The Foolish Wife Turned Scheming After Her Recovery - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Six Hundred Sixty-Six – Not Even Pretending Anymore

Lu Zhili and her father were in the kitchen, wreaking havoc once again. As they fell into a familiar silence after yet another near-fire incident, Fu Shuang decided it was time to step in and salvage this precarious father-daughter relationship.

Lu Zhili crossed her arms, tossing the game controller aside, looking at her father with an expression that said she had something important to say but wasn’t sure how.

“What is it?” Lu Zhusheng leaned back on the sofa, relaxed as ever, completely unfazed. At his age, there wasn’t much that could shake him anymore.

Zhili had been waiting for this cue. Pouting, she began speaking like a rapid-fire cannon, “Dad, you’re way too old. Please don’t play games with me anymore. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back.”

“Hold back from what?”

“From yelling at you.”

Lu Zhusheng: “…”

What a riot.

He had thought he was still young, invincible to words. Turns out, one sentence from his daughter was all it took to shatter him.

Feeling thoroughly defeated, the old father was about to wipe his tears when Fu Shuang walked over, gave him a solid smack on the shoulder to move aside, and sat down between them.

“Zhili, I’m holding a birthday banquet soon. Do you want to go?”

“Isn’t your birthday next month?” Zhili hadn’t attended her mom’s birthday party since her accident. They usually celebrated quietly at home.

Fu Shuang rubbed her daughter’s head. “This banquet is a public one, so it’s being held earlier. We’ll still have our family dinner on my actual birthday.”

“Oh.” Zhili lowered her head, quietly fiddling with her fingernails. She clearly didn’t want to go to this kind of event.

Seeing her daughter’s downcast expression, Lu Zhusheng tugged on his wife’s sleeve and whispered, “You know she hates these parties. Why bring it up?”

Fu Shuang ignored him and handed a dark blue invitation card edged with gold to Zhili. “It’s not that formal. Just people gathering to chat and eat. If you want, you can invite a friend to come along.”

Fu Shuang wasn’t blind to her daughter’s trauma. Zhili had been sheltered for two years. But as parents from a wealthy and influential family, they couldn’t keep shielding her forever. Even if Zhili remained naive for the rest of her life, outsiders would still have to smile and flatter her in person.

So Fu Shuang decided it was time to stop sealing her off completely. It was better for Zhili to engage with the outside world in her current state—while her parents were still around to back her up.

She knew Zhili avoided socializing because of a past experience.

Zhili hadn’t always been this withdrawn. After returning from the rehab center, she actually loved going out—until one business banquet where she insisted on tagging along. There, she encountered a group of heartless young people.

They didn’t bully her overtly but played manipulative games—pretending to befriend her, then excluding her in conversation. This subtle ostracization gave them a twisted sense of superiority over the once-proud heiress.

Zhili, despite her condition, wasn’t blind. She sensed their exclusion and ridicule, and for the first time, became self-aware that she might truly be “slow.”

Since then, she became sensitive and anxious. She hated the word “fool” and avoided social gatherings.

To her, the people at those parties were monsters dressed in fancy clothes, ready to bare their fangs the moment her parents looked away.

But when her mother mentioned that she could bring a friend, Zhili hesitated. Normally, she would have refused and gone back to playing with her dog, Little Cake. But it had been days since she last saw her “Princess,” and this invitation was the perfect excuse to see her again.

Fu Shuang saw the flicker of hesitation and knew she had struck the right chord. Smiling, she gently pried open Zhili’s clenched fingers and slipped the invitation into her hands.

“Your handwriting is beautiful. If you write her name yourself, it’ll be more meaningful.”

Zhili pressed her lips together and nodded firmly. Even if the Princess hadn’t agreed to come yet, she would write the invitation and deliver it anyway!

“Thank you, Mom! I’m going to write it now!” She shouted joyfully and ran barefoot across the carpet toward her room.

Watching her leave, Lu Zhusheng frowned in concern. “Are you sure about this? You know how awful those people were. We got justice afterward, but why make her reopen that wound?”

“Lao Lu,” Fu Shuang said quietly, “We’re not getting any younger. We don’t know how long we’ll be around. Her blackouts are getting worse, and you know that the more frequently she collapses, the lower her chances of recovery. What will she do when we’re gone? We can’t keep treating her like a baby. Let her learn to interact with others now, while we’re still here to protect her.”

She rubbed her reddened eyes. She wasn’t trying to be cruel. She was just afraid of the people who might hurt her daughter after she’s gone.

A parent’s love is deep because they worry for the future.

Back in her room, Zhili sat down at her desk, placed the invitation in front of her, picked up her fountain pen, and after a moment of deep thought—began writing with determination.

…

In the garden, Housekeeper He was directing the staff in placing flower pots, fully immersed in her role as a commander-in-chief.

Not long after, the second-floor window swung open and Zhili leaned out, shouting, “Auntie He! Do we have any more invitations? I need another one!”

Looking up, Housekeeper He saw Zhili draped over the windowsill with a gloomy expression. If she had animal ears, they’d be drooping.

She already knew about the invitations and that Mrs. Fu had set aside extras. “Yes, yes, Miss! Wait right there—I’ll go get it for you!”

With Mr. and Mrs. Lu both out for work, the house was quiet. Zhili soon heard He’s footsteps and ran out to meet her.

Her eyes sparkled when she saw the familiar blue and gold invitation. “It’s the same one! Perfect!”

“Miss, do you have another friend to invite?” He asked casually.

Zhili shook her head and pulled her over to the desk, looking frustrated. “I accidentally messed up the writing here. See, this part’s all smudged.”

Housekeeper He looked at the invitation. It was nearly flawless—neither smudged nor misspelled.

She turned to Zhili, who avoided eye contact. After a long, silent ten seconds, Zhili turned her head and mumbled with blushing ears, “Anyway, it’s just not good enough. I want to redo it.”

“…Whatever makes you happy, Miss,” He replied with a helpless smile.

What could she say? Just smile and go with it. 🙂

Zhili sat back down to rewrite it. Housekeeper He sighed and walked out.

Sure enough, moments later came another familiar cry of frustration.

Looking down at the remaining blank invitations in her hand, Housekeeper He let out a tired laugh.

She knew it.

Let’s see what kind of excuse she makes up this time.

Seeing the stack of invites in He’s hands, Zhili’s face lit up. Her fox-like eyes glinted with mischief and cleverness.

“Auntie He, you’re the best!”

Well, she wasn’t even pretending anymore. There was no real mistake—she just wanted to keep rewriting.

Housekeeper He said nothing, only smiled faintly.

It wasn’t that she was nice—Madam Fu was simply a prophet.

“Miss, these are the last of the blank invitations. You can try out different styles of handwriting and pick the best one to give Miss Yu.”

Zhili beamed with confidence. “Mm! I’m going to write the most perfect invitation for Yu Yao!”

Only the most perfect one was worthy of her princess!