Despite his extreme reluctance, Xiao Linran returned home that night with no other choice.
"The second young master is back!" All the servants exclaimed with joy upon seeing their master, who had not returned for a long time, come home.
"Second Young Master, you're finally back! I've already had the kitchen prepare the meal, and it's all set up now!" It was Xiao Linran's butler who spoke.
"Linran, you're back!" A slightly rough female voice came from behind. She had received news from her father-in-law early this morning that Xiao Linran was coming back.
Xiao Linran looked up, his mood instantly souring.
A tall, elegantly dressed middle-aged woman stood like an iron tower at the entrance.
Her face was elongated like a donkey's, her eyes were narrow as lines, her skin was slightly dark like the bottom of a pot, and her mouth was slightly protruding as if it could hang an oil bottle. You could tell at a glance that she was not someone to be trifled with.
"Hmm!" Xiao Linran nodded indifferently and headed straight for the restaurant.
"Why did you go out to eat as soon as you got back? You didn't even say hello! Anyone who didn't know better would think I owed you 50 billion!" Seeing that her husband acted as if he didn't even see her, she was furious.
"I didn't come back today to argue with you," Xiao Linran said coldly.
If his father hadn't made him come back, he would never have wanted to see this woman even once.
"Of course you don't want to talk to me! You think I'm long-winded? Well, I'm not as nice-talking as other women." Zhang Yanhua was originally a young lady from a prominent family, but the coldness she had shown over the past ten years had gradually warped her mind.
Since she and Xiao Linran got married, they have only shared a few rooms together on one hand.
"It's a pity! No matter how sweet the women outside are, Father will never agree to let them become Mrs. Xiao!" Zhang Yanhua said with a smug look on her face. Her background was the advantage she was most proud of.
"Have you said enough!" Xiao Linran hissed. He knew that Xiao Zhengyan must have sent people to monitor this place, so he tried his best to suppress his anger.
"I haven't said enough! It's been almost a year since Mid-Autumn Festival. How could we possibly finish talking about the year so quickly!" Zhang Yanhua continued to chatter on.
"Enough!" Xiao Linran hissed.
Xiao Jingchen's behavior yesterday had already given him enough of a headache, and he simply didn't have the patience to deal with this woman anymore.
"If you're not satisfied, you can leave. The Xiao family won't mistreat you." Xiao Linran didn't even glance at her, his tone devoid of any emotion.
"Of course I can leave." A hint of malice flashed in Zhang Yanhua's eyes. "But if it weren't for me, which top-tier aristocratic family would have been willing to marry their eldest daughter to you!"
When Zhang Yanhua and Xiao Linran got engaged, Xiao Linzhong was the rightful heir of the Xiao family. Under Xiao Linzhong's brilliance, who would be willing to marry their most precious daughter to the second son who had neither a father's favor nor the right to inherit the family business?
For more than a decade, Zhang Yanhua has been using this incident to make sarcastic remarks.
Xiao Linran finally erupted like a volcano. His large, iron-like hand suddenly grabbed Zhang Yanhua's plump neck and pinned her against the wall. His hand was like a demon's claw, slowly increasing the pressure. Under the pressure of this terrifying force, Zhang Yanhua's face instantly turned a liverish color.
"That's right, you can continue to be Mrs. Xiao here, but it will always just be an empty title. The women outside, though they have no official status, are more deserving of it than you. Just keep dreaming your pipe dreams here!" he said viciously, his eyes full of sarcasm.
Xiao Linran abruptly withdrew his hand, and Zhang Yanhua, like a drowning person finally surfacing, was able to breathe fresh air again. She clutched her neck, coughing violently, and looked at Xiao Linran with eyes filled with boundless fear, as if she were looking at a ferocious beast.
Xiao Linran finally left, and Zhang Yanhua and Xiao Linran parted on bad terms once again.
In truth, she loved Xiao Linran; the deeper her love, the deeper her hatred.
Every time she thought about Xiao Linran having sex with those women outside, she couldn't help but feel angry and aggrieved.
She is a woman, and she also needs her husband's tenderness and comfort.
She sat alone on the bed, sobbing. The doctor had said that today was the best time for her to conceive, but she never expected that she would ruin it herself.
She felt both regretful and aggrieved; she shouldn't have argued with Xiao Linran today.
"Madam! It's alright! Stop crying!" Just as Zhang Yanhua was feeling down and alone, a tall and handsome guard walked up to her side.
"Madam, don't cry!" Seeing that it was him, Zhang Yanhua cried even louder. During this period, whenever she was in a bad mood, it was this guard Qian who accompanied her and comforted her.
Guard Qian gently pulled Zhang Yanhua's head to rest against his chest.
"Xiao Qian, do you think I did something wrong? Should I not have argued with him?"
"No! Madam, you are not wrong. He is not worth your sacrifice. You should no longer invest your feelings in him, but in someone who cares about you more, understands you more, and loves you more!"
As he spoke, Qian tidied her sideburns. She felt a tingling sensation where his hand touched her, and the ambiguous atmosphere began to heat up.
"Xiao Qian, what nonsense are you talking about!" Zhang Yanhua felt completely confused.
"No, Madam, I'm not lying! Actually, I've always wanted to tell you that I fell in love with you at first sight when I first met you, but I've suppressed my feelings because of my status."
"If he treats you well, I will keep my feelings to myself. But he treats you like this now. Are you willing to give me a chance to protect you?" Guard Qian looked directly into Zhang Yanhua's eyes, his eyes full of affection.
"Madam! Is it alright?" Seeing that Zhang Yanhua did not respond, Guard Qian took advantage of the situation and grasped her hand.
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