Two days before the Spring Festival, at the Lu family’s ancestral house.

The place which used to be somewhat quiet was bustling today.

Yesterday evening, Lu Weizheng returned with his wife and son. Old Master Lu was beyond happy, to say the least.

Command after command came down, fearing that his son wouldn’t feel comfortable at home.

It’s worth noting that it had been two years since the Lu family had celebrated a complete family reunion for the Spring Festival.

Before Lu Weizheng switched jobs, Old Master Lu was very angry, and the father and son had a fierce argument.

But later, seeing Lu Weizheng become the mayor of Jiang City, considering his age and abilities, it wasn’t necessarily worse for the Lu family to support him from behind than for him to stay in the army. The crucial point was that compared to the army, this job was safer.

So the anger slowly subsided.

Old Master Lu felt that he was still a caring father to his son. He just didn’t like it when his son acted too independently and didn’t discuss things with him first. He preferred to be informed beforehand rather than finding out after the fact.

This greatly challenged the authority of Old Master Lu as the patriarch of the family.

But considering his old age, he realized that his two sons, despite having some minor flaws, were generally good. One was in business and the other in politics, both were brothers and still young. Why worry that the Lu family won’t prosper in the future?

Having come to terms with it, Old Master Lu no longer dwelled on past matters. He just wanted to enjoy this holiday happily.

Then next year, the Lu family would definitely have new plans in Jiang City. Perhaps within three years, he would see the Lu family surpass all others and become the most prominent.

With such prospects, he would be able to face the ancestors of the Lu family proudly after he passed away.

Unfortunately, for some things, the better one envisioned them, the easier they were to shatter.

At 11 am, Lu Weiyao returned to the Lu family with his wife and son.

Their family doesn’t usually reside there either. The Lu family’s ancestral house was far from both the company and the primary school Lu Haoyu was attending. Spending time commuting would be a waste.

Thus Lu Weiyao suggested moving to a more convenient location. After all, the Lu family had plenty of properties to choose from.

Considering his son and grandson’s situation, Old Master Lu didn’t insist on them staying.

With his ‘traditional’ mindset, as long as he was alive, how could his sons not live together under the same roof?

To Old Master Lu, the idea of Qin Yiren taking Lu Chenjun to move to Jiang City was considered a grave violation of tradition. However, considering they were all younger generations, and with Lu Weiyao’s family also wanting to move out, he couldn’t show favoritism.

He decided to turn a blind eye to this matter.

“Old Master, you’re indeed an enlightened and fair-minded patriarch.”

Upon hearing the butler’s praise, Old Master Lu remained composed on the surface, but deep down, he felt the same way.

Every weekend or during winter and summer vacations, Ruan Rourou would bring Lu Haoyu to the ancestral house to accompany Old Master Lu. Lu Weiyao not so much, given his many business responsibilities, but they certainly visited more frequently than Lu Weizheng’s family.

As soon as he entered, Lu Weiyao saw his younger brother whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. He happily stepped forward, intending to embrace him, but was stopped in his tracks by the frosty expression on Lu Weizheng’s face.

He couldn’t help but furrow his brow. “Ah Zheng, why the long face on such a big holiday? Who upset you?”

Regarding his mischievous and five years younger brother, Lu Weiyao always unconsciously carried a somewhat parental demeanor. “You’re already an adult. How come you can’t even control your emotions? How do you expect to navigate the political arena like this?”

Coincidentally, Old Master Lu also came down from upstairs. Upon hearing Lu Weiyao’s words, he immediately spoke up in agreement, “Your brother is right. While we may tolerate your bad temper at home, others won’t be so forgiving.”

Then, he looked at Qin Yiren beside Lu Weizheng. “As Weizheng’s wife, you should be advising him at times like this. What’s the point of showing attitude to his own brother?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Old Master Lu also noticed Qin Yiren’s equally gloomy expression.

On such a big holiday, what does it mean for both of them to wear such expressions at the same time? Were they intentionally trying to provoke him?

A wave of anger surged in Old Master Lu’s heart.

However, considering that his son had grown wings and couldn’t be easily scolded anymore, he forcibly suppressed his anger and walked over to take his seat at the head of the long table.

“Haoyu, come here, let Grandpa see if you’ve grown taller.”

Lu Haoyu was four years older than Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun. According to the Hua Country’s calculation method, he would be nine years old after the Spring Festival.

Therefore, he appeared to be a handsome young boy. At this moment, hearing his grandfather’s call, he calmly walked up to Old Master Lu, respectfully greeted him, and said a few pleasing words. This immediately brought a smile to the Old Master’s face.

Not far away, Ruan Rourou couldn’t help but smile proudly as she looked at her outstanding son.

The proudest moments of her life were marrying Lu Weiyao successfully and giving birth to such a considerate and sensible son.

But compared to the heartache caused by Lu Weiyao, Ruan Rourou had now placed all her thoughts on Lu Haoyu. Anyway, she had now already established a firm position in the Lu family and no longer needed to tread so cautiously, fearing expulsion.

“Sister, where’s Chenjun?”

With her own son being outstanding, Ruan Rourou naturally needed someone to serve as a foil.

Regardless of how high Lu Chenjun’s IQ is, he’s just a closed-off child, lacking manners and emotional intelligence. How could someone like him inherit the Lu family?

But one shouldn’t be complacent. After all, Lu Weizheng became a mayor at just over thirty years old, and the Lu family would definitely expend a lot of effort to push him further. If Lu Weizheng truly carved out a path in politics……

Given Old Master Lu’s personality, it’s hard to predict how he would distribute the family assets.

Ruan Rourou doesn’t agree with the idea of equal distribution. After all, the money was all earned by Lu Weiyao. Why should it be shared with the second branch?

“Ha.”

Faced with Ruan Rourou’s gentle words, Qin Yiren acted like a malicious woman bullying her elder sister-in-law.

In the morning, when they received the documents sent by Xu Wenyin, their hearts sank.

They promptly sent Lu Chenjun to the Qin family, where Father and Mother Qin, as well as Qin Xiao, were all present.

Then, they continued to investigate based on the information. Now, they were just waiting for the final result.

But without a doubt, it’s certain that Ruan Rourou had targeted Lu Chenjun! And it’s not just once!

In the face of someone targeting her son, Qin Yiren not immediately rushing forward and slapping the other party a few times already showed how gentle she was!!

“Sister, why are you……”

Of course, Ruan Rourou was unaware of the simmering anger hidden within Qin Yiren. She instinctively performed her usual act of ‘I’m aggrieved, but I won’t say anything’.

Ruan Rourou didn’t have any fondness for the second branch, especially Qin Yiren, who was also a daughter-in-law of the Lu family.

Why should she have to carefully please Old Master Lu, the butler, and all the relatives of the Lu family, while Qin Yiren can come and go as she pleases, never caring about what others think?

As a junior, she showed no respect for her elders.

Yet, even so, the haughty relatives of the Lu family dare not criticize Qin Yiren to her face. Instead, they have to put on a smiling face and try to please her.

Wasn’t it just because of her good background?

“Sister! What’s with your attitude?”

Sure enough, as soon as Lu Weiyao caught sight of Ruan Rourou’s aggrieved expression, he immediately confronted Qin Yiren as if he had been injected with chicken blood^[1]to suddenly become hyperactive, high-spirited, or aggressive.

While other members of the Lu family might be hesitant to confront Qin Yiren due to her maternal family and Lu Weizheng, Lu Weiyao certainly wouldn’t indulge her bad temper!

“On such a great day, why are you throwing a tantrum like a spoiled princess? Apologize to your sister-in-law!”

Lu Weizheng frowned and was about to speak. Based on the current information they had, it seemed that his eldest brother was indeed not involved in those matters. However, Lu Weiyao had a poor judgment of people, and whenever it came to ‘true love’, his mind would cloud over, which was one of the reasons why Ruan Rourou became increasingly audacious.

Given Lu Weiyao’s temperament, how would he deal with the discovery that the woman he was married to was such a malicious person?

For some reason, from the moment Lu Weizheng became certain that Ruan Rourou wanted to harm Lu Chenjun, a profound sense of sorrow emerged in his heart.

It seemed to well up from the depths of his soul, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable, to the point where his heart felt like it was about to burst.

Stopping Lu Weizheng from speaking was Qin Yiren. Since the last incident, she had come to a realization.

One’s own happiness was the most important thing, and others’ opinions and judgments were all superficial.

So……

Qin Yiren took two steps forward and stood in front of Ruan Rourou.

Looking down at this elder sister-in-law, Qin Yiren observed her flustered expression and the icy coldness deep in her eyes.

This person was really good at disguising herself.

People like this were truly terrifying.

If it weren’t for Lu Chenjun’s luck this time, encountering Lao Lang and learning about all the incidents from him……

They probably wouldn’t suspect that this woman could have such great ability to do so many things behind the scenes, would they?

Qin Yiren even felt like mocking her past self.

You thought Ruan Rourou is like a dodder flower^[2]a leafless parasitic plant; also called a love vine that’s desperately clinging to Lu Weiyao even if he has a white moonlight and a first love, and could only endure it.

But it turns out she doesn’t care about any man at all. She’s focused and clear on her goals.

“Slap—”

“Apologize? Are you even worthy?”

“Slap—”

“You enjoy acting, don’t you? Then keep on acting!”

“Slap—”

“You really think I, Qin Yiren, am easy to bully, don’t you?”

The three resounding and merciless slaps completely stunned everyone.

Including Ruan Rourou, the one who received the slaps.

She still hadn’t reacted, not until a fiery pain spread across her cheeks.

Over the years, Ruan Rourou had spared no expense on her appearance, nurturing her delicate skin. Yet Qin Yiren didn’t hold back, and under her merciless slaps, Ruan Rourou’s face instantly became red and swollen.

“What are you doing?!”

Lu Weiyao strode forward, but he was blocked by Lu Weizheng.

Seeing that Lu Weiyao was about to launch into another round of accusations, Lu Weizheng spoke up first.

“This woman has attempted to harm my son three times. Five of your female secretaries were also forced to leave the capital because of her. Her methods……”

Lu Weizheng paused for a second and took a deep breath before continuing.

“She was also the one behind Zhao Xuanyi’s miscarriage, who was then pregnant with your child. And there are many more incidents! I’m just not listing them all right now.”

“Brother, do you know what kind of person your wife is?!”

Lu Weizheng’s words were like a bolt from the blue, even more surprising than Qin Yiren’s sudden outbreak of violence.

The household staff nearby quickly lowered their heads, pretending not to be there. If it weren’t for the fact that it would draw people’s attention, they would have wanted to run away immediately!

Hearing this kind of gossip, they were sure they wouldn’t be able to keep their jobs.

“I-impossible!”

Lu Weiyao’s first reaction was to refute.

Immediately, Ruan Rourou, holding her swollen right cheek, began to cry out, “Don’t slander me. How can I possibly do such things?!”

How can this be? How did they find out about those things?

Ruan Rourou knew best whether she had done anything, but it was definitely impossible for her to admit to the accusations.

“Weizheng, if I’ve offended you and your wife in any way, just say it directly. I’ll apologize. How can you slander me like this? Haoyu! Haoyu! Go upstairs first!”

With a desolate and tearful look, Ruan Rourou at this moment seemed to be truly slandered by her aggressive younger brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Her eyes were full of grievances and sadness, yet even in this situation, she didn’t forget to protect her son. Truly a loving mother.

Lu Haoyu was almost nine years old and of course, couldn’t go upstairs at a time like this. He ran directly to Ruan Rourou’s side, glaring coldly at Qin Yiren and Lu Weizheng. “You’re not allowed to bully my mom!”

“Uncle Wang, take Haoyu upstairs!”

Lu Weiyao’s first reaction was also about his son. Regardless of whether the accusations were true or not, it definitely wasn’t appropriate for Lu Haoyu to stay there.

Fortunately, Butler Wang reacted faster. Ignoring Lu Haoyu’s struggles, he forcibly took him upstairs.

“Mom!”

“Haoyu! Mom is fine. You have to trust that Dad will clear Mom’s name.”

In the blink of an eye, Ruan Rourou had already figured out how to extricate herself. She would push all these things onto that person. After all, she could guarantee that no third party knew that she was the one behind those things.

And those who knew were all dead.

As long as there’s no solid evidence, what can Lu Weizheng and the others do to her?

Ruan Rourou understood her husband well. He was extremely self-assured and believed that his woman loved him so much that she would do anything for him. Where could there be any other ulterior motives?

When the time comes, she would shed a few tears, and with a few words from Haoyu, Lu Weiyao would definitely soften and believe her. It’s just that the second branch’s wife……

“Weiyao, you will divorce Ruan Rourou. If anyone else dares to mention a word about what happened here today, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Ruan Rourou had planned everything meticulously, and as her expression became even more distressed and aggrieved, the patriarch’s words made her expression freeze instantly.

Old Master Lu, who made that decision, knew very well that Lu Weizheng wouldn’t said those words in public if he didn’t have solid evidence in his hands.

He glanced at Ruan Rourou who was still crying on the side.

To be honest, Old Master Lu didn’t have much affection for this daughter-in-law.

Ruan Rourou and Lu Weiyao had been together for ten years and she had always been obedient and filial to him. She had also given birth to an outstanding descendant of the Lu family.

But the fact that this woman couldn’t help Lu Weiyao in his career was her biggest flaw.

If Weiyao could marry a wife with a background like Qin Yiren’s, the development of the Lu family would certainly be faster and better.

In Old Master Lu’s eyes, what Ruan Rourou did wasn’t that significant. The only thing that went too far was targeting Lu Chenjun.

After all, he was also his grandson. Old Master Lu still valued the bloodline of the Lu family.

“Dad?” Ruan Rourou’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He didn’t even give her a chance to refute. He just directly pronounced her guilty like this?

“Considering you are Haoyu’s mother, the Lu family will give you some money. You should go live abroad afterward.”

“If you behave yourself, the Lu family won’t go to extremes.”

Although Ruan Rourou had targeted his grandson, Old Master Lu also had to consider the feelings of his other grandson. After all, he didn’t want to sow any seeds of resentment in Lu Haoyu’s heart.

It’s best to send Ruan Rourou abroad to avoid causing turmoil in the household over a woman.

As for after she goes abroad, Lu Weiyao would definitely remarry. He’s only forty now, which is a good age for a man.

However, the other two women who were entangled with Lu Weiyao definitely wouldn’t do. Old Master Lu had already decided to personally select a wife for Lu Weiyao this time, someone who was well-educated, sensible, and suitable in terms of social status.

“Dad! I haven’t done those things! It wasn’t me! Dad! You have to believe me!”

Ruan Rourou still couldn’t believe that Old Master Lu didn’t even investigate. Lu Weizheng didn’t even produce any evidence, yet he directly made such a decision!

This…… This made her schemes, and her ten years of servility and submission felt like a joke.

“Whether you’ve done it or not, you know in your heart.” Old Master Lu frowned. “Weiyao, don’t be stubborn. There are women everywhere. If you’re unwilling to part with her, keep her abroad. You can visit occasionally, just don’t bring Haoyu along. In case he gets corrupted.”

His cold demeanor made it seem like Ruan Rourou was just an object, something that could be disposed of at will without much consideration.

As for Ruan Rourou’s thoughts? Who would care about the thoughts of an object?

If she disagreed, she wouldn’t even get any money.

Old Master Lu was well aware of how Ruan Rourou had been pampered over the years. It’s impossible for her to go out and make money again.

“Dad.” Before Lu Weiyao could plead, Lu Weizheng spoke first.

“Is this your way of handling things?”

There was a hint of stubbornness in his expression, as if Old Master Lu’s response was crucial to him.

Seeing his stubborn and spirited younger son, Old Master Lu softened his expression slightly. He knew that this was not the time to argue with Lu Weizheng, or he would only alienate his son.

After all, if someone tried to harm his sons, he would definitely be angry too.

Therefore, Old Master Lu decided to reason with him and appeal to his emotions.

“Ah Zheng, I know you’re angry, but you also need to consider the Lu family’s reputation as well as yours.”

“If this gets out, brothers fighting amongst themselves, others will laugh at our Lu family. You still have to climb higher in the future, and this kind of thing is a stain! As a man, you need to have a broader perspective. There’s no need to fuss over trivial matters like this.”

“Second Daughter-in-law, I know you’re feeling wronged too. How about this, I’ll make the decision and give Chenjun two percent shares as compensation. What do you think?”

Old Master Lu believed that his reasons were very valid. He was doing this for the good of the Lu family and everyone involved. So, he thought that once Lu Weizheng had calmed down, he would also agree to his proposal.

Old Master Lu keenly noticed that Lu Weizheng’s expression had completely changed, becoming calm yet more unsettling.

Suddenly, he had a bad premonition, feeling like things were deviating from his expectations.

“So, when Mom was on her deathbed and was waiting to see you one last time, and you didn’t even bother to show up for her final moments because of some nonsense project, is that what you call having a broader perspective?”

“So, my own flesh and blood, my cherished son, almost fell victim to harm time and time again, and you call it a trivial matter?”

Lu Weizheng’s voice was calm, more like narration than questioning.

Even to her death, his mother never harbored any resentment towards his father. She even urged Lu Weizheng and Lu Weiyao to be filial to Father Lu. But at fifteen, Lu Weizheng didn’t understand.

Was the so-called ‘interest’ really that important? Important enough to heartlessly miss his wife’s final moments?

After that, Lu Weizheng entered a long period of rebelliousness, becoming what many people would call a dandy until he met Qin Yiren.

It was also because of her that Lu Weizheng learned the importance of emotions, realizing that not everything could be measured by interests.

Moreover, after becoming a father himself, Lu Weizheng firmly believed in this principle. He also wanted to heed his mother’s words, so that in matters that didn’t cross his bottom line, he could refrain from quarreling with his father and the others.

But clearly, today Old Master Lu’s words crossed Lu Weizheng’s bottom line.

“Ah Zheng, watch your tone with Dad.” Lu Weiyao said sternly, standing in front of Lu Weizheng. He didn’t want his brother to argue with their father.

“Dad, let’s investigate this matter further. I think there might be some misunderstanding here. How can Rourou do such things—”

“Enough.”

Lu Weizheng’s tightly clenched fists loosened completely. He looked deeply at the two closest relatives in front of him as if trying to etch their faces into his memory.

Remembering these so-called loved ones, he wondered what kind of faces lay beneath their skins.

“I voluntarily give up all inheritance rights to the Lu family’s property. From now on, I have no relation to the Lu family. We’ll go our separate ways.”

“I’ll reimburse you for all the money you’ve spent on me over the years. As for the rest, the Lu family has also benefited from me in recent years. It’s all been an exchange of interests, so I think that’s fair compensation, right?”

Lu Weizheng smirked coldly, then looked at Ruan Rourou amidst Old Master Lu’s furious reprimand. “I’ve handed over all the evidence of your wrongdoing to the police. Since you’ve harmed people, don’t think you can escape. Let the law decide your fate.”

“The Lu family can’t save you. No one can harm my wife and child!”

After saying that, Lu Weizheng didn’t even bother with the luggage upstairs. He simply grabbed Qin Yiren’s hand and walked out of the door.

From then on, his family consisted only of his wife and son!

Those who only saw their own interests had nothing to do with him!

———pr

Lu Weizheng adopted the same aggressive driving stance he used back in the days when he was street racing. Half an hour later, they arrived at their other residence in the capital, a large penthouse of around 300 square meters.

“Don’t be sad.” Qin Yiren reached out from the sofa and took Lu Weizheng’s hand. “You were super cool just now, Husband! You still have me and Juanjuan.”

Lu Weizheng’s lips lifted slightly at the praise. He then buried his head in Qin Yiren’s arms. “Your husband won’t have any money in the future. Wife, will you look down on me? Can I live off you?”

He was acting pitifully. Even if Lu Weizheng didn’t have the Lu family’s money, his mother was a true heiress. She left a considerable fortune to both Lu Weiyao and Lu Weizheng, which Lu Weizheng inherited upon reaching adulthood.

He wasn’t fond of business, so he had professionals manage it for him over the years. Although the rate of appreciation was average, the large base made a significant difference.

Even if he returned a portion to the Lu family as payment for all those years, the remaining amount was still more than what an ordinary person could earn through a lifetime of hard work.

Of course, it’s incomparable to the wealth of the Lu family.

Once this news got out, who knew how many people would mock Lu Weizheng for his decision?

“Alright, alright. I’ll take care of you. I have money, so I’ll definitely spoil you until you’re fat.” Qin Yiren was in a very agreeable mood at the moment. She gently stroked Lu Weizheng’s hair, which had grown longer, and her indulgent tone encouraged Lu Weizheng to push his luck further.

“I also want to wear clothes designed by you.”

“Okay, I’ll make them for you after the holiday.”

“Wife, if both Juanjuan and I fell into the water, who will you save first?”

“……?”

“Wife~, I want to try a new place tonight.”

Qin Yiren: “……”

Her movements came to a complete halt, and the pity in her expression vanished without a trace.

The next moment……

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, Wife, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Don’t grab my hair, I’ll go bald!”

———pr

Under Lu Weizheng’s intentional manipulation, the Lu family’s affairs quickly spread throughout the capital, becoming the topic of conversation during gatherings over the festivities.

And Ruan Rourou didn’t get to see the end of the holiday either. The police visited her on the afternoon of the day Lu Weizheng left.

With so much evidence in their hands, Ruan Rourou had no choice but to cooperate with their investigation.

If these charges hold true, she’s looking at a minimum of twenty years in prison.

In front of the law, even Old Master Lu would be powerless.

This year, the Lu family was destined to have a tough time.

Meanwhile, Xu Wenyin in Jiang City, upon seeing over half of the progress bar completed and staring at the bright red 52%, burst into laughter.

She indeed had the foresight to not stop Youyou from becoming friends with Juanjuan back then.

When Yiyi and her son return, she must sincerely thank them for ridding evil from the people! Perhaps she could even present them with a banner.

Not enough, not enough! She would buy up all the advertising screens in Jiang City’s shopping malls and continuously play messages of gratitude back-to-back. Otherwise, she felt she wouldn’t be able to express her inner gratitude!

Another bout of laughter ensued.

Fortunately, the housekeepers also took leave to go home for the Spring Festival. Only Xu Wenyin and Xu Youyou were left at home— oh, and Niannian as well.

Otherwise, they would have heard this laughter that would surely scare a lot of children into tears.

Xu Youyou wasn’t frightened by her mother’s laughter. She watched her mother laughing heartily while skillfully and swiftly wrapping one dumpling after another, and instead, looked at her mother with admiration.

Mom is so amazing. Youyou want to learn this skill too.