Sure enough, seeing that she did not answer, Gu Ruo continued, "Besides, even though the Lu family is well-off, Lu Jingyan is already crippled. There are rumors that men with paralyzed legs usually have problems in that department. Eldest sister, I really don't want you to marry into that family. How is this any different from becoming a widow while still alive?"
Although it sounded like she was worried about her, in reality, Gu Ruo simply did not want her to marry into the Lu family.
Even if there was something wrong with Lu Jingyan's health, he was still a man she had once fancied. Moreover, actually marrying into the Lu family meant that Gu Qing would live a much better life than her in the future.
Gu Qing saw right through her petty thoughts and said bluntly, "It doesn't matter that you don't like me; you don't have to pretend to care about me, after all..."
Saying this, Gu Qing paused, saw her widen her eyes in shock, and went on, "I don't like you either."
Clearly, Gu Ruo had not expected her to expose her hypocrisy so directly. Her eyes flickered with panic, and for a moment she did not know how to respond.
It was not until Gu Qing walked out of the room that Gu Ruo snapped back to reality. She stamped her foot in anger and haughtily snapped, "What's she so smug about? So rude! Just as expected of a country bumpkin raised in the sticks."
Gu Qing had not gone far at all; she was right by the door. Hearing Gu Ruo's assessment of her, she took a step back, stood outside the threshold, turned around, and met her gaze. "Your dad and your mom were also raised in the countryside. Do you mind if I go tell them that you think anyone raised in the country is a country bumpkin?"
Gu Ruo stared blankly at Gu Qing. Under the piercing, cold gaze of Gu Qing's eyes, it felt as though all her thoughts were laid completely bare.
Gu Ruo hated Gu Qing even more now. But this time she did not retort; she just turned and stomped off in a huff.
Gu Qing had merely put Gu Ruo in her place with a few words, not expecting that the moment Gu Ruo went downstairs, Ye Zhixue would come up.
Her expression looked very unpleasant.
Gu Qing guessed that Gu Ruo had gone to complain, likely claiming that she, as the older sister, was bullying her.
"What did you say to Ruoruo?"
Ye Zhixue questioned Gu Qing in a reproachful tone, clearly dissatisfied with her. She had just arrived and already made her younger sister cry—how had she never noticed that her eldest daughter was so scheming?
That kind of indiscriminate, accusatory tone was thoroughly dislikable.
Gu Qing twitched the corners of her lips. "What did she tell you?"
"I am the one asking you now!"
Seeing that Gu Qing actually dared to talk back, Ye Zhixue flared up for no reason. True enough, being left in the countryside for all these years had ruined her; she didn't have a shred of manners.
"She said I'm a country bumpkin raised in the sticks. I told her that you and Dad were also raised in the country, so by her logic, the two of you are country bumpkins too."
"Nonsense! Ruoruo would never say such rude things." Ye Zhixue was furious. "Making your sister cry is one thing, and now you've even learned to lie. You're quite something, Gu Qing, you've really grown bolder."
Gu Qing found it laughable. When forced to answer, she did what was asked, yet her answers weren't believed. What was this—did she only want to hear the answers that suited her?
Gu Qing had never been a pushover, and her talent for infuriating people was top-notch.
Since Ye Zhixue refused to believe her, she simply said, "If you think I'm lying, then I'm lying. After all, you only ever believe Gu Ruo. But asking me to apologize is out of the question. If you find me an eyesore, I can head right back to the countryside this instant and let Gu Ruo marry Lu Jingyan instead."
Knowing what Ye Zhixue's ultimate goal was, she used it without hesitation to shut her up.
"You!"
True to form, Ye Zhixue was infuriated. But remembering her purpose in bringing Gu Qing back to Beicheng, she managed to swallow the anger raging in her belly.
She simply couldn't understand how two daughters born to the same mother could have such a vast gap between them. Ruoruo was smart and considerate; when she spoke, she always acted spoiled, melting anyone's heart. Meanwhile, Gu Qing was good for nothing, rigid, and a habitual liar. It really showed that children not raised by your side weren't close to you.
"Clean up and get ready to come out with me to meet some people. Also, change your clothes. I've asked Auntie Liu to get you an outfit."
Gu Qing had agreed to come to Beicheng entirely not because of these excessively biased parents. The moment she saw the news, Gu Qing had recognized Lu Jingyan.
She had no interest in dressing herself up like a peacock. Therefore, when she walked downstairs, she was still wearing her own clothes.
Waiting downstairs, Ye Zhixue looked over and was extremely dissatisfied. "Why haven't you changed?"
"I don't want to," Gu Qing answered lazily.
"You..."
Ye Zhixue suddenly realized that Gu Qing was not as obedient and easily manipulated as she had imagined. However, the most urgent priority right now was to nail down the marriage between her and Lu Jingyan.
"Fine, fine, if you don't want to change, forget it. Let's go..."
-
Inside the playboys' chat group, Lu Jingming continued to press Gu Ruo.
"Gu Ruo, what kind of job does your sister have?"
Even though they were in the same group chat, given Gu Ruo's social standing, she would normally never dream of having any contact with the Lu family's young master. Seeing Lu Jingming proactively reach out to talk to her, Gu Ruo's heart fluttered wildly. Terrified of neglecting Lu Jingming, she answered very eagerly.
"My mom said she works as a doctor in a small county town."
A doctor?
If she's a doctor, she should be able to take better care of his older brother, Lu Jingming thought, reluctantly accepting the fact that she was ugly.
Ye Zhixue wanted to deceive outsiders by claiming that Gu Qing was a postgraduate degree holder from Jingcheng Medical University. Gu Ruo had spent a tremendous amount of effort just to get accepted into Jingcheng Medical University, earning everyone's admiration. She certainly didn't want Gu Qing to get something for nothing.
Harboring her own selfish motives, Gu Ruo pretended to casually drop a hint: "However, my sister didn't take the national college entrance exam, and she never went to university. She probably just picked up some superficial tricks from a doctor in the county."
"What? She didn't even go to university?"
Suddenly, the legitimacy of Gu Qing's status as a "doctor" was drained away.
Lu Jingming felt deeply distressed and thoroughly disgusted. His older brother was a top-tier graduate from Harvard University; marrying an ugly woman was bad enough, but she was also someone completely lacking in culture...
In the end, unable to hold back, Lu Jingming sent a text message to his older brother.
"Bro, can you please not marry that Gu Qing? She isn't good enough for you. Her sister says she didn't even go to college. Being ugly is one thing, but she has no culture either."
By this time, Lu Jingyan was already waiting in a private room at Xiangfeng Pavilion. The environment here was picturesque, comfortable, and leisurely.
Unfortunately, neither Lu Jingyan nor Madam Lu was in any mood to appreciate the scenery outside the window. For Madam Lu, this blind date was merely a transaction. For Lu Jingyan, it was simply a banquet witnessing his own impotence.
Hearing the phone notification, Lu Jingyan glanced at the message sent by his younger brother. His handsome face did not betray the slightest trace of extra emotion.
Madam Lu also saw the message sent by Lu Jingming. She closed her eyes and said, "Jingyan, don't hate Mom. Mom has no other choice."
Only by getting married and privately adopting a child to pass off as his own could the malicious rumors surrounding him be dispelled without a fight.
The corners of Lu Jingyan's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. He had no qualification to speak of hate. It was he who had caused his mother to lose his father.
Even so, Lu Jingyan still replied to Lu Jingming with a message: "Watch your manners."
When Lu Jingming saw that, he was nearly driven to apoplexy. Even at a time like this, he was still being told to mind his manners—did his older brother even know how to grasp the main point?!
Meanwhile, Gu Qing and Ye Zhixue had already arrived at Xiangfeng Pavilion.
Gu Qing was tall and long-legged, and still wearing flat shoes. Ye Zhixue, wearing high heels, had to trot just to keep up with her.