Lou Tingwen’s face drastically changed, the veins at his temples throbbing as he sharply turned to look at his secretary beside him.
“Didn’t I arrange for bodyguards to be stationed at the entrance as a precaution? How could this happen?”
The secretary lowered his head, shaking it with a bitter smile, his voice filled with helplessness.
“Those people… were knocked out. They’re still lying outside, completely caught off guard.”
Lou Tingwen’s chest heaved violently.
He slowly closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again, his gaze was icy cold.
“Lu Lingchuan! I’ve never stopped you from making friends outside. But today is my engagement day, and in front of so many guests, you pulling this stunt is going too far!”
“You need to understand clearly—with that incident hanging over you, who besides Young Master Wu would dare take you?”
That was the shadow she had always wanted to escape.
A flicker passed through Lou Qiyun’s eyes, suddenly sharp and cold.
Did he think he could use that old matter to control her forever?
Just then, Lu Lingchuan reached back and firmly grasped her hand.
He lowered his head, raised her hand to his lips, and gently kissed the back of it.
Then he lifted his eyes, coldly sweeping them over Lou Tingwen, a cold smile still playing on his lips.
“It seems last time’s lesson wasn’t harsh enough. Otherwise, how could President Lou still not understand what’s being said?”
Immediately after, he raised Lou Qiyun’s hand high for everyone to see.
“Lou Qiyun is mine.”
“No one else can touch her.”
His gaze shifted, landing disdainfully on Wu Haifeng’s face.
His eyes held undisguised mockery.
“If the Wu Family can withstand the storm, feel free to make trouble.”
Wu Haifeng suddenly remembered something, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
It was a fear that came from deep within.
He glared fiercely at Lou Tingwen, his eyes full of rage.
His chest heaving with anger, he flung his sleeve and turned to stride away.
With the main guest gone, the engagement banquet came to an inconclusive end.
The once lively and bustling banquet hall instantly grew quiet.
The guests exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.
Many quietly stood up and left.
Champagne glasses still half-full, candle flames flickering, but no one raised a toast anymore.
Lou Tingwen’s face was dark.
He roughly grabbed Lou Qiyun’s wrist.
“A father wants to have a private word with his daughter. Surely Mr. Lu won’t deny such a basic courtesy?”
Before the words faded, he dragged her outside.
Lou Qiyun stumbled as she was pulled along, her high heels scraping harshly against the floor.
Her dress snagged on the carpet, emitting a faint tearing sound.
As soon as the car arrived back at the Lou Family residence, Lou Qiyun was practically dragged out.
The moment her feet touched the ground, a brute force yanked her forward, causing her to stagger.
Her body tilted, nearly making her fall.
The night wind tousled her hair, her lips pale, but her eyes remained defiant.
She abruptly shook off his grip, breaking free.
A red mark was left on her wrist; she glanced down at it.
Then she lifted her head, her gaze cold and steady as she stared at Lou Tingwen, enunciating each word clearly: “I’m not so old that I can’t walk or think straight.”
The secretary stood to the side, hesitating for a few seconds.
He kept his head lowered, hands pressed against his trouser seams, taking a slight step back.
He knew Lou Tingwen’s temper and was well aware of Lou Qiyun’s unyielding nature.
Lou Tingwen sneered and rushed forward, slapping her across the face with the back of his hand.
“You still dare to put on airs?”
The slap came too suddenly for Lou Qiyun to defend against.
Her head jerked to the side, a ringing filling her ears.
Her entire body went limp as if all her tendons had been pulled out, collapsing stiffly to the ground with a heavy thud as her knees struck the floor.
She propped herself up with her hands, fingertips digging deep into the cracks between the stone slabs.
Gritting her teeth, she slowly rose to her feet, her spine ramrod straight.
Even as her whole body trembled, she refused to bend even slightly.
The right side of her face swelled rapidly.
Yet she smiled, her expression completely unruffled.
“If Dad adores him so much, why doesn’t he put on a wedding dress and marry him himself?”
“How could I possibly attend the engagement banquet, basking in your endlessly profound fatherly love?”
The servants all lowered their heads, stepping back in flustered retreat.
Even the wind seemed to stand still, leaving only Lou Qiyun’s slightly labored breaths rising and falling in the night air.
The secretary turned and fled without daring to look back.
Lou Tingwen’s fists clenched with an audible crack, his nails digging into his palms, facial muscles twitching as he laughed in fury.
“Good, very good!”
He threw his head back with a cold, piercing laugh.
With a wave of his hand, the servants immediately stepped forward.
Two burly male servants swiftly seized Lou Qiyun’s arms, firmly restraining her.
Her feet left the ground as she struggled fiercely, but she was no match for their strength, and could only be dragged toward the dark entrance of the basement.
Lou Tingwen walked to the corner.
“I tolerated you earlier for the sake of the engagement banquet—I was being too considerate.”
He turned slowly.
Her dress instantly split open with a tear.
A trickle of blood seeped from the rip.
Lou Qiyun let out a muffled groan, her body jolting violently, but she clenched her lips tightly.
A low sound of pain escaped her throat.
Then, she lowered her head, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
“Go ahead, beat me to death. Offending the Wu Family isn’t enough—what’s one more?”
Lou Tingwen’s whipping motion paused.
His arm hung mid-air, his eyes flickering slightly as if pricked by her attitude.
Then, gritting his teeth, he put sudden force into his wrist.
“Some brat—I really don’t give a damn about him!”
He roared.
No one knew how much time had passed before she was hauled up by two servants and dragged back to her room.
Lou Qiyun dragged her battered body, inching step by step into the room.
She changed out of her bloodstained clothes, her fingers trembling slightly when they brushed against her wounds, yet her face remained expressionless as she put on clean garments.
She lay flat on the bed, limbs splayed.
Suddenly, a soft tapping sound came from outside the window.
Three long taps followed by one short—it was their agreed-upon secret code.
“Come in.”
She kept her eyes closed.
Hearing this, Lu Lingchuan didn’t hesitate in the slightest, nimbly leaping down from the windowsill.
A dark shadow flashed, and he was already inside the room.
He strode forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over her wrists and legs, his pupils abruptly contracting.
Those areas were covered with crisscrossing scars, both old and new.
Lu Lingchuan’s breath hitched, his face instantly turning cold.
His usually gentle features were now filled with a chill.
He clenched his fists, knuckles white, nails nearly digging into his palms, and asked through suppressed anger, “Did he do this?”
He wanted to touch her wounds, but his hand withdrew halfway.
Hearing the familiar voice, Lou Qiyun lifted her eyelids with effort, opening her eyes to glance at him, her lips quirking slightly.
“So soon?”
Her tone was light, tinged with a bit of teasing.
Lu Lingchuan laughed in exasperation.
He stared at her, his voice low, “What do you take me for?”
So in her eyes, his concern was that calculating?
Not even worthy of hearing a single sincere word?
What a heartless little thing!
He cursed inwardly but could do nothing about it.
Yet the moment his gaze fell upon those scars, his fury instantly subsided.
Skillfully, he opened the cabinet, retrieved the medical kit, and crouched down to lay out the medicine bottles one by one.
“If you don’t feel like smiling, don’t force it.”
As he spoke, he carefully examined her wounds, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.
The skin was torn and bleeding, so deep the flesh was visible.
Shreds of fabric were still embedded in the wound, oozing beads of blood at the slightest touch.
Gently, he peeled the cloth away from the injured area.