At this point, Shang Lu was already close to vomiting himself unconscious.
Clutching his stomach with one hand, his face twisted with anger, he glared furiously at the Li family standing under the veranda — thinking they were about to throw him out.
The words of rage were right on the tip of his tongue when —
behind him — the iron gates swung open again.
A cool breeze brushed past his face, and outside, along the tree-lined avenue,
an imposing, luxurious motorcade came into view.
At that moment, the first car in the motorcade slowly came to a stop.
The driver got out, quickly ran to the back door, bent down to open it, and respectfully covered the top of the door with one hand.
He said in a low voice, "Master, we have arrived at the Li residence."
Shang Yu had arrived!
Just moments before Shang Lu was being humiliated, Li Guangming received a call from Shang Yu's trusted aide, Liu Yun.
Today, for the engagement annulment, the overlord of Nanyang had come in person.
Even as the wealthiest man in Nanyang, Li Guangming had only met Shang Yu once, five years ago.
Even after all these years, Li Guangming, now over fifty, still harbored admiration—and fear—toward Shang Shaoyan.
From the backseat, a long leg clad in tailored black trousers stepped out first, followed by Shang Yu's tall, commanding figure emerging at a measured pace.
The man's thin lips were pressed together; his sharply defined features carried a faint, cold edge.
His deep, piercing gaze exuded a chilling aura, and simply standing next to the car, he seemed to freeze the air around him.
For some reason, the moment Li Qiao saw him, she immediately sensed that he was in a bad mood.
Shang Yu was still dressed in a pure black shirt, sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, and the top three buttons undone—adding a wild, unruly charm to his otherwise stern aura.
His gaze swept past the crowd effortlessly, and instantly locked onto Li Qiao standing beside Li Cheng.
After just a brief glance, he looked away and signaled to his driver.
The driver swiftly retrieved several gift boxes from the trunk.
Meanwhile, Shang Lu, struggling to hold back his retching, stumbled his way toward Shang Yu, complaining furiously, "Big Brother, they—"
Without a flicker of emotion, Shang Yu turned his sharp gaze sideways.
The overwhelming pressure in his stare made Shang Lu instantly freeze and swallow down all his complaints.
By now, Li Guangming and Duan Shuyuan had already come forward to greet him.
After five years, the underground king of Nanyang appeared even more restrained and steady than before, yet his noble, aloof aura had grown even more imposing.
"Mr. Li, sorry for disturbing you,"
Shang Yu said first, nodding slightly at Li Guangming.
His voice was rich and mellow, like fine aged wine, intoxicating to the ear.
"Mr. Shang, what are you saying? Not a disturbance at all. Please, come inside!"
Li Guangming responded with extra warmth and respect, even overly enthusiastic.
Compared to the man who controlled Nanyang's economic lifeline, Li Guangming's status as a domestic tycoon was hardly worth mentioning.
At this moment, Li Qiao stood quietly under the eaves, watching Shang Yu pass by.
A faint scent of tobacco brushed past her, subtly intoxicating.
Oddly enough, even though both her Third Brother and Li Shaoquan smoked,
only his scent was so inexplicably enticing.
Li Qiao turned her face away, hiding a silent smile, and quietly followed the procession inside.
As for Shang Lu…
He was left alone outside, still gagging and dry-heaving — completely ignored by everyone.
In the living room, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense.
Li Qiao was the last to enter.
The hall, usually so spacious that one could run across it, now felt cramped and suffocating—purely because of Shang Yu's overwhelming presence.
The man sat on the double sofa in the main seat, his long legs casually crossed.
Even in silence, his aura was so powerful it felt as if it could devour the entire world.
Li Qiao glanced around the room.
Every seat was already taken—her parents sat together, and her three brothers each occupied a single armchair.
Only the seat next to Shang Yu was still empty.
Without hesitation, she walked over and sat down beside him.
Casually, she greeted him, "Hi, Lord Yan."