C200 – Concealment
Su Ming swiftly made his way to his bed, pulled out a spray bottle from his backpack, and retrieved an Invincible Truth Pill.
He was about to stand and head out when he paused.
“The System has detected a unique circumstance regarding the host’s use of the medication. Would you like to specify a target?”
The sudden prompt in his mind caught Su Ming off guard.
He was concerned.
He didn’t want to risk harming his mother.
The System had instantly picked up on his intentions.
Still...
“Focus on the guest!”
“The Truth Pill has been modified to affect only the guest!”
With a grin, Su Ming opened the door and stepped out.
“Su, you’re home!”
Wang Yue’e’s face brightened at the sight of Su Ming.
She was on good terms with Lee Sumei, which was the only reason she’d been allowed inside.
“Auntie Wang, welcome!”
Su Ming greeted her cheerfully, “Auntie Wang, you and Mom go ahead and chat. The air’s a bit dry; I’m going to mist it a little.”
He took out the spray and misted the air.
“The house isn’t dry, though...”
Lee Sumei blinked, puzzled.
“Come take a look, too. This is Aunt Wang’s niece. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Lee Sumei showed Su Ming the photo.
He blinked in surprise.
After a quick scan and comparison, he realized the girl in the photo wasn’t nearly as pretty as portrayed.
Beauty and ugliness are determined by nature, and genetics are beyond anyone’s control.
But deception is another matter.
And what was the point of such a lie?
“Mom, please, don’t be upset. Trust my judgment,” Su Ming said, trying to soothe Lee Sumei.
Out of the blue, someone inquired, “Is Old Lee in?”
“Old Lee, your son’s no spring chicken, and my granddaughter’s about his age. Have you thought about pairing them up?”
“My granddaughter’s got a bank job, pulling in over 8,000 yuan a month. Plus, she’s just bought her own place.”
“Grandma Zhang, welcome! What’s your granddaughter up to these days?”
“She’s over at Old Wang’s in the next village, playing mahjong.”
“I thought she worked at the bank?”
“She was a sales clerk at a small business affiliated with the bank but got the sack last month for underperforming.”
“And her monthly earnings?”
“2,500 yuan. She’s quite the spender, and her dad has to top her up with another 2,000 yuan each month.”
Everyone was taken aback by this revelation.
Grandma Zhang blinked, puzzled at her own candor.
Later that afternoon, a handful of visitors stopped by.
One seemed promising, so Lee Sumei kept her photo.
Word quickly spread through the village:
The Su family’s son had an extraordinary gift.
Those seeking a marriage alliance with the Su’s couldn’t tell a lie.
Lee Sumei was initially pleased, but once the visitors had left, her mood soured.
Why did they feel the need to be dishonest?
“Mom, don’t let it get to you. It’s pretty standard for people to talk up their kids during matchmaking.”
“But if they lie, they’re bound to get caught out.”
“Mom, it’s just the way things are.”
Lee Sumei felt resigned.
“Tomorrow’s Old Master Liu’s centennial birthday. Let’s go celebrate with him.”
“Alright,” Su Ming nodded in agreement.
He wasn’t rushed to return, preferring instead to spend additional time with his parents at home. With President Chen and Wang Guohui keeping an eye on the downtown property, he felt completely at ease.
Furthermore, Su Ming had a strong hunch that he would come away from this with something valuable. Yet, he couldn’t pinpoint the reason behind this intuition. He suspected it might just be his sixth sense at play.