After returning home with the child, her ex-husband knelt down and gently coaxed her.

The man was tall with long legs, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist; his deep, cold features flickered in and out of focus in the dim light.

As he approached, Anning smelled the scent of sandalwood and cedar floating in the air.

In the cramped stairwell, a powerful sense of oppression swept over us.

Just as An Ning was about to run away, her wrist was suddenly grabbed and she was forcefully slammed against the wall.

Lu Xiyan gripped her slender wrist tightly, staring intently into her bright eyes.

He clearly hated her to the core!

But when he saw her become the target of public criticism, he did not gain the satisfaction he had imagined.

He raised his hand and pinched her chin, looking at her stubborn yet pitiful appearance, he wished he could bite her to death!

He really wanted to ask her: Anning, did you dump me just to live this kind of life?

The words that were on the tip of her tongue turned out as, "You never bothered to take the things I gave you, so why did you keep that pen?"

He stepped forward, pressing, "Hmm? Ex-wife?"

Hearing the words "ex-wife," An Ning's mind went blank.

Her chin was pinched painfully, and she was pinned between him and the wall, unable to escape.

The air around him was filled with his aura—cold, arrogant, and captivating.

An Ning felt a dryness in her throat. It turned out he remembered everything, but had simply chosen to ignore it before.

She met his questioning gaze, staring into his dark eyes, and said, "I can't bear to."

The hand gripping her chin and wrist trembled slightly, but then the pressure remained.

"What are you reluctant to part with?"

An Ning smiled slightly, "Because it's expensive and hard to buy, I can't bear to part with it."

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that the man's deep eyes had turned several degrees colder, like a bottomless, icy pool.

"Is that so?" Lu Xiyan sneered. "Give it back to me."

An Ning was startled, not expecting him to ask her to take the pen back.

"Mr. Lu, that pen is mine!"

Lu Xiyan gave a mocking smile. "Ms. An, I bought that pen. I have the right to take back what I gave away."

An Ning panicked, "Mr. Lu has no right to take back gifts given during the marriage!"

"Whether you have the right or not, my lawyer will tell you." Lu Xiyan's voice was cold and arrogant, with a hint of disdain and flippancy. "Of course, if Ms. An insists on keeping that pen, she can buy it back at the original price."

His eyes were downcast, but a smile played on his lips. "It's a special Italian order, not expensive, three million."

Anning looked at him in disbelief as his grip on her wrist tightened suddenly.

He knew perfectly well that she couldn't even come up with two thousand eight hundred, yet she was asking for three million.

He did it on purpose, deliberately forcing her.

Should we make her beg for mercy? Apologize?

She should still cry her heart out in front of him and say, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dumped you."

An Ning's clenched fist suddenly loosened, as if releasing all the force.

"Okay, I'll give it back to you."

Lu Xiyan stared at her cold, stubborn face, his eyes like icicles.

Just then, the cleaner's voice came from the stairwell.

"Huh? Why is the hallway door open?"

The sound gradually became clearer; it was about to come in.

An Ning's heart pounded wildly.

This is Ou Teng; everyone here knows Lu Xiyan.

If someone were to see the two of them in this position in the hallway, it would cause countless rumors and gossip.

But Lu Xiyan clearly had no intention of backing down.

Just as the stairwell door was pushed open from the outside, An Ning tensed up, her whole body stiffening with tension as the tall figure of the man suddenly loomed over her.

Anning was pinned against the wall by him, and then his handsome face loomed large in front of her, stopping beside her face.

An Ning's body suddenly stiffened.

Their posture looked...like they were kissing.

It's very ambiguous.

The cleaning lady opened the door, glanced inside, and was so startled that she said "Excuse me, excuse me" and quickly went out and closed the door.

I could still faintly hear her saying as she walked, "Young people these days, their relationships are so crazy..."

The man's breath brushed against her earlobe, and An Ning's face paled.

She heard the man use the most suggestive posture to say the most heart-wrenching words.

"Ms. An, please remember this: anything that belongs to me, Lu Xiyan, do not try to argue with me about ownership. I will take it all back."

Anning's shoulders trembled, and she asked in a trembling voice, "All of them?"

Lu Xiyan pulled away from her, took a step back, and resumed his previous aloof and unapproachable demeanor.

He glanced at her pale face. "All of it."

An Ning pinched her palm with her fingertips, watching the man turn and walk out step by step.

His tall, aloof figure resembled an arrogant god.

She was like an ant being trampled underfoot.

An Ning's tears slid down her cheeks.

all?

Will it also include... StringString?

......

First floor of Auten Group.

The black Bentley stopped at the gate.

The back door opened, and a pair of stiletto heels touched the ground as a young woman in a custom-made white dress stepped out of the car.

Upon entering the lobby, the staff bowed and greeted her, "Hello, Ms. Cheng!"

All employees of the Ou Teng Group knew about the marriage between the Cheng and Cheng families, and that the Cheng Group's daughter would soon become their boss's wife.

As ordinary people know, a business alliance is a powerful combination, adding icing on the cake, and also means that the group's business will reach a new level.

Cheng Wanwan nodded gently, her beautiful face always smiling, showing no airs of a rich heiress.

As she walked toward the elevator, people in the lobby began to gossip quietly.

"This heiress of the Cheng Group is beautiful, kind-hearted, and has a good temper. She often brings gifts to visit our CEO Lu. She and our CEO Lu are a perfect match."

"Right, they seem quite happy and well-matched now, but actually, the waters run deep in these wealthy families," a long-time employee whispered. "I heard that our CEO Lu didn't want to marry into the Cheng family before, apparently because he had a girlfriend he was very much in love with."

Sensing the spice of gossip, several people joined in the conversation.

"Oh? Is that so? How come we've never heard of it?"

"That was several years ago. Rumor has it that the second young master of the Lu Group, our CEO Lu, had a very high-profile and sensational relationship that shook the entire Jinghai. But for some reason, the relationship suddenly ended. And overnight, all the news about 'the second young master of the Lu family's girlfriend' was removed from the internet, and since then, no one has been found on the internet."

"Really? That's amazing!"

"Not only that, but no information or photos of the woman are allowed to be disseminated. It's as if the girl vanished overnight."

"My God! Who is this girl? Is she a celebrity, or does she have some other secret identity?"

"I don't know for sure. Anyway, there are all sorts of rumors online, and everyone is guessing that the woman who could make the Lu family go to such lengths must be no ordinary person..."

The gossip gradually faded away.

Cheng Wanwan's smile gradually faded until she stepped into the elevator. It was as if the smiling mask on her face was instantly removed, revealing her anger.