Chapter Twelve: Nobody Will Get Away With It
"You...you!" Old Mrs. Su was so hit by the sudden futon that she almost fell off her chair, and her hand covering her face was cut with a long gash.
"I'm only willing to come back now because I want to help my father keep my mother's secret. What gives you the right to push your luck?"
Su Xiao stood in the middle of the group.
Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone someone who has never been a rabbit.
"If you keep pressuring me like this, I'll divorce him right now and make sure you and all your wealth and status go down with me."
"Su Xiao!" Old Mrs. Su clutched her chest, her brand-new sandalwood cane tapping loudly on the floor tiles: "You've really gone mad!"
"Yes, I'm crazy."
With so many people pressing her down, it would be abnormal if she didn't go crazy.
"Either your Su family holds a grand funeral for my father, or I'll call the Yan family's old residence right now, and neither of us will have an easy time."
Grandma Su was furious with her, but she couldn't really do anything about it.
"housekeeper."
Her chest heaved, and the pigeon-blood red ring on her finger swayed with the movement of raising her hand. As she was about to leave, Old Mrs. Su turned back and glanced at her, her cloudy eyes half-closed, filled with venom.
"Do it for her!"
The door to the ancestral hall was slammed shut.
Su Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the table where the urn was placed, and reached out to wipe the dust off the lid.
It's unbelievable that someone so stubborn in life can now only be confined to such a small box.
Actually, what they said wasn't wrong; she was indeed as stubborn as her father.
But it's okay, even if no one protects her now, she can protect herself very well.
Su Xiao sat in the ancestral hall all night. Just as dawn was breaking, there was a knocking sound at the door.
"Young Miss, the old lady wants you to go to the Yan family this morning. The funeral is tomorrow, and their elders have to come over."
"I see."
Su Xiao rubbed her knees, barely managed to stand up while holding onto the table, and forced herself to walk outside.
Many wreaths had already been brought into the courtyard, and the housekeeper was leading people to adjust their positions. When she came out of the ancestral hall, she gave a wink to the driver next to her.
The driver immediately understood and went out to drive.
Su Xiao forced a smile and thanked them. She was in pain all over, and since the Su family was willing to do her a favor for such a small matter, she didn't need to offend them.
Su Xiao got into the car, leaned back in her seat, and finally caught her breath.
She hesitated for a moment, then opened her phone, scrolled to Yan Mingshen's chat window, and clicked on it.
The chat history is still stuck the day before the Su family's incident.
With his fingers hovering over the keyboard, he made several edits before finally sending a message to Yan Mingshen.
Su Xiao: My father's funeral is tomorrow. Could you come with me to the old house and ask Grandma and Mom to come over?
Without him, the Yan family might just tear her apart.
After a long while, the other end replied with a single word: "Hmm."
Su Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and instructed the driver to start the car.
They had only driven a few steps when...
Her phone vibrated again.
Yan Mingshen: Xia Zhi has a stomachache, I'll be there later.
Xia Zhi, it's Xia Zhi again.
My heart feels like it's been repeatedly thrown into ice water; I can no longer feel the pain, only despair.
Su Xiao: Ming Shen, I'll be in trouble if I go alone.
She couldn't help but smile bitterly; it turned out that some people could be so open about changing their minds.
Yan Mingshen: ...I'm sorry, Xiaoxiao.
After apologizing, the other party never replied to my messages again.
Su Xiao sighed, every time she felt that this person was already bad enough.
You'll find that he can get even worse.
Layer upon layer of disappointment enveloped her from the bottom of her heart, suffocating her so much that she could hardly breathe.
never mind.
She couldn't count on him anyway.
Su Xiao waved her hand, signaling the driver to start the car.
The old Yan family house is located halfway up the mountain, with its blue bricks and gray tiles covered in ivy.
The maid at the door, seeing that she had come alone, didn't greet her with a smile as before. She merely glanced at her indifferently and slowly opened the door.
"The old lady and her wife are in the main hall."
The pomegranate tree in the courtyard was covered with petals as Su Xiao walked along the bluestone path.
The door to the main hall was open, and Old Madam Yan sat in the main seat, fiddling with Buddhist prayer beads in her hands.
Zhou Manyun was sitting next to her, drinking tea from her teacup. When she saw her come in, she didn't even lift her eyelids.
"Grandma, Mom."
After greeting everyone, Su Xiao noticed that no one at the head of the table seemed inclined to let her sit down, so she could only stand awkwardly to the side.
"My father's funeral is tomorrow, and I've come to invite you both to come over..."
"It's a funeral procession."
Zhou Manyun finally put down her teacup, glanced at her, and her eyes were like frost:
"Where's Ming Shen? Why didn't he come with you?"
Su Xiao clenched her hands: "He has something to do, he'll be here later."
"What's up?"
Zhou Manyun chuckled lightly: "What could be more important than your father-in-law's funeral? I'm afraid you're just incompetent."
She said this only briefly, but every word still carried a critical tone.
The aunt next to her chimed in, "Xiaoxiao, I'm not trying to be mean, but it's been three years, and you still haven't given Mingshen a son or daughter..."
She was more straightforward than Zhou Manyun.
Su Xiao ignored her.
Married for three years, Yan Mingshen had never touched her, so how could she possibly have a child?
"Say less, everyone."
Grandma Yan finally spoke.
She sat in a pearwood armchair, her silver-gray hair meticulously combed, a few stray strands held in place by hair gel, her phoenix eyes half-closed, her voice slow and deliberate:
“Su girl, it’s not that we’re not going to honor you, your father has passed away, so we should go. But if Ming Shen doesn’t go, what kind of elders would we be if we did?”
“He will go.” Su Xiao lowered her head.
That statement sounded very unconvincing.
The Xia and Su families are sworn enemies. If Xia Zhi doesn't want him to go, what can she do?
They can't just knock Yan Mingshen unconscious with a stick and tie him up, can they?
Can you guarantee that?
Zhou Manyun took over the conversation, drawing out her words and glancing at Su Xiao: "Su Xiao, what guarantees do you have?"
"..."
Su Xiao suppressed her temper. Zhou Manyun was always cryptic; besides trying to suppress her, she probably had other motives.
The Yan family is different from the Su family.
No matter how ruthless the Su family is, they are nothing but a paper tiger. The Yan family, on the other hand, is the real tiger. They all appear peaceful on the surface, but they are capable of anything in private.
"The Tang family is having a charity gala in a couple of days. You know what to do."
Zhou Manyun raised an eyebrow: "Your father is gone, the Su family has fallen, and Ming Shen's heart is not with you. You have to give me and the old lady a reason to keep you here."
These words are like a dull knife, slowly cutting into people's hearts.
"Mom, I understand."
Su Xiao pursed her lips; so this was what the Yan family was after.
Her father had some connections with the Tang family patriarch, so if the Yan family wanted to get on board with the Tang family, she was undoubtedly the best candidate.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com