The Heiress' Savage Comeback
Once again, Steven and Salma found themselves besieged by inquiries from relatives and friends. This time, the urgent message that Steven and Salma must return to Gray Manor the following day was swiftly relayed by Owen and Alice. The impending reprimand was inescapable for the pair. Despite being overseas, Steven was emphatically told by Owen that he must return. Consequently, he had no choice but to instruct his secretary to hastily arrange a flight for the next morning. In an effort to understand the situation, Steven watched the replay of the variety show episode, paying particular attention to the key moments. As he watched, his frustration escalated to the point where he felt nauseous. The experience was utterly exasperating. He was at a loss to comprehend Andrew's thought process. Despite having his luck taken advantage of and ending up in such a pitiful state, Andrew still refused to be harsh with Jodie. The idea that the Gray Family could harbor such a saintly and wronged individual was astounding. Andrew was the epitome of people who courted trouble. Steven had no more patience to deal with it. If Andrew chooses this path for himself and suffers in the future, he has to bear it himself. Now, I need to clean up this mess. The mere thought of it gave him a splitting headache. He regretted even more his decision to adopt Jodie and his lax parenting style. Salma echoed her husband's frustration. She had been watching the live broadcast with her sons, and then found herself receiving condolences from relatives and friends. Afterward, she turned to Luca with a stern expression and asked, "What's the deal with the trending video online? Did you leak it?" Luca was equally surprised by the trending video. He wondered, How did this video get leaked? Could it be Aaron? In response to his mother's angry question, he replied innocently, "It wasn't me." He added, "I'm not foolish enough to expose our family scandal." Salma frowned. "Then it must be Aaron. He is becoming more and more outrageous. How can he leak such a video? Doesn't he feel ashamed?" The only people who had recorded the video that day, besides her, were Luca and Aaron. If it wasn't Luca, it had to be Aaron. Luca countered, "Aaron is still on the variety show live, so it's unlikely." Salma scoffed, "Unlikely? Can't he send the video to someone else in advance? When he comes back, I'll teach him a lesson. And stupid Andrew, is he mentally ill? A director going on a live variety show? What a joke! Now, not only has he ruined his own reputation, but he has also tarnished the family's." She felt as though she was being driven to the brink by her sons; she couldn't understand why she had raised such fools. Of course, there was also resentment towards Jodie.Titus listened to his mother berating Aaron and Andrew. He rubbed his chin, speculating that the video he had sent to Simone, which her team had opportunistically released, was likely the cause. Now is indeed a good time. As for the family disgrace and embarrassment, it had nothing to do with him. He had long distanced himself from such people, and he couldn't bear the burden alone. If they were siblings, they would become infamous together. Their parents rarely paid them much attention anyway, so it was only fair that they share the blame now. Also, Andrew truly deserved to be scolded; he was doing a good thing, after all. Of course, he had to keep his involvement in leaking the video a secret from his parents. Otherwise, they would undoubtedly punish him for that.So, the blame for the situation falls on Aaron and Andrew. The "sweet" parental love should be borne by them after they finish their variety show. Aaron, who was sitting and drinking coffee, sneezed several times in a row. He looked up at Andrew, wondering if he was cursing him in his mind. It's true that no good deed goes unpunished; I shouldn't have reminded him earlier. He was eagerly anticipating Andrew's regret over his actions. Andrew remained oblivious to the online mockery and criticism. Observing others chatting and laughing, he felt excluded and isolated. The urge to leave arose, but doing so would only exacerbate the embarrassment, forcing him to endure in silence. Around nine o'clock, the group exited the inn, heading to the night market. As they left the inn, Zac, walking ahead of Andrew, remarked, "Aren't you going to take care of your dear sister?"Andrew was taken aback and remained silent. He knows exactly where to strike. His feelings towards Jodie were complicated at the moment. He was unsure of how to handle her, and he didn't want to see her. He responded, "I'm participating in the show, so I have to prioritize my public image." Zac chuckled. "The night market can't be live-streamed, so today's variety show will end soon. It won't affect anything; you can go take care of your sister." Andrew hesitated. "I also want to go to the night market; is that not allowed?" He preferred the solitude of the night market over confronting Jodie. Zac smirked, "Sure, of course you can. I didn't expect you to feel uncomfortable, too; I thought you were really that saintly and didn't mind." Silence despite knowing the truth—doesn't he understand the rules?Andrew grumbled, "Can you please say less?" Zac shrugged. "No, I can't." This fool used to bully Simone a lot. I must make him experience the sting of hitting where it hurts. Andrew choked again, "I'm really afraid of you." Zac sneered, "What's the use of being afraid of me? I don't need your luck." Andrew felt hurt again. Recognizing Zac's tendency to hit where it hurts, Andrew felt uneasy. He chose silence; arguing or provoking Zac was out of the question. Upon hearing their conversation, the audience in the livestream found it both amusing and frustrating. They recognized Zac's sharp tongue really hit the mark; he was definitely number one. But all they wanted to say was, "Well done." Since they were unable to live-stream at the night market, they closed the livestream after leaving the inn. Bailey led them through numerous alleys to the entrance of a large courtyard. He knocked on the door. A servant opened the door and greeted them. Upon seeing Bailey, the servant's initially expressionless face immediately revealed a respectful smile. He made a welcoming gesture, "Master Shawn, you're here. Please come in quickly!" Bailey said, "I brought some friends to take a look. They are all my friends." The servant smiled and said, "There's definitely no problem with the people you've brought. Please come in!" The others following Bailey understood in an instant that to enter the night market, they needed to be accompanied by someone familiar. No wonder they hadn't heard of it before, and there was no mention of it online. Once inside, they followed Bailey through the main courtyard. Then, a spacious area resembling a market came into view. Instead of electric lights, the night market was illuminated by lanterns, evoking a sense of ancient night markets and adding a touch of history. There were already a considerable number of people strolling around. Everyone was filled with curiosity and amazement. It turned out that there was a hidden world within this mansion, which explained why the night market remained undiscovered. As they ventured further into the night market, each stall presented different items to behold. Some stalls sold cinnabar talisman pens and other tools, while others offered pre-made talismans and geomancy ornaments. There were also numerous antique items, creating a dazzling display. Everyone's eyes widened in astonishment. Keira whispered to Simone while holding her, "Are all these antiques in the night market authentic?" Simone replied, "Most of the items should be genuine, but their age may not necessarily be ancient. And many of the things here may not be suitable for you to purchase." Eric, who also enjoyed collecting antiques in his spare time, contemplated selecting a few to take home upon seeing the abundance of antiques at the night market. Intrigued by Simone's remark, he asked, "Why is that?"
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