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The moment they stepped out of the building, a large crowd of people carrying cameras suddenly surged toward them. Bright flashes went off repeatedly in their faces. Xia Yuwei instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, while Lu Yichen moved in front of her and angrily snapped, “What do you think you’re doing?”

The crowd seemed not to hear him. Instead, they pressed forward even more recklessly.

“Miss Xia, are you living with this gentleman?”

“Miss Xia, I heard Young Master Ye has been abroad for less than half a month. Have you ever considered how he feels? Or have you already decided to choose the gentleman standing beside you?”

“Miss Xia, could you introduce this gentleman to us? Is he also a young master from a wealthy family?”

“It’s said that your family is from an ordinary background, yet every boyfriend you choose is a young master from a prominent family. What are your true intentions?”

…

Questions that should and should not have been asked came at Xia Yuwei in a relentless barrage.

Lu Yichen did not need to look behind him to know what Xia Yuwei was going through. She had never experienced anything like this before and was completely stunned. Under the aggressive questioning, her face had gone pale, and she could not utter a word.

Thinking of her helpless expression, Lu Yichen’s heart ached. With his temper, he had long wanted to charge forward, knock these people to the ground, make them shut up, and smash the cameras in their hands. But he knew that if he did so, he would only bring Xia Yuwei even more negative publicity and trouble.

Clenching his fists tightly, Lu Yichen drew a deep breath and restrained the anger that was about to erupt. Forcing himself to conceal his fury as much as possible, he said sternly to the detestable crowd before him,

“Listen carefully. Your actions already constitute harassment. As for these ridiculous questions of yours, we refuse to answer them!”

With that, he grabbed Xia Yuwei’s hand and began retreating toward the revolving doors of the building.

Maple Leaf Tower was a prestigious property owned by the Huanlun Group, which guaranteed its residents absolute privacy. Once they entered the lobby, it would be extremely difficult for outsiders to get in. This was one of the reasons the reporters suspected that Lu Yichen was a young master from a wealthy family.

“Miss Xia, regarding this scandal involving two prominent families, would you please share your opinion—”

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“Miss Xia, please give us a definite answer—”

The reporters pursued them relentlessly. Some even circled around to the back of the pair and launched surprise interviews at Xia Yuwei. In order to obtain the first-hand gossip, paparazzi would stop at nothing; they cared little about what methods they used.

Amid the pushing and shoving, the reporters crowded close to Xia Yuwei and shouted questions at her. She staggered as she held tightly to Lu Yichen’s hand. While retreating, she was nearly knocked to the ground.

Seeing Xia Yuwei almost fall, Lu Yichen, who was already in a state of extreme fury, finally exploded. He shouted at the reporters blocking their retreat, “Move!”

But several of them acted as though they had not heard him. Lu Yichen struck out and knocked the nearest man to the ground. Before the others could react, three people had already been knocked down.

Their cameras lay scattered across the ground, while the crowd behind them began flashing their lights even more fiercely, like sharks that had caught the scent of blood. Some had already composed a headline in their minds:

“Scandal Escalates: Wealthy Heiress’s Lover Fights for Love!”

Xia Yuwei grabbed Lu Yichen’s arm. “Yichen! Don’t do this!”

Amid the chaos, she had instead regained her composure. Straightening her back, she gripped Lu Yichen’s hand tightly and shouted at the large group of reporters,

“Mr. Ye Lifeng and I agreed to dissolve our engagement a week ago. This so-called scandal is nothing more than a misunderstanding! I’m sorry, everyone, but please move aside. Stop interfering in our private lives!”

Her voice acted like a sedative amid the chaos. The moment she began speaking, the crowd quieted considerably. No one wanted to miss the statement from the central figure in the scandal. Yet after hearing her words, everyone stood there as though they had not fully processed them.

They had ended their engagement less than half a month after announcing it. That alone was explosive news.

Lu Yichen wrapped an arm firmly around Xia Yuwei’s waist, doing his utmost to shield her. Facing the now relatively quiet crowd, he said slowly,

“Miss Xia Yuwei is now Lu Yichen’s lawful wife. If any of you try to make an issue of this, you will receive a letter from my lawyer tomorrow.”

With that, he held Xia Yuwei’s slender body close and led her into Maple Leaf Tower. Behind them, the people exchanged bewildered looks, as though they had not yet digested what the two had said.

In truth, those two statements alone provided more than enough material for a sensational story.

*******************************************************************************

Before long, footage of the reporters’ interview with them was edited and broadcast.

The scene of Lu Yichen striking out, the close-up of their tightly clasped hands, and their words were replayed again and again…

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Every newspaper and magazine eagerly feasted on this sudden piece of gossip involving the wealthy elite.

Lu Yichen’s identity was dug up, exposed, discussed, and widely publicized.

Because of the scandal, the Ye family’s shares fell for several consecutive days.

Xia Yuwei became branded as a disastrous temptress and a vain woman determined to marry into wealth. Though she appeared pure and innocent, she was portrayed as calculating and deep-minded beneath the surface.

It was only then that the Ye family learned that Xia Yuwei had not left with Ye Lifeng.

Ye Zihao, the head of the Ye family, was furious. He ordered Ye Lifeng to publish a statement in the newspapers announcing the dissolution of his engagement to Xia Yuwei, explaining that their relationship had already broken down and that they had amicably agreed to end the engagement.

The Ye family also formally issued a condemnation of the Lu family, expressing their strong dissatisfaction that Lu Yichen and Xia Yuwei had married without authorization before either family had announced the dissolution of their engagement.

Meanwhile, in another city, Xia Changxi and Wang Yanyan also learned the truth through various channels…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. Er… I seem to have overdone it with work and writing these past few days. I have been sleeping very little and working nonstop, and now I feel utterly exhausted. It seems I need a little time to adjust.

Besides, I have to travel on business tomorrow morning to present a proposal, so I’m a little worried that I may not be able to write as much in a new environment. Just letting everyone know in advance: for the next three days, there may be two or three updates each day. I’ll do my best to make it three.

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