Feel deeply hurt

"Tattoo?"

Xie Qingwan was startled. Her daughter had only been inside for less than ten minutes, but now she seemed off.

What did that mean?

Was her daughter planning to get a tattoo?

"It's nothing, Mom. I was just talking nonsense."

Su Qingli realized she had worried her mother and smiled, saying, "I'm going to find Lu Han."

"Qingli..."

Xie Qingwan wanted to say more, but seeing her daughter quickly return to Lu Han's side, she could only suppress her inexplicable worry for now.

At this moment, Su Qingli not only took Lu Han's hand but also interlaced their fingers tightly, as if afraid of losing him.

She wasn't foolish; she understood Shen Luoyan's words implied she should leave Lu Han, but it was impossible. She wouldn't indulge in such delusions.

This wasn't just about genuinely liking Lu Han.

As the top beauty of Jiangcheng, how could she let another woman take her man?

However, Su Qingli realized she needed to change her strategy.

If she continued being proud and aloof, allowing Lu Han to see but not touch while Shen Luoyan got whatever she wanted, he would eventually grow tired of her.

After all, the power was in Lu Han's hands!

Thinking back to when she felt smug about the additional terms proposed by Lu Han, Su Qingli now realized she had brought this upon herself.

"What did Shen Luoyan say to you?"

Lu Han asked in a low voice, purely out of curiosity.

Though the private conversation between the two women wasn't part of the plan, Shen Luoyan was smart enough not to complicate things further.

"It's nothing much. She just said a lot of bad things about you."

Su Qingli glanced subtly at Lu Ming, then sneered, "Lu Han, I feel Shen Luoyan has deep resentment towards you. It seems like if she can't have you, she'd rather destroy you. Be careful around her."

This was meant to cover up the plan between Lu Han and Shen Luoyan. Though Su Qingli felt a bit wronged, she knew what needed to be done.

"If she can't have, she'll destroy"? 

Lu Ming heard this and looked at his sister, Lu Xue. If Shen Luoyan truly thought this way, she was similar to him.

As it approached half-past eleven, both families entered the banquet hall. The engagement ceremony was about to begin, and preparations needed to be made backstage.

But Uncle Sen stayed outside. With so many guests invited, some were bound to be late. They couldn't neglect those who arrived late.

Today was an extremely important day for the Lu family. As part of the Lu Corporation, Chanson Hotel had prepared its most luxurious banquet hall.

Dozens of tables were filled, with laughter and chatter filling the air, making the atmosphere lively.

When the music signaling the start of the banquet played, the previously noisy hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone turned their attention to the stage.

Upon seeing Lu Zhensheng take the microphone and clearly intend to act as the MC for today, people began whispering among themselves.

They knew Lu Zhensheng valued Lu Han greatly, but they hadn't expected him to go this far.

Thinking about how Lu Han had been found after being lost for over twenty years, they could somewhat understand his feelings. No matter how much importance he placed on this event, it was understandable.

"Dear relatives and friends, dear guests, good afternoon. Welcome to the engagement banquet of my son, Lu Han, and Su Qingli." Lu Zhensheng stood at the golden ratio point on the stage, bowed slightly to the guests, and then looked toward Lu Han, who was waiting below on the left side of the stage.

"My son, on this special day, I have something I want to say to you."

His voice choked with emotion, "Over twenty years ago, you were born, and it was the first time I became a father. At that moment, I decided I would spend my life protecting and loving you."

"But I lost you, and that loss lasted... for over twenty years."

"I know you've suffered a lot outside, and I know you might resent me, but no matter what, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you and taking care of you..."

Lu Zhensheng spoke with deep emotion because these were his true feelings. Most people in the banquet hall were parents themselves, so they could relate to his sentiments.

Many were moved to tears.

"Brother, Dad really loves you."

Lu Xue stood beside Lu Han, holding his large hand.

Next to them, Su Qingli also looked at him, tightening her grip on his hand for comfort.

Only Lu Ming remained expressionless, his thoughts unknown.

On stage, Lu Zhensheng regained his composure and scanned the room. His tone then changed abruptly.

"Everyone here today is an important figure in Jiangcheng. Your presence here is greatly appreciated, but there are some things I need to say upfront."

Lu Zhensheng continued solemnly, "I owe Lu Han too much. What I cannot tolerate now is anyone bullying him."

"So, in terms of public business competition, you can do as you please. If he loses, it means he lacks ability, and I won't blame anyone."

"But if anyone tries to play dirty tricks behind the scenes, I advise you to make sure your actions are clean."

"Otherwise, if I find out, no matter who it is, don't blame me for turning against you!"

"Remember, this is Lu Zhensheng speaking. Even heaven itself can't change my mind!"

His demeanor suddenly became stern, but no one in the banquet hall found him arrogant. Especially Lin Guoyi and Lin Wei, father and son, felt a chill down their spines.

Thankfully, they had backed down in time, or they would have caused a huge problem.

However, a few sharper individuals picked up on the underlying message. Wasn't Lu Zhensheng's speech more of a warning directed at Lu Ming?

After all, since Lu Han returned to the Lu family, who was the most unwilling to accept it other than Lu Ming?

At this moment, Lu Ming's face changed slightly but quickly returned to normal.

"Sorry, everyone. My words earlier might have been a bit harsh, but I believe you can understand my current state of mind."

Lu Zhensheng's face changed rapidly, and he smiled again, "Now, let's welcome our main characters onto the stage. Come on! Let's give them a round of applause!"

As he finished speaking, soft music began playing, and Lu Han walked onto the stage, hand-in-hand with Su Qingli, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

The gentle lighting shone on the couple, making them look like a perfect match.

The banquet hall erupted with applause and cheers, along with some whistles. However, standing deliberately in a corner, Shen Luoyan covered her chest.

It hurt.

It really hurt.

She insisted on attending this engagement banquet not only to put on a show for Lu Ming but also to experience what it felt like to see the person she loved get engaged to someone else.

Had Lu Han felt this heart-wrenching pain back then?

...

...