Jiang Baili paused, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, there's also Chen Zilan, who was with me on the challenge! Because she was the one spreading rumors to Hang Dongxu, we had a falling out during the challenge, which caused me to fail."
"I'm sorry, Grandpa, I've let you down. I originally wanted to surprise you by successfully passing the challenge..."
This explanation was clearly something the mother and daughter had discussed beforehand.
In any case, the ultimate victim today is Jiang Baili, not Xie Li.
She was a wealthy young lady from the capital city, with excellent grades, a good family background, and good looks. She should have been the most favored one to pass the test.
The result was a promising start followed by a disappointing finish, ultimately losing to Xie Li, a mere village girl. No matter how you look at it, she was the most tragic one.
As long as she establishes a beautiful, strong, and tragic persona, she won't have to worry about Grandpa Xie not feeling sorry for her.
"Jiang Baili!" Old Master Xie suddenly spoke in a stern voice, his chest heaving slightly, clearly angered.
Xie Li was startled and quickly stepped forward to support Grandpa Xie's arm. "Grandpa!"
Grandpa Xie waved his hand to indicate that he was alright, then calmed his breathing slightly and looked at Jiang Baili with a slightly somber expression.
That heavy gaze, tinged with disappointment, made Jiang Baili feel a little scared. She wanted to grab Grandpa Xie's hand, "Grandpa..."
Grandpa Xie withdrew his hand, his voice sounding several years older: "I thought that after this ordeal, you would at least have realized your mistakes. I didn't expect you to still be making excuses."
"Grandpa, please listen to me..." Jiang Baili became anxious, and her tears flowed even more fiercely. How could Grandpa Xie do this?
He used to trust her a lot, so why is he now convinced that she's making excuses?
Jiang Baili was unwilling to accept this; she hadn't lied entirely.
Xie Yunqiu had been paying close attention to Old Master Xie's expression, and seeing that Jiang Baili still wanted to argue, she quickly pulled her back.
As Xie Yunqiu's daughter, she knew Old Master Xie's personality all too well. Although the old man was getting on in years and his temper towards the younger generation was becoming more and more gentle, he was not someone who could be easily fooled.
At this point, saying more will only lead to more mistakes, so it's better to simply keep quiet.
"Dad! Belle knows she was wrong." Xie Yunqiu took a deep breath, trying her best to control her emotions. "Please don't be angry."
Jiang Baili lowered her head and remained silent, but her fingers gripped the hem of her dress tightly, so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Grandpa, I know I was wrong."
Grandpa Xie had seen everything the two of them were doing. “Since you know you’re wrong, then go to the ancestral hall and copy the family rules. You can come out when you’re done copying them.”
Jiang Baili suddenly raised her head, her eyes widening in disbelief: "Grandpa!"
This is already considered a violation of family discipline. Jiang Baili has always been excellent and self-disciplined, and has never been disciplined by Grandpa Xie.
She's vying for the position of Xie's heir; how will she stand up to the rest of the clan after this?
What embarrassed her even more was that while she was punished, Xie Lifan remained unscathed and even watched the show from the sidelines.
Completely disregarding Jiang Baili's wishes, Old Master Xie called out, and immediately two ancestral hall managers came out and respectfully "invited" Jiang Baili away.
Xie Yunqiu chased after Jiang Baili for a couple of steps, then turned back to look at Grandpa Xie, caught in a dilemma. "Dad! Baili is still a child, and a girl at that. Isn't this punishment a bit too harsh?"
"You think you're all set in there?" Old Master Xie said. "Yunqiu, don't think I don't know about your underhanded dealings!"
"You get out of here and kneel in the ancestral hall! Reflect on how you've been raising your children!"
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