The old man cursed under his breath, annoyed by his son's lack of ambition.
He then cleared his throat with an air of authority and addressed Yan Jingzhou with an imposing tone, "Clan Chief Yan, you have taken great care of my daughter A-Yun these past few days, and I would like to express my gratitude to you. A-Yun has also caused you trouble, so today this old man will take her home and not cause you any more trouble!"
Although the old man's words were very authoritative, they were not without politeness.
This was a gesture of respect to the head of the Yan Jingzhou clan on the surface, but it also indirectly indicated that he had to take this person away today.
And it's the kind of departure from which there is no return...
Yan Jingzhou's expression was solemn. "Jiaojiao is my fiancée and the future wife of the Yan clan's patriarch. Taking care of her is what I should do. There's no need for you to be so polite, sir!"
Grandpa Gong's face darkened. The little brat was quite clever, trying to steal the little cabbage he'd raised with such care...
"Furthermore," the tall, slender young man opposite him said calmly, "you want to take Jiaojiao back, have you asked for her consent?"
“I am her grandfather, so I know her wishes. She will come back with us today!”
Gong Ning, who had been subtly drawn to the center by the Gong family, immediately burst into tears upon hearing this, "Grandpa, I don't want to..."
"No, you want to!" The Gong family members stared intently at her, speaking in unison.
Gong Ning: "..."
But at this very moment of tension, Yan Jingzhou, whose face had been dark and cold, suddenly smiled, and his icy aura softened.
He then spoke calmly to Old Master Gong, "Old Master is right. I will be very grateful if you can take good care of Jiaojiao!"
Gong Ning's eyes suddenly widened...
...
In the capital city, at the Palace Family Moonlit Garden, the deep night illuminated the luxurious villa area, making it brightly lit.
Gong Ning was surrounded by her family like a national treasure. Even a light cough because her throat was itchy could attract everyone's attention and a wave of concern.
Gong Ning swallowed nervously, feeling a sense of unease and slight awkwardness as if she were being restrained.
A sense of unfamiliarity with this home...
The girl's dark eyes suddenly flickered; she missed A-Zhou...
The next instant, small flames rose in her eyes; she was furious at how easily he had agreed to let her return.
It was just a few days of pranks and antics, why are you being so petty?
This was the only reason she could come up with, after racking her brains, for Yan Jingzhou to suddenly agree to let her return...
Gong Ning's mind raced, but the brightly lit living room gradually fell silent.
Grandpa Gong tapped his cane lightly, his tone extremely forceful and serious, "Xiangru, you should understand why I didn't ask any further questions at the banquet."
Family scandals should not be aired in public...
At this moment, Gong Xiangru had regained her previous elegance and composure, and upon hearing this, she no longer showed any of her previous awkwardness or panic. "Grandfather, Xiangru understands!"
"It's good that you know," the old man's wise and sharp eyes softened slightly, "So, why did you pretend not to know A-Yun at the banquet just now?"
Gong Xiangru revealed a graceful and elegant smile, and spoke very frankly, "Grandfather, A-Yun once said that she doesn't like others to know that she is the third young lady of the Gong family, and she is also used to being free and unrestrained. I subconsciously thought that she didn't like it, which was also a lack of consideration on my part... I'm sorry, Grandfather!"
Although Old Master Gong has not been involved in the affairs of the Gong clan for many years, it does not mean that he is so confused that he cannot see through these little tricks.
Hearing this seemingly frank and honest but ultimately far-fetched explanation, the old man's face darkened. "So, you just let others ridicule your sister at will, or rather, you encouraged them to do so, while you stood by and watched the show. Is this what you, as the older sister, should do?"
Gong Xiangru's face stiffened. She hadn't expected the old man to see things so clearly, nor had she anticipated that he would say it so bluntly in front of so many people.
"Grandfather, I..."
"Gong Xiangru, I gave you a chance. I called your family over and gave you a chance to explain yourself properly, but you..." The old man paused, seemingly reluctant to continue the reprimand, "What is the first principle of the Gong family's harmony precepts?"
Gong Xiangru lowered her eyes, "I will not use all the political skills and schemes I have learned in my life on my own family!"
Did you do it?
"……No!"
"Alright, copy the Harmony Chapter of the Family Precepts fifty times. Don't go out for the next month. Reflect on your mistakes in the corner of the room. When you've figured it out, bring the copied Family Precepts to my study. This will end when you've figured it out!"
This is no light punishment at all; the chapter on harmony occupies almost a third of the palace family precepts.
Fifty times... You won't be able to leave the house until you've copied it for a month!
It was even quieter around.
Gong Xiangru lowered her eyes, "Yes!"
...
Watching Gong Xiangru silently go upstairs, Gong Ning's dark eyes remained completely still, showing neither joy nor disappointment.
All that remains is boundless numbness.
Gong Xiangru's self-reflection was perhaps about how he racked his brains to scheme against her.
Although none of them said it, she understood that now all members of the Gong family, including her grandfather, felt that Gong Xiangru was just confused for a moment and was not a bad person at heart.
But if it's not bad, why did they kick her off the plane when she was only five years old? Why did they switch the depressant medication in her medicine? Why did they repeatedly stage car accidents to try and kill her? And why did they repeatedly send people to tie her up in a dark room to scare her, even though they knew she was terrified of the dark?
When she was ten years old, if it weren't for Gong Xiangru's kidnapping, she wouldn't have gotten lost and been picked up by Xiao Yiting from an alley next to the slums. She wouldn't have had the chance to learn about Madam Xiao's filth and horror, adding another unbearable memory to her already weary and scarred heart...
But... she had no recollection of what happened in that alley before she got lost.
There seems to be a very familiar figure flickering in my mind, but I just can't quite make out who it is...
Moreover, she had completely forgotten even the moments she spent alone with Xiao Yiting during that year at the Xiao family home…
She felt that everything she had forgotten was related to the "big brother" who kept appearing in her dreams recently.
But they had no clue what to do.
And this utter confusion, all of this, was indirectly caused by her good older sister.
Gong Xiangru will reflect on her actions...
Maybe...
Perhaps her running away from home at the age of fifteen, or perhaps her long absence from home since returning from the Guyou Dynasty, are all related to her insane and despicable scheming...
If Ah Zhou hadn't almost died in a car accident, she might never have wanted to see Gong Xiangru again...
But now that she's back, unless Gong Xiangru behaves herself, one day her hypocritical mask will be torn off...
Will her grandfather, parents, brothers, and sisters be disappointed and disheartened at that time? Will they blame her for tearing off this mask without her consent?
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