Chapter 13: The Mother-in-Law Takes a Stand

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In an instant, that familiar terror once again spread through Zhao Dongqiang’s entire body.

He had never imagined that, even after he brought in the eldest daughter of the main branch as reinforcements, Guan Sheng would still dare treat him this way.

He… he was insane. Where did he get the nerve? Who—who exactly was he?

As the blade slowly drew closer to his chest, Zhao Dongqiang began trembling violently. In a panic, he shouted, “Miss, save me… Miss…”

After being shoved aside, Li Yuxue immediately scrambled to her feet. When she saw Guan Sheng aiming a knife at Zhao Dongqiang’s chest, she flew into a rage as though he had touched her most guarded nerve.

“Stop!”

“Li Yuyan, control your people.”

With that, Li Yuxue charged forward.

What she did not know was that Guan Sheng was not someone just anyone could control.

Even his wife had no right to do so when the situation demanded otherwise.

Before Li Yuxue could get close, Guan Sheng turned his head and fixed his eyes on her. His gaze was as cold as frost, as though winter itself had descended.

Li Yuxue raised her hand and said arrogantly, “What are you staring at, you stinking security guard? Move aside.”

As she spoke, she swung her hand toward Guan Sheng’s face.

But the instant her words fell—

Bang!

Guan Sheng kicked her squarely in the stomach, sending her flying.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Zhao Dongqiang was utterly stunned.

What the hell?

Who was this man? He actually dared strike Li Yuxue, the eldest daughter of the main branch!

In his daze, regret surged through him. Could Guan Sheng really be planning to kill him?

Guan Sheng merely said coldly, “How noisy.”

Li Yuyan did not dare hesitate any longer. She ran over and pulled Guan Sheng behind her. “Calm down. Leave this to me.”

Guan Sheng put away his knife. “The kind are always bullied. If you cannot deal with them, let me do it.”

“One slash each.”

“Shut up.” Li Yuyan glared at him, though inwardly she was panicking.

She knew the matter had become serious.

Sure enough, after being kicked away, Li Yuxue clutched her stomach and struggled back to her feet. Her expression had become frighteningly twisted.

Feeling the pain in her abdomen and seeing Li Yuyan shielding Guan Sheng, a wave of fury instantly surged into her mind.

She had been pampered and indulged from childhood. When had anyone ever struck her?

Even her own parents had never been willing to lay a finger on her.

Yet now, a mere head of the security department had dared to kick her.

This was humiliation.

This was insubordination.

What made her even more furious was that Li Yuyan was actually protecting that man.

“Good, good, very good indeed. Li Yuyan, it seems you and this man named Guan Sheng really do have something going on.”

Li Yuxue wiped the corner of her mouth. When she looked at her fingers, they were stained with blood.

Her fury ignited completely.

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At that moment, Zhao Dongqiang also tremblingly climbed to his feet and hid behind Li Yuxue once more, not daring to utter another word.

Li Yuyan looked at her coldly. “Do not make baseless accusations. You brought this upon yourselves.”

“Guan Sheng did nothing wrong today.”

“You were beaten because you were the ones who insulted him first.”

“Even if you complain to Grandfather, the facts will remain the same. An upright person has nothing to fear from shadows.”

Hearing this, Li Yuxue gave a mocking laugh. “Fine. All right. I will remember that.”

“Li Yuyan, you have truly surprised me. You keep a pretty boy and flaunt it so openly. Just wait. I will make you famous throughout Jiangcheng’s upper society.”

“When Grandfather loses his temper, I would love to see how you explain yourself.”

“And as for the ten-billion project with Young Master Xu that you ruined, I will report that truthfully to Grandfather as well. Li Yuyan, just you wait.”

With that, Li Yuxue shot Guan Sheng a vicious look, as though she intended to etch his face permanently into her memory.

Then she strode toward the door.

However, the moment she reached it, she ran into Xu Hong, who had come to deliver lunch.

“Oh? Isn’t that Yuxue? What brings you here?” Xu Hong asked in surprise when she saw Li Yuxue.

The eldest daughter of the main branch had never come here before. Why had she suddenly taken an interest in this place today?

“Mother? What are you doing here?” Li Yuyan’s expression changed.

Xu Hong lifted the lunchboxes in her hands. “I came to bring you all lunch.”

At those words, Li Yuxue rolled her eyes. “You still have the appetite to eat? You have caused such a huge disaster, yet instead of thinking about how to make amends, you are sitting here having lunch. Your branch is about to face a catastrophe, and you do not even know it?”

“What?” Xu Hong was startled. “A catastrophe? What happened?”

Li Yuxue folded her arms across her chest. “The young master of Jiangcheng’s Xu family kindly intended to donate ten billion to your group, and today he sent people here to discuss the partnership.”

“But your daughter not only failed to properly receive his men, she even allowed Guan Sheng, the newly appointed head of the security department, to beat them half to death.”

“Now Young Master Xu is furious and has withdrawn the ten-billion project. Not only has our Li family lost that funding, we have also made an enemy of the Xu family. If Grandfather finds out, what do you think will happen to your family?”

As soon as she heard this, Xu Hong realized the danger.

Ten billion.

That was no small sum.

And they had offended the Xu family as well.

Xu Hong knew perfectly well what the Xu family of Jiangcheng represented. They were one of the city’s foremost aristocratic families, as renowned as the Qi family.

How had they managed to offend the Qi family?

“Who is Guan Sheng?” Xu Hong immediately darkened and demanded.

Li Yuxue gave a cold laugh. She had already begun plotting. Having Xu Hong discipline Li Yuyan seemed like an excellent idea.

She turned around and pointed at Guan Sheng’s head.

“There. That is Guan Sheng.”

“Your daughter appointed him head of the security department as soon as she arrived today.”

“And on his very first day, he caused such an enormous mess. Aunt Xu, if you do not properly deal with him, you will have a hard time justifying yourself.”

After delivering those pointed remarks, Li Yuxue raised a triumphant smile.

But who could have known that, the moment Xu Hong saw Guan Sheng’s face, the dark lines of anger on her forehead vanished.

Guan Sheng?

Wasn’t he Young Master Qi?

Wait—

Could this be a fabricated name created to conceal Young Master Qi’s identity?

So that was it.

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She had been wondering how a mere head of the security department could dare strike Young Master Qi’s subordinate. If he was Young Master Qi, then everything made sense.

A lackey of Young Master Xu—why couldn’t Young Master Qi strike him?

Remembering her husband Li Feng’s instructions that she must stand firmly on Young Master Qi’s side, Xu Hong gave a cold laugh and looked at Li Yuxue.

“My dear Yuxue, are you simply bored with nothing better to do, or are you blind and have wandered into the wrong place?”

“When did the affairs of my branch’s company become any of your concern?”

Li Yuxue’s smile vanished. “You… what did you say?”

Shock flashed through her eyes. She could hardly believe what she had heard. “Aunt Xu, are you reprimanding me?”

Smack!

A resounding slap rang out.

Xu Hong struck Li Yuxue squarely across the face.

The blow was so hard that it scattered the powder on Li Yuxue’s cheek.

Li Yuxue cried out, clutching her flushed face. Her expression was hideous.

“Aunt Xu, you… you dared hit me!” Her face reddened as her breathing grew rapid.

Xu Hong placed the lunchboxes on a nearby table, then raised her chin and planted her hands on her hips. “So what if I hit you?”

“Your parents failed to teach you proper manners, so I will teach you in their place.”

“You wanted to use me to discipline the people of my branch? What a beautiful dream.”

“Get out of this group immediately. If you take even one more step inside, next time I will do more than slap you.”

“You refuse to handle any real business, yet you meddle in our group’s affairs all day long. If you have so much free time, go get some more cosmetic work done. Look at all that powder on your face—it is as thick as poured concrete.”

“Disgusting.”

Those few words instantly enraged Li Yuxue. She instinctively raised her hand, but did not dare bring it down.

“What? You want to defy your elders too?” Xu Hong shouted angrily.

Li Yuxue did not dare. She lowered her hand, the corners of her mouth trembling with fury. “Fine, fine, very fine. Your entire family is completely unreasonable.”

“Aunt Xu, your head of security has offended the Xu family, and you still intend to protect him?”

Xu Hong answered without the slightest hesitation, “Yes, I do. What of it?”

Those four words left Li Yuxue speechless.

“I am going to Grandfather to report this. Just wait!”

She spat out the threat furiously, then stormed out of the office and disappeared down the corridor.

After they had left, Xu Hong once again put on a warm smile and carried the food over to Guan Sheng.

“Son-in-law, are you all right? That wretched woman did not make things difficult for you, did she?”

Guan Sheng replied indifferently, “I am fine.”

“It is just a little unfortunate that I did not cripple her.”

Xu Hong’s heart trembled. “It is all right. There will be another opportunity. We will have our chance.”

Guan Sheng nodded. “Yes. Next time, I will not let her escape.”

Li Yuyan: “…”

Guan Sheng added, “If she dares offend me again.”

“I will cripple her outright.”