Chapter 595: 302 Absurdity (First Watch)
There are no walls that don’t leak. The drama of the true and fake heiresses is too much to ignore, especially for The Zhus who are under paparazzi’s spotlight.
Even those present who didn’t pay much attention heard some rumors.
Shen Zhou is the weathervane of Jiangzhou’s business world, watched by countless pairs of eyes. His every move is scrutinized. When the teenage girl was favored by The Shens at Elder Theodore Shelby’s birthday banquet, that was when everyone started paying attention to the true heiress of The Zhus.
Who is Shen Zhou? A man who built his own business empire from scratch at twenty, an enigmatic and deep figure, who left many people suffering silent losses. Mentioning him would make people shudder with fear.
Even if he were to fart, everyone would be trying to fathom what it smelled like, what his intention behind it might be...
Hence, when Ming Jing suddenly came into the picture, as Shen Zhou’s sister, this young girl took on a new meaning in their eyes.
No matter how much they thought about it, they could not come up with any conclusion.
Could it be that Shen Zhou, out of a lack of familial love, suddenly wanted a sister?
The episode at the horse-racing event shed some light on the matter, linking it with the rumors about Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen, finally bringing the truth to light.
Looking at the middle-aged man in front of them, Zhu Wentao, who was recently out on bail, they somewhat pitied him.
The purpose of his gathering today is clear to all.
Isn’t he just using everyone as a fulcrum in his power struggle with his daughter?
If this had happened earlier, everyone might have helped him out of old friendship. After all, it is utterly outrageous for a daughter to rise against her father, and everyone can empathize with his anger or sympathy, and would be willing to lend a helping hand.
But after the incident at the horse-racing event, no one dared to lend a hand anymore.
The girl, Ms. Zhu, had huge power behind her. Only this pitiful Mr. Zhu seems to be blind to that.
However, it’s still a family business, no matter how heated the dispute gets, they’re bound by blood.
But it’s different for outsiders, who would they complain to if they were set up?
This Mr. Zhu is truly foolish, having such a powerful daughter. Life would be easier if he just enjoy his twilight years, but he insists on opposing his daughter, which means opposing Shen Zhou and Mr. Shen.
Recalling the rumor about The Zhus preferring the faux heiress and kicking out the real one, it seems hilariously ironic now.
Is there something wrong with The Zhus’ brains?
Always picking up sesame seeds while letting go of watermelons, making such foolish decisions.
The fake heiress is smaller than a sesame seed, the real one might be a gold, diamond-studded watermelon.
This is far beyond being described with just ‘stupid’.
Zhu Wentao’s expression speaks volumes. It seems everyone has figured it out.
It turns out the rumor was true.
Zhu Wentao quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, “Mr. Li, you’re joking. Ming Jing is my biological daughter, there’s no overnight feud between father and daughter. It just happened because of some issues with my secretary which upset her mother. Since a daughter is usually closer to her mother, she got angry and moved out. She’s headstrong, as she didn’t grow up at home. However, she’s been dutifully looking after her mother who fell ill, serving tea and stewing medicine...”
“Dad...you...”
Zhu Xiangxiang suddenly felt scared. The man in front of her had a wolfish, brutal look in his eyes. It wasn’t the gaze of a father looking at his daughter, but rather a man gazing at...a woman.
Zhu Xiangxiang’s heart pounded like a drum, her body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and her face turned as white as paper.
Zhu Wentao took a deep breath, suppressing the heat inside his body, and growled angrily, “Get out!”
Zhu Xiangxiang immediately ran off in panic, not noticing that she had lost one of her shoes.
Zhu Wentao leaned back on the sofa and slapped himself hard, muttering, “Beast.”
All this had been witnessed by a pair of eyes from the corner’s shadow.
Li Juan hadn’t expected her trip to get a drink of water would end up providing such compelling entertainment. It was truly fascinating.
She had always said that the Zhu household was full of absurdities, and now, it was proving even more ridiculous than she thought...
Zhu Xiangxiang, not even going to bed in the middle of the night, parading around in such scanty clothing in front of a drunk man. Even biological father and daughter would avoid such impropriety, doesn’t she know he’s not her real father?
The child was just too young, unaware of how horrific a man’s animal instincts could be, acting recklessly in the heat of the moment.
After lying for a while, Zhu Wentao staggered upstairs.
Only then did Li Juan dare to sneak into the kitchen for some water. It seemed like the real lady leaving the Zhu household was a clever move indeed.
Li Juan was drinking her water when she suddenly paused.
She somehow found the actual young lady to be familiar, but she couldn’t recall why.
Just now, however, she remembered...
Twelve years ago, on that rainy night, the woman standing behind her with a cloak.
In her panic, the cloak had fallen, and lightning split the sky. For a brief moment, she saw the woman’s face...and a bulging belly that was much too big...
Li Juan didn’t finish her drink, and rushed into Madam Zhou’s room to wake her up.
Madam Zhou rubbed her sleepy eyes and growled impatiently: “What are you doing? Disturbing people’s dreams will get you damned to hell.”
“If I’m damned to hell then so be it, Madam Zhou, I have a question for you, how old is our young lady?”
Madam Zhou grumbled: “Are you sick or something? However old Xiangxiang is, that’s how old our young lady is. Why are you asking this?”
“Twelve? Or maybe thirteen?” Li Juan ventured.
Madam Zhou snapped irritated: “Have you got too much time on your hands? Is that why you’re disturbing an old woman like me? She’s in grade eleven now, how old do you think the young lady is? Twelve? Is it you who can’t count or is it me? She’s sixteen and come next March, she’ll be exactly seventeen!”
“But it doesn’t add up?” Li Juan began counting on her fingers.
It was the second half of November, twelve years ago... No, it was thirteen years this month.
Did she remember it wrong?