When Selina Wu showed up at the Guan family compound, Austin Guan was always chatting idly with her and eating together like they were old friends. Cindy Guan, watching all this from the sidelines, couldn’t help but feel a simmering dissatisfaction deep down.
But as Austin's younger sister, Cindy couldn't say anything about it. She just had to keep her feelings bottled up.
In Cindy's eyes, Selina Wu was just different. She wasn't into designer clothes, luxury makeup, limited-edition handbags, or flashy sports cars like the other rich kids. None of that interested her, but weirdly enough, she seemed to know all about it and could talk circles around anyone.
What really got to Cindy was how Selina always stayed cool and carefree, like nothing could bother her. That made Cindy even more jealous.
After Cindy finished talking, Leon Zheng and the others wisely kept quiet, not wanting to get dragged into her bad mood.
Evan Lin strode straight ahead, stopping at a big, closed iron gate at the end of the road. He fished out his phone to call Joy Zheng, and just then, a white BMW zipped past him, its engine roaring as it sped off into the distance.
"Hey Mom, I’m here."
"Yeah, I’m waiting just outside the residential complex," Joy Zheng replied casually, her tone light as she spoke to Evan Lin.
"Okay."
Evan kept it short, said a few words, then hung up.
On the other end of the call, Joy Zheng was seated right in the middle of a circle of wealthy wives, with her elder sister Claire Zheng on her left and her sister-in-law Susan Xu, beaming with a practiced smile, on her right.
"Oh, Joy, who was that on the phone?"
Susan Xu glanced at Joy Zheng, her brows arched in a friendly way. Compared to before, her skin looked a lot smoother, almost like she’d gotten younger overnight.
This group of wealthy wives usually spent their free time shopping or cruising around, and their outfits were always top-notch.
By contrast, Joy Zheng’s clothes were just ordinary, nothing fancy or branded, and not expensive either. The others were decked out in jewels, but Joy looked plain and simple.
But what really stood out was how the women around her looked at Joy Zheng—with more than a little jealousy. They envied her skin and her looks.
Compared to them, Joy seemed younger and prettier—something money just couldn’t buy. Even the women who were obviously younger than her couldn’t quite measure up.
"It was Evan. He’s outside the complex now, so I’m going out to pick him up."
Joy spoke as she started to get up.
"I’ll go with you," Claire Zheng said, reaching out to take Joy’s hand.
Claire Zheng had actually been chatting with Joy in her room earlier. She’d only found out this morning about what Susan Xu and Jason Zheng had pulled last night.
Claire also heard that Susan Xu was planning to take Joy’s Youth-Preserving Beauty Pill and gift it to her friends, claiming it was something her adopted son Jason Zheng had worked hard to get, hoping to boost his reputation in their social circle.
That made Claire feel indignant on Joy’s behalf.
But since Susan Xu’s husband Leon Zheng was the Zheng family’s current head, and the patriarch and matriarch hadn’t returned yet, plus Jason Zheng had just made a splash by reaching the Pseudo-Vajra level, Claire told Joy to hold back for now. She planned to help Joy get justice once the old master was back.
Dealing with sisters-in-law and little sisters is always the hardest.
If Claire Zheng didn’t have her daughter Yvonne Zhu apprenticed to Master Yan, her own standing in the Zheng family would probably be about the same as Joy’s right now.
"No need! If your kid’s here, I’ll have someone go fetch him. You just sit tight."
Susan Xu grinned and called out to a nearby servant: "Old Sun, go outside and bring that Evan kid in!"
"Yes, madam."
Old Sun was an elderly servant. He nodded and headed out the door.
After Susan Xu finished, she turned to the circle of wealthy wives, her lips curling in a smile that was all honey on the surface and knives underneath. "That Evan kid? He’s Joy Zheng’s son, from little Whitewood County way out in Seacrest," she announced, her tone so sweet you’d almost miss the sting. The way she said it, you’d think Evan was some country bumpkin who’d just wandered into the big city for a free meal.
"Honestly, I haven’t met him yet, but with Joy being so gorgeous, her son probably won’t be too shabby either."
Susan Xu grinned at the others: "If any of you have daughters at home, maybe you could arrange for them to meet Evan. Who knows, something might come of it?"
Her words sounded like a warm introduction, but there was plenty of snark and dissatisfaction behind them.
Right now, Leon Zheng basically ran things in the Zheng family. But back in the day, Joy was the youngest daughter—the old master and madam’s favorite.
Even though it’s been years, Susan Xu knew the old master and madam still felt guilty about Joy. Who knows, maybe all that guilt would end up as compensation for Evan!
The most straightforward way to compensate is with money. The Zheng family is loaded, and the old master and madam probably wouldn’t be stingy about it. That’s exactly what bugged Susan Xu.
In her eyes, a big chunk of the Zheng fortune came from her husband Leon’s hard work. She hated the idea that after more than ten years, Joy could just walk in with a son and start eating at the family table.
"Susan, you’re not quite right about that. I bet the kid’s good-looking, but he’s from Whitewood County in Seacrest… Wait, which city is Whitewood in?"
One of the wives, her face caked with makeup, paused and looked puzzled. "I’ve barely been to that poor area in Seacrest, and I’ve never even heard of Whitewood City."
"Whitewood isn’t a city, it’s just a county. Of course you haven’t heard of it," Susan Xu added with a sly smile, covering her mouth. Then she threw in, "But it looks nice, I checked online—there’s even a resort."
"A county, huh? No wonder I’ve never heard of it!" The woman looked bored. "Even if the kid’s handsome, so what?"
"A kid from some little county, no matter how smart, just doesn’t have the experience. He’s never seen the world, so he’ll never amount to much! The girls I know are super picky—unless he’s drop-dead gorgeous, maybe he’s got a shot. Otherwise, tsk tsk, nobody’s gonna look at him twice."
The rich wife waved her hand dismissively, then put on a fake apologetic face and turned to Joy Zheng. "Sorry, that’s just how I talk—hope you don’t mind!"