Chapter 8 – Squeamish Drama Queen1
Impossible, she must be pretending!
Xie Heng had heard many disgusting stories about stepmothers.
He was on the school basketball team, and one of his teammates had a girlfriend whose family had been remarried. Her stepmother moved in with a younger brother, and while her stepmother acted caring and concerned in front of her father, her stepmother secretly picked on her, causing conflicts and isolating her. Now, with the stepmother pregnant, her father sided with her stepmother even more. Once, during an argument with her stepmother, her father slapped her, and she was so upset that she cried to her boyfriend and eventually moved to her grandmother’s house.
So, does Lu Xi also find her stepson an eyesore and want to kick him out of this family?
If she knew this, Lu Xi would be speechless.
She really did faint, but it had little to do with the silly son.
It seemed to be influenced by that nightmare.
The butler immediately called a private doctor, who diagnosed hypoglycemia, prescribed medicine, and advised her to rest and have breakfast on time.
The kitchen prepared ginseng chicken soup, and a servant brought it to Lu Xi’s room. Xie Heng followed, awkwardly standing at the door.
Lu Xi leaned against the bed, her small face half-covered by long hair, her features exquisite but somewhat haggard. She had just coughed a few times, her eyes red, looking like a fragile beauty. Even the servant couldn’t look away.
She glanced at Xie Heng: “If you have something to say, say it.”
Xie Heng stiffened his neck: “Nothing, just came to see if you were really sick because of me.”
“Not dead yet, thanks for your concern.”
“…”
The servant wanted to feed her, but Lu Xi turned her face and pointed a slender finger towards the door, “You feed me.”
Xie Heng: “… Me? Why?”
Lu Xi glanced at him, her voice weak as if she could faint at any moment: “You made me faint.”
“…” Xie Heng felt wronged, he clearly did nothing.
Feeding someone soup, no way, he wouldn’t do it. He thought about leaving, but his feet seemed out of control, walking towards Lu Xi, picking up the soup bowl.
It was all because of that look she gave him, as if he was an unforgivable scoundrel if he didn’t comply.
The more Xie Heng thought about it, the more he felt wronged.
He had never done such a thing before, his movements were clumsy, and he accidentally spilled a drop on the quilt.
Lu Xi looked at him.
She didn’t say a word, but it felt like she said a lot.
Xie Heng inexplicably felt guilty, as if he had done something wrong. Then, he heard the woman say: “It’s hot, be careful.”
“…”
“Are you in a hurry?”
Xie Heng was really out of patience.
He pursed his lips, stubbornly said: “Yes, I’m in a hurry, drink it quickly.”
Lu Xi frowned, her already delicate features looked even more difficult to please, “Fine, I won’t drink it.”
Xie Heng was speechless, was she angry now? Did his dad intentionally found a squeamish drama queen to trouble him?
“When are you going back to school?” Lu Xi asked, “Go pack your things and leave early.”
This… she…
Alright, the evil stepmother finally showed her true colors and couldn’t wait to kick him out?
He definitely wouldn’t listen to her orders!
“Let me tell you, I’m not leaving. Starting today, I’ll eat and sleep at home,” Xie Heng deliberately said loudly for Lu Xi to hear, then called for the butler. “Uncle Chen, get someone to move my stuff back from the dorm. I’m not staying at school anymore.”
The butler was overjoyed.
Great, the young master finally decided to come back home!
Lu Xi smiled lightly. This little guy, trying to fight her, and yet he fell for her provocation so easily?
Though this brat could be annoying, he was easy to handle with the right approach.
However, with Xie Heng living at home from now on, they’d be seeing each other constantly. There would be plenty of opportunities for their wits to clash…
No, she needed to quickly buy some anti-aging serum and eye cream, to prevent getting wrinkles from being annoyed by this brat.
The butler arranged for a driver and a servant to help move Xie Heng’s things from the dorm.
He had started working for the Xie family after the former Madam left, and he had watched Xie Heng grow up, treating Xie Heng like his own younger relative. He was particularly happy that Xie Heng was willing to come back home, though he was a bit worried about Xie Heng’s relationship with the new Madam.
They almost argued during breakfast. Would they end up fighting in the future?
Ah, the life of a wealthy family is complicated. He was just an employee and couldn’t interfere much. He could only try to mediate and hope for fewer conflicts.
However, contrary to his wishes, the two in the house were temporarily at peace, staying in their rooms, but someone came to cause trouble.
Wang Ling showed up again.
Upon her arrival, she demanded tea as usual, acting even more entitled than the Master. She first criticized the tea’s flavor, then asked, “Where’s Xiao Heng? He’s home on break, right?”
The butler replied, “In his room.”
Wang Ling said, “Then I’ll go see him.”
“Please wait a moment, I need to inform Madam first.”
After Wang Ling’s previous visit, Lu Xi had instructed that any guests must be reported to her first and could only stay with her permission, otherwise, they were to be thrown out. She had specifically emphasized Wang Ling.
Master had told him to follow Madam’s instructions, and the butler knew whom to prioritize.
“Madam?” Wang Ling snorted disdainfully. “She’s not officially married yet. What kind of Madam is she? I practically raised the master. Does she dare to stop me?”
Of course, Lu Xi wouldn’t let her.
Upon learning of Wang Ling’s arrival, Lu Xi ordered her to leave immediately.
Her exact words were: If she doesn’t leave, have the bodyguards throw her out.
The butler was taken aback. Madam had quite a temper, but he fully supported her in this matter. If she weren’t firm, how could she manage the household? It would be best if this old woman stopped coming altogether.
Naturally, Wang Ling refused to leave. She began shouting, “I’m here to see Xiao Heng! Why are you kicking me out? This is too much!”
The butler’s head started to hurt. Her voice was too loud.
Xie Heng heard the commotion and came downstairs. “Grandma Wang? What’s going on?”
Wang Ling grabbed him, as if finding her anchor. “Xiao Heng, grandma came to see you, but they’re trying to kick me out just as I arrived… Forget it, I’m old and unwanted. I’ll just stay away in the future to avoid being an eyesore.”
This kind of hypocritical and insincere talk, especially when it’s someone old, is really disgusting to hear.
The sound was so loud that Lu Xi could hear it in her room. She finally discovered a drawback of this house: the soundproofing was not great.
With such a commotion, she couldn’t stay in bed any longer. She got up and slowly went downstairs.
“You came to see Xiao Heng, but you came empty-handed? Didn’t even bring a gift or anything?”
Lu Xi calmly sat down on the sofa, a smile tugging at her lips. She leaned half-heartedly against the soft, light-colored cushions, her long, silky hair loose, exuding a lazy, yet noble demeanor.
Although she was beautiful, her complexion was a bit pale, and her lips were faintly colored. Her hand rested casually on her lap, long and fair, painted with wine-red nail polish. Every part of her exuded an air of pampered elegance.
Wang Ling was choked for a moment, then retorted, “I came in a hurry and forgot. What about you? You want to be Xiao Heng’s stepmother. What have you bought for him?”
“So noisy, my ears hurt, and my head hurts too.” The beauty held her head in her hands, pressing her temples lightly, looking very uncomfortable.
“…” Wang Ling was speechless.
Such a delicate and pampered appearance, coupled with her looks, made her exactly like Xie Heng’s mother. No… Lu Xi never used to be this pretentious!
No wonder she managed to win over Xie Yizhao with that face. Men, even someone like Xie Yizhao, fall for this kind of act.
How shameless!
Wang Ling despised this kind of pretentious behavior. She wasn’t a man, so she only felt disdain and didn’t take Lu Xi seriously. So what if she looked like Lu Xi? She was just a toy the Master found, and she really thought of herself as the Madam?
Wang Ling glared, “Stop pretending. I haven’t done anything to you…”
Before she could finish, Xie Heng interrupted her, “Keep your voice down. She really isn’t feeling well.”
If she fainted again, it would be even more troublesome.
Wang Ling was stunned, then she complained to him, “Xiao Heng, don’t be afraid. With your Grandma Wang here, I won’t let some outside woman become your stepmother.”
Lu Xi raised her eyebrows, her gaze cold, “Who said I want to be his stepmother?”
Wang Ling laughed angrily, “Who are you trying to fool?”
The handsome young man spoke again, “She’s not lying.”
She doesn’t want to be his stepmother; she wants to be his real mother.
“…” Wang Ling didn’t expect Xie Heng to defend this woman again. What was going on? This wasn’t like Xie Heng’s usual temper. If he was unhappy, he would even dare to bang the table at his father, so why would he be afraid of this woman?
“Don’t be afraid, child. With Grandma here, no one can bully you,” Wang Ling advised him, “You and your father are family. As long as you insist, this woman will definitely be kicked out.”
Xie Heng frowned.
He saw the woman on the sofa raise her eyebrows at him and blink, as if deliberately wanting to see what he would say.
Xie Heng uncomfortably pursed his lips.
Yes, he didn’t really like Lu Xi, but he didn’t want to kick her out either. He didn’t want to interfere in his father’s private matters.
Lu Xi crossed her long legs and casually fiddled with her nails, “Who do you think you are to meddle in our family’s affairs? Is it because no one is taking care of you in your old age that you’re latching onto our Xiao Heng, wanting him to be your grandson?”
Wang Ling’s old face wrinkled, her mean eyes becoming even more acrimonious, “…You’re sowing discord!”
Sowing discord?
Lu Xi knew Wang Ling all too well. Since she married Xie Yizhao, Wang Ling had often made snide remarks, disdaining her for her background, thinking she wasn’t a good match for the Xie family. With her parents deceased and having grown up with her uncle, Wang Ling assumed she was an easy target with no one to back her up.
Of course, Lu Xi had taught Wang Ling a lesson before, and since then, Wang Ling hadn’t dared to provoke her again.
Lu Xi’s principle had always been not to start trouble, not to fear trouble, and never to endure grievances. Whoever bullied her would definitely regret it, and her own happiness was most important.
Xie Heng frowned, looking at Wang Ling, suddenly realizing something was wrong.
Right, this was his family’s matter, and it had nothing to do with outsiders. Lu Xi’s words made even him feel that Wang Ling was a bit out of line.
Asking him to go and confront his father? Wang Ling must be crazy.
He was polite to Wang Ling because she was older and often showed concern for him, but that didn’t mean he wanted another grandmother. His real grandmother had long passed away.
Wang Ling’s face turned red with embarrassment as her hidden thoughts were exposed.
When Lu Xi had an accident back then, Wang Ling was overjoyed. Over the years, Xie Yizhao had never remarried and had no women around him. She had always wanted to introduce her daughter to him.
However, Xie Yizhao was not close to her and was polite only out of respect for the Old Madam. Suggesting to Xie Yizhao to remarry was something she wouldn’t dare to do even with ten times the courage.
But Xie Heng was different. He was young and easier to manipulate. As long as she could handle him, the matter would be easy to accomplish.
Her daughter had just graduated from graduate school, and she planned to find an opportunity to first get her daughter in as Xie Heng’s tutor. Once her daughter got along well with him, it would be easy to get close to Xie Yizhao and become his wife.
Who would have thought this woman would appear out of nowhere?
Wang Ling said, “I have cared for Xiao Heng since he was little, of course I care about him.”
Lu Xi’s bright eyes sparkled as she softly asked the butler, “Uncle Chen, I heard you started working here when Xiao Heng was one year old. Have you ever seen Wang Ling take care of Xiao Heng?”
The butler smiled slightly and honestly said, “No, after Xiao Heng was born, Mrs. Wang went abroad to take care of her daughter. She only came back when Xiao Heng was six and never took care of him.”
He had wanted to say these words for a long time, and saying them today made him feel very comfortable.
Madam was amazing, truly impressive!
Many of the servants in the house had suffered under Wang Ling’s temper, and at this moment, they were all silently applauding Lu Xi.
Wang Ling’s face changed color, and she glared at the butler fiercely, then softly said to Xie Heng, “Xiao Heng, don’t believe what they say. You know best whether Grandma treats you well, right?”
Xie Heng : “…”
To be honest, Wang Ling was nice to him, often showing concern. As for his childhood, he didn’t know and didn’t care whether she had taken care of him. He didn’t have the heart to speak harshly to an elderly person.
He scratched his head, “Alright, stop arguing, I don’t mind.”
“You mean I’m being unreasonable?” Lu Xi raised her eyebrows proudly, looking at him with those same almond-shaped eyes as his biological mother, eyes full of accusation. “Xie Heng, you’re helping outsiders instead of me?”
Xie Heng : ?
He met Lu Xi’s clear gaze, and his heart trembled.
Oh no, she seemed to be angry again… Why did she get angry so easily?
- the raw is 娇气作精 (jiāo qì zuò jīng), which is a slang phrase that is often used to describe a young woman who is spoiled, demanding, and attention-seeking. It is typically used in a lighthearted or humorous way, although it can also be used in a more critical or judgmental way. 娇气 (jiāo qì) means “delicate,” “spoiled,” “squeamish,” or “pampered.” It is often used to describe young women who are used to getting their way and who are not used to facing hardship. 作精 (zuò jīng) is a slang term that means “attention-seeker” or “drama queen.” It is often used to describe young women who are constantly seeking attention and who are always trying to create drama. ↩︎
LMAO!! É muito engraçado!! Ela dominou o filho completamente. Os empregados se tornaram do fã-clube da MC, como eu. Só estou ansiosa pelo romance também.
Obrigada!!