Showdown

In the Western Hills of Jingzhou stands the ancestral mansion of the Lu family.

This mansion, which has witnessed the Lu family's glory and decline over the decades, is now brightly lit, maintaining its solemn and luxurious grandeur as always.

The monthly family dinner is a rule set by the old master Lu Chengsi, and it is unshakable.

It is his way of maintaining family cohesion and demonstrating the authority of the patriarch.

On the long rosewood dining table, there are already delicate dishes, each prepared by a famous chef and exuding an alluring aroma.

However, there is an unusual and oppressive silence in the air tonight.

The second, third - generation members of the Lu family have arrived one after another.

The second uncle, Lu Mingshi, the third uncle, Lu Mingde, and the fourth uncle, Lu Minggong, each bring their wives and children and take their seats according to seniority and kinship.

They whisper to each other, but their eyes occasionally glance at the main seat, and their words are filled with the usual calculations and probes.

Lu Mingye arrives late. He straightens his expensive suit and tie and sits down in his own seat as if it were a matter of course.

Recently, although Lou Mengling has returned from Qingzhou, her cold and indifferent attitude towards him has made him quite unhappy.

However, he just thought that his wife was throwing another boring tantrum and didn't take it to heart.

In his opinion, a woman who has already grown old and completely depends on the Lu family and him for a living can't stir up any trouble.

When Lou Mengling, wearing a sapphire - blue figure - hugging dress, walks into the dining room accompanied by Lu Chenyuan, everyone's eyes are drawn to her.

Tonight, Lou Mengling is a far cry from the gentle and smiling eldest mistress of the Lu family who always puts her husband first.

She has a delicate makeup on, which appropriately conceals the exhaustion in her eyes but cannot hide the cold and detached temperament that comes from the bottom of her bones.

She holds her back straight, slightly raises her chin, and calmly scans everyone present without the slightest ripple, as if she is looking at a group of strangers who have nothing to do with her.

She is like a sword in its scabbard. Although it is not drawn, the chilling aura has already made the surrounding air freeze.

Lu Chenyuan stands silently beside his mother like a mountain.

He still looks calm and composed, but anyone who knows him well can feel that the aura he brings today is stronger and sharper than ever.

He is not here to attend the family dinner; rather, he is here to support his mother.

"Mengling, what's going on? I called you but you didn't answer." Lu Mingye frowns and opens his mouth dissatisfiedly, with a habitual questioning tone in his voice.

Lou Mengling doesn't even look at him. She just walks straight to her seat and sits down gracefully.

This silent disregard is more humiliating than any fierce quarrel.

Lu Mingye's face immediately turns a bit ugly. Just as he is about to lose his temper, Lu Chengsi on the main seat gently taps the ground with his walking stick, making a dull sound.

"Everyone is here. Let's start the meal." The old master's voice is old and majestic, and his cloudy eyes are shining with a shrewd light that sees through everything.

He has already noticed the undercurrent between his eldest son and daughter - in - law, but he doesn't point it out. He just wants to see what they are up to.

The dinner begins in a strange atmosphere.

No one dares to make a loud noise. There are only the occasional crisp sounds of tableware colliding.

Lou Mengling eats very little. She moves gracefully and slowly, as if she is performing some kind of ritual.

She doesn't talk to anyone and doesn't respond to any looks cast at her.

As time passes, the oppressive atmosphere makes everyone feel uneasy.

Finally, when the dinner is halfway through, Lou Mengling gently wipes the corner of her mouth with a napkin and puts down her ivory chopsticks.

The crisp sound is particularly abrupt in the silent dining room. Everyone stops their actions simultaneously and looks at her in unison.

She ignores everyone's gazes and turns her eyes to Lu Chengsi on the main seat. Her voice is not loud, but every word is clear and forceful.

"Dad, actually, I have something to announce publicly today."

Lu Mingye's heart skips a beat. An ominous premonition arises in his mind. He shouts sternly:

"Lou Mengling! What are you up to again? Can't you talk about it at home? Do you have to make a fool of yourself in front of the whole family?"

Lou Mengling slowly turns her head and looks at her husband with a look of almost pity for the first time in more than twenty years.

There is no love or resentment in her eyes, only the coldness of seeing through everything.

"At home?" She repeats these two words softly, with a sad and mocking arc on her lips.

"Lu Mingye, which is my home? Is it the home of you, that woman outside, and your son?"

"Boom!"

This sentence explodes like a thunderbolt in the dining room!

A woman outside? A son?

Except for Lu Chenyuan, who has known about it for a long time, all the members of the Lu family present are full of shock and consternation.

Lu Mingye's face turns deathly pale in an instant, losing all color.

He seems to be instantly drained of all his strength. His lips tremble, and he can't say a single word.

He never thought that this thing he thought he had hidden so well would be exposed by Lou Mengling in such a cruel way in front of the whole family!

"You... You're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!" After a brief silence, Lu Mingye suddenly stands up and roars bravely on the outside but timidly on the inside, trying to cover up his guilt with his loud voice.

"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you know best in your heart." Lou Mengling's tone is still terrifyingly calm.

She doesn't look at Lu Mingye's distorted face anymore. Instead, she turns to Lu Chengsi again, with a desperate sadness in her voice.

"Dad, I, Lou Mengling, have been married into the Lu family for more than twenty years. I think I've made contributions and endured hardships. I've given birth to children for the Lu family and taken care of the household chores without a single complaint. I thought that even if there was no love, there should be at least some affection between husband and wife and some moral bottom - line."

She pauses for a moment, and the last trace of tenderness in her eyes is completely replaced by coldness.

"But now it seems that it's all my wishful thinking. So, I've made up my mind."

She takes a deep breath. Every word seems to be squeezed out between her teeth, but there is also a kind of catharsis of going all out.

"I want to divorce Lu Mingye."

"Whoa!"

There is an uproar in the dining room!

Divorce. In a top - tier wealthy family like the Lu family, divorce is not just a matter between two people. It involves family face, property division, and the decades - long in - law relationship with the Lou family.

This is definitely an earthquake that will shake the entire upper - class society of Jingzhou!

"Absurd! This is simply absurd!" Lu Chengsi finally gets angry. He heavily smashes his walking stick on the ground, making a loud "thud" sound.

This time, most of his anger is directed at his useless son.

"You good - for - nothing! Look what you've done!" He points at Lu Mingye and trembles with anger.

"Dad, don't listen to her nonsense! She's crazy! All these are fabricated by her to frame me!" Lu Mingye was still making his last-ditch struggle, trying to shift all the blame onto Lou Mengling.

Lou Mengling gave a cold laugh and stopped wasting words on him.

She took out that kraft paper file bag from her handbag she carried with her, and then resolutely poured out all the things inside onto the smooth dining table.

Photos and documents scattered like snowflakes.