When I recognized the woman grabbing Tang Chen by the collar as Ji Qing, Lu Ke'er's shadow, I froze. The moment Tang Chen saw me, he rushed into my arms, his eyes red. “Sis, I didn’t mean to do it,” he choked out. Ji Qing’s eyes widened for a second when she saw me, but her surprise quickly melted into a cold, contemptuous sneer. “Well, well. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? The sister’s a scam artist, the brother barrels into people. The whole family is just plain vulgar.” My eyes narrowed, my lips pressing into a thin line as I looked her over. “Do you ever brush your teeth?” “You—!” She sputtered, glaring at me, but before she could retort, the elegantly dressed woman who was now being helped to her feet by my mother cut her off. “Ji Qing, dear, don’t be rash. I’m perfectly fine, really.” Since he had knocked into her, I made Tang Chen give the woman a proper apology, which he did without protest. The woman just smiled and shook her head, her expression kind. “It’s quite all right. I wasn’t watching where I was going, either.” “Mom!” Lu Ke’er and Gu Zhizhou entered the restaurant, walking arm in arm straight toward our group. The woman beside me lit up with a warm smile. “You’re here!” A flicker of coldness crossed Lu Ke'er's eyes when she saw me, but it vanished as she turned to her mother, asking what had happened. The older woman explained it away in a few words before ushering them toward their private room. Gu Zhizhou didn't spare me a single glance. I pulled Tang Chen aside to let them pass, but my mind was elsewhere, and I stumbled. A hand shot out, steadying me by the waist. “Th—” I began, but the word died on my lips when I saw it was Gu Zhizhou’s face. He gave me a single, cold look before turning away, his expression a blank mask as he followed Lu Ke’er and her mother into the room. It all happened so fast I barely had time to register it. “Quite the talent for seduction, Miss Tang,” Ji Qing’s voice was a low taunt in my ear as she passed. I pressed my lips together, saying nothing. Anxiety churned in my stomach. At that moment, the last person on earth I wanted any kind of entanglement with was Gu Zhizhou. Back at our table, my mother grumbled under her breath, “These rich people can be so cruel. Chen already said he was sorry, but they just wouldn't let it go.” I lowered my head, not saying a word. Lunch ended late in the afternoon. After seeing my parents off to a relative’s house, I headed straight to the Lu Corporation. I had a translation session to attend in the afternoon. I had just arrived at the company when my phone began buzzing incessantly. It was my mother. I was still in the meeting and couldn't answer, so I sent her a quick text before silencing my phone. The meeting dragged on for another hour. When it was finally over, I saw several missed calls from her and dialed back immediately. The moment she picked up, I rushed out, “Mom, is something wrong at home?” assuming there was an emergency. Her voice, however, was flat, tinged with an unfamiliar chill. “Tang Li, you need to come home.” I sensed something was off, a strange tension in her tone, but before I could ask, she hung up. Confused, I had no choice but to head home. The air was thick with tension the moment I walked in. My father was on the sofa, his face a thundercloud. My mother’s eyes were red and swollen, as if she’d been crying. My stomach dropped. Had they been fighting? Then I noticed a stack of cash on the coffee table, next to a few bags of fruit. I slipped off my shoes, dropped my bag, and sat beside my mother, putting my arm around her. “Mom, Dad… did we have visitors?” My father just smoked, his face grim. My mother pursed her lips, glanced at me, and then sighed, frowning without a word. A cold dread crept over me. This wasn't about them. This was about something I had done. I squeezed my mother’s arm, my voice barely a whisper. “Mom, what happened?” *Clack!* My father slammed his lighter down on the glass coffee table with a resounding crack. My mother and I both flinched, our backs straightening in shock. She looked at him, her voice trembling. “Wenkuan, don’t be like this! Let’s just talk it through!” “Talk it through?” he shot back, his bloodshot eyes finally landing on me, burning with rage. “Tang Li, you tell me. Is this how I raised you all these years? To shame me like this, to become some man’s mistress? Huh?” My stomach plummeted, my heart leaping into my throat.