"Enough!"
Adam's cold voice cut through the air, abruptly interrupting her pitiful act.
She still didn't understand why they had kept their distance from her all these years. Her so-called clever tricks seemed laughable to them, and she foolishly believed she had hidden her true intentions well.
Feng Yunyao was genuinely frightened by Adam's outburst, her face drained of color, too scared to even breathe.
Adam looked at her with icy disdain. "Zuri is my sister, and nothing can change that. No matter what kind of person she is, she will always be my sister."
"The Feng family has treated you well. If you ever dare harm her, not even Grandma's protection will save you. I will see to it that you're cast out of the Feng family. I hope today's incident is the last."
As Adam walked away, Feng Yunyao collapsed onto a nearby bench, covering her face with her hands and bursting into tears.
Wu Sao, noticing the second young master's displeased departure, hurried upstairs. As she approached the door, she saw Feng Yunyao sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oh dear, my poor young miss, what happened to you?" Wu Sao's heart ached for her. "If the old lady sees you like this, she'll be heartbroken."
Feng Yunyao looked up, her tear-streaked face full of sorrow. "Wu Sao, my brothers don't like me. No matter what I do, they never like me. Is it just because I'm not a true member of the Feng family?"
"Why does that woman get their affection without lifting a finger? I'm the one who grew up with them."
Her tears fell freely, her voice full of grief and sadness.
Wu Sao comforted her, "Young Miss, they're only treating her well out of guilt. Give it time, and things will get better."
"Really?" Feng Yunyao looked at her with tear-filled eyes, hopeful.
Seeing her innocent expression, Wu Sao felt even more pity for her.
What a poor child.
Orphaned and living under someone else's roof, yet her three brothers didn't act like brothers, and her parents were absent-minded at best. If it weren't for the old lady's support, who knows what might have become of this child.
"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you? Now, quickly wipe away those tears. If the old lady sees you like this, she'll be heartbroken."
Feng Yunyao seemed pacified by her words, obediently wiping away her tears. "Wu Sao, will my eyes be swollen? What should I do? If Grandma sees this and feels sad, I'll be so unfilial."
"Don't worry, I'll get two eggs to roll over your eyes, and it'll be fine."
"Mm-hmm."
Once Wu Sao left, the innocent and pitiful expression on Feng Yunyao's face vanished, replaced by a dark and terrifying look.
As the school bell rang, countless young men and women streamed out of the academic building, chatting in small groups.
Suddenly, some of them noticed a tall figure standing in the shadow of a tree.
"Who is that man?" one girl whispered. "He's so handsome!"
"He's so stylish."
"Oh my god, he's looking this way."
They soon realized that the man under the tree was walking toward the academic building with long strides.
"Sis, do you think he's coming over to me?"
"Oh my god, he really is. Do you think he's going to ask for my number?!"
As the girl blushed, her heart fluttering with anticipation as the man approached, she watched him come closer, step by step, until they were just a few feet apart...
But then, he walked right past her, stopping a few steps away. His voice was deep and gentle, "Zuri."
"Uncle!" Zuri greeted him with a smile.
Uncle?!
(´Д`)
There was no escaping that title!
Seeing his embarrassed expression, Zuri laughed, her eyes curved into crescents. "Brother Leo!"
Leo looked at her with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence. "My little Zuri has learned to tease her Brother Leo."
The two walked side by side down the tree-lined path, drawing curious glances from passersby.
"I should give Azura a call. She's been talking about you ever since you left for overseas. Now that you're back, she'll be thrilled." Zuri pulled out her phone, but before she could dial, a large hand gently covered hers.
"No need. I already called her before I came. She has a club activity today and can't get away."
Zuri frowned. "A club activity? But she asked me to go shopping with her this afternoon."
Leo remained calm, his face betraying nothing. "It must have been a last-minute thing."
Zuri didn't suspect anything, nodding in agreement.
"How have you been?"
"Not bad."
"I heard that Adam has been spending a lot of time with you at school lately."
"Mm. He's not too busy these days."
Leo's gaze fell on the watch peeking out from under her sleeve, and his eyes darkened when he recognized it.
"That watch on your wrist looks familiar. Isn't it one of Nolan's custom pieces? I remember he was very fond of it when he first got it."
Zuri was taken aback.
Feng Yunyao had been very concerned about this watch, and now Leo was mentioning it too.
She touched the watch on her wrist.
"If I'm not mistaken, Nolan bought that watch with his first earnings from Wall Street to commemorate the occasion," Leo said casually, as if it were just idle conversation.
"I didn't know the watch had such significance." Zuri looked at the watch on her wrist, suddenly finding it heavy and scorching.
If she had known how much the watch meant to her eldest brother, she would never have accepted it.
Zuri took off the watch. "Brother Leo, when you go back to Oceanic, could you return this watch to him for me?"
"He gave it to you, so you should keep it," Leo said with a smile.
Zuri shook her head. "Please, Brother Leo."
Leo reluctantly accepted the watch and placed it in his pocket.
At the Cloud Restaurant, the atmosphere was unusually quiet tonight. Only two or three tables were occupied, and no more customers were being seated. Many who came had to leave disappointed.
As the elevator doors opened, the manager greeted them with a smile.
"Good evening, Mr. Ye, Miss Zuri."
The manager personally escorted them to a table by the window, the best seat in the restaurant.
The food was exquisite, but the portions were tiny, leaving Zuri feeling unsatisfied.
Leo beckoned the manager over and whispered something in his ear.
When the next course arrived, the portions were generous.
Zuri looked at the dish in front of her, then at Leo, understanding his gesture.
Leo signaled his assistant, who stepped forward and handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box. Leo took out the box and pushed it towards Zuri.
"Open it."
Zuri wiped her mouth, puzzled, and opened the box to reveal a women's watch adorned with sparkling diamonds.
"This is…"
"I couldn't let you go without a watch. I just had my assistant buy this downstairs. It's not expensive, so don't worry about it."
The assistant nodded in agreement, though inwardly he was rolling his eyes.
This watch had been custom-made for Mr. Ye, and he had just received it yesterday. Yet here he was, giving it away so casually.
A one-of-a-kind watch, and he was passing it off as if it were a cheap trinket from a street vendor.
*How much does he fear Zuri rejecting him?!*
╮( ̄▽ ̄")╭
What's even more devious is that he deliberately had Miss Zuri take off the watch his brother gave her, making room for the one he gave.
Mr. Leo sure is a sly one when it comes to pursuing a girlfriend!
Before Zuri could refuse, Leo picked up the watch. "Let me put it on for you."
Zuri looked at the man in front of her, feeling a bit amused.
This watch was clearly no cheap item.
Forget it, I'll just give him a return gift later.
At this moment, Zuri had no idea that this was a custom-made piece or its true value. She was already quietly planning to give him a gift slightly more expensive than this one.
Seeing the watch on Zuri's wrist, Leo finally felt satisfied.
To someone as oblivious to romantic cues as Zuri, she hadn't the slightest clue of his little schemes, remaining as innocent as ever.
"I need to use the restroom," Zuri said.
After leaving the restroom, Zuri was washing her hands when she overheard a conversation between two waitresses outside.
"That girl is in trouble."
"Nobody escapes once Mr. Sun sets his sights on them. I just saw Mr. Sun's assistant put something in her drink."
"Shh! Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear."
"Should I warn that girl?"
"Are you crazy? Last time someone from the restaurant tried to warn someone, guess what? He got jumped by thugs in the middle of the night, had his leg broken, and is still limping. They said it was a robbery, but it was obviously Mr. Sun's doing," the senior employee warned, clearly terrified.
"Thanks for the heads-up. I almost made a big mistake. But what about that girl? Won't she...?"
"Don't worry about it. If she agreed to meet him, she's probably not a decent person anyway."
The two walked into the restroom, freezing when they saw Zuri, then hurriedly turned and left.
Zuri walked down the corridor, which was quiet and empty, with most of the private rooms on either side vacant. Only from the room ahead did occasional bursts of laughter escape.
As she approached, she saw that the door was slightly ajar, and inside, she heard voices.
"Come on, everyone, let's toast to our talented lady!"
A group of men raised their glasses towards a chubby-faced girl with a hint of baby fat.
"I'm not much of a drinker," she said.
"Talented lady, are you looking down on us? If you won't drink with us, at least have a drink with Mr. Sun, that's not too much to ask, is it?"
"I don't drink," the girl said coldly. "If you want someone to drink with, find someone else. I don't have time to waste with you."
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
"So, you're refusing to give us face? Tonight, you're drinking this whether you like it or not," said a young man with brightly colored hair.
The girl's face darkened as well. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.
"Leaving? Not so fast."
Two men blocked her way.
Wei Wanqi narrowed her eyes at the men in her path. "What? You want to fight?"
"You'd better behave and drink with us. Otherwise, don't think you'll walk out of this room."
"Is that so?!" Wei Wanqi sneered.
In the next moment, she kicked the man in the stomach, sending him flying. She then grabbed the other man's arm and threw him over her shoulder, slamming him to the ground.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Wei Wanqi kicked over a chair, planting her foot on the seat as she looked leisurely at Mr. Sun. "If you want me to drink with you, first ask yourself if you're qualified!"
The scene was momentarily frozen in silence.
Zuri, peeking through the gap in the door, witnessed the scene with admiration.
*Wow! This girl has got some guts!*
Seeing that no one in the room dared to speak, Wei Wanqi kicked the chair away, flicked her head, and was about to leave. But as she turned, her vision blurred, and she felt dizzy.
"You... you all..."
Despicable!
Her legs went weak, and she collapsed uncontrollably to the floor. Before losing consciousness, her eyes met Zuri's through the gap in the door.
In that brief moment, she mouthed two words—"Help me!"
The men in the room, seeing her fall, smirked in satisfaction. The two who had been knocked down earlier got back on their feet and approached Wei Wanqi.
"You little bitch, how dare you hit me!"
Just as one of them lifted his foot to stomp on her hand, the door was kicked open with a loud crash, slamming against the wall.
The sudden noise startled everyone in the room.
Seeing that it was a beautiful girl standing at the entrance, and even prettier than the one on the floor, a few of the men exchanged knowing glances.
Mr. Sun, sitting in the center, was immediately captivated by Zuri's presence, a predatory smile creeping across his face.
This girl—he had to have her!
His two henchmen, noticing his expression, quickly understood his intentions and gave signals to the others.
Zuri, ignoring their leering stares, walked over to Wei Wanqi, lifting her onto her shoulder and dragging her towards the door.
Before she could take more than a step, two men blocked her path.
"So, you're this girl's friend?" the man with the multicolored hair sneered.
"Your friend wrecked our fun. How are you going to make it up to us?"
"Move," Zuri said coldly.
"Hey now, no need to be so harsh. You don't have to pay us back with money. Our boss isn't the kind of man to hold grudges," one of the henchmen said, stepping forward with a slimy smile.
As he spoke, he glanced over at Mr. Sun, who grinned even wider when Zuri's gaze met his. He flashed what he thought was a charming smile, which only made Zuri feel nauseated.
*What a greasy creep!*
"Listen, girl, just have a drink with our boss, and we'll call it even, okay?"
Before Zuri could respond, the henchman signaled another to get a clean glass and pour some wine, not too much, just a little.
As he poured the wine, a white pill slipped into the glass without a sound, unnoticed by anyone.
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