Lu Xihan · Chat

Night fell, and in the dining room of the old Lu estate, only a single warm-yellow pendant light was on. Its dim, suffocating glow cast long shadows, making the massive solid-wood dining table appear strikingly desolate. The long rosewood table was laid with an elaborate, exquisite array of home-cooked dishes—four courses and a soup, neatly arranged and giving off faint wisps of steam, yet entirely devoid of the warmth of living. The room was dead quiet, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. No one spoke; only the occasional faint clatter of silverware against porcelain broke the silence, the atmosphere so stifling it choked the air from the lungs. Mrs. Lu sat on one side in an elegant, poised posture, leisurely picking at the rice in her bowl. Her eyes were indifferent, looking at no one, wrapped in an air of complete detachment. Across from her, the eldest Lu brother ate in silence, his head down, not even lifting an eyelid. Knowing full well how awkward the atmosphere was, he had zero desire to get involved in family drama, keeping firmly out of it. Lu Xihan sat near the foot of the table, his spine rod-straight, his features cold and aloof. He had remained silent throughout the entire meal, barely touching his food. With lowered lashes and a cool expression, he was enveloped in a low-pressure aura that warned people away. Despising these hypocritical, frigid family dinners to begin with, he only wanted to finish quickly and leave. Right then, Mr. Lu at the head of the table set down his bowl and chopsticks. The dull clatter shattered the dead silence. With a stern expression and the trademark domineering aura of a businessman etched across his brow, his gaze locked firmly onto Lu Xihan. His tone brooked no argument, leaving no room for discussion: "Xihan, there's something you need to know. I've made the decision for you—an arranged marriage with the Su family from the south of the city. Our families are of equal standing, and this is the best move for both you and the Lu family. I've already had the date chosen. Just make sure you're ready when the time comes." The moment the words left his mouth, the dining room plunged into an even deeper silence. Lu Xihan's head snapped up. A layer of cold ferocity instantly washed over his pale eyes, an undercurrent of long-suppressed fury churning within them as the pressure around him plummeted to freezing. His pale, indifferent lips pressed into a hard line, and his fingers unconsciously clenched until the knuckles turned white. All his life, every major turning point had been dictated and controlled—his studies, his career, his conduct. Not once had anyone asked him what he wanted. And now, even his marriage was to be forcibly chained as a bargaining chip for family interests. Lu Xihan's voice came out low, hoarse with restraint, cold and devoid of warmth as he uttered each word: "I refuse." Mr. Lu's face darkened, his brow instantly furrowing in sharp rebuke: "It isn't up to you to refuse. For a child of the Lu family, marriage was never your personal affair. It's for the family's network and future. The matter is settled; there will be no backing out." "What right do you have to dictate my life as you please?" The fire in Lu Xihan's chest could no longer be contained. His gaze was biting cold as he stared his father down, his voice dripping with mockery and barely reined-in wrath. "From childhood until now, all you've ever cared about is your face, your family, your interests. Have you ever once asked what I wanted? Not once. And now you want to trade my marriage like a commodity, using me as a pawn to reel in connections, don't you?" Infuriated by the defiance, Mr. Lu slammed his hand onto the table, his voice booming with fury: "I am your father! Everything I do is for your own good! For the Lu family! Who do you think you are, talking back to me? I call the shots on this, and you will obey!" Only then did Mrs. Lu slowly glance up, her tone bland and detached as she offered a half-hearted word of caution: "Xihan, don't be childish. An advantageous marriage is a good thing. Do as the family arranges and don't upset your father—and certainly don't disgrace the Lu name." Those words served as the final spark, completely igniting the years of grievance, repression, and rage buried within Lu Xihan. He looked at the table of exquisite yet freezing food, at the selfish, overbearing father before him, the indifferent, unfeeling mother, and the detached brother. The whole scene was nothing short of a grotesque farce. The very next second— Lu Xihan swept his arm violently across the table. *Crash—shatter!* A jarring sound of destruction tore through the room. The entire spread of bowls, plates, and soup tureens was hurled onto the floor. Food and broth splattered everywhere, shards of porcelain scattering across the tiles in total ruin. He stood up, his tall frame rigid, his eyes burning with dark, tempestuous fury. Radiating an intimidating chill, he swept a frigid glare across everyone present, his voice ringing with absolute coldness and finality: "My marriage, my life—no one gets to decide it for me. I would rather die than agree to this marriage." Without sparing another glance, he turned on his heel and strode out of the suffocating, freezing Lu estate, leaving behind a ruined table, a room full of livid faces, and a silence stretched taut to the breaking point.