At the end of June, Licheng seemed like a huge furnace, with the scorching air searing like flames.
At noon, Wen Sining was kneeling on the balcony, tremblingly holding a huge vase with both hands.
The blazing sun had peeled the skin off her body. Big drops of sweat ran down in strings and splashed on the ground. But if she slackened even a little, she could hear the roar coming from inside the house.
"Stupid girl, are you trying to die? Hold it higher!"
The fierce - looking young man sitting in the air - conditioned room was Wen Sining's cousin, Wen Minhao.
He slammed his phone onto the coffee table, grabbed a whip nearby, and walked towards Wen Sining with gritted teeth.
"Damn it! Wen Sining, you jinx! Every time I see you, I lose!"
As he whipped the air, Wen Sining dodged backward in horror. Her hands loosened, and the vase fell at Wen Minhao's feet, shattering into pieces.
Wen Minhao got even angrier. He raised his hand to whip her again, but was interrupted by a voice.
"Son, our family's going to make a fortune! The company's saved!"
Jiang Ruanqing couldn't hide her excitement. She glanced at Wen Sining on the balcony and waved her hand.
"Stop standing there like an idiot. Go cook. Do you want to starve us?"
Wen Sining obediently answered, "Okay," and struggled to get up. Her legs were weak from the sun, but she didn't dare to delay and quickly went into the kitchen.
"Mom, what did you mean when you said we're going to make a fortune?"
Wen Minhao threw his phone aside and trotted behind Jiang Ruanqing. He gently massaged her shoulders, smiling obsequiously.
"Your grandma made a baby - betrothal agreement with the Lu family back then. Today, the old master Lu called specifically. As long as we marry her off, they'll give us a huge betrothal gift!"
"Which Lu family?"
Jiang Ruanqing squinted comfortably with a smile and patted his hand. "Silly son, how many Lu families are there in Licheng?"
When it came to that Lu family, not only in Licheng but also across the whole of Huaguo, everyone knew about them.
The Lu Group had been ranked first among the top ten financial groups in Huaguo for years. From financial institutions to oil extraction, its industries covered various sectors and were spread all over the world. Its influence was beyond doubt.
And the young and promising Lu Luochen was like a god. He had founded five listed companies single - handedly, making the Lu family even more powerful. People were extremely envious.
Wen Minhao swallowed hard. His hands froze in mid - air, and he stared in disbelief.
"So the one with the baby - betrothal agreement with Sining is Lu Luochen?"
"Yes!"
Wen Minhao broke into a big smile and clapped his hands happily. "So the debts I owe will be paid off?"
"That won't be a problem at all."
"Long live, Mom!"
In contrast to the mother - son's optimism, Wen Shiqian was very worried. He sighed. "I'm afraid the Lu family won't agree to this marriage once they see Sining is a fool."
"This is a marriage contract made by the older generation. Even if she's ugly and stupid, the Lu family can't go back on their word."
Jiang Ruanqing didn't care. She took out a bank card and showed a mysterious smile. "Do you know how much money is in this card?"
The father and son shook their heads.
"Five million yuan in total!"
Looking at their wide - open eyes, Jiang Ruanqing sneered and glanced in Wen Sining's direction.
"As long as we send her over, the old master will give us another five million and help us rebuild the Wen Group!"
Standing at the kitchen door, Wen Sining heard the conversation outside and sneered. The foolish look in her eyes faded, replaced by a hint of playfulness.
Just ten million yuan had made this family so happy.
If they knew that she had several companies worth over a hundred million yuan under her control, they'd probably go crazy.
At the dinner table, since Jiang Ruanqing regarded Wen Sining as a cash - cow, her attitude improved a bit. She kept putting food on Wen Sining's plate.
Wen Sining accepted it all and stuffed the food into her mouth vigorously. She smiled stupidly at Jiang Ruanqing.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Jiang Ruanqing frowned at the red patches on her face, unable to hide her disgust. She complained,
"Minhao, don't tease her these days. Her face is ugly enough. If there are more wounds on it, it'll be unbearable to look at. We have to send her to the Lu family for inspection in a few days. If she's returned, we'll lose a lot."
Wen Minhao responded impatiently. He got up, took all the cash from Jiang Ruanqing's bag, and walked out, shouting as he went,
"I won't be back tonight!"
"You're going gambling again? Come back here!"
Wen Shiqian slammed his chopsticks on the table and roared at Wen Minhao. But the only response he got was the loud sound of the door slamming shut.
He lost his appetite. His eyes were blazing with anger as he pointed at Jiang Ruanqing and shouted,
"Look at the good son you've given birth to! This good - for - nothing will ruin us one day!"
Wen Minhao was a complete spendthrift. He was idle all day long and might as well have lived in the casino. He had huge gambling debts and had almost had his hands and feet broken several times.
After Wen Sining's parents passed away, the once - well - managed Wen Group had been declining under Wen Shiqian's management and was even running at a deficit. Coupled with the Wen family's efforts to pay off Wen Minhao's debts, they had offended many people. Now, they only had some industries barely making ends meet. Otherwise, the family wouldn't have been living in this small house for more than a decade.
Wen Sining looked at the chaotic Wen family and snorted. She thought to herself, "A bunch of idiots!"
After washing the dishes and the whole family's clothes, Wen Sining returned to the small, cluttered room. She curled up on the floor mat and took out an old - fashioned phone from the corner. As soon as she turned it on, a message came in.
"Sining, after evaluation, the Wen Group is worth at most two million yuan. We'll definitely lose money. Are you sure you want to acquire it?"
"Sure. Do as I said."
Wen Sining's fingers danced quickly on the screen. Thinking of how the Wen family treated her like a commodity, a cold look flashed in her eyes. Then she sent another message.
"Help me check all the information about Lu Luochen of the Lu Group."
Wen Shiqian still had something that belonged to her father. Before she got that thing, she had to lie low and couldn't act rashly. She could only follow their arrangements.
But for the head of the powerful Lu Group to agree to marry a fool like her, there must be some secrets.
After sending the message and making sure that her uncle and aunt had fallen asleep, she took a clean pajamas and prepared to take a bath.
In the bathroom, Wen Sining slowly peeled off the two red patches on her cheeks in front of the mirror. The fake ones had been so realistic that no one had ever noticed.
After removing the disguise, her skin was smooth and delicate. Her eyebrows and eyes were as delicate as if carved, her lips were moist and shiny, and her pink lips were extremely charming.
Where was there any trace of the slovenly and ugly appearance?
Over the years, in order to lower this family's guard and find the long - lost thing, she had been hiding her strength and deliberately pretending to be ugly.
After getting back everything that belonged to her, it was time to be the real Wen Sining!
None of the sinners who had harmed her parents would get away!