“Sister Lou, what’s wrong? Your voice… has something happened?”
Lou Qiyun lowered her eyelids, her gaze falling on the mottled shadows on the floor.
“Nothing serious. That old man is forcing me to move up the engagement again. His attitude is uncompromising and leaves no room for refusal.”
Wei Junyi instantly held his breath.
“What?”
Wei Junyi couldn’t process it immediately, standing frozen in place.
After collecting himself, he urgently asked: “Are you sure we only need to investigate Changping Road? Should we check other leads as well? On the day of the engagement… can I come to help you? If anything unexpected happens at the venue, I can at least provide support from outside.”
Before he could finish speaking, the door was suddenly shoved open violently from outside.
Lou Tinglan strode in with her head held high.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the phone in Lou Qiyun’s hand.
“Were you just on a call? Who were you talking to? What did you discuss? Explain everything clearly!”
Lou Qiyun’s face remained expressionless, but her fingers unhesitatingly pressed the end call button.
She slowly turned her head, her gaze icy as she stared directly at Lou Tinglan.
“Who gave you permission to enter my room? This is my private space. Without my permission, you have no right to set foot in here.”
Lou Tinglan placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin.
“Dad personally said I’m to keep an eye on you these three days! You’re not allowed to secretly contact outsiders, and you’re definitely not allowed to pull any tricks! You’d better behave!”
The corner of Lou Qiyun’s mouth lifted slightly.
In the next second, she suddenly reached out, grabbed Lou Tinglan’s long hair fiercely, and yanked it backward.
“Ah!”
Lou Tinglan’s face turned as pale as paper, her hands struggling desperately.
Her eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling as she shouted: “Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?”
Lou Qiyun stared coldly at her, raising her other hand to slap Lou Tinglan’s face with measured force.
The blow wasn’t particularly hard, but it carried full humiliation.
“You got beaten so badly by that old man that you wet your pants, with urine running down your legs, and you still dare to act authoritative in front of me?”
She stepped closer, her eyes sharp.
“I’ve been giving you face, haven’t I? Who do you think you are? Thinking you can stand as my equal?”
The pressure from her hand increased again, forcing Lou Tinglan’s neck to arch backward slightly.
“Now, what should you say?”
Lou Qiyun spoke word by word, her tone freezing cold.
Lou Tinglan’s lips trembled violently, her face alternating between green and pale.
She bit her lower lip so hard it nearly drew blood.
“I’m… I’m sorry…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lou Qiyun finally released her grip.
Lou Tinglan staggered back two steps, breathing rapidly.
She didn’t even dare to look up again, immediately turning around and rushing out of the room as if fleeing for her life.
For the next three days.
Lou Qiyun was unusually quiet.
She no longer made cold remarks, nor did she deliberately provoke.
Aside from appearing in the dining room for three meals each day.
She hardly ever stepped out of her room.
The room’s curtains remained drawn, the lighting dim.
She sat at her desk reading, or quietly gazed out the window.
Occasionally she would turn a page, but her fingertips would linger without moving.
No one knew what she was thinking, and no one dared to disturb her.
Before they knew it, the day of the engagement banquet arrived.
Sunlight streamed through the tall glass dome into the grand hall.
Lou Tingwen, dressed in a dark gray suit, was bustling about the main hall.
“President Lou, as the saying goes, a son-in-law is half a son. With the Lou Family’s vast enterprise, we finally have a successor!”
“Exactly! You’ll have to look out for us from now on! With Young Master Wu joining the family, the Lou Family’s standing is about to change dramatically!”
At the mention of his son, Lou Tingwen’s smile stiffened slightly.
Just then, the door to the dressing room slowly swung open.
Wu Haifeng emerged, dressed in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo, his hair impeccably groomed.
He walked with calm composure, his expression natural and at ease.
Following closely behind him was Lou Qiyun in her light blue off-the-shoulder gown.
Her slender figure moved gracefully, the hem of her dress swaying slightly as she stepped out in silver high heels.
Her hair was elegantly swept up, revealing her long, graceful neck.
The moment the two appeared, the previously bustling banquet hall fell into a hushed silence, as if someone had hit a mute button.
All eyes involuntarily followed them.
From the entrance all the way to the main stage.
At the end of the red carpet on stage, flowers bloomed in abundance.
In a dimly lit booth at the corner of the hall.
Lou Tinglan leaned back in her chair, holding a wine glass between her fingertips.
Her voice was low, laced with bitterness.
“Thought she could turn her life around by latching onto some mysterious man, but in the end she still had to obediently marry Young Master Wu. Born unlucky, serves her right.”
Cheng Yunying sat beside her, casting a sidelong glance at her remark. Her tone was mild.
“Who are you to say that? He’s your sister’s fiancé. Aren’t you embarrassed to talk like that in front of so many people?”
Though her words defended Lou Qiyun, her delivery was languid.
After speaking, she turned her attention to the stage, ignoring Lou Tinglan completely.
On stage, Wu Haifeng had taken his position and accepted the microphone from a staff member.
He took a deep breath, his expression serious.
“I sincerely love Miss Lou Qiyun.”
He began slowly, his gaze tenderly resting on her.
“From the moment I first saw her, I knew she was the one I wanted to spend my life with.”
He paused, his tone earnest.
“I’m also grateful to President Lou for entrusting his precious daughter to me. I will always remember this trust.”
The entire venue fell silent, many moved by his sincerity, whispering praises.
After speaking, he slowly knelt on one knee.
Steadily holding up a ring box in both hands.
Inside was an enormous diamond ring.
His handsome face filled with tenderness, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Lou Qiyun.
“Miss Lou Qiyun, will you marry me?”
Lou Qiyun slowly extended her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, yet she steadily accepted the ring.
The stage lights gleamed on the ring.
The massive diamond refracted a dazzling brilliance.
She lowered her eyes, not putting the ring on her finger.
Instead, under everyone’s watchful gaze, she gently released her grip.
The ring slipped from her fingertips, falling with a sharp “clink” onto the smooth marble stage.
The sound echoed through the silent hall.
“My boyfriend doesn’t seem to approve.”
The entire venue instantly plunged into deathly silence.
The guests held their breath.
The tender smile on Wu Haifeng’s face gradually froze.
His complexion shifted from red to pale, then from pale to ashen, his lips trembling slightly.
Almost at that exact moment.
The LED screen that had been displaying their sweet couple photos suddenly flickered several times, emitting a crackling static sound.
Immediately after, the screen abruptly switched.
A high-definition video began playing without warning.
On the screen, Lu Lingchuan rode a black heavy-duty motorcycle.
Behind him, a convoy of luxury cars followed.
He mercilessly intercepted Wu Haifeng’s stretched limousine.
Then, Lu Lingchuan jumped off his bike, pulling Lou Qiyun from the roadside onto the motorcycle’s back seat, shielding her protectively in his embrace.
The video seamlessly connected with Lou Qiyun’s earlier remark.
Just as the video ended, the banquet hall doors were abruptly thrown open.
Lu Lingchuan strode into the hall.
A cold smirk hung at the corner of his lips.
“Wu Haifeng, is it because you can’t get a wife, or do you specifically enjoy stealing other men’s women?”
Wu Haifeng’s fists clenched tightly, veins bulging prominently.
His jaw was locked so firmly that grinding sounds could be heard.
“You… have gone too far!”