That evening, Su Ci video called Lu Zhe.
Lu Zhe had classes during the day and would handle company documents at night. As he flipped through the papers, he listened to the girl's voice.
"Lu Zhe, I signed up for a class group activity. You should join too," Su Ci said, hoping they could go together. The activity involved both their classes, and it felt like a mini-vacation for them.
"Hmm? What activity?" Lu Zhe looked up at the girl.
Su Ci was lazily lying on her bed, her face close to the camera. Her fair, delicate face filled the entire phone screen. Lu Zhe could clearly see her glossy, rosy lips and long, distinct eyelashes.
"Hasn't your class monitor told you yet? Our class is doing an activity together with yours," Su Ci explained confidently. "We're part of the class, so we should actively participate in such group events."
Lu Zhe could see the mischief in her eyes and knew exactly what she was planning.
"Alright."
If she wanted him to join, he would sign up.
At that moment, there was a knock on Lu Zhe's door.
He signaled to Su Ci to wait and went to open the door.
Standing there was his mother, holding a bowl of sweet soup. He quickly took it from her.
"I made this sweet soup for you. Try it and see if you like my cooking," Wen Ya said with a smile. She had been a pampered young lady all her life and had never cooked before marrying Lu Chen. But since her son returned, she had started learning to cook.
Lu Chen, on the other hand, was jealous. He had never tasted his wife's cooking before.
"Thank you, Mom."
Wen Ya nodded, her radiant face full of joy. Ever since she had visited the temple and received a good fortune, she felt more at ease.
"Soon, it will be your birthday. How would you like to celebrate?" she asked. She and her husband wanted to throw a grand celebration. When they found their son, they had only hosted a small family gathering, and he hadn't been introduced to others yet.
"My birthday?" Lu Zhe had never known his real birth date.
In the orphanage, the children didn't know their birthdays, so the old director would write some lucky dates on cards and let them draw one. The date on the card became their birthday.
Lu Zhe's previous birthdays were all based on those random dates.
"Yes, Mom didn't tell you before, but your birthday is the day before Christmas," Wen Ya said, gazing at her son with love.
Her son was born on Christmas Eve. She wished for him to live a peaceful and healthy life.
Thinking about how she had only celebrated his birthday twice since his birth, Wen Ya felt a pang of sadness.
Her little boy had grown so tall, taller than her now.
She remembered him toddling around, and now she had to look up to him.
Wen Ya felt both sad and grateful that her son had been found.
"This year, I want to celebrate your birthday in a big way. We need to make up for all those years we missed," she said, determined to give her son the celebration he deserved.
As the heir of the Lu family, he deserved to be celebrated grandly. She didn't want him to feel any injustice.
Lu Zhe had no objections: "You can decide, Mom."
Wen Ya smiled. "Then finish your sweet soup and go to bed early. Don't overwork yourself."
Her son was so hardworking, balancing school and work. Compared to other rich kids who were spoiled and lazy, her son was the best.
Lu Zhe nodded. "I know."
"Alright, Mom won't disturb you anymore." Wen Ya said goodnight and left.
Back in their room, Wen Ya saw her husband sitting on the bed, looking sulky. "Why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing sitting there?"
Lu Chen had already showered and was wearing a deep red silk pajama, which made his handsome face even more striking.
Other men would look tacky in such a color, but Lu Chen managed to pull it off effortlessly.
His hair was still damp, and his alluring eyes seemed to shimmer with moisture.
"Where's my sweet soup?" he asked.
Wen Ya went to the dressing table and tied her hair up, ready to shower. "I gave it to our son."
"No portion for me?" Lu Chen was displeased. He looked at his wife with wounded eyes. "I've never tasted your sweet soup before."
Wen Ya picked up her nightgown. "I only made a little. Next time, I'll make some for you when I make it for our son."
Lu Chen realized he was an afterthought.
His wife's favoritism was out of control.
Lu Chen was furious.
"I just asked our son, and he agreed to a big birthday celebration," Wen Ya said.
"Oh," Lu Chen replied casually. He stood up and walked toward his wife.
"What is it?" Wen Ya saw his wet hair and urged, "Go dry your hair and sleep."
Lu Chen grabbed a towel and handed it to her, smiling ingratiatingly. "You dry my hair, and I'll help you with yours later."
Wen Ya ignored him. "Do it yourself. I'm going to shower."
Lu Chen was shameless. "I'll help you shower, and you can dry my hair afterward."
He happily decided on the arrangement, tossing the towel aside and carrying his wife toward the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhe closed the door and carried the sweet soup back to his desk.
On the screen, Su Ci looked dazed, clearly bored from waiting.
Lu Zhe chuckled. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about what gift to get you for your birthday," she said.
Last time, she had missed his birthday, but now that she knew his real birth date, she needed to make it special.
"You don't have to get me anything," Lu Zhe said. In the orphanage, he had never received birthday gifts. Even after moving to the Zhao family, he didn't get any. He often forgot the birthdays based on those random dates.
Lu Zhe didn't care much about such things.
Su Ci wasn't planning to listen to him.
...
On Saturday.
Luo Minglu didn't have to go to the company. Recently, Ye Xi had been upset with him, and he wanted to mend their relationship.
He had met Ye Xi in college.
Ye Xi was beautiful and gentle, and as the daughter of the Ye family, she was the ideal goddess in many people's eyes.
Like everyone else, Ye Xi was his ideal goddess and wife.
He genuinely liked Ye Xi.
But due to the difference in their backgrounds, many believed he was trying to climb the Ye family's social ladder.
To be with Ye Xi, he had to marry into the Ye family, and even their son took the Ye surname. This had always been a thorn in his mother's heart and a source of frustration for him.
His relationship with Luo Xiaomei wasn't something he had wanted. It was his mother's insistence on having a grandson from the Luo family, and Ye Xi's health issues had led to an accidental encounter with Luo Xiaomei.
Between Ye Xi and Luo Xiaomei, he would always choose Ye Xi.
Luo Minglu pulled his son, Ye Shangjin, over to him. He patted the boy's head. "Shangjin, today Dad is taking you and Mom out to play, okay?"
Ye Shangjin's eyes lit up when he heard they were going out. "Okay, I want to go to the amusement park!"
"We'll listen to Mom and let her decide where to go," Luo Minglu said to his son. "But Mom is still mad at Dad, so you need to help persuade her to come with us, alright?"
Ye Shangjin knew his parents had been arguing, and he wanted them to make up.
The little boy puffed out his chest. "Okay!"
He patted his father's head like a little adult. "Dad, you made Mom angry. Apologize nicely, and Mom will forgive you."
Just like when he snuck snacks from the fridge and got caught, as long as he admitted his mistake, Mom wouldn't be mad anymore and would even give him a kiss.
Luo Minglu picked up his son. "Alright, Dad will apologize to Mom."
Ye Xi came downstairs.
She had been planning to ask Luo Minglu when he was moving out, but seeing their son in his arms, she decided not to bring it up.
At that moment, the butler came to inform Ye Xi that a woman with a child was at the door, asking to see her.
Ye Xi asked, "Did she say who she is?"
The butler replied, "She said her surname is Luo, and you would want to see her."
Luo Minglu was shocked and quickly stood up with their son in his arms. "Tell her to leave."
The butler hesitated.
"Let her in," Ye Xi said, looking at Luo Minglu. "We'll settle this. We'll sign the papers on Monday."
“I disagree.” Luo Minglu furrowed his brows tightly, never expecting Luo Xiaomei to show up.
Ye Xi responded to him, “Uncle Qi, please bring her in.”
The butler acknowledged and retreated.
Luo Minglu tried to explain, “It wasn’t me who brought her here.”
Ye Xi nodded but didn’t look at her again.
Outside, the butler led the way, while Luo Xiaomei held her son’s hand, walking in from the front gate.
She straightened her back, her eyes scanning the surroundings, giving off the vibe of a mistress inspecting her domain.
Luo Xiaomei whispered to her son, “Xiaopei, is this place beautiful?”
Luo Zaipei nodded, “Yes, it’s beautiful.”
Luo Xiaomei was also seeing such a grand and exquisite house for the first time, like a palace. She excitedly told her son, “From now on, this will be your home, and you’ll live here from now on.”
She had heard from her mother-in-law that Ye Xi was going to divorce Luo Minglu.
Once Ye Xi moved out, she would become the mistress of this house.
The butler walked in front, and upon hearing her words, he couldn’t help but frown. He had no idea where her delusions came from, thinking that the Ye Family’s mansion would belong to her.
Luo Xiaomei had come today specifically to show off to Ye Xi. She had endured grievances for so many years, waiting for this day.
She knew Ye Xi was going to divorce Luo Minglu, but that night, when she brought it up to Luo Minglu, he told her not to mention it again.
How could she not bring it up?
She wanted Ye Xi to divorce Luo Minglu as soon as possible.
Luo Xiaomei had deliberately done her makeup, wearing a newly bought tight dress, her walk swaying with charm.
She was the village beauty, known for her good looks and eloquent speech, which made her very popular with Luo Mu. Under Luo Mu's arrangement, she had the chance to be with Luo Minglu.
She believed her life was good, and soon, she would be the president's wife.
Su Ci knew today was Ye Xi’s last day. She didn’t know where Ye Xi would fall down the stairs, so she had sent people to guard around the Ye Family’s mansion.
If Ye Xi left the house, they would report immediately.
If Ye Xi met with an accident at the Ye Family’s mansion, Su Ci had also planned accordingly.
In the car, she told the two little ones beside her, “Later, I’ll take you to Ye Shangjin’s house. You’ll say you miss Ye Shangjin and want to play with him, okay?”
Little Tiancai and Little Su Ning obediently nodded.
Although they didn’t know why their sister suddenly took them to Ye Shangjin’s house, they were now good friends with Ye Shangjin and liked playing with him.
Su Ci patted their little heads.
“Sister, is Brother-in-law coming with us to Shangjin’s house too?” Little Su Ning looked at his sister’s side and asked in a childish voice.
“Little smarty.” Su Ci pinched her brother’s nose.
She turned to look at Lu Zhe beside her, intentionally asking, “Brother-in-law, are you coming in with us?”
Lu Zhe glanced at her calmly and replied, “Yes.”
She had told him today that they were going to save the Ye Family’s lady. Although he didn’t know what was happening, he didn’t feel at ease leaving her alone.
Even with bodyguards around, he wanted to be by her side for anything that might happen.
Inside the Ye Family’s mansion.
Luo Xiaomei stood face to face with Ye Xi for the first time. In the past, she could only sneak a glance at this Ye Family heiress from a distance.
Luo Xiaomei raised her chin, trying to appear more confident in front of Ye Xi.
Luo Minglu glared at Luo Xiaomei, who had run to the Ye Family’s house without permission. “Uncle Qi, take a few workers to clean the garden outside.”
He didn’t want any outsiders present to witness this embarrassing scene.
The butler looked at Ye Xi, waiting for her instructions.
Ye Xi nodded, “Go ahead, and take Shangjin to play in the garden too.” She didn’t want the child to know about these unpleasant matters.
The butler, worried, glanced at his young mistress but ultimately obeyed Ye Xi’s order, “Young Master, come with me.”
Once everyone had dispersed, Luo Minglu said, “Let’s talk in the study.”
Ye Xi nodded and turned to head upstairs first.
Closing the study door, Luo Minglu, in front of Luo Xiaomei, said to Ye Xi, “Give me some time, I’ll handle things with her. You know, we’ve been together for so many years, and the person I truly like is only you. What happened with her was just an accident.”
Ye Xi felt exhausted.
She shook her head, “You like me, yet you could have a child with her. Your son isn’t much younger than Shangjin.”
She looked at Luo Minglu with disappointment, “This is your idea of liking me. If you really cared about our years together, let’s part amicably.”
Ye Xi took out a divorce agreement from the drawer and handed it to Luo Minglu, “Sign it.”
Luo Minglu hadn’t expected her to have already prepared the divorce papers.
Ye Xi had always been gentle and soft-spoken, and she loved him. Once, for him, she had even stood up against her grandfather, Old Master Ye. This was one of the reasons Luo Minglu felt so confident.
Luo Minglu had thought that if Luo Xiaomei and the child’s affair was discovered, he would apologize to Ye Xi and send Luo Xiaomei and the child abroad. Ye Xi would forgive him.
However, to his surprise, Ye Xi wanted a divorce, and her attitude was very firm.
Luo Minglu directly pushed away the divorce agreement in front of him, “I don’t agree.”
Meanwhile, Luo Xiaomei rushed over, snatching the divorce agreement from Ye Xi’s hand, “Minglu, sign it quickly. After signing, you, me, and our child can be together.”
Luo Minglu pushed Luo Xiaomei away, “Are you crazy? Who told you to come to the Ye Family’s house? I’ve told you many times, Ye Xi and I won’t divorce.”
“What are you worried about? After you divorce Ye Xi, the company will be yours, and this house will be yours too. You drive Ye Xi out, and we can live here happily as a family.” Luo Xiaomei had heard these words from her mother-in-law the most, and she loved hearing them.
Ye Xi, a delicate young lady, was only good for being pampered, doing nothing, and spending money. Unlike her, she could manage the household, be filial to her mother-in-law, and take care of the child and Luo Minglu.
Now that she had finally exposed everything to Ye Xi, and the two were arguing about a divorce, Luo Xiaomei was determined to seize the opportunity.
Ye Xi stood aside, quietly listening to their argument, suddenly finding it amusing.
The company and the house were all Ye Family’s assets. Why did they think that once she and Luo Minglu divorced, these would belong to Luo Minglu, and she would be driven away?
Since learning about Luo Minglu’s betrayal and his three-year-old child, Ye Xi had been preparing herself mentally for a long time. Now, watching the two quarrel in front of her, she only felt disappointment in Luo Minglu and guilt toward her father.
Back then, she hadn’t listened to her father’s advice.
Ye Xi walked out, ready to leave them to resolve their dispute.
The car stopped outside the gate. Su Ci got out with the two little ones, and Lu Zhe followed by her side.
Su Ci glanced at the time, only ten minutes left.
The bodyguard reported that Ye Xi had been at the Ye Family’s mansion all along and hadn’t gone out. Therefore, Su Ci could confirm that Ye Xi would fall down the stairs at the Ye Family’s mansion.
The gatekeeper notified that guests had arrived, and the butler hurried over. Seeing the guests, he asked, “May I ask who you are…”
Su Ci replied, “I’m Su Ci. My brother is a classmate of Ye Shangjin, and they had an appointment to visit today. I’m here to drop off my two brothers.”
Ye Shangjin, who was playing in the garden, also saw Su Ci and the others. The little boy ran over like a little cannonball, “Ningning, Tiancai, are you here to play with me?”
Ye Shangjin wanted to open the door and let his friends in, “Uncle Qi, they are my good friends, here to play with me. Please open the door.”
Su Ci looked at the time, eight minutes left.
The butler was originally going to inform Ye Xi, but now seeing that his young master truly knew them, he politely opened the door and invited the guests in, “Let me show you inside.”
“Thank you, we appreciate it.” Su Ci let Little Su Ning and Little Tiancai go play with Ye Shangjin, “You two, don’t cause trouble.”
“Sister, we’re good kids. Good kids don’t fight.” Ningning knew a lot now.
Ye Shangjin patted his chubby little chest, “I won’t bully anyone now.”
“Good.” Su Ci glanced at the time, seven minutes left.
Su Ci and Lu Zhe followed the butler inside.
“Is only Miss Ye at home?” Su Ci asked the butler as they walked.
“Today, we have guests. The two of you might need to wait a bit.”
"Alright, thank you for your trouble."
Were there other guests?
Could it be that Ye Xi fell down the stairs because of the guests the butler mentioned?
Upstairs, Luo Minglu saw Ye Xi walking out and quickly followed her.
Luo Xiaomei clenched her teeth, determined to make Luo Minglu divorce Ye Xi. She signaled her son to wait for her and then ran out as well.
Luo Minglu caught up with Ye Xi at the staircase. He grabbed her and, with a "thud," knelt down directly in front of her.
The Luo Xiaomei who had followed out was incredulous at the scene before her.
"Minglu, are you crazy?" Luo Xiaomei couldn't accept that Luo Minglu would kneel before Ye Xi just to avoid the divorce.
Luo Minglu didn't even glance at Luo Xiaomei. He pleaded with Ye Xi, "I know I was wrong. I was foolish. I shouldn't have done something to betray you. Xiao Xi, please, consider our years of marriage and our child. Forgive me just this once. I'll send Luo Xiaomei and her child abroad; they won't appear before you again."
Luo Minglu looked at Ye Xi with a face full of pain. "I don't want to divorce you."
Ye Xi looked down at her husband who was kneeling before her. The charm, grace, and earnest demeanor he had when they first met in college had gradually faded.
Her voice was soft and soothing, yet it cast Luo Minglu into despair. "A piece of paper stained with ink is dirty, and no matter how you try, you can't clean it. You know I have a thing about cleanliness; I don't like dirty things."
Luo Minglu felt as if his chest had been slammed hard, leaving him feeling both stifled and pained. His expression was utterly humiliated.
Ye Xi walked past Luo Minglu, intending to go downstairs.
As her skirt brushed against Luo Minglu's side, he reached out, wanting to grab her, but his hand grasped nothing.
He turned back to look at Ye Xi.
Ye Xi reached the staircase and was about to descend.
The next moment, a force from behind surged forward, knocking her down the stairs.
