Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 16

The sound of car engines announced their arrival, and everyone inside the house stood up to come out.

Tang Yehe had a loud voice and didn’t bother to lower her volume, so her words were quickly overheard by the adults. But Tang Yehe was young, immature, and used to being spoiled, so Xu Zhen, as an adult, shouldn’t have taken it to heart.

That was the general consensus.

Xu Zhen, being the elder, indeed couldn’t easily lose her temper but Xu Tingyuan wasn’t bound by such restraint.

Hearing those words, the usually quiet and reserved Xu Tingyuan’s anger flared up instantly. Blood rushed to her head, and before anyone could react, she grabbed Tang Yehe by the collar and shoved her against the wall. “Say that again?”

Xu Tingyuan’s expression was fierce, and Tang Yehe, who had been about to continue, was suddenly intimidated.

She stared blankly at Xu Tingyuan’s blazing eyes, tears welling up without her realizing it. “What are you doing? Let me go! I’m warning you, I’m the Tang family’s young miss.”

Before she could finish, Xu Tingyuan shoved her hard to the ground.

Xu Tingyuan smirked coldly, looking down at her. “So what? I’m a minor.”

Tang Yehe’s gaze wavered, the sharp pain in her palms and backside momentarily forgotten. What did being a minor have to do with anything? She was a minor too!

As the two younger ones escalated the conflict, the adults quickly stepped in, rushing to check on Tang Yehe.

Belatedly, Tang Yehe couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into loud sobs. “She pushed me? How dare she push me!”

“My hand hurts so much…”

Qin Liaoxing remained expressionless. “Serves you right. Who told you to insult her sister right in front of her?” Qin Liaoxing liked Xu Zhen, she was beautiful, smart, sensible, and well-behaved, the very picture of a good girl.

“She’d be justified in skinning you alive.”

Qin Liaoxing showed no sympathy, and Tang Yehe sat on the ground sniffling pitifully, unable to stop her tears.

Seeing this, Xing Yan’s mother hurried over to help her up. “Kids will be kids, but there’s no need for violence!”

Since Tang Yehe had spoken up for her daughter, Mrs. Xing couldn’t help but direct some blame at Xu Tingyuan. “What if she got seriously hurt?”

“Yehe is delicate, raised with the utmost care since childhood…”

“Enough!” Seeing Mrs. Xing go too far, Pu Shuangquan cut her off sharply. “She brought this on herself with her rudeness. Consider this a lesson so she doesn’t grow up thinking she can act lawlessly outside the family with no consequences.”

Pu Shuangquan had real authority, and Mrs. Xing didn’t dare say another word.

She brushed off nonexistent dust from Tang Yehe’s clothes. “Does it hurt?”

Tang Yehe nodded pitifully. “It hurts so much.” As she answered, she stole glances at Xu Tingyuan.

Xu Tingyuan noticed and rolled her eyes unapologetically, then, like a victorious ragdoll cat with its tail held high, went to Xu Zhen to show off: See how awesome I am?

Xu Zhen placed a hand on her back, silently affirming her with a look.

Everything had happened too quickly, and Jiang Ruan, who had been standing beside Xu Zhen like air, finally reacted. “Tang Yehe, apologize to your cousin’s wife.”

Tang Yehe instinctively retorted, “I won’t.”

She had merely made a few remarks about Xu Zhen, yet now she was being hit, lectured, and forced to apologize publicly, how unfair was that?

If she complied, where would her dignity be in the future?

Resistance welled up in her instinctively. “I wasn’t wrong.”

Jiang Ruan’s expression darkened, but Tang Yehe remained oblivious, even exchanging glances with Xing Yan. Like Xu Tingyuan, her eyes were filled with a look of seeking praise.

However, Xing Yan didn’t reward her with approval. Instead, she stared coldly until Tang Yehe’s expression slowly stiffened.

Xu Zhen noticed this and silently observed the two, refraining from speaking rashly.

In the end, unable to withstand the combined glares from Xing Yan and Jiang Ruan, Tang Yehe reluctantly lowered her proud head and muttered an apology, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s. “I’m sorry.”

“Louder,” Xu Tingyuan snapped. “Did you skip dinner?”

“You—!” Tang Yehe fumed but, with Xing Yan and Jiang Ruan present, had no choice but to swallow her pride. Tears welled in her eyes as she unwillingly raised her voice. “I’m sorry! It was my fault! I shouldn’t have said those things about you!”

Xu Tingyuan still wasn’t satisfied. “Who exactly are you apologizing to?”

Tang Yehe itched to claw at her. She glared at Xu Tingyuan. “You’d better hope you never fall into my hands!”

“Oh, sister-in-law, I’m so scared,” Xu Tingyuan immediately turned to Jiang Ruan to complain. “I don’t dare bring my sister here again. What if next time we get scolded out of nowhere and then threatened.”

This little schemer!

Tang Yehe’s eyebrows shot up in fury. She took two steps forward. “You’re being unreasonable!”

“Tang Yehe.” Pu Shuangquan had lost patience. She called Tang Yehe’s name sharply, and Tang Yehe froze mid-step. Fear of the old lady kept her from acting out further.

Swallowing her anger, she obediently faced Xu Zhen. Though her tone still carried defiance, her attitude was at least present. “I’m sorry, sister-in-law. I shouldn’t have said those things earlier.”

“I spoke without thinking. I hope you won’t hold it against me and can forgive me this once.”

“Don’t let it happen again,” Xu Tingyuan replied on Xu Zhen’s behalf.

“Wait, why are you butting in when I’m apologizing to your sister?” Tang Yehe’s eyes blazed. “I haven’t even settled the score with you for pushing me and grabbing my collar earlier!”

She was livid, her hatred for Xu Tingyuan burning fiercely.

But Xu Tingyuan couldn’t even be bothered to look at her, simply pulling Xu Zhen along as they followed Pu Shuangquan inside.

Tang Yehe trailed behind resentfully, rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for a heated argument. However, as soon as the light brightened, Mrs. Xing gasped. “Yehe, your hand is injured!”

Was it?

Tang Yehe looked down her palm was scraped, blood slowly beading and clotting.

The sight of the crimson made her eyelids twitch, as if the wound throbbed in response.

Hearing this, Xu Tingyuan glanced back and then exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Oh my, what a terrible injury! You should hurry to the hospital! If you wait too long, it might heal on its own!”

Xu Zhen stifled a laugh, pressing her lips tightly together. Now was not the time to burst out laughing.

Tang Yehe and Mrs. Xing, who had just been subjected to sarcastic remarks face-to-face, were left speechless. “…”

What a vicious little mouth.

Tang Yehe was seething with anger but had nowhere to vent it. In the end, she could only glare fiercely at Xu Tingyuan before running off. She ran to Xing Yan’s side, her voice full of grievance, “Sister Ayan…”

Xu Zhen pricked up her ears, trying to gauge Xing Yan’s reaction.

After a long pause, all she heard was Xing Yan coldly spit out two words: “Serves you right.”

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