Chapter 168 Brother-in-Law, You’re Fighting Dirty!

Chapter 168: Brother-in-Law, You're Playing Dirty!

The two complained on the surface, but they were really just teasing and joking around.

It wasn’t like there weren’t any lovey-dovey couples in the family.

They just hadn’t expected the new brother-in-law to be even more clingy than Jiang Shiheng and Qin Yuan—you'd never guess the Master Jue, with his cold, emotionless eyes from before, could be like this.

Damn.

Qin Shuyi shot Ling Jue a glare, totally unashamed, grinning like a fool with his arm around her shoulder.

“If you make us a laughingstock again, you're sleeping on the couch tomorrow, got it?”

Before Ling Jue could straighten up, Qian Youyou ahead of them was already yelling.

“Once we get to the end of this road, we’ll reach the parking spot. Two teams—whoever's last has to eat all the leftovers!”

She wanted to eat a ton, so she was definitely ordering big tonight.

But every time they ate out, we always end up pushing leftovers around. Today, she finally had a chance to nail the losers.

With that, the two turned back around, laughing and joking as they strolled down the quiet street, even calling out cheerfully, “Sis, take your time.”

Qin Shuyi looked at Ling Jue. “I don't want to be stuck with the leftovers.”

Everyone in their family thinks they can eat a ton, but they never finish their food, and the person stuck with leftovers always ends up stuffed.

No thanks to that experience.

“Don't worry, we're not losing.”

Ling Jue smirked, messed up her hair, and suddenly squatted down.

“Get on.”

The tall, handsome man knelt before her, slightly tilting his head, the smirk on his lips carrying that unique arrogance of a guy who never backs down.

Qin Shuyi looked at him for a second, her eyes turning into crescents as she quickly climbed onto his back.

“If we win, you're off the hook for the couch tonight.”

She leaned in and whispered in his ear, then kissed his ear.

Ling Jue's eyes lit up like the sun coming out, his face full of determination.

“Just wait.”

One minute later.

“Holy crap! Brother-in-law, you're so unfair!”

“Oh no, I don't wanna be last! Go, go, go!”

The man in a suit, casually striding with his long legs, carried a gorgeous woman on his back. They zoomed past Qian Youyou and Jiang Yuzhou, who thought they had it in the bag and were chatting leisurely.

A strong wind blew down the road lined with plane trees, scattering fallen leaves and messing up the runners' hair and dress hems, spreading smiles across every part of their faces.

The childish play of the stunning couple seemed to take them back to their most vibrant, youthful days.

Behind them, the younger siblings, now overtaken, shouted threats and chased after them.

Laughing and stomping on fallen leaves, the four of them were frozen in time as the most beautiful scene of early winter.

...

Following behind them, also heading to the parking lot, Tao Wangxi and He Haokun watched the family playing their silly game from a distance, their faces expressionless.

He Haokun's eyes were full of shock and resentment.

“I never thought Master Jue would get so close to his girlfriend's siblings,” he said, envious and jealous.

“If only you'd married him back then...”

Then today, Jiang Yuzhou's spot would be his.

If Ling Jue could be so doting and affectionate to his girlfriend's family, wouldn't he be able to rule the capital?

Tao Wangxi let out a cold laugh, cutting off his daydream. “Even if we had married, he would never treat you the way he treats Jiang Yuzhou.”

Was Ling Jue’s gentleness and warmth meant for just anyone?

He was someone who didn’t need to bow to anyone. It was only because they were Qin Shuyi’s family, the younger siblings she cared about, that he lowered himself to get close to them, even to please them.

If he had married Tao Wangxi or any other woman, they would only ever be the rigid, proper “Mrs. Ling.”

Their relatives would be no different from strangers to Ling Jue—he might not even bother to greet them.

Did He Haokun think such warmth could be earned simply through the title of a wife or a brother-in-law?

Naive.

The mockery on her face was too obvious.

He Haokun, already upset from being slapped by her, was further riled by the feeling of being looked down upon. He muttered resentfully, “It’s still your fault for not being able to hold onto a man, or else...”

“Or else you could keep leeching off me, right?” Tao Wangxi cut in coldly.

From her brother Tao Yusheng to her aunt’s son He Haokun, weren’t they all hoping to sell her off into the Ling family for a good price?

Of course, she had been willing too.

Too bad he didn’t want an arranged marriage and went chasing true love instead.

It must hurt to have those hopes dashed, huh.

One Ling family could have been their meal ticket for life, but she was rejected and ended up picking Cen Shuo, who wasn’t even as good as the new rich Tao Yusheng had scouted for her.

He Haokun’s mouth froze mid-open. “I... I didn’t mean that.”

Though Tao Wangxi was frail, her beauty and good reputation made her the pride of the Tao and He families. He Haokun had always liked this sister, who was like a moonlit ideal.

But lately, things had been rough at home, and he was constantly overshadowed by Jiang Yuzhou at school, making him irritable.

Still, what Sister Wangxi said was too harsh.

Wasn’t it all about rising together?

Tao Wangxi took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in her heart, and pulled back a perfectly measured smile.

"Sorry, Haokun, I've been in a bad mood lately."

She couldn't afford to completely fall out with her family yet, at least not by being the one to set him straight.

He Haokun suddenly caught on, and though still a bit annoyed, he took the olive branch.

"Anyone'd be pissed seeing their arranged marriage match all lovey-dovey with someone else."

He was still stuck comparing himself to other guys his age, while Tao Wangxi watched him gloomily, knowing he was too dumb to see the disaster coming, a twisted sense of satisfaction curling up inside her.

Family, same thing—Qin Shuyi's family could be her backbone, even got Ling Jue to accept them willingly. But her own family just shoved her to the front lines.

Good thing useless people like that were about to get what they deserved.

Did he really think that fight would just blow over with an apology?

He'd openly insulted Ling Jue's precious darling.

Now that those two were back together, Ling Jue would want to make it last. To avoid future trouble from clueless people, he needed to help Qin Shuyi flex her authority. He Haokun picking a fight with Qin Shuyi's brother at this moment was destined to be the chicken killed to scare the monkeys.

"Let's go. Back."

She pulled her coat tighter and said lightly.

...

Even though Jiang Yuzhou showed up right on Ling Jue's heels while he was carrying Qin Shuyi on his back, Qian Youyou, being shorter, was way slower.

In the end, the sibling duo who'd proposed the bet lost, and Qian Youyou was pissed.

Sneaky, so sneaky.

How could he run while carrying someone on his back?

Sure enough, her brother-in-law wasn't one to play by the rules; he had all kinds of tricks up his sleeve.

A bet was a bet. While the siblings struggled to clean their plates, He Haokun, back home, unsurprisingly got his ass beat.

His parents tag-teamed him, taking turns laying into him.

"The He family is screwed because of you!"

"How could you be this damn stupid? Don't you know who Jiang Yuzhou is? Or Qin Shuyi? How dare you provoke them?"

This was handing Ling Jue ammunition.

As someone who had already stirred trouble between Ling Jue and Qin Shuyi, their family should have kept their heads down. Who told him to charge in at this critical moment?

Both families were furious.

He Haokun, still bruised from the beating by those four, came home to complain only to get no comfort—just more injuries. He was so pissed he felt like he might pass out.

He refused the company of the household staff and stormed off to the hospital for treatment himself, even thinking about running away from home for a few days to make them worry.

At the hospital, as he stepped into the elevator to go to the treatment floor, a couple squeezed in.

Their shabby clothes reeked of poverty, and He Haokun moved aside in disgust.

The two sensed his disdain and looked awkward.

But they didn't dare provoke a teenager decked out in designer brands.

The woman, with a sharp face, started yelling at the man beside her to vent her anger.

"It's all your fault for being useless. Our son can't get treated, and you can't even get your daughter to see us. Even that niece of yours, Qin Shuyi, looks down on me. If we keep dragging this out, we might as well take your son's ashes back to the countryside."

As she ranted, a stream of nasty words poured out.

The two bickered as if no one else was there, not noticing He Haokun in the corner, who perked up at the sound of the key words.

----------------------------------------