You're already divorced, why are you so anxious about him becoming a succubus?

Even if it were just a chance encounter on the street, this subtle, ambiguous distance was enough to make Shen Man, a woman with an extremely strong desire for control, feel extremely displeased and start to have all sorts of wild thoughts.

However, Shen Man quickly came up with a perfect and reasonable explanation for herself.

She lied to her family today, saying that the two of them had just had a fight and that Lu Ci was angry, so he wouldn't be coming home for dinner tonight.

Her mother, Xu Hui, never told her that she had made a private phone call to Lu Ci.

Therefore, from Shen Man's perspective, the only explanation for Lu Ci's presence here today is that he has given in.

In five days, a man who left home penniless and penniless endured hardship and finally came to terms with reality.

He knew he couldn't live without the Shen family, couldn't live without her, so he took advantage of today's family dinner to deliberately go and pick up Shen Nian to come back together, trying to show her goodwill in this way and hoping to use his parents' influence to back down gracefully.

Thinking of this, Shen Man's inexplicable panic caused by Lu Ci's change in appearance was instantly soothed.

She put on her superior CEO persona again, even with a hint of victor's arrogance.

In fact, Shen Man herself did not realize that, subconsciously, she did not want a divorce at all.

She only felt that it was a farce, a battle of tempers.

As long as Lu Ci is willing to humble himself, she is willing to mercifully forgive him.

"Why are you here?" Shen Man crossed her arms, slightly raised her delicate chin, and looked at Lu Ci with a teasing tone that was half-smile: "I thought you could hold on for a few more days."

Her words were laced with undisguised arrogance, as if to say: See? You can't live without me after all. In the end, you still have to come back and apologize.

Looking at his self-righteous ex-wife, whose entire being seemed to scream "come beg me," Lu Ci felt utterly bored.

He didn't even bother to explain, and was just about to ask her to move aside.

A gentle male voice suddenly rang out from the luxurious living room of the villa.

"Manman, what are you doing standing at the door? Is it a delivery?"

Lu Ci was all too familiar with that voice.

It was Gu Mingxuan who had walked out of their master bedroom five days ago.

Having learned that Shen Man and Lu Ci had gone through divorce proceedings in the past few days, Gu Mingxuan's pursuit of her has become even more intense.

As a childhood friend of the Shen family who knew them inside and out, he naturally also knew Shen's father and mother.

Upon learning that the Shen family was having a family dinner that evening, he took the opportunity to visit them with valuable gifts, claiming that he "hadn't had a chance to visit his uncle and aunt since returning to China."

Upon hearing that voice, Shen Man's previously haughty expression froze instantly.

Her mind went blank for a moment, followed by a wave of panic.

She completely forgot that Gu Mingxuan was still sitting in the living room!

Lu Ci has come back to admit his mistakes and seek reconciliation. If he sees Gu Mingxuan entering the house, what if he starts making trouble again, given his petty and calculating nature?

Shen Man's eyes began to dart away uncontrollably, and she even subconsciously tried to turn her body to block Lu Ci's view of the living room.

However, Lu Ci's reaction was completely unexpected.

Lu Ci simply looked at Shen Man quietly with his clear eyes, his tone calm:

"That's fast! You've only been divorced for a few days, and you've already brought her home to meet your parents."

Lu Ci paused for a moment, then continued, "If I don't come today to explain the divorce to my uncle and aunt, I'll really look like a spineless coward if word gets out."

Shen Man's pretty face turned deathly pale instantly.

She was eager to explain, to prove that she wasn't as bad as she seemed, and even her tone changed:

"No! Lu Ci, let me explain! Mingxuan... he just hasn't had a chance to visit my parents since returning to China. He happened to have some time today, and when he heard we were having dinner at home, he brought some things over to pay a visit! It's not what you think at all!"

However, faced with her somewhat flustered explanation, Lu Ci simply looked at her expressionlessly.

Only after she finished speaking did Lu Ci utter a single word: "Oh."

He then tilted his head slightly, his tone still distant: "May I go in?"

Shen Man would rather Lu Ci point his finger at her and curse her, or have a big fight like before, than face his current attitude of "whatever you do is none of my business, I don't care at all".

She gritted her teeth, looking at Lu Ci, trying to find even the slightest flaw in his forced composure in his clear eyes.

But there was nothing, absolutely nothing.

Shen Man stepped aside to make way.

In the villa's spacious and luxurious living room, a crystal chandelier emits a soft yet bright light.

As soon as Lu Ci led Shen Nian into the living room, Gu Mingxuan, who was sitting on the sofa, immediately stood up.

He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a gentle smile playing on his lips, and quickly came to greet him.

"Brother Lu is here." Gu Mingxuan greeted him familiarly, his tone as natural as if he were the real owner of the villa. "Come on, sit on the sofa. Aunt Zhang will have the meal ready soon."

At this moment, Gu Mingxuan's gaze fell on Shen Nian, who was half a step behind Lu Ci.

With just one glance, Gu Mingxuan was stunned, his eyes flashing with intense amazement.

He comes from a wealthy family and has dated countless women abroad over the years. In addition, he has always been fond of the aloof goddess Shen Man, so his standards are naturally very high.

But the girl in front of him, dressed in a simple short-sleeved shirt and floral skirt, gave him an unprecedented visual impact.

Her face was extremely pure and quiet, even with a touch of pitiful timidity, yet her figure was so hot and voluptuous that it made one's blood boil.

The stunning curves outlined by the tight-fitting clothes, and the snow-white skin exposed like the finest mutton fat jade, were simply the perfect combination of purity and desire.

Gu Mingxuan's gaze lingered on that captivatingly handsome profile for two seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Just as he was figuring out how to strike up a conversation, Shen Nian, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly raised her face.

She keenly noticed the man's gaze and knew that he was the culprit who caused her brother-in-law's divorce.

Shen Nian, who usually wouldn't even dare to speak loudly, was now like a cat guarding its food. Instead of dodging, she mustered up her courage and glared fiercely at Gu Mingxuan.

Those clear eyes were filled with undisguised disgust and defensiveness.

Love extends to everything connected to the beloved, and so does hatred.

Gu Mingxuan was taken aback by the glare, and the smile on his face immediately froze.

Lu Ci completely ignored Gu Mingxuan and walked straight to the leather sofa in the center of the living room.

On the sofa sat a lady wearing a dark purple silk loungewear dress.

It was Shen Man's mother, Xu Hui, Lu Ci's former mother-in-law.