite nice."
Lu Chengye's casual compliment stiffened Lu Qianrou's body. Clenching her fists secretly, her smile appeared even more pleasant and obedient: "...Then follow me, sister."
Lu Sheng's room was on the first floor.
In the residences of such upper-class families, the first floor was generally reserved for servants and strangers; the room was likely deliberately arranged by Jiang Ting.
The room was small, with simple decor. The smell of dampness from the wood lingered, clearly indicating a guest room that was rarely cleaned and had never been inhabited.
Lu Sheng followed Lu Qianrou into the room and surveyed the interior, but then the door creaked shut behind her.
Turning around, Lu Sheng faced Lu Qianrou, who was expressionless.
Lu Qianrou's demeanor now was the complete opposite of the gentle submission she had shown outside.
"I will not let you take Brother Fu Chen away from me," Lu Qianrou suddenly said, her voice ice-cold.
Lu Sheng did not expect Lu Qianrou to lose her patience so quickly, showing her intimidation just upon meeting; it actually kindled her interest.
With a touch of innocence, she replied, "Oh? But my mother said that I was already engaged to that Fu Chen."
"An engagement can be set, and it can also be annulled," Lu Qianrou replied mockingly, "You don't actually think that Old Mr. Fu's only grandson would truly marry a country bumpkin like you, do you?"
"You are merely an illegitimate daughter from the Lu family who can't be brought into public, while I have been the darling of my parents and brothers for over a decade. Now that you're here, you can't even wear anything other than the clothes I was about to throw away."
If the original owner of the body had been around, that sensitive and inferior character would have just become sadder after being spoken to in such a manner by Lu Qianrou, feeling even less worthy and perhaps even proposing to break off the engagement herself.
But Lu Sheng was not the original protagonist.
"Really?"
Lu Sheng suddenly curled the corners of her mouth: "I indeed had no interest in that Fu Chen, but hearing you say that, if the Lu Family cannot accommodate me, then I must find somewhere else to go."
"Becoming Young Madam of the Fu Family, even if there's no affection with Young Master Fu, my life would still be one of glory and wealth, free from worries of food and clothing, right? I must seize this opportunity well."
"You—!" Lu Qianrou suddenly looked up.
She guessed correctly; this Lu Sheng was indeed not as simple as she appeared to be in the living room. Otherwise, why would her eldest brother, who always steers clear of women and doesn't like others getting close, take the initiative to hug her?
"You're just like your mother, nothing but a vixen," Lu Qianrou's face was pallid with rage, "Fu Chen is my boyfriend; do you think you can snatch him away from me just because of some senile old man's nonsensical marriage agreement?"
"Who are you calling a vixen?"
The moment Lu Qianrou's words dropped, the smile on Lu Sheng's lips abruptly vanished, and her eyes turned icy in an instant.
"I said—"
Before Lu Qianrou could repeat herself, before she could even react, in the next second, the girl swiftly moved behind her, then raised her elbow and tightly choked her neck!
"Wu! Wu!!"
Lu Qianrou never expected that someone who seemed frailer than her could possess such strength. The moment Lu Sheng choked her neck, she felt as if her airway was completely cut off.
She couldn't breathe and could only struggle with all her strength, her hands frantically clawing at Lu Sheng's arms. Despite drawing blood from Lu Sheng's arms with her long, sharp nails, the girl did not let go.
Her grip even tightened, as if intending to strangle her to death right then and there!
"Help, hel..."
Lu Qianrou's face turned beet red as she struggled to speak, only managing to flutter her legs on the ground in a frantic effort to make someone outside hear the commotion and come in to save her.
However, in the next second, Lu Sheng leaned in and whispered in her ear, freezing her entire body as though she had fallen into an ice cave.
"The person you hired, in that alley, nearly strangled me to death just like this."
The girl's voice was light and eerie, like a ghost, sending chills down one's spine.
"I've taken note of this debt; I will return it to you bit by bit, my dear, sister."
Suddenly, Lu Sheng let go.
Fresh air rushed back into her lungs, and Lu Qianrou, gasping for air, staggered back and started to scream, "Mom and Dad! Eldest Brother! Fifth Brother! Help me!"
The sudden sound of Lu Qianrou's frightened screams from the room alerted the people in the living room, and they immediately rushed over.
As soon as they arrived, Lu Qianrou threw herself into Lu Jingyan's arms and cried out, "Eldest Brother! Lu Sheng just tried to strangle me; she wanted to kill me!"
Lu Qianrou didn't expect Lu Sheng to be so sure that the person sent to kill her was her.
But she knew the assassin would have left no trace, and even if Lu Sheng claimed it was she who hired the killer, the Lu Family would never believe it.
—What?
Hearing this, Lu Jingyan and the others all inhaled sharply.
Upon hearing these words, Lu Youye exploded with anger, glaring at Lu Sheng: "Are you insane Lu Sheng, bullying Qianrou while we're not around? You even wanted to kill her??"
"So what if you're our blood-related sister? Qianrou is the darling of our family! How dare you?"
However, the girl had been silent, her head bowed the whole time; but when she finally lifted her head, her eyes were a bright red, brimming with tears.
"If my sister dislikes me staying with the Lu Family, I can go back to the countryside..."
"It was clearly you who grabbed my arm and put it around your neck, and you bruised me like this."
"Why... would you frame me like this?"
Saying so, the girl extended her slender arms, and her pale arms were covered in nail scratches, flesh mangled and bloody.