It Started With a Kiss: Leng Shao's Beloved Wife

Chapter 88: Clan Meeting: The Struggle for Truth

The magnificent Luo family hall was filled with a tense atmosphere at this moment.

Family members gathered together, some whispering, some sitting upright, all waiting for the meeting to begin.

Aunt Luo was the first to break the silence. She stood up gracefully, looked around at everyone, and said in a loud voice, "I've called everyone here today because I have an important announcement. The young master of the Zhou family is a rare talent, a perfect match for our Luo family. A marriage between our two families, a powerful alliance, will surely take our Luo family to the next level!" She paused, glanced at Wu Xinyan, and a barely perceptible sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth. "This is a great joy for our Luo family!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, echoing what Aunt Luo said.

Wu Xinyan, who was sitting in the corner, had sweat on her palms.

She clutched the USB drive tightly in her hand, took a deep breath, and stood up.

"Aunt, I don't agree with this marriage." She said in a firm tone, looking straight at Aunt Luo.

Aunt Luo seemed to have expected this. There was no trace of surprise on her face. Instead, she showed an expression that showed she had seen through everything. "Oh? What's your reason for objecting?"

Wu Xinyan ignored her ridicule and walked straight to the projector, inserted the USB drive, and a document immediately appeared on the screen.

"This is the evidence I found, proving that you, Auntie, have embezzled the family's funds!"

There was an uproar in the conference room. Everyone was talking and looking back and forth between Wu Xinyan and Aunt Luo.

Aunt Luo remained calm. She smiled contemptuously, "Just based on these? These so-called evidences are nothing but fabrications! Xinyan, you really went to great lengths to prevent this marriage!"

Wu Xinyan's face turned pale. She knew that the evidence was incomplete and not enough to completely overthrow Aunt Luo, but she didn't expect that Aunt Luo would refute it so easily.

She wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Aunt Luo, "That's enough! Stop messing around! Someone, take her away!"

At this moment, Zhou's marriage partner, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke... "Mrs. Luo, I think..." Zhou's marriage partner pushed the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose, and a contemptuous smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Mrs. Luo, I see this Miss Wu is so excited. I'm afraid she has other motives. What good would it do for her to destroy the marriage between the two families? Could it be..." He paused deliberately, his eyes shifting ambiguously between Wu Xinyan and Luo Yichen, "She wants to monopolize Mr. Luo and gain greater benefits?"

His words were like adding fuel to the fire, instantly igniting the gossip hearts of family members.

The whispers sounded again, and this time, there was a bit more contempt and suspicion in the words, all directed at Wu Xinyan.

Wu Xinyan's face turned pale. She didn't expect that Zhou's marriage partner would be so aggressive.

She opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but found that any explanation seemed pale and powerless.

She looked at Luo Yichen, hoping that he would stand up and say something, even if it was just a simple word of belief.

However, Luo Yichen remained silent.

He sat in the main seat with a gloomy face, looking at Wu Xinyan with complicated eyes.

He was struggling internally, on the one hand, there were the interests and pressures of his family, and on the other hand, there were his feelings for Wu Xinyan.

He didn't know how to choose. In Wu Xinyan's view, his silence was an acquiescence to Zhou's marriage partner's words and a naked betrayal of her.

A chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to her heart, and Wu Xinyan's heart seemed to have fallen into an ice cellar.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

"I didn't! I wasn't trying to ruin anything, I just wanted to reveal the truth!"

"The truth? Humph, what truth? I think you're just talking nonsense!" Aunt Luo scolded harshly. She gestured to the bodyguard beside her, "Take her away! Don't let her embarrass herself here!"

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, clamped Wu Xinyan's arms on the left and right, and dragged her out.

Wu Xinyan struggled, but to no avail.

At this moment, the door of the hall was suddenly pushed open, and a man wearing a baseball cap holding a camera rushed in... "Excuse me, Miss Wu, there are rumors on the Internet that you..." The flash lights made it almost impossible for Wu Xinyan to open her eyes, and the sharp question pierced her eardrums like a knife.

"Ms. Wu, there are rumors online that you would do anything to marry into a wealthy family. Is this true?" Media person Huang pressed on, putting the camera in front of Wu Xinyan, eager to capture every subtle expression on her face.

"Security! Security!" Aunt Luo roared in exasperation. An unknown tabloid reporter had actually sneaked into the family meeting. This was a great shame and humiliation!

The scene was in chaos, with family members talking and pointing fingers.

Some people gloated, some were full of contempt, and some even cursed under their breath.

Luo Yichen remained silent, but his brows were furrowed even tighter and his eyes were dark and unclear.

Two bodyguards tried to chase Huang, the media person, out, but he was as slippery as a loach, dodging nimbly while continuing to ask, "Ms. Wu, what is your relationship with Mr. Zhou? Are you really trying to ruin the marriage for money?"

Wu Xinyan was restrained by the bodyguards and could not move, but her eyes were extremely determined.

Amidst the chaos, an idea suddenly flashed through her mind, a key clue that she had overlooked - Aunt Luo's recent large-scale investment!

The returns on those investment projects are surprisingly high. Is there something fishy going on?

She swept her eyes over everyone present, and finally landed on an old man with gray hair but clear eyes - the second uncle of the Luo family, Luo Yichen's second uncle, a prestigious elder in the family, who was upright and fair.

"Second Uncle!" Wu Xinyan struggled to break free from the bodyguard's grip, staggered to the second uncle of the Luo family, and said urgently, "Second Uncle, you must help me! Please help me investigate the latest investment of my aunt. I suspect..." She lowered her voice and said a few words quickly in the ear of the second uncle of the Luo family.

Uncle Luo's expression changed slightly. He looked at Wu Xinyan deeply, then nodded slowly, "I understand."

Wu Xinyan's heart calmed down a little, but she knew that this was only the first step.

Aunt Luo will not let her go easily, and this family meeting is far from over.

She looked up at Luo Yichen, only to find that he was looking at her with a complicated expression in his eyes, and there seemed to be a hint of... sarcasm at the corner of his mouth?

Wu Xinyan's heart sank again.

"You..." She started to speak but was interrupted.

Luo Yichen stood up and said in a low and powerful voice: "Everyone, today's meeting ends here."

The conference room suddenly became quiet. Luo Yichen's words were like a cold command, suppressing all the noise.

Everyone looked at each other, not understanding what was going on, but intimidated by Luo Yichen's majesty, they didn't dare to say anything and stood up and left.

When Zhou's marriage partner passed by Wu Xinyan, he snorted contemptuously, his eyes full of disdain and warning.

Media person Huang was carried out by security. Before leaving, he turned around and shouted to Wu Xinyan: "Ms. Wu, we will see each other again!" Wu Xinyan took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

Aunt Luo walked over to Luo Yichen, lowered her voice, and said sharply: "Yichen, what are you doing? How can you just let it go like this! This woman..."

Luo Yichen interrupted her and said in a cold voice: "Aunt, I will handle this matter." He looked at Wu Xinyan deeply, turned and left without stopping.

Wu Xinyan stood there, feeling cold all over.

Luo Yichen's eyes were hard for her to understand. There seemed to be worry, suspicion, and... a hint of disgust in them?

Luo's second uncle walked up to her, patted her on the shoulder, and said softly, "Xinyan, don't worry, I will find out as soon as possible." Wu Xinyan nodded gratefully, and her heart was relieved a little.

But she knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

Aunt Luo will not give up, this battle has just begun.

In the next few days, Wu Xinyan felt like she was in an ice cellar.

Family members avoided her as if she were a patient with the plague.

Aunt Luo even spread rumors everywhere, describing her as a scheming woman who would do anything for money.

Wu Xinyan wanted to defend herself, but found that no one was willing to listen to her.

She tried to find Luo Yichen, but was turned away by him.

The servant told her coldly: "The master is very busy and has no time to see you." Wu Xinyan stood outside the closed door, her heart broken.

She didn't understand why Luo Yichen treated her like this?

Did he believe those rumors too?

Just when Wu Xinyan was isolated and helpless, Aunt Luo appeared in front of her again with a triumphant smile on her face: "Wu Xinyan, do you think you can still turn things around? In this family, no one will believe you! You..." Aunt Luo's words were not finished when she was interrupted by a voice: "Really?"