Volume One, Chapter Six: A Scandal at the Engagement Banquet, Miscarriage

The first to leap out in defense of Li Qingran, whom he had always revered as a goddess, was Rong Yue. "Li Qiuning, that’s enough!"

"Who was it that loved Sixth Brother so desperately, begging on her knees just to marry him? Now you’re losing your mind and think you haven’t embarrassed yourself enough, so you try to fling every bit of filth onto others. Don’t forget, you’re hardly a spotless woman yourself. Sixth Brother married you despite enormous pressure, and you’re still making a scene!"

Li Qiuning glanced dismissively at this zealous defender, thinking to herself that the master had yet to say a word, but the dog was already barking first.

"What’s this got to do with you? Why are you so eager to defend Li Qingran—what is she to you, your father or your mother? Or are you so used to being a lapdog that you’ve forgotten how to be a human being?"

Rong Yue’s face burned with anger, and he shot back even more harshly, "Li Qiuning! How can you be so malicious and wicked? What has Sister Ran ever done to deserve your bullying? If you’re angry with Sixth Brother, why take it out on her?"

"Or is it that you’re jealous of how we spoil her? Maybe you should reflect on your own faults before blaming us for our contempt!"

Li Qiuning spat on the floor, then toppled the towering eighteen-layer engagement cake beside her, grabbing a handful of cream and flinging it at him. "Rong Yue, when it comes to being an ungrateful wretch, you’re in a league of your own. Haven’t I treated you well enough all these years?"

"I treated you like my own brother, but what did I get? A wolf-hearted, dog-lunged ingrate! So your precious Sister Ran is a living saint, and I’m just a doormat for everyone to trample?"

"Ask yourself, have I ever wronged you? If your brain’s so useless, might as well use it as a football, at least then you’d be contributing to our nation’s soccer ambitions!"

Rong Yue’s face was smeared with cream, utterly humiliated. He could bear it no longer and lunged to settle the score.

Just then, Secretary Zhang appeared at Ninth Master’s side, bringing another man with him.

Pei Qingzhou, a close friend of Ninth Master and the current heir to the Pei family—no less influential than any of the families present—stepped directly in front of Li Qiuning.

"Young Master Rong, what’s gotten into you? You look positively delighted to be eating shit."

He shielded Li Qiuning publicly, making it clear he was acting on Ninth Master’s behalf.

Rong Yue’s eyes blazed with fury as he glared at him. "Get lost! This is none of your business. Don’t think I won’t hit you."

They were equals in background—neither would back down.

Pei Qingzhou sneered, "You’re no match for me. Don’t be so reckless, Rong Yue. Want to lose face again like last time?"

Rong Yue looked as if his tail had been stepped on, his expression twisted with rage. He stared at Pei Qingzhou, wishing he could tear him apart.

The man in the wheelchair wore a cold, dark expression, his gaze fixed on the woman who seemed determined to make things difficult for him. "Ningning, today is our wedding day. Continuing like this will do you no good."

"Ranran has been innocent from the beginning—stop directing so much malice at your sister."

He still hoped a few words would make Li Qiuning obedient, as she had once been.

Li Qiuning let out a cold laugh. "I’ll say this one last time—I am not here to get engaged to you. Don’t point fingers at me. From this day on, there’s nothing between us, or between me and any of you. Also, I’ll be aborting this child—none of you deserve to see him, whoever his father might be."

She was deadly serious. The moment she decided, without hesitation, to give up the child in her womb, anyone with the slightest connection to her was pushed to the margins.

Even Pei Qingzhou was momentarily stunned. The girl who once clung desperately to Shang Lu, unwilling to let go no matter how she suffered, was now determined to cut all ties.

And she was willing to have an abortion—the child she once treated as her lifeblood.

But he couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it. If this girl really had come to her senses, it would be a blessing for their Ninth Master. No more would she be used and manipulated by others, leaving Ninth Master to clean up the mess—every time, a thankless task. The girl was blind—could she not see who truly cared for her?

Rong Yue, quiet for just a few minutes, now fanned the flames. "Here you go again with your push-pull games. If you really have the guts, go through with the abortion. As if any of us cares."

"Even if you died with that bastard in your belly, I wouldn’t spare you a second glance."

His sneering tone was a world apart from the sunny, obedient Rong Yue who called her "sister" a year ago. Li Qingran was truly remarkable—she had trained them all to heel.

The Shang family watched as the grand engagement banquet descended into farce—no one found it amusing.

Madam Shang forced a brittle smile and rose, her eyes warning as she glared at Li Qiuning. "Ningning, you’re not a child anymore. How can you treat marriage so lightly? And this isn’t your decision alone. The Qin family has already agreed with us—this is a proper alliance."

The Li family had no use for this fake heiress, but with Ninth Master backing her, he had spent no small effort and money to ensure Li Qiuning could marry Shang Lu. Otherwise, how would the Shang family ever agree to let their golden boy wed such a woman?

Li Qiuning pulled a contract from Secretary Zhang’s hands and, before the assembled guests, tore the billion-dollar paper into shreds.

The fragments fluttered to the floor like a shower of petals.

"Since I’m not marrying, anything that doesn’t belong to you will be returned down to the last cent. Madam Shang, maybe I was foolish before, but that doesn’t mean I’ll always be an idiot."

Her eyes brimmed with hatred. In her previous life, she had debased herself utterly for Shang Lu and the Shang family, serving them like a slave just to gain their favor, dignity be damned.

She remembered being two months pregnant, trudging beneath the blazing sun to the orchard to pick the freshest, sweetest fruit for Madam Shang.

She remembered rising early every day to cook their breakfast, hoping to win their approval through her culinary skills, enduring their scolding and commands.

Just last week, she had copied a scripture for Old Madam Shang using her own blood—only for it to be tossed aside without a glance.

As for Shang Lu, he was always out, returning late. He’d tell her to be patient, to behave and be sensible, all while openly cavorting with Li Qingran. She dared not utter a word of protest.

How sick she must have been—not to see through it all until now.

Shang Lu stared at her in disbelief, never having imagined she would choose to abort the child and sever all ties with him.

"Ningning, are you really going to do this?"

"What happened between you and Qin Zhan?"

"Even if the child you’re carrying isn’t mine, as long as you marry me, none of it will matter. Don’t regret this."

He ought to have cut things off cleanly—wasn’t this what he had wanted all along?

But as she truly turned her back and prepared to leave, Shang Lu realized he did care after all.

Yet his pride would not let him yield, nor would he show a hint of regret.

Li Qiuning’s gaze at him had lost all tenderness, her face hardened with icy resolve. "My only regret is ever meeting you. From now on, stay far away from me. The sight of you disgusts me."