Zhu Tong’s face was dark, and his impatience was about to overflow from his eyes.
Kong Lu thought he was being annoyed by Shao Ming.
The angrier he was, the more proud Kong Lu became.
She wanted Zhu Tong to understand that the person he was associating with was an illegitimate child and wouldn’t be accepted by society. Zhu Tong rejected her, but he also couldn’t bring back the person he admired. It was better to choose her over that person.
She casually brushed her hair aside, watching Shao Ming as if waiting for him to say something. However, she noticed that Zhu Tong had furrowed his brow and was holding his phone.
The call was quickly connected.
“Hello…”
Zhu Tong immediately said, “Call Zhuo Yunan. Her dog ran away and is barking now. Tell her to come and get it.”
“Who? Zhuo Yunan? Since when does she have a dog? Hey, you…”
Cheng Chen was still confused, but Zhu Tong had already hung up.
Kong Lu was completely stunned.
It took her a moment to process, and then she couldn’t contain her anger. “Who are you calling a dog?”
Wait, who did Zhu Tong just call? What did he say?
Her pupils dilated as she looked at Zhu Tong. “You…”
She wanted to ask Zhu Tong who he was and how he could call her cousin. Her cousin was a top star in the entertainment industry, highly valued by her company, courted by many investors. How could she be summoned and insulted like that?
She couldn’t help but panic.
Just then, the door of the milk tea shop swung open, and someone wearing sunglasses and a scarf walked in. Seeing there weren’t many customers inside, she spoke in a deep voice. “Kong Lu!”
Kong Lu turned at the sound of the voice, her expression changing drastically. “…Cousin?”
“Not anymore.” The woman approached the counter, taking off her disguise to reveal a grim expression. “Call me cousin again, and I’ll lose my job.”
The woman was Zhuo Yunan.
She was still dressed in the sports outfit she wore for the show, her hair tied in a ponytail, giving her a down-to-earth look.
Kong Lu didn’t understand what she meant. She had come here secretly without her cousin’s knowledge, about to explain herself, when Zhuo Yunan’s phone rang again.
Just as she feared, Zhuo Yunan glanced at Kong Lu, then answered the call.
“…I’m at the milk tea shop now. I understand, don’t worry, Cheng-zong, I’ll take care of it.”
Hanging up, Zhuo Yunan breathed a sigh of relief.
Kong Lu heard the name Zhuo Yunan called and paled.
‘Cheng Chen… Which Cheng Chen?’
‘Why is Zhuo Yunan’s boss calling her now?’
Zhuo Yunan looked at her with a stern face. “Who told you to come here?”
Kong Lu stuttered. “I…”
Zhuo Yunan didn’t let her speak and pulled her around. “Apologize.”
Kong Lu was shocked. “Cousin?”
Why was she being asked to apologize without any explanation?
Zhuo Yunan asked, “Don’t want to apologize?”
Then she looked at Zhu Tong. “Young Master Zhu, I apologize to you on her behalf for today’s incident. How would you like to handle it?”
Zhu Tong remained indifferent.
Meanwhile, Luo Suo was speechless with astonishment. He glanced at Zhu Tong and then at Zhuo Yunan.
He already knew Zhu Tong was wealthy, but today seemed to have overturned his understanding once again.
So Kong Lu really was Zhuo Yunan’s cousin.
Last time, when Zhu Tong clarified about inviting Zhuo Yunan to the milk tea shop, it wasn’t an “invitation” but rather a “summon”.
What kind of family was Zhu Tong from exactly?
Zhu Tong looked at the pale-faced Kong Lu and spoke in a deep voice, “If there’s no sincerity, then there’s no need for an apology.”
Kong Lu gritted her teeth, unable to speak. She didn’t dare imagine how powerful Zhu Tong’s background might be. She didn’t want to apologize; she just wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Hearing Zhu Tong say there was no need to apologize, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Zhu Tong continued, “As her cousin, do you know what she wants the most?”
Kong Lu’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at Zhu Tong.
‘What is he planning?’
But Zhu Tong was only looking at Zhuo Yunan.
Zhuo Yunan was taken aback. She could tell Zhu Tong was serious.
She knew exactly what kind of person her cousin was. It seemed like she had offended someone really important this time. She glanced at Kong Lu and sighed. “She wants to debut.”
Debut?
Zhu Tong looked at Kong Lu again, indifferently saying, “Oh, then you don’t need to debut now.”
Kong Lu was startled, unable to believe that her cousin was actually telling the truth. She also felt resentful that Zhu Tong was making decisions on his own. Unable to contain herself, she said, “What gives you the right to do this? I was just telling the truth. He originally…”
She wanted to point at Shao Ming again.
Zhuo Yunan intervened, “If you don’t want to involve even your parents, you better shut up right now.”
Kong Lu choked up, suddenly unable to speak.
Zhuo Yunan added, “You should leave first.”
“But Cousin, it’s cold outside…”
Kong Lu couldn’t help but stare in disbelief. It was freezing outside!
However, under her cousin’s warning gaze, Kong Lu dared not argue further.
She opened the door and left.
Zhuo Yunan apologized once again.
Zhu Tong’s expression softened slightly. “It wasn’t you who said those things, so you don’t need to apologize. Thank you for what happened at the milk tea shop last time. But things are separate. I won’t let go of your cousin’s matter.”
Zhuo Yunan smiled. “Young Master Zhu, rest assured, I won’t plead for her. As for the milk tea shop incident, Cheng Chen has already paid the fee. I should be thanking you.”
Zhu Tong fell silent.
If she wasn’t pleading for someone, why was she still here?
Luo Suo looked at her, wanting to say something, but his idol was standing right in front of him. However, having just experienced the incident with her idol’s cousin, Luo Suo’s feelings were probably a bit complicated. Zhu Tong didn’t know whether he should ask her to leave or not.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhuo Yunan had already turned her head to look at the person who was diligently pouring out the fruit powder for Shao Ming at the far end of the counter.
She spoke, “Lu Zheyu, aren’t you going to say hello to me?”
“…”
“!!”
There were five people in the milk tea shop now, one in front of the counter and four behind it.
At this moment, the three people behind the counter all turned to look at Lu Zheyu simultaneously.
Luo Suo’s gaze swiftly moved between Zhuo Yunan and Lu Zheyu, unable to conceal his astonishment.
Zhu Tong looked at Shao Ming with some surprise.
Shao Ming’s face showed little surprise, but he shook his head gently… he didn’t know what was going on either.
The most composed person was Lu Zheyu. He calmly raised his head and said, “Miss Zhuo.”
Zhuo Yunan: “…”
When she entered the milk tea shop just now, Zhuo Yunan had seen Lu Zheyu, but because things weren’t resolved yet, she didn’t greet him. And when Lu Zheyu saw her, he didn’t spare her a glance from start to finish.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re still the same, money is the only thing that matters to you.”
Lu Zheyu ignored her.
Zhu Tong directly asked, “Do you two know each other?”
–
When Zhuo Yunan came out of the milk tea shop, she was holding a cup of red bean milk tea. At the door, she met two girls who had come to the shop together, and they excitedly asked for her autograph.
Kong Lu was shivering in the cold wind outside, but she didn’t dare to leave.
Seeing Zhuo Yunan come out, she quickly ran over and said, “Cousin, why did you come out so late? What were you saying just now? Why did you say whatever he asked? Are you intentionally trying to harm me?”
“Harm you?” Zhuo Yunan gave her a disdainful look. “Even if I didn’t say those things, do you think you could still debut successfully? Have you ever thought about what you’ve done, stirring up trouble with the wrong people? You won’t even have a chance to appear on screen in the future.”
Kong Lu’s face turned pale. “What… what did I do wrong? I was just stating the facts! Shao Ming is a bastard to begin with, and he’s repaying kindness with enmity. You helped clarify things for them on Weibo before, and now he’s treating us like this? He…”
“Clarify things on Weibo? How do you know that Weibo post was from me?”
Kong Lu was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
Zhuo Yunan continued, “What do you think I mean? I mean, the Weibo post was made on someone else’s behalf. How could I have a cousin as foolish as you? Your whole family is foolish. Is Zhu Tong someone you can afford to offend? You’re like a toad wanting to eat the swan’s meat1dreaming of something impossible.. Even if he were a swan, you wouldn’t even qualify as a toad. If you don’t have self-awareness, that’s fine, but now you’re provoking people to the point of no return. Your own future is ruined. You better hope that others are magnanimous and won’t take revenge on your uncle and aunt. Otherwise, when you’re homeless one day, don’t come begging for my help.”
She walked away faster and faster as she spoke.
In the chilling wind on the square, Kong Lu’s hands and feet were already freezing cold, and now even her heart felt cold.
Who exactly had she offended?
What would Zhu Tong do to her?
She didn’t dare to think about it.
The two of them quickly left the square. When they reached the parking area, Zhuo Yunan opened the car door and got in. Before Kong Lu could react, she closed the door tightly.
Kong Lu was caught off guard, and she pounded on the car window with force. “Cousin, what are you doing?”
Zhuo Yunan rolled down the window and looked at her. “You don’t listen to advice and like to sneak around, right? You came here on your own, so go back the same way.”
The window rolled back up, leaving Kong Lu standing there dumbfounded. Her feet felt like they were leaden, unable to move. Thinking about what she would face in the future, she felt a chilling fear creeping over her.
In the milk tea shop, after the few remaining customers left with their drinks, the shop fell into silence.
The sudden influx of information was overwhelming, and it was going to take some time to process it all.
