Lu Xinyi gave Sun Feiyan an incredulous stare. She never thought that Sun Feiyan would still insist on this reasoning she was trying to tell her since they were young. A bark of laughter coming from her made her unwanted cousin’s eyes narrow at her direction.

“You still haven’t changed, Feiyan,” she replied as her mouth curled in a closed-lipped smile.

“And you, my dear, is still as reckless and oblivious as ever.” Sun Feiyan countered; she then turned her gaze to Lu Xinyi’s friends and back to her cousin. “Xinxin, I want a word with you. In private, please.”

Lu Xinyi’s smile went stiff in an effort not to let Sun Feiyan’s words irritate her further.

“I’ll be fine. You can go on without me, but can you please drop Xiao Lan home? I don’t want her husband to get worried,” she told Yuan Jin. Yuan Jin understood what she meant and agreed without a question, but Lu Xiulan hesitated to leave Lu Xinyi alone.

“But Xinxin!” she complained but Lu Xinyi shook her head, indicating there was no point on arguing over the matter.

“I’ll be going home after this.”

“If you insist—”

“I am,” Lu Xinyi gave Lu Xiulan a pointed look.

When the trio left, Lu Xinyi let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want her friends to be dragged into her problems.

“Let’s not go into circles again, Feiyan. What do you want?” She leaned at the closest wall and rubbed her brow as if trying to ward off a headache.

“I want to know… why the Shen family?” Sun Feiyan went straight to the point.

“What is it to you? My association with the Shen family has nothing to do with you and the Sun family.”

“Lu Xinyi, do not forget that you are a Sun. A young miss of the Sun family. Going to Shen family is as far as turning your back to your own family.”

It was the first time that Lu Xinyi saw her cousin look frustrated. It was almost like she was losing her own composure, forgetting the upbringing the Sun family had taught her.

“As far as I know, it was my mother who bears the name of the Sun family. Not me. I am Lu Xinyi, and I am a Lu. Whether you like it or not, who I spend my time with isn’t your business. Stop saying that my mother gave you the right to look over me.” She hissed back to her cousin. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀ​ꪶ​

“No, Xinxin!” Sun Feiyan’s face scrunched up and then flattened, trying to remain calm. She ran a hand on her wavy hair and took a deep breath. “You don’t understand! You need to come back home! You don’t need the Shen family if you want to be a professional chef. I can help you with that! You’re a Sun miss, and you shouldn’t beg to another family for a right that you have as a Sun.”

“I will not! I found my true home, and I will not give up my life only to suffer in that wretched place once more!” Sun Feiyan would never understand that the Shen family had treated her with respect and patience while the Sun family had persecuted her and her mother, driving them away from the Sun Estate. She couldn’t understand why would Sun Feiyan wanted her to join that despicable family who only wished was to hurt her.

Lu Xinyi was relieved that the hallway was deserted with people. If someone found out she was in a heated argument with Sun Feiyan, some nasty rumors would spread against her. She didn’t want to give the Shen family problems that root from the Sun family. She didn’t want to add fuel and ignite another issue between two families.

“You can’t escape your fate, Xinxin. You know well that you cannot run or hide forever. Eventually, you’ll come back to us, and when you do, it might be too late for you.” With those words, Sun Feiyan left Lu Xinyi alone and didn’t explain what she meant by that.

Lu Xinyi could only state at Sun Feiyan’s retreating back, wondering why she was acting so weird. This wasn’t the usual Sun Feiyan she knew. Her demeanor and voice were hinted with despair and frustration—emotions that Lu Xinyi couldn’t associate with her cousin.

Did something wrong happen in the Sun family? Was the old man dying and wished that she would come back to the Sun Estate?

Not that she cared, but she couldn’t think of any reason why should she give a fuck about it. Turning on her heels, Lu Xinyi decided that she had enough for the day and was ready to retire. She hoped that Director Han wouldn’t be angry if she missed the press conference.

Taking her phone from her side pocket, she tried to call her husband; but he wasn’t picking it up.

“Where could he be?” she thought. Before she could come up with a possible answer, she reached the exit at the back of the stadium. What caught her off-guard was the number of reporters waiting for her outside.

“Miss Lu! Miss Lu! A word please?”

“Miss Lu! Do you think that the wrong ingredients were really part of the exam?”

Lu Xinyi tried to push through the crowd. Was this always like this after Silver Leaf’s exams?

“Miss Lu! You’re a member of the Sun family. Why did you choose to be sponsored by another family instead of the Sun family?” At that question, Lu Xinyi froze, her eyes widening at the reporter.

How did he find out?!

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