After being kicked out of the wealthy family along with her yandere childhood friend

Bai Zhenzhen ran through the garden, her hair disheveled from running, with a few strands sticking to her face. She didn't bother to brush it away, and just rushed into the depths of the garden in this messy state.

Inside the greenhouse, the Bai family is hosting a banquet today to entertain the wives of several prominent figures in the business world.

Bai Zhongjing had Lin Meng handle the reception, while he himself discussed matters with several CEOs in his study.

The ladies sat in the greenhouse, holding scissors, arranging several pots of delicate flowers.

They were dressed in bespoke suits, their hair meticulously styled, and they discussed haircutting techniques in hushed tones.

Bai Zhenzhen barged in impetuously, her body reeking of the sweet smell of plum juice mixed with the oily smell of the hot pot restaurant.

The ladies stopped what they were doing, and the scissors hung in mid-air.

Lin Meng paused for a moment, looked up, saw Bai Zhenzhen's appearance, her expression changed for a second, and then quickly changed to a gentle, motherly concern.

Upon seeing the large crowd, Bai Zhenzhen cried even harder.

She collapsed at Lin Meng's feet, her knees resting on the stone floor of the flower room. The stains on her white shirt clung to Lin Meng's skirt, leaving a faint red mark.

Lin Meng looked down at the mark on her skirt, glancing at the expressions of the ladies around her. One put down the scissors, while another picked up her teacup.

Lin Meng smiled shyly at the person next to her, turned slightly to the side, and gave the butler standing outside a wink.

The housekeeper's figure flashed briefly at the entrance of the flower room.

She reached out and helped Bai Zhenzhen up, her movements gentle and considerate, showing her heartache for her daughter who had been soiled.

"What's wrong, baby?"

Lin Meng's voice was very soft, carrying a just-right, motherly tenderness.

"How did it get like this?"

Her fingers gently wiped away the tear stains on Bai Zhenzhen's cheeks, the movement was very light, as if she was afraid of hurting her.

A little bit of plum juice stained her fingertip; she rubbed it off discreetly without wiping it away.

Bai Zhenzhen cried so hard she could barely breathe, her words slurred and incoherent, but she still managed to piece together her thoughts.

"Mom, I saw my sister at the hot pot restaurant in Wangfujing this afternoon."

She glanced at Lin Meng with tear-filled eyes, then lowered them again.

"She was sitting with three men, and I was afraid she might do something wrong, so I wanted to go and stop her."

Not only did she ignore me, she also threw my phone into the hot pot and splashed plum juice all over me.

Bai Zhenzhen's voice was soft and aggrieved, like a child who had suffered a great injustice and was complaining to her parents.

She started crying again as she spoke, her shoulders shaking, and she looked especially pitiful under the warm lights of the greenhouse.

The ladies nearby exchanged glances, knowingly lowering their eyes.

They've been in this industry for decades; they've seen it all.

A daughter who had just been reunited with her family ran to the place where her mother was entertaining guests, wearing a shirt soaked in plum juice, to complain that there were three men there.

To them, every word sounded like a lie.

But no one pointed it out.

The wives of wealthy families are masters at keeping quiet when they shouldn't be speaking; some cut flowers, some drink tea, and they act as if they haven't heard a thing.

Lin Meng's smile remained unchanged after hearing this.

But her fingers paused on Bai Zhenzhen's shoulder for a moment before withdrawing.

Then she smiled at the ladies beside her, her voice gentle and natural.

"I'm so sorry, Zhenzhen just arrived and is still playful and doesn't know any better. Please excuse her."

Her voice carried a perfectly measured politeness, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"He's just a kid, so reckless and impulsive, he tells everyone everything."

"How could that be?"

A lady put down her shears, brushed the leaf scraps off her hands, and smiled kindly.

"It's good for children to be more lively; ours is just too well-behaved."

Another wife chimed in,

"Yes, naive."

Hearing that so many people were supporting her, Bai Zhenzhen cried even harder.

She sobbed, her shoulders shaking even more violently, like a small white flower swaying precariously in the wind and rain.

Several people glanced down at her, each secretly plotting their own schemes.

The daughter the Bai family had just adopted was immature and loved to cause trouble; she dared to make such a scene in front of the guests.

Today they can have a conflict at a hot pot restaurant, and tomorrow they can embarrass their husband's family at a banquet.

This kind of girl is definitely not a good choice for an arranged marriage.

A qualified daughter-in-law of a wealthy family should know what to say in what situation, and when to swallow her words.

This new Miss Bai is clearly not up to par.

Lin Meng glanced at Bai Zhenzhen, who was still crying, and then looked up with a sharp gaze, wondering why she hadn't arrived yet.

Soon, several nannies dressed in uniform and carrying clean towels and coats came running in.

The two men held Bai Zhenzhen's arms on either side, their movements gentle yet firm.

"Miss, let us take you downstairs to change your clothes first, so you don't catch a cold."

One nanny's voice was gentle and considerate, while another nanny unfolded a soft cashmere shawl and gently wrapped it around Bai Zhenzhen's shoulders, her movements swift and natural.

Bai Zhenzhen originally wanted to stay a little longer.

She still had a lot to say. She wanted these ladies to know how wicked and outrageous Bai Tao was, and how unworthy she was of the Bai family's kindness in raising her. She also wanted Lin Meng to promise in front of everyone that she would definitely stand up for her.

But the two nannies were too strong. She struggled for a moment but couldn't break free, and was taken away.

Her crying gradually faded away, and the greenhouse was quiet for a moment.

Lin Meng rubbed her palms together, then turned around and continued to instruct everyone to trim the delicate flowers in the vase, her voice regaining its previous composure.

A woman who runs a jade business is bending down to trim the Juliet roses in a vase.

With a deft "snip," her scissors cut away a section of excess leaves and a beautiful but somewhat superfluous pink rose from the flower stem.

Then she looked up, her tone casual.

"Xiaomeng, it's just a pair of chopsticks. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture."

"That's right. I think your new daughter is good, but our little Peach was also made with real money. She's about to bear fruit, and you're really willing to give her up."

These words were spoken casually, as if they were just chatting, but every word fell into Lin Meng's ears, and she heard a different meaning in each one.

The newly adopted daughter of the Bai family has already shown her timidity in the circles of the wealthy, while Bai Tao, who was kicked out, is the one who is remembered.

Lin Meng smiled, neither refuting nor agreeing.

She picked up the scissors, trimmed a branch that was sticking out at an angle, and then changed the subject, her voice gentle and natural.

"By the way, I heard that Mrs. Li's youngest daughter recently set a wedding date? Which family's son is he?"

Her tone suggested genuine curiosity, subtly steer the conversation away from the main topic.

The ladies followed her lead, and the greenhouse was filled with the sounds of relaxed conversation and pruning shears once again.

Lin Meng would occasionally respond with a word or two, occasionally chuckle, and occasionally nod.

Her expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Only when she looked down at her half-pruned flowerpot did her scissors pause, leaving a slightly uneven cut on the stem, before continuing.

This matter was naturally relayed to Bai Zhongjing.

In the evening, the butler stood at the door of the study for a while, waiting for Bai Zhongjing to finish his phone call before going in and quietly recounting what had happened that afternoon.

He didn't embellish or deliberately omit anything, and he didn't express any emotion whatsoever.

After listening, Bai Zhongjing showed no expression. He simply put down the phone, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gestured for the butler to leave.

At night, the magnificent lobby is illuminated by crystal chandeliers that light up every corner.

Bai Zhongjing sat on the sofa in the middle of the living room, holding a newspaper in his hand, his expression unreadable.

He was very relaxed, and Bai Zhenzhen ran down the stairs in her high heels.

She had changed into a new outfit, her hair was curled again, and her makeup was touched up; she was completely different from the disheveled woman she had been in the afternoon.

She was running a little too fast, so she grabbed the handrail at the turn of the stairs to catch her breath before continuing down.

Although Bai Zhongjing had already complained to Lin Meng that afternoon, he was still unaware of the matter.

She wanted to leave her father with the impression of a well-behaved daughter who had been bullied.

When she stood before Bai Zhongjing, she became somewhat hesitant to speak.

Bai Zhongjing sat there, doing nothing, but she felt the air was heavier than before.

She slowed her pace, walked to the coffee table, and clasped her hands together in front of her.

"dad?"

Her voice carried a tentative, just-right softness.

Bai Zhongjing closed the newspaper, folded it neatly, and placed it on a corner of the coffee table.

The butler handed over a paper bag at the opportune moment. Bai Zhongjing gave him a look, and the butler respectfully handed it to Bai Zhenzhen.

Bai Zhenzhen accepted it, feeling somewhat flattered.

"Dad, what's this?"

Bai Zhenzhen's voice was a little softer than before, carrying a hint of being cared for and a small surprise.

"Open it and take a look."

Bai Zhongjing's voice was unreadable, but there was a slight curve at the corner of his mouth.

Bai Zhenzhen opened the bag and took out a white box.

She opened the box, and inside lay a cell phone, the latest model, exactly the same as the one Bai Tao had thrown into the hot pot that afternoon.

She froze for a moment.

She didn't tell him what happened that afternoon.

Bai Zhenzhen held her phone, and when she looked up, her eyes were already slightly red, as if she had been moved by something.

"Thank you, Dad."

Her voice was choked with emotion.

"Does Dad know that my sister threw my phone into the hot pot today?"

Bai Zhongjing ignored her.

His gaze shifted from her face to the jade thumb ring on his left hand.

He gently turned the thumb ring with his right thumb, without answering Bai Zhenzhen's question.

Seeing that he didn't react much, Bai Zhenzhen felt a little uncertain, but she was unwilling to give up just like that.

She took half a step forward, her voice carrying the kind of grievance that only a well-behaved daughter would have when she was bullied, her tone even more genuine than when she practiced it in her mind.

"Dad, I just saw my sister with three men, dressed so nicely, and I was afraid she was trying to take a shortcut, so I went up to dissuade her."

Unexpectedly, she said I didn't need to meddle, and even threw my phone into the hot pot.

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke the last few sentences, as if she were trying hard to hold back her tears.

Her eyes were already red.

Bai Zhongjing felt that something was chattering in his ears, which was very annoying.

His expression remained unchanged. He licked his back teeth expressionlessly, his tongue lightly gliding across the teeth on the right side of his mouth.

He changed his sitting posture, put one leg on top of the other, leaned back into the sofa, and then asked a very nonsensical question.

"Zhenzhen, what do you do every day now? Are you filming videos?"

Bai Zhenzhen was taken aback. She hadn't expected Bai Zhongjing to ask that.

She nodded, her voice a little softer than before.

"Yes, Dad, what's wrong?"

Bai Zhongjing did not answer immediately.

He glanced at Bai Zhenzhen, but Bai Zhongjing didn't want to spell it out.

Even if this daughter isn't doing well now, she still has value to be exploited.

Bai Zhenzhen's name is now inextricably linked to the Bai family; her account, her followers, and every video she posts all bear the Bai family label.

If her words are seen by others, they won't think it's Bai Zhenzhen speaking; they'll think it's the Bai family speaking.

She has recounted her past suffering for Bai Tao countless times, and some people have started to get annoyed by it.

Those people in the elite circles may not say it, but they all have a sense of propriety and propriety.

"Then Dad hopes you can say more positive things."

Bai Zhongjing's voice was neither hurried nor slow.

"As for your unpleasant experience before, I hope you can forget about it and not mention it again."

He paused, his gaze falling on Bai Zhenzhen's face, applying a threatening pressure.

"At the same time, you must not reveal a single word about Bai Tao online."

"Why, Dad?"

Bai Zhenzhen's voice carried a hint of genuine incomprehension.

"But I didn't provoke my sister. It was just my fans being curious; they were just concerned about me."

Her gaze swept across Bai Zhongjing's face, trying to find his approval, but she only saw a silent profile.

Bai Zhongjing glanced at her and stood up.

"If you're bored every day, go out and see the world with your mother."

Bai Zhenzhen stood there speechless.

She watched Bai Zhongjing's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, holding the new phone in her hand, the corner of the packaging box digging into her palm.

She originally thought that Bai Zhongjing would stand up for her, call Bai Tao to question her, and make Bai Tao apologize to her.

He gave her a cell phone and told her not to mention Bai Tao again.

Why?

Shouldn't normal parents immediately call the police when they hear that their daughter is being bullied?

Why would someone react like this?

Do they still have feelings for that wretched woman's daughter?

Bai Zhenzhen's face slowly turned cold in the empty lobby.

She looked down at the new phone in her hand; the screen was black, reflecting her blurry image.

She absolutely will not allow this to happen!

Bai Zhenzhen is completely overthinking things.

Bai Zhongjing didn't stop her from saying those things online because he loved Bai Tao.

He retained the name Bai Tao, which had nothing to do with whether he loved her or not.

He knew very well that Bai Tao's connection with the Bai family had been severed, but Bai Tao might still be a card to be played at some point.

If necessary, he could also bring Bai Tao back and arrange a suitable marriage in the name of the Bai family to help them.

Even if she can't marry into a very high social class, she can't marry into a very poor family either.

He's a man, so he knows best what some young punks are thinking right now.

Bai Tao's appearance, temperament, and speech were all cultivated by the Bai family over twenty-three years, and this investment has not yet been recouped.

Therefore, it is best to preserve Bai Tao's reputation as she is now—spoiled yet gentle, sensible, beautiful, and understanding.

As for Bai Zhenzhen, her personality and her low-class, undisguised boasting and complaining, if allowed to spread online, will only lower people's overall impression of the Bai family.

Comparing the two, he knew which one to protect.

Bai Zhenzhen stood there, her face still bearing a docile expression, her eyes still red, like a small flower that had just been battered by wind and rain, still glistening with water droplets.