Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 17

Tang Yehe was utterly aggrieved, her small mouth puckering as she teetered on the verge of tears.

Xu Zhen glanced at Xing Yan in surprise, feeling a sense of inevitability. After today’s interactions, Xu Zhen had gained a preliminary understanding of Xing Yan’s personality.

Setting aside her relationship with Jiang Ruan for the moment, Xing Yan wasn’t as bad as Xu Zhen had previously imagined.

Zhenzhen’s assessment had been objective. Xing Yan was a decent person, though she appeared cold on the surface, she was actually straightforward and fair, never blindly siding with relatives over reason.

In comparison, Xu Zhen’s gaze shifted to Jiang Ruan.

Her misconceptions about Xing Yan stemmed largely from Jiang Ruan’s refusal to explain, clarify, or correct the media’s narrative. If only Jiang Ruan had spoken up, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.

Xu Zhen’s accusatory stare met Jiang Ruan’s for a moment before Jiang Ruan said, “I’ll deal with Tang Yehe later.”

“I’ll make her write you a 10,000-word apology letter.”

It was like talking to a brick wall. Xu Zhen turned away with a mix of exasperation and resignation.

When God opens a door, He inevitably closes a window just like Jiang Ruan. She was brilliant, effortlessly navigating workplace challenges, but the moment emotions were involved, she turned into a clueless blockhead, utterly inept.

That was why Jiang Ruan was ill-suited for intimate relationships. Keeping a certain distance made things more comfortable for both parties.

Back when Xu Zhen and Jiang Ruan had kept things purely physical, their dynamic had been harmonious, free of all these conflicts and frustrations. Xu Zhen began to wonder if she should revert to that simpler arrangement.

The group moved indoors, where Lan Boyue, Qin Liaoxing’s Beta wife, fetched a first-aid kit for Tang Yehe.

She pulled Tang Yehe aside, carefully disinfecting the wound before applying ointment and bandaging it. Tang Yehe howled in pain, earning a sharp glare from Xu Tingyuan, who found the noise unbearable.

Tang Yehe nearly passed out from the agony. Spoiled and delicate, she had never endured such suffering before.

The pain was bad enough, but the perpetrator showed not an ounce of remorse, only disdain. Tang Yehe glared at Xu Tingyuan with a gaze sharp enough to kill.

Tang Yehe had brought this on herself. Mrs. Xing wanted to intercede on her behalf, but Jiang Ruan cut her off.

After two failed attempts, Mrs. Xing gave up.

Her visit to Pu Shuangquan’s place today had two purposes: to strengthen ties with Qin Liaoxing and Lan Boyue, and to gauge Jiang Ruan’s stance. She had taken the rumors about Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan at face value, naively believing Jiang Ruan would eventually divorce Xu Zhen and marry Xing Yan instead.

Their families knew each other inside out, a union would be the perfect match, a cherry on top.

With this mindset, Mrs. Xing found everything about Xu Zhen grating.

If not for Xu Zhen swooping in out of nowhere, the marriage between their families would have been settled long ago, and her daughter wouldn’t have had to suffer so much injustice.

Mrs. Xing carried herself with haughty disdain. Xu Zhen quietly observed her demeanor, unfazed.

Xu Tingyuan had imagined Xu Zhen’s struggles before, but only after experiencing it firsthand tonight did she realize how difficult it was to marry into a wealthy family.

From the elders down to the cousins, not a single one was easy to deal with.

Xu Tingyuan hugged her arms tightly, her entire body radiating wariness and vigilance.

Xu Zhen patted her back reassuringly compared to the ruthless competition and cutthroat battles for resources in the entertainment industry, tonight had actually been quite tame. Tang Yehe was young, not particularly cunning, and spoke her mind bluntly, making her far more decent than the scheming, backstabbing adults.

Xu Zhen didn’t take Tang Yehe or Mrs. Xing seriously. Jiang Ruan didn’t want a divorce, and no outsider could force her even with a knife to her throat. So Xu Zhen didn’t need to win anyone over to protect her marriage.

Qin Liaoxing poured Xu Zhen a cup of tea and offered a few comforting words before turning to her own silent daughter with exasperation. “How did I end up with such a dull child?”

Jiang Ruan lifted her gaze. “I wasn’t born by you.”

Qin Liaoxing: “…”

With a complicated expression, she tore her eyes away from Jiang Ruan and left without another word. That hopeless girl was beyond saving.

Jiang Ruan’s thought process was indeed hard for most people to follow, but Xu Zhen was used to it. Through a mix of intuition and deduction, she could usually grasp Jiang Ruan’s reasoning, so she remained unshaken, steady as a mountain.

Pu Shuangquan glanced at Xu Zhen. Though she wasn’t satisfied with this granddaughter-in-law, she wouldn’t embarrass her in front of outsiders. She forced out a few perfunctory words of concern.

Xu Zhen responded politely, and Pu Shuangquan had nothing more to say.

Alphas and Betas naturally had little in common to discuss. Seizing the opportunity, Mrs. Xing began reminiscing about Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan’s childhood, using the moment to aggressively promote Xing Yan.

Xing Yan frowned slightly in displeasure but soon smoothed her expression back into its usual icy indifference.

Mrs. Xing was frustrated by her daughter’s lack of initiative, but this wasn’t the time to lecture her. So she doubled down on her own efforts. Her intentions were too obvious, and neither Pu Shuangquan nor Qin Liaoxing took the bait.

With Xu Zhen present, they wouldn’t humiliate a junior especially not the legitimate wife Jiang Ruan had initially kept hidden from them.

Mrs. Xing’s incessant chatter quickly wore on Pu Shuangquan’s patience. Using the late hour as an excuse, she saw the Xing family out and decided not to linger either.

Though Jiang Ruan managed the family business, many matters still required Pu Shuangquan’s approval. She was still young at heart, her edge undulled, and she held onto significant authority.

“Get some rest,” Pu Shuangquan said as she stood, deliberately taking Tang Yehe with her. “Yehe, you’ll stay with me tonight.”

“Huh?” Tang Yehe startled like a frightened bird. “No need, I can just sleep in the guest room…”

Pu Shuangquan left no room for refusal. “Do you think I’m doing this out of concern?” She didn’t spare Tang Yehe’s feelings. “I’m just making sure you don’t cause any more trouble.”

Crushed, Tang Yehe couldn’t refuse. “I’m not tired yet. Maybe I’ll come later?”

She didn’t dare meet Pu Shuangquan’s sharp gaze, only exhaling in relief once the older woman’s figure had completely disappeared.

With the intimidating elder gone, Tang Yehe her hands still wrapped like dumplings approached Xu Tingyuan.

Xu Tingyuan’s wariness deepened. “Get lost.”

Tang Yehe faltered, looking hurt. “Don’t be so harsh. I just wanted to ask you one thing.”

“I choose not to answer.”

Tang Yehe was utterly dumbfounded, but she stubbornly pretended not to hear Xu Tingyuan’s words. “Do you like girls?” she asked instead.

Xu Tingyuan looked baffled. “What?”

“Just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.'”

“No,” Xu Tingyuan replied without hesitation.

Tang Yehe blinked. “Really no?”

“Really no.”

“Really, really, no?”

Like a broken record, Tang Yehe kept pressing. Losing patience, Xu Tingyuan snapped, “Get lost!” Normally, Tang Yehe would have taken offense, but this time she beamed with delight, as if she enjoyed being scolded. “Alright, whatever you say.”

Support Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules