The CEO’s Substitute Wife Is A Genius
Chapter 312 The More You Dig, The Deeper It Gets, The More Speechless You Become

Chapter 312: Chapter 312 The More You Dig, The Deeper It Gets, The More Speechless You Become

"What?"

Lu Xingzhou and Jiang Man had yet to react, while Wen Jingya and Jiang Man, who had just walked into the yard, spoke out at the same time, albeit differently.

Trailing behind them, Lu Zhendong arrived unhurriedly.

Jiang Man wasn’t interested in gossip, especially since stories vary depending on who tells them and aren’t always objective.

It’s good to listen to what others say, but forming one’s own judgment is crucial.

But Jiang Man wasn’t like that; she tried her hardest to show her loyalty.

"How could it be her, eh? She doesn’t look simple at all. Otherwise, how would an Asian become the wife of France’s Foreign Minister? She must be extremely cunning!"

"Whether she’s cunning or not, I don’t know, but she’s definitely prettier than our aunt and has more charm. If I were a man, I’d definitely choose a vixen like her too," immediately chimed in Wen Jingya.

Their words were harsh, with one being more subtle and the other more blunt.

Jiang Man detested such gossipy behavior the most. Although she and Mrs. Lan Xiang were neither friends nor relatives, she found it ridiculous that Wen Jingya and Jiang Man would make up slanderous stories about someone they didn’t even know.

If being a troll were a crime, these two would have been locked up countless times by now.

"Grandma, what exactly happened? Can you tell us?"

Jiang Man was very eager to gossip.

Because out of everyone present, she knew the most.

With a side glance, she couldn’t help but look at Jiang Man.

She was dying to know what enmity existed between the Lu Family and Jiang Man’s foster father.

The grudges probably had something to do with this third party, Mrs. Lan Xiang, right?

"Why bring up the past? Your aunt’s mood must be terrible lately. You should all be more understanding, comfort her, especially you, Manman. As her daughter, show her more care, so she feels the warmth of the family, instead of having idle thoughts."

"I will," pouted Jiang Man.

Not hearing any gossip left her feeling quite annoyed.

"And another thing," the old lady paused, her tone becoming more serious, "From now on, nobody is allowed to attend Barrett’s concerts or have any contact with that Lan Xiang. In front of Xuemei, absolutely do not mention the name Lan Xiang!"

"Understood," Wen Jingya raised her eyebrows and couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, "Have contact with Mrs. Lan Xiang? As if we had the ability to do so."

She is the wife of a foreign minister! The wife of a foreign minister! Not just some ordinary flunky.

They had no means to interact with the wife of a foreign country’s foreign minister.

Hearing the old lady’s edict made Jiang Man frown.

Lu Xingzhou noticed her discomfort and reached out to pat the back of her hand as a gesture of reassurance.

"Alright, I’m a bit tired, I’m going to take a nap. Uncle Zhong, instruct the kitchen to prepare some peach gum and bird’s nest, Xuemei’s favorite."

"Yes."

The old lady stood up and headed to her room.

"Shall we go back?" Jiang Man said listlessly, standing up with her hands in her pockets.

Lu Xingzhou naturally took her hand.

As they were about to leave side by side, Lu Zhendong blocked their way.

"Xingzhou, Ye Xiangling must have a hidden agenda for coming back this time. We need to be on guard," he said.

"We will," replied Lu Xingzhou curtly, nodding his head as a sign, "Let’s go."

"Sure," nodded Lu Zhendong in response.

Once Lu Xingzhou and Jiang Man had left, Wen Jingya immediately ran over, grinning cheekily, "Older brother, you should still remember what happened with our aunt back then, right? Tell Manman and me about it."

"Yeah, yeah," Jiang Man agreed, nodding vigorously like someone mashing garlic.

Lu Zhendong glared at them, finding the two very annoying, "Are you using your elders’ affairs for entertainment?"

His stern appearance made them both uncomfortable.

"No, we are just concerned about our aunt..." Wen Jingya hurriedly made excuses for herself.

Lu Zhendong wasn’t buying it; his gaze sharp, he looked at Jiang Man with increasing sternness, "She is your foster mother; you shouldn’t be fooling around with Wen Jingya! I’m deeply disappointed in you!"

With that said, he walked away.

"Ugh? This person..." Wen Jingya was so angry that her mouth was twisted: "He’s living off others, he’s no nobler than us!"

"Jingya, you should say less," Jiang Man tugged at Wen Jingya’s clothes.

Wen Jingya glared at her: "Scaredycat! We are foster daughters, we have inheritance rights, whereas he is just an outsider nephew! Why are you afraid of him? Just because the Lu Family gave him the position of deputy director, you really think he can be our equal? He’s just working for our family!"

"Jingya... stop talking... stop talking..." Jiang Man was almost scared to pee herself.

Was Wen Jingya brainless? She dared to say anything.

Although what she said was indeed true, such things were only to be understood, not spoken aloud!

She quickly dragged her away, pulled her into the yard, and changed the subject: "How’s the research into my issue going?"

"What’s the rush? I’ll definitely tell you when I find something!" Wen Jingya gave her a glance: "It’s freezing outside."

While speaking, she strode down the corridor: "I’m going back to my room. You’re the aunt’s daughter, aren’t you going to ingratiate yourself quickly? Aren’t you usually so eager to perform? Why aren’t you acting today?"

"..." Jiang Man was so angry she felt like vomiting blood.

She gave a bitter smile and said nothing.

...

Elsewhere, Jiang Man and Lu Xingzhou were making their way back to Rong Mansion.

Jiang Man leaned back in her seat, supporting her forehead with one hand as she looked out the window.

The last couple of days had seen a significant drop in temperature, and the trees outside were almost completely bare.

The mountain scenery appeared desolate, with only the pine and cypress remaining evergreen.

Lu Xingzhou knew what was bothering her, so he reached for her hand: "Don’t mind what grandma said. She has her say, and we’ll make our own friends."

"Is that what you think?" Jiang Man was surprised.

She wasn’t someone who needed friends all that much; Mrs. Lan Xiang was a friend she could make or not make.

But she didn’t like being manipulated, being told she wasn’t allowed to make friends.

"The affairs of the previous generation have nothing to do with our generation."

"Grandma hates her quite a bit, probably because she really hurt my aunt back then."

"How about we cancel the dinner plans for now, then make a decision after the investigation is clear?"

"Okay."

The brief exchange made Jiang Man feel very comfortable.

"I’ll have Zhao Huai look into it."

Upon returning to Rong Mansion, Zhao Huai’s response also came through.

Lu Xingzhou, holding the laptop, handed it to Jiang Man.

Jiang Man sat on the couch, gnawing on a cucumber, while looking at the computer, occasionally taking a bite.

Lu Xingzhou considerately clicked through the pages with the mouse for her.

The two of them looked at the content on the screen together.

After reading, they glanced at each other.

As if they shared telepathy, an understanding without words.

"Li Jin..." Lu Xingzhou frowned deeply: "I don’t remember what he looked like; I was too young then, but I do remember he was very tall and handsome. Back then my third brother said that my aunt was actually lovesick for him. But later when Li Jin agreed to marry my aunt and then reneged and played disappearing acts, he had everyone chasing their tails."

Jiang Man didn’t speak; she just took another bite of her cucumber.

It was only after a good while that she said, "Tomorrow’s dinner is cancelled."

"Really cancelled?"

"Yes, I don’t want grandma and my aunt to be unhappy," Jiang Man said indifferently.

She felt that Ye Xiangling was not at fault for what happened back then.

On the contrary, many of grandma’s actions were very domineering, even aggressive.

But people are emotional beings, and moreover, she had spent so much time with her grandma and aunt, whereas she had only a fleeting encounter with Mrs. Lan Xiang.

Yet what she found inexplicably odd was—why, when she had merely a fleeting encounter with Mrs. Lan Xiang, did she get so angry when grandma forbade anyone from having dealings with her and when Wen Jingya and Jiang Man spoke ill of her?