Lan Xin was startled when her mother suddenly rushed in. A look of panic crossed her face, and she instinctively tried to hide, but before she could, her mother pulled her into a tight embrace.
Lan Xin was stunned.
"Lan Xin, I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to think that way..." Lan's mother cried, filled with remorse for her daughter. "I apologize to you. I shouldn't have said you were being unreasonable."
Hearing this, Lan Xin's nose stung, and tears streamed down her face.
This time, her crying was incredibly aggrieved. She accused, "Waaah, you and Dad are no good at all! You scolded me and yelled at me for that person! I know you just think she's better than me, you like her more than me..."
Hearing this, Lan's mother was deeply moved, and tears immediately fell from her eyes.
"No," she explained urgently, "in your father's and my hearts, you are the best, no one can compare to you."
"But you scolded me because of that person!" Lanxin accused, looking up at her beloved mother with teary eyes, and said aggrievedly, "How could you scold me because of her? You don't love me at all!"
This was indeed the truth, Lanxin's mother could not refute it, but she still patiently explained to her daughter, "It was wrong of us to scold you, but no matter the reason, Li…"
Under her daughter's unfriendly gaze, Lanxin's mother swallowed back the very affectionate "Lili," and said in a somewhat stern voice, "Baoli did save your father and me. That car was driving so fast and so fast, if she hadn't pushed your father and me out, your father and I would definitely have been seriously injured."
"She saved your father and me, but you were so rude to her, what are we supposed to do?"
she said reproachfully to her daughter.
Lan Xin felt a little guilty, her eyes darting left and right. She muttered, "Well, who told you to be so nice to her? I finally got a holiday and came back to China, and when I came back, I saw you fussing over a stranger..."
At this point, she suddenly felt she had a good reason, and looked at her mother with righteous indignation, saying, "Who told you to be so nice to her, and even take her to live in our house!"
There were clearly many other ways to repay someone, but her parents had chosen to do something that made her unhappy. At that moment, she felt a sense of grief and indignation, as if her parents had been taken away from her.
At this point, Lan's mother couldn't remain so adamant. She reached out and touched Lan Xin's wet cheeks, sighing, "This is because Dad and Mom didn't think things through. Dad and Mom apologize to you, okay?"
Lan Xin finally cheered up, but still held her head high, saying shyly, "It was all your fault..."
Lan's mother tenderly stroked her cheeks, saying, "Look at you, crying like this."
Hearing this, Lan Xin realized something, quickly lowered her head, and haphazardly wiped her face, her face gradually turning red—the thought of crying like that in front of so many people made her feel incredibly ashamed.
Lan's mother watched her actions with a gentle smile, reaching out to stroke her head, her eyes full of tenderness for her daughter.
"Miss Xu…" Suddenly, she turned to Xu Gui and asked, "You just said that Bao Li has a problem, what exactly is it?"
Lan's mother pursed her lips: "She truly saved my husband and me back then, we saw it with our own eyes, and the hospital did diagnose her with a limp. All of this can't be fake, can it?"
That car came so fast; if they hadn't been careful, Bao Li might have not only been limping, but she might have lost her life. If all of this is fake, isn't that too risky?
To Lan's mother's question, Xu Gui only had one answer: "To earn millions, even tens of millions, of assets with a limp leg, do you think it's worth it?"
Lan's mother was stunned.
Xu Gui continued, "Even if that child really died in the car accident, you, who were rescued, must have felt immense guilt towards her family. What if her younger sister appeared then?" "Her parents
are both dead, and her only support, her older sister, also died in a car accident… Given your personalities, you would definitely take her in and care for her, right? You see, even after going around in circles, the final result remains the same."
In the end, a child still entered their home openly and honestly.
"…"
A chill ran down Lan's mother's spine.
Xu Gui said thoughtfully, "To do this, the person behind it must know you two very well, knowing that you are kind-hearted and soft-hearted. So, who introduced this girl named Bao Li to you?"
Lan's mother snapped out of her reverie and subconsciously replied, "It was a community worker…"
…
Like Qiao's mother, Lan's mother and husband also had a habit of doing charity work. They often sponsored children in need through introductions from community workers.
Bao Li was introduced by a community worker they knew.
According to the staff, Bao Li's parents are both deceased, she has no relatives above her, and no elders to rely on. She only has a younger sister to depend on, making her life very difficult; she can't even afford to
go to school. "She's still in junior high, but because of her family situation, she's planning to drop out and work… Sigh, I felt sorry for her and wanted to help her," the staff member said.
When Lan's parents heard the explanation, they felt sorry for the girl and offered to sponsor her, paying her tuition and providing her with a monthly living allowance to ensure her education could continue.
Their sponsorship has been ongoing for three years, starting three years ago. For the first two years, they had no direct contact; they were only connected through community workers.
Their direct contact only began in the past year when she successfully entered high school. Under the pretext of wanting to personally thank them, the community worker arranged for them to meet in person.
After getting to know her, they found Bao Li to be considerate, capable, and incredibly perceptive. They couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. Coincidentally, their daughter, Lan Xin, had gone abroad to study, and their affection for Bao Li grew stronger, leading to more frequent contact with her.
Later, it was Bao Li who saved their lives. Overwhelmed with guilt and gratitude, they decided to adopt her as their goddaughter.
Before today, Lan's mother hadn't given it much thought; after all, Bao Li had genuinely saved their lives, and who would suspect their savior of ill intentions? But now, after Xu Gui's suggestion, Lan's mother suddenly remembered something.
"...The reason we wanted to adopt Bao Li as our goddaughter was because of that staff member's suggestion." She looked at Xu Gui, her eyes even showing a hint of fear—who wouldn't be afraid upon hearing such a thing?
If the other party was truly after their family's wealth, they would definitely try to sow discord between them and their daughter, Lan Xin. After all, only when their relationship with their only daughter was strained would they feel closer to this so-called "goddaughter."
If things really continue to develop in this way, then the final outcome... Xu Guiyi's initial assumption might actually come true.
Lan Xin suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
The live stream audience was in an uproar, with heated discussions in the chat. Some felt Xu Gui's guess was too conspiratorial; there was no evidence, how could she make wild guesses about someone?
[That girl is already pitiful with a limp; she'll suffer countless scornful looks for the rest of her life. If she had the Lan family's help, her life might have been better. But now Xu Gui, without any evidence, is saying it was intentional. Isn't that harming someone? What if the girl is innocent? Can she take responsibility?]
[Ha, what am I seeing? Someone in Xu Gui's live stream is actually questioning his authority? Does no one know that Xu Gui is a diviner?] [
Those who have followed Xu Gui's fortune-telling since he first started say that what Xu Gui says is basically true. In fact, to this day, Xu Gui's divination results have a 100% accuracy rate, with a 0% error rate.]
[Those who have been proven wrong multiple times say, "You should still believe what Xu Gui predicts."]
[So, the Lan family really was set up? If what Xu Gui said is true, then this matter is truly terrifying. These people have been plotting for so many years just to seize the Lan family's wealth? That's too terrifying!]
[My relatives seem to have encountered something similar. Their situation is the same as the Qiao family's. They also only have one child, both parents have good personalities, and the family is quite wealthy. Last year, they suddenly said they wanted to adopt a godson, ignoring all advice from outsiders. Now, because of this, their relationship with their biological daughter has become extremely strained… Could their family have also been set up?]
[Actually, isn't this some kind of exploitation of an orphaned child?] " There's only one child in the family. If they can successfully sow discord between the parents and the child, then the parents will only have this adopted child by their side. After that, wouldn't they be able to do whatever they want?"
"The feasibility of this is quite low, isn't it? After all, what parents would truly neglect their child?"
"What if this adopted child saved the parents' lives, like the Lan family parents? And don't forget, the families they target are carefully selected; the parents all have very good personalities!"
"...This is truly terrifying to think about."
*
Netizens felt a chill run down their spines just from discussing it, let alone the Lan family mother and daughter involved. Lan Xin was so frightened that she clung to her mother, eventually hugging her tightly, as if only then could she feel safe.
"This is too terrifying..." she murmured, thinking about how she had been treating Bao Li so badly lately, and suddenly felt a little scared. She stammered, "Won't she hold a grudge and want revenge on me for treating her like this?"
After all, the other party was so cunning.
Lan's mother patted her head and said, "Don't worry, with Mom here, nothing will happen to you."
Lan's mother's eyes were firm, showing her determination.
Xu Gui and his family couldn't offer much help in this matter; the specifics of what to do next depended on the Lan family parents' wishes. Xu Gui had already explained the situation clearly to them, which was already a great help.
Therefore, after sitting at the Lan family's house for a while, Xu Gui and his family prepared to leave.
"Aren't you going to stay for dinner?" Lan Xin was somewhat reluctant to see them
go. "If we could, we'd like to stay a little longer, but it's really not possible now." Fu Xia pointed to the camera where they were filming and said, "Xu Gui is still filming a program, and she has to earn 100
million in a month. It's a very demanding task, and we don't have time to waste now." Hearing this, Lan Xin naturally gave up on trying to persuade them to stay. She readily gave Xu Gui the 1.5 million she had promised, and then encouraged him, "Master Xu, keep going! I believe you can definitely earn 100 million in half a month!"
She had complete faith in Xu Gui.
"If anyone on my side needs your help, I'll introduce them to you!" she added.
Hearing this, Xu Gui smiled and thanked her.
Xu Gui and his group left, and Lan Xin and her mother watched them go. Then, Lan Xin's mother looked at Lan Xin and asked suspiciously, "What's the deal with that 1.5 million yuan reward?"
Heaven knows how surprised she was when she saw her daughter transfer 1.5 million yuan to Xu Gui. If it weren't for her daughter's pride, she would have asked immediately, holding back until Xu Gui and his group left.
After all, although their family was somewhat wealthy, 1.5 million yuan was still a considerable sum—almost a third of her daughter's savings over the years! Seeing her so generously give it away, Lan Xin's mother naturally had her own doubts.
When Lan's mother asked, Lan Xin honestly answered. After she finished speaking, she said, "Mom, you don't know, Master Xu is incredibly skilled. She's a fortune teller. Countless people want to have their fortunes told by her. If Fu Xia and I weren't friends, we wouldn't have been able to find her for help."
Lan's mother: "...This Miss Xu is really that amazing?"
Lan Xin was afraid that her mother wouldn't believe her, so she specially searched for information about Xu Gui online to show her. She added, "Didn't I say before that Master Xu was doing a live stream? She's making money by live-streaming fortune telling. This time, she's challenging
herself to earn 100 million in half a month!" Lan's mother almost thought she had misheard: "...How much do you mean?"
Lan Xin: "100 million!"
Lan's mother: "..." Was she out of touch, or were the young people these days too arrogant?
Lan Xin was already calculating: "Yesterday, Master Xu already earned more than 5 million. Adding the 1.5 million I'm giving her now, wow, Master Xu has already earned more than 7 million. Maybe she can earn 10 million today!"
"Master Xu is indeed really amazing!" she exclaimed.
Hearing her daughter's words, Lan's mother was stunned. Their company only earned a few tens of millions a year, and after deducting costs, they only made a profit of ten or twenty million. How could this Master Xu earn in just two days what they earned in a year?
"...Are you sure you're not joking?" she asked, looking at her daughter.
Lan Xin wrinkled her nose and said, "I'm not joking! If you don't believe me, just search it online. I saw there are posts online specifically recording how much money Master Xu has earned, and they're updated in real time! Lots of people are following those posts!"
Everyone was curious whether Xu Gui could complete the challenge. Looking at her current earning speed, it seemed possible, but also incredibly risky. This situation, with a glimmer of hope yet a slim chance, was precisely what made it so intriguing, and more and more people clicked on the post.
When Lan Xin checked in the morning, there were only a few thousand replies, but this time when she clicked again, she found over fifty thousand.
Lan Xin: Shocked.
After hearing Lan Xin's words, Lan's mother was surprised and carefully searched for Xu Gui's information online. Once she confirmed that what her daughter said was true and not exaggerated at all, she had only one thought: This Miss Xu is actually a master?!
Lan Xin said, "Mom, Master Xu helped us, so we should try our best to help her too! You and Dad run a company, you definitely know more wealthy people than I do, you must help keep an eye out for those uncles and aunts who need help!"
She muttered, "Master Xu's fees aren't high. If the matter is serious, four or five million will suffice; if it's easier, two or three million will do. That's fine too."
Hearing her words, Lan's mother gave her a helpless look and said, "Do you think everyone's money grows on trees? You think you can just give away millions like that?"
Lan Xin, however, disagreed. She said, "A master like Master Xu is a rare find. Isn't it a good deal to hire someone with just a little money? Hmph, I know those so-called feng shui masters who charge millions. Isn't Master Xu more capable than them?"
Lan's mother, listening to her chatter on and on, sighed, "Yes, yes, you're right..."
Lan Xin: "What I said makes perfect sense!"
She glanced at her mother, hesitant to speak. Lan's mother said helplessly, "...Just say what you want to say. Don't pretend." Was she
putting on that act for her benefit?
"Since you've asked, it wouldn't be right if I didn't say something," Lan Xin said, feigning innocence after getting the benefit, before finally revealing her true thoughts.
"I just want to ask, you already know that Bao Li isn't a good person, so what are you and Dad planning to do?" She asked hesitantly, her posture awkward and her tone timid, while secretly observing the expression on Lan's mother's face.
Lan's mother sighed and said, "I need to discuss this with your father... Don't worry, your father and I will definitely not take her as our goddaughter. You know, your father and I love you the most."
Hearing this, Lan Xin couldn't help but smile, and she said smugly, "Hmph, I knew you liked me the most!"
Looking at her expression, Lan's mother felt both bittersweet and happy—since her daughter returned from abroad and learned of Bao Li's existence, she hadn't spoken to her in such a coquettish tone for a long time.
Lan's mother couldn't help but reflect, realizing they should have paid more attention to their daughter's thoughts.
...
That evening, when Lan Xin's father returned, Lan's mother told him everything that had happened that day.
"…I've always said that Lanxin is our precious daughter, and I'll love her forever. But I have to admit, I've been influenced by Baoli." Lan's mother said sadly. "The more considerate Baoli is, the more I feel Lanxin is immature and willful."
"But she's our daughter!" She looked at her husband, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Her willfulness and temper tantrums are a result of our spoiling her. We never thought there was anything wrong with her behavior before, but why do we suddenly feel she's not considerate or understanding enough?"
Lan's mother felt incredibly guilty after realizing this.
Lan's father, after hearing his wife's words, felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his mind seemed to clear instantly.
He realized his wife was right; they had indeed been influenced by Baoli. Because of the stark contrast with Baoli, they felt their daughter's personality was unacceptable… Now, thinking back, Baoli's actions were also partly intentional.
However, if anyone was at fault, the biggest fault lay with the couple.
Mr. Lan was somewhat unsettled. The couple remained silent for a long time before Mr. Lan finally spoke.
"Is that Master Xu really that powerful?" he asked. "Are you sure what she said is believable?"
Mrs. Lan had already anticipated her husband's reaction. After all, such things weren't scientifically sound, and anyone who didn't know Xu Gui would be skeptical. So, Mrs. Lan had already planned how to persuade her husband. It was
actually quite simple; she could just present the facts to him directly—here, she had to thank the netizen named "Zhe Er Gen" for her helpful video editing.
After watching the video, Mr. Lan's tightly furrowed brows, which relaxed and then furrowed again.
"What do you plan to do about Bao Li's matter?" Mrs. Lan asked her husband.
Mr. Lan's eyes flashed coldly. He said, "Since they dared to scheme against our family, we shouldn't be lenient with them... Let's call the police."
Mrs. Lan looked at him in surprise and reminded him, "But we don't have any evidence. It's all just Master Xu's words. Will the police believe us?"
"You said it yourself, it's Master Xu's words!" Mr. Lan emphasized the title "Master Xu," saying, "Master Xu is famous online now. Her name, 'Divine Calculator,' is known throughout the internet. The police may not care about our words, but do you think they can ignore hers?"
Mrs. Lan nodded in agreement, feeling that her husband's words made a lot of sense. After all, so many facts had proven that this Master Xu was truly capable, and her words were indeed highly credible.
...
The Lan couple were indeed good people with good tempers, always doing good deeds. However, a good temper doesn't mean they had no temper; it just means they didn't lose their temper easily.
As self-made individuals who owned a company, they were decisive. After deciding what to do that night, the couple went directly to the police station to report the incident the next day.
Moreover, since they were certain that Bao Li had ill intentions, they naturally stopped paying attention to her. After that day, they never contacted her again, treating her as if she never existed. However, while they could remain calm, Bao Li couldn't sit still.
At first, she only sent messages to the couple, but when the messages disappeared without a trace, she started making phone calls. However, she eventually found that even the phone calls were unreachable. They probably sensed that something was wrong. One day, the community worker who had introduced Bao Li to them suddenly showed up at their door.
Upon seeing the person, Lan's mother felt a surge of anger whenever she thought about what the person had been thinking when they introduced Bao Li to the couple. It was difficult for her to show the person a friendly face.
However, the person, facing the Lan couple, had a fawning expression, just like always.
"Lili told me that you haven't been in touch with her much lately, and you haven't replied to her messages. She's scared, worried that she might have done something to upset you, so she asked me to come and ask..."
"As you know, Lili's parents died early, and she's long considered you two her own parents..."