The moonlight was cold, and her silhouette was bleak.

Li Si tightened her collar, hugged her arms, and stared into the distance, her pair of limpid, long eyes unfocused.

Her dream was to become a music teacher. Perhaps dreams will always remain just that—dreams.

SCREECH!!

An SUV stopped not far away.

His face bruised, swollen, and smeared with blood, Li Changqing climbed out of the vehicle angrily. Upon seeing Li Si standing at the door, he stalked straight toward her.

"Sisi, who exactly was that guy who brought you home yesterday?" Li Changqing's tone was hostile, but a sharp movement pulled at the wounds on his face, causing him to wince in pain. A nameless rage boiled over.

He was the esteemed eldest son of the Li Family, a man who wielded substantial influence in the capital markets. Yet, he had been flipped over on the street, car and all. Not only was he injured, but he had also been utterly humiliated.

"You have no right to know his identity."

Li Si glanced indifferently at Li Changqing, showing no concern for his injuries.

"You…" Li Changqing choked with rage, his face turning beet red.

Li Si continued, "By the way, I promised Mother I will marry Qin Yan."

Li Changqing was speechless.

It was plain to see how his expression became visibly excited, then uncontrollably euphoric. This was so unexpected, so thrilling!

The arranged marriage orchestrated by the Qin Royal Family had sparked intense competition among the powerful families. The Li Family didn't possess a significant advantage, and their chances of winning through fair competition were not great.

As long as his sister married into the Qin Family first, his own affair with Qin Qiu would naturally fall into place.

Ha ha! Li Changqing laughed involuntarily. Though his laughter was restrained, it fully revealed the joy in his heart.

Li Si wore a bitter smile and shook her head gently.

You're all happy, but does anyone care about how I feel? Heh… Perhaps in their hearts, I was always just a piece of merchandise to be traded?

Just as Li Si was about to leave, two beams of light shot toward them.

A white Land Rover pulled up in front of her, and out jumped a short, chubby, middle-aged man with a potbelly and a greasy face.

Yu Xiaoguang? Li Changqing frowned. What's this guy doing here so late at night?

Puzzled, he stepped forward to greet him. "President Yu," he said coolly, "what brings you to the Li Family at this late hour?"

"Hmph!" The middle-aged man, Yu Xiaoguang, snorted heavily. After a brief glance at Li Changqing, his piercing gaze settled on Li Si.

"My son… how did he die?" Yu Xiaoguang's tone was extremely hostile as he coldly questioned Li Si.

"Yu Yang? He's dead?" Li Changqing looked astonished, finding it hard to believe. Although the Yu Family was not as prominent as the Li Family, they were still a powerful presence on Qiyun Road. Who would dare to lay a hand on Yu Xiaoguang's son?

"Today, his body was found floating in the Lingjin River!" Yu Xiaoguang's face twisted grotesquely. The thought of his son's body filled him with grievous pain and a burning rage. That was his only son. Isn't this robbing me of my lineage?

Yu Xiaoguang took a deep breath, his gloomy eyes staring intently at Li Si. "He's devoted all his attention to you recently. Don't you dare tell me Yu Yang's death has nothing to do with you!"

"It does," Li Si admitted frankly, her voice indifferent. "He forcibly abducted me and threatened my Yang. How could he expect to live?"

Yu Xiaoguang was speechless.

Li Changqing was speechless.

"Some people just court death."

After dropping this remark, Li Si turned and walked back into the Li Family home.

"You…" Yu Xiaoguang started to chase after her but was stopped by Li Changqing.

"President Yu, this is the Li Family," he said in a low voice. "Please mind your behavior."

"My son is dead, and he died because of her!" Yu Xiaoguang nearly roared.

"This is the Li Family," Li Changqing repeated, his gaze turning hostile. "And let me tell you, my sister is about to marry Master Qin Yan of the Qin Royal Family. If you don't want your entire family destroyed, go ahead and seek revenge."

Yu Xiaoguang was speechless. In truth, the Li Family alone was more than he could handle. With the Qin Royal Family added to the equation, exterminating the Yu Family would be as easy as flipping a hand.

Suddenly, Yu Xiaoguang felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and the fury that had been raging in his heart instantly dissipated. The enmity for the murder of a son was one that could not be shared under the same sky.

But how can I get revenge? By sacrificing my entire family?

Seeing that Yu Xiaoguang had fallen silent, Li Changqing's expression softened slightly. "President Yu, ultimately, my sister wasn't the one who killed your son. If you want revenge, you can go find him."

Hmm? Yu Xiaoguang was taken aback at first, then stared at Li Changqing with confusion.

Li Changqing smiled. "That guy has improper designs on my sister, so of course, I support your quest for vengeance."

"Who is he?" Yu Xiaoguang asked.

Li Changqing told him everything he knew about Chen Yang, adding a final warning, "President Yu, this guy is very powerful, possibly with the cultivation of an eleventh-rank expert. If you want revenge, you must be thoroughly prepared."

"Thank you," Yu Xiaoguang said before turning to leave.

Watching the Land Rover speed away, Li Changqing's lips curled into a smirk. You little piece of trash, prepare to face the wrath of the Yu Family! To challenge me? You're courting death!

「The next day.」

News of the impending marriage between Li Si and Qin Yan, set to take place in two days, suddenly dominated the headlines of all major local media on Qiyun Road. It was abrupt. Prior to this, not a single rumor had circulated about the affair; the announcement came out of nowhere. Shocking as it was, however, it wasn't entirely surprising. As the saying goes, a marriage should be between social equals. The former pop star and daughter of the Li Family marrying Master Qin Yan of the Qin Royal Family was considered a fitting pair, a well-deserved match.

Gilt-edged invitations from both the Qin and Li families were dispatched to a number of prestigious households. Anyone who received one felt exceptionally proud and delighted, as it was also a symbol of their status and position.

In Meixin Community, the sun was just right. Chen Yang was lying comfortably in the yard, basking in its warmth. Lately, he felt like he had prematurely entered his golden years, spending his days either fishing or reading magazines under the sun. It was certainly a much more leisurely life than he had in Lingjin City.

The sudden visit from a stranger broke this rare tranquility.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Chen Yang here?" a tall, thin, middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses and slick, shiny hair asked, cautiously poking his head into the yard. He had a bag tucked under his arm.

"Who are you?" Yang Hu asked as he approached the man, peeling a banana. The towering, mountain-like Yang Hu was a stark contrast to the slender middle-aged man.

Seeing Yang Hu move toward him, the man retreated several steps, his face turning slightly pale. "I-I am Yu Xiaoguang's assistant," he said warily. "He wishes to invite Mr. Chen Yang to lunch."

"Yu Xiaoguang? Never heard of him," Yang Hu said bluntly.

Chen Yang flipped a page of his magazine without looking up. "What is he to Yu Yang?"

"Young Master Yu Yang is President Yu's only son."

"Oh?" Yang Hu grabbed the middle-aged man by the collar, hoisting him into the air. "So you're here to pick a fight?"

"I… Our President Yu just wants to invite you for a meal," the middle-aged man stammered, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Yang Hu patted his cheek, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "We killed President Yu's only son, and now he wants to buy us lunch? Are you kidding me?"

"I, I…" The man's face turned beet red. Just as he was about to try and explain, Chen Yang waved his hand.

"Since they went to the trouble of inviting us, let's go."

"Alright!" Yang Hu dropped the middle-aged man to the ground. "Well? Lead the way."

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