“You spend every night partying, drifting from one woman to another, letting yourself be played for a fool. You’ve already disgraced your own family, yet you still have the nerve to judge someone else?”
His gaze was calm, but it cut straight through the man.
The contempt and disdain of someone accustomed to authority were enough to make him tremble.
“Watch your mouth. I won’t tolerate hearing that kind of filth. Consider this a lesson.”
He paused, his voice icy.
“Learn how to respect women.”
The young heir was shaking all over.
Clutching his bleeding forehead, he didn’t even dare cry out in pain. He nodded frantically as he stammered out an apology.
“M-Mr. Lu, I was wrong. I won’t do it again. I have a loose tongue—I was talking nonsense. Please forgive me…”
Everyone else in the room fell completely silent.
Even their breathing became careful, afraid that saying the wrong thing would draw Lu Yannan’s attention.
Lu Yannan couldn’t be bothered to spare the man another glance.
The hostility surrounding him had yet to dissipate.
He slowly stood, smoothed the front of his perfectly tailored suit, and without another word turned and walked out of the private room.
Only after his figure disappeared through the doorway did everyone finally dare breathe again.
The suffocating tension eased ever so slightly.
Yang Tianhe looked at the young man still cowering in the corner, his face darkening.
He strode over and spoke in a low, stern voice.
“You know exactly what happened today. You know what Lu Yannan is like. From now on, you’d better stay out of our sight.
“And stop spreading rumors around our circle. Especially about Meng Shuling. Not another word.
“Otherwise, forget Lu Yannan—even I won’t let you off.”
The young heir nodded repeatedly.
How could he possibly dare complain?
Holding his injured head, he stumbled out of the room in a panic, desperate to get away as quickly as possible.
Watching him flee, Yang Tianhe sighed helplessly.
He grabbed the pack of cigarettes from the table and hurried after Lu Yannan.
The evening breeze on the club’s terrace was pleasantly cool.
Lu Yannan leaned against the railing, an unlit cigarette resting between his fingers.
His gaze drifted over the shimmering waters of Houhai Lake.
The night cloaked his tall figure, making him appear even lonelier and more untouchable.
Yang Tianhe walked over, lit his own cigarette, took a drag, then finally asked the question that had been bothering him.
“Yannan, what was that about today? Since when do you settle things with your own hands? If you wanted to teach him a lesson, there were plenty of other ways. Why dirty your own hands over it?”
He paused.
“All because he said a few nasty things about Meng Shuling? Was it really worth getting that angry?”
He genuinely couldn’t understand.
Lu Yannan had always been composed and self-controlled.
He never got angry over people who didn’t matter.
Yet today, simply because someone mocked Meng Shuling, he’d thrown a wine glass without a second thought.
That was completely unlike him.
Even when far bigger scandals erupted within their social circle, Lu Yannan barely spared them a glance.
Much less lose his temper over a woman.
Yang Tianhe stepped a little closer, curiosity written all over his face.
Then, with a teasing grin, he asked,
“Tell me honestly. Do you actually know Meng Shuling? Otherwise, why are you so protective of her?
“Don’t tell me you’ve secretly fallen for her without me noticing.”
The evening wind swept past them.
Lu Yannan slowly turned to look at him, his eyes as deep and detached as ever.
His fingers tightened slightly around the cigarette before he snapped it cleanly in two and casually tossed it into a nearby trash bin.
“I don’t know her.”
“And I haven’t fallen for her.”
After a brief pause, he recalled Meng Shuling’s reddened eyes and the way she’d puffed up like an aggrieved little kitten.
Then he added matter-of-factly,
“Meng Shuling is too delicate. The slightest thing makes her eyes turn red.”
“I don’t like that.”
Yang Tianhe raised an eyebrow.
Too delicate?
Quick to cry?
How exactly did Lu Yannan know that?
He understood perfectly well.
Lu Yannan was simply too proud to admit anything.
Since his friend clearly wasn’t going to confess, Yang Tianhe merely smiled, shook his head, and wisely let the subject drop.
The two men stood on the terrace for another few minutes.
As the night grew cooler, Lu Yannan’s phone rang.
The screen displayed a single word:
Father.
His eyes darkened slightly.
He answered immediately.
“Dad.”
On the other end, Lu Shengliang’s deep, authoritative voice came without preamble.
“Come back to the family residence immediately. We need to discuss something.”
Without offering any explanation, he hung up.
Holding the phone, Lu Yannan already had a good idea what this was about.
The trending scandal had most likely reached the family estate.
After saying goodbye to Yang Tianhe, he left the club.
His assistant was already waiting outside with the car and respectfully opened the rear door.
“President Lu, are we heading back to the old residence?”
“Mm.”
Lu Yannan nodded and settled into the back seat of the Maybach.
The car pulled away from Houhai and headed toward the Lu family’s ancestral residence in the western Third Ring area of the capital.
The Lu family estate was a traditional courtyard mansion tucked away in the middle of the bustling city.
Its pavilions, gardens, and classical architecture reflected generations of prestige.
Only the elders lived there permanently.
Because Lu Yannan was always occupied with work, he rarely returned.
Whenever he did, it usually meant an important family matter required his presence.
The car rolled into the courtyard and stopped before the main residence.
The moment Lu Yannan stepped inside the living room, he sensed the unusually solemn atmosphere.
His father, Lu Shengliang, sat upright on the sofa with a stern expression.
His mother, Tan Linyin, sat beside him, her eyes sparkling with unmistakable excitement.
His younger sister, Lu Jinzhu, held her phone with an expression full of gossip-fueled anticipation.
His younger brother, Lu Shaoyang, looked as though he were eagerly waiting for the drama to unfold.
The whole family was present.
Clearly, they had all been waiting for him.
“Dad. Mom. I’m back.”
Lu Yannan walked calmly into the center of the room.
His usual icy presence softened ever so slightly in front of his family.
Lu Shengliang looked directly at him, his sharp gaze getting straight to the point.
“Have you seen what’s trending online?
“The person who was with Meng Shuling at Jingyi International Hotel…
“Was it you?”
Before Lu Yannan could answer, Tan Linyin eagerly cut in.
“My son! Such a huge thing, and you didn’t tell us?
“The moment your father and I saw those pictures, we recognized you immediately. Your build, your clothes—it was obviously you!”
Lu Jinzhu hurried over, waving her phone excitedly.
“Bro! I can’t believe it. You always act so cold, but you’ve been hiding such a huge secret with Sister Meng Shuling!
“She’s so beautiful! You’ve really kept this under wraps!”
Lu Shaoyang simply smiled without saying anything.
Lu Yannan pressed his lips together.
He didn’t deny it.
“It was me.”
The moment he admitted it, Lu Shengliang’s expression grew even more serious instead of easing.
“Since it was you, then there’s nothing left to discuss.”
“The Meng family may not be equal to ours, but they’re still a respectable family. Meng Shuling is the Meng family’s eldest daughter.
“You were involved with her, and now the matter has become public. Her reputation has been damaged because of this.”
“You have to take responsibility.”
After a brief pause, he spoke with finality.
“I’ve already contacted the Meng family.
“We’ll choose an auspicious date, and you’ll marry Meng Shuling.”
“You’ll take responsibility for her for the rest of her life.”
Hearing that, Tan Linyin beamed with delight.
She quickly took hold of Lu Yannan’s arm, unable to hide her happiness.
“This is wonderful! I’ve been waiting forever for you to settle down.
“I’ve met that girl before. Meng Shuling is sweet, lovely, and well-mannered. The two of you are a perfect match.
“I couldn’t be happier with this marriage.”
In her eyes, her son had never shown the slightest interest in women.
If he’d become involved with Meng Shuling, then he must have felt something for her.
Now they could naturally get married.
Not only would it resolve her son’s lifelong bachelorhood, but it would also strengthen the relationship between the two families.
It was the perfect outcome.
After listening quietly, Lu Yannan’s expression remained completely unchanged.
Without the slightest hesitation, he answered plainly,
“I’m not marrying her.”