She liked Lu Jingyan, but her feelings were not so blind as to make her willing to marry a disabled man. She wouldn't marry him herself, but she didn't want anyone else to, either. That was why she harbored such hostility toward Gu Qing.
Suppressing the sense of triumph in her heart, Gu Ruo put on a look of concern and asked, "Mom, what did my eldest sister do to make you so angry?"
As if she had finally found an outlet for her frustrations, Ye Zhixue told Gu Ruo everything about the lies Gu Qing had told in front of the Lu family.
"Yale University! Does she think it's some third-rate school? To act so ignorant of the heights of the world and claim she’s a student there—isn't that just telling everyone plainly that we're liars? I’ve lost all face today because of her; just thinking about it makes me furious."
"And that’s not even all! She actually dared to push your brother down the stairs. If it weren't for the fact that A-Cheng is fine, I would have skinned her alive."
Upon hearing this, Gu Ruo found it inconceivable. Was her eldest sister really so delusional? She was truly a country bumpkin, lacking any worldliness; she didn't even know how to tell a believable lie. To think she would tie herself to Yale University? Did she really think everyone else was a fool?
Gu Ruo held back her laughter, offered Ye Zhixue a few words of comfort, and then returned to her room. She habitually checked the group chat for the local socialites to see if there were any new updates. Upon opening it, she found she had been specifically tagged by the Lu family's second son, Lu Jingming. Being noticed by someone from the Lu family made her happy.
Gu Ruo scrolled up to re-read the messages. Someone in the group had first tagged Lu Jingming to ask about the blind date between his brother, Lu Jingyan, and Gu Qing. Lu Jingming’s replies were perfunctory; it was clear he did not hold his future sister-in-law in high regard.
Then, Lu Jingming tagged Gu Ruo and asked, "Are you clear on the situation with that sister of yours? What kind of person is she?"
Gu Ruo knew her mother wanted Gu Qing to marry Lu Jingyan, but she didn't want that to happen. So, she told them what Ye Zhixue had told her earlier. Naturally, she omitted the part where Ye Zhixue had made Gu Qing lie about attending Jingcheng Medical University, claiming instead that Gu Qing had lied to the Lu family on her own about being a Yale graduate.
Yang Bin, the socialite who hung out with Lu Jingming the most, was the first to chime in with mockery: "Yale University? Did I hear that right? Damn, she’s actually capable of telling a lie like that. Pfft, such grand ambitions."
When Lu Jingming read this, he felt his vision go dark. What kind of person had his mother found for his brother? It would be one thing if she were ugly or uneducated, but a compulsive liar? What the hell!
As expected, the people in the group started berating her one after another. Gu Ruo lacked any sense of family honor; seeing others disparage her own sister, she felt no shame, but instead curved her lips into a smile.
Even so, she maintained her image of innocence and kindness in front of others. She defended Gu Qing, typing, "My sister said that because she was afraid of being looked down upon, so she came up with this plan. She’s actually a very good person with no bad intentions. She’s just lived in the countryside her whole life; coming to a big city, it’s inevitable that she’d feel timid and afraid. Please don't talk about her like that."
The others in the group quickly replied, "Enough, Gu Ruo. We know she’s your own sister, so stop trying to cover for her."
Others added, "Exactly. Someone like her—saying she’s afraid of being looked down upon? Isn't it just vanity and a love for comparison? She has no real talent, tells ridiculous lies, and drags her own family down with her."
Seeing the contempt and dissatisfaction with Gu Qing filling the group chat, Gu Ruo smiled with satisfaction. Surely Lu Jingming would go and put a stop to the marriage between the two families now, wouldn't he?Just as she had imagined, Lu Jingming was incensed when he saw the messages in the group chat. If such a woman were to truly marry his brother, it would essentially ruin his brother’s entire future. Previously, he had thought that if Gu Qing could be docile and obedient, he might have been able to grudgingly accept her. Now, it was clear that she was a compulsive liar; if she were to enter their home, she would undoubtedly stir up nothing but trouble. His brother had a detached personality and didn't care much about worldly affairs, lacking the deep cunning of this woman. What if he were to be schemed against by her?
No, he absolutely would not allow his brother to fall victim to this woman.
With this thought in mind, Lu Jingming immediately found Gu Ruo’s WeChat ID in the group chat of socialites and sent her a friend request.
When Gu Ruo received the notification, she almost thought she was seeing things. Lu Jingming, the second young master of the Lu family, had actually taken the initiative to add her? Beyond surprise and confusion, Gu Ruo felt a surge of delight. Although her family was considered part of the wealthy elite in Beicheng, they were merely at the bottom of that social stratum, while the Lu family stood at the very pinnacle. Lu Jingming was only in that group because of his friendship with Yang Bin; in reality, he and people like her had no connection whatsoever.
She struggled to suppress her excitement, quickly accepted the request, and then, feigning reserve, messaged him: "Young Master Lu, is there something I can help you with?"
Lu Jingming replied quickly: "Let's meet."
Gu Ruo nearly shrieked with excitement. Although she had previously set her sights on Lu Jingyan, Lu Jingming was also a top-tier catch among the socialites, and besides, Lu Jingyan was now crippled. To get close to Lu Jingming was something many women could only envy.
Biting her lip, Gu Ruo typed back quickly: "Young Master Lu, is that really convenient? Wouldn't it be too sudden?"
Lu Jingming rolled his eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling. What on earth was this woman thinking? He typed with one hand, explaining his purpose: "You don't want Gu Qing to marry my brother, right? What do you say we team up and find a way to stop this marriage?"
Gu Ruo had initially thought that Lu Jingming might be interested in her. She hadn't expected that he would hate Gu Qing so much—enough to want to join forces with her to drag Gu Qing down and prevent the marriage. Even more surprising was the fact that he was proposing an alliance. For her, this was an unexpected windfall. She could stop Gu Qing from marrying Lu Jingyan while simultaneously building a connection with Lu Jingming; it was killing two birds with one stone.
Gu Ruo wanted nothing more than to immediately nod and agree to the partnership. However, she still had to act as though she cared about Gu Qing in front of him; otherwise, if her hatred were too obvious, she would lose her facade of innocence and kindness. After all, didn't men love women who appeared gentle and kind?
"Young Master Lu, this is a marriage decided by our parents, so we really shouldn't interfere. Besides, it is my sister’s good fortune to marry the eldest Lu heir. As her younger sister, I should be happy for her; how could I possibly stop it?"
Lu Jingming had never had any private contact with Gu Ruo before, and after just a few exchanges, any goodwill he might have had vanished. He was well-accustomed to the games of deception and could distinguish between genuine words and manipulative nonsense within a few sentences. He saw right through Gu Ruo’s tea-sipping, disingenuous behavior. If she were truly looking out for her sister, she wouldn't have been broadcasting the disgraceful things she claimed Gu Qing had done all over the group chat. The older sister wasn't a good person, and this younger sister was no better.