Xie Elder’s seventieth birthday banquet was held at the most prestigious Yun Jing Manor in Haishi.
As night fell, luxury cars filled the entrance and half of Haishi’s elite and celebrities had gathered there.
In a corner of the manor’s outer parking lot, inside a black Mercedes S-Class, the atmosphere was tense.
“Mom, you brought it, right?”
Liu Cuifen adjusted her lipstick in the rearview mirror. Her evening gown was also a designer piece, but on her slightly full figure, it gave off a sense of being overly forced.
Grandma Chu shrank into the corner, her frail hands clutching her chest pocket, her eyes full of resistance and pleading. “Your father, before he passed, reminded us repeatedly that this is for Anhe. You cannot…”
“What cannot be given? Mom, why are you so stubborn!” Chu Weidong, who had been silent until now, turned from the driver’s seat, impatience in his voice.
“You see, Anning is about to graduate from university. If we use this token to gain favor with the Xie family, the Chu family will rise to the top. We get the benefits, and Anhe gets nothing?”
“But…” Grandma Chu tried to reason.
Liu Cuifen sneered. “Mom, don’t get confused. Back then, the second son’s project went wrong. Several workers died and the debt from that project has not been cleared. If the Xie family knows that Anhe’s father was a ‘heartless contractor,’ our marriage plan with the Xies would be ruined. Do you want to see the Chu family destroyed because of Anhe?”
Hearing the words ‘heartless contractor,’ Grandma Chu’s face went pale. Her hands fell weakly from the pocket, and tears brimmed in her eyes. The early death of her youngest son from the project accident had always been a deep wound in her heart.
Seeing the old lady falter, Liu Cuifen immediately signaled Chu Anning.
Chu Anning hugged Grandma Chu’s arm and acted sweet, but her hand reached ruthlessly into the pocket. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Once I become Xie Elder’s granddaughter-in-law, I will clear Second Uncle’s name and take good care of Anhe and Aunt.”
Chu Weidong snatched the old cloth pouch from Chu Anning and stuffed it impatiently into his suit pocket.
He adjusted his tie and put on a false smile of a successful man, as if he could already imagine negotiating with Xie Elder and laughing together.
“Enough, stop looking so miserable. Let’s go in. Remember, tonight we come with the token. We are Xie family’s distinguished guests, hold your posture straight.”
At the entrance of the manor, lights glowed brilliantly. Guests in luxurious attire filled the space.
Chu Anhe stood by a massive Roman column. Xie Jingran had taken an urgent call and asked her to wait here for a moment.
Tonight, Chu Anhe wore a plain cheongsam personally chosen by Xie Jingran.
The moon-white silk was cut simply, without embroidery, yet it perfectly highlighted her delicate figure. Among all the extravagant gowns, the elegant girl looked like a solitary orchid, impossible to look away from.
Many passing guests secretly glanced at her, wondering whose daughter she could be.
“Yo, isn’t this Anhe? What are you doing here?” Liu Cuifen’s voice reached her.
Chu Anhe furrowed her brows and turned to see her uncle’s family approaching with heads held high.
Seeing Chu Anhe, jealousy almost overflowed from Chu Anning’s eyes. She did not expect her usually plain, dusty cousin in cheap jeans and T-shirt to look so stunning when dressed up.
The cheongsam seemed simple, but its sheen looked like a costly ‘Liuguang Brocade.’
Impossible. It must be a high-quality imitation.
“Sis, you came without an invitation to join the fun? That is so thoughtless. Can you even handle a place like this? The security does not recognize poor relatives. If you get kicked out, it will embarrass us too,” Chu Anning raised her voice with superiority.
Chu Anhe ignored the provocation and looked past her, focusing on her grandmother’s pale face and guilty, avoiding eyes.
Her heart tightened. She stepped forward. “Grandma, what are you doing…”
“Stop!” Liu Cuifen, her aunt, stepped in front.
She held her logo-covered designer bag, her eyes sweeping disdainfully over Chu Anhe before letting out a sharp laugh. “Tsk tsk tsk, Anhe, didn’t I advise you at the hospital to be practical? Did that rich young man quickly get bored and dump you?”
Chu Anhe’s gaze turned cold. Her back straightened. “Aunt, please speak respectfully.”
“Respect? You deserve it?” Liu Cuifen raised her voice, drawing the attention of nearby guests.
She seemed to enjoy publicly humiliating Chu Anhe, feeling superior.
Pretending to be surprised, she covered her mouth. “Anhe, don’t tell me you got dumped and came here to this wealthy gathering dressed like this to find a new rich man?”
“Listen to me, Anhe. People here are rich or noble, they value social status. Your father died young and never taught you decency. Today, I will teach you—”
Liu Cuifen stepped closer, her finger almost touching Chu Anhe’s nose. “Don’t think a bit of beauty can make you a phoenix. A wild chicken remains a wild chicken. Even in a cheongsam, at most, you are just a hostess at the entrance.”
“You…” Chu Anhe trembled with anger, not because of the insult, but because they mentioned her deceased father in front of her grandmother.
Chu Weidong stood aside, frowning, showing a stern elder’s authority. “Anhe, your aunt’s words are harsh but true. Today is an important day for the Chu family. We are here with your grandmother for serious matters. Since you have no invitation, leave. Don’t linger. If you offend a noble guest, can you pay the price?”
Nearby guests who did not know the situation began whispering.
“That girl looks refined. Didn’t expect she snuck in.”
“I heard she came to fish for a rich husband.”
“What a rude family.”
Chu Anhe did not care about their misunderstanding. She cared about her grandmother’s pale face and guilty eyes.
As Liu Cuifen reached to push Chu Anhe away,
“You dare touch her, try it!”
A low, cold voice suddenly came from behind, instantly freezing the air.
Liu Cuifen’s hand froze. She instinctively turned to curse.
Her words were cut off as if strangled.
The handsome man she had met briefly at the hospital walked forward in a tailored dark suit, every step measured.
Xie Jingran’s gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed coldly on her raised hand.
In his mind, the system was sounding alarms like a commentator excited for chaos.
Alert. Alert. Target being attacked by extreme relatives.
Anger detected. 100 percent. Temporary mission triggered: Furious Protector.
Mission: Show these people who the real lady of this house is. Go, host, tear them apart.
Xie Jingran ignored the system and approached Chu Anhe, naturally wrapping her into his embrace.
He slightly turned his head and coldly looked at Liu Cuifen, his lips parting. “That hand of yours, if you don’t want it, I can take care of it for you.”