In the living room of the south villa of the manor, sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows onto the exquisite carpet, and the air was filled with the aroma of tea and a faint fragrance of flowers.

A group of elegant ladies sat around a luxurious sofa, enjoying a leisurely afternoon tea.

Sitting in the very center was Madam Jiang, dressed in a deep purple brocade cheongsam.

It was embroidered with exquisite gold patterns, and her hair was neatly tied back.

She had a jade hairpin in her hair.

Her face was serious, yet exuded an air of elegance and nobility, and her eyes revealed the wisdom and majesty that came with the passage of time.

The old lady slightly raised her chin, listening to the flattery of the crowd, a barely perceptible smile of satisfaction appearing on her lips.

The ladies around them were all dressed in fine clothes and wore expensive jewelry.

These are all collateral relatives of the Jing family.

They either held teacups elegantly or waved fans gently, their faces full of fawning smiles.

At this moment, Jiang Xu's mother suddenly spoke up.

She wore a light blue Chanel suit, her hair was styled in an elegant updo, and she wore a pearl necklace.

She frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in her eyes, and said:

"Absolutely! This granddaughter-in-law is so inconsiderate!"

"It's one thing for her not to greet us when she comes back, but she also acts like a pampered young lady, sleeping until dawn without knowing that a group of us elders are waiting for her here."

As she spoke, she glanced casually at the Buddhist shrine at the back of the living room, her eyes revealing a hint of reproach.

The other ladies echoed this sentiment, some shaking their heads slightly, others showing disdain.

A woman in a red dress said:

"Exactly! These young people nowadays really need some guidance."

As she spoke, she gently stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist.

Old Madam Jiang narrowed her eyes slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said:

"Young people are bound to be a bit willful. You all went through the same thing. But we still need to teach them when necessary."

Although her tone was calm, it revealed her dissatisfaction.

The crowd showered flattery upon them.

A lady in a pale yellow dress leaned forward slightly, her face full of fawning smiles.

She gently waved the exquisitely embroidered handkerchief in her hand and said:

"That's right, that's right, Madam. Look how promising Young Master Jingmin is now, it's all thanks to your excellent guidance!"

"Without your meticulous guidance, how could we have achieved what we have today!"

An exaggerated expression of envy appeared on her face as she spoke, nodding repeatedly.

"I'm saying this Miss Chu, her parents passed away early, and Old Master Chu is too busy to have the time or energy to teach and care for her..."

He glanced at the crowd halfway through his sentence, his expression full of disdain.

It's as if they're saying he's just an uncultured wild child.

Someone nearby chimed in:

"I heard she lives with her mediocre artist grandmother, who spends all her time in the mountains. How could she know anything about the etiquette of a noble lady?"

"If you ask me, the Chu family should thank the old lady for putting in the effort to teach them; otherwise, it would be the Chu family who would be disgraced!"

The tone carried a condescending sense of pity, completely forgetting the poverty and hardship the Jing family had endured since their downfall.

The person next to them felt that what was said was a bit too much and carefully tugged at the speaker's sleeve.

He was roughly pulled back and glared at fiercely.

"That's exactly right!"

The commotion was a bit too loud, and Old Madam Jiang noticed, looking over with displeasure.

Jiang Xu's mother immediately noticed the old lady's expression and began to reprimand her, her tone sarcastic.

"Jing Huan is a coward, how come he's so timid even when he marries a wife?"

"When elders talk about parenting experiences, instead of humbly learning from them, they have long faces and are just a killjoy."

The person named was Ning Zhi, the wife of Jing Min's cousin, from a collateral branch of the Jing family.

The woman who had just been reminded by Ning Zhi by tugging at her clothes and spouting nonsense was none other than Jing Huan's mother.

Jinghuan's mother was immediately displeased upon hearing this and retorted sharply.

"What are you saying! It's one thing to talk about Ning Zhi, after all, she comes from a humble family, but my Jinghuan insists on having her, so I'll just accept it."

After saying that, he glared at Ning Zhi with a pathetic look.

"But what makes you say that about Jing Huan? He's responsible, reliable, and a great help to his cousin Jing Min at the company."

Jiang Xu's mother scoffed, picked up a cup of flower tea, blew on it to cool it down, and took a small sip.

Her lips, painted with bright red lipstick, slowly parted to speak.

"Why are you getting so worked up! Am I wrong?"

"Jing Huan is older than Jing Min and Jiang Xu, yet he still has to follow his younger brother around."

"What good helper?"

"Just a lapdog that can be bossed around."

"Hehe, oh dear, sorry, I accidentally told the truth."

After speaking, she covered her mouth with her hand, offering a hypocritical apology. Her fingernails were studded with diamonds, which sparkled brilliantly under the light.

However, these exquisite jewels were like a mask, merely a facade, unable to conceal her ugly inner self.

That heart was like a dry well corroded by darkness, exuding an aura of decay and malice.

Even the brilliance of countless diamonds cannot illuminate that darkness.

Upon hearing this, Jing Huan's mother immediately turned red with anger.

She suddenly stood up, nearly knocking over the teacup in her hand.

"What are you saying? My son is valued by Jingmin because he is capable and reliable,"

"What's wrong with being a helper?"

"It's better than your son spending his days indulging in pleasure and having unrealistic ambitions."

"Jingmin just couldn't be bothered with it; he only threw a project at him because he didn't like it."

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