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Chapter 13: The Banquet at the Zhou Family’s

“Brother, you have to help me!” Zhou Yanguan shook Zhou Yi’s arm. “That bitch is dead, yet she still has so much power! I don’t care; I must marry Lu Cichuan!”

“Enough with the nonsense,” Zhou Yi thought for a moment and came up with a plan.

“Send some intimate photos of you and Lu Cichuan anonymously to those reporters and let them publish it tomorrow. I’ll hold a party tomorrow night and say a few words. With our family’s current status, we’re more than worthy of Lu Cichuan!” Zhou Yi placed his teacup down, and this matter was settled.

“Mr. Lu, the Zhou family is hosting a party at Night Charm tomorrow night.”

“Mm, got it.” Lu Cichuan replied without looking up, his voice low.

The next day, photos of Lu Cichuan and Zhou Yanguan being intimate hit the trending topics. The photos showed the two kissing on the street, with another taken in a hotel. People were astonished—his wife’s corpse wasn’t even cold, yet it seemed he had already moved on!

“Yi Han, have you found out who did this?” Lu Cichuan fiddled with the water-based pen in his hand. At first glance, the photos looked like they had been manipulated, with one being from the night he refused to marry her. But viewers didn’t see it that way.

“It’s Miss Zhou. Should we spend money to suppress the public opinion?” Yi Han cautiously asked.

“Suppress it.” Lu Cichuan threw the pen in annoyance. “The Zhou family is trying to tie me down.” Lu Cichuan smiled mockingly; the calculations had come back to bite them.

At Night Charm, everyone was whispering, lamenting the Li family’s fate. What a way to raise a backstabber.

The moment Lu Cichuan entered, the entire venue fell silent. If they offended Lu Cichuan, they might as well give up on their business.

“Mr. Lu has arrived.” Zhou Yi’s sycophantic smile made Lu Cichuan find it amusing. “If I didn’t come, wouldn’t your party be pointless?” Lu Cichuan’s words carried an implied meaning, but Zhou Yi didn’t catch on.

“Brother Cichuan, you’re here!” Zhou Yanguan deliberately wore a stunning red evening gown, accentuating her slim waist and long, fair legs. The most envied part was the crown atop her head, which Lu Cichuan had purchased for 120 million.

“Mm.” Lu Cichuan’s cold attitude left Zhou Yanguan at a loss. “Brother Cichuan, will you be my dance partner?” Zhou Yanguan casually linked her arm with Lu Cichuan’s, flashing a sweet smile.

“Sorry, I don’t feel like dancing tonight.” Lu Cichuan pulled his arm away and downed a glass of red wine in one gulp.

This left Zhou Yi and Zhou Yanguan feeling awkward, and the crowd was puzzled: Were the photos all fake?

As the party reached its climax, Zhou Yi revealed the event’s true purpose: “Everyone, I’m sure you’ve seen the photos trending today. I believe they must be false…”

Before he could finish, several people shouted, “They clearly look real!”

“Exactly, Miss Zhou and Mr. Lu make such a perfect couple!”

“Indeed, what a great match!”

…

No need to guess; half of these people had recently cooperated with the Zhou family. If the master was happy, business would be easy.

Lu Cichuan shook the wine in his glass, a smirk forming at the corners of his mouth—this was a feast of treachery.

“Alright, alright, since everyone feels this way, my sister and Mr. Lu are indeed quite close…” Zhou Yi turned to Lu Cichuan in the corner, “Mr. Lu, my sister has feelings for you; will you take responsibility for these photos?”

Zhou Yanguan’s bashful, flushed cheeks made the crowd more convinced of the photos’ authenticity.

“Mr. Zhou, what can a few manipulated photos prove?” Lu Cichuan stood up and walked over to Zhou Yi, his smile vanishing in an instant. “Yi Han!”

Yi Han quickly brought in over a dozen people, and a video appeared on the large screen at Night Charm.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the street surveillance video.” Yi Han clicked the mouse, “This is the hotel corridor surveillance footage—Mr. Lu entered the room at 9:10 PM and left at 9:13 PM, while Miss Zhou didn’t leave to return to the Zhou family until the next day.”

Yi Han explained all the photos, slapping Zhou Yi and Zhou Yanguan’s faces hard, making the crowd point fingers at the Zhou siblings.

“Is everyone satisfied with my assistant’s explanation?” Lu Cichuan’s scornful gaze made everyone nod vigorously. “Satisfied, satisfied!”

“Good, good.” Lu Cichuan looked at the embarrassed Zhou Yi and smiled. “Mr. Zhou, do you understand now?”

“Mr. Lu, even if it’s a misunderstanding, my sister likes you so much, and your wife…” Zhou Yi tried to salvage the situation, but Lu Cichuan, infuriated, interrupted him immediately.

“Mr. Zhou, don’t push your luck!” Lu Cichuan’s sharp gaze sent a shiver down Zhou Yanguan’s spine.

“I do appreciate Miss Zhou for saving my sister’s life in time, so I’ve been supporting the Zhou family’s business all these years.” Lu Cichuan raised his glass of red wine and announced a decision that made Zhou Yi regret it deeply:

“Everyone! Starting today, Lu’s company will no longer cooperate with the Zhou family.”

After speaking, he downed the wine in one gulp and smashed the glass on the floor.

“Miss Zhou, if you marry in the future, I will definitely send a generous gift to congratulate you!” After throwing down this remark, he left with his subordinates.

“Ahhh! Hmph!” Zhou Yanguan threw her crown down in anger and stormed out.

That night, the Zhou family lost all face and offended Lu Cichuan, their business protector. Zhou Yi regretted it to the core…