[Marriage Alliance Failed! Lou Shao Cancels Engagement]
[Shocking Upheaval! Lou Shao Breaks Off on the Eve of Engagement]
A string of trending headlines, each stamped with a deep crimson “Hot” tag. The content was almost predictable.
Sang Wan unlocked her phone and tapped in. The cover photo showed a lavish yet eerily empty banquet hall.
The Imperial Capital Grand Hotel had been fully reserved; its three floors of underground parking resembled a world-class luxury car exhibition, packed to the brim. Yet all the guests were blocked at the first-floor lobby. The scene was utter chaos.
Today was the engagement ceremony of Lou Ye and the sixth young lady of the Shao family from Hong Kong. One was the crown prince of Beijing’s elite circle; the other, the granddaughter of the gambling king. Ever since news broke half a year ago that the Lou and Shao families would form a marriage alliance, this “engagement of the century” had been ablaze with attention.
Reports from the venue surfaced on trending lists every few days. Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine champagne roses flown in from Paris. An engagement gown crafted by a top Milanese designer. And a proposal ring set with a 19.99-carat “pigeon’s egg” diamond.
Everything was prepared. All that remained was today.
No one had expected it—without the slightest warning, the engagement banquet was canceled. Even the media seemed caught off guard. Their live shots came from every sharp angle imaginable, yet all conveyed the same shock and disbelief.
In the presidential suite atop the Imperial Capital Grand Hotel, the air was heavy. The bedroom door was shut, no sound escaping from within. Only in the living room did three men—old, middle-aged, and young—stand locked in stalemate.
On the single sofa lounged Lou Ye, the youngest of them, his posture the most careless. Yet at a glance, he was the one who drew the eye, the aura around him impossible to ignore.
At the head of the sofa sat the Lou patriarch, clad in a brown Tang jacket, glaring at Lou Ye with anger. “Marriage is no trifling matter! You agreed to this match yourself. If you were unwilling, you could have spoken earlier—there might still have been room to maneuver. But now, after making such a scene, how can you face the Shao family, or their sixth young lady?”
Lou Ye rubbed at the bruise on his lip—the mark left when Shao Wanying’s elder brother, Shao Xingzhou, had lashed out in fury after Lou Ye announced the break-off.
What he had done was dishonorable. He admitted as much.
“Grandfather, I’ve already apologized to Uncle Shao. This was my fault. I’ll give up two percent of my Lou Group shares as compensation to Miss Shao, as my apology for breaking the engagement.”
“Also, the media can put all the blame on me. Say that I, Lou Ye, am stubborn, reckless, and unrepentant—that I’m unworthy of her.”
“Uncle Shao has agreed. So please, Grandfather, calm your anger.”
At those words, both the patriarch and Shao Xingzhou turned to him in astonishment.
The old man could not understand it. Just yesterday, everything had seemed fine. He had told Lou Ye: once engaged, treat Miss Shao well, let feelings grow, and in time the marriage could be arranged. At that time, the Lou Group—and all the Lou family’s industries in his hands—could be entrusted to him without worry.
Lou Ye had agreed. Yet overnight, without the slightest sign, he broke off the engagement—without even a word to his grandfather? And the key point: the Shao family actually agreed???
Shao Xingzhou was so stunned he nearly leaped to his feet. If not for his father, Shao Zheng’an, being just a few steps away in the bedroom behind him, he would have suspected Lou Ye was lying outright. How could his father possibly agree? In Hong Kong’s circles, everyone said: better to provoke the King of Hell than to cross Second Master Shao.
In business, in gambling, in both the light and the dark, Shao Zheng’an had countless ways to ruin anyone who offended the Shao family—leaving them bankrupt, disgraced, and dead without a trace.
To be rejected on the very day of the engagement, and the one rejected was his precious daughter. If it had been anyone else, Shao Zheng’an would have pulled out a gun and shot them on the spot. Yet Lou Ye had persuaded him so easily? And Shao Zheng’an had agreed—just let Lou Ye go? This… how could it be possible?
Shao Xingzhou’s gaze swept over Lou Ye’s handsome, arrogant face. The longer he looked, the more he itched to beat him bloody. But then his eyes caught the faint bruise on Lou Ye’s lip, and Shao Xingzhou held himself back.
In terms of family background and standing, the Lou and Shao families were evenly matched. But in Lou Ye’s generation, several outstanding heirs had already emerged, and the Lou family’s momentum was surging.
The Shao family, by contrast, had grown unstable—its patriarch was aging, and with so many children, internal strife was constant. Not to mention the decades ahead—even in the next three to five years, the Lou family was poised to outpace the Shaos by far.
That Shao Xingzhou had managed to land even one punch was already Lou Ye giving face to Shao Wanying and her family.
“I’ve long heard the crown prince of Beijing is arrogant and reckless. Today I’ve seen it for myself. Lou Ye, you’d better not cross me again!”
Throwing down the threat, Shao Xingzhou rose, face dark as iron, and strode into the bedroom.
Inside, silence reigned.
At the dressing table, Shao Wanying sat in an ivory couture gown, her eyes rimmed red but stubbornly refusing to shed tears. In her palm, the powder compact trembled; two of her carefully manicured nails had already snapped.
Beside her, Madam Shao stroked her daughter’s back, cursing bitterly: “The Lou family may hold power in the capital, but are we Shaos so far beneath them? Lou Ye is deliberately humiliating us, I—”
“Enough!” From the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, Shao Zheng’an rose, brows furrowed, and walked to the glass.
Four or five hours had passed, yet the hotel’s first floor was still crowded with reporters desperate for a scoop.
He glanced at the darkening sky, then spoke in a low, steady voice: “Lou Ye said he’s arranged a helicopter to take us back to Hong Kong. From this day forward, no one is to mention this matter again.”
“Old Shao!”
“Dad!”
“Father!”
Three voices rang out at once.
Shao Zheng’an looked at his shocked wife and children, his gaze settling on Shao Wanying. “Ah Ying, two percent of Lou Group shares is enough to set you above all your brothers and sisters in the Shao family. That’s better than marrying Lou Ye, don’t you think?”
The Shaos were a century-old clan in Hong Kong, with deep roots. Yet the patriarch had never named an heir. With four wives and countless children, the inheritance was uncertain—even Shao Zheng’an himself did not know what portion he would receive when his father passed, let alone his children. This marriage alliance with the Lou family had been his attempt to climb higher. Though in the end it failed, Lou Ye’s gift of two percent of Lou Group shares was now his greatest leverage.
“Ah Ying, I’ve fought your uncle for half a lifetime. Among this generation, Father favors your eldest brother and your second brother most. But with Lou Ye as our strongest ally, the future of the Shao family may not rest in their hands. What do you say?”
Shao Wanying’s expression eased somewhat. If she were well, then the second branch of the Shao family would be well too. After Grandfather’s passing, the likelihood of the family falling into her father’s and brother’s hands would be much greater. To remain the Sixth Miss of the Shao family—or to become its future heiress—the answer was obvious.
“Dad, I understand!” She nodded, then turned back to the mirror. A flash of stubbornness flickered in her eyes. “I just want to know—why didn’t he break it off earlier or later, but chose today of all days…”
In Hong Kong’s circles, everyone already knew she was to become the young madam of the Lou family. Even if Lou Ye shouldered the bad reputation in the end, her face was still left in disgrace. By looks or by ability, she was no less than anyone. Shao Wanying truly could not fathom why Lou Ye had chosen to humiliate her this way.
“He said… last night he had a dream.” An awkward shadow crossed Shao Zheng’an’s face.