After rebirth, I rejected the rich yandere lady

Zhu Yulan snorted with her nose, crossed her arms over her chest, and showed not the slightest intention of acknowledging them.

"Everyone, please sit."

Zhu Changlin frowned slightly but didn't say anything, and took his seat at the head of the table.

The atmosphere was strangely awkward for a moment; despite being a family, they felt oddly distant from one another.

The table was laden with delicacies from land and sea, yet no one seemed to have much of an appetite.

Zhu Changlin's gaze swept over his two daughters and he suddenly spoke up.

"Xiao Xiang, how is the company doing lately?"

Zhu Xianglan answered with a smile, "Everything is going smoothly. We expect to acquire over fifty percent of the shares of the rival company after the New Year."

"Very good."

Zhu Changlin nodded; his words sounded like praise, but they felt more like the perfunctory remarks one makes during a business meeting to a subordinate.

Then, Zhu Changlin's gaze shifted toward Zhu Yulan, who was eating strawberries, his younger daughter.

He began, "Xiao Yulan, how have you been recently?"

"Not bad, at least I'm not starving."

Zhu Yulan responded indifferently.

Zhu Xianglan and the beautiful woman couldn't help but watch the two of them.

Perhaps in the entire Zhu Family, or even within the vast circles of Huhai, very few people dared to speak to Zhu Changlin the way she did.

"Ah, Xiao Yulan's BOSS direct hire thing is going quite well. She's already opened branches in several schools, and her start-up is among the top-performing among her peers in universities," Zhu Xianglan interjected, trying to smooth things over.

"A minor success. Still, you must remain humble and eager to learn, and learn about interpersonal relationships from your second sister. Sometimes, it helps to learn how to navigate social subtleties."

Zhu Changlin spoke with the tone of a business meeting leader.

Zhu Yulan frowned, "I don't need to learn from anyone. I can be successful on my own, and I will be, sooner or later."

Having been contradicted like this time and again, Zhu Changlin, who was used to being in a high position, was visibly displeased, feeling his authority had been challenged.
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"Do you really think this business venture of yours is going so smoothly just because of your own efforts? Do you know how many people are giving you opportunities just because they respect the Zhu Family's name?"

Zhu Yulan most hated such remarks. Since she was young, people had never remembered her as Zhu Yulan, but always as the Third Daughter of the Zhu Family.

She felt like she was constantly oppressed within an invisible cage.

Zhu Yulan clenched her teeth, "I will prove to everyone that I don't need any of you to be successful!"

This father and daughter seemed like they were about to come to blows upon meeting.

"Come on, come on, it's hard enough to have a meal together, let's not talk about work, let's eat first."

The beautiful woman tried to defuse the tension, and for a moment, the atmosphere relaxed.

Zhu Changlin frowned; in this household, ever since he had assumed control, only his younger daughter dared to speak to him like this.

"Fine, let's not talk about work. Let's talk about your personal matters instead."

Zhu Changlin didn't give them time to relax.

He looked at Zhu Yulan and said, "Lately, Tianming from the Huang Family has also returned from abroad. You should know about that, right?"

Mentioning this person made Zhu Yulan's brow furrow even tighter; a deep sense of disgust surfaced in her eyes.

In fact, she had suspected that this issue might be brought up today since that clingy pest seemed to pop up to annoy her every time he had the chance.

"Why should I know about him? Whether he's alive or dead, it has nothing to do with me."

Zhu Yulan coldly snorted, making no effort to disguise her aversion.

Zhu Changlin frowned slightly, "What's with that tone? You and Tianming grew up together after all, and I've heard he's doing quite well with his business abroad. Returning home young and successful, he even came over to visit recently and still has a good impression of you. You should make an effort to get to know him better."

Zhu Changlin hadn't finished speaking when Zhu Yulan slammed her teacup onto the table with a snap.

"What does how he is related to me? Why should I interact with such a person!"

Zhu Yulan was shaking slightly with anger.

Every time she heard her father's commanding tone, it seemed as though they were not father and daughter, but rather in a boss-subordinate relationship; she had to do whatever he said, and she was fed up with it!

Zhu Changlin still looked at his daughter with the attitude of a superior, speaking bluntly.

"With Tianming's achievements at his age, and coming from a distinguished family, shouldn't you be trying to learn from him if you truly want to prove yourself? Would you rather mingle with those of dubious character instead?"

"Heh! He is nothing but a pig that got lucky with the wind," Zhu Yulan countered, without an ounce of courtesy. "Give me a few years, and I won't lose to him! And someone like him, only a blind person would bother to learn from him!"

Zhu Yulan was relentless.

The atmosphere around the dining table was like a powder keg; even the beautiful woman was hesitant to speak.

Zhu Xianglan quietly sipped her tea, her expressive eyes flickering, leaving no one to decipher what she was thinking.

"And how, exactly, am I associated with those of 'dubious character'?"

Zhu Yulan suddenly remembered the last part of what he'd said and asked with a furrowed brow.

"Snap!"

No sooner had she finished speaking when Zhu Changlin threw down two photographs that slid in front of Zhu Yulan.

Zhu Yulan was taken aback; she saw a familiar figure.

She slowly reached out and picked up the photographs.

In them, it was clearly herself and Xu Musen at KFC.

She reached out to snatch the last chicken wing from Xu Musen's mouth, proudly tilting her chin up at him, while Xu Musen wore a smile mixed with helplessness and fondness.

She was playful; he was laughing.

That scene looked just like the one of a loving couple...