After the evening party, Jenny Wu returned home filled with frustration. She had hoped to see Kit Ye embarrassed but ended up with nothing. As she pushed open the front door, she found her mother sitting on the sofa, looking worried, and her father sitting beside her with a face like thunder, silent.
"Dad, Mom, what's wrong?" Jenny asked tentatively, her eyes darting between the two.
Her father looked up sharply, a flash of anger in his eyes. "The company is in trouble!"
Jenny was taken aback. "What happened?"
Her father let out a heavy sigh, his expression growing darker. "Tonight, several major companies we had contracts with suddenly canceled them. Do you realize what this means? Our entire company's funds are tied up in this project. With the funding chain broken, the company could go bankrupt at any moment."
Jenny's heart raced. She knew how important this project was to the company. "How could this happen? Why did they suddenly cancel?"
Her father slammed his hand on the coffee table, the sound echoing in the living room. "I don't know! I've been asking around all day. Even the CEOs I usually get along with avoided me. Finally, Old Chen told me to go home and ask if someone in our family had offended someone important."
"Old Chen?" Jenny asked in surprise. Old Chen was a long-time partner of the Wu family, known for his steady nature and never speaking without reason.
"Yes, Old Chen wouldn't say something like this lightly," her father nodded heavily.
Her mother looked at Jenny anxiously. "Jenny, have you offended anyone?"
Images of the Zhu family and Kit flashed through Jenny's mind, tightening her chest with suspicion. Could it be the Zhu family standing up for Kit? But then she remembered how Anna Zhu had behaved at the party, and it didn't seem like something she would do.
"No, I haven't offended anyone recently," Jenny said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Neither have I," her mother echoed, her face still etched with worry.
Her father frowned, clearly unsatisfied with their answers. "Think again. Have you offended any important people? This is no small matter. The Wu family is on the brink of disaster."
Jenny bit her lip, filled with unease and fear. She replayed every recent detail in her mind, trying to reassure herself it couldn't be just a coincidence. But seeing her father's grim face, her mood grew heavier.
Her mother sat on the sofa, clutching a handkerchief, ready to cry at any moment. She kept murmuring, "How could this happen, how could this happen..."
Jenny watched as her father paced anxiously around the living room, while her mother sobbed beside him. It felt like a dark cloud was hanging over the entire household. She felt an unprecedented pressure, knowing she had to find a solution, or the Wu family would be finished.
The next day, Jenny went to school with a heavy heart. She was no longer the proud peacock she used to be, walking with heavy steps and a worried expression. As soon as she entered the school gates, she heard students praising Kit's dance from the party.
Kalvin and Fanny were enthusiastically complimenting Kit. "Kit, your dance yesterday was absolutely stunning!"
The praise irritated Jenny as she walked into the school. Already exhausted from her family's issues, hearing more about Kit was unbearable. Her face grew darker, and she finally snapped at the students talking about Kit. "Enough already! If you don't study, others still need to!"
Her outburst stunned the surrounding students, who exchanged glances, understanding Jenny's jealousy.
Kalvin, seeing this, deliberately provoked her. "Oh, so Miss Wu doesn't allow anyone to praise Kit, only her?"
Feeling the students' strange looks, Jenny's pent-up frustration and pressure finally exploded. She ran out crying, finding a corner on the school field, squatting down and hugging her knees as tears flowed uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, her father was also having a terrible time. With the funding chain broken and banks refusing to lend, his stress grew. Desperate, he sought out Old Chen again, who sighed and suggested he prepare gifts to apologize.
Out of options, Jenny's father went to the mall, buying a heap of apology gifts. Standing in the gift section, his face was dark with a sense of helplessness and anxiety. He knew if this crisis wasn't resolved, the Wu family would truly face bankruptcy.
Returning home with the gifts, he found his wife looking haggard on the sofa. He sighed and placed the gifts on the table. "I've bought the apology gifts as Old Chen suggested. Let's hope this resolves the issue."
His wife nodded, eyes filled with worry. "I hope it goes smoothly; otherwise, the Wu family is really..."
She couldn't finish her sentence, already in tears.
He patted her shoulder gently, trying to comfort her. "We'll get through this, don't worry."
But he knew this crisis was more severe than any they had faced before, and it wouldn't be easy to resolve.
Jenny stood in a corner of the school field, her anger growing. Why should Kit get all the praise while she was overshadowed? Worse, her family's company was in trouble. Thinking of no longer being able to buy pretty dresses or her favorite bags whenever she wanted, her anger burned even hotter.
She bit her lip, filled with resentment. She suddenly took out her phone, dialing a familiar number. When the call connected, she coldly gave a few instructions, her voice low and filled with menace. "You know what to do. Don't disappoint me."
The person on the other end responded, and Jenny hung up, a sly smile replacing her gloom. She seemed to think of something, her mood improving.
"Hmph, Kit, let's see if you can stay so proud this time," she muttered, her eyes flashing with cunning.
Jenny adjusted her mood, tidied her hair, and took a deep breath, deciding to return to class. She knew she had to stay calm and composed, not letting others see her inner turmoil.
Walking back to the classroom, she tried to keep her expression calm, her head held high as if nothing had happened. She pushed open the classroom door, a faint smile on her face, as if she hadn't been the one who ran out crying.
The students noticed her return, some whispering, but Jenny pretended not to hear, continuing to look at her book with a calm expression. She knew she couldn't let them see any more emotional cracks.
Kalvin, still trying to provoke her, said loudly, "Wow, it's so interesting to see someone jealous and throwing a tantrum!"
Fanny added, "Yeah, who knew someone would shout just out of jealousy."
Jenny ignored them, keeping her head down, reading her book with a steady face. She knew she had to maintain her composure.
Kit glanced at Jenny, frowning slightly but said nothing, continuing to chat with other students. The atmosphere in the classroom became tense with Jenny's return.
Jenny smirked inwardly, thinking of the call she made, feeling much better. She believed it wouldn't be long before Kit lost her smugness.