Mr. Wu stood in front of the crowd with Li Weiyoung. He pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose repeatedly. His eyes looked over the crowd in search of a face Madam Li had asked to be sure was present before her will was read.
Soon, his eyes landed on a girl seated in the front row. Her eyes stared straight back at him.
Li Weiyoung began her well-rehearsed speech, her handkerchief close to her eyes.
"Thank you all for coming, this means a lot." She paused and sniffed her eyes were bloodshot red.
"The Li Corporation is not something that can be left without a chairwoman for a while. I know some may wonder why I called everyone here." She paused to regulate her breathing.
A few reporters had been let in. Their cameras clicked as they tried to capture the best moments.
"When she was alive, my mom requested a private funeral, so this is the last time you can pay your respects to her. This is why I have invited you all."
Mei Ting scoffed upon hearing that. She placed one hand over the other. What did Li Weiyoung know about her mother? She was surprised at how well Li Weiyoung can put on an act in front of the cameras.
Her mind drifted away as Li Weiyoung continued to speak. Madam Li would not want this. True, Madam Li has not always been a private person, but looking around the hall and the decorations, Mei Ting was sure she would disapprove of this.
She looked to her side. A door she had not noticed earlier opened and Li Xiang stepped in. She pulled her sleeve down. She smiled upon noticing Mei Ting and sat beside her.
Leaning towards Mei Ting, she turned and asked, "What did I miss?"
"Nothing important." she turned to Li Xiang as she replied. She noticed a slight cut on Li Xiang's neck. Li Weiyoung made a mental note to ask her about it later.
Li Xiang nodded, adjusting the collar of her shirt to cover the cut. Her eyes focused on Li Weiyoung.
"Who knew she had so much to say about Aunty?" Li Xiang scoffed. That moment, Li Weiyoung broke into tears on the podium, her words covered in multiple sniffs.
Some in the audience cleaned off tears from their eyes.
Mei Ting remained silent, she crossed one leg over the other. Li Weiyoung was providing so much drama, who was she not to enjoy it?
After Li Weiyoung concluded her speech, a loud round of applause resounded in the hall. This may have been something to be sad about, but Li Weiyoung had captured their hearts with her words. She bowed before stepping away from the podium. She sat on the side behind a table which had Madam Li's picture which was close to the podium.
It was finally time for Mr. Wu to do what he had come for. His eyes moved to the front roll, settling for a brief second on the girl seated beside Mei Ting.
He opened his briefcase and brought out a sheet of paper. His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose and he poked it up with a finger.
He straightened the paper, his eyes scanning over it. He had prepared this will with Madam Li years back. And over time, Madam Li has made several amendments to it.
He introduced himself, after which he went straight to business.
"5% of her share has been given to her sister, Anna Li." Everyone looked between themselves. They all knew Anna Li; she was Madam Li's sister; she had been in a coma for over three years after being involved in a ghastly accident.
But no one expected that she would be given a cent given her history with Madam Li.
Li Xiang was given 2% of Madam Li's share and a resort the Li family owned in the States. Her parents didn't receive anything.
"To Li Weiyoung, 15% of Madam Li shares and a penthouse in Paris." The crowd erupted, and people whispered amongst themselves.
Li Weiyoung had to stop herself from standing. What? Madam Li owned 85% of the Li fortune, so how on earth was she given just a pinch of it?
The paper made a rustling sound as Mr. Wu shuffled through the will.
"Mr. Wu, is there a mistake somewhere?" Li Weiyoung asked, whipping her palm on her dress. Mr. Wu turned to her slowly, "I mean, you heard what you just said and I don't think-"
"Miss Li Weiyoung, I am the executor of this will and have gone through it several times. I can not make any mistakes about anything even if I am asleep. Now, I still have a long way to go, I'd like to return to it."
He could care less about what she thought.
"As for Mei Ting…" Mr. Wu paused.
"Mei Ting? She gets to receive something?"
"I'm not surprised. I knew she would be on the list the moment I saw her walk in."
"What would she do with the 1% share she'd be given?" Another laughed.
Mei Ting straightened, the cool air conditioning tickled her skin. Although she had a good relationship with Madam Li and knew that it was common for foster children to be included in the will, she had not expected it.
Truth be told, she wouldn't mind if she didn't get anything.
Mr. Wu looked towards before reading the will, "I devise, give, and bequeath the remainder of my estate, including the Li mansion, the Li corporation, and all its subsidiaries, assets, and interest, to my dearest daughter, Mei Ting. I hereby appoint her as the next chairwoman of the Li corporation."
Li Weiyoung's chair screeched loudly on the floor; she stood, her chest heaving up and down.
"What!!?"
The hall fell into a hush of chaos, everyone whispering urgently.
No one saw that coming.
Mei Ting stiffened, eyes widened. What did she just hear? There was no way she heard that correctly. She must have misheard him.
However, the state of the hall, the mummering, their startled expression, Li Weiyoung taking large strides over to Mr Wu, Li Xiang hugging her from the side, everything happening too fast. Was enough for her to realise that everything was real.
Li Weiyoung, now standing close to Mr. Wu, pulled the will from his hold, her eyes focused on the scribbling on it.
She shook her head in denial, "No, no, this can't be," she kept reading and rereading the clause concerning handing everything over to Mei Ting.
Her entire body shook as she raised her head to meet Mr Wu's piercing gaze, "this is fake, right? there's another will somewhere right?" She was on the verge of going crazy.
Noticing her hold on the paper had lessened, Mr. Wu pulled the paper from her hold, careful not to rip it.
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Miss Li Weiyoung, allow me to do my job; I have other matters requiring my attention, so I do not plan to spend the entire day here."
Li Weiyoung passed her hand over her hair. She couldn't care less about the crowd; she was about to lose everything.
"There has to be another will, or maybe someone messed with this," her face scrunched up, the vein in her head pops out as she grits her teeth, 'I won't accept this."
Sara quickly rushed to her side and pulled her by the arms. She whispered into Li Weiyoung's ears.
Li Weiyoung looked at her, and then to Mei Ting. She straightened her dress and smoothened her hair, bowing slightly to Mr. Wu she said.
"I'm sorry about that, you can continue." She turned to the crowd whose mummering had stopped, afterwards, she walked to her seat.
She tapped her foot on the floor, placed one hand over the other, and ground her teeth. Her chest heaved up and down.
Mei Ting, on the other hand, has been able to grasp the weight of Mr. Wu's words. Now all her attention was focused on him.
Amongst the crowd, Yang Zichen and his mother's mouth remained hanging.
Yang Zichen closed his eyes, hoping this was a bad dream and he didn't just make the biggest mistake of his life.
Mr. Wu cleared his throat.
"Looking over to Mei Ting, he said, "Miss Mei Ting, could you step forward?" Mei Ting raised a brow and pointed one finger to herself to which Mr. Wu nodded.
She stood, clutching her purse, and she walked forward. She was aware that all eyes were pinned on her at this moment.
The world spun below her, but she tried to keep her shoulders squared and head held high.
"Madam Li has a letter for you." He hands Mei Ting a brown envelope which she received. On the letter was the inscription, "From a mother to her daughter."
After handing the letter to her, Mr. Wu continued, "However, there is a condition before the will can be fully executed. You must be marriedt o a man of good character and reputation. If you do not want the estate, you can pass it on to anyone of your choice."