"Chloe Cheng's parents?"
Hearing that name, Lucy Lu's eyes narrowed slightly.
That tiny gesture instantly made Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu's hearts leap into their throats.
"Well, well, look at that! So you two are Chloe Cheng's parents?" Lucy Lu said, her tone unfriendly.
Back when Evan Lin got into trouble in junior high, Lucy even lent Joy Zheng a sum of money. Lucy never asked for it back, but Joy still spent months repaying her bit by bit from her meager salary.
Now, seeing these two, Lucy naturally wasn't about to be friendly.
Lynn Chen and Yolanda Fang, not knowing what was going on, glanced at Evan Lin beside them. Even so, they could sense a chill coming off him.
Especially Joy Zheng—her expression kept shifting, and when she saw those two, her mood clearly sank.
"Y-yes," Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu stammered, sweating as Lucy Lu's tone grew sharper.
"What now, here to squeeze more money out of us? My Joy isn't such a pushover, and Evan matching up with your daughter was already giving you plenty of face. Last time, I was ready to settle the score with you, and if Joy hadn't stopped me, we'd have met much sooner."
"I heard you both work in the government? Come on, tell me which department you're in and who your boss is—just say it out loud."
Lucy Lu's words rang out, her eyes fixed on the pair, her tone full of displeasure.
Charles Chen, as a manager at Minghai City's Wansheng Real Estate branch, would definitely be received by local leaders if he returned to Whitewood. After all, for every department, attracting investment is top priority—especially in places like Whitewood County.
That's why Lucy Lu could speak with such confidence.
"Let it go, Lucy," Joy Zheng shook her head, tugging at Lucy's sleeve. She'd been in a good mood today, but seeing these two had put a damper on things.
"No, no, you've misunderstood! We're here to apologize and make amends to Teacher Zheng."
Hearing Lucy Lu speak that way, Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu became even more certain—this woman must be backing Evan Lin. Otherwise, how could a kid like Evan have access to county officials?
To get a kid into the County Party Guesthouse and have him dining with top officials, plus that call from Director Chen at the Finance Bureau... It all made Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu jittery, like startled birds, shaking their heads repeatedly.
"Apologize and make amends?" Lucy Lu and Joy Zheng were both taken aback.
"That's right, that's right. We were planning to go to Teacher Zheng's house and apologize in person, but we ran into you all on the way—just a lucky coincidence." Lisa Liu smiled, quickly handing over a carton of milk. "This is for Evan, to help him stay healthy."
"I heard Evan's at Minghai No. 2 High now, right? That's wonderful—his future is limitless. He must be an exceptionally smart kid!"
Lisa Liu glanced at Evan Lin, and when she realized he was looking right back at her, her expression grew a little awkward.
"Yes, yes, it was all our fault back then. We shouldn't have been so rash and made things hard for both Evan and you, Teacher Zheng. We're truly sorry!" Kevin Cheng chimed in.
Compared to saving face, keeping their jobs mattered more.
Both of them kept nodding and bowing to Joy Zheng.
"Teacher Zheng, please forgive us."
Joy Zheng was left feeling a bit bewildered by the pair, but finally sighed. "The past is in the past. You don't need to do this, and you can take the milk back."
Joy Zheng shook her head and didn't take it. Lucy Lu snorted, "Joy not holding you accountable is already giving you face. Try being honest for once, and don't think you can push around good people just because they're easygoing!"
Lisa Liu and Kevin Cheng kept smiling through Lucy Lu's scolding, but getting chewed out in public was anything but pleasant.
Joy Zheng and Lucy Lu walked ahead toward the supermarket.
Yolanda Fang and Lynn Chen kept sneaking glances at Lisa Liu and Kevin Cheng. Seeing how scared those two looked, they just couldn't figure it out.
Evan Lin deliberately hung back, and as he passed, he gave Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu a cold look.
That single glance made Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu feel like they'd fallen into an ice cave. The chill in Evan's eyes left them speechless.
Even after Evan walked past, the two of them stood frozen for a long time before they finally snapped out of it.
"We'd better keep Chloe under control from now on. She must never mess with Evan Lin again," Lisa Liu muttered, still dazed as she watched Evan's group disappear.
"Control her? Control her? This is all your fault!" Kevin Cheng's face darkened and he snapped at Lisa Liu right there on the street.
Lisa Liu was stunned for a moment, then frowned at Kevin Cheng. "How is this my fault?"
"Wasn't it you who insisted on going to Evan's school back then? Huh? If you'd just left it alone, Chloe and Evan would've gotten along fine, and none of this would've happened!" Kevin Cheng grumbled. "Someone who can get the Finance Bureau director to make a call, who can get Evan a seat at Secretary Liu's table—if our relationship wasn't so bad, with that woman's connections, I could've climbed several ranks by now!"
"You're just a money-wasting woman!"
Kevin Cheng clenched his teeth, silently cursing his luck.
For people like them, climbing the ladder is nearly impossible—no connections, no talent, no chance.
After seeing Lucy Lu's fearless attitude, it was obvious she had real power—who knows what kind of big shot was backing her.
And just like that, their golden opportunity was gone.
"Now you're blaming me? Wasn't it you who named the amount when we forced them to pay up?" Lisa Liu shouted.
The two of them quarreled right there on the street, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
When Lisa Liu got going, her words came rapid-fire and relentless. Kevin Cheng never could win an argument with her, and soon his face turned red as she kept going. In the end, he couldn't take it anymore and slapped her.
"How dare you hit me!"
Lisa Liu was knocked to the ground by the slap. She got up, grabbed the milk, and hurled it at Kevin Cheng, tears streaming down her face.
Evan Lin couldn't care less about Kevin Cheng and Lisa Liu, and Joy Zheng's spirits gradually lifted as she entered the supermarket.
Yolanda Fang kept craning her neck, trying to get Evan Lin to spill something, while Lynn Chen also glanced at him a few times, thinking this annoying guy was getting harder and harder to figure out.