"What?" Lu Zhenhai thought he had misheard.
Madam Gao looked down on them and said, "The Shen and Qin conglomerates have issued strong warnings. Anyone who dares to help will face the same consequences."
Madam Gao was willing to risk everything the Gao family had for the sake of her son's fleeting affection and this unconventional engagement.
Lu Muyao didn't expect Madam Gao to reject them so thoroughly. She clenched her fists under the table.
This was clearly a slap to their faces!
Gao Yang also shouted softly, "Mom!"
Gao's father intervened, "We need to consider this matter carefully... Let's have our meal first. The dishes are getting cold; we can discuss it later."
"Yes, yes..." Lu Zhenhai, an old fox, raised his glass and went to toast Gao's father. "I forgot to thank you, dear in-laws, for arranging a VIP ward for Grandma Yao Yao and instructing the doctors to take good care of her..."
Gao's father was taken aback. "No, we didn't. It's so difficult to book a VIP ward at Jingkang Hospital. How could we possibly get one? We don't even know anyone in the higher-ups there."
The Lu family was dumbfounded. If it wasn't them, then who arranged it? Who instructed the doctors to take good care of the elderly?
Suddenly, Lu Zhenhai and Xu Aiqin both remembered what Tang Yiyang had said... Could it really be Qingyan?!
It couldn't be true, could it?!
On the other side...
Qingyan finished dinner with her parents and was about to leave when her phone vibrated twice. There was something she needed to attend to.
"Dad, Mom, you go ahead. I'll go to the restroom and be right back."
"Sure, take your time. No rush!" Song Qiaoying quietly told Aunt Lan, "You stay and wait for her, keep her company."
"Yes, Madam." Aunt Lan waited in the private room. After a while, she saw Qingyan coming out of the restroom and approached her respectfully. "Miss Qingyan, the master and Madam's car is waiting outside for you."
"Okay, let's go." Qingyan replied to a message on her phone while walking forward.
Just as she took a few steps out of the private room, several people appeared from around the corner. Aunt Lan hurriedly pulled at her clothes. "Miss Qingyan, be careful!"
The people who emerged were from the Gao and Lu families.
Xu Aiqin saw Qingyan walking out of that top-class private room, and the sight of the well-dressed old servant addressing her as "Miss Qingyan" left her stunned.
"Wait..." Xu Aiqin couldn't process this address. She pointed at Qingyan and asked Aunt Lan, "What did you just call her? Is she your young miss?"
"Who are you?" Aunt Lan's gaze was wary. These people clearly didn't mean well.
How she addressed their young miss had something to do with them?
Beside her, Lu Muyao, shocked and stiff, forced a smile and explained, "Sister used to grow up in our family."
"Oh, so you are Qingyan's foster parents?"
Aunt Lan suddenly realized how these people used to bully her young miss, yet she politely said, "Our master and madam were talking the other day about why you didn't accept those gifts, the 3 billion cash... "
"You, you, what are you saying?" Xu Aiqin was shocked, thinking she must have misheard.
"It was the gratitude gift the driver delivered on behalf of our master and madam! Those 30 commercial properties are the best locations in the city center, along with the 30 villas with breathtaking views, and the 3 billion cash..."
The Lu and Gao families were left dumbfounded, not understanding a word of what the old servant was saying.
"And there are those millennium ginseng and lingzhi that can't be bought on the market... They were just a small gesture from our master and madam! You were too polite to accept them!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Aiqin felt her head was about to explode!
Those shabby gift boxes from that day actually contained such valuable items? Why didn't the driver make it clear?!
Wait a minute, wasn't Qingyan's biological family living in a poor mountain valley?
Why does it sound like they are even wealthier than them?!
"But... but your master and madam are in Taoyuan County, right?"
"Taoyuan County is the birthplace of our master and madam. We are currently..."
Before Aunt Lan could continue, Qingyan calmly interrupted, "Let's go, don't waste time talking to them."
Aunt Lan glanced at Miss Qingyan's expression and it seemed like she didn't like them?
Could it be that they didn't have a pleasant relationship in the past?
Realizing this possibility, Aunt Lan's attitude became less friendly, following behind Qingyan as they left.
"Wait, don't go..."
Xu Aiqin wanted to catch up and ask for clarification when she saw the driver from last time, Old Liu, personally bowing and opening the car door for Qingyan...
It was an extended luxury car, painted in British Racing Green, which was just in the news a few days ago, as it was specially produced by Rolls-Royce for a billionaire!
There was only one in the world!
Valued at 300 million!
Before they could even get a clear view of the people inside the car, the extended luxury car drove away, leaving the Lu and Gao families staring at each other, still in a state of shock.
The clothes and shoes worn by the old servant were worth a total of four or five thousand!
What kind of family could afford such a vehicle...
Xu Aiqin didn't dare to think further, and Lu Zhenhai had an equally complex expression!
"You've gained a little but lost a lot, Mrs. Lu. You've suffered a big loss this time," said Mrs. Gao with a hint of mockery in her smile, stepping away in high heels.
"I'm really sorry, dear in-laws. My wife is not feeling well today, so I need to go home and comfort her..." Gao Fu pulled his son's arm and added a few polite words, "Let's make plans to meet again next time, alright?"
The faces of the Lu family turned extremely embarrassed, mostly because of Qingyan, who didn't take Mrs. Gao's attitude seriously and casually responded before hurrying back home.
Inside the luxurious extended car, Song Qiaoying asked with concern, "Yanyan, are you feeling unwell? Was the food tonight not fresh? Or...?"
"Sister may not be accustomed to the delicacies. It'll be fine after some adjustment."
Hearing what Li Yusha said, Lan Auntie hurriedly explained, "Madam, we encountered Miss Qingyan's foster parents earlier, which caused a slight delay."
"You ran into Lu Zhenhai and Xu Aiqin?" Song Qiaoying was somewhat surprised.
Lan Auntie was equally astonished, "Madam, do you know them?"
How did she even know their names?!
Ha!
Song Qiaoying would have been fine if she didn't mention them, but the moment she did, she became furious!
Previously, she heard from Old Driver Liu that the gifts they sent were all rejected by the Lu family. She thought they were just being polite!
But after seeing her precious daughter dressed in simple clothes, they had someone investigate and found out that their precious daughter had suffered a lot in the Lu family since she was young!
"Neglected by both parents," if it weren't for Old Lady Lu protecting her...
Considering her daughter's fondness for Old Lady Lu, Song Qiaoying temporarily refrained from causing trouble with the Lu family. However, she didn't expect her daughter to encounter them today, which greatly affected her mood!
"Don't be polite when you meet them in the future, and don't reveal anything about our family."
The information indicated that the Lu family was insatiable and opportunistic. If they caught wind of their wealth, they would definitely be relentless in pursuing it!