"The Feng Family intends to call off the engagement—do you have any objections?"
Feng Xuanming asked, pausing deliberately after each word.
As he spoke, his gaze was fixed solely on Chu Liangxia, without glancing at Chu Yunxiao or Lou Ruhui, as if the marriage only needed Chu Liangxia's approval to be dissolved.
Chu Yunxiao looked at Chu Liangxia threateningly, while Lou Ruhui subconsciously glanced at Mu Yingying, receiving a confirming look in return.
Chu Liangxia's eyes narrowed slightly.
She properly controlled the nervousness within her heart.
After a brief pause, Chu Liangxia subdued the light in her eyes and spoke with composure, "I dare not."
As soon as her voice fell, Chu Yunxiao's expression changed dramatically, but a subtle hint of surprise also flashed across the faces of Lou Ruhui and Mu Yingying.
They had absolutely not expected that not only would Chu Liangxia's response be decisive, it also carried an implication of accusation.
"Is it that you don't dare, or you don't wish to have any?" Feng Xuanming's eyes darkened, his voice intimidating and interrogative.
Chu Liangxia frowned slightly and took a moment to think.
"Uncle Feng, the betrothal was based on a promise made in our childhood, and it was your Feng Family who proposed it. Now, it is also your Feng Family who wants to call off the engagement. Throughout this marriage, the Feng Family has been in the dominant position. I believe Uncle Feng is aware that your word is final," Chu Liangxia said calmly, without a trace of anger, "I naturally wouldn't dare."
In that instant, Feng Xuanming laughed, his laugh filled with thick sarcasm, "Do you know why our Feng Family wants to call off the engagement?"
"I don't know," Chu Liangxia answered.
The Chu Family had always treated the Feng Family with the utmost caution, never daring to offend them. If the Feng Family sought a reason to break off the engagement, it surely had to be due to her.
So—
For what reason?
She truly did not know.
Feng Xuanming's expression turned cold.
"Bring the items here," Feng Xuanming commanded a maid standing by.
The maid nodded.
Quickly, she took a very full envelope from a table behind her and also retrieved a stack of photographs, which she handed to Feng Xuanming.
Without even looking at them, Feng Xuanming placed them on the coffee table and slid them over to Chu Liangxia.
Chu Liangxia frowned slightly and glanced down at the stack before picking it up.
She flipped through a few photographs.
There were pictures of her dining with friends from the television station, of her and Master Ling visiting a skewer restaurant, and even more of her entering and leaving the home of the station director.
They were a mix of various photos with colleagues and friends, but all depicted in seemingly intimate encounters.
Chu Liangxia began to understand.
Regarding the television station friends, she was treated to a meal in return for a favor; Master Ling was a friend of shared tastes, and visiting his home to scrounge meals was a regular occurrence, with countless invitations to skewer feasts; as for that station director...
She had specifically gone to visit his wife.
His wife was her former high school teacher who had recently taken ill, and some classmates had requested her, as the class president, to visit.
So, based on these photos, they were concluding that she had improper relations?
However—
What she was more interested in was where these photographs came from?
Would the Feng Family stoop to such pettiness?
Otherwise—
Her gaze turning cold, Chu Liangxia casually glanced at Lou Ruhui, and in the moment their eyes met, Lou Ruhui consciously looked away.
"Regardless, I hope for a reasonable explanation."
Seeing the calmness in Chu Liangxia's demeanor, Feng Xuanming spoke with a grave tone.
The girl was not panicked.
If she wasn't exceedingly bold, then she must be innocent.
"No need for that. As for the act of secretly photographing my private life, there's nothing more to say."
With Chu Liangxia's lazy voice, the photo in her hand snapped back onto the coffee table with a "plop".
At the same time, as her words ended, the atmosphere in the living room became inexplicably severe and tense.
Sets of eyes fell on Chu Liangxia simultaneously.
Chu Liangxia's face was cold, her brows faintly revealing anger.
"Chu Liangxia, explain yourself to me!"
Chu Yunxiao suddenly roared in anger, glaring furiously at Chu Liangxia.
"As you can see, without the protection of the Chu Family, I could only resort to some unsavory tactics," Chu Liangxia said coldly, standing up, her gaze sweeping past Chu Yunxiao and then landing on Feng Xuanming, "Uncle Feng, calling off the engagement for the sake of your son was a wise decision. I indeed am not worthy of your son. However, one thing,"
After a slight pause, Chu Liangxia calmly met Chu Yunxiao's gaze and stated word by word, "The Feng Family is a prestigious family, I trust you wouldn't stoop to my low methods. So, I hope my future life won't change too much, including my job."
Chu Liangxia spoke these words very slowly, her speech clear, each word steady and forceful.
She was speaking to Feng Xuanming, but in fact, she was hinting at Chu Yunxiao.
She had made it clear to the Feng Family that she did not want any changes to her job, whereas Chu Yunxiao had initially used her "job" as leverage. If she did end up losing her job, then all the blame would fall on the Feng Family.
At that time, the Feng Family would surely investigate!
Chu Yunxiao didn't have the guts for that.
Feeling the fierce and chilling gaze, Chu Liangxia indifferently glanced at Chu Yunxiao.
Her hanging hands unwittingly clenched tight.
The Chu Family gave birth to her and raised her. In terms of sentiment and reason, she ought to do something, but Chu Yunxiao's behavior, no matter how she acted and being willing to protect his marriage at all costs—
Could he still be considered a father?
Compared to that, if fighting for the marriage would allow Chu Yunxiao to continue strutting proudly, she would rather bear the unbearable rumors and gossip.
After all, she didn't care for it.
The living room was silent.
Everyone looked at Chu Liangxia, but no one took the initiative to speak first.
However, the already tense atmosphere, at that moment, reached an almost suffocating level, Chu Liangxia felt like even breathing was extremely difficult.
Therefore, she was grateful for the vibrating phone for the first time.
"Excuse me, I need to take a call."
Taking a deep breath, Chu Liangxia said, then grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
No one called out to her, no one stopped her.
As she walked out the door, a cool breeze hit her face, seemingly blowing away the emotions in her heart in an instant. Chu Liangxia slightly lifted her eyes, and before she realized it, they felt stinging and sore.
Arriving at the corner of the corridor, Chu Liangxia took out her phone, leaned against the wall, and took the call.
"Beauty, you finally answered the call. Look, my phone battery is almost dead. By the way, how have you considered…"
Her already tangled mind felt like each word from the other end was a needle piercing into it, causing throb after throb of pain.
She forced herself to calm down.
Judging by the voice, the person was at least forty, not articulate, hard to understand, and the sleazy tone could only be described with one word: "perverted".
Hooking up the corner of her lips, Chu Liangxia maintained a gentle tone,"I'm sorry, my family is annoying me about my marriage, so they put my information in many places. May I ask, where did you see it?"
"Oh, I saw it on XX website..."
Click.
As soon as she got the information, Chu Liangxia hung up the phone and swiftly blacklisted the number.
Grasping her phone, her actions tightened. Chu Liangxia's amiable smile gradually faded, replaced by a surge of nameless anger.
Then, Chu Liangxia took a deep breath, rubbed her forehead, and found "Lord Ling San's" number and dialed it.
Meanwhile—
Around the corner, a hint of pine green lingered for a long time. Just as it was about to leave, a voice full of rage, completely different from the one before, was heard—
"Damn it, I don't know which vile bastard has smoked up his ancestors' graves by putting my phone number on a dating site!"