“Anger shortens your lifespan. You’re not young anymore—haven’t you learned to stay calm?”
Her tone was light and airy.
The hand that was about to strike abruptly froze mid-air the moment he clearly saw the Black Emperor Card.
The force of the aborted slap still stirred her long hair, causing the dark strands to flutter in the air.
Lou Tingwen’s face instantly darkened.
There were fewer than ten Black Emperor Cards in existence worldwide.
Each one represented the highest status imaginable.
Moreover, this particular card was the supreme Number One edition.
Symbolizing a core seat in the global elite power circle.
That such a card representing ultimate status had fallen into Lou Qiyun’s hands—
He sharply inhaled, straining to twist his expression into a mocking smile.
“Let’s see how long he can protect you!”
His suspended hand suddenly changed direction, landing a fierce slap across Cheng Yunying’s face.
Cheng Yunying didn’t even have time to react, let alone register the pain.
The tremendous force sent her flying backward.
She staggered, her heels catching on the floor.
Finally crashing heavily against the corner wall two meters away.
The back of her head struck the tiles with a dull thud. Her vision instantly went dark, her ears ringing.
Lou Tingwen glared furiously at everyone in the room.
“You’ll destroy this family sooner or later!”
He roared, then slammed the door shut with violent force.
The impact shook the doorframe, dust drifting down like falling snow.
Lou Tinglan trembled in fright, hastily scrambling over to help her fallen mother up.
“Mom, are you okay? Wake up!”
Kneeling on the floor, her hands shaking, she cradled her mother’s face.
She saw the cheek swollen high, the corner of the lip split, a trickle of blood seeping out.
She jerked her head up, eyes bloodshot, glaring venomously at Lou Qiyun.
“You know exactly what kind of man my father is! Just because he didn’t touch you today doesn’t mean he won’t deal with you later!”
“Don’t think you can keep gloating forever!”
Lou Qiyun remained standing where she was, spine straight.
She watched Lou Tinglan expressionlessly, her gaze indifferent.
“I’ll return those words to you.”
She tilted her head slightly, a cold smile curling her lips.
“Lou Tingwen can’t do anything to me, but what about you?”
She took a slow step forward, her shadow falling over Lou Tinglan.
“Guess… could Wu Haifeng become my brother-in-law?”
Lou Tinglan’s pupils contracted sharply, her breath catching.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Lou Qiyun let out two soft laughs, the sound crisp and cold.
“If word got out that a younger sister’s fiancé became her older sister’s husband, the Lou Family would probably lose all face, wouldn’t they?”
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes holding a hint of mockery.
“Do you think the newspaper headlines would read ‘Rich Heiresses Fight Over Husband, Sisters Become Enemies’?”
Just as Lou Tinglan began to relax slightly, thinking she was only trying to scare her, Lou Qiyun spoke again, leisurely.
“However, there are plenty of people crazier than Wu Haifeng.”
She glanced around the room.
“In our circle, three people living together is quite common.”
She paused, her cold gaze settling on Lou Tinglan’s face.
“After all, they’re all ‘friends’ cut from the same cloth as Lou Tingwen.”
Lou Tinglan couldn’t stop trembling, her legs going weak.
Her face was etched with terror, cold sweat beading at her temples, her lips quivering without producing a single word.
Cheng Yunying suddenly lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her daughter curled on the floor.
She shielded Lou Tinglan with her own body, neck stiff, glaring furiously at Lou Qiyun.
“You’re a slut to your very core! You seduce any man you see. Wu Haifeng was someone you pursued yourself, but what did your brother ever do wrong?!”
Her hoarse accusations tore through the air, tears mingled with blood streaking down her face.
“If I’d known you’d be so heartless, I should’ve strangled you in your cradle!”
The word “brother” pierced Lou Qiyun’s heart like a sharp iron needle.
The last vestige of calm shattered from her expression.
“Get out.”
She advanced with heavy footsteps.
Suddenly, she seized Cheng Yunying’s chin with enough force to crush bone.
“Utter one more word about him, and pain will be the least of your concerns.”
Leaning close, her icy pupils stared directly into the other’s terrified eyes.
“I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
“If I hear you mention him again, every word I just said will be exactly what your daughter endures!”
Tang Suxu glared at her with venomous hatred.
Yet she ultimately dared not speak another word, her throat seemingly blocked by an invisible force.
Frantically supporting her daughter Lou Tinglan, she practically dragged the girl out of the room in panic.
The room plunged into sudden silence, the very air seeming to freeze solid.
Lou Qiyun slowly turned and walked toward the bedside.
She picked up the facedown photo frame from the nightstand.
Her fingertips gently brushed dust from its surface.
In the photograph, a man with gentle smile stood amid a golden sea of flowers.
Her gaze rested quietly on the familiar, long-unseen warmth in the man’s eyes, a silent sorrow welling up in her own.
“Sorry, brother…”
Her whisper was barely audible.
A single tear traced a silent path down her cheek.
Early next morning.
Lou Tingwen sat grim-faced at the head of the table.
His black suit was impeccably tailored, yet his tie hung loose by half an inch.
His secretary stood beside him, head bowed while delivering the report.
“President Lou, the engagement banquet scandal has blown up completely. Media coverage is everywhere—we can’t contain it anymore. When the news broke last night, online public opinion exploded instantly. Combined with the recurring rumors about ‘trading daughters for favors’…”
“Our stock hit the limit down. Massive sell-offs, retail investors fleeing in panic—market confidence has collapsed. All our key recent projects are stalled now. Partners are demanding renegotiations, two have already terminated procedures…”
Lou Qiyun settled gracefully at the dining table.
She picked up a white porcelain bowl and served herself plain congee.
The rice grains glistened, steam curling upward in delicate tendrils.
She stirred slowly with a silver spoon, waiting until the temperature suited her before blowing gently across the surface.
Cheng Yunying and Lou Tinglan kept their heads down while eating, their chopsticks barely touching their bowls.
When selecting food, they only dared pick vegetables from the edges, terrified of making any sound.
Neither uttered a word, their breathing deliberately softened.
They feared becoming scapegoats in the Lou Family’s storm.
Terrified the family tempest would sweep them up, threatening their already precarious positions.
Lou Tingwen suddenly slammed his chopsticks down with a sharp crack.
Ripples shimmered across the congee in his porcelain bowl.
Mother and daughter froze mid-breath, instantly ceasing all movement.
Their hands hovered stiffly in the air, faces bleaching pale.
Lou Tinglan’s tears nearly spilled over before she desperately choked them back.
Lou Qiyun, however, calmly picked up a golden, crispy fried dough stick.
She dipped it leisurely into her congee before bringing it to her mouth.
She chewed slowly and deliberately, her expression serene.
The sound of her chewing echoed distinctly through the dead silence.
Lou Tingwen’s fists clenched, knuckles whitening, veins bulging along his hands.
Yet ultimately he didn’t erupt, merely drawing a deep breath to forcibly suppress his rage.
“What exactly is going on?”
He could accept the chaotic scene and the public outcry.
But losing control this quickly—completely collapsing in just one night—was unexpected.
There wasn’t even room for remedy, which was highly abnormal.
Currently, several key projects of the Lou Family were being spearheaded by the Wu Family.
These projects not only involved billions in funds but were also crucial to the Lou Family’s future strategic plans.
Progress had just passed the one-third mark, and they were on the verge of taking root.