The Master’s Mask Unveiled Again
Chapter 982 - 981: Some People, A Beating Makes Them Much More Normal

Chapter 982: Chapter 981: Some People, A Beating Makes Them Much More Normal

Lu Mian left with Sui Yuan, leaving Mo Fan and the other two standing awkwardly in the dining hall, exchanging uneasy glances.

Jing Pei had not missed Lu Mian’s furious expression, and from Jing Che’s fragmented words, he sensed something was amiss. His face darkened as he glared at his grandson, demanding an explanation.

Jing Che confessed honestly, "Grandfather, she’s Chunchun... my biological sister..."

"Then how did things end up like this?!"

Jing Pei slapped his thigh with a bamboo fan, his anxiety rising.

The first moment he saw that Sui Yuan girl, he had said she looked familiar. Thinking back, aside from resembling Jing Che, her features bore at least a fifty percent similarity to their mother as well.

Who would have thought that she was actually his biological granddaughter?

"It’s not as if you don’t know—your grandmother and father don’t like girls. During the years you were off wandering, many things happened at home..."

Jing Che recounted everything, from Sui Yuan being adopted from the orphanage to the kidnapping case, to her accidental return home, and finally her forced escape.

His narrative carried a hint of resentment toward Jing Pei for being absent and uninvolved in family affairs during those years.

If his grandfather had been present to oversee the family, if the power had not been entirely in the hands of his grandmother and father, would his sister have suffered so much?

And Jing Che himself, although he might have seemed like a beneficiary in the whole affair... was his life really any better?

He was, at best, a tool—a replacement brought home simply because his father and stepmother had failed to conceive a son after giving birth to two daughters. During the kidnapping incident, when he had desperately pleaded with his father to rescue his sister, his pleas had fallen on deaf ears; back then, he had very little say in anything.

Later, when he himself had gained some power, he began to search far and wide for his sister, trying to bring her back.

The daughters of the Jing family were all pitiful; even the two born to his stepmother were sent overseas early and were barely valued.

Jing Pei’s aged face now carried a stunned expression.

In an instant, his anger was replaced entirely by regret and self-reproach.

There was no one to blame but himself. All these years, it was his neglect, his absence that had allowed the clan to grow increasingly rotten.

He himself did not harbor traditional patriarchal views, but his wife did—and severely so. Oftentimes, he chose to avoid confrontation out of sheer exhaustion.

The marriage had been arranged for the sake of the family lineage, with little emotional grounding. Over the years, the distance between him and his wife had only grown wider.

To escape the suffocating pressures of their marriage, he had relinquished his responsibilities to the family and roamed the world freely at an early age.

He had indulged in his freedom, but his loved ones had paid a heavy price for it!

The old man closed his eyes. When he pictured his granddaughter trembling in Lu Mian’s arms and Lu Mian’s piercing glare, he could only feel the urge to punch himself.

"Summon them all to me!" Jing Pei’s voice turned icy, and he uttered the command through gritted teeth.

"Them" referred to Jing Heng, Xi Mei, and his wife, Hong Junhua.

Jing Che hesitated, "Father and Grandmother went with Aunt Xi Mei for a prenatal checkup. She’s pregnant..."

They had already consulted a traditional Chinese doctor who confirmed it—it was a boy.

With the arrival of this boy, Xi Mei’s status in the Chixia Sect had visibly risen.

"..." Jing Pei was so furious that the bamboo fan in his hand snapped in two. "Preposterous! Truly outrageous!"

Meanwhile, Mo Fan, standing nearby, felt he had no place meddling in the Jing family’s affairs, so he quietly sent a text message to his own boss, Mo Ye.

[Boss, Miss Lu is angry.]

——

At that moment, Xiao Qimo, who was in a high-level meeting at the Xiao Group, had returned to his former cold and ruthless self as he listened to department heads present their reports.

At the same time, he was also reviewing contracts and annual plans from the Azure Group.

Mo Nie watched him with mixed feelings—both gratified that the boss was finally feeling the weight of responsibility and displaying diligence, but also worried. Even after Miss Lu had transferred the commercial center’s land parcel to their boss, the boss’s net worth... still hadn’t surpassed hers.

That was rather awkward.

Soon, Xiao Qimo received Mo Fan’s message.

His eyes narrowed, and his aura grew frostier.

After Mo Fan quickly described why Lu Mian was upset, Xiao Qimo abandoned the group of executives without hesitation and left.

Mo Nie: Wasn’t he supposed to leave the office tomorrow???

His enthusiasm had clearly gone to waste...

——

Over at the training ground, Lu Mian comforted Sui Yuan until her emotions improved and then let her leave.

As for herself, she casually grabbed a disciple from the Chixia Sect nearby, demanding to know where their Sect Master was.

At first, the individual looked down on Lu Mian—a contempt for women and lack of respect had become second nature in such an environment.

There wasn’t a single person here who was truly innocent.

Fortunately, it only took a brief physical reprisal from Lu Mian to straighten him out.

"The Sect Master is accompanying his wife for a prenatal checkup. He likely won’t return until evening..."

"Scram."

Lu Mian forced herself to suppress her temper. After glancing at the time, she made her way toward their military training ground.

By now, military training had already begun.

Jiu Ping conducted roll call as usual, only to realize that someone from the Applied Physics class was absent.

"Who’s missing? Does anyone know them?"

Among the three roommates from Lu Mian’s dorm—Qiao Yaning, Wang Shiwei, and Shu Shu—she was the first to be noticed as absent.

However, Qiao Yaning remained silent, and Wang Shiwei, with a dismissive expression, didn’t seem to care.

Facing the instructor’s stern expression, Shu Shu mustered her courage and raised her hand. "Reporting, Instructor! Student Lu Mian wasn’t feeling well and went to the restroom."

Jiu Ping clicked his tongue against his palate, "Male or female?"

"Female."

Shu Shu didn’t understand why he was asking about gender.

Upon hearing her reply, Jiu Ping wore a "so typical" expression, as if confirming that girls were nothing but trouble, incapable of doing anything without creating endless hassles.

"Everyone, follow my command! Attention!"

Five minutes later.

Lu Mian returned to the group, just as Jiu Ping was dragging an unruly student from the formation. Turning back, he scrutinized her from head to toe. "Are you Lu Mian?"

"Yes." Lu Mian stood there nonchalantly, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly, either from the sunlight or for some other reason.

Despite the scorching heat, she emanated an inexplicable chill.

From his nose, Jiu Ping emitted a derisive sound. "For being late, fifty push-ups."

For some reason, after announcing this punishment, he wore an expression of satisfaction, as if he were relishing the moment.

This girl might be good-looking, but with her skinny frame, she seemed utterly useless. And she was a Qing University student? She might as well head home and focus on getting married and having kids!

"What?"

"Huh..."

The entire group collectively gasped in astonishment.

"Instructor, please give Student Lu Mian another chance! Fifty push-ups are too much!"

"If she completes all fifty, her arms will probably be ruined!"

Everyone was pleading on Lu Mian’s behalf.

She was, after all, their beloved department darling! Of course, she deserved their protection!

Standing at the front, petite Shu Shu broke into a sweat on Lu Mian’s behalf. But her sharp eyes noticed something: Lu Mian’s right hand was bleeding!

Yet Lu Mian seemed entirely unfazed by the pain, nor did she care about the punishment awaiting her!