Ning Anxia was furious, “Ning Yichu, are you crazy?!”
“Fifth Aunt, don’t rush. Let’s take it one step at a time. I still have two important guests ahead,” Ning Yichu interrupted, then turned to He Ying.
He Ying, with her aged and weathered eyes, glanced around the room and said, “Everyone, please excuse us for this family scandal. But since you’ve already seen it, I won’t hide it anymore.”
Previously, for the sake of the He family’s reputation and because she couldn’t let go of the many years of past affection, He Ying chose to only exile Qin Kai and his group to a remote residence, keeping the family scandal under wraps.
But now, also for the He family’s reputation, she couldn’t afford to be soft-hearted anymore. Otherwise, by the end of tonight’s banquet, everyone in the circle would know that the He family was easy to bully.
He Ying looked at the instigator, Qin Kai, and said, “The first thing, when I married you, we signed a prenuptial agreement. Although many years have passed, the agreement is still with the law firm. Tomorrow, I’ll have the lawyer bring it along with the divorce papers. According to the prenuptial agreement, we will divorce, and you will leave with nothing.”
She sighed, “It’s embarrassing to divorce at such an old age, but there’s no room for negotiation on this matter. You will never be allowed into the He family cemetery, or I will be ashamed of our ancestors.”
Qin Kai looked even older, his voice trembling, “You want me to leave with nothing at my age? Ah Ying, won’t you even leave me with money for my old age? I’ve contributed to the He family for so many years, and we have a biological daughter!”
“And a biological son you watched die without doing anything! If it weren’t for the lack of evidence due to the passage of time, and your age making you ineligible for prison, I would make you pay…” He Ying said in grief.
“For however many years you contributed to the He family, the He family gave you that many years of wealth and prosperity. And it was the He family that first gave you wealth and prosperity far beyond your capabilities, which you then repaid to the He family. The identity of the He family son-in-law, if you didn’t want it back then, there were plenty of people willing to take it. Don’t act like you made such a great contribution to the He family.”
“You deceived both sides to get into the He family back then, and now that you’re facing ruin in your old age, it’s your own fault. Don’t you have your biological son, He Dingbang, to rely on for your old age?”
He Dingbang, suddenly named, reacted in a panic. He couldn’t even support himself, let alone someone else.
Qin Kai, of course, knew He Dingbang’s useless nature and gritted his teeth, “Weian is my daughter! She has the obligation to support me!”
He Weian coldly looked at her disheveled father without saying a word.
He Ying sneered, “Yes, so after you leave with nothing, I plan to have Weian arrange a place for you to stay, so no one can say she isn’t fulfilling her duty of support—Weian, send your father abroad to the He family’s branch in North Africa, and arrange a bed for him in the security department.”
He Weian lowered her eyes, “Okay.”
Qin Kai’s eyes widened, “Okay what?! He Ying, you want me to go to a foreign country at my age to be a security guard! He Weian, look at me, I’m your biological father! Are you this filial? Aren’t you afraid of being criticized?”
He Weian softly said, “Dad, why do you still say such things? Everyone here knows what you’ve done. If I still favored you, that would be criticized. The He family isn’t that soft.”
Qin Kai wanted to struggle, but He Dingbang, who was slumped on the ground, suddenly crawled a few steps towards He Weian, “Weian… I’m your big brother, Weian. I’ve been unreliable these years, causing a lot of trouble for the family, but I’m still your big brother. I protected you when you were little. Dad made mistakes, but I was just a child who couldn’t even speak back then. Weian, have some pity on your big brother…”
He Weian looked at Zhou Xuan, who was the closest sister to He Dingbang by blood.
Zhou Xuan looked at He Dingbang on the ground with disdain and said, “Before coming here, my mom and I still had some hope for you, thinking that since you’re family, maybe you’d have some backbone after knowing Qin Kai’s true nature and would want to see my mom… But seeing you like this now, it’s better not to break her heart.”
He Dingbang glared at her, “Who wants to see your mom! I have nothing to do with you! My surname is He! I’m a son of the He family, my mom is He Ying, my sister is He Weian… Mom, Weian, let me stay in the remote residence, okay? I’ll be honest and well-behaved from now on, and won’t cause you any more trouble…”
He Weian shook her head, “It’s come to this, why make it so ugly? Big brother, your six children are watching you. When will you act like a responsible father and set an example for them?”
He Dingbang, over fifty years old, never learned the meaning of responsibility in his life.
In this regard, his children surpassed him, though they weren’t as flamboyant as He Dingbang… At least they didn’t have illegitimate children while playing outside.
In the current situation, He Dingbang’s six children had been quiet since earlier, seeing the state of their grandfather and father, and had no intention of stepping forward.
He Ying glanced at He Ruxue, He Rusong, and the other six, then looked at He Dingbang, “You… aside from your character and conduct over the years, regarding your background, the initial mistake wasn’t yours.”
Hearing this, He Dingbang thought there was room for negotiation and quickly called out, “Mom…”
“But,” He Ying shook her head, “you’ve enjoyed so many years of blessings that weren’t originally yours. Now that the truth is out, don’t think about continuing to hold onto things that don’t belong to you. You’re not my son, not a member of the He family.”
He Dingbang was in despair, “Mom!”
He Ying thought for a moment and said, “Fortunately, over the years, because of your unreliability and your early gambling, I didn’t dare give you any assets. Not even a car or house is in your name. Now that you’re leaving the He family, it saves the trouble of asset transfer.”
“The money spent on you before, the money you haven’t used up yet, I won’t be so heartless as to take it back. But from now on, you will have nothing to do with the He family. Neither I nor the He family trust fund will give you any more money…”
Hearing this, some guests reacted unusually.
“Wait, Mrs. He, He Dingbang still owes me over 300,000. Last time when we were fishing, he lost a bet to me and said he’d pay me back when the new month’s trust fund allowance came in… Although it’s not much, I feel like I won’t get it back.”
The person speaking was one of He Dingbang’s cronies, also an unaccomplished character in the family. Usually, because of the He family’s status, He Dingbang was the one being flattered in his circle of cronies and had never been publicly chased for debt like this.
After the “debt collection” remark, the speaker was slapped on the back by his own family member, “Shut up! At a time like this, you’re still thinking about that money? Do you have no sense of propriety? Does the family lack your money?… Mrs. He, don’t mind him. This guy is also a family disgrace. Just pretend he didn’t say anything. Please continue, continue, haha.”
He Ying’s face turned even darker. She didn’t know that He Dingbang was still gambling and owing money outside. She had never been chased for debt in her life, let alone for such a trivial amount as over 300,000.
“Although it’s money lost in a bet, He Dingbang bet on the He family’s reputation at the time,” He Weian spoke up, “so it should be cleared. Since there’s still debt, big brother, later you should take out all the money you have, and for the remaining shortfall, considering past affection, the He family will help you make up for it. From now on, you leave the He family, and the debt is settled.”
He Dingbang mumbled, “I don’t have any cash left…”
He Weian didn’t answer him, instead turning to the crowd, “Everyone, if before today, He Dingbang owed any debts under the name of the He family’s eldest son, please bring proof to the He family within three days to settle it. After that, we won’t be responsible. Also, those expelled from the He family today will have no further connection with the He family. If they do anything under the He family’s name, please don’t believe them. We won’t be responsible for it.”
He Dingbang argued, “Weian, don’t make it sound like I owe a lot of money outside. It’s just that over 300,000, nothing more…”
He Weian calmly looked at him, “If that’s all, then that’s best.”
Qin Kai either didn’t want support or would be sent to North Africa, and He Dingbang would also be expelled from the He family. Their fates were decided… He Ruxue pursed her lips and finally spoke, asking He Ying and He Weian, “Grandmother, Aunt, what about the six of us siblings…”
He Ying looked at this granddaughter she loved dearly, sighed, and was about to speak when the sound of urgent brakes came from outside the door—not far away. It was the third “important guest” invited by Ning Yichu, finally arriving at the banquet from the main entrance.
The driver’s side door opened, and a young woman got out, walking purposefully towards the banquet hall entrance. With her footsteps came a loud shout, “Excuse me, I’m looking for Ning Anxia! Why are you all gathered at the door?”
Ning Yichu smiled and pointed, “Hello, Miss Lu Yuanshu, I’m Ning Yichu, the one who contacted you. Also, my Fifth Aunt is over there.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Lu Yuanshu walked aggressively towards Ning Anxia’s direction. Ning Anxia avoided her gaze, then noticed from the corner of her eye that Lu Yuanshu suddenly stopped a few steps later and shouted, “Sister?”
On the Ning family’s side, Ning Laoyezi’s current wife, Lu Xi, was also shocked, “…Yuanshu? What’s going on… how come…”
The guests were taken aback, and someone pointed out the key point, “So Miss Ning Five deceived feelings and ended up with her new stepmother’s sister?”
“Wow, does the Ning family have some weird buff… Wasn’t there a rumor a few days ago that Ning Zong had an affair with his stepmother before…”
“It seems that when Ning Zong had the affair, she wasn’t a stepmother yet, just Ning Laoyezi’s lover, who later rose to the position. But the illegitimate child who rose with her is actually Ning Zong’s son…”
“Weren’t the mother and son kicked out of the Ning family?”
“Yeah, Ning Laoyezi was much more ruthless than Mrs. He.”
“This is really… no wonder they’re in-laws, not a family without a door, it’s really lively.”
“The He family’s matter isn’t finished yet. I want to hear both sides of the gossip, it’s killing me.”
“This new little Ning Zong from the He family is really generous, inviting everyone to watch the drama…”
“Little Ning Zong” Ning Yichu’s smile remained unchanged, listening to Lu Yuanshu and Lu Xi recognize each other, then spoke, “Sorry, the He family still has unfinished business, just the final wrap-up. Miss Lu, would you mind waiting a bit longer? Anyway, my Fifth Aunt is right here, she can’t escape this time.”
Lu Yuanshu was also a bit confused, not expecting to see Lu Xi here, so she nodded subconsciously, not in a hurry to trouble Ning Anxia.
She stood by the door, not walking towards the Ning family.
He Ying and He Weian had complex feelings about this unexpected guest targeting the Ning family, but their own affairs were still a mess, and they really didn’t have the energy to deal with others’ matters first.
He Ying said to the six He Ruxue siblings still awaiting “judgment,” “Ruxue… I’ll talk to you later. Let’s talk about Rusong and the other five first… Like your father, although the mistake isn’t yours, you can’t be part of the He family anymore. Leave the He family, and from now on, rely on your own abilities.”
At this point, having heard the outcomes for their grandfather and father earlier, He Rusong, He Rulin, He Ruyue, He Rufeng, and He Ruzhu were mentally prepared for this “judgment” and didn’t cry and beg like their father, He Dingbang.
But regardless of their expressions, their hearts were tense—they all had assets obtained as members of the He family. What would their grandmother decide? It shouldn’t be as bad as being left with nothing like their grandfather, probably like their father, where what’s already given is left, but there won’t be more in the future…
Sure enough, He Ying continued, “As for the assets in your hands… after so many years as grandchildren, the root cause of the mistake isn’t yours, and I’m not that heartless. Besides, you’re different from your father. Although you had the He family as a starting point and borrowed the He family’s influence in the past, your current careers are also due to your own efforts.”
“So, the assets already in your name, even if they initially belonged to the He family, I won’t have lawyers try to take them back. But those still under the He family’s ownership, I’ll have lawyers contact you, and they must be returned to the He family.”
The situation wasn’t as bad as being left with nothing, but it was worse than the five had expected, as they still had to return some assets.
As for the part not returned… the five felt that besides their grandmother not being so heartless, she also didn’t want to create more trouble.
After all, if it came to leaving them with nothing, they certainly wouldn’t rely on family affection and unconditionally cooperate in handing over assets. It would be a messy account, and entangling it would make the He family a laughingstock.
But in any case, their grandmother was willing to let them go, not to the point of preferring more trouble to force them to be penniless. He Rusong and the others were relieved.
Only He Ruzhu, who had just come of age this year, couldn’t accept it, “But I didn’t have any assets to begin with. I… I was supposed to go abroad to study next month. I’ve only received a few months of the trust fund myself. Grandmother… won’t you even cover my tuition?”
He Ying sighed, “You’re no longer part of the He family. What does that mean, Ruzhu, don’t you understand?”
Ning Yichu smiled and interjected, “Seventh brother, don’t you have a few biological brothers and sisters? They’re not going to be out of money right away. Ask them. Surely leaving the He family doesn’t mean your family ties are gone too?”
Among the guests, someone commented, “With the well-known poor grades of the He family’s seventh, he’s still thinking about studying, quite interesting.”
He Ruzhu glared at Ning Yichu, then turned to glare at the guests, but there were too many targets, and his eyes couldn’t keep up, so he could only hang his head in frustration.
Then He Ruzhu suddenly looked up and asked, “What about big sister? Grandmother, I’ve known since I was little that you’re biased, but are you still going to be biased now? Isn’t big sister also one of dad’s children like us? Do you think keeping us in the He family will embarrass you, but big sister won’t?”
He Ruxue frowned, “Ruzhu, how can you say that…”
He Ruzhu snorted, “I’m just saying it directly. Big sister, do you want to ask second brother and the others, who hasn’t felt unbalanced?”
He Ruzhu, being much younger than his siblings, actually had the least resentment.
Second brother He Rusong, only a year younger than He Ruxue, and the others, each a year apart, had a more vivid memory of the disparity in treatment due to their close ages.
At this point, He Rusong also said, “I remember when big sister came of age, she received shares in the He family, so I thought I’d get some the next year, maybe less, since there are so many He family children, and it’s impossible to give each one five percent, but I didn’t expect that when I came of age the next year, grandmother didn’t say anything, not even one percent…”
He Rufeng added, “Yes, later we all accepted the reality that except for the eldest child, no other children would get shares. But then, after me, Shixia came of age and also got shares, a full eight percent, and grandmother, to show fairness, added three percent to big sister… Big sister and Shixia were fair, but what about the rest of us?”
He Ruyue sighed, “Forget it, there’s no point in talking about this now. We’re not part of the He family anymore, being kicked out, so what’s the point of talking about fairness or unfairness? We don’t have the right.”
With their words, the guests began to gossip about Mrs. He’s favoritism, and He Ruxue, hearing some of it, felt a bit panicked.
After all, her father was He Dingbang, and her grandmother hadn’t immediately said what her decision was for her, fearing she was more shaken than before. Now, with her siblings speaking so harshly, what if her grandmother, in a moment of resolve, decided to be “fair” and kicked her out of the He family too?
She had shares in the He family, but when those shares were given to her, it was clearly stated in black and white that they were for the He family bloodline…
Last week, after He Dingbang’s background was exposed, He Ruxue had remained calm on the surface but had privately consulted a lawyer unrelated to the He family. She learned that in such a situation, the gift of shares could be revoked on the grounds of “significant misunderstanding.”
Such a huge asset, such a clear-cut significant misunderstanding, the court would likely support the revocation.
Not just the shares, but all the assets the He family had given to their grandchildren in the past could be reclaimed if they were serious about it. The He family wasn’t afraid of the hassle, as they could delegate it entirely to lawyers, but it was just a bit of a headache to think about.
So, He Ruxue knew that if her grandmother decided to reclaim the shares on the grounds that she wasn’t a He family bloodline, she wouldn’t have the ability to fight the He family, and there wouldn’t be much room in court.
“Grandmother…” He Ruxue choked up, softly saying, “Rusong and the others are right. I’ve always enjoyed too much of your favoritism, which is unfair to them. And with things like this, I really don’t have the face to stay in the He family or by your side… You should kick me out too.”
He Ying looked at He Ruxue with grief.
He Ruxue hung her head, as if unable to bear looking at her, “I… I shamelessly ask you to let me keep my gallery, can I? I’ll return everything else to you, including the eight percent of He family shares you gave me. Since I’m not a He family member anymore, I don’t have the right to hold those shares…”
“Only that gallery, I’ve invested so much effort into it. I still remember you accompanying me to cut the ribbon for the gallery, and just a few days ago, you went with me to see the gallery’s event and praised my management… Please let me keep the gallery, grandmother…”
By the end, He Ruxue was in tears.
He Ying couldn’t help but choke up, raising her aged hand to touch He Ruxue’s face.
She said, “Silly child, who said I was going to kick you out? What I gave you is yours, there’s no reason to take it back… So what if I’m biased?”
He Ying said, looking at the others, “I still have a say in the He family. As long as I’m willing, I can say who is a He family member. She, He Ruxue, will still be a He family member, still my He family descendant!”
He Ruxue collapsed into He Ying’s arms, sobbing, “Grandmother, grandmother…”
Since the old lady said so, He Weian also said, “Ruxue stays, as for the others, pack your things tonight and leave tomorrow morning. The matters related to assets will be handled by lawyers who will contact you separately.”
He Rusong and the others forced a smile, not surprised by this outcome.
Then He Weian looked at Zhou Xuan and Gao Hui, mother and daughter, and said, “What we owe you isn’t the He family…”
Seeing that Qin Kai would be left with nothing in his old age, Zhou Xuan was quite excited, “Don’t worry! We’re reasonable people. My daughter just said, we came not for anything else, just to see Qin Kai’s downfall. Now I can give my mom an explanation, and that’s enough. You don’t have to worry, we won’t come to disturb your family again. We’ll live our own lives. We’re all getting old, and if it weren’t for the fact that we couldn’t get over it, who would want to go through all this trouble?”
Gao Hui added, “Before coming, I confirmed with Yichu that there would be a result tonight, so my mom and I bought return tickets in advance. We’ll leave later.”
He Weian nodded, “If you don’t mind, let our family’s car give you a ride. It’s not easy to get a taxi from here. I didn’t mean anything by what I said earlier. We’re all reasonable people. Although it was a bad relationship, we still have some connection. If you need the He family’s help in the future, feel free to come. The He family will help if we can.”
Zhou Xuan waved her hand, “No need, there won’t be. Alright, Huihui, let’s go.”
Gao Hui looked at Ning Yichu, “Then we’ll be leaving.”
Ning Yichu smiled at them, “Thank you for making the trip, Aunt Zhou and Sister Gao Hui. But at least you’ve resolved a matter of the heart, so congratulations to you. It’s indeed hard to get a taxi from here, so let the He family’s car take you. I still have things to handle here, so I won’t see you off. Take care.”
Gao Hui nodded, “Alright, nothing more to say, goodbye.”
Gao Hui supported Zhou Xuan’s arm, and the mother and daughter left the banquet hall without looking at Qin Kai and He Dingbang again.
Butler Li received instructions and went out to arrange the car.
Meanwhile, Qin Kai, He Dingbang, and He Dingbang’s five children were immediately “invited” back to the remote residence by the servants.
He Rusong and the others accepted reality and walked out on their own, not wanting to continue entangling and losing face at this point. He Dingbang, sitting on the ground, didn’t move and was directly carried out by two servants. As for Qin Kai, being older, the servants didn’t dare to be too forceful, making it a bit difficult to escort him out.
But finally, with this matter cleared up, the He family members breathed a sigh of relief.
The guests, having enjoyed this drama, eagerly turned their attention to the third important guest invited by Ning Yichu—Lu Yuanshu, who was still standing at the door.
He Weian sighed and said to He Ruxue, who had just stopped crying, “Ruxue, accompany your grandmother back to her room. With this sudden change, you all need to calm down and rest.”
He Ruxue nodded, choking back tears.
He Ying took one last look at Ning Yichu, who had stirred up tonight’s events, and He Shixia, who stood silently beside Ning Yichu but clearly supported him… She patted He Weian’s arm and then was helped away by He Ruxue.
Once the grandmother and granddaughter left the hall, a guest couldn’t hold back, “The Lu sisters, quite a fate, huh?”
And so, everyone’s attention naturally shifted to the next “drama.”
Ning Anxia, the fifth of the Ning family, and Gu Changke from the Gu family were originally engaged for an arranged marriage, purely for benefits without feelings. So if this kind of thing were discovered privately, it wouldn’t be something worth a big reaction.
Playing with feelings outside is actually not uncommon in this circle, unless there are other factors, it’s so common that people don’t even have much interest in gossiping about it over meals.
But no matter what, having an engagement and still playing outside is not something to be proud of, unless one is truly shameless and doesn’t mind being publicly scrutinized. And while people in the circle aren’t very interested in this kind of gossip, if there’s a live show to watch, especially with so many people watching together, it’s still very exciting.
Moreover, this is clearly a “special gossip with additional factors,” so naturally, everyone is more interested.
“What kind of fate!” Gu Changke felt a green hat on his head and couldn’t help but squeeze over to the Ning family, questioning Ning Anxia, “What are you doing? Still standing there silently, hurry up and deal with it!”
Ning Anxia was annoyed with him, “Shut up! Ning Yichu, how did you know about Lu Yuanshu’s existence, and… Yuanshu, what did you just call Lu Xi?”
The Ning family didn’t want to move forward, and the guests, for the convenience of gossip, spontaneously adjusted their positions, cutting the Ning family into the visual center and even making a path for Lu Yuanshu to walk over.
Because the Ning family was gathered in a corner, the position where Ning Yichu was standing happened to be able to see the Ning family directly without having to walk over.
Lu Yuanshu was originally aggressive, but seeing Lu Xi here, her attitude hesitated.
She approached the Ning family, not answering Ning Anxia, but first asking Lu Xi, “Sister, why are you here too?”
Lu Xi also wanted to ask this question, “I… didn’t I get married? I came with my partner’s family. But you, how come you’re with Ning Anxia… weren’t you abroad? How did you come back…”
At this point, a guest noticed the issue, “It sounds like the sister doesn’t even know who her sister married?”
“Wait, the car the sister drove over isn’t cheap, and she can be abroad, doesn’t seem like the family lacks money, so why did Lu Xi marry Ning Laoyezi and have a child?”
“Did Lu Xi give money to the family after marriage?”
“The sister suddenly having so much money, the family would definitely investigate if they cared a bit, right? And it sounds like the sister knew the sister got married, just didn’t know the specifics…”
Hearing the keywords from the crowd, Lu Yuanshu looked at Lu Xi in shock, “Sister, what Ning Laoyezi? You have a child? Why didn’t you mention it?”
Lu Xi seemed a bit embarrassed.
Her reaction was quite surprising to the Ning family, as ever since marrying Ning Laoyezi, Lu Xi had been particularly open, as if marrying an old man fifty or sixty years older wasn’t shameful, and she had never been embarrassed.
“Lucy, what’s going on, is this Miss Lu your biological sister?” Ning Laoyezi’s second daughter, Ning Anchun, asked.
Lu Xi wasn’t very old, only twenty-eight this year, and most of Ning Laoyezi’s children were older than her. The eldest, Ning Shaoren, was already sixty, and the second, Ning Anchun, was fifty-seven, more than double Lu Xi’s age, making the address awkward. They couldn’t really call her “stepmother” seriously, so the Ning family called Lu Xi by her self-proclaimed English name, Lucy.
At this point, Lu Xi had no choice but to introduce, “Not a full sister, but a cousin…”
Ning Laoyezi’s sixth daughter, Ning Anqiu, interjected sarcastically, “Looking at your cousin’s outfit, it’s not cheap. Lucy, you used our Ning family’s money to raise your cousin well. But spending our Ning family’s money, why didn’t anyone come to visit before? A bit lacking in manners, isn’t it? Or do you also think marrying my dad is shameful?”
Lu Yuanshu frowned, “What Ning family’s money? Who spent your family’s money? Our Lu family, although not well-established in the country, is a reputable family in Sheffield, not to the point of not being able to support me and my sister… Although uncle and aunt passed away early, the family never lacked for my sister’s expenses.”
Hearing this, the Ning family and the surrounding guests were even more puzzled.
“Then why did Lu Xi marry Ning Laoyezi?”
“Uh… could it be true love?”
“…Haha.”
“The Lu family in Sheffield… does anyone know?”
“Over in the UK…”
Lu Yuanshu looked at Lu Xi, “Sister, what’s going on? Six years ago, you returned to the country and refused to return to Sheffield. Four years ago, you suddenly said you were married in the country and wouldn’t return to Sheffield, not even telling us which city you were in or the situation of your marriage partner. You didn’t even mention having a child. You stopped using the card the family gave you. We thought you had issues with the family, but you always answered our calls, not like you were planning to cut ties with the family… I didn’t expect to see you here, I’m really surprised.”
Lu Xi’s eyes flickered, “I…”
She hesitated for a few seconds, then, as if giving up, said, “You heard it, my marriage partner is an old man, eighty years old this year. I gave him a son, who’s four years old now. How could I have the face to tell the family?”
Lu Yuanshu found it hard to understand, “Sister, why did you choose such a marriage partner? Even if his family is wealthy, our family never let you lack money. Even if you felt embarrassed to ask the family for money, wouldn’t it be better to ask the family than to ask someone else?”
Lu Xi bit her lip, “I didn’t do it for money, not at first. Otherwise, as you said, if I sacrificed so much to be with an old man, I might as well have asked uncle and aunt directly… Of course, it wasn’t true love either. I don’t have such poor taste.”
Ning Laoyezi’s eldest son, Ning Shaoren, who was Ning Yichu’s adoptive father, asked, “Then why did you approach my dad? Can you just say it straight?”
Lu Xi rolled her eyes at him, “Oh, now you’re concerned about your dad. During the thirty years you were with your previous stepmother, deceiving your dad and having him raise your illegitimate child, why didn’t you think more about your dad?”
Ning Shaoren’s face darkened.
The guests whispered, many holding back laughter.
“Ellis…” Lu Xi called Lu Yuanshu by her English name, finally deciding to tell the truth, “I did it for one of Ning Laoyezi’s collections.”
Ning Laoyezi’s seventh daughter, Ning Andong, muttered, “Isn’t that still for money…”
“No, that collection is very special,” Lu Xi denied, “When my parents were alive, they weren’t good at business, so they caused a lot of trouble for uncle and aunt. They felt guilty and chose to sell the collection to make up for it, one of which was even their token of love…”
After selling the collection, Lu Xi’s parents died in a car accident, so Lu Xi always had an obsession with retrieving her parents’ token of love. Six years ago, she returned to the country because she heard that after being auctioned off, the collection ended up in Ning Laoyezi’s hands.
After returning to the country, Lu Xi approached Ning Laoyezi, honestly stating her purpose and expressing her willingness to buy back the collection at ten times the auction price, but Ning Laoyezi was furious.
Lu Xi said sarcastically, “At that time, I went through a lot to talk to him, and my attitude was quite enthusiastic, so he thought I was interested in his status and wanted to marry him. But it turned out I was just after the collection.”
Ning Laoyezi wasn’t new to young women pursuing him for wealth. His third wife, Yu Lianlian, was a young woman who approached him for wealth and prosperity, so he was used to it and couldn’t accept that he had misunderstood.
Moreover, Ning Laoyezi, being disrespectful in his old age, was genuinely interested in Lu Xi at the time.
So, Ning Laoyezi proposed that Lu Xi become his mistress.
Hearing this, the guests were in an uproar, and the Ning family felt even more embarrassed.
“My god, I knew the old man from the Ning family was indecent, but I didn’t expect him to do something like this. At his age, how could he threaten a young girl…” someone exclaimed.
Lu Yuanshu looked at Lu Xi, feeling heartbroken, “Sister…”
Lu Xi shrugged, “I was too impatient at the time, my mind was muddled, and I agreed. He said it would only be for three months, and after three months, he’d give me the collection. I thought it was just sleeping with him, no big deal…”
But Lu Xi didn’t expect, and perhaps neither did Ning Laoyezi, that as the three months were about to end, Lu Xi became pregnant.
Ning Laoyezi, although stubborn, wasn’t that confident in himself, and his first reaction was that Lu Xi had cheated on him during their time together and had been with someone else.
Lu Xi, of course, denied it, and Ning Laoyezi refused to fulfill his promise to give her the collection, demanding she give birth to the child. If the child was indeed his, he’d give her the collection.
“At the time, although I knew rationally I shouldn’t agree, I felt that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t get the collection, and the previous three months would have been for nothing… Later, he suddenly believed the child was his and said he’d divorce and let me rise to the position,” Lu Xi said sarcastically.
Having reached that point, Lu Xi felt that just taking the collection was too much of a loss. Since she was going to have the child anyway, she might as well marry Ning Laoyezi. When he died, she’d get more inheritance.
So, when Lu Xi said earlier that she initially approached Ning Laoyezi not for money, it was true. But a few years ago, being coerced by Ning Laoyezi into pregnancy and childbirth, she felt it was too much of a loss. Since continuing wouldn’t cost her more, she might as well wait a few more years for Ning Laoyezi to die.
The Ning family and other families in the circle always thought Lu Xi, like Yu Lianlian, willingly exchanged her youth for wealth and prosperity, not knowing there was this hidden story.
Having such a father, being watched by other guests, the Ning siblings felt deeply embarrassed, feeling that the Ning family’s reputation was completely ruined by the old man. Lu Xi now openly expressed her hope for Ning Laoyezi’s death, and the Ning family had no face to reprimand her publicly.
Lu Yuanshu, feeling guilty, hugged Lu Xi, “I’m sorry, sister, we cared too little about you, not knowing your long-standing obsession, letting you suffer so much…”
Lu Xi hugged her back briefly, “This is my own matter, I didn’t intend to involve you. When you go back, don’t tell uncle and aunt. As for me, it’s already come to this, and I won’t leave the Ning family until Ning Laoyezi dies. Alright, Yuanshu, what’s going on with you and Ning Anxia?”
Lu Yuanshu had come aggressively for Ning Anxia, but seeing Lu Xi, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, and learning about her situation over the past few years, she felt emotional and wasn’t as agitated about Ning Anxia’s matter.
She glanced at Ning Anxia, who was avoiding her gaze, and said, “I’ve been looking for her. She owes me an apology.”
“Five years ago, I came to the country for a vacation and to sketch, staying in a southern city for three months. I met Ning Anxia, who was also traveling. She said she fell in love with me at first sight and pursued me for over two months. Just when I agreed to her confession and was considering developing in the country, she told me she actually had a fiancé, didn’t like women, and approached me because she made a bet with friends, and they happened to see me.”
Ning Anxia remained silent.
Lu Yuanshu continued, “After she said that, she disappeared without even an apology. I didn’t have many connections in the country and had to return to London for school, so I left. Later, I intermittently returned to the country to look for her but couldn’t find her until a few days ago when I received a message from Ning Yichu, saying Ning Anxia was his aunt and he could arrange for me to meet her, so I bought a ticket and came back.”
“Ning Anxia, you owe me an apology,” Lu Yuanshu said again.
Usually quite talkative, Ning Anxia remained silent, making the Ning family anxious.
Ning Anchun thought, it sounds like Lu Yuanshu just wants an apology, and once Ning Anxia apologizes, she probably won’t pursue it further. She’s a dignified person… So, of course, Ning Anxia should apologize quickly to avoid further embarrassment for the family.
Just as Ning Anchun was about to remind Ning Anxia, Ning Yichu, not far away, smiled and interjected, “Miss Lu, my Fifth Aunt deliberately didn’t apologize to you because she hopes to make you remember her this way. Even if it’s resentment, it’s a way to be remembered…”
“Although she has a fiancé and initially intended to deceive you for fun, she eventually genuinely fell in love with you and has been thinking about you all these years.”
Author’s Note: Four updates~ Today’s updates are complete, thank you for your support [Let me take a look]
Tomorrow’s update will still be at five minutes past midnight, and in a few days, I’ll return to the previous fixed update time o3o