Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 15

Xu Zhen listened without much emotional fluctuation and simply replied, “Understood.”

She anticipated that the evening wouldn’t be peaceful. There was the domineering and authoritarian Grandma Pu, her love-struck Alpha mother-in-law, her wife who had an ambiguous relationship with her childhood Omega friend, and that icy childhood friend along with her parents, whose intentions remained unclear.

Upon returning to the old mansion, it was practically a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.

Xu Zhen glanced calmly at Jiang Ruan, who appeared composed whether out of confidence in controlling the situation or sheer obliviousness to the underlying tensions, she couldn’t tell.

When they moved to the dining room with Jiang Ruan, the servers had already laid out the appetizers.

Sister Zhen Zhen sat affectionately beside Xu Zhen, chattering away as she explained the dishes. Fu Jie couldn’t help but snort at her fawning behavior, but remembering how Sister Zhen Zhen had earnestly lectured her earlier, she silently downed a large gulp of wine and refrained from saying anything disruptive.

Even the usually blunt Fu Jie kept her mouth shut, so the other two naturally didn’t speak much either.

Besides, their interactions with Xu Zhen earlier had been unexpectedly pleasant. On top of that, Xu Zhen’s looks were top-tier even by entertainment industry standards, so faced with such a stunning wife of a friend, they couldn’t help but soften their demeanor.

Xing Yan remained quiet and withdrawn. Despite being surrounded by childhood friends, she maintained a cold detachment, as if she were a distant outsider.

The Omega focused intently on her meal, barely speaking a word throughout the entire dinner.

Xu Zhen was full of questions but found no answers, so she couldn’t help but pay extra attention to her.

Xing Yan gave off a strange vibe as if she deliberately kept the world and the people around her at arm’s length, refusing to form deep bonds.

There was always an intangible mist between her and others, hazy and shifting, neither near nor far.

Lost in thought, Xu Zhen was startled when her phone buzzed. She set down her chopsticks to answer, and Xu Tingyuan’s voice came through: “Sis, when are you coming back today?”

“Not tonight,” Xu Zhen replied in a hushed tone. “Something came up.”

Xu Tingyuan sounded puzzled. “What is it? Is it important?”

“I’m going back to the old mansion with your sister-in-law later,” Xu Zhen whispered even softer, mindful of Xing Yan’s presence. “Go to bed early tonight. Don’t wait for me.”

At the keyword, Xu Tingyuan instantly activated her passive skill: “The old mansion? No way!”

She vehemently objected. “They already made you suffer last time, so I absolutely refuse to allow it! Unless you take me with you.”

“I’m just a kid. If anyone bullies you, I can fight back for you. Adults care about their reputations, they won’t easily pick on a child.”

Xu Tingyuan laid out her reasoning methodically: “But you’re different.”

“If you dare say too much, they’ll accuse you of disrespecting your mother-in-law and elders.” She pleaded over the phone, “Sis, please let me come with you!”

Bringing Xu Tingyuan to tonight’s powder keg was entirely inappropriate, so Xu Zhen tactfully declined.

Xu Tingyuan didn’t push further after that, hanging up in a huff.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ruan turned to ask Xu Zhen, having recognized Xu Tingyuan’s voice but not catching the specifics of the call. Xu Zhen shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

Jiang Ruan studied her for a moment before tactfully closing her mouth.

About half an hour later, everyone finished their meal. Sister Zhen Zhen accompanied Xu Zhen to the parking lot, reluctantly giving her several reminders, to which Xu Zhen responded with a smile.

Xing Yan was already in the car, while Jiang Ruan waited nearby for Xu Zhen. “It’s about time.”

Hearing this, Sister Zhen Zhen had no choice but to let go of Xu Zhen. “Let’s meet up next time then.”

“Alright.” After a proper farewell, Xu Zhen turned to get into the car when a clear voice called out, “Sis!” Xu Tingyuan, panting heavily, had appeared out of nowhere. “Sis, wait for me!”

Xu Zhen turned back. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to keep you company,” Xu Tingyuan huffed, making a veiled jab. “So no one can bully you.”

As she spoke, she deliberately glared at Jiang Ruan twice, making her meaning clear. Jiang Ruan met her gaze expressionlessly, clearly unwilling to engage with a child. “Get in.”

Jiang Ruan’s unexpected leniency surprised Xu Tingyuan, but it mostly delighted her.

Afraid Xu Zhen might stop her, she quickly scrambled into the car, gripping the seat tightly and refusing to budge.

Xu Zhen had no choice but to let her be.

The spacious business car could easily accommodate four people. To prevent Xu Tingyuan from crowding Xing Yan, Xu Zhen pulled her to her side. “Behave.”

Xu Tingyuan, having gotten her way, obediently nodded without arguing.

Xu Zhen felt uncertain about the impending confrontation, but Xu Tingyuan’s presence eased her nerves slightly.

A child’s words carry no harm, if anything unpleasant happened, Xu Tingyuan’s age would indeed serve as a good shield.

Xing Yan showed no reaction to Xu Tingyuan’s presence.

She sat with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep, completely detached from the situation.

Her long, thick eyelashes fanned over her porcelain skin, making her appear even more flawless. Xu Zhen had encountered countless Omegas in the entertainment industry, but Xing Yan was different.

Both her looks and aura deserved the title of “white moonlight.”

Xu Zhen stared intently, not missing a single detail. Jiang Ruan, noticing belatedly, deliberately shifted to block Xu Zhen’s view. She lowered her head slightly, her dark eyes meeting Xu Zhen’s.

Confused but mindful of their awkward “love rival” dynamic with Xing Yan, Xu Zhen avoided prolonged eye contact and mimicked Xing Yan by closing her eyes to feign sleep.

The car grew even quieter, making Xu Tingyuan fidget uncomfortably.

She pulled out her phone, pretending to play with it, utterly impressed by Xu Zhen’s patience.

To endure such in-laws and social dynamics for three whole years, her sister was truly something. Xu Tingyuan mentally gave her a thumbs-up.

Fortunately, the ancestral home wasn’t too far. About an hour later, just as Xu Tingyuan finished memorizing vocabulary, they arrived.

Unable to hold back any longer, she quickly tugged Xu Zhen out of the car.

Someone was already waiting at the entrance. Xu Tingyuan squinted, it was a kid who looked about her age. Her guard immediately went up. It was Tang Yehe, Jiang Ruan’s cousin who had mocked Xu Zhen at the wedding.

Tang Yehe naturally noticed Xu Tingyuan’s hostility toward her, but she ignored the other woman. Instead, she first glanced subtly at Xing Yan before sneering, “Finally here. Our whole family has been waiting for two or three hours.”

“If you didn’t want to wait, you could have left,” Xu Tingyuan shot back, unable to swallow her anger. “No one forced you to stay.”

Tang Yehe was shocked. “How dare you speak to me like that?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare? Back when my sister and sister-in-law got married, you insulted my sister, didn’t you? There were too many people then for me to stand up for her, but today, you must apologize to my sister!”

“I won’t!” The mention of an apology triggered an intense reaction from Tang Yehe. “I wasn’t wrong! Your sister was the one who came between my cousin and Sister Yan. If not for her, they would have been happily together by now!”

Tang Yehe grew increasingly agitated. “Sister Yan is gentle, beautiful, and brilliant, everyone says she and my cousin are a match made in heaven, the perfect pair!”

“It was your sister! She knowingly and deliberately interfered, maliciously ruining their relationship!”

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