Inside the Nian's family home, two couples sat opposite each other in the spacious living room.

One of them was Lu Yongzheng and his wife, while the other was Nian Zhen's parents, Nian Hsin and her mother, Nian Rong. They were sipping tea while they discussed, their faces grave and somber.

"How's Ah Zhen?" Madam Lu asked, her voice brimming with concern. "Is she alright?"

A cold light flashed briefly on Nian Rong's eyes before she murmured softly, "How could our daughter be alright? Being dragged into this terrible scandal."

In her heart, Niang Rong blamed Lu Shen for this stain on her daughter's reputation. Nian Zhen had only shut herself in her room for the past few days since her return from their vacation home, refusing to talk to any of them, which was why no one knew who exactly instigated the kiss between the two. Niang Rong thought it highly likely that it was Lu Shen who took the initiative to kiss Nian Zhen.

She believed that it was impossible for her pure and virtuous daughter to kiss an engaged man. Besides, this whole 'scandal' only happened because Lu Shen had excess baggage. If there was no 'fiancée' hanging on his arm, this kiss would have only been treated by the media as a mark of blooming feelings between a pair of childhood sweethearts.

But Nian Rong couldn't speak her suspicions out loud. The Lus were still the number one family in Beijing, and their son Lu Shen was even more formidable than his family background—it would be unwise to provoke him. She was also hoping that they could settle all this in the past and create a new bridge for their two families to unite. That was the best outcome for all of them.

"Don't worry, Lu Shen's engagement has already been broken," Madam Lu hastened to reassure Nian Rong. "We'll make sure that our son will take responsibility for what he has done to Ah Zhen."

Nian Hsin's face broke into a smile when he heard this. Unlike his wife, he didn't concern himself so much about what the public thought of his daughter. She shared a kiss with an engaged man, so what? In this day and age, was still there a man who could only be loyal to one woman? Forgetting the average joe, he didn't find any fault with Lu Shen's behavior at all.

He was a powerful man, and he could afford to have several women. Nian Hsin knew how almost all wealthy businessmen kept a mistress by the side, and some wives even knew about their shameful secret but kept quiet. They were the ones who earn the money, so it was their right to judge how many women their money could support.

Even Nian Hsin himself had a mistress hidden in a penthouse in Beijing, and he knew Lu Yongzheng had one too.

Of course, Nian Hsin felt a bit displeased in his heart that his daughter had been reduced to become a mere 'mistress'. If it was any other man aside from Lu Shen, he would have disapproved of this behavior quite heavily. But now, Lu Shen's engagement was broken! His daughter would become the next official Madam Lu, and the future lady boss of the Lu Corporation. How could he not smile?

"Auntie, what did you say?" A soft and feminine voice drifted over to them from upstairs. "Brother Shen broke the engagement?"

The four people glanced up. Nian Zhen was leaning over the mezzanine that overlooked the living room, her straight black hair falling like a waterfall over her shoulder. She looked thinner than before, but her eyes were shining, her expression beaming with happiness.

Nian Rong sighed helplessly. This child...ever since she was little, she only had eyes for Lu Shen. Nian Rong thought it would be another case of a waterside flower pining for love and shedding petals, while the heartless brook babbles on [1]. That boy was so cold and indifferent, how could her daughter's sensitive heart endure it?

"Ah Zhen!" Madam Lu's heart ached when she saw her. It was obvious that the scandal had terribly affected her. "You dear girl, look at how thin you are. If Lu Shen sees you like this, he would surely be worried sick for you. Have you not been eating well?"

Nian Zhen quickly went down the stairs and sat next to Madam Lu, grabbing her arm and leaning forward. "Auntie, Brother Shen broke the engagement?"

Lu Yongzheng chuckled and patted the girl's arm. "Yes, yes, the engagement's already been broken. I'm sure you haven't even heard your Auntie's concern for your health. Tsk, our son is certainly lucky to have a girl like you by his side."

Madam Lu smiled and didn't correct her husband's slight omission. Nian Zhen didn't have to know that it was actually that lowly actress who dared to break the engagement first. After all, what does it matter? They were planning to break the engagement anyway!

And Lu Shen kissing Nian Zhen could be interpreted as a silent agreement to their decision. In this way, Lu Yongzheng wasn't really lying.

Madam Lu's smile transformed into a frown as she thought about Lu Shen. That boy, exactly where did he go for his business trip? They had called him a hundred times to talk about forming a new engagement with Nian Zhen, but this unfilial son of hers didn't even bother to answer his phone. How busy did he have to be to not even the have time to talk to his mother?

When she heard Lu Yongzheng's reply, Nian Zhen was beside herself in an ecstasy of pleasure. These past few weeks had pushed her into an abyss of despair, as even her friends talked behind her back when they thought she couldn't hear them. Anger and humiliation warred within her, along with heartsickness as Lu Shen continued to ignore her calls.

But now, Nian Zhen thought that everything was worth it. Brother Shen had broken his engagement with that slut, Brother Shen was wholly hers again! Who would dare to talk behind her back with Brother Shen by her side?

Nian Zhen lifted her chin, enthralled by daydreams of introducing Brother Shen to her friends. Their jealous looks, their gazes filled with envy...she couldn't wait to see it all! You dared to mock me before?

Well, I dare you to mock me now!

[1] Chinese idiom for a situation where a girl loves a boy, but the boy doesn't care. The flower is a girl, of course, and the water is the boy she loves. The image is a blooming peach tree above a rushing stream. A blossom falls in love with the water below, and drops from the branch, offering herself to her beloved. But the water doesn't even notice; it just flows on as before, taking the hapless little flower along with it.