REBORN FOR REVENGE

Chapter 4 TREAT A WILDFLOWER LIKE A TREASURE

Emma's eyes turned cold.

In her past life, Mia had done the same thing, catching her off guard by asking for a gift. Back then, Emma had been flustered and speechless, which only deepened the old lady's dislike for her.

But this time, she was prepared.

With a bright smile, Emma stepped back from the old lady and turned to Mia. "I did bring something."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a transparent box containing a single white flower.

Emily immediately covered her mouth, giggling. "Sister, you only brought Grandma a wildflower?"

The guests exchanged disdainful glances. Despite her refined demeanor, this Second Miss still couldn't shake off her rustic roots! A wildflower, and she dared to present it as a gift!

Emily seized the moment to add fuel to the fire. "Sister, if you didn't bring a gift, you should've just said so. How could you give Grandma a wildflower as a token?"

The men among the guests who were interested in Emily chimed in as well.

"Yeah, Miss Emma, even if life in the countryside is tough, bringing a wildflower as a gift is just too much."

"Giving a wildflower as a gift, that's just laughable!"

The old lady's brow furrowed in displeasure, but she still said, "A wildflower is still a gesture, and I do like flowers."

Emma took this opportunity to explain, "Grandma, this isn't just a wildflower. It's a Nelumbo, a very rare medicinal plant that blooms only one day a year and grows only on cliff edges. It took me years to find one."

"Nelumbo?" The old lady took the box, examining it closely.

Just then, one of the men who had mocked Emma earlier spoke up again. "Nelumbo? You're lying! Passing off a wildflower as a rare medicinal plant, do you think we're fools?"

Hearing this, the old lady's eyes showed a hint of disappointment and annoyance. "Emma, even if it's a wildflower, I would still appreciate it. But you shouldn't lie. I despise liars the most!"

Emma frowned. "Grandma, I'm not lying. It really is a Nelumbo. I almost fell off a cliff trying to pick it..."

"Enough!" Mia clapped her hands on the table, secretly pleased. "Emma, stop lying. We have doctors in the family. Your lie will be exposed sooner or later. You might as well tell the truth. Is it really a Nelumbo?"

Emma's face darkened. "I am not lying!"

The old lady studied Emma's expression, feeling a twinge of doubt. She spoke up, "Call the family doctor!"

"Mom..." Mia whispered, "You can't seriously believe this girl's story. If this blows up, we'll all be embarrassed."

The old lady closed her eyes briefly. "I won't repeat myself." If Emma was lying, she would admit she had misjudged her. But if Emma wasn't lying... she was determined to protect this child in the future.

Soon, the family doctor arrived.

Before Mia or the elderly lady could ask anything, the doctor's eyes lit up with excitement. His hands trembled as he pointed at the box containing the flower in the old lady's hands, and exclaimed, "A white Nelumbo! In my lifetime, I never thought I'd see a real Nelumbo! My goodness, what luck!"

Everyone fell silent at his words. Especially Mia, Emily, and the guest who had mocked Emma; their faces turned pale. Who would have thought that a gift from a country girl could be more precious than a rare mountain flower? This single bloom was worth three houses in Inspireville!

Emily, refusing to believe it, asked again, "Doctor, are you sure? Could it just be a wildflower that looks like a Nelumbo?"

The family doctor frowned at this. "Miss Emily, I could forget my own name, but I would never be wrong about a Nelumbo. Owning one is every doctor's dream! Would I get my own dream wrong?"

This confirmed that Emma hadn't lied. Emily's legs wobbled, nearly collapsing in regret.

Mia, quick to react, stepped forward and took Emma's hand, apologizing with a face full of "sincerity." "I'm sorry, Emma. It was my mistake to doubt you."

Emma remained silent, her eyes fixed on the elderly lady. The old lady's face showed guilt. For a moment, she too had thought Emma was lying.

"I'm sorry," the elderly lady said. "I shouldn't have doubted you. I won't do it again."

"It's okay, Grandma. Nelumbo is so rare, it's normal not to recognize it. I won't take it to heart," Emma replied.

The elderly lady felt even more embarrassed and removed a bracelet from her wrist, placing it on Emma's. "You've given Grandma such a precious gift, and I have nothing to give you in return. Please take this bracelet, which was part of my dowry."

Emma knew the bracelet was priceless, made from rare blood jade. The fact that the elderly lady was willing to give it to her showed she had gained her approval. She had Mia's scheme to thank for this; if Mia hadn't, like in the previous life, intentionally made her bring a gift, the Nelumbo wouldn't have been revealed at this perfect moment.

"Thank you, Grandma," Emma said with a sweet smile, her eyes as innocent as a child's.

This was just the beginning...

Mia looked at the bracelet on Emma's wrist, feeling a surge of jealousy. She had wanted that bracelet for a long time, but never imagined the old lady would give it to Emma as a gift. However, Mia couldn't show her anger and instead put on a facade of generosity, stepping forward to ask with concern.

"It's getting chilly, why are you wearing so little?" Mia said, signaling a servant to bring over a snow fox fur coat and draping it over Emma. The luxurious coat made Emma's original outfit look even more plain.

Though the weather was cooling, it was just the start of autumn, hardly the time for such heavy clothing. Mia's actions were clearly intended to make Emma feel inadequate and embarrassed. In her previous life, Emma had naively believed that Mia genuinely cared for her. Emma glanced at the coat, and after a brief pause, she smiled.

"Thank you, Mom," she said, wearing the same grateful expression as before.

The guests around them immediately showed disdainful expressions, thinking Emma was still as unsophisticated as ever. But Emma seemed unfazed, treating the fur coat like a treasure, carefully stroking the snow fox fur with clumsy hands, looking almost comical.

Mia nearly burst out laughing. She had thought Emma was smarter, almost fooled by that Nelumbo. But a country bumpkin is a country bumpkin!

This was going to be easy. The guests here were notorious gossips, and soon, all the ladies of Inspireville would know just how out of place Emma was. Thinking this, Mia took a sip of tea, using the cup to hide her satisfied smile.

Just then—

"Ah!!" Emma suddenly screamed, quickly shrugging off the fur coat and tossing it to the ground!