Chapter 65
Zhou Yanci had heard Meng Yingrong mention the name Lu Wanning more than once, but he had clearly rejected Meng Yingrong's suggestion of a blind date with Lu Wanning. He wondered why Lu Wanning had come. Meng Yingrong didn't even know that he was hospitalized, did she?
Out of politeness, Zhou Yanci invited Lu Wanning to sit down.
Lu Wanning paid no attention to Zhou Yanci at all. Her eyes were fixed on Yan Xi.
"Your girlfriend?" she asked.
Both Zhou Yanci and Yan Xi coughed twice.
Being asked such a question by a former blind - date candidate, Zhou Yanci felt strange. Coincidentally, Yan Xi also knew about Zhou Yanci's relationship with Lu Wanning, and suddenly she had a feeling of being caught in the act. "Just a friend," Zhou Yanci said.
"Oh."
Lu Wanning responded indifferently. She didn't look at Zhou Yanci throughout. Her gaze stayed on Yan Xi. "Miss Yan, I know you. Thanks to your care for my younger brother when he participated in that variety show."
"It's not really care," Yan Xi said truthfully. "We're just friends. We went out to have fun together."
Lu Wanning smiled. "I think you two get along very well. My relationship with Beiyu is not as good as yours with him."
Yan Xi...
Why did she feel that Lu Wanning was hinting at something?
System: [Host, you're right!]
[I also think she's hinting! Strongly hinting!]
Zhou Yanci had been left in the cold for quite a while. Noticing that Yan Xi was trying to avoid Lu Wanning, he helped her change the topic.
"Miss Lu, how did you know I was hospitalized? Not many people know about this."
Only then did Lu Wanning look at Zhou Yanci. "The Lu family built its business on the medical industry. We have shares in this hospital. I came for an inspection and accidentally found out about this. Mr. Zhou, don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Zhou Yanci said politely, "Thank you."
"By the way," Lu Wanning looked at Yan Xi again. "Do you know why the Lu family has developed so well in the medical field, Miss Yan?"
Yan Xi stammered, "I don't know..."
Lu Wanning said, "It's related to our family. We lost a child.
"The Lu family has funded all the orphanages in Hai City and collected the DNA of all the orphans. But we've been searching for twenty years and still haven't found that child.
"Also because of her, the Lu family has been engaged in genetic testing for twenty years and is particularly prominent in the medical field."
Lu Wanning looked at Yan Xi with red - rimmed eyes.
Since she became the CEO of the Lu Group, she had always given an icy impression. With a gentle appearance, she never showed her vulnerable side to others in order to seem more imposing.
But today, looking at Yan Xi, her nose started to feel sour.
Yan Xi didn't dare to look at Lu Wanning. This kind of avoidance made Lu Wanning's intuition even stronger.
She leaned closer to Yan Xi. "I'm thinking, how could we not find that child after collecting the DNA of all the orphans in Hai City... Unless she was adopted, and she doesn't know she's an orphan and has never looked for her biological parents. Miss Yan, do you think I'm right?"
After a moment of hesitation, Yan Xi said, "Yes, your analysis is very reasonable." Having gotten the answer she wanted, Lu Wanning showed a satisfied smile, and her sharpness softened a bit.
Zhou Yanci finally understood.
Lu Wanning didn't come to visit the patient. She came for Yan Xi.
The fact that the Lu family had lost their youngest daughter was no secret in the wealthy circle. Zhou Yanci vaguely remembered that the Lu family had been in the medical field for twenty years, and Yan Xi was exactly twenty years old. Moreover, Yan Xi and Lu Wanning looked very similar.
Previously, Yan Xi always wore casual clothes and dressed very girlishly, so he didn't have this feeling. But after becoming the VP of Xingyao, Yan Xi also started to wear professional suits. Now, sitting together with Lu Wanning... they looked like sisters.
"Do you want to eat some fruit?" Lu Wanning suddenly asked.
With dexterous fingers, before Zhou Yanci could refuse, she picked up the fruit knife and a mango on the table. "I heard that mangoes are very delicious, sweet and juicy. Unfortunately, our whole family is allergic to them and can't eat them."
While peeling the mango, she asked Zhou Yanci, "Can you eat them, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Yanci...
"Yes."
Lu Wanning then looked at Yan Xi. "Can you eat them, Miss Yan?"
Yan Xi...
"Yes, too."
Lu Wanning paused. These two ordinary words made the gentleness on her face fade away.
Lu Wanning was very skillful with the knife. The fruit knife spun in her hand, and she peeled off the mango skin intact. She handed the sliced mango to Yan Xi. "I thought Miss Yan was allergic to mangoes like me."
Yan Xi looked calm and reached out her hand. "How could that be? You must have remembered the wrong person, Miss Lu."
Just as Yan Xi was about to touch the mango, Lu Wanning suddenly let go - the slippery mango slid down their hands and "plopped" onto the ground. "It's dirty. Don't eat it."
Lu Wanning seemed uninterested. She took out two wet wipes to wipe her fingers and then stood up.
"It's getting late. Mr. Zhou, I wish you a speedy recovery." After saying that, Lu Wanning left the ward.
From beginning to end, she hardly looked at Zhou Yanci. Even when saying goodbye, she was looking at Yan Xi.
After walking out of the ward, Lu Beiyu immediately came up.
"Sister! You saw Yan Xi, right! You also think she looks very similar, right?"
"I don't know," Lu Wanning said in a muffled voice. "But I think she's repelling us."
Lu Beiyu scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, Yan Xi said she didn't want to find her family. Maybe she saw through your intention."
"Don't tell Mom and Dad about this for now," Lu Wanning said. "Let's wait for the DNA test result. Anyway, the blood sample has been sent for testing. It should be out in at most three hours."
Lu Beiyu nodded like a bobble - head.
Actually, they came to the hospital to get Yan Xi's DNA. Lu Wanning didn't really come to visit the patient.
But after learning that Yan Xi might be her sister, Lu Wanning couldn't help but go and take a look.
Suddenly, Lu Beiyu thought of something. "Sister, the man in there is Zhou Yanci! The one who almost became your husband before. Did you take a few more looks at him?"
Lu Wanning recalled for two seconds. "Didn't notice. He's too ordinary."
Lu Beiyu:???
Ordinary?
He wasn't blind. How could Zhou Yanci be called ordinary?
In the ward, the nurse cleaned up the mango on the ground. Zhou Yanci picked up an apple and a fruit knife and silently started peeling it.
The fruits were bought by Zhou's Father, not mangoes, so Yan Xi could eat them too. While Zhou Yanci was peeling the apple, Yan Xi called out the system.
"System, I suspect the plot has noticed me."
The system looked blank: [Ah? Why?]
[Is it because Lu Wanning came to see you? But she just wants to find her family!]
Yan Xi shook her head. "Lu Wanning's motivation is right, but it's all too coincidental.
"I didn't just find out I'm an orphan recently. I've known it for five years. I've been looking for my family for five years and never found them. How come it's such a coincidence that my family shows up as soon as I get involved in the plot?"
[You suspect this is deliberately arranged by the plot?]
[It... it wants to bring you out!]
[The plot can't target an extra; it can only target important characters in the novel. If you become the daughter of the Lu family, you won't be an extra anymore. You'll be a character with a presence, and it can wipe you out just like it did your brother!] Yan Xi nodded. She thought so too.
The second daughter of the top-tier wealthy Lu family, what a huge temptation! Lu Wanning was so dazzling in the wealthy circle, and the second daughter of their family could be just as dazzling in the future. With such an identity, Yan Xi wouldn't have to pay back the ten million she owed to Zhou's Father. For the rest of her life, even for generations to come, she could have a smooth and prosperous life. Few people could resist such a temptation.
Yan Xi hadn't thought of this before, but the system said it had always protected her with the extra aura, so Yan Xi understood.
The more of an extra a character was in the novel's plot, the less influence the plot would have on them; the more unimportant a character was, the harder it was for the plot to control them.
But if Yan Xi became the daughter of the Lu family, everything would be different. The appearance of the Lu family wasn't a stroke of luck for Yan Xi to find her family; it was a trap pushing her towards death.
- Of course, if Yan Xi gave up helping Zhou Qingyu, this would turn into good luck. The difference between sudden wealth and death was just a hair's breadth.
Yan Xi: "If I remember correctly, Lu Beiyu never participated in any variety shows in the novel, right?"
[That's right. It was other celebrities who participated in the variety shows.]
Yan Xi understood. "It seems that from the moment Lu Beiyu entered the variety show, the plot has already targeted me. All the similarities between me and the daughter of the Lu family are to make Lu Beiyu believe more that I'm his sister and prompt him to verify our relationship." [!!!]
[So, once the DNA test shows that you're the daughter of the Lu family, even if you don't recognize each other, the plot can still kill you!]
And it wasn't difficult to get Yan Xi's DNA. Finding out the relationship between them was just a matter of time.
"They're probably... already in possession of my DNA." Yan Xi looked in the direction of the ward door.
The system was shocked. [Then what should we do?]
[The Lu family's gene testing technology is very advanced. It'll take at most three hours to get the result!]
[Wuwuwu, host, is the plot going to target you in three hours?]
[No way!]
"Don't be scared. Do you think I have no countermeasures at all?"
The little glowing ball that had been bouncing around in the ward suddenly stopped and slid to Yan Xi's side. [Host, what's your plan?]
Yan Xi smiled softly. "Don't they just want to get my DNA? Give it to them!"
[Give... it to them?] The system was confused. [When did you give it to them?]
"Yesterday. The blood drawn during the physical examination is the perfect sample for DNA testing. Otherwise, do you think I chose the hospital under Lu Holdings for the physical examination for no reason?" The system scratched its bald head. [Didn't you come here for the physical examination to check if your brother was healthy?]
"Oh," Yan Xi raised her eyebrows. "It was a two - pronged thing."
"Give the DNA and have the physical examination at the same time!"
"I can't stop the hospital from giving my blood sample to Lu Wanning, but it's not difficult to bribe someone to replace my blood sample."
The system thought for a moment, and its round eyes suddenly lit up. [Host, you're so smart!]
[In this way, the result they detect will definitely be that there's no blood relation! And the plot won't be able to harm you!]
"Not quite right!"
Yan Xi smiled, her smile full of cunning. "If the plot intervenes, the result they check will definitely be that there is a blood relation!"
The system was even more confused. It felt that as a high - dimensional artificial intelligence, its brain couldn't keep up with Yan Xi.
"This is the coercive force of the plot. The plot can't control an extra and can't see from an extra's perspective. It can only see from the Lu family's perspective." "So when it knows that the Lu family has obtained 'my' DNA, no matter what, it will make the result 'yes'."
"It doesn't matter whether I'm really the daughter of the Lu family or not. In short, the result the plot wants is that I am."
While Yan Xi was discussing with the system, Zhou Yanci had been looking at her. He noticed that Yan Xi liked to be in a daze, but it wasn't like others with an empty mind. Her eyes were lively, as if she was thinking.
Zhou Yanci cut the apple into slices and then into pieces, and handed them to her.
Yan Xi reached out to take the apple pieces and ate them as if there was no one else around.
Her eyes looked forward, as if there was someone standing there talking to her.
Zhou Yanci couldn't see that person.
But the focus of Yan Xi's pupils showed that she wasn't looking at thin air; her line of sight had a target.
This was interesting.
Yan Xi came back to her senses after discussing with the system. She didn't even know when the apple pieces had appeared in her hand, and Zhou Yanci was still slowly cutting the apple and continued to feed her. Oh dear... It seemed that the patient wasn't her?
Yan Xi got up awkwardly, wiped her sticky fingertips with a wet tissue. "I'll leave first. I've made an appointment with Qingyu for dinner tonight. I'll come to see you tomorrow. Do you have any clothes to change? I can take them back for you."
"Assistant Sun will come later. He'll take care of it."
"Okay."
Now the Zhou family knew that Zhou Yanci was hospitalized, so it wasn't necessary for Yan Xi to take care of him. Assistant Sun would come over after finishing his work at the company later. Yan Xi heard from Zhou Qingyu that Zhou's Father had also asked Aunt Zhang to take care of Zhou Yanci. He wouldn't be alone tonight.
"By the way," Yan Xi remembered something and took out the cufflinks she had bought in Han City from her pocket. "I forgot to give these to you the night before last! They're souvenirs from Han City." Inside the velvet dark - blue box were two small cufflinks with delicate hexagonal snowflakes carved on them.
Zhou Yanci was stunned for a moment.
Yan Xi tilted her head. "Don't you like them?"
The pair of cufflinks she bought was from a niche brand in Country H and cost tens of thousands. They couldn't compare with the expensive diamond cufflinks Zhou Yanci usually wore, but they wouldn't make him look bad either.
Yan Xi had thought about buying better ones, but she felt that since it was a souvenir, it should have some local characteristics.
"If you don't like them..."
Before Yan Xi could finish, Zhou Yanci had already taken the cufflinks. "Can you take back a gift you've given?"
"I'm just worried that you'll think they're shabby and not wear them!"
Zhou Yanci lowered his head and stroked the cufflinks.
"I'll wear them."
Yan Xi left the hospital.
Meanwhile, at a certain gene testing institution.
Three hours was already the fastest time for current DNA testing. As soon as the result came out, the person - in - charge immediately handed the appraisal report to Lu Wanning. Lu Wanning felt her hands trembling. After becoming the CEO of Lu Holdings, she had signed so many documents worth billions. Even so, her hands had always been steady and she had never been afraid.
But at this moment, her hands were shaking.
After testing so many orphans, Lu Wanning had a hunch that this was the closest she had ever been to finding her sister.
She opened the test document, ignored the dense text on it, and directly looked at the final test result -
Test subjects: [Lu Wanning] and [Yan Xi]
Sample type: Blood
According to the results of this DNA test, comprehensive analysis of autosomal DNA test data and mitochondrial DNA... it can be determined that the possibility of a sister - relationship between [Lu Wanning] and [Yan Xi] is extremely high (99.9% confidence level). Lu Wanning grabbed the test report and almost lost her balance. Lu Beiyu quickly supported her.
"Bei..."
"Sis, I saw it."
Lu Beiyu's voice was also trembling. He wasn't wrong. Yan Xi was indeed his second sister.
Not long after, Lu's Father and Lu's Mother came to the genetic testing institution.
Both of them were in their fifties, with a bit of gray in their temples. By this time, Lu Wanning and Lu Beiyu had calmed down a lot and handed the test report to Lu's Father and Lu's Mother. Looking at the results on it, Lu's Mother was on the verge of tears. Having carried a child for ten months, no one cared about this child more than she did. She had experienced the excruciating pain of childbirth and the torture of losing her. She had searched for her for twenty years and had only seen reports indicating no blood - relation.
And today, she finally waited for her.
"Mom, let's go find our sister right now."
Lu Wanning said with a choking voice, "This time, we won't let her leave us again!" Lu Beiyu looked worried. "But when I asked Sister Yan Xi before, she said... she didn't want to find her family."
Lu's Mother was stunned as if struck by a blow on the head, looking utterly incredulous. "Is she disappointed in us? Does she think we didn't find her earlier?" Lu Wanning comforted her, "Xixi said that just because she was afraid of another failed test. But now we have the result! She won't be disappointed again." Lu's Father also consoled, "Yes, even if she doesn't want to come back, it's good for her to know that we've been looking for her."
Yan Xi picked up Zhou Qingyu from work. After having dinner, they set off back to the Zhou residence. At that time, Zhou's Father was sitting leisurely in a grand master's chair, sipping tea. The four members of the Lu family were pacing back and forth, anxiously waiting for Yan Xi.
"Mr. Lu, don't be anxious. I asked Qingyu, and they're already at the door," Zhou's Father and Lu's Father had known each other for many years. Their friendship was not deep, but they were both top - tier wealthy families in Hai City and had cooperated on several projects.
Even though Zhou's Father said so, Lu's Father was still very anxious.
With the sound of footsteps, Yan Xi and Zhou Qingyu returned to the old mansion. Lu's Mother suddenly stood up, and Lu Wanning supported her on one side.
With the DNA test report of Lu Wanning and Yan Xi in hand, Lu's Mother completely regarded Yan Xi as her child. At the first sight of her, her eyes were filled with tears.
"Xi Jin..."
Zhou Qingyu had no idea what was going on and instinctively protected Yan Xi behind her. "What's going on?!"
Among the five people, Zhou's Father was the relatively calm one. He introduced the people, "Qingyu, this is Mr. Lu, Mrs. Lu, and their son and daughter." Zhou Qingyu didn't quite understand when she saw Lu's Father and Lu's Mother, but when she saw Lu Beiyu, she instantly understood.
Lu Wanning showed the DNA test report to Yan Xi.
"Yan Xi, Beiyu's intuition was right. You're the child the Lu family lost."
The reunion of separated relatives should have been a warm scene no matter what.
Yan Xi used to think so too.
It's a pity.
She took the test report and flipped through it. "Miss Lu, there's a problem with this report."
Lu's Mother's heart tightened instantly.
Lu Wanning also said nervously, "I just had your blood sample tested. How could there be a problem?"
Yan Xi flipped through the test report to the detailed page at the front, where there was an analysis of the blood.
She pointed to the words on it. "This is type B blood. I'm type A. This isn't my blood sample. You've made a mistake."
The four members of the Lu family were shocked into silence.
This blood sample... wasn't Yan Xi's?
Yan Xi could see that the Lu family didn't believe her and took out her physical examination report. She had just had a physical examination yesterday, and there happened to be an electronic version.
"Here, look. I'm type A."
The physical examination report had detailed information about Yan Xi, but Lu Wanning didn't care. Her eyes were firmly fixed on the letter 'A'.
Lu's Father was type A, and Lu's Mother was type B. It was possible for them to have a child with type A blood.
However, the test report in her hand showed a different blood type. Yan Xi said with a tone of regret, "Sorry to disappoint you. I guess someone took the wrong blood sample? But judging from the result, you've still found your own flesh and blood, right?"
Yes, Yan Xi was right.
Even if that child wasn't Yan Xi, the Lu family had still found their own flesh and blood. [Host, no wonder you guided the Lu family to use your blood sample for testing!] [If it were hair or nails, it would be very difficult to determine if they were yours. But if it's blood, with the wrong blood type, it's easy to tell that the tested sample isn't yours!]
Yan Xi squinted slightly. This was also the reason why she must have a physical examination and definitely do it in a hospital controlled by the Lu family.
Waiting for Lu Wanning to send a private detective to get her DNA was too passive. If it was just a hair, how could she prove that the hair wasn't hers? Have another DNA test? What if Lu Wanning accidentally took it for genetic testing? There were too many variables. Instead, it was better for her to offer the test sample herself. The Lu family members were silent. They felt as if there was a huge boulder pressing on their chests, making it hard to breathe.
Especially Lu Beiyu. At that moment, he understood what Yan Xi had said before. The world was so big, and it was so difficult to find blood - related relatives. Yan Xi didn't want to do another test because she didn't want to have hope and then be disappointed. She had clearly told him before, but he had made her disappointed again. "Sister Yan Xi, I'm sorry."
Lu Beiyu lowered his head. "I should have respected you and shouldn't have told my elder sister... I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Yan Xi naturally reached out and ruffled Lu Beiyu's fluffy hair. This incident couldn't be blamed on Lu Beiyu. It was the plot that had played tricks. Now, all this was just the result of her game with the plot.
She won.
But she thought that the loser wasn't the plot, but the Lu family.
The Lu family apologized to Yan Xi, said goodbye to Zhou's Father, and then left the Zhou residence. Since Yan Xi wasn't their child, they had to find the real owner of the blood sample. Compared with the previous aimless search in the vast sea, the Lu family finally had a new direction. Before leaving, Lu Wanning walked up to Yan Xi and handed her a business card. "Sorry. Beiyu told me that you didn't want to find your family. It was my own decision."
Lu Wanning softened her tone. Even though she knew that Yan Xi wasn't her sister, she still couldn't be strict with her. "I was abrupt today. If you have any needs in the future that my Lu Corporation can handle, I'll do my best."
Yan Xi took the business card. "Okay."
After the Lu family left, Zhou Qingyu hugged Yan Xi tightly. "This family is so annoying! You said you didn't want to do the test, but they still got your blood sample!" Yan Xi comforted Zhou Qingyu, "It's okay. They just wanted to find their relatives."
"But they can't just take your blood sample for testing without permission!" Zhou Qingyu got angry just thinking about it. "They should have kept it to themselves when they found out it was wrong. Instead, they made such a mess!"
The more Zhou Qingyu thought about it, the angrier she got.
Yan Xi said, "Don't be angry. Anger will give you wrinkles, and you won't look good on camera tomorrow!"
Zhou Qingyu quickly rubbed the corners of her eyes. There were few things in the world more important than her face. It wasn't worth getting angry over these people.
"Let's go, let's go!" Zhou Qingyu hooked her arm through Yan Xi's. "I've booked an in - home spa. Stop thinking about these annoying things!"
"You go ahead," Yan Xi said. "I still have something to do."
"Alright then," Zhou Qingyu pouted. "Call me if you have anything." After Zhou Qingyu left, Yan Xi looked in the direction where the Lu family had left, her gaze turning solemn.
"System, we need to speed up. The plot has definitely targeted me." A small glowing ball popped out and circled around Yan Xi.
[But you swapped the blood sample. Maybe the person being tested is just the youngest daughter of the Lu family?]
"You're so stupid. How could I allow such a coincidence? Only when that tube of blood is definitely not the blood of the Lu family's youngest daughter can I be 100% sure that the plot has intervened!" "Tell me, how could the youngest daughter of the Lu family be older than Lu's Mother?"
As she said this, Yan Xi looked at Aunt Zhang who had just come out of Zhou Yanci's room. Zhou's Father had asked Aunt Zhang to take care of Zhou Yanci. She had packed Zhou Yanci's clothes and would stay in the hospital with him tonight.
[This blood sample... is Aunt Zhang's!]
All the servants in the old mansion had gone for a medical examination, so it was easy for Yan Xi to get Aunt Zhang's blood sample. The system was confused. [Then isn't the plot creating a bug? In that case, are you the youngest daughter of the Lu family or not? I'm so confused!] "The novel doesn't specify who the youngest daughter of the Lu family is. This was originally just a powerful backer for Ye Luoyi, so the identity of the youngest daughter is a blank. I'm an orphan. This is my life, and my life can just fill this blank, so I've been exploited by the plot."
"As long as I still want to help Qingyu, the answer must be yes." "As for whether I really am or not, I don't know, and neither does the plot." "Maybe it won't be until the day when Qingyu's luck value reaches 100 points. Only then will the truth be revealed."
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