Chapter 900
Who exactly is behind this?
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a soft golden hue over the Lu family manor, but it could not dispel the heavy gloom in the heart of the mistress, Yin Mingyue.
The luxurious van glided smoothly through the grand gate, and the doors opened silently.
Yin Mingyue gently got out of the car, carrying her son Lu Fan, who was already fast asleep in her arms.
Her delicate face was now shrouded in a lingering melancholy, and her tightly pursed lips revealed a suppressed grievance and anger.
As the wife of a billionaire, she knows better than anyone what kind of turbulent storms lie behind this enviable wealth and glory.
Her husband, Lu Yang, was a man who had come up from the depths of the mountains with nothing but his own hands. With his extraordinary courage, almost obsessive diligence, strong physique, handsome appearance, and the unique temperament he had honed in the business world, a blend of roughness and shrewdness, he was a fatal attraction to countless young and beautiful girls.
Over the years, she has learned to turn a blind eye to some things, ignoring unfounded rumors and not bothering to investigate or take them seriously.
She understood that some things were almost an unavoidable fate in this circle.
However, she refused to budge an inch on the issue of her older sister, Yin Mingzhu.
That was the bottom line she would never allow to be crossed.
In order to completely extinguish any possibility of a rekindling of the relationship between her sister and Lu Yang, she did not hesitate to have a fierce argument with her closest sister and mother, Ma Xiulan. Their relationship still bears an unhealable rift and has not yet been fully reconciled.
She could tolerate her husband having many women around him, but she would never allow her own sister to take that position; to her, that would be a double betrayal.
However, the casual conversation she overheard at the social salon for wealthy women she attended this afternoon after picking up her son from school felt like a poisoned ice pick piercing her heart.
Those deliberately suppressed comments, tinged with pity and schadenfreude, clearly pointed to a "young billionaire from the mainland" who "openly kept a mistress in the port city across the river," "who even bore him a son," "the family of three living happily together, openly accepting photos from reporters," "acting like the empress"... These words, like a red-hot iron, burned her, making her restless.
What made her even more uneasy was the faint, sympathetic glances from those ladies, as if silently declaring: Look, that's Mrs. Lu. Her husband has even had a son outside the marriage, and she's still completely unaware!
At that moment, Yin Mingyue felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her scalp tingled.
She maintained her last shred of dignity and practically fled with her son from that suffocating place.
Along the way, her son's innocent sleeping face formed a sharp contrast with the turmoil of shock, anger, grievance, and shame churning within her.
"Madam, you and the young master are back?" The butler's respectful voice pulled her back to reality from her chaotic thoughts.
Yin Mingyue took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm and even: "Yes. Fanfan fell asleep in the car, let's take him back to his room to rest." She carefully handed her sleeping son to the nanny who came to greet her.
"Yes, Madam." The nanny carried the young master and quietly withdrew.
In the huge restaurant, only Yin Mingyue remained.
The enormous crystal chandelier cast a dazzling yet cold light, illuminating the dazzling array of exquisite dishes on the long dining table: steamed grouper, abalone sauce fish maw, blanched seasonal vegetables... all her usual favorite flavors, but now they exuded a nauseating greasiness.
She pulled out a chair and sat down, facing a table full of delicious food, but had no appetite. She just stared blankly ahead, her eyes empty.
"Madam, why aren't you eating? Is it because the dishes aren't to your liking today?" the cook asked cautiously.
Yin Mingyue waved her hand, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue: "No, you've all worked hard. Go ahead and leave, no need to wait on us."
"Yes, Madam." The cook and the servant standing to the side exchanged a glance and quietly withdrew.
They often assumed that the lady was waiting for the master of the house to come home for dinner.
Sure enough, not long after, the familiar sound of a car engine came from outside the manor.
A moment later, the villa door opened, and Lu Yang walked in with light steps, a clear smile on his face, obviously having just returned from the company and in a good mood. He habitually glanced towards the dining room and found his wife already sitting there.
“Mingyue, I’m back! Today…” he began with a smile, but before he could finish, he keenly sensed that something was amiss.
Yin Mingyue remained seated, her back straight, without even turning her head towards him, as if she hadn't heard his voice at all.
It was a silent yet exceptionally strong stance of resistance.
Lu Yang's smile faltered slightly, and his brows furrowed imperceptibly.
He walked behind his wife, naturally wrapped his arms around her slender waist, gently rested his chin on the top of her fragrant hair, and softened his voice: "What's wrong? Did something upset you today? Tell your husband, who bullied you?"
Yin Mingyue's body trembled violently.
The moment he touched her, the grievances and tears she had been holding back all the way almost burst forth.
She bit her lower lip hard to keep from letting out a sob.
Lu Yang, however, seemed not to be fully aware of the turbulent emotions surging within her at that moment, or rather, he chose another way to defuse this sudden, cold atmosphere.
His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, carrying a hint of intimate teasing: "Don't be angry, look what good things I brought back for you."
As he spoke, he used a little force to turn Yin Mingyue, chair and all, around so that she was facing him.
Then, as if by magic, he pulled an object from the inside pocket of his suit and presented it to Yin Mingyue like a treasure.
"Ta-da! Look!" His smile held a touch of childlike pride. "This is the groundbreaking product that our group's Century Langke is about to launch—the 'Waterdrop' MP3 player! Isn't it beautiful? This is the first prototype hand-assembled in the lab, one of a kind in the world! I brought it back especially because I feel that only my wife deserves to be the first to own and use it!"
Yin Mingyue's gaze was drawn to what was in front of her.
It was an extremely small and exquisite media player.
It is pure, flawless, bright white, with smooth, rounded lines. It is the perfect size to hold in the palm of your hand, and feels cool and delicate to the touch, exuding a futuristic, technological aesthetic.
The front features a simple monochrome LCD screen and a few small buttons, without any unnecessary decorations, yet exuding a pure sense of sophistication.
It lay quietly in Lu Yang's broad palm, like a freshly formed, pure and flawless dewdrop.
Looking at this gift full of technology and design, Yin Mingyue's question, which was originally stuck in her throat and was about to burst out, suddenly seemed to be choked by something and she swallowed it back.
She softened.
Yes, tolerating this man's behavior outside the home is not a recent thing.
She had long since learned to carve out a tolerant territory for herself within the confines of marriage.
Apart from her sister Mingzhu, whom she considered taboo, she didn't truly see the other women as a threat deep down. They were ultimately just passersby, embellishments on her husband's career and ambition, unable to shake her foundation as Mrs. Lu.
She kept telling herself that. But the woman in Hong Kong... the woman who not only appeared in public with her husband, but also gave birth to his son and was photographed by reporters looking "like a family of three"... that's completely different!
This is no longer a simple charade; it's clearly about building another home!
This made her feel an unprecedented and real threat.
However, at this moment, looking at the undisguised, slightly boastful and ingratiating smile in her husband's eyes, looking at the "water droplet" in his palm that symbolized his hard work and cutting-edge technology, thinking of all the good things he had done for her in the past, thinking of everything he had worked hard for this family... that sharp anger and the urge to question were ultimately suppressed by a deeper sense of helplessness and exhaustion.
He did remember her after all, didn't he?
He brought her this first, special prototype...
"What? You don't like it?" Lu Yang asked, somewhat puzzled, when he saw that she was just staring blankly without the expected surprise.
Yin Mingyue lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the turbulent emotions within them. She took a soft breath and whispered, "I like it." Her voice was slightly hoarse.
"I'm glad you like it!" Lu Yang breathed a sigh of relief, and his smile returned to its bright state.
He pulled up a chair and sat down next to his wife, proudly shoving the MP3 player into her hands. He began enthusiastically introducing it: "Here, let me show you how to use it. See, this is to turn it on, this is to switch songs… The sound quality is absolutely top-notch, as clear as the first drop of water in the morning! I've already downloaded your favorite piano pieces here, want to listen? This is our company's flagship product for next year, and you're the first user, so please give me your valuable feedback…"
He kept talking and demonstrating the keys with his fingers, trying to use this new gadget to dispel his wife's inexplicable unhappiness.
Yin Mingyue held the cool, smooth "water droplet" in her hand, feeling its delicate edges with her fingertips. She listened to her husband's familiar voice echoing in her ears, but her heart was filled with a bitter ocean.
This gift, which symbolizes purity and clear echoes, now acts like a cold mirror, reflecting the unspeakable filth and cracks in her marriage.
"Alright," she finally interrupted him softly, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness. "Let's eat first. The food's getting cold."
Looking at her still pale face, Lu Yang assumed she was just tired and nodded, "Okay, let's eat first. Try today's fish; they said it was just flown in."
Dinner ended in a strange atmosphere that was outwardly calm but inwardly turbulent.
Yin Mingyue had no appetite and only managed a few bites.
Lu Yang tried hard to find topics to talk about and liven up the atmosphere, but with little effect.
After the meal, Yin Mingyue put down her chopsticks and said softly, "I'm a little tired, I'm going to take a shower first."
After saying that, he got up and walked towards the bathroom in the master bedroom, his back view appearing somewhat thin and lonely.
Lu Yang sat at the dining table, watching his wife's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs.
Once he was sure she had entered the bathroom and closed the door, the gentle, reassuring smile that had been on his face all night vanished instantly, leaving only a deep, cold, and gloomy expression.
He slowly stood up and walked to the huge French windows, outside which was a meticulously maintained garden, and night was falling.
He took out his phone and, without the slightest hesitation, dialed an extremely secretive number.
The call was answered almost instantly, and a respectful but emotionless voice came from the other end: "Boss."
Lu Yang's voice was deep and cold, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression, each word like it was tempered with ice: "It was me. Immediately find someone to find out where Madam went and who she met after picking up the young master from school today until she returned home, especially... whether anyone gossiped about her."
He paused, his tone becoming even more chilling, "Especially any rumors circulating in Hong Kong. I need to know every detail, what everyone who has been in contact with her said and heard. The more detailed the better, and the sooner the better."
"Yes, boss!" The voice on the other end of the phone responded without the slightest hesitation.
Lu Yang hung up the phone and gripped it tightly in his palm, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
His deep gaze pierced through the glass, looking towards the port city, a cold, unfathomable glint surging in his eyes.
The sound of running water could be faintly heard from the bathroom.
Under the cover of the sound of water, Yin Mingyue leaned against the cold tiled wall, finally unable to hold back any longer. Tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string, mingling with the warm water. She clutched the pure white "water droplet" MP3 player tightly, the smooth body digging painfully into her palm, as if she were holding a block of unmelting ice.
The gift that symbolized a clear echo now felt like a heavy stone weighing on her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Outside the manor, night had completely enveloped the land.
Beneath the calm surface, a deeper and darker tide, triggered by the ripples of the "water droplet," is quietly surging.
"Boss, we've investigated thoroughly." The voice on the phone was completely calm. "This afternoon, before picking up our young master at the 'Yunshang' club, Madam briefly attended a tea break hosted by Mrs. Liu, the wife of the chairman of Hongxin Real Estate. Ms. Li, the daughter-in-law of General Manager Wang of Wangde Building Materials, was also present. According to our preliminary reconstruction of the scene, when Madam left her seat to go to the restroom, she inadvertently returned to retrieve a silk scarf that had fallen on her seat, and happened to overhear Mrs. Liu and Ms. Li discussing something behind her back..."
The voice paused for half a second, as if he was carefully choosing his words.
"Their discussion focused primarily on your relationship with Ms. Du Lingling, the president of Hong Kong Century Real Estate. They mentioned that Ms. Du is the son 'you gave birth to,' and... the images of you two 'looking like a family of three' taken by reporters in public in Hong Kong. Their words implied that you... were kept in the dark."
Lu Yang's fingers tightened suddenly as he gripped his phone, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force.
His face was reflected in the floor-to-ceiling window, his features as sharp and cold as if carved by a knife, the icy glint in his eyes almost freezing the night before him.
The oppressive aura emanating from him made the temperature in the entire restaurant seem to drop several degrees.
"Unintentionally?" Lu Yang's voice was extremely low, like the deathly silence before a blizzard, carrying a chilling penetrating power. "Are you sure that Madam heard all this 'unintentionally'? Mrs. Liu and Miss Li's 'cricket chirping' just happened to 'coincidentally' when Madam turned back? The location, timing, and content were all so precise?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, clearly as Lu Yang's sharp question had hit the nail on the head.
A few seconds later, the voice rang out again, this time with a deeper sense of caution:
"Well... Boss, the information we have so far confirms that Madam did indeed return to retrieve her item, and the timing matches. The volume of Liu and Li's voices at the time... according to witnesses, wasn't deliberately loud, but it wasn't deliberately low either; it was typical for private conversation. The fact that Madam heard them is somewhat coincidental. However..."
The reporter then shifted the focus, revealing the depth of the investigation:
"However, in a deeper analysis of the backgrounds of Hongxin Real Estate and Wangde Building Materials, we discovered a key point. The shareholder lists of both companies conceal related capital from the Li family of Hong Kong. The second largest shareholder of Hongxin Real Estate, 'Fenghui Trust,' is actually controlled by Li Zekai's cousin; Wangde Building Materials, through complex cross-shareholdings, has intricate connections with the Li family's 'Hutchison Building Materials.' Although they appear to operate independently, it is difficult to completely escape the influence of the Li family in their major decisions and capital flows."
“The Li family…” Lu Yang squeezed out these two words through gritted teeth, his voice icy and chilling.
Li Zekai's sinister, smiling face instantly flashed into his mind.
The resentment of being cheated out of a job during the Asian financial crisis, the jealousy of failing at the Cyberport auction... it turns out this was what was waiting for him!
Using such underhanded tactics, they tried to undermine him from within by throwing mud at his most cherished backyard!
“Understood.” Lu Yang’s voice returned to calm, but beneath that calm lay an impending eruption of molten lava. He didn’t ask any more questions, issuing the order directly, each word carrying the metallic stench of blood: “Keep a close eye on Mrs. Liu and Miss Li. I want them to completely disappear from all social circles in Pengcheng. The troubles surrounding their family business should also appear ‘at the opportune time.’ As for the people behind them…”
Lu Yang's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, piercing through the glass as if trying to tear through the distant port city's night sky. (End of Chapter)