Chapter 74: Come On, Let’s Video Chat

“Hey, Second Brother, it’s so late. What’s going on?”

“Did Mom just call you? Asking if you’re free tomorrow afternoon to come home for her flower viewing party?”

“Yeah, I checked my schedule for tomorrow, and I’m free, so I said yes,” Lu Qingqiang replied.

“Do you know who I saw the moment I walked through the door?”

“Who?”

“Lu Fangyuan.”

“Oh, the girl who was switched with me at birth?”

“She came back from abroad?” Lu Qingqiang showed a hint of surprise at just the right moment.

“Yeah, she did!”

“So…”

“Lu Qingqiang, are you curious how Mom and Dad are treating her now that she’s back?” Lu Jianshen asked.

“I…” Not really.

“Honestly, I’m curious too. But Mom and Dad called her into the room and didn’t invite me in. o(╥﹏╥)o.”

“How about this? There’s a surveillance camera in the room they’re in. I know a bit about computers.”

“I’ll switch the feed over and start a video call with you. Let’s watch together.”

“But if Mom and Dad find out what I did, I’ll just say you forced me into it. Sound good?”

“…” Lu Qingqiang was speechless.

She hadn’t expected this kind of move from her second brother.

Was he genuinely concerned about her, or was he just trying to drag her into the drama so she could take the fall?

If their parents ended up favoring Lu Fangyuan, wouldn’t Lu Jianshen worry that she’d feel awkward, disappointed, or hurt?

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Come on, let’s video chat.”

With that, Lu Jianshen quickly ended the voice call and sent her a video invitation.

Lu Qingqiang tapped to accept.

“Shh, don’t say anything now. Let’s just watch and see what happens.”

After saying that, Lu Jianshen turned his phone screen to show the high-definition surveillance footage on his computer. Together, he and Lu Qingqiang began to watch.

On the live feed, Lu Shenlin was speaking.

“Fangyuan, you’re back. How was your trip?”

“Dad, I learned a lot during this time away.”

“It’s all thanks to you and Mom for sending me abroad to study. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

“But… this might be the last time I call you two Mom and Dad.”

“I already know the truth about my background. Madam Lu told me before.”

“To be honest, I didn’t believe it at first.”

“I was born and raised in the Lu Family. How could I not be your daughter?”

“But then I looked in the mirror and realized… yeah, I really don’t look much like either of you.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lu, Madam Lu.”

“Actually, I secretly returned to the country over a month ago.”

“When I first heard I wasn’t part of the Lu Family, I was skeptical and in disbelief.”

“So I had someone investigate my background.”

“Madam Lu was right.”

“My biological parents are farmers from Peach Blossom Village in Qingtan County. I’m just a farmer’s daughter.”

“All these years, because of the mix-up, I’ve been living the life that was meant for your real daughter, enjoying privileges and honors that weren’t mine to begin with.”

“And Lu Qingqiang, who should’ve lived a life of luxury, ended up growing up in the countryside, enduring hardship and countless struggles.”

“Mr. Lu, Madam Lu, thank you for raising me all these years.”

“I’m the one who wronged your daughter. I’m truly sorry.”

Watching Lu Fangyuan kneel straight before them, Madam Lu’s eyes welled up with tears. She quickly stepped forward and helped her up.

“Fangyuan, none of this was your fault.”

“You were just a child back then. How could you have known anything?”

“Sigh, if there’s blame to be placed, it’s on fate… and on us, for not being careful enough to notice the mistake back then.”

“You’re not at fault, and neither is Qingqing. The fault lies with us,” Madam Lu said, full of remorse.

“Mr. Lu, Madam Lu, thank you for taking the time to visit my biological parents’ graves.”

“I came back this time to kneel before you and thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I also want to find time to apologize to Lu Qingqiang and thank her.”

After speaking, Lu Fangyuan stepped back and knelt down once more.

She bowed three times, each one sincere and solemn.

Madam Lu tried to stop her but couldn’t.

Lu Shenlin, however, remained calmly seated at his desk.

After watching Lu Fangyuan finish her bows and be helped up by Madam Lu, Lu Shenlin continued.

“Fangyuan, from what you said, you’ve already been to Peach Blossom Village?”

“Yes, I stayed there for a month,” Lu Fangyuan nodded and continued.

“To be honest, even after a month, I still couldn’t get used to it.”

“But that place… is my hometown.”

“The first night I moved in, I wanted to leave.”

“But I held on.”

“Your daughter, Lu Qingqiang, spent over twenty years living in that place.”

“She was there in my place.”

“She, someone who should’ve been a pampered heiress, managed to survive there for so many years. So why couldn’t I?”

“I forced myself to stay for a month, but in the end, I realized… I really couldn’t do it.”

“The villagers said Lu Qingqiang used to work in the fields all the time.”

“She was hardworking and resilient.”

“She wasn’t just good at manual labor, she was also a top student.”

“Her school was over ten kilometers from home.”

“At first, she ran to school every day. It wasn’t until she turned twelve that she finally got her own bicycle.”

“But when I was twelve, I already had my own luxury car, designer clothes, and brand-name bags.”

“Now, with the Lu Family’s backing, I’ve built my own career and future.”

“To be honest, being the daughter of the richest man is far more empowering and pride-worthy than being a farmer’s daughter.”

“So I once thought, no matter what tricks I had to play or how pitiful I had to act, I had to stay in the Lu Family.”

“After all, you raised me for over twenty years. That kind of bond doesn’t just vanish.”

“Lu Qingqiang was born and raised in the countryside. Even if her status is noble now, so what?”

“Her environment meant she would never know as much as I do, never understand the things I do.”

“As long as I kept proving how outstanding I was in front of you, and highlighting how rough and unrefined Lu Qingqiang was…”

“Over time, maybe you’d still favor me.”

“Shocking, isn’t it? I shocked myself too, realizing I once had such vicious thoughts.”

“My biological parents are honest, hardworking farmers. They’ve lived their whole lives with integrity and diligence.”

“My adoptive parents are open-minded and generous. They’ve always treated me with love and kindness.”

“But I… I couldn’t accept the sudden fall in my status. The gap was too big. I was terrified of what people online would say about me.”

“So I started having all these thoughts.”

“I hate this version of myself. There’s a demon inside me. I’ve seen the darkness in my own nature.”

“I’m not as good as Lu Qingqiang. Truly, I’m not.”

“Mr. Lu, Madam Lu, the reason I can speak so honestly with you today is because I’ve come to terms with it.”

“Everyone may have dark thoughts at some point in their life, but if you can face them head-on, you can also overcome them.”

“At the same time, I want to cut off any path or hope for myself going forward.”

“I know that after hearing all this, you’ll probably be disappointed in me.”

“I also know that what I owe must be returned. I can’t hold on to any more illusions.”

“So today, I gathered all my courage to finally tell you what’s been in my heart.”