From Nun to Real Heiress: Expert at Turning the Tables

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…”

“In that case, Ms. Zhu is indeed rare filial piety. I remember the annual business cocktail party of Jiangzhou Chamber of Commerce will be held early next month. The big bosses of the Jiangzhou Chamber of Commerce will attend. If Mr. Zhu can invite Ms. Zhu to the cocktail party this year, I will believe what you said is true. Otherwise…”

Otherwise what? Everyone understood what he meant.

Zhu Wentao cursed the old fox in his heart, but hurriedly said, “I don’t have the final say in this, it depends on Ming Jing’s schedule. After all, she is still a high school student. Although she’s guaranteed admission to Huaqing University, she still has to finish high school. She takes everything seriously…”

There was a collective gasp around the table. “Ms. Zhu is admitted to Huaqing University?”

Zhu Wentao rather bragged, “It’s just that she won a national Math Olympiad gold medal at the Winter Camp, and next year she will represent the country in the International Olympic Mathematics Competition.”

Everyone was left speechless. Thinking of their own children all at the same age, yet the gap is so wide.

The more they looked at Zhu Wentao’s smug face, the more it grated.

“Mr. Zhu has a great daughter. We hope you will consider the cocktail party. We have other matters to attend to, we will leave first.”

They really didn’t want Zhu Wentao to keep bragging, or they would be provoked to anger.

By asking Zhu Wentao to invite Ming Jing to the cocktail party, they had two motives. One was to test the relationship between Ming Jing and her biological father. After all, if they fell out, wouldn’t those who maintained close contacts with Zhu Wentao offend Ming Jing?

Secondly, Shen Zhou was the power behind Ming Jing. If they could use this opportunity to get close to Shen Zhou, it would be perfect.

In the blink of an eye, everyone had left, leaving Zhu Wentao alone with a table full of leftovers. He heaved a sigh of disappointment.

Having exhausted all his bragging, if he couldn’t get her to come at that time, he seemed destined to lose face in this circle.

Walking out of the restaurant, the cold wind blew straight at him, and he sobered up a lot.Having called a designated driver, I arrived back at the Zhu residence late at night.

The house was bathed in silence; at this hour, everyone should be asleep.

However, the lights in the living room were still on. Zhu Wentao paused, was she waiting for him?

Brimming with excitement, he walked in, only to see a girl in pajamas standing under the soft light, looking wonderfully elegant.

Upon seeing him, she quickly came over to support him.

“Dad, you’ve been drinking again?” There was a slight reproach in the girl’s voice, but it brought an incredibly comforting warmth to his heart.

“Why are you here? Where is your mother?” Zhu Wentao lifted his hand to rub his slightly aching temple.

“Mother took her medicine and went to bed early. Please sit down. I’ll make you some sobering soup.”

She helped Zhu Wentao to the sofa, then turned and hurried into the kitchen.

Zhu Wentao lay on the sofa, his consciousness gradually blurring.

At some point, a soft voice pulled him back from his muddled thoughts, and he struggled to open his eyes.

Gazing back at him were the girl’s gentle, concerned eyes.

“Dad, drink the soup to sober up. You’ll feel better, then you can go to bed.”

Suddenly, Zhu Wentao grabbed her hand. Startled like a deer, the girl immediately let go, spilling the bowl of soup.

“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?