This statement landed like a depth charge, striking Lu Mingzhe with a shock that made him spring to his feet.
He stared at his mother as if she were a monstrous beast.
"What do you want? What are you trying to do now?"
"You forced her to the point where she couldn't even survive in Nancheng. She had to flee with her nearly eighty-year-old grandmother to another place, and now she has a premature baby. Are you still not going to let her go?"
"Do you care so much about some damned 'suitable matches'? Are you that obsessed with money?"
"What do you take me for? Am I even considered human? You arranged blind dates for me as a child, and now you dictate who I can find as a girlfriend as an adult. Am I an unfeeling creation, devoid of emotion?"
"Before, I was grateful to you for giving me life, and I know it wasn't easy raising me and my brother all these years, so I've been reluctant to truly hurt you. But now—"
"Mom, I swear to you, if you dare to do anything, no matter how small, to wrong Xiang Wan and her daughter again, I will not only disown you, but I will also hold you legally accountable for your actions!"
Madam Lu knelt on the ground, gazing at her beloved son, her face a mask of alternating paleness and redness.
The few people present were both shocked and confused by the scene between mother and son.
She was an elder; how could she remain kneeling on the ground?
Madam Fang walked over, intending to help her up.
"Sister, the ground is cold. Let's talk after you stand up. What's going on? You and Ah Zhe..."
Madam Lu shook her head, refusing the offer.
"No need. I am a sinner, I have wronged all of you here. I might as well stay kneeling. It will bring me some peace of mind."
Madam Lu was about to shame her husband of many years, her face dark with displeasure.
"What exactly is going on? What have you two been up to behind my back?"
"What is this about not being able to survive in Nancheng, premature birth, mother and daughter, what's really happening?"
Madam Lu had embarrassed her husband in front of outsiders today, lowering her head to him for the first time in her life.
However, before she could explain, Fang Shuya interjected.
"Dad, you're being a terribly incompetent head of the household. Even I, an outsider, have heard about Ah Zhe harming himself for a woman and nearly dying. You, the patriarch, are completely unaware?"
Fang Shuya had always acted as if she adored Lu Mingzhe, and he was confident she would maintain decorum even after their breakup.
But today, he truly understood the ruthlessness of a woman's change of heart.
"Ya Ya, it's all my fault regarding our situation, it has nothing to do with anyone else. Please don't stir up trouble."
"I know what I should and shouldn't say about my own affairs. Let's leave each other with some final dignity."
Fang Shuya sneered, "What did I say? Are you afraid I'll say she's indecent? That she was the 'other woman' during your marriage? Are you protecting her for fear of others calling her names?"
"It seems she has some skills. Not only could she make you harm yourself for her, but she also managed to get you divorced twice. Despite her low birth, she's quite adept at charming men!"
As she spoke in anger, her features contorted with jealousy by the end.
Lu Mingzhe felt she was a stranger, like a cold, monstrous being stripped of its mask. He felt even more fortunate to have Xiang Wan in his life.
"Miss Fang, as I said, marrying me delayed you by half a year, and that's my fault. I admit it. Therefore, you can have my apartment, my car, and all my savings."
"If you feel that's not enough, feel free to state any other demands. I will do my best to meet them."
"But please, do not involve anyone else. This is my last word of advice: if you dare to say another critical word about her, don't blame me for turning ruthless."
"You!"
His uncompromising protection was one thing, but this direct defense felt like countless resounding slaps to Fang Shuya's face.
Her slender body trembled violently; she was so enraged she could barely stand.
"I can't talk about her? She's innocent? She was with you during your marriage and had a child, and she's truly innocent!"
"Lu Mingzhe, what do you mean by 'turning ruthless'? Have you ever been affectionate towards me? You cheating husband!"
"Speaking to me like this in front of everyone? I was your second wife, after all. Does that reflect well on you?"
"You praise her like she's a flower. If you love her so much, then marry her! Elopement with her! You don't dare to take any responsibility, only spouting empty words of deep affection. I must have been blind to fall for you!"
Seeing them start to argue again, and Fang Shuya becoming overly agitated, Madam Lu stepped in again.
"Alright, Ya Ya, stop talking about him. As I said, it's my fault regarding his matter with Xiang Wan!"
She had been hesitant to speak, but the provocation prompted Madam Lu to blurt out all the bad things she had done to Xiang Wan.
"Ah Zhe is right. I was selfish, overbearing, unreasonable, and arrogant before."
"I always thought that as a mother, I was always right, and my children must obey me, otherwise, they were unfilial and going downhill."
"But seeing how miserable Ah Zhe was after Xiang Wan left, and Ah Xu also scolded me for being wrong and spoke highly of Xiang Wan, I finally realized my mistake."
"Poverty and adversity can indeed limit a person's horizons and social class, but excellent qualities are not restricted by them."
"Xiang Wan doesn't steal or cheat, she is neither servile nor overbearing, and she made her way from a small town to Nancheng through her own efforts. Although her achievements seem insignificant to me, the qualities reflected behind them should not have been overlooked by me."
"I regret it deeply. I've played the role of a gentle and virtuous person my entire life, taking meticulous care of all the younger generations around me, but Xiang Wan alone..."
"I am sorry for her. The thing I regret most in my life is... Ah Zhe, I've been keeping an eye on her recently, not for any other reason than to find an opportunity to apologize to her."
"Truly. I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong... It's just that because of your relationship with Ya Ya, I dared not approach her rashly."
"Today, the reason you and Ya Ya have reached this point is entirely my fault. Mr. Fang, Mrs. Fang, please do not be too harsh on Ah Zhe. From beginning to end, it was truly all my mistake."
"I can apologize to you, or offer financial compensation. Just let them part ways amicably. I'm sorry!"
Although Lu Mingzhe had resented his mother for her forceful intervention in his relationship with Xiang Wan, he felt a sense of helplessness seeing her so timid and subservient in front of him afterward.
Today, seeing her bow her head, which she had held high her entire life, for his sake, she was still his mother, and it was more agonizing for him than if he himself had been killed.
"Mom, it's okay. Get up and talk!"
"Ah Zhe..."
While the Fang parents were shocked, Fang Shuya stepped forward.
"Did you two plan this in advance?"
"Your stories are remarkably consistent. It's hard not to suspect you rehearsed this. What, you didn't want to give me this house, but you couldn't say it directly, so you sacrificed your dignity to act out a tragic drama?"
"I knew early on that the Lu family's fortunes weren't what they used to be. Relying on Director Lu alone to support the family, living off past glories every day, but it shouldn't have come to this..."
Lu Mingzhe felt that her jealousy had completely clouded her judgment. If she continued, their relationships might completely shatter.
"I have sincerely expressed my apologies and stated I will compensate you as much as possible. Fang Shuya, if you keep going on like this, it's pointless."