Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Guo Yuan clenched her fists. Though she didn’t know where the voice was coming from, she instinctively looked toward her husband, who was chatting and laughing with their daughter.

Zhai Minghui remained oblivious, still engrossed in conversation with Zhai Yan.

"This Zhai Minghui was originally the lover of Guo Yuan’s stepmother. Later, after the stepmother married into the Guo family, she introduced her lover to Guo Yuan. Unexpectedly, Guo Yuan and Zhai Minghui fell for each other, got married, and have been together for over twenty years now. But what Guo Yuan doesn’t know is that her stepmother and her husband have been carrying on a secret affair all this time."

The onlookers gasped in shock. A mother-in-law and her son-in-law? How could something so messed up happen in this world?

Hearing this, Guo Yuan clenched her jaw, her face turning visibly pale.

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Zhai Yan asked worriedly, holding onto Guo Yuan’s arm. "You look really pale."

"That disgusting creep even tried to make a move on his own daughter the night before her wedding! Luckily, Guo Yuan returned in time, but Zhai Yan has been scarred for life!"

Guo Yuan froze.

Before Zhai Yan’s wedding, she had indeed been attacked. She always assumed it was some relative who did it. She lost sleep over it, determined to find the culprit.

But no matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find any clues—and ended up seriously ill because of it.

Zhai Yan rushed back to see her, tearfully insisting it was in the past; she had moved on, as long as her mother was okay.

At the time, Guo Yuan believed her.

Now, thinking back, how could she have moved on so easily? Today, she wouldn’t let this slide.

"I’m okay," Guo Yuan said. "Maybe I’ve been standing too long—I feel a bit dizzy."

"Then let’s go inside quickly. I’ll take you to rest."

Zhai Yan told Zhai Minghui about Guo Yuan’s dizziness. Worried about his wife, Zhai Minghui hurried over, and together with their daughter, flanked Guo Yuan as they walked inside.

With the main players gone, the onlookers naturally dispersed as well. Lin Tingyue and Lin Xiawan also walked in hand in hand.

But Lin Tingyue felt like she had forgotten something.

The villa was crowded. Lin Tingyue and Lin Xiawan found a quiet corner, where Lin Tingyue was eating a small cake while chatting with Lin Xiawan. The earlier incident had already slipped her mind.

Just as Lin Tingyue was about to share her cake with Lin Xiawan, a scream suddenly rang out from the second floor.

Startled, Lin Tingyue almost dropped her plate.

"What the hell was that?"

You tell us!

"Ah! I finally remembered—all of this was orchestrated by Guo Yuan and her son-in-law!"

Gasped Lin Tingyue.

No way!

Upstairs, Zhai Yan supported Guo Yuan. Despite being so furious she could hardly breathe, Guo Yuan managed to confront Zhai Minghui and her stepmother, Shi Chunxue.

"My father has been good to you all these years. How could you sink this low—seducing your own son-in-law?"

Shi Chunxue was just as panicked. She and Zhai Minghui had been carrying on behind her back for years, but this was the first time Guo Yuan caught them in the act.

Shi Chunxue paled. "Yuanyuan, let Mom explain—"

"Mom?"

Guo Yuan sneered, "If you were really my mother, you wouldn’t have done something like this. Shi Chunxue, you're done for."

"Shi Chunxue!" Zhai Minghui shoved her aside and shouted, "I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you! I’m your son-in-law—how could you stoop so low as to target your own son-in-law?"

Shi Chunxue looked at Zhai Minghui, who suddenly seemed to have found a way out of his despair, and laughed. "Zhai Minghui, I’ve been running circles around people for years—I’ve never lost yet. You think I don’t have evidence on you?"

"If I sink, I’m dragging you down with me."

She glanced at Guo Yuan and Zhai Yan. "I bet they don’t even know about the other vile things you’ve done. You didn’t even spare your own daughter—what kind of twisted freak are you?"

Zhai Yan, who had been supporting her mother, suddenly understood. She spat in disgust, her eyes burning with hatred. "You’re both rotten to the core."

Xiao Hongbo, the host of the banquet, had seen enough of this farce. He waved his hand dismissively. "Security, throw them out."

Unexpectedly, Shi Chunxue descended the stairs and walked straight toward him.

Xiao Hongbo barked, "Didn’t you hear me? Throw her out!"

Shi Chunxue said coldly, "In a rush, Mr. Xiao? Worried I’ll spill your dirty laundry?"

"Wait, there’s more drama? This isn’t over?"

Xiao Hongbo frowned. "I have no idea what you’re talking about. The Guo family has already ruined my banquet."

"You don’t want to mess with me," Shi Chunxue warned.

She pointed at Zhai Minghui behind her. "You should be kicking him out instead."

"Impossible. Mr. Xiao’s top priority right now is shutting Shi Chunxue up."

"Wait, hold on—"

"Seriously? At their age, they’re still pulling this crap?"

Huh?

Playing what? How's this even work?

Just say it already!

Lin Tingyue didn’t speak, but over there, Xiao Hongbo and Shi Chunxue were already arguing.

Xiao Hongbo gritted his teeth. "Shi Chunxue, don’t get cocky with me."

"How dare you speak to your master this way?" Shi Chunxue snapped.

M-Master? What the—?

Who’s the master? Master of what?

With a loud clatter, everyone turned to see Xiao Hongbo drop to his knees before Shi Chunxue—like a broken man, utterly defeated.

Huh… Nobody understood this 'master' nonsense, but the pieces were finally falling into place.

Shi Chunxue laughed and patted Xiao Hongbo, who was kneeling on the floor, on the shoulder. She cooed, “What a good boy.”

Someone sucked in a sharp breath; others felt an odd sense of familiarity.

“Oh right! This is exactly how I train my dog at home!”

But that’s *President* Xiao, not a dog! The speaker looked like they were about to cry, already questioning their life choices.

“Exactly—he *is* a dog!”

Wait—what?

“Their whole scene works like this: ‘I’m your master, you’re my dog.’ Dogs gotta obey their masters 100%.”

What scene?

Those who understood started murmuring: “Wait—is this…?”

“Tsk tsk tsk, fifty-something woman diving headfirst into kink, tyrant CEO brought to his knees by love—tsk tsk tsk.”

Everyone else: “….”

Who even writes headlines like that? You want one of those clickbait sites coming after you?!

Meanwhile, Guo Yuan—who had been in absolute agony moments ago—was now numb with disbelief.

She never imagined her stepmother had not only tricked her father and herself, but was also doing *this* on the side…

No wonder Shi Chunxue—who never gave a damn about parties—showed up when she heard it was the Xiaos’ event.

And she’d even arrived early at the lounge. So the person she was supposed to meet privately wasn’t Zhai Minghui at all—it was Xiao Hongbo???

Then—

Lin Tingyue gasped again. “Holy shit! They seriously built a room like this inside the villa? He’s got no fear of getting caught.”

“What kind of room?”

“Ask and this whole place gets banned.”

The crowd: “!!!”

She said it without saying it!

Xiao Tingyun, the Xiao family’s youngest son, swooped in just in time, taking full control of the chaos—and had Shi Chunxue, Zhai Minghui, and even Xiao Hongbo tossed out!

“You disgraceful brat! I’m your father!”

“Oh right—Zhai Yan married into the Xiaos as the young master’s wife.”

“So this must be what they call putting duty above blood.”

Just seconds earlier, Xiao Tingyun had been all smiles for the guests. Now he did a total 180 the moment he turned to Xiao Hongbo.

He spat, “Dad. Does Mom know you’re someone else’s dog out there?”

Xiao Hongbo trembled, lips quivering. “I—I can explain, Tingyun! Your dad’s got his reasons!!!”

“Reasons like having another man’s wife as your mistress!!!”

What the...

The crowd agreed that if they were Xiao Tingyun, they wouldn’t just refuse to forgive— they’d slap Xiao Hongbo across the face too.

But it wasn’t Xiao Tingyun who slapped Xiao Hongbo—it was Xiao Hongbo’s own father.

The old man, with a head full of white hair but still sharp and vigorous, spoke each word with authority: “Tingyun, what are you waiting for? Throw them out.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

After the commotion died down, the old man grabbed the microphone. “Apologies for our family’s oversight this time. We let some trash slip in. The party can go on now.”

“Given the Xiao patriarch’s attitude, I’d say Xiao Hongbo himself is probably considered trash too.”

Once the excitement died down, Lin Tingyue was surprised to find how stunningly beautiful the Xiao family’s backyard was.

Spotting the swing beneath the flower trellis, Lin Tingyue’s eyes lit up. “Xia Wan, let’s go on the swing!”

“Okay.”

The two-person swing was just right for both of them.

Lin Tingyue giggled as she swung back and forth while Lin Xiawan smiled and asked, “Having fun?”

“Yeah.”

Lin Tingyue nodded.

“Of course I like it! A swing in the middle of a sea of flowers, with a grapevine trellis nearby—that’s my dream, waaah!”

Lin Xiawan paused, making a mental note of it.

Little did Lin Xiawan know, she wasn’t the only one who remembered it.

Ying An came over to say hello. “Miss Lin.”

“Hm?” Lin Tingyue popped her head out from the swing. “Mr. Ying, you’re here too?”

“Yep.”

Lin Xiawan: “?”

She asked, “Does Mr. Ying only have eyes for my sister?”

Even Lin Xiawan didn’t realize the hint of jealousy in her tone.

Sister—hers. Hands off, strangers!

Ying An then grinned and said, “Miss Lin Xiawan.”

“Hm?” Lin Tingyue asked curiously, “Why don’t you call me Miss Tingyue?”

Ying An grinned again. “Miss Tingyue.”

Lin Tingyue beamed, while Lin Xiawan’s fists tightened.

Just as Lin Xiawan was about to speak, a snide voice cut in from nearby.

"Look who we have here—well, if it isn't Lin Xiawan," came a mocking voice.

Lin Xiawan turned to look. Lin Tingyue whispered, "Sis, do you know her?"

"Yeah, we were classmates in high school."

"What's wrong with Lin Xiawan? Can't you read? Are you a dropout or what?"

Lin Xiawan took a second to realize that Lin Tingyue was doing it on purpose—and smiled.

"You..." Chai Huirui fumed, "What’s your deal, Lin Xiawan? Even after being accepted by the Lins, people still look down on you—especially your so-called sister beside you. She acts all sweet to your face, but who knows what she says behind your back."

Lin Xiawan was usually composed, but when someone attacked what she cared about, she easily lost her temper.

Her expression turned icy as she stepped forward, only to be stopped by Lin Tingyue gripping her hand.

"Pffft—still laughing at my sister? Your dad’s about to bring his mistress and her kid home to fight you for the family fortune. You’re gonna end up broke, loser!"

Chai Huirui stared, baffled: "What—?"