Early Monday morning.
The online backlash against Rong Yu was growing fiercer by the minute.
"Wanting to be the team leader requires some actual skills, okay? With such low popularity, can’t sing or dance—what’s she even fighting for?"
"Rong Yu is totally the type of school bully who forms cliques to pick on others."
"He Qiqi has such a good temper, putting up with someone stepping all over her like that."
"Thanks to Rong Yu, the clown, more people are getting to know our Qiqi."
"Qiqi should start prepping for her rise to stardom."
"..."
Old Master Ji, being elderly, woke up early—around 4 a.m.—and immediately dove into battling the online trolls.
Realizing he couldn’t handle it alone, he ordered Steward Yu to create a Weibo account.
Steward Yu was stunned.
At over sixty years old, navigating the complexities of the internet was beyond him. He quickly gathered all the servants and security staff at the estate, tasking the younger ones with the mission.
By 8 or 9 a.m., breakfast at Hibiscus Manor still hadn’t been served.
A large group sat on the lawn, hunched over their phones, typing furiously as they argued with netizens…
Rong Yu: "..."
"Ji Shunying!" she called coldly.
Old Master Ji, leading the charge, jolted and scrambled up from the grass. "Here!"
Meeting her gaze, he felt an inexplicable guilt and quickly waved his hand. "Everyone, disperse! Get back to your duties. Steward Yu, keep an eye on the kitchen and hurry up with breakfast."
Steward Yu sighed in relief and rushed off.
"Yingbao, you’re spending over ten hours a day on your phone now," Rong Yu said. "Hand it over. Confiscated."
Under the authority of his mother, Old Master Ji obediently surrendered his phone.
Ji Zhouye, never one to miss stirring the pot, chimed in, "Great-grandma, the old man has another phone hidden in his back pocket."
Duoduo raised her hand. "There are two more charging under Great-grandpa’s pillow."
Old Master Ji: "..."
Traitors, the lot of them.
Ji Zhiyuan stepped forward. "Old Master, stop wasting your energy. I’ll have the Ji Group suppress the trending topic."
Rong Yu shook her head. "Since I chose to join the show, I knew I’d face public scrutiny. It was expected—no need to dwell on it."
As they spoke, guests arrived at the manor’s gate—Lan Rouxue and Lan Yue. Steward Yu escorted the mother and daughter inside.
Old Master Ji quickly excused himself. "Mom, I woke up too early. Feeling dizzy—I’ll go lie down."
Now, just the sight of Lan Rouxue made him uncomfortable.
How had he ever thought she was the perfect candidate for the eldest daughter-in-law? He must’ve been blind.
The old man scurried off.
Lan Rouxue didn’t seem to notice. Smiling, she greeted them. "Good morning."
Lan Yue took the initiative to hold Duoduo’s hand. "I’m sorry, Duoduo. Last time, I was immature and ruined your things. I know I was wrong. Can you forgive me?"
Duoduo pulled her hand away, silent.
Ji Zhiyuan frowned slightly. "Duoduo, haven’t I taught you what to say when someone apologizes?"
Duoduo bit her lip, about to speak, when Rong Yu interjected calmly, "If the apology is sincere, of course you can say ‘it’s okay.’ But Duoduo, do you feel Lan Yue’s sincerity?"
Lan Yue quickly added, "I truly know I was wrong. Duoduo, please forgive me?"
"If you knew you were wrong, shouldn’t you have come with compensation to apologize?" Rong Yu smiled. "A princess dress and a pair of crystal shoes—total 386,000 yuan."
Last time, Lan Yue had an asthma attack and seemed pitiable, so Rong Yu had let it slide.
But now that they’d come knocking, there was no way she’d let this debt go unpaid.
Those were items she’d personally picked for Duoduo—how lovely the little girl had looked in them. To have them deliberately ruined was unforgivable.
Lan Yue stiffened, instinctively looking up at her mother.
Lan Rouxue clenched her lower lip.
She hoped Ji Zhiyuan would say something.
But he remained silent, unmoving.
She knew there was no dodging this and that Ji Zhiyuan wouldn’t cover the cost.
Of course—when it came to Duoduo, no matter how obedient, well-behaved, or sweet Lan Yue was, she could never compare to his own daughter in his heart…
Kneeling down, Lan Rouxue said, "Friends talking about money hurts feelings. Duoduo, how about Auntie buys you the exact same dress and shoes later, okay?"
Duoduo, soft-hearted by nature, wouldn’t drag things out at this point. She nodded. "Okay."
Lan Yue reached for her hand again. "Then let’s go play!"
Duoduo withdrew her hand once more. "I still have to read my English picture book. You can go play by yourself."
Auntie had taught her—if she didn’t want to do something, she should refuse bravely. No need to force herself.
She never wanted to be friends with Lan Yue again, nor play with her… The little girl turned and walked firmly upstairs, closing her bedroom door behind her.
"Miss Rong," Lan Rouxue said, holding out a box. "I saw these high heels while shopping—perfect for a young woman. I bought them for you. Would you like to see if you like them?"
Rong Yu glanced at the shoebox.
The packaging looked familiar—likely the same gift from the man beside Lan Rouxue last night.
She shot Ji Zhiyuan a look.
He recognized it too.
His jaw tightened. "Miss Rong doesn’t need these shoes."
Lan Rouxue pressed her lips together.
Of course she knew Rong Yu didn’t lack money—not with Old Master Ji, despite his age, showering her with wealth like a lovesick fool.
But—
These shoes were her gesture of goodwill.
Was it wrong for her to lower herself and try to befriend Rong Yu?
Before she could say more, Rong Yu turned and walked into the tea room.
"Zhiyuan," Lan Rouxue said, voice laced with hurt, "does Miss Rong really hate me that much?"
Ji Zhiyuan’s gaze darkened. "Did you really pick these shoes out for Miss Rong yourself?"
Lan Rouxue’s fingers stiffened.
The shoes were a gift from the man who’d taken her to the riverside last night—expensive, over 200,000 yuan. She hadn’t been able to refuse.
But she didn’t particularly like the style either.
So she’d decided to pass them off as a gift to Rong Yu.
Had Ji Zhiyuan noticed something?
Her mind raced as she replied softly, "Actually… I asked a friend to help pick them."
Ji Zhiyuan hummed in acknowledgment. After a pause, he asked, "Who were you with last night?"
Lan Rouxue hesitated before answering, "A friend returned from abroad, so I took him around the riverside. Afterward, I called you, but you didn’t answer. What were you busy with?"
She deftly shifted the focus back to him.
Ji Zhiyuan checked the time. "I’ve been swamped lately. Have a meeting soon—need to head to the office. Are you coming?"
Lan Rouxue glanced over.
Rong Yu was leisurely sipping tea in the tea room—Old Master Ji’s most prized, top-tier tea, no less. She really saw herself as the lady of the house now.
Turning back, Lan Rouxue nodded. "Let’s go together."
