C11 Disgraceful

Lan Yan, upon seeing the video of her affair with a man leaked, charged at Lin Qingwan in a frenzy.

Lin Qingwan deftly sidestepped, sending Lan Yan crashing into the wall, her hair flying in disarray as she clutched her head, wailing in pain.

Lin Qingwan approached with an icy demeanor and taunted, "Miss Lan, do you still insist my second brother is beneath you? An unmarried girl caught in such a compromising situation, do you really think you're fit to marry into the Gu family?"

Lan Yan's face flushed with anger. She stamped her foot and ran to her father, Lan Chengye. "Dad, do you see how this wretched woman is treating me? She's notorious and now she's trying to drag my reputation down to her level, claiming that video is real."

Lan Chengye shot Lan Yan a fierce look before stepping in front of Lin Qingwan.

Meanwhile, Gu Mingfeng joined Lin Qingwan's side, his gaze carrying a subtle warning.

Lan Chengye chuckled, "Nephew Mingfeng, no need for concern. It was merely a small misunderstanding between my daughter and your cousin Qingwan. Such things are trivial among young ladies. I'm merely curious where she came across that video. Which site was it? This is a serious accusation that could harm my daughter and our entire Lan Family's reputation."

Lin Qingwan responded, handing over her phone, "I found the video on a website." She pointed to the site's URL, "Right here, see for yourself."

When Lan Chengye saw the website's domain name, his face turned ashen. It was their own Lan Family's official site, and there it was—the scandalous video of Lan Yan's indiscretion, prominently featured on the homepage, turning their site into a billboard of shame for all to see.

"Disgraceful!" Lan Chengye hissed at Lan Yan, then gestured for the family's head steward, ordering the immediate removal of the video to salvage the Lan Family's good name.

Lin Qingwan turned to Gu Mingfeng with a slight smile, "Second brother, surely you wouldn't consider marrying someone like Lan Yan, would you?"

Gu Mingfeng remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lan Yan. It was clear he had much to learn about her. Despite both residing in the Gu household, their interactions had been minimal. He knew of her frivolous pursuits of stardom, but he had never imagined she harbored such a scandalous secret.

Of course, everyone assumed Lin Qingwan had simply stumbled upon the incriminating video of Lan Yan's infidelity, but no one anticipated she'd have the audacity to confront Lan Yan directly. In doing so, Lin Qingwan, in a way, upheld the Gu family's honor.

At least, that's how Gu Mingfeng felt.

The banquet's descent into chaos caught everyone off guard. Once the initial shock subsided, all eyes turned to Lan Yan. Had she not rejected the marriage alliance with the Gu family, could this embarrassment have been avoided?

Feeling the weight of everyone's stares, Lan Yan's sense of injustice deepened.

Lin Qingwan's eyes held a frosty edge. She harbored no sympathy for Lan Yan. After all, it was Lan Yan's father who had caused her death. Regardless of their personal connection, they both owed her a blood debt, and she vowed to exact a fierce retribution someday.

Lan Chengye gestured for the servants to tidy up the dining area before ushering the guests into the adjacent living room. Shortly after, a servant arrived with an assortment of fruit platters.

"My dear nephew Mingfeng, I must extend my apologies regarding the marriage arrangement with my daughter," Lan Chengye began. He had been reluctant to dissolve Lan Yan's engagement to Gu Mingfeng, knowing that an alliance with the Gu family would solidify his position as family patriarch. However, having observed Gu Mingfeng's demeanor that day, he no longer wished to pursue the union. He foresaw that Gu Mingfeng was destined to become a formidable leader and did not want to risk inviting a wolf into his home.

After finishing his thought, Lan Chengye took a sip of tea, revealing a cryptic smile. "Naturally, the fault lies with my family, so we won't let you leave empty-handed. You're probably aware that the Lan Family owns extensive mining operations on Guiling Island. Just recently, we uncovered a jade mine, and after testing, we found that over fifty percent of the stones contain jade."

With a light clap of his hands, several servants entered, each bearing a tray with a black stone.

Lin Qingwan watched with a hint of amusement, crossing her legs. The Lan Family had risen to prominence through the island's mineral wealth, often discovering mines rich in jade and agate. Yet, traditionally, the Lan Family sold the raw stones rather than crafting and selling the finished jade products.

As Lan Chengye mentioned earlier, not every piece of ore contains jade, and the odds are only about fifty-fifty. This uncertainty has given rise to the practice of 'jade gambling.' One might purchase a stone with the hope that it contains jade, potentially reaping a hundredfold return—or they might end up with nothing but a costly lesson.

Lan Chengye rose to his feet, gesturing toward the stone on the servant's tray. "Nephew Gu, Niece Qingwan, feel free to choose any of these to take with you. Whether there's jade inside, well, that's a matter of luck."

Each stone on the tray was hefty, weighing over a dozen pounds. The value of one containing jade was, needless to say, substantial.

The discovery of a top-quality jade stone in a mine was an incredibly fortunate event. Lan Chengye had only selected a few pieces from a vast collection of stones, and he didn't expect to find any exceptional jade among them. At most, they might contain a small, average piece of jade. But if Gu Mingfeng and Lin Qingwan were to have poor luck, it would only serve to highlight the magnanimity of the Lan Family.

"Second brother, why don't I make the selection?" Lin Qingwan said, turning with a smile. As the former Patriarch of the Lan Family, she had a unique intuition for jade, having previously chosen the finest stones from among many that appeared unremarkable.