Chapter 2625: Father, You Have to Believe Me!

Chapter 2625: Father, You Have to Believe Me!

Lu Yuanfan couldn’t help but feel that the Lu family had been plagued by misfortune lately, and he believed that the root of their troubles lay with his eldest daughter.
First, she lost her innocence at Tiantai Temple. And now, after they had finally arranged a marriage with the marquis’ residence, she ended up being replaced by a substitute bride, and his ten-year-old daughter got married off instead.
The weight of these events became too much for Lu Yuanfan to bear; his vision blurred momentarily before everything turned black.
Under her father’s intense gaze, Lu Mingxuan trembled uncontrollably.
She clung tightly to her father’s clothes in desperation.
“Father, you have to believe me,” pleaded Lu Mingxuan with an anguished expression. “I truly was tied up by someone.”
Lu Yuanfan kicked her away harshly. “You still have the nerve to talk about it!? The reputation of the Lu family has been ruined by you.”
“Father,” Lu Mingxuan crawled back towards him, tears streaming down her face. “I am truly innocent. Please believe me.”
Smack! A resounding slap landed across Lu Mingxuan’s face, causing it to instantly swell.
This sudden act startled everyone in the room. Mistress Yun saw her daughter’s disfigured face and quickly begged for mercy. “Master, even if you beat Mingxuan to death, it won’t change anything. You must believe that she is innocent.”
“I don’t care whether she is innocent or not!” snapped Lu Yuanfan coldly. “The damage has already been done! Useless thing! Even if someone else framed you, do you think it makes any difference? Coming here crying before me!”
Lu Mingxuan covered her swollen face as a sense of hopelessness washed over her; even tears seemed beyond reach now.
Rubbing his temples wearily, Lu Yuanfan appeared exhausted. “From now on, stay confined to the courtyard and do not wander around. Otherwise, go back to the ancestral temple,” he said icily.
“Starting today, you are no longer Lu Mingxuan,” declared Lu Yuanfan with finality.
Lu Mingxuan raised her head abruptly, staring at her father in astonishment. “Then who am I?”
“You are Fourth Miss Lu Yujing, who has been bedridden all year,” came the cold reply.
A slight twitch crossed Lu Mingxuan’s face as a sarcastic chuckle escaped from her throat. “Lu Yujing? I am Lu Yujing?”
She slowly rose from the ground and walked out of the hall, each step filled with despair and draining all her strength.
“All of you, return to your own courtyards,” Lu Yuanfan said angrily. “It seems that none of you can rest easy without causing some kind of disturbance every day. Scram.”
Ning Shu quietly left the hall and noticed Lu Junning and Shen Yichen strolling together amidst the pavilions; they truly appeared like a perfect match made in heaven.
Pursing her lips, Ning Shu followed Mistress Liu towards their courtyard.
Once inside their room, Ning Shu whispered to Mistress Liu, “Auntie, if possible, hide away any valuable possessions.”
“What’s going on?” Mistress Liu couldn’t help but ask anxiously. “Why do we need to pack things up?”
“I’m not asking you to pack things up entirely,” explained Ning Shu. “I just have a bad feeling about this; it would be wise to hide anything valuable.”
The collapse of the Lu family seemed highly likely now—it was an inevitable outcome according to the storyline.
Mistress Liu’s expression changed unpredictably; ants beneath a tree were often first to sense any changes.
She too sensed that trouble loomed ahead for the Lu family—a constant stream of turmoil within their household was leading them toward an impending cliff edge.
“Yueyun, what should we do if something really happens?” Mistress Liu asked nervously.
“Don’t worry,” reassured Ning Shu. “I will protect you.”
If the worst were to happen to the Lu family, the women in their household could potentially be reduced to slaves or courtesans.
Ning Shu couldn’t help but rub her forehead.