Chapter 135: Equivalent exchange
No one expected Zhou WenLi to appear at that moment, and behind her was the butler, panting heavily.
Seeing the chaotic scene before him, even the seasoned butler was visibly shaken.
With a furrowed brow, Zhou WenLi took in the mess of the hall and the bruised and battered figures of Yu YueLuo and Li Yue. Her frustration with the Lee family had reached its peak.
"Lee Tian, who would've thought you'd turn out to be a domestic abuser?"
"Mrs. Han, please, let me explain!"
Panic swept across Lee Tian's face---right now, the Han family was his only lifeline. If they abandoned him, the Lee family would be utterly doomed.
But Zhou WenLi raised a hand, cutting him off, her voice calm as she looked at Li Yue.
"Li Yue, no matter what relationship you had with ShuYi before, from today onward, it's over."
Her words were a death sentence for Li Yue.Li Yue's head shot up, pain flashing in her eyes.
"Auntie, it's not like that! ShuYi and I are truly in love!"
"True love? Don't kid yourself. ShuYi only stayed with you out of obligation."
Like a stone plunging into a lake, Li Yue's pupils dilated, and she sank weakly to her knees.
She shook her head repeatedly, fragments of past memories flooding her mind.
ShuYi had always been so close to her, always so thoughtful... And yet, now they were telling her he'd only been with her out of a sense of duty?
"No, it can't be... Auntie, please, let me talk to ShuYi! Just once?"
Li Yue crawled forward, inching closer to Zhou WenLi.
Watching her desperate state, Zhou WenLi took a deep breath, looking at her with exasperation.
She felt that Li Yue had lost her grip on reality---and was glad that she hadn't let ShuYi come along. Given his soft nature, he might have caved in.
"Li Yue, ShuYi told me this himself. I was never pleased with this engagement, not even from when it was arranged with Han HuMing. If it weren't for ShuYi's grandfather, I'd have refused to let you in the door. It's not that you're bad---it's just that you're not good enough."
"I don't want my son to marry a girl just out of obligation. That wouldn't be fair to him."
Li Yue's hands clenched into fists, tears spilling freely down her face.
Zhou WenLi's words were like a knife, stabbing into her heart again and again.
'What if I told you that ShuYi was just using you?'
She'd once thought ShuYi was the one who'd brought her out of the darkness. But as from this moment, she realized it had all been her own delusion.
A certain figure resurfaced in her mind---a boy who had once said those words to her before turning and walking away.
Now, she understood: she'd been nothing but a tool all her life. That person had likely known all along and had even warned her. But in the end, she'd still chosen to leave with ShuYi.
But now, it was too late to go back.
Zhou WenLi looked at the hollow-eyed Li Yue and shook her head in disappointment. She then turned to face Lee Tian.
Her eyes were sharp, her voice like ice.
"Lee Tian, I'm officially announcing that the engagement between the Han and Lee families is null and void!"
"Mrs. Han, you can't do that! This was a marriage arranged by my father and your father-in-law!"
"For the sake of the Han family, I'll gladly take on that burden. Don't think I'm unaware of what's happening---my husband told me everything. Your tax evasion, the money you've siphoned off from the Han family's contracts... If all this were exposed, it's the Han family that would be dragged down with you. Lee Tian, you'll have to pay for what you've done!"
With that, Zhou WenLi turned and walked away, leaving everyone with only the sight of her retreating figure.
Lee Tian's chest heaved as he paled, realization settling in.
He knew it was all over---the Lee family was truly finished.
Grabbing a vase from the table, he hurled it violently to the ground.
Shards of porcelain scattered across the floor, some embedding into Li Yue's leg, but she felt nothing. She looked like a lifeless shell.
The butler silently closed the door, not daring to witness anymore.
And from the hall's security camera, every detail was captured.
...
Zhou WenLi returned home and immediately sought out Han ShuYi.
She told him that if Li Yue came looking, he was to say he was grounded and couldn't go out.
Seeing ShuYi's uncomfortable expression, Zhou WenLi felt a pang of guilt. She moved closer to hug him, offering gentle words of comfort.
She felt her son was simply too kind-hearted. Little did she know that, deep down, Han ShuYi was quite happy. His mother had personally taken care of a troublesome issue for him.
Meanwhile, HuMing sat in his room, savoring the scene that had just unfolded at the Lee residence.
He knew Han ShuYi would try to shake off Li Yue, but he hadn't expected Zhou WenLi to step in and do it for him.
Now, Lee Tian would likely harbor a grudge against Han ShuYi as well.
With that, everything would unfold even more smoothly.
Nodding in satisfaction, HuMing heard a knock at his door.
As he opened it, he found Han YunXi standing there, eyeing him curiously before asking, "Brother, aren't you planning to return to school? The midterms are coming up, and Ye QiuXue keeps asking me about you every day."
"Just tell her I'm fine," HuMing waved dismissively, a plan clearly already forming in his mind. "And as for school, I'll be going back soon."
Han YunXi simply nodded and headed back to her room.
As she left, Kang Xin appeared from around the corner.
"Young Master, are you sure you don't want to inform Miss about this matter?"
"The less they know, the better it is for us. Sometimes, Kang Xin, you have to give something up to gain something else. I understand the principle of equivalent exchange well enough."
"Understood."
Kang Xin quietly withdrew, and HuMing changed into different clothes, heading out.
He had something important to take care of.
...
"Zhao Wei, someone's here to see you!"
A prison guard opened the door, and a thin figure stepped out of the cell.
Zhao Wei looked ghostly pale, as though he'd lost his soul.
When he saw who was in the visitation room, he froze momentarily before a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"We meet again..." Zhao Wei was about to call out to the young man, but remembering that he wasn't really his son, his expression turned slightly uneasy.
Because of a misunderstanding, he and Lu GuiFang had nearly ruined this child's life.
"Yeah, we meet again---though this will be our last meeting. After all, we have no real connection," HuMing said, a smile forming on his face as if there had never been any animosity between them.
But Zhao Wei knew better; the young man's smile was the most dangerous thing about him.
No one could ever guess what he was truly thinking.
"What do you want to ask?" Zhao Wei cut straight to the point, saying his visitor's intent.
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