Who told her to show that kind of thing off!?
Who allowed her to leak that list to the media!?
How dare she?!
Just then, the orphanage director came over and gratefully clasped Qiuyun's hand: "Thank you, thank you! The things you donated are excellent, especially the rehabilitation therapy items—we're desperately short of those here!"
Most of the children in the orphanage who had aged out of adoption prospects actually had some underlying health conditions.
Qiuyun's gaze was steady and her tone sincere: "This is our miss's first time donating money and supplies to an orphanage. She researched a lot of donation information online, looked into the children's health conditions and living environment here, and then carefully selected these supplies, hoping to truly help the kids."
Even the veteran reporters, who had seen all kinds of things in their years in the profession, were deeply moved by the scene.
What a pure heart!
Only a child coming to donate supplies would be this honest—stretching every single yuan of that five hundred thousand into tangible good!
Instantly, all the reporters' cameras focused on Jiang Chuling, who was standing beside Yu Xiang.
Jiang Chuling was usually cheerful and outgoing, never shy in front of cameras. But the things Sister Xiaoqiu had just praised her for... ahem—none of it was actually her doing.
So in front of the lenses, the little girl was unusually flushed and bashful, not knowing how to respond, and could only hide behind her mother.
Such an adorable, kind, and shy ten-year-old girl—it melted the hearts of every reporter uncle and auntie there. They coaxed and encouraged the little one to come out and let them take a few more photos.
Yu Xiang smiled and shielded her daughter: "She's a bit thin-skinned. She didn't expect so many reporters to show up today. If you have questions, just ask me."
Jiang Chuling took the chance to slip back into the children's lineup.
Phew—
She could spin a lie if needed, but standing in front of all those cameras and gilding her own reputation? That was too much even for her sense of shame.
Not far away, Madam Ge, neglected by the crowd, had a face so sour it was almost crumbling. Her expression slipped several times before Chen Ying used a parasol to shield her from view.
She had brought the media here to humiliate the eldest branch of the family, to cut them off from charitable activities!
Not herself.
Slow down. Calm down.
The tedious, detailed work of procurement—Jiang Yihua wouldn't bother, Yu Xiang had never handled it, and Little Seven was even less likely to.
There was only one person it could be: that female assistant.
Ge Furen took a deep breath, forced her expression back into a mask of composure, and moved toward Yu Xiang, intending to join her in the interview.
Chen Ying grabbed her sleeve and whispered: "Better not, ma'am. What if the reporters start asking about our supply list?"
Ge Furen nearly lost her composure again: "They're the ones I brought! Surely they wouldn't gang up on me!"
Chen Ying advised: "Reporters are like bloodhounds. If there's even a whiff of a story, they won't let it go. The fact that they haven't come to interrogate you already—well, it's only out of respect for your connections with them."
The hidden message was: let's not walk right into their crosshairs.
Ge Furen's temples throbbed.
Her gaze swept venomously over the three members of the eldest branch, finally landing on Qiuyun.
Among the crowd, the reporters exchanged remarks:
"Hey, should we go ask Ge Furen? The value of her supplies—converted over here—is it even fifty thousand? And she had the nerve to say she donated a million?"
"Exactly. And is the second batch of two million going to be that paltry too?"
"You go ask her."
"Then why don't you?"
"Tsk. You know her standing. Do I dare?"
"Oh please—if you don't dare, I sure do!"
Throughout the event, Jiang Yihua stayed completely in the shadows, dodging every camera. Qiuyun and Yu Xiang also kept their appearances measured and brief. The two people who appeared most often in the reporters' lenses were Ge Furen and Jiang Chuling.
One was graceful and decorous, warm and approachable—but always standing at the microphone, spouting the same tired platitudes.
The other was lively and cute, straightforward and sincere—after arriving, she played with the orphanage children the whole time, and adorably refused to go easy on them just because they were orphans. She promised prizes to those who beat her, and only those who won actually got them.
The contrast couldn't be clearer: who was genuinely kind-hearted, and who was just putting on an act. You could tell at a glance.
It was almost noon. Ge Furen didn't want to stay a moment longer, but she couldn't leave early without leaving a trail of gossip behind her. So she walked over to Jiang Chuling and said in a gentle tone: "Alright, Little Seven, let's not bother the uncles and aunties here. The kids also need to have their lunch and nap."
Jiang Chuling glanced at Sister Xiaoqiu and, seeing no objection, handed out the remaining prizes to the kids she thought had played the hardest: "These are extra prizes for you all! You better remember me!"
Kid No.1: "What brand are those cookies you gave us? They smell so milky and taste amazing!"
Jiang Chuling: "Our family's cook baked them. If you like them, I'll have her make more next time and bring them over!"
Kid No.2: "You're coming back, right? When?"
Jiang Chuling: "Not sure, but definitely within a year."
Kid No.3: "You better come! A lot of uncles and aunties promised before and never showed."
Jiang Chuling: "I'm a kid; I keep my word."
Kid No.4: "Then next time, I'll teach you to play shuttlecock and jump rope. I can jump as high as my neck!"
Jiang Chuling: "You're amazing! I've never done that—next time, you teach me!"
The chatter went on and on, making Ge Furen's temples throb even harder!
She suppressed her irritation, smiled warmly and affectionately, and said: "Alright, Little Seven, we should be going now."
Jiang Chuling had no choice but to wave at everyone: "Bye! I'll come back to play with you again!"
The kids were reluctant to see her go—after all, who wouldn't love a pretty little fairy, dressed neatly, who brought delicious cookies?
Such a harmonious and heartwarming scene. The camera shutters went off in a cascade of flashes.
Back in the car, alone with only her driver and Li Ying, Ge Furen dropped all pretense of kindness and generosity. Her eyes were thick with resentment: "You. Call the chief editors of all the newspapers right now. Tell them they're not allowed to publish today's story. Otherwise, they'll be hearing from the Jiang family's legal department!"
The beauty built on piles of money was fragile after all—a single crack and the mask peeled right off.
Li Ying knew better than to enrage her mistress at a moment like this, so she quietly made the calls.
In another car.
Jiang Chuling insisted on sitting beside Sister Xiaoqiu. It wasn't to give her parents some alone time—she just had questions to ask.
"Sister Xiaoqiu, did Granny Ge showing up today mess up our plan?" Jiang Chuling asked, worried.
They had scheduled everything for the month of the annual meeting, but the reporters arriving so suddenly meant things would get exposed early—she wasn't sure if it would affect the plan.
Qiuyun reassured her: "Don't worry. Judging by Granny Ge's personality, she won't let this get reported anyway."
