“Xie Yunqian? What does this have to do with her?!” Fu Wanxiu widened her old eyes.
Xie Dingyuan: “I think this question should be asked of Fourth Sister.”
“Yunshu?”
“Mom, I…” In the end, she felt guilty; the moment she opened her mouth, her weakness showed.
At this point, what was there left to not understand?
The old madam immediately trembled with anger from head to toe. “Foolish! You’re usually domineering, willful, we all try our best to tolerate that, but look at what you’ve done this time. What kind of thing is this?!”
Xie Yunshu panicked. “Mom, I know my limits.”
“Interfering in Ah Yuan’s private affairs, pulling some low-class little tricks behind the scenes, trying to sow discord between the young couple, this is what you call knowing your limits?”
Xie Yunshu pressed her lips together.
“Is this how your father and I taught you? Other people may not know what kind of person Xie Yunqian is, don’t tell me you don’t know either? And you still dared to take the initiative to provoke her, are you living too comfortably and itching to court disaster just for fun?”
“Mom, I was guarding against her. It’s not as serious as you say. I just wanted to…”
“Wanted to what?”
Xie Yunshu clenched her teeth. “Wanted to try…”
The old madam sneered. “Try what? Try whether Ah Yuan and Yueyue would break up because of her?”
The woman lowered her eyes and said nothing, clearly having been hit right on the mark.
Fu Wanxiu couldn’t understand it. “Ah Yuan finally managed to get into a relationship, why did you have to interfere?”
“Exactly, Fourth Sister. How could you use such dirty tactics? Xie Yunqian is a white-eyed wolf. You cooperated with her, aren’t you afraid she’ll bite you back?”
The two words “cooperate with” landed like a resounding slap on Xie Yunshu’s face.
She had already been placed on the same level of loathsome as Xie Yunqian.
The looks the sisters gave her were also a tangled mix of astonishment, shock, and disappointment…
“Fourth Sister, what you did this time really wasn’t decent.”
“Little Nine himself doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with Jiang Fuyue. You barged in like this, this is a bit too…” meddlesome.
“Didn’t we previously all agree that as long as Little Nine was happy, it didn’t matter who his other half was?”
Ahem… even if it were a man, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Now that Jiang Fuyue and Ah Yuan were together, it was better by tens of thousands of times than bringing in a male brother-in-law. What’s more, that girl was pretty and poised, smart, and extremely outstanding in her professional field.
A girl like that would be sought-after anywhere, she and Little Nine were a match beyond doubt.
Xie Yunxuan: “What is there to nitpick about this?”
Xie Yunmiao: “Fourth Sister, you used to be a very open-minded person. How is it that now you’ve started caring about these flashy but empty things like family background and status?”
The old madam also said, “Our family doesn’t need to form marriage alliances or marry up to seek benefits. As long as Ah Yuan likes her, that’s enough.”
Listening to everyone speaking one after another, all wearing faces of tolerance and kindness, so in the end, she alone was the villain?
“Heh…” Xie Yunshu gave a self-mocking laugh. Up to now, she still didn’t think she had done anything wrong; she only felt desolate. “So now you’re all going to collectively condemn me?”
“Old Fourth!” Xie Yunzhao frowned. “Stop drilling yourself into a dead end.”
“I’m not wrong!” Xie Yunshu suddenly raised her voice. “Everything I did was genuinely for Little Nine’s sake! I want him to marry a gentle, virtuous, considerate wife, where am I wrong?!”
The old madam’s face sank, just about to speak, but at that moment, Xie Dingyuan spoke first, “Fourth Sister.”
Xie Yunshu turned her head dully and looked at him, tears glimmering in her eyes, along with expectation. “Ah Yuan, you understand me, right? Fourth Sister did everything wholeheartedly for your good…”
“Self-righteous good, I don’t need it.” He spoke word by word, his gaze sharp and cold.
Self… righteous?
So everything she had done was just self-righteous?
Xie Yunshu staggered underfoot, her figure swaying slightly, her expression falling into profound bewilderment in an instant.
As if she couldn’t accept such an evaluation, on the verge of collapse.
Yet Xie Dingyuan had no intention of letting it pass with a stroke. “You say you want me to marry a gentle, virtuous, considerate woman, preferably one who can be obedient in everything and do as she’s told. But I can tell you clearly: none of those things are something Jiang Fuyue can do.”
“But so what? There are many gentle and virtuous women; Jiang Fuyue, however, there is only one.”
“I like her. Even if she’s sharp-edged, willful, neither considerate nor attentive, I still like her, and it has to be her.”
“So, Fourth Sister, stop waving the banner of ‘for my own good’ while doing things that harm the bond between us siblings. If this kind of situation happens again, I won’t let her suffer even the slightest grievance.”
Not letting her suffer meant, no longer indulging you to act recklessly.
It was persuasion, and also a warning!
“Also, as for Xie Yunqian, I’ve already decided to sever ties. From now on, the Xie family has no Eighth Miss. From this point forward, we will not be entangled with each other.”
After saying that, he went straight upstairs, no longer paying attention to anything in the living room.
His back view was resolute.
Xie Yunshu felt as if struck by lightning, was Little Nine blaming her?
He was blaming her!
This realization shattered all of the woman’s defenses. In an instant, she collapsed completely.
So everything she had done was meaningless, utterly worthless.
Not only did she fail to gain Ah Yuan’s goodwill, she even damaged the bond between them as siblings.
How could it be like this?
Her original intention was only to hope that he would be well!
This feeling was like… you exhaust all your strength to pull out the black thorns on the stem, yet the rose tells you that you touched its most precious thing.
So it turned out that she herself was just a joke!
A complete and utter fool!
Xie Yunshu could no longer bear it. She covered her face and burst into tears. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t think it would turn out like this… Mom, Little Nine is blaming me! He’s blaming me!”
Hearing this, the old madam couldn’t help reddening at the eyes. For a moment, she was both angry and heartbroken. “If you’d known it would come to this, why do it in the first place? You reap what you sow, how are you supposed to live?”
The siblings’ hearts had drifted apart!
Xie Yunxuan held back the sourness surging to the tip of her nose and tugged at Xie Yunzhao’s sleeve, wanting her to think of a way, anything, even just to persuade her. “Eldest Sister…”
The latter, however, gently shook her head at her.
Xie Yunzhao didn’t want to persuade, and there was no way to persuade.
She understood this fourth sister too well. Usually she was fairly normal, but once it involved Little Nine, she became impulsive, lacked restraint, wanted to stick her hand in everywhere and manage everything.
As if only by doing so could she highlight her concern and love as an older sister.
Before, these were all small matters. Everyone saw her good intentions, and even if things were botched, they didn’t make an issue of it. Xie Dingyuan, in particular, never questioned it.
But this time was different. She had clearly touched Ah Yuan’s reverse scale.
Xie Yunmiao also felt some pity. She didn’t want to comment on Fourth Sister’s actions, because they had long crossed the moral line, but she did feel sorry for Fourth Sister’s sincere feelings toward Little Nine, even if they were expressed the wrong way.
Xie Yunshu was still crying, crying bitterly. She took two steps forward, wanting to say something, but when it came time to speak, she didn’t know what to say.
She knew very well that no matter how she comforted or advised, it would only make Fourth Sister’s embarrassment double.
Xie Yunmiao pressed her lips together and looked somewhat helplessly toward the old master and old madam.
Xie Zhendong’s expression was stern, his gaze sharp, at one moment, he looked exactly like Xie Dingyuan when enraged.
“Old Fourth, your hand has stretched too far. You went overboard.”
These words left Xie Yunshu not the slightest shred of face.
Sure enough, Xie Yunshu’s crying grew louder, her expression collapsing even further.
“Dad…” Xie Yunmiao wanted to intervene.
As soon as she opened her mouth, she was blocked by the old man: “There’s nothing to say. I’ve taught you all since you were little, being human means taking responsibility for every decision you make. Since Yunshu made a mistake, then everything today should be borne by her. It’s not unjust in the slightest, nor does it deserve sympathy.”
“While everyone’s here, we’re still missing Yunxi. Third, remember to pass the word to Old Seventh after you go down.”
Xie Yunlan nodded. “Okay.”
Xie Zhendong: “Today I’ll put my words right here, about Little Nine’s affairs from now on, none of you are to interfere. A sister who doesn’t act like a sister, teaming up with outsiders to dig a pit for her own younger brother, what an accomplishment!”
“Although you sisters don’t say it out loud, I can tell, you think the old lady and I favor the youngest. But let me ask you this: all these years, he alone has held up the Xie family’s standing, held up your backbone in your in-laws’ homes. With no brothers to support him and no sisters to lend a hand, he’s carried the entire family on his shoulders, racking his brains for more than ten years. Doesn’t that deserve some favoritism?”
The Xie sisters all fell silent.
The old master and the old madam weren’t favoring sons over daughters; they simply cherished the one who had given the most and sacrificed the most.
It had never been about gender.
Especially the old master, he knew all too well how heavy the burden of the Xie family and the Xie Group was, and all these years Ah Yuan had carried it without a word of complaint.
Xie Zhendong: “I’m not asking you to help Ah Yuan with anything, but he’s finally found a girl he likes, can you stop making trouble?”
As the eldest, Xie Yuncao was the first to state her position: “Dad, Mom, rest assured, we won’t drop the ball.”
Xie Yunxiang, Xie Yunlan, and the others also nodded one after another, “I’ve always supported Little Nine and Yueyue.”
“Yeah, how well matched are those two?”
“Ah Yuan’s even said ‘she’s the only one’, as older sisters, we should be happy.”
“Jiang Fuyue is outstanding, and only she is worthy of our Little Nine.”
“Judging by Little Nine’s attitude now, he’s probably fallen hard, and that’s good, that’s good!”
“…”
After saying what needed to be said, the old master didn’t linger and directly took the old madam back to their room.
The huge living room was left with only the sisters.
Xie Yunshu’s tears hadn’t stopped. From the initial breakdown and sobbing to now silently weeping, her swollen red eyes and tear-soaked cheeks stirred pity.
“Fourth Sister, stop crying,” Xie Yunxuan tried to help her up. “I know you truly wanted to plan things for Little Nine, but some things aren’t up to us to decide however we wish. Little Nine has his own ideas… From now on, let’s just keep proper boundaries and not interfere rashly.”
Xie Yunmiao hurried over to support the other side as well: “Fourth Sister, Ah Yuan has grown up. We can’t treat him with the attitude we had when he was little anymore.”
Xie Yunshu shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You don’t understand…”
Xie Yunlan really couldn’t watch anymore and blurted out: “What’s there not to understand? Isn’t it just that you feel you’ve done so much and Ah Yuan didn’t appreciate it, so you’re aggrieved and afraid?”
Xie Yunshu’s whole body stiffened.
Yes, she was aggrieved, and she was afraid.
From the moment Ah Yuan said “she’s the only one,” and then lightly expelled Xie Yunqian completely from the family, Xie Yunshu became afraid.
Before that, she had been so certain that Ah Yuan wouldn’t turn his gun on the family over a Jiang Fuyue. Reality taught her what “a slap in the face” meant.
His temper flared the moment he said it would; harsh words were laid down the moment he spoke; people were driven out the moment he decided. Xie Dingyuan’s face-to-face questioning and the series of swift, decisive actions that followed not only shocked the others, it frightened her as well.
“Little Nine won’t forgive me anymore… He blames me… What should I do?” Supported onto the sofa, Xie Yunshu murmured in a daze.
Xie Yunxuan and Xie Yunmiao exchanged a glance.
In truth, they couldn’t quite grasp Little Nine’s attitude either.
Blood ties couldn’t be severed just like that, but Xie Dingyuan had always been someone who loved and hated clearly. He would never tolerate even a fraction just because you were his sister. On the contrary, he demanded more from those close to him, and his tolerance was even lower.
Precisely because they understood Xie Dingyuan’s temperament, they couldn’t say a single word to comfort Xie Yunshu.
And Xie Yuncao didn’t wish to stay longer. After greeting them, she prepared to leave.
In fact, from start to finish, she had hardly spoken at all, and she offered no comment on Fourth Sister’s actions, calm to the point of near coldness.
Xie Yunxiang chased after her. “Eldest Sister, wait…”
Xie Yuncao stopped. “What is it?”
“Eldest Sister, you seem to have… an issue with Fourth Sister?”
“That’s right. I can’t stand her underhanded tricks. And don’t give me that ‘for Little Nine’s own good’ nonsense. If it were truly for Little Nine, she wouldn’t have stabbed him where it hurts most, hurting the person he holds closest to his heart!”
That single sentence let Xie Yunxiang hear a trace of suppressed anger.
And who that anger was aimed at was self-evident.
“Actually, Fourth Sister didn’t want to, ”
“That’s enough! Every time you open your mouths it’s ‘Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister’, so she’s the victim now? What, whoever’s weaker is in the right?” Xie Yuncao sneered.
Xie Yunxiang was a bit startled. Eldest Sister had always been gentle, with the best temperament among the sisters, yet now her eyes were icy, and her words carried a gnashing undertone.
“In this matter, have any of you spared a thought for Little Nine? Being ordered by his own sister to have outsiders sabotage his relationship with his girlfriend, how is he supposed to bear that? And how is he to explain it to Jiang Fuyue? You only see Xie Yunshu crying, but Little Nine’s heart is bleeding!”
“Forget it, you don’t understand at all…”
Xie Yuncao gave a self-mocking smile and strode away.
She was afraid that if she kept looking at the sobbing Xie Yunshu, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from rushing up and giving her a resounding slap!
…
Night fell. After finishing her shower, Jiang Fuyue stayed in her room, with Little Mang lying by her feet, begging to be petted.
Moonlight outside the window was bleak and clear; the room’s lighting was gentle.
She took out her phone and called Xie Dingyuan.
After two rings, the call connected. “Yueyue…”
“What are you doing?”
“Writing a report.”
“It’s so late and you’re still busy? Don’t they let people rest at all…” she muttered, with a bit of coy complaint.
Xie Dingyuan’s brows and eyes softened. “Not busy, just started.”
“Then will you keep me company and talk for a bit?”
“Okay.”
Separated by the phone, they murmured softly until the phone grew hot and the battery warned of low power.
Jiang Fuyue: “I’m a little sleepy.”
Xie Dingyuan: “Go to sleep.”
“Then you sleep too.”
“Okay.”
“Good night, Yueyue.”
After a good night’s sleep, the next day Jiang Fuyue made a trip to “Danggui.”
Niu Rui had just gotten up, his hair a mess like a chicken’s nest, eyes bleary. “Why are you here?”
“Where’s Shigong?”
This trip was mainly to find Ye Qianji to ask about Ming Yu’s treatment.
The acupuncture course had started before she went to F Continent. Now that more than half a year had passed, there should be some effect, right?
“He’s in his room. Go yourself.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Fuyue knocked. After quite a while, Ye Qianji opened the door. “Yueyue?! When did you get back?”
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