Meng Qin stood up abruptly and shouted, "You two siblings have a good plan! You make my brother work for you two, and in the end you kick him aside and don't get a single penny."
"Smack—"
A crisp slap.
Jiao Yushen's angry pupils contracted slightly.
Lu Yu heard Jiao Yushen's thoughts and tried to keep a steady expression as she looked at Jiao Yuyin.
As if he had expected this, Jiao Yuyin gave Lu Yu a reassuring look.
"You hit me again?" Meng Qin stepped forward and grabbed Jiao Yushen's neck.
The two of them started tearing at each other.
Jiao Yuyin immediately stood up to steady Jiao Yushen, while Lu Yu and Jiao Hua'an pulled Meng Qin away.
"I think you don't want to live like this anymore?" Jiao Yushen roared angrily.
"I'm definitely getting a divorce from you!" Meng Qin turned to Jiao Cheng and said, "Dad, my brother shouldn't have messed around with Cen Li, but he only got involved with her because he was doing things for Jiao Yushen and his sister!"
"What nonsense are you spouting now?" Jiao Hua'an interrupted in a panic.
Jiao Cheng glared at her. "Don't interrupt, Meng Qin, explain yourself."
"Jiao Yushen had my brother use our Meng family's company to find someone who looked somewhat like Wen Tangli, and then we made some adjustments." Meng Qin raised her eyelids and quickly glanced at Jiao Yuyin.
Jiao Cheng's hand, gripping his cane, turned white. His guilt and feelings for Wen Tangli were mixed with too many complex factors. Even though she was the lover who often appeared in his dreams, he rarely revealed his true feelings. How could Jiao Yushen and Meng Qi know the emotions he hid in his heart?
Lu Yu couldn't help but sigh as she listened to Jiao Cheng's heartfelt words, but the ending of his words startled her.
Did Yu-Shen know that I intentionally condoned what he did to Wen? No, that's impossible.
Jiao Cheng stared at Meng Qin and asked, "So, you deliberately put this person in front of me? Why?"
Meng Qin waved her hand and said, "No, Jiao Yushen wants to—ah!"
Jiao Yushen struggled to break free from Jiao Yuyin and was about to pounce on Meng Qin.
"Thump—!"
Jiao Cheng slammed his cane heavily onto the wooden floor, making a deafening sound.
"Anyone who causes trouble again, get out of the Jiao family." Jiao Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but it was very intimidating, and the scene instantly quieted down.
Meng Qin calmed her breathing and continued, "Jiao Yushen wanted Cen Li to ruin the relationship between the third son and his wife, but then the situation at the charity gala happened... But Dad, my younger brother also saved you! Jiao Hua'an wanted Cen Li to drug you, but my younger brother delayed it. Really, Dad, please, I beg you, leave my younger brother a way out."
Everyone's expression changed.
Jiao Hua'an's voice was panicked, "What nonsense are you making up? You're accusing me because I didn't speak up for you? Dad, don't believe her, how could I dare to harm you?"
“After Mi Yang caused such a scene last time, Jiao Hua’an intentionally had Jiao Yushen use Cen Li’s matter to win over Mi Yang. That’s when Jiao Hua’an found out that Cen Li was someone we had arranged. Then she started plotting something sinister. She wanted to kill you before the second son, Jiao Yuchen, was released from prison, so that Jiao Yushen could smoothly take over the Yuhua Group. She gave my younger brother a drug that could induce a heart attack. My younger brother is timid; he’s greedy and lustful, but he really doesn’t have the guts to kill anyone, so he dragged things out. Jiao Hua’an made some nice promises back then, saying that as long as the old man was gone, the Jiao family wouldn’t investigate further. Even if others pursued the matter, they would at most drop the issue to Cen Li, which would be enough to settle things.” Meng Qin let out a long sigh after finishing her sentence.
Jiao Hua'an said, "Dad, don't listen to her. My surname is Jiao, and hers is Meng. I am a member of the Jiao family. Now that the Meng family is desperate, she's just lying without a care in the world. Dad, this is all made up."
Jiao Cheng pondered for a few seconds, as if he hadn't heard Jiao Hua'an's words, and calmly said two words to Meng Qin: "Evidence."
“A recording! A recording of Jiao Hua’an having my little brother harm you! If you really push us too far, no one can cover up the Jiao family’s dirty deeds. We can give up the Meng family’s business, I just want my little brother to be safe.”
Meng Qin took a voice recorder out of her pocket and handed it to Jiao Cheng.
Jiao Cheng listened to the recording for only a few seconds before suddenly standing up and slapping Jiao Hua'an.
Jiao Yushen ran to Jiao Huaan's side, trying to protect him, but before he could even stand still, he was hit hard by Jiao Huaan's cane.
Jiao Cheng seemed to have gone mad, violently swinging his cane.
Jiao Yushen and Jiao Hua'an sat on the ground, being beaten in a sorry state. Only Jiao Hua'an's cries echoed in the old house, striking at everyone's nerves.
"Aren't all the problems caused by your poor behavior as a father?"
"You treat a prostitute like a treasure, then get cheated on and blame everyone else!"
"The tragedy of every member of the Jiao family is caused by you, Jiao Cheng!"
Jiao Hua'an's cries grew softer and softer.
Jiao Cheng had exhausted his last bit of strength before he calmed down and said breathlessly, "Meng Qin, whether it's the original recording or a copy, you'd better delete it all. If the recording gets leaked, there will be a day when I come after you."
Meng Qin nodded and said, "I know. Then, my little brother..."
Jiao Cheng said, "Meng Qi must be punished openly, otherwise everyone will think my Jiao family is a pushover. I'm already being very lenient by not sending him to jail. Letting him get a beating isn't too much to ask. Don't say I'm bullying your Meng family later. You and that rebellious son Jiao Yushen should get a divorce. Without the Jiao family as your support, your Meng family can figure out how to make money on its own. From now on, as long as you keep your mouth shut, the Jiao and Meng families will go their separate ways. I mean what I say."
Jiao Yuyin saw that Lu Yu's forehead was covered in cold sweat, so he walked over to Lu Yu, took Lu Yu's hand, and gently stroked it twice with his thumb.
After all the inner thoughts subsided, it took Lu Yu a long time to sort out some ideas.
The difficulty for Jiao Cheng in dealing with Jiao Hua'an and Jiao Yushen wasn't due to their blood ties, but rather because it was a family matter, and involving a disgraced family member, making a major confrontation unwise. Clearly, there wasn't a definite, overt solution for dealing with Jiao Hua'an.
Should they kick Jiao Hua'an and Jiao Yushen out? Then who would be left in the Jiao family? Jiao Cheng felt increasingly powerless.
Jiao Yuyin, who had remained silent until now, interrupted Jiao Cheng's thoughts with his voice.
“Dad, Cen Li and Meng Qi’s matter is easy to handle, but it’s not good to spread the word about my eldest sister’s matter. Actually, my eldest sister is quite adept at doing these crooked things.”
Jiao Yuyin paused for a moment, and Jiao Cheng's eyes immediately sharpened, clearly suspecting that Jiao Yuyin had discovered some secret.
Jiao Yuyin didn't take Jiao Cheng's reaction to heart and continued, "Our family's slaughterhouse in Luoshi has always been under my management. I don't know if my eldest sister disapproved of my current lack of complacency, but she took advantage of accepting a job with an environmental protection company to bribe an environmental testing agency and instruct employees to illegally discharge substandard wastewater. Fortunately, wastewater treatment at slaughterhouses is difficult, and the company manager is quite attentive to this matter, so it didn't lead to a disaster. The Jiao family has been busy lately, and I didn't originally intend to bring this up, but since I need a legitimate reason now, and I happened to have some evidence from back then..."
That's all I have to say. What happens next is up to Jiao Cheng.
The sunlight shifted, filtering through the poplar trees and casting their shadows on the window.
"Send Jiao Hua'an in. The Jiao family's children are all incredibly capable." Jiao Cheng sneered, glanced at Jiao Yushen, and said, "As for you, you'd better watch yourself! Remember, kid. You can only take what I give you. If I don't give it to you and you take it, that's robbery. A son robbing his father? You'll really have to wait until the day I die."
The farce has finally come to an end, but it seems that no one gained anything.
Jiao and Meng went their separate ways. The Jiao family lost its glory, and the Meng family lost its backing.
Cen Li, Meng Qi, Jiao Yushen, Jiao Huaan, and even Jiao Cheng all became targets of Jiao Yuyin's revenge.
But in Jiao Yuyin's dark eyes, there always seemed to be hidden contradictions and heartache, which Lu Yu could only catch a glimpse of, not see clearly.
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