The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Desire for Destruction

“Do you think Lu Chaoqing will show up today?”

Inside the brightly lit hall, a few early arrivals huddled in a corner with their wine glasses. They neither conversed with the others nor socialized with their parents’ generation, choosing instead to hide away and steal a moment of leisure.

The girl who spoke wore a champagne-colored evening gown, her dark hair pinned up, with sharp eyeliner flicked upward in an attempt to look mature. At the mention of that name, the other girls froze for a moment before casting mocking glances toward the entrance.

“Show up?” another girl repeated, her voice dripping with undisguised disdain. “Does she even dare to come? A fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken, let alone a chicken that’s been plucked bare—not even a scrap of skin left. I heard Lin Chumu isn’t exactly soft-hearted. I don’t believe for a second she can tolerate this ‘sister’.”

“Pah, what sister? They don’t have a drop of blood relation. Stop trying to wrap a grounded bird in phoenix feathers.”

The girl who had spoken first felt as though years of bottled-up frustration had finally found an outlet. Just as she was about to launch into a fresh accusation, her gaze naturally fell upon a tall man.

He had meticulously slicked-back hair, a high bridge to his nose, and a face that leaned toward refined and gentle—a face that brought to mind a familiar name: Jiang Yang.

Although his family background didn’t qualify him to stand among them, his outstanding looks still drew the covetous eyes of a few. The girl in the champagne dress had once taken a fancy to Jiang Yang, only backing off after hearing he was Lu Chaoqing’s fiancé.

But now, as if suddenly remembering something hilarious, she burst into laughter.

“Lu Chaoqing isn’t a Lu anymore, so that title of ‘fiancé’ is obviously gone. I don’t believe she’d let a hunk like him go easily? Do you think Lin Chumu might be a little interested in him too?”

The disdain and anticipation in her voice clearly showed her desire for drama. Her best friend naturally chimed in: “Of course. If it weren’t for their relationship, wouldn’t you have snatched him up long ago? Honestly, giving someone with his looks to Lu Chaoqing was such a waste.”

The two laughed and joked until they saw the tall man walking toward them, at which point they suppressed their exaggerated smiles. Jiang Yang gave a polite, practiced nod. As soon as he spoke in his magnetic voice, the two inexperienced girls blushed.

“Excuse me, could you tell me where the restroom is?”

The girl in champagne was already interested, and since she had nothing better to do, she led him all the way to the restroom door. The restroom was very close to the main entrance. As he stood there idly, he suddenly heard a sound.

The door was slowly pushed open, and a slender girl walked in.

Lu Chaoqing wore a sexy, alluring black slip dress that perfectly outlined her smooth curves. She seemed unfazed by the winter chill, wearing only a heavy overcoat draped over her shoulders; the contrast between the heavy coat and the delicate dress underneath drew even more attention. Her high heels clicked sharply on the floor—thump, thump, thump—sounding as if they were beating against the hearts of those watching.

Today, Lu Chaoqing lacked her usual plainness and gained a touch of provocative sexiness. Somehow, she managed to balance both styles perfectly, showing no hint of intimidation before the crowd.

It was as if none of the recent scandals had happened, and she was still the golden child of the Lu family.

Although the Lu parents had long ago declared they would treat Lu Chaoqing like their own, many saw it as mere formality. After all, few people show their true colors in public.

Ignoring the whispers and the gazes that appraised her like merchandise, Lu Chaoqing gave a graceful nod to Jiang Yang as he emerged from the restroom.

Jiang Yang froze in awkwardness, strange emotions surging in his deep brown eyes.

Logically, since the Lu parents no longer liked him, he shouldn’t have been qualified to attend such a high-society banquet. But in this cursed plot, he possessed enough “protagonist aura” that he couldn’t be written off so easily.

He could still struggle a bit—for example, by coming to this banquet to find his next target, or—the door creaked open again as the butler pushed it. Another woman stepped in. Unlike the sexy yet cute Lu Chaoqing, this woman was as cold as a flower blooming on a snowy peak. The contrast between her fair skin and her dark evening gown was striking.

Lin Chumu scanned the room indifferently, ignoring the strange looks as she walked straight to a table.

Upon seeing Lin Chumu, Jiang Yang instantly reverted to his predatory state. He ignored the girl in the champagne dress who had just led him there and was hoping for a chat; instead, he straightened his tie and strode toward Lin Chumu.

His heart was still set on his prize.

Lu Chaoqing’s former “sisters” had all witnessed her infatuation with Jiang Yang. Only two members of her old clique were present today. One had decided to distance herself immediately after learning Lu’s true identity, but the other still felt a shred of past loyalty.

Seeing Jiang Yang’s intent, that girl was furious. She took a few steps forward, wanting to drag him back and demand answers, but someone caught her arm.

She turned around and met Lu Chaoqing’s clear, gentle gaze.

Lu Chaoqing watched as Jiang Yang, exactly as she predicted, buzzed around Lin Chumu like a fly, only to receive increasingly icy glares in return.

After his dedicated performance finally ended in failure, a dejected Jiang Yang went back to the restroom to splash his face. The girl in the champagne dress followed him. She stood by the sink in the public area, pretending to adjust her earrings while stealing glances at him.

Before she could speak, as if by some telepathy, Jiang Yang’s gaze drifted toward her. He looked her up and down, finally matching her background with a name in his limited memory. His smile became warm. After a few sentences, he moved closer to her.

The girl was startled by his sudden enthusiasm. After a brief chat, her interest waned slightly, and her eyes kept scanning the room—until Lu Chaoqing appeared nearby, and a grin finally spread across her lips.

But before she could deliberately initiate an intimate gesture with Jiang Yang to provoke a reaction from Lu Chaoqing, she witnessed a different show.

Lu Chaoqing, in her alluring slip dress, was a sight one couldn’t look away from. The girl saw the usually cold and self-possessed Lin Chumu glance at Jiang Yang with an unreadable look before striding to Lu Chaoqing’s side with a cold sneer: “Who are you all dressed up for?”

The expected confrontation didn’t happen. Lu Chaoqing rested her chin on her hand and gave a sweet smile: “For you.”

The girl froze.

Before she could recover from the shock, Lu Chaoqing reached out and hugged Lin Chumu’s arm, leaning in with a mix of playfulness and sincerity. Her eyes held a hint of “pleasing” intent—the very look the girl despised most. Lin Chumu’s cold expression softened slightly, though she still pulled her arm back from Lu Chaoqing’s grasp.

A lapdog.

What a show—the fake one sucking up to the real one, the girl thought disdainfully. She was now certain Lu Chaoqing was a coward who had traded her dignity to please Lin Chumu. She had lost her value as a competitor. With the air of a victor, the girl hooked her arm through Jiang Yang’s. Jiang Yang understood immediately; the two retreated to a secluded corner to whisper, faces lit with “knowing” smiles.

Having finally secured a new “rich woman,” Jiang Yang’s mood settled. Only when the noise outside began to grow louder did he feel like heading back out.

The moment he stepped out of the lounge, he saw the corridor leading to the restrooms was empty. The volume of the audio outside was set just low enough to be a murmur, but clear enough to be heard.

But when he heard that voice—unmistakably his own, despite some electronic distortion—Jiang Yang’s face went pale. He dropped the girl’s hand and rushed out. The moment he saw the central giant screen, it felt like a bolt from the blue.

The screen, split into several sections, was unblurred. Faces were crystal clear. The man in the videos was either whispering intimately to women or locked in passionate kisses. Without exception, his face remained the same, while the women beside him changed frequently.

The Lu parents, who had been chatting animatedly, stopped to look at the screen that had been turned on by someone. Their expressions shifted from initial surprise to a face as dark as the bottom of a pot. A chill spread from Jiang Yang’s pores to his every nerve. His fingertips trembled as he stood frozen, momentarily forgetting to rush forward to turn off the videos that were dragging him into the abyss.

The social circle might be messy behind closed doors, but few people exposed it so publicly—especially at a family gathering where every elder knew one another. Jiang Yang involuntarily held his breath. He saw people turning their gazes toward him—some shocked, some disgusted. Those looks felt like a sharp needle, identical to the ones he felt when he first attended such a gathering under the wing of the original Lu Chaoqing. They stripped away his glamorous exterior and pushed him slowly into the depths.

By the time the last video showed a woman carrying an infant in swaddling clothes, Jiang Yang was drenched in sweat and swaying on his feet.

Lu Chaoqing. It was Lu Chaoqing!

A beam of light pierced his chaotic thoughts. With bloodshot eyes, Jiang Yang finally directed a beast-like glare toward the girl standing in the distance, smiling radiantly at him. His long-repressed desire for destruction flooded his heart once more.