The brunch turned out to be the most uncomfortable experience of Hu Lei's life, at least so far. Therefore, when Hu Lei finally left the Murong home, she almost danced in relief. Unfortunately, nothing outrageous had happened. She had been hoping to see some family drama or the revelation of a scandal.

All she had to show for the painful trip was an unpleasant aftertaste from poorly made croissants and bland orange juice.

The problem was that her mother had insisted that she should join the family at their host table. The invite was quite inappropriate after she introduced her to the guests as a distant relative who had not been in the country for some time.

Murong Cheng had frowned in disapproval, and Murong Yan's face had twisted slightly in anger. It was clear that those two did not like her and that, she could understand. Unluckily for the scandal-seeking Hu Lei, their good manners had left them unable to speak a word before her.

The real problem was Murong Yue. Though she had a beautiful appearance that surpassed her sister, her personality was not pleasant. Her hateful glares did not please Hu Lei, but she treated them lie wind. She threw a tantrum at the table because there were no more strawberries.

Of course, her complaints were linked to the fact that the strawberries had been taken by Hu Lei. Hu Lei was naturally unapologetic. They were the only delicious things on the table.

She looked to her father for support, and the father looked at Lu Liang.

Her mother laughed awkwardly and admonished the girl lightly, promising more strawberries later before turning to Hu Lei.

"Hu Lei, you should not mind Yue'er so much. She is quite young, and as an actress, she is very passionate." The older woman had said.

Somehow, she found a way to absolve Murong Yue and praise her in the same breath.

"Madam Murong, she is obviously older than me, and as an actress, she should be quite skilled in controlling her personal emotions. If she couldn't, she would be terrible at her job, right?" she had replied with light laughter.

Needless to say, when she left the brunch, it was under the hostile stares of the Murong quartet.

In the Murong mansion

The smiles on the faces of the Murong family remained plastered until the last guest left. Then, they reconvened in the mansion, dropping their cheerful personas. The first person to speak was Murong Yue.

"I do not understand the reason you invited that common girl. If you want to invite her to our family, I am definitely leaving." She said loudly.

"Mind your tone, Murong Yue. Everything that Liang'er has done is for this family." Murong Cheng countered harshly.

"She is just a stupid girl who does not even have connections in the city." She continued in a low grumbling voice.

"For once, I agree with her. What benefits could she possibly offer us?" Her sister joined, though with a little more reserve.

"Both of you shut up!" the Murong father said harshly.

Though their faces were unwilling at the strict voice, they remained silent. Their livelihood depended on their father, and they had to obey him. Otherwise, they would not have accepted the changes that had taken place in the home over the years.

Murong Yan hoped to inherit the family business or at least have a powerful place in the company. If she did not grasp some power, she would not find a good marriage. Murong Yue had a career in the entertainment industry, but she relied on the backing of her father. If she lost the support, her opportunities would disappear.

Madam Murong looked at the disharmonious family and felt angry at Hu Lei. Her presence had obviously disrupted the usual peace in their home. However, she did not react with anger like the rest. Her temperament remained calm and even.

"There is a reason for this. Her father is the only hope for curing Murong Fai." She explained.

Their faces did not improve at the name. In fact, their countenances became even darker.

"Why should we care about that cripple?" Murong Yue spoke carelessly.

No one jumped to refute her callous words. There was some kind of unpleasant agreement on their faces. However, there was a hint of depression and anger on Murong Cheng's face.

"We have no choice but to care about him." He replied coldly.

Again, Madam Lu took the opportunity to explain the situation clearly.

"You should know that right now things are tense in the business. Though your grandfather has left the company, he is still the main shareholder. Soon, he will be making decisions on the distribution of the shares and his properties. Currently, your uncle holds an advantage because he has Murong Ming. If we do not act, we will lose everything. Fortunately, your grandfather is fond of Fai. This is our only card for now, unless we can join with another powerful family in marriage."

The long explanation was spoken in a gentle tone. However, no one could miss the shrewd look in the woman's eyes. The truth was Madam Lu was a smart lady. She had not succeeded in bagging a rich man as her second husband after a divorce using her beauty only. If this were the case, she would have long been replaced by a younger version.

Her husband had found that she was insightful and quite skilled in reading people and manipulating situations to their advantage. Otherwise, his older brother would have already taken over the family business completely, leaving him with nothing. It was only through her machinations that he still held some power in the business, even with his lacking children.

"If Murong Fai is healed, we will have more power. Father will definitely leave a significant portion of his shares and properties to him. If he dies while the boy is still young, I will be in charge. Your Uncle will lose power quite quickly." Murong Cheng's eyes glinted coldly.