Ch. 501..510
Chapter 501
Wesley Gordon took the microphone, showing no surprise that Adrian Zhekova once again went onstage.
Adrian wouldn’t let Iris Doone off easily since she had tried to target Cindy Clarke.
However, Wesley thought Adrian would wait until the competition was over to deal with Iris.
He couldn’t have been more naive.
When the scumbag CEO wanted revenge, he didn’t wait a minute and got it immediately.
But after listening to Adrian’s words, the audience didn’t think he went too far.
“Good job!”
“That’s what Iris Doone, such a shameless villain, deserves!”
“Moreover, punishing Iris severely this time can serve as a warning to others, not to use such despicable means to win the competition.”
“That’s right, anyone who maliciously damages other contestants’ ingredients and sets traps for them will be punished severely! Let’s see who still dares!”
“Well done, Master Adrian!”
Amid the audience’s support, the live broadcast finally ended.
Nork City, Clarke Family.
Having watched the live broadcast, the Clarke family members had different feelings.
Joshua Clarke felt somewhat relieved that Cindy had won the competition again.
In the five years since Cindy had left home, she hadn’t given up on her cooking skills but instead honed them further.
This Yellow Croaker in soup, which many restaurants would offer in a simplified version, Joshua could actually cook.
But the real Yellow Croaker in soup, with a very complicated recipe, was just like the one Cindy made today.
Joshua didn’t think he could make it.
Without him, Cindy had made such great progress on her own.
It was clear that Cindy’s talent was truly outstanding.
Joshua felt relieved, but also heartbroken.
He thought that Cindy had been too heartless.
Since she had already been so successful, why couldn’t she secretly contact him?
Five years had passed, and if not for seeing her on TV, he would have known nothing.
Joshua’s emotions were very complex at the moment.
But overall, he was still happy for Cindy.
Christy Xenos and Wendy Clarke’s feelings were much simpler.
They watched coldly, not expecting that Cindy would win the competition.
“I didn’t know that Cindy’s skills have become that great,” Christy couldn’t help but say sarcastically, “She went straight into the top 15.”
Wendy smiled and said, “Mom, Cindy’s progress and her good results are a good thing. We should be happy for her.”
As she spoke, Wendy tugged at Christy’s sleeve and gave Joshua a look.
Christy pursed her lips and said reluctantly, “Yeah, I’m just happy for her. That kid is so capable. She’s been gone for five years, and even without us, even without her father teaching her cooking, she still managed to become so talented.”
“Look, she can even make such complicated dishes, and the judges all appreciate her so much,” Christy said mockingly.
“I think if we really go to find her, she doesn’t need her dad to teach her anymore. With the judges appreciating her so much, any of them can take her as a disciple. How could she look up to her dad’s small restaurant skills?” Christy stung Joshua with a remark.
Joshua lit a cigarette and took a heavy puff, “Well, I’m happy for her too.”
“Fine, just keep being happy for her. No matter how happy you are, she won’t know,” Christy said coldly.
“Mom, don’t think that just because she advanced into the national top 15, it’s a big deal. In reality, she has only participated in two rounds. It’s just that the elimination rate in these two rounds is a bit high. Both are 50% elimination rate, so she jumped straight into the top 15. But in reality, there’s also an element of luck. If she didn’t draw well today, she would have been the one eliminated,” Wendy said.
“As the competition gets more intense, it’s hard to say what will happen to Cindy,” Wendy added.
“That girl just can’t be as down-to-earth as you are, insisting on taking shortcuts,” Christy sneered.
“By the way, Miss Silverstone,” Wendy hadn’t forgotten that Zoe Silverstone was still there.
Zoe smiled faintly, “No need to be so polite, just call me Zoe.”
“We’ve been watching the live broadcast, so we haven’t asked you yet,” Wendy said, “How has Cindy been in Belfard all these years?”
Zoe didn’t answer immediately but looked at the sky outside.
At this point, the sky had already turned half-dark.
Seeing this, Wendy said, “It’s dinner time, and our housekeeper should have the meal ready. Miss Silverstone, why don’t you stay and eat with us?”
It wasn’t that Zoe wanted to take advantage, but her current situation was rather dire.
She had bought a plane ticket from afar, and also booked a hotel.
Because she couldn’t be sure of the Clarke family’s attitude, she didn’t dare to confirm her return date.
Thus, she didn’t buy a return ticket.
She couldn’t say for sure how many nights she would need to stay at the hotel either.
All these expenses were coming out of her savings, so she naturally needed to save as much as she could.
She had come all this way to tell the Clarke family about Cindy, so wouldn’t they at least let her have a meal?
Hearing Wendy’s words, Zoe readily agreed: “I’ll shamelessly stay for dinner then. I know quite a bit about Cindy, and there’s a lot to tell.”
“Of course,” said Wendy with a fake smile, “Let’s talk while we eat.”
Just then, the housekeeper brought all the dishes to the dining table.
So everyone went to the dining room and sat down.
Wendy didn’t think much of Zoe.
She even wanted to freeload a meal. What a freeloader!
No wonder she insisted on staying to watch the live broadcast today.
She probably calculated that once the live broadcast was over, it would be dinner time.
Wendy didn’t say anything on the surface.
After the housekeeper filled their bowls with rice,
Wendy asked Zoe again about Cindy’s situation while they ate.
Zoe didn’t come up with any more excuses this time, or she would be mistaken for a liar.
“I don’t know if you know what Cindy is doing now?” Zoe asked as she began to speak.
“It seems like she’s doing something online or something like that, right?” Christy couldn’t figure it out and couldn’t explain it clearly.
She only heard a mouthful during the last round, but didn’t understand much.
Zoe inwardly looked down on Christy.
Christy was truly a vulgar, uneducated, and ignorant woman.
Wendy secretly tapped Christy’s toes under the table, telling her not to speak up all the time.
Zoe had almost figured out their intentions.
“As I recall, she used the name Cain Velman in the last round. Since you are a food blogger and a competitor, she should be a food blogger as well,” Wendy said.
Zoe thought that at least Wendy still had a brain.
Did this married couple give all their intelligence to their two daughters, leaving none for themselves?
“Yes,” Zoe nodded. “Do you have any understanding of food bloggers?”
Chapter 502: What She’s Saying Now Is Still Polite (2 chapters combined into one)
Christy Xenos couldn’t help but to ask first, “What’s a food blogger?”
“Someone who posts food videos online,” Wendy Clarke briefly explained, “You mean she posts videos on the Internet with tutorials on how to make certain dishes?”
“I’m quite busy, so I don’t have much time to care about these things,” Wendy added, showing her disdain for their kind of internet celebrities.
After the last competition, she did look up Cain Velman.
However, Wendy did not know where Cindy Clarke’s main platform was.
So she googled it.
Many pages popped up.
Many websites were re-posts.
Wendy searched Cain Velman’s Facebook and found it.
She watched a few food tutorial videos Wendy posted but didn’t see anything special.
They were all simple home cooking techniques, but she had quite a few followers.
However, she didn’t see any posts about Morgan Zhekova.
One reason was that the posts were quite old, and another reason was that the post about confronting Nelly Woods was deleted by Cindy Clarke.
Since the matter was resolved, there was no need to keep this information on Facebook.
That’s why Wendy hadn’t seen it.
“She’s a very famous food blogger, and even if you’re very busy with work, like you, ordinary internet users who may not be interested in food videos would have at least heard her name,” Zoe Silverstone said, as if not hearing Wendy’s contempt.
She pouted and said reluctantly, “Although I don’t want to admit it, she indeed has the most followers and the largest traffic among us bloggers.”
“Not only in the food industry, but also in other areas like beauty, fashion and travel bloggers, she would rank among the top ten in terms of followers and traffic,” she said.
“I’m saying this because you might not have an intuitive and concrete understanding since you don’t know much about this industry,” Zoe Silverstone said.
“For example, I am now suffering because she’s causing all my accounts on various platforms to be shut down. No matter how many new accounts I create, they are all closed. All the ads I had been promoting were canceled. There are no more brands looking for me to promote. I don’t have any income now,” she said.
“But at least I was a well-known blogger before and knew these things very well,” Zoe Silverstone said. “Cindy Clarke, as the number one blogger in our food circle and ranked among the top ten internet celebrity bloggers, how much money do you think she gets for promoting an ad?”
When Christy Xenos heard the word “money”, her whole body seemed to come alive.
She even paused, holding her rice and chopsticks, without any movement in her right hand.
She leaned involuntarily towards Zoe Silverstone and asked eagerly, “How much money?”
Zoe Silverstone spread her fingers open.
Christy raised her eyebrows, “50,000?”
Not that she wanted to say it, but 50,000 didn’t seem like a lot to her.
She originally wanted to say 5,000, but she thought Zoe Silverstone wouldn’t say such a small amount.
However, even 50,000 was not a small amount.
Fifty thousand for one ad – that’s just too easy to make money.
Christy thought that even with 50,000, she shouldn’t miss out.
Zoe Silverstone rolled her eyes internally and thought Christy was too naive, but she just chuckled and said, “No, it’s 500,000!”
“What?” Christy Xenos exclaimed.
Even Joshua Clarke, who was holding his chopsticks, dropped them with a “clang” on the table.
“Five hundred thousand?!” Joshua shouted in disbelief.
Cindy Clarke was making so much money in Belfard City!
“What do you mean? How does she make 500,000?” Christy asked quickly.
She was really clueless about these things.
Zoe Silverstone then explained, “For example, a brand wants to promote their latest model of oven, they will send it directly to Cindy Clarke, and they will also give her 500,000 as an advertising fee, as long as she advertises it in her video.”
“It’s not that she has to specifically talk about how good the oven is. Just a regular food cooking tutorial, but using the oven to do it. She demonstrates how to use the oven during the process and highlights any unique features the oven might have compared to other models.”
“There are also kitchen range hoods, steam ovens, various small appliances, and so on,” Zoe Silverstone saw Christy Xenos’ love to take advantage of others and said, “That is to say, not only can Cindy Clarke get the advertising fee, she can also get those products for free. All the things in her house, she doesn’t have to buy them. They are all gifted by the brand as long as they appear in her video.”
“Take the ovens, for example – they are new models, costing thousands or even tens of thousands. She gets those for free,” Zoe Silverstone said.
“Oh my God, she’s really that powerful now? Just one ad, one video, and she gets 500,000? Plus the products she gets for free!” Christy was astonished.
“So if she shoots one a day, with 30 days in a month, wouldn’t she have an income of 15 million?” Christy calculated by counting her fingers.
Of course, it wouldn’t be calculated as Christy thought.
How could there be ads every day to receive?
If it were to be calculated this way, it could be calculated by the hour or even by the minute.
But Zoe Silverstone didn’t correct her.
In any case, the more money Cindy Clarke has, the better it is for them, and the more trouble she will have.
However, Cindy Clarke would actually be richer than Christy thought.
Not only from her income as a food blogger.
With Cindy Clarke being together with Adrian Zhekova, money couldn’t even be measured in numbers.
There were countless benefits.
What she was saying now was just being polite.
“That’s just the exclusive advertising,” said Zoe Silverstone. “It’s for promoting a specific product for a specific brand, taking a video’s duration to promote it. There are also many small product collections.”
“For example, high-speed blenders, food processors, egg beaters, and other small appliances, or even speakers, headphones, home appliance control systems, seasonings and so on – anything you can think of. Many small items and using one episode to promote would be a bit wasteful, so they simply put several products in one episode.”
“This promotion isn’t exclusive, so the price is lower. Many brand owners will choose this method. The prices won’t be the same. But for someone at Cindy Clarke’s level, the price would be upwards of 200,000, as long as it appears in the video.”
“For promotions like this, she takes on several in one video and earns even more than the exclusive promotions,” Zoe Silverstone said.
“Boom!”
Wendy Clarke couldn’t help but slap her bowl and chopsticks on the table, her face darkening.
She thought Cindy Clarke went to Belfard to struggle for success.
Even if she looked glamorous on TV, in reality, just like many other people in Belfard, she thought that she must have her own struggles and hardships.
She and Christy Xenos did tell Joshua Clarke that Cindy Clarke wasn’t suffering and was having a good life.
Chapter 503: Cindy Clarke is too selfish (two chapters in one)
But it’s all to appease Joshua Clarke.
She and Christy Xenos wish nothing but hardships for Cindy Clarke.
Who knew, she has never experienced any hardships.
She’s having a much better life than what she and Christy Xenos could ever dream of.
Their current lifestyle came at a great cost.
She sacrificed a lot for Mr. Lopez, even bore him a son, all this just to gain the capital to start their current restaurant.
At that time, she was trembling with fear, afraid that Mr. Lopez’s wife would find out and confront her.
She barely escaped, and finally got the money.
But is starting a restaurant that easy?
There’s too much to handle and too many things to worry about.
Plus, having to deal with many other things.
Now it looks like things have stabilized.
But during the initial two years, she was completely drained.
Even now, she cannot relax; it’s just slightly better than at the beginning.
She exhausted herself, working inside and out, to attain her current lifestyle and income.
But what about Cindy Clarke?
She films a video and instantly makes 500,000.
She doesn’t have to worry about so many things, nor does she have to curry favor with all kinds of people.
How is it so unfair!
Wendy Clarke clenched her fists.
Since childhood, Cindy Clarke has shown talent in cooking.
No matter what she learns, she picks up right away.
Not just in cooking, but in school as well.
She gets good grades, is a recognized top student, loved by the teachers.
The teachers always questioned why the two sisters’ grades were so different
If it weren’t for Christy Xenos altering Cindy’s college application.
Cindy would have attended a prestigious university, becoming the pride of Nork High School.
Things were like this during school, and even now after entering society, making money seems easier for Cindy!
Making that much money, for Cindy it’s so easy!
And she’s even famous.
How can life be so unfair!
Wendy Clarke feels no matter how hard she tries, she can’t catch up to Cindy Clarke.
Is Cindy Clarke the favorite of fate?
Why does she get everything so easily?
Wendy initially thought that Cindy escaped after Mr. Lopez took advantage of her and she found out the truth.
Cindy left with nothing, what could she do in Belfard?
She must have suffered a lot.
Who knew, everything turned out differently than she thought!
“Seems like, you guys were not aware she was making so much money.” Seeing the reactions of the Clarke family, Zoe Silverstone laughed, “I may not be making money now, but I used to make a decent amount. But compared to Cindy, I was far behind.”
“That’s why I considered her a rival, and wanted to replace her. Because her income, is truly envy-inducing.”
“And, she even bought a house in Belfard.” Zoe Silverstone added.
“What?!” Christy Xenos shrieked.
Even Christy Xenos knew how terrifying the housing prices in Belfard were.
That’s the capital!
Even though the real estate market isn’t great right now, many second and third-tier cities are reducing housing prices.
But Belfard has always been unaffected.
Too many people try their luck in Belfard, too many people want to settle down there.
Cindy Clarke, so young, with only her own earnings, could afford a house in Belfard.
She must have made so much!
She’s only been in Belfard for about five years and she already has a house!
Greed was apparent in Christy Xenos’ face.
In just five short years, Cindy Clarke was able to buy a house in Belfard, she must have a lot of money left.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the confidence.
If you asked Christy Xenos, a girl doesn’t need to buy a house by herself. When she gets married, the man will handle it.
This would save a lot of money.
Since this is the case, and Cindy Clarke can afford to buy a house, this is proof that she has a lot of money!
“That’s why, I find it strange. If she were not living well in Belfard, considering either not wanting to worry you, or not wanting to burden you, thinking that things aren’t easy for you in Nork City, that’s why she didn’t ask you for money…” Zoe Silverstone deceitfully said.
Luxury villas and high-end restaurants, how can those be seen as ‘not easy’?
Yet, upon hearing Zoe’s words, Christy Xenos really felt like Zoe hit the nail on the head.
Their lives really were difficult!
“Then I would understand.” Zoe Silverstone continued, “But Cindy’s doing really well. The money she’s making is enough to support all of you. Mr. and Mrs., you can enjoy life at home without doing anything.”
“Even if you don’t run the restaurant, without the restaurant’s income. Wendy wouldn’t need to run the demanding restaurant business. She could collaborate with Cindy to open a studio, fully dedicate herself to the influencer’s work, and that would be fine.” Zoe Silverstone suggested.
“Moreover, Wendy, you are so beautiful.” Zoe Silverstone complimented.
Wendy Clarke was getting more and more annoyed at Cindy Clarke as Zoe spoke.
She felt Cindy was too selfish.
Right, if Cindy was having a hard time in Belfard….
Then she really should not have contacted them.
After all, they themselves weren’t having it easy in Nork City.
Since Cindy chose to venture out in Belfard herself, then she should bear the consequences.
Yet Cindy has been very successful in Belfard, so why didn’t she contact her family?
Her family brought her up, paid for her education, and sent her to college.
But she ended up being ungrateful, dropped out of college, and didn’t even finish her studies.
All that money was wasted.
Yet now she’s successful and feels arrogant, forgetting her family, ignorant of reciprocation!
She let Wendy take on the responsibility of supporting the family.
Was it easy for her to start a restaurant in Nork City?
She made money, bought a villa for her family, and has still been supporting Joshua Clarke and Christy Xenos.
Cindy, on the other hand, simply left, enjoying her carefree and joyful life in Belfard.
She pushed all responsibility onto Wendy!
The more she thought about it, the angrier Wendy got.
She wanted to fly to Belfard right now and ask Cindy for an explanation!
But upon hearing what Zoe Silverstone said…
Wendy’s mood slightly improved.
Even Zoe thinks she is beautiful, isn’t she?
Who in Nork City doesn’t know that Wendy Clarke is beautiful and capable?
There are already a few trust fund babies pursuing her in Nork City.
This has always been a point of pride for Wendy Clarke.
Feeling satisfied, the corners of her mouth curved up into a confident smile.
Zoe Silverstone, a blogger, knew best how to win over the fans.
She hit all the right chords.
If she can handle the fans, taking on Wendy should be a piece of cake.
In terms of cunning, Zoe Silverstone might not be a match for Wendy Clarke.
But when it comes to making Wendy happy and letting down her guard, Zoe Silverstone excels.
“Even if you start as an influencer, it’s no problem. If Cindy can become a food blogger, why can’t you? You’re all from the same family, your family owns a restaurant, from a young age you learned to cook.” Zoe Silverstone suggested.
“Besides, even as a food blogger, the dishes taught are not that complex. After all, it has to be something the fans can easily make, who would learn the difficult ones!”
Chapter 504: Even More Extreme Than She Thought (2 in 1)
“Besides, fans can’t taste the food through the screen. As long as you look good, make the cuisine look good, take nice pictures, and add some filters, that’s all it takes to be a food blogger. It’s that simple.” Zoe Silverstone said, tempting Wendy.
“Again, fans can’t see the actual final result. You don’t even have to do it yourself, just show your face. When filming the process, they don’t see your face, so you can even have someone do it for you.”
“If only Cindy had contacted you guys earlier and told you about her situation. As a famous blogger like her, with her guidance for a while, you could easily become popular too. Why bother with opening a restaurant and dealing with all sorts of people?”
“Besides, to be honest, being an internet celebrity provides many opportunities to hang out with those ultra-rich kids, especially in Belfard where the quality is much higher than in Nork City.” Zoe Silverstone lowered her voice a little.
Wendy raised her eyebrows slightly.
Zoe Silverstone whispered, “I think, even if you aren’t going to confront Cindy, it’s worth going to Belfard for development purposes.”
“Wendy, you obviously have great abilities, and it’s a waste for you to stay in Nork City.” Zoe Silverstone tempted her.
Wendy is indeed good-looking, but Belfard is full of beauties.
That’s where celebrities, models, and internet celebrities gather.
Not to mention the large number of people who want to join the industry or have just started but are struggling to get ahead.
And they are much better looking than Wendy.
Despite that, they still don’t get a chance to get ahead.
Wendy, even if she went, would not have much of a competitive edge.
However, Wendy seemed quite confident in herself.
She felt that Zoe’s words made a lot of sense.
“Yes! Let’s go!” Christy Xenos said excitedly.
She had been listening to Zoe Silverstone’s words attentively.
“Anyway, we are going to open a restaurant in Belfard, so going early will just serve as a head start. It’s like surveying the market.” Christy Xenos said.
She’s been calculating it all along.
Since Cindy is making so much money now, how can she not shoulder the responsibility of supporting the family?
Cindy had not been cheap to raise since she was little.
Not to mention, they had also paid for her education.
Now that Cindy has the ability, she should give back, right?
She can’t just think about leaving her family behind and enjoying herself in Belfard alone!
Moreover, Zoe was right about the abundance of ultra-rich kids in Belfard!
It’s the capital, unlike Nork City, which is a small place.
Wendy, once there, would definitely make a name for herself.
She could get to know a few more trust-fund babies and marry one of them from a wealthy family.
Christy Xenos had confidence in Wendy.
Wendy is capable, and since Cindy is already doing so well on her own in Belfard, Wendy should have no problems either.
“Let’s go right away.” Christy Xenos couldn’t wait.
Cindy has money, and Christy feels that the money is wasted in Cindy’s hands.
She initially thought she’d go after Cindy got the championship.
Once she got that 1 million prize money, they would go over.
But now it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.
Cindy’s income isn’t that much worse than their family’s income.
Even if they find Cindy now, they won’t have to worry about her taking advantage of their family.
On the contrary, the 19 years they had spent raising her should be directly accounted for.
If she can afford a house, why can’t she afford to give money to the family?
“Are we in such a hurry?” Joshua Clarke was surprised, “We need to prepare as well, pack our luggage, right? And when we get to Belfard, should we stay in a hotel or rent a house?”
“We are arriving much earlier than we originally planned. Our restaurant in Belfard hasn’t even opened yet. We haven’t even chosen a location or signed a contract,” Joshua Clarke said.
At this point, Wendy was still in the process of choosing staff.
Everything from the chefs to the management personnel had yet to be confirmed. She was still in the process of selecting them.
Once they got to Belfard, they would need to complete all the paperwork before they could open.
Not to mention renovations and all kinds of marketing.
By watching Wendy’s preparations so far, Joshua Clarke had a general idea of the process.
“It would take at least half a year to get everything done,” Joshua Clarke said. “If we go to Belfard so early, not only will we be spending a lot of money, but we also need someone to manage the restaurant here.”
“What are you afraid of? When we go to Belfard, we won’t have to stay in a hotel or look for a place to live. Didn’t you hear? Cindy bought a house there,” Christy Xenos said. “We can just stay at her place, right? That’s what she bought it for, isn’t it?”
“Besides, with just her living there, there’s enough space for the three of us too,” Christy Xenos added.
“You don’t even know how big Cindy’s house is in Belfard. Plus, the housing prices there are so high that even if she bought a house, it probably isn’t too big,” Joshua Clarke said.
“Do you know how big the house Cindy bought is?” Christy Xenos asked Zoe Silverstone again.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Zoe Silverstone said.
She thought to herself that she had picked the right people.
This mother and daughter, Christy Xenos and Wendy, were even worse than she had imagined.
Now, when they heard about Cindy’s money, they wanted to live with her.
Even though they earned so much from running their own restaurant, they didn’t want to spend any money and were still trying to squeeze some out of Cindy.
Cindy would really have a hard time dealing with the likes of Christy Xenos.
Zoe Silverstone did not mention Adrian Zhekova’s situation to Christy Xenos.
She couldn’t gauge how far Christy Xenos would go.
What if Christy Xenos got scared after knowing about Adrian Zhekova’s power and didn’t dare to mess with Cindy?
It would be best for them to go there and find out for themselves.
Discovering little by little that Cindy has even more money than they thought.
After seeing all those extravagant things, their greed and courage would grow.
Even if they didn’t dare to before, once they saw the wealthy lifestyle and their greed took over, they wouldn’t be able to leave and would decide to take a gamble.
Causing trouble for Cindy would be the best thing to do.
With Christy and Wendy around, Cindy would never have a peaceful life.
It would be even better if Adrian Zhekova could learn about the disgraceful side of Cindy’s family.
And realize that Cindy wasn’t a good match for him.
Or even, the Zhekova family might look down on Cindy as well.
And crush Cindy’s high life down to earth.
That would be perfect!
Initially, it was already impressive that Cindy had achieved what she has by herself.
But people tend to fear losing a better life they’ve experienced.
Once Cindy had experienced life with Adrian Zhekova as if living in the clouds and lost it suddenly, how could she bear the abrupt change?
She would suffer so much!
Christy Xenos doesn’t care about the size of Cindy’s house.
She waved her hand and said, “Even if it’s just one room, it’s enough. Remember our old house? The four of us still managed to live there, so why can’t we now?”
“Besides, since Cindy is rich, let her rent a place and leave the house to us,” Christy Xenos said.
Chapter 505: She Should Give Us (2 Chapters Combined into One)
“Mom, I can’t live in such a small house.” Wendy Clarke said after hearing it, “Look at our house now, we’re used to living in a villa, how can we live in such a small house?”
Joshua Clarke took the opportunity to say, “It’s not easy for our child in Belfard, let’s not bother with that.”
“What do you mean by ‘bother’!” Christy Xenos was unhappy to hear that.
She didn’t care if Zoe Silverstone was still there and wasn’t afraid of being laughed at: “Didn’t you just hear? Cindy Clarke is rich now! An advertisement pays 500,000! Even if she doesn’t take ads every day, let’s say a few less, she takes three or four a month, she earns millions a month!”
“A person who earns millions a month, do you think she would buy a small house in Belfard? Even if she can’t buy a villa, there must be condos, right? If there’s no condo, at the very least, there must be a three or four-bedroom place! Can’t we still live there?”
“Unless she is unwilling to let us live there, otherwise, we can’t possibly not have a place to live.” Christy Xenos said, “Besides, she’s so rich now, even if her house is too small for us, she could rent us a bigger place.”
“Renting a house is not expensive, if she takes out 30 or 50 thousand a month for us to rent a house, I don’t need it to be too big, a three-bedroom place is enough.” Christy Xenos shouted, “How can we not afford that?”
“A person who earns millions a month, asking her to take out 30 or 50 thousand for rent, is just a fraction! She hasn’t contacted our family for five years, hasn’t given a cent to the family, who knows how much money she has saved up secretly!”
“Ha! This is your good daughter.” Christy Xenos pointed to Joshua Clarke and said, “All these years, our family has relied solely on Wendy. She runs the restaurant single-handedly, earning money to support the family, giving us a new villa, allowing us to retire early.”
“You get to walk around every day without working, enjoying your leisurely days, isn’t it because of Wendy? Our family has been supported by Wendy alone for all these years! Cindy Clarke is living a carefree life in Belfard, and we have raised her for 19 years, but she hasn’t given a penny to the family!”
“Now we are going to Belfard to find her, what’s wrong with living at her place? What’s wrong with letting her rent a place for us? That’s all for the 19 years of nurturing, plus these five years combined, she owes it to us!”
“Joshua Clarke, listen to yourself, are you being fair to Wendy? You are willing to spend Wendy’s money, and you don’t feel pain. But you’re already feeling pain before we even ask Cindy Clarke for money in Belfard?”
“Did you forget that your beloved younger daughter has ignored you for the past five years?” Christy Xenos questioned Joshua Clarke.
Joshua Clarke was left speechless by Christy Xenos.
Regarding Christy Xenos’ question, Joshua Clarke could not say a single word in retort.
Because he could not refute anything she said.
The saddest thing for him was that Cindy Clarke hadn’t contacted him in the past five years.
If Cindy Clarke was having a hard time and didn’t contact him for fear of causing him trouble, that would be understandable.
After all, Cindy Clarke had always been like that, thinking about her family and not wanting to cause them any trouble.
That was her character.
But if she was doing well, why wouldn’t she contact him and let him rest assured?
Not contacting him for five years, he didn’t know how many bad ideas had been born in his heart, worrying that Cindy Clarke had encountered some misfortune or was in danger.
As a result, Cindy Clarke had been doing just fine for the past five years.
And her career was outstanding.
Was she not contacting him because she was afraid the family would ask her for money?
But he wouldn’t do that!
However, Joshua Clarke didn’t consider his easily swayed nature.
If Cindy Clarke contacted him, wouldn’t Christy Xenos and Wendy know immediately?
Would Cindy Clarke still have peace then?
If only Joshua Clarke could stand firm and be a real head of the family.
Then Cindy Clarke wouldn’t have to be like this.
Wendy, on the side, shed tears of grievance and said, “You gave birth to me and raised me, and now it’s my turn to be able to support you. It’s what I’m supposed to do. But dad, you can’t just think that all these responsibilities should be mine.”
“Supporting you is my duty, but I can’t take on even Cindy Clarke’s share naturally. I can act filial on her behalf too, but you shouldn’t assume it’s something I should do,” Wendy said.
Joshua Clarke hesitated to speak, sighed, and hung his head.
Seeing Joshua Clarke’s droopy demeanor, Christy Xenos knew that Joshua Clarke had been persuaded again.
“Let’s pack up our things and head to Belfard as soon as possible.” Christy Xenos made the decision.
She asked Zoe Silverstone, “By the way, when do you plan to go back?”
“I plan to go back as soon as possible. If you can go to Belfard in the next few days, we can go together. But you probably have a lot to deal with. If it’s going to be delayed, I can’t keep waiting here.”
“Ah!” Zoe Silverstone sighed, “I’m not like I used to be, this time I came here spending my own savings. Being forced by Cindy Clarke, I have no income now and really can’t afford it.”
“Why don’t we exchange contact information?” Wendy suggested, “Once in Belfard, I think we will certainly need to contact each other for many more opportunities.”
Zoe Silverstone immediately understood Wendy’s meaning and exchanged contact information with her on the spot.
“By the way, from what Uncle said just now, you guys are planning to open a restaurant in Belfard?” Zoe Silverstone asked again.
“Yes.” Christy Xenos said proudly, “After all, Nork City is too small, and the restaurant Wendy runs here is already the highest-end restaurant in Nork City. There’s nothing to improve.”
“Besides, the market in Nork City is only this big, and our restaurant has already saturated the market.” When Christy Xenos talked about it, she was quite knowledgeable, “That’s why we need to open a restaurant in a bigger market.”
“Wendy analyzed that Belfard is the capital, has a big market, high consumption, and more wealthy people. Opening a restaurant in Belfard will offer better prospects for development.”
Christy Xenos spoke proudly, “By then, we will open one branch after another in Belfard, then expand to S City, and eventually spread across the country. The one in Nork City will be the main branch. The customers always appreciate the original store and think it tastes better. By then, everyone will come to Nork City to
For what?
Christy Xenos forgot.
“To make a pilgrimage,” Wendy explained.
“Right, to make a pilgrimage!” Christy Xenos hastily agreed.
Zoe Silverstone thought to herself, you country bumpkins have never seen the prosperity of Belfard.
There are so many high-end restaurants, and their prices are unimaginably high.
Did they really think that having a high-end restaurant in Nork City would work in Belfard?
Your so-called high-end restaurant in Nork City would just be an ordinary place in Belfard.
The consumption level of Nork City and Belfard is incomparable.
Chapter 506: Brainwashing (2 chapters combined into one)
Besides, with so many people in Belfard, it’s not certain whether they will think highly of your restaurant.
It may taste good here, but in Belfard, the dishes might seem ordinary.
And open a branch?
Don’t even talk about opening a branch, first ensure that the first restaurant in Belfard can survive, then talk about it!
“Have you selected the staff for your restaurant in Belfard, like chefs, waiters, and the like?” Zoe Silverstone asked.
“Not yet,” Wendy Clarke thought Zoe Silverstone wanted to recommend herself.
But Wendy Clarke didn’t think much of Zoe Silverstone’s cooking skills.
“I plan to recruit and select people then. They must have experience working in a big restaurant. They must match our high-end restaurant,” Wendy Clarke said.
Meaning that Zoe Silverstone shouldn’t think about it.
This time, Zoe Silverstone didn’t catch Wendy Clarke’s meaning.
Because she didn’t even think about doing this.
Who would want to work in a busy kitchen all day?
Zoe Silverstone then said, “If you need help, feel free to tell me; I know quite a few excellent chefs.”
Wendy Clarke’s eyes lit up and said, “Don’t mention it, I really do.”
“Oh?” Zoe Silverstone replied.
Wendy Clarke said, “I watched the live broadcast of the competition today. Joseph Tanner, who was eliminated, I feel quite sorry for him.”
“He’s talented and ranked high among the contestants. It’s just that he didn’t do well today, so he got eliminated. Otherwise, he should have advanced today,” Wendy Clarke said.
Before, Wendy Clarke had talked with Christy Xenos. At that time, they didn’t know that Cindy Clarke was also participating in the Cooking Competition.
Wendy Clarke watched the Cooking Competition with the purpose of finding contestants with good cooking skills but unlucky eliminations.
Joseph Tanner fit her requirements.
He was ranked high in cooking skills, but his luck was really bad.
Besides, Joseph Tanner reached the top 15 and was eliminated early, making it difficult for people to remember his name.
Even if he applied to a restaurant, it would be hard to use this experience to add points for himself.
As for being a head chef, it would be tough for him to make it into a famous restaurant.
And undoubtedly, he would not be interested in the restaurants that would let him be the head chef.
Wendy Clarke felt lucky. She had hoped to meet such a person, and now she had.
No one was more suitable than Joseph Tanner.
Most importantly, judging by Joseph Tanner’s reaction when he lost the competition, he probably blamed Cindy Clarke for his failure.
Even across the screen, Wendy Clarke could sense Joseph Tanner’s anger toward Cindy Clarke’s meddling.
Behind the camera, Joseph Tanner’s hatred for Cindy Clarke must have been even deeper.
“It’s a pity that he didn’t advance,” Wendy Clarke said, “With his current situation, I’m afraid it would be difficult for him to work in his desired restaurant.”
“If you can contact him, why not introduce us and let us get to know each other?” Wendy Clarke said to Zoe Silverstone, “Though our restaurant is just starting out in Belfard, I guarantee that we will make a name for ourselves. As long as he does well, he will always be the head chef.”
“And, just like the relationship between Quire and Michael Greene,” Wendy Clarke said, “I can make his relationship with our restaurant mutually beneficial.”
Zoe Silverstone was a little surprised, Wendy Clarke knew the story between Quire and Michael Greene.
She really thought Wendy Clarke was a country bumpkin.
“You just need to be the go-between to get us a meeting. Leave the rest to me,” Wendy Clarke said.
The most important thing was that they both couldn’t stand to see Cindy Clarke succeed.
This would lead to an unbreakable partnership between them.
Wendy Clarke was confident that Joseph Tanner would come to her restaurant.
“No problem,” Zoe Silverstone readily agreed.
As Zoe Silverstone was discussing with the Clarke family, let’s go back in time a little bit.
Back at the racecourse.
The contestants returned to the backstage first.
The audience left first.
Because there were too many audience members.
So, in order to ensure that the audience could leave in an orderly and speedy manner.
The audience left first.
The general audience left from various entrances and exits of the racecourse.
The VIP Seat audience had their own channels.
The contestants had to wait backstage for a while.
They would leave when the crowd was less concentrated.
Iris Doone and Blake Walker walked backstage together.
She didn’t know if she was thinking too much, but she felt that at this time, only Blake Walker was willing to walk with her.
Everyone else seemed to be deliberately avoiding her.
Even if she lost the competition and left today, she probably wouldn’t see them again.
Being avoided didn’t matter.
But Iris Doone still felt uncomfortable in her heart.
“Do the others think I’m not good because they listened to Yellen Brooks?” Iris Doone whispered.
“They’ve just been influenced, and when I talk to them later, they’ll come to their senses,” Blake Walker whispered back.
“You didn’t harm them, and everyone is in a competitive relationship. Yellen Brooks not getting ingredients has nothing to do with you; it’s not like you caused her not to get them. How can she have the nerve to ask you for them?”
“You don’t give her any, and she still complains about you? It’s obviously her fault,” Blake Walker scoffed. “In this situation, anyone would refuse. If Yellen Brooks asks someone else, can they really agree to that?”
“It’s just Cindy Clarke, pretending to be good. She knew she had a bad reputation, so she wanted to use this to clear her name.” Blake Walker thought he had seen through Cindy Clarke, “Those people are really stupid.”
“Cindy Clarke made it so obvious, and they actually fell for it,” Blake Walker said with disdain.
“In addition to this, they must have believed that I was the one who destroyed the ingredients,” Iris Doone said grievously. “But I really didn’t.”
“I know, I believe you,” Blake Walker said. “It’s not the first time Cindy Clarke has wronged someone.”
“She’s always been bullying Zoe Silverstone, forcing her away. Now that she sees you’re popular, she’s trying to push you away too,” Blake Walker said.
Iris Doone didn’t expect that Blake Walker had already brainwashed himself without her having to do anything.
This was a talented person!
Iris Doone looked at Blake Walker in surprise.
She could clearly see his affection for her, all displayed on his face.
Because of his affection for her, Blake Walker had fallen into love-brain, believing that every single thing Iris Doone did was good and could be understood and forgiven.
Whoever said something bad about Iris Doone must be slandering her.
Iris Doone saw what Blake Walker was thinking.
Instead of avoiding him, she looked at Blake Walker with watery eyes and said gratefully, “I never thought that all the way through, you always believed me and never changed.”
“We both started out together,” Blake Walker suddenly became confident. “You wait, I’ll definitely gain something from this competition. I’ll strive to advance and make a name for myself. No matter what job, I’ll think of you.”
Chapter 507: Don’t Call Me Cynthia Florine (2 Chapters Combined)
Iris Doone looked moved, “Not only was I eliminated this time, but I was also blamed for such a big issue at the end of the competition. My future work will be really difficult, so I’ll have to rely on you.”
“Don’t worry.” Blake Walker immediately promised.
“I think we still don’t know how Cindy Clarke’s shark fin got crushed. It’s also possible that the organizers originally bought poor quality shark fins, or the soaking method was wrong, and it got smashed. It’s also possible that the staff were careless afterward, ruining it, and Cindy Clarke put the blame on me,” said Iris Doone.
“In order to avoid blame, the organizers don’t want to expose their unprofessionalism, so they dumped the blame on me,” Iris Doone said.
“Keep your voice down,” Blake Walker quickly reminded, “Even though you’re not in the competition anymore, Pingla’s influence is not limited to the scope of the major competition.”
“Offending the organizers is nothing, but offending the organizers is tantamount to offending the Pingla Group behind them, which is really a great offense.” Blake Walker reminded.
Iris Doone sighed and said in a low voice with frustration, “Whether it’s offending or not, what’s the difference? Anyway, Adrian Zhekova said that I can’t work in any restaurant under Pingla in the future.”
Blake Walker suddenly stiffened.
He forgot about this point.
In the future, if he wanted to work with Iris Doone.
Once they see Iris Doone, they would refuse her because of Adrian Zhekova’s words.
That’s no big deal.
What if they refuse him along with her?
Blake Walker thought that he should think about it later.
But since the words have been said, just let it be for now.
Just don’t take her along in the future.
Anyhow, who knows what the future will hold.
It doesn’t matter if you say something nice to Iris Doone now and then.
Iris Doone didn’t know that Blake Walker’s brain had just “recovered” a second ago, but now he immediately knew how to think about himself.
Iris Doone just felt that Blake Walker’s reaction was a bit strange.
So she tilted her head and asked, “Blake, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Blake Walker quickly smiled and said.
“You’ll… think about me in the future, right?” Iris Doone had an intuition that something was wrong and repeated her request.
“Of course.” Blake Walker hurriedly said, “Don’t worry, I promise you. Besides, what’s our relationship? How could I not care about you?”
If it weren’t for the fact that she still needed him, Iris Doone really wanted to spit on his face.
What kind of relationship did they have?
They had no relationship at all!
Blake Walker really knew how to embellish himself.
They had only participated in three competitions together, and he had already tied her down.
Blake Walker was just ridiculous!
Iris Doone immediately decided that unless Blake Walker had any benefits to introduce to her, she would never pay him any attention if he ever contacted her again.
As soon as Iris Doone thought of this and entered the backstage, she saw Yellen Brooks talking to Cindy Clarke.
Cindy Clarke’s performance was no different from before.
Her smile was calm and steady.
In the past, everyone would think that Cindy Clarke’s demeanor was cold.
However, after today, they realized it was just her nature.
She’s not very outgoing or friendly, but when you really communicate with her, you feel refreshed and don’t feel neglected by her.
Suddenly, everyone couldn’t help but think of a saying.
The friendship of a gentleman is as light as water.
Perhaps this is how Cindy Clarke behaves.
Although she doesn’t interact closely with others, when she is really needed, she is absolutely clear.
Upholding the principles of a gentleman, she never takes advantage of others in distress.
So, everyone’s gaze at Cindy Clarke was different from before.
Although many people didn’t talk much with Cindy Clarke, they also tried to strike up a conversation.
The Pingla Ten had talked to Cindy Clarke a few times before in the advancement seats.
They didn’t come forward this time.
Cynthia Florine continued to use a polishing block to shape her nails and hummed, “A group of ordinary people.”
Leon Hernandez rolled his eyes and said, “Your nails are so short, what shape can you polish them into?”
“As I please!” Cynthia Florine bared her teeth at him.
“Cynthia, you really like Cindy Clarke, don’t you?” Aiden Huxley approached and asked with a smile.
Cynthia Florine looked like a strong big sister from appearance to temperament.
Her temper was also quite bad.
“Don’t call me Cynthia!” Such a prestigious person was called stupid by him!
“Hey, I think you’re just angry because they’re all gathered around her, pushing you out,” Aiden Huxley saw through her early on.
Cynthia Florine was a person with clear likes and dislikes.
For those she liked, she would take the initiative to talk to them.
But those she disliked or felt indifferent to, she wouldn’t even bother with.
Earlier in the advancement seats, Cynthia Florine had taken the initiative to talk to Cindy Clarke, and they were quite surprised.
Cynthia Florine was very proud.
When she first entered Pingla Academy, as a freshman in her first year, she could still be arrogant and high above everyone else with no pressure.
Some seniors would complain about her behind her back, and hot-tempered senior girls would directly challenge her to teach her a lesson.
Who would have thought Cynthia Florine was actually capable and had the skills to suppress her seniors with her cooking abilities?
As she delved deeper into her studies and improved her cooking skills, she became one of the top students in Pingla Academy.
Now there are not many people qualified to challenge her.
Among the ten of them, they were not actually the top ten most outstanding students in Pingla Academy.
This was because students who had participated in the major competition last year were not allowed to participate this year.
Every year, excluding the fourth-year students, since they are in their last year.
So, they can’t register to participate.
Only students from the first three years can register for the auditions held within Pingla.
The reason for this is to give new students opportunities.
After studying at Pingla Academy for four years, the skills of the seniors in their fourth year are much better than those of the new students.
If the fourth year is also included, then it is possible that the team of Pingla Ten would be mostly from the fourth year, if not all.
This would leave few opportunities for new students.
Unless they are exceptionally outstanding new students, they would not be able to stand out.
The school believes that it is better to participate in such competitions earlier so that they can gain experience and exposure while they are young.
When they reach their fourth year, they will begin preparing for entrepreneurship or post-graduation work.
Only the first three-year students are allowed to sign up each time, and although the fourth-year students can’t participate this year, they have had the opportunity to participate in the past three years.
What the school means by this rule is that if you haven’t been selected in the past three years, it means your ability has reached its limit.
In your graduation year, it’s not interesting to crush new first-year students.
It’s better to leave opportunities for more outstanding new students.
However, in reality, if they were placed within the entire scope of Pingla, including the fourth-year students.
Among the ten of them, there were probably only two or three who could actually rank in the top ten.
Chapter 508: Driving My Beloved Little Car (2 Chapters Combined)
Even so, Cynthia Florine’s ranking could make it into the top 30 in Pingla.
Being in the top 30 in Pingla is not the same concept as being in the top 30 of the Cooking Competition.
To be honest, the top 30 of the Cooking Competition is not taken seriously by the people of Pingla.
If the Cooking Competition were to be fully open to Pingla, instead of giving them only 10 spots to compete.
Then this top 30 would have nothing to do with outsiders.
It would be fully occupied by Pingla’s people.
Of course, Cindy Clarke might be able to get a spot.
As you can imagine, there is a huge gap between the students of the Academy and the contestants who were selected from the auditions.
After two official competitions, Cynthia Florine hasn’t talked to anyone other than those from Pingla. Cindy is the first.
Cynthia Florine snorted, “I really like Cindy Clarke’s personality. She confronts things head-on, without any behind-the-scenes scheming.”
At this time, a staff member came in to announce that the contestants could leave.
“By the way, what’s the topic for the next competition?” asked Larry Bennett.
During the previous competition, Wesley Gordon revealed the topic of this competition near the end.
But there was no such announcement today.
It is unknown whether he forgot because of Iris Doone’s situation.
The staff member explained: “The rules for each competition are different. For the next competition, the topic will not be revealed in advance. As for the system for the next competition, it will also be different from today’s competition. Please adjust your mentality and condition back home, and try to be in the best condition to face the unknown competition next time.”
They stared at each other, uneasy and nervous, even though there was still a week before the next competition.
At least for this competition, they knew the topic in advance.
They had time to think carefully about what kind of cuisine to prepare and plan accordingly.
But for the next competition, they don’t even have a direction.
They can’t just blindly guess!
They have no direction for preparation, nor can they prepare blindly.
This staff member is still asking them to adjust their condition.
But how to adjust when everything is unknown and the more they think about it, the more nervous they become?
With such anxiety, they prepared to leave.
“Cindy, want to walk together?” Yellen Brooks asked, turning her head.
Cindy shook her head with a smile: “I have a friend waiting for me. I’m going in another direction.”
Cindy has always said this.
If it were before, everyone would have thought that Cindy was being cold and aloof, and merely making excuses not to walk with them.
But now, no one would think so anymore.
Yellen Brooks nodded with a smile: “Okay, then we’ll go first.”
Everyone didn’t feel too bad about it, so they left one after another.
Iris Doone did not expect such a large difference in their attitudes before and after!
“Let’s go.” Blake Walker said to Iris Doone.
“You go ahead,” Iris Doone whispered softly, without letting others hear, “I want to follow Cindy and see what’s going on. She always leaves mysteriously like this, refusing to walk with others. There must be something she’s hiding.”
Iris Doone suspected that Cindy might be going to find Adrian Zhekova.
During the previous competition, she had her suspicions and told Cindy so.
Cindy had not denied it.
This time, she wanted to see it for herself.
To see how Cindy would continue to deny!
Blake Walker didn’t know Iris Doone’s thoughts, so he didn’t think too much.
Nodding, he said: “Alright, I’ll go first.”
Just now he realized his oversight, fearing that he would be implicated in Iris Doone’s troubles, so at this moment, hearing her say this, he didn’t want to follow her.
Otherwise, if it were before, Blake Walker would have been worried about Iris Doone being “bullied” and would have insisted on following her to protect her.
Iris Doone didn’t know that Blake Walker agreed so readily because of this, and she was now wholeheartedly focused on following Cindy, so she didn’t pay attention to anything else.
Otherwise, she would have been furious.
Blake Walker quickly disappeared into the crowd and left.
The bad name Iris Doone had now tarnished her reputation.
Being close to her in private didn’t matter.
But now that Iris Doone has been eliminated, and he still has to continue to participate in the competition here.
He hadn’t felt it before, but just now in the backstage, he clearly saw the distance between Iris Doone and everyone else.
If others saw him being too close to Iris Doone,
What if they start pushing him away too?
He still has to continue competing and can’t be isolated by others.
Here, Blake Walker and the others left together.
Cindy then went in another direction.
Iris Doone’s gaze shifted, and she quietly followed behind Cindy.
As she walked, Cindy spotted little Morgan driving his toy car from afar.
This morning when they went to the family mansion, Morgan had Adrian Zhekova bring his toy car with him.
He said he wanted to play at the mansion.
However, after they arrived, Morgan was always considerately accompanying the elderly, and although he brought the car, he didn’t get to play with it.
Unexpectedly, the little guy brought the car here.
It must have been the elderly who put the car in the trunk for him.
Now the elderly really spoiled the little guy too much.
As long as the little guy had a request, they would grant it.
When she got a little closer, she heard the little guy singing, “Driving my dear little car, I’ll never get stuck in a traffic jam–”
Cindy:
This little guy was really up to date with the Internet trends.
He was truly a Wifi+4G child!
“Cindy!” Little Morgan drove in a circle and turned to face Cindy, calling out cheerfully.
Today, Cindy was really in the spotlight!
But the next moment, he saw Iris Doone following behind Cindy.
Morgan’s smile immediately disappeared, and he drove the toy car straight towards Cindy.
Cindy was startled.
“Morgan!” The elderly saw him, and quickly called out to him.
Adrian Zhekova had just gone to answer a phone call.
When he came back and heard the elderly’s voice, he hurried over to take a look.
He had just put on a serious face when he noticed Iris Doone behind Cindy.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Morgan seemed to be driving towards Cindy, but in reality, he was actually targeting Iris Doone.
This little guy knew his bounds and naturally wouldn’t do anything to hurt Cindy.
As for Iris Doone, even if the little guy hit her with his toy car, it wouldn’t do any real harm.
Moreover, if anything did happen, Adrian would cover for him.
However, he couldn’t let Morgan develop a reckless personality from childhood.
Being able to drive a toy car to hit people as a child may mean that he could drive a luxury car to hit people when he grows up.
Therefore, Adrian Zhekova did not intend to encourage Morgan’s bad habits.
However, he wanted to see what Morgan would do in the end.
Even though he usually complained about the little guy,
Adrian Zhekova had confidence in him deep down.
The little guy had grown up in a special environment and was more mature and sensible than many children his age.
He knew what to do and what not to do with many things,
And he knew his limits.
For a child this young to suddenly find himself with so much power,
Chapter 509: Overturning (2 chapters combined into one)
Even if he causes trouble, there will be someone to take the fall for him.
No matter how big the trouble is, it doesn’t matter.
You can act arrogant, bully others recklessly, and they probably won’t dare to speak up but just endure.
Children are too young and lack the ability to restrain and control themselves.
Even seriously bad actions seem like a joke to them, they hurt others and just laugh it off.
If a child doesn’t have a strong sense of what’s right and what’s wrong, they might let themselves off the leash.
But our little guy is still considerate and adorable.
Besides having more relatives to act cute in front of, his life remains basically unchanged.
That’s why Adrian Zhekova believed that Morgan could regulate his own behavior and wouldn’t harm others.
Furthermore, he thought.
If Morgan didn’t intend to harm Iris Doone.
If he stopped him rashly, it would be a demonstration of his lack of trust in Morgan.
Morgan is actually quite a sensitive child. He would pick up on this lack of trust.
This distrust would also constitute harm to Morgan.
Without realizing it, Adrian Zhekova had already stepped into the role of a capable father, contemplating how to educate his child.
In just a short time he had made up his mind.
Regardless.
He believed in Morgan’s ability to behave himself.
In the off chance.
Even if, by some off chance, Morgan gets carried away and runs into Iris Doone.
He can use this opportunity to educate Morgan properly.
To let him know fear, to let him know that bad actions have consequences.
To leave a deep impression on Morgan so that he will be scared to do such things in the future.
So, when the Old Master wanted to get the driver to stop Morgan.
Adrian Zhekova stopped the driver and the Old Master and said quietly, “Morgan knows his limits.”
The Old Master was afraid that Morgan would run into Cindy Clarke.
But seeing that Adrian Zhekova didn’t look worried at all, he didn’t say anything more.
Though he did secretly grumble that Adrian Zhekova was one of those scumbag men.
Wasn’t he alarmed at all that Morgan might run into Cindy?
But then he took another look and saw that Morgan had already driven around Cindy.
Morgan circled around and stopped behind Cindy.
That graceful and handsome maneuver was like drifting.
Morgan thought his stop was spot-on; he tilted his head back, chin held high.
At the same time, he lifted his small chubby hand and brushed his hair.
Cindy Clarke:
Adrian Zhekova:
The elders:
What kind of cartoon has this little guy been watching? Who on earth taught him this?
Morgan’s stop was just right in blocking Iris Doone.
Iris Doone stopped embarrassingly, thinking about how she was almost hit by Morgan, she was still in a daze.
She was fuming inside.
If it weren’t for Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke being there, she would definitely have slapped this kid!
How could he be so annoying!
At this time, Morgan got out of the car and shouted at Adrian Zhekova: “Dad, this housekeeper has been sneaking around behind Cindy.”
Right in front of Iris Doone, Morgan didn’t hide calling Adrian Zhekova dad.
Plus, neither the elders in the Zhekova Family nor Adrian Zhekova have ever asked Morgan to be discreet.
Morgan is actually the cherished little prince of the Zhekova Family, not someone who hides from the public.
The Zhekova Family had no intention of hiding his identity, of hiding him.
Nor did they intend to ask Morgan to be discreet.
No matter to whom, no matter where, they let Morgan say it openly.
Never conceal anything.
Making Morgan have no need for concern.
The elders of the Zhekova Family didn’t need to explicitly speak to Morgan.
What they did was let Morgan understand by their actions.
The Old Madam had once taken Morgan around to greet the neighbors, specifically introducing him: “This is my great-grandson, Morgan.”
Victoria Wheeler had taken Morgan to an afternoon tea party with her friends, introducing him openly: “This is my grandson, Morgan.”
Not to mention, Adrian Zhekova had specifically taken Cindy Clarke and Morgan to a gathering with his friends.
The Old Madam and Victoria Wheeler took Morgan out to buy toys, shop in the mall, buy clothes, and it was inevitable that they would encounter acquaintances.
Even if they were not acquaintances, because they had seen them and knew them.
Given the standing of the Old Madam and Victoria Wheeler.
It was a rare opportunity to have met them., those who didn’t even know them well wanted to greet them and leave their own names.
At such times, the Old Madam and Victoria Wheeler didn’t hide anything.
They didn’t even wait for the others to cast their questioning eyes towards Morgan.
Both of them would introduce Morgan beforehand.
Regardless of whether they were going out with Morgan together or separately, they would always do this cooperatively.
It was under such subtle influence and without the elders making it clear, that Morgan didn’t feel he had anything to hide.
How he addressed people at home, he addressed them the same way outside.
Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, Grandfather, Grandmother, Father.
He called them as he should.
At this point, he called them out loud and clear.
Including Cindy Clarke, nobody in the Zhekova Family felt awkward.
Especially Cindy Clarke, who was already used to it and had been successfully brainwashed by the Zhekova Family.
Even in front of Iris Doone, Cindy Clarke showed no sign of panic.
On the other hand, it was Iris Doone who was really scared.
She looked in shock at Morgan, then at Cindy Clarke, and then at Adrian Zhekova.
What was going on!
The Old Masters in the Zhekova Family breathed a sigh of relief.
It turned out that Morgan had done this to stop Iris Doone.
He gave them quite a scare.
“Cindy Clarke, you….Iris Doone was stunned.
“Cindy, she’s been following you all this time,” said Morgan as he trotted over to her.
At this point, Adrian Zhekova also walked over, took Morgan’s hand off Cindy’s leg, and scooped him up.
“You naughty boy,” said Adrian Zhekova.
“I didn’t mean to hit the housekeeper” Even before anyone asked, Morgan had already explained. “I just wanted to stop her. She was lurking behind Cindy in a secretive manner. That’s not good!”
“You did well not to hit her,” Adrian Zhekova praised him first, “But your sudden sharp turn and abrupt brakes are very dangerous, and could cause harm to yourself.”
“That’s right.” The two Old Masters hurried over, the Old Madam patting her chest,”What if you’d flipped the car? You would have scared Great Grandmother to death.”
Victoria Wheeler also joined Adrian Zhekova and, proudly said, “I would never do something so dangerous and make people who care about me worry.”
That sentence hit Morgan’s heart directly.
In the past, only Cindy Clarke and Peggy Lewis worried about him.
But now, he had so many more relatives who were concerned about him.
The thing Morgan hated to see the most was his family members worrying and being upset.
The little guy lowered his head in self-blame: “I’m sorry.”
“Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, I’m sorry,” Morgan’s voice was soft and full of remorse, “Grandfather, Grandmother, I’m sorry. Dad, Cindy, I’m sorry.”
“Alright, alright, don’t do such dangerous things anymore,” the Old Madam comforted him at once.
She really couldn’t bear to see Morgan in such a downcast state.
Chapter 510: Already Married (2 chapters combined into one)
Old Madam almost blurted out, “From now on, ask someone else to do this kind of thing,” which was quite thoughtless.
Fortunately, she didn’t say it.
Cindy ruffled the little one’s hair.
Why was he so well-behaved?
Also, once his soft spot was hit, the little one would be so tender and endearing.
It’s all because he didn’t want the people he cared about to worry that he would be like this.
Such a small child, yet so sensible.
Then, Cindy turned to Iris Doone: “What are you following me for?”
Cindy didn’t need Iris’s answer, she just gave her a mockingly raised eyebrow: “Do you want to make sure of my relationship with Adrian Zhekova?”
Iris’s eyes twitched, and the whole person was not feeling well.
During the last competition, Cindy was kind enough to cover it up a little.
Now, Cindy didn’t even bother with that.
Directly called Adrian so intimately.
And Adrian Zhekova, with a slight lift of his eyebrows and a gentle curve drawn on his face, even the corners of his lips hooked up along with it.
Previously, during the Competition, his expression was freezing when he went on stage.
But now, he could give people the feeling of summer warmth even in late autumn.
The difference between before and after is too big!
Iris admitted that she really wanted to find out about Cindy’s relationship with Adrian Zhekova.
She thought that Cindy and Adrian Zhekova were not in a relationship that could be seen in public.
She even imagined that even if she caught them on the spot, Cindy would not dare to admit it.
Iris had already prepared herself to force Cindy to admit it no matter what.
But who knew what the situation was now!
Cindy was so bold that she directly called Adrian!
And that kid, what did he call him?
Daddy?
Grandfather?
Grandmother?
Great Grandfather?
Great Grandmother?
If she remembers correctly, this should be Cindy’s child, right?
Could it be that she misunderstood?
Now, Iris had a headache full of question marks.
She didn’t even care about pretending to maintain the surface politeness and her gentle and weak image.
The shocking things in front of her left only the most intuitive reactions.
So, she asked very straightforwardly: “Cindy, this is your son, right?”
When she asked the question, Iris knew she regretted it, but it was too late.
The words couldn’t be taken back.
Cindy gave her a mocking look and said, “Of course.”
Morgan puffed up his little face.
Iris even doubted Cindy and his mother-son relationship.
“I’m obviously Cindy’s child!” The little one felt that Iris’s gaze was not very good, and she should go see a doctor.
He clearly looked so much like Cindy.
Iris still had doubts about it.
Without waiting for Iris to ask again, Adrian Zhekova had already held Morgan and stood between him and Cindy: “You heard Morgan call me Dad. I can now answer you very clearly, biological.”
Victoria Wheeler followed and stood up, her face full of vanity: “Morgan is our biological grandson, real.”
Fearing that Iris wouldn’t accept reality, Victoria Wheeler cupped Morgan’s face next to Adrian Zhekova: “Look, it’s like they were carved from the same mold.”
“I’m also Cindy’s biological child!” Morgan immediately added.
He cupped his own little face near Cindy: “Look, we’re so alike!”
Cindy was originally in a bad mood when she saw Iris, but hearing Morgan’s words, she couldn’t help but laugh.
All who have seen Morgan and Adrian Zhekova together share the same reaction: Morgan looks like he was molded from Adrian Zhekova.
Only some of the details and expressions in the eyes could reveal her shadow.
It’s just that Adrian Zhekova’s genes were too strong and completely dominated.
“You just want to know the relationship between Cindy and our family’s Adrian, right?” The Old Madam stepped forward, smiling kindly.
It was an expression that made the Zhekova Family feel warm and intimate.
But to Iris, it was chilling, hair standing on end.
Cindy found it strange that the Old Madam hadn’t called him “Adrian Zhekova” this time.
“Today, I’ll tell you clearly so that you don’t have to worry about it and follow us,” said Old Madam, “Cindy and Adrian were married a long time ago.”
Adrian Zhekova:
Cindy:
After a while, she became Mrs. Zhekova again?
“It’s just that our family is low-key and didn’t make a big fuss about it. I know you have a dark heart and would think that our family looks down on Cindy, is unwilling to admit it, and finds it embarrassing. But let me tell you, that’s not the case,” the Old Madam said, word by word, very clearly.
“Our family, like everyone else, invited friends and family to the wedding. Adrian isn’t a celebrity; getting married doesn’t require making announcements to the world.”
“You don’t know because you don’t have a connection with our family, which is as normal as it gets. Our family members don’t like to participate in those public events, so naturally, Cindy hasn’t been seen in public.”
“Whether she’s a food blogger or participating in the major competition, she hides her identity and doesn’t reveal herself as Mrs. Zhekova to ensure fairness in the competition. Even the judges don’t know the relationship between Cindy and Adrian.”
“Cindy is worried that once it’s made public, the judges will be under pressure. You see, at that time, Cindy wouldn’t want to win, but the major competition would just want her to win, making her win. What can be done then?”
Old Madam scoffed: “If I were you, I wouldn’t spread this around. Otherwise, everyone would know and give in to her, and that wouldn’t be good. Cindy would win the competition with ease and win the honor. Wouldn’t you be angry?”
“Besides, not everyone is like you, thinking it’s unfair. After all, Cindy is Mrs. Zhekova, the future mistress of the Zhekova Family,” said the Old Madam with a smile.
“The status of Adrian’s girlfriend might not have too many concerns. After all, there are many variables, and no one knows whether it’ll last. So, there are still people competing with Cindy. You’re one of them, and Zoe Silverstone is another, right?”
Iris didn’t expect that she and Zoe Silverstone had actually left a name in the Old Madam’s heart.
If this were a different way, it would certainly send people over the moon.
But in such a way, it only felt fear and regret.
There was not even a little joy left.
“But it’s different with Mrs. Zhekova, Cindy is our future mistress. Who would dare compete with her if they knew about it?”
“And I can guarantee that even if you tell everyone, they’ll understand but not one of them will dare to spread it,” said the Old Madam, still with her kind face and an exceptionally cordial smile, without a hint of sharpness.
Yet, in Iris’s eyes, it was so frightening.
Even occasionally, there was a shudder.
“Before, you sent Zoe Silverstone a lot of pictures of Adrian accompanying Cindy to the auditions, right?” said Victoria Wheeler.
Iris’s face turned pale with fright, and she looked at Victoria Wheeler with a haunted expression.
Victoria Wheeler was very unhappy then.