After entering the book, the cold prince begs for favor

Chapter 431 The Best Ending

Madam Lu staggered back several steps, struck by the cruel truth and utter defeat.

"Madam!" Granny Cao looked at her with concern, and with all her might, she managed to support Madam Lu's swaying figure.

Madam Lu's eyes were fixed on Yuan Wanru's smiling face, which seemed to have everything under control.

In an instant, countless images flashed through her mind: Yuan Wanru's nonchalant attitude when proposing the bet, her indifferent silence when questioned, her feigned hesitation when faced with the challenge of raising the stakes... All the fragments suddenly pieced together a clear picture of a trap!

"Poisonous woman!!"

The old lady let out a hoarse, shrill curse, her withered fingers, filled with deep-seated hatred, almost poking Yuan Wanru's nose.

"You...you planned this all along! You've been setting me up from the very beginning!"

Like a mother beast driven to the brink, she let out a desperate and furious howl, "You used Liang Yuhua's death to lure me into this trap! That bet... from the very beginning, I was destined to be the loser! I don't accept it! I absolutely refuse to admit it!"

"grandmother,"

Lu Jiangnian's icy voice rang out first, carrying an undeniable authority, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. One must be trustworthy. If you insist on not honoring your promise..."

His gaze swept over the Rongshou Hall behind the old lady, a symbol of her status and wealth. His tone was calm, but every word was piercing. "Then tonight, I will have no choice but to send someone to move and inventory all the items in Rongshou Hall that belong to you, as compensation for your breach of contract."

He paused, looking at the old lady's face which had turned deathly pale, and added, "Since you are unwilling to return to your hometown to enjoy your old age, it is fine to stay in the capital. However, I'm afraid you will have to make do with simple meals in the future."

Lu Bai watched from the side, his feelings incredibly complicated.

He opened his mouth, but looking at his elderly mother's distraught and distressed state, a pang of pity swept through him. He felt that she was indeed quite pitiful at that moment.

However, another voice reminded him that, in the final analysis, this situation was due to his mother's overconfidence in Lu Yuxiu.

Without being forced, the mother willingly jumped into the trap of that bet.

Who can blame this?

"Second brother!!"

As if grasping at the last straw, Old Madam Lu's bloodshot eyes suddenly turned to Lu Bai, her voice sharp and piercing, filled with accusations of betrayal.

"Are you just going to stand by and watch?!"

"Watching your own mother being treated so badly and bullied by that couple?!"

"Are you even a man?! Do you have any filial piety at all?!"

She looked around at everyone in the hall, all of whom were her juniors. But at this moment, Madam Lu sadly realized that this indecisive son had become the only support she could possibly hold onto.

Zhou Fang watched with bated breath, fearing that Lu Bai might be momentarily soft-hearted and confused, and choose the wrong side to disobey Yuan Wanru.

She had personally witnessed how ruthless and cunning this niece-in-law was, how she planned ten steps ahead for every one step she took, and how her schemes were all interconnected!

How could those "dumbheads" be a match for her?

She hurriedly stepped forward, tugged at Lu Bai's sleeve, and reminded him in a soft but clear voice, "Madam, it's only right to accept the consequences of a bet. Sir, you are well-versed in the classics and value integrity above all else. Surely you wouldn't go against the teachings of the sages?"

She turned to the old lady, her tone carrying a barely perceptible threat, "You'd better think this through. If you stay in the capital penniless... things will really get tough from now on."

When Madam Lu heard Zhou Fang say "I'll stay in the capital penniless," she felt a chill run from her feet to her head, instantly freezing her limbs and bones.

Born into a merchant family, she grew up in luxury and lived a life of ease after marrying into the Lu family.

money?

For her, they were always just numbers on the ledger; the things piled up in the warehouse were never truly lacking.

Why would she need to scheme or beg for a penny?

She could almost clearly picture the scene: the once high and mighty old lady had fallen so low that she had to watch her daughter-in-law Wang's expression every day and carefully reach out to beg for a few copper coins to survive.

Perhaps Wang would give it to her out of politeness, but the disdain in her eyes, the perfunctory words, and even the humiliation of deliberately counting the coins out to her...

Just imagining it made her heart clench with an indescribable sense of suffocation and shame, worse than death, almost suffocating her.

She always looked down on the Wang family!

"Asking for money...asking for money from the Wang family..."

This thought gnawed at her dignity like a venomous snake.

She had been in control of the Lu family's inner quarters for many years, accustomed to having the power to command and to being flattered and respected.

If she really ended up in that situation, what would she be in this vast capital city, in this deep Lu family mansion?

They're not even as decent as a servile old slave!

That was like stripping her of all her last shred of dignity and throwing her on the ground to be trampled!

The immense humiliation and fear of the future, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed her last trace of resentment and anger.

The overwhelming hatred that had been ignited by being schemed against was extinguished with a "hiss" under the cold water of cruel reality, leaving only ashes of despair and helplessness.

She looked around the ornately decorated hall that had once symbolized her supreme authority, observing her son Lu Bai's hesitation, her daughter-in-law Zhou Fang's "well-intentioned" reminder, her grandson Lu Jiangnian's indifference, and Yuan Wanru's ever-present mocking gaze...

There was no place for her here anymore; or rather, if she stayed any longer, even the last shred of dignity she had as an "old lady" would be gone.

That's it.

It's better not to stay here.

Rather than eking out a living in this secluded mansion, dependent on others, and suffering endless scorn and humiliation, it's better to... leave.

Admit defeat.

She completely admitted defeat.

The thought surfaced clearly in my mind, carrying a sense of relief-like exhaustion, as well as a chilling coldness that penetrated to the bone.

At this moment, her straight back finally hunched over irreversibly and completely.

"I'm leaving!"

"I'll leave tomorrow."

The last sentence was weak and feeble. Granny Cao burst into tears and helped her walk outside.

Seeing the old lady's state, Lu Yuxiu cried out in despair, "Mother, are you abandoning me?"

Madam Lu paused, turned around and glanced at her daughter.

To be honest, she had never taken a life in her life, and she really couldn't understand why her perfectly good daughter had turned into this.

"Yuxiu, your mother is tired. Take care of yourself."

It's beyond our control; nobody can control it.

She didn't want to get involved anymore!

"do not want!"

Lu Jiangnian felt no emotion when he saw his grandmother's hunched figure.

My grandmother was pitiful, but the trouble she stirred up was enough to overturn everything.

If it weren't for his good fortune, no one would dare to imagine what the Lu family would be like now.

The best outcome is that my grandmother is still safe and sound, and can return to her hometown to enjoy her old age.

"Xuanying, take Zhou Jianming into custody, we're going to the palace."

Liang Yuhua's matter required a report to the Emperor.