“No! That’s not true! I’m Chu Anhe’s uncle! What’s wrong with taking my niece’s things? This is a family matter! It’s a family matter!” Chu Weidong screamed like a madman.
“Family matter?” Xie Jingran looked down at him coldly. “Weren’t you just calling her an outsider and saying she should be kicked out? Now suddenly you’re family?”
He ignored the three of them and turned to his bodyguards behind him. “Call the police. Say someone here is suspected of fraud and attempting to impersonate Xie family relatives. We have both witness and physical evidence. Let Director Liu personally lead the team here.”
“Yes sir” The bodyguards immediately pulled out their phones.
At the words “call the police,” Liu Cuifen, who had been in a daze, suddenly screamed and lunged at Chu Weidong, clawing at his face wildly. “It’s all your fault! You useless fool! I told you that jade token wasn’t reliable, but you insisted on coming! Now look! You’re going to get both of us killed! Chu Weidong, you son of a—!”
“You shrew! Weren’t you the one who said Anning should marry into a wealthy family and live a life of luxury? Now you blame me?”
The Chu family, who had previously presented a united front, now tore into each other in a grotesque display of self-interest.
Chu Anning collapsed onto the floor, dizzy from the disdainful and mocking gazes of the socialites around her.
It was over. Her dreams of being a socialite, of marrying into wealth, had shattered. From now on in Haishi, she would be a joke, a failed imposter attempting to claim what wasn’t hers.
Xie Jingran frowned slightly, irritated, and waved his hand. “Too noisy. Shut their mouths and drag them out until the police arrive.”
Several bodyguards stepped forward and forcibly dragged the crying, struggling family toward the exit, like removing dead weight.
As they passed Chu Anhe, Chu Anning suddenly screamed, her eyes full of venom. “Chu Anhe! You jinx! Do you really think Master Xie likes you? He’s just playing with you—”
Before she could finish, a bodyguard stuffed a cloth into her mouth. She could only emit muffled cries as she was thrown out of the banquet hall like trash.
The world finally quieted.
Everyone in the banquet hall held their breath, watching the young man standing in the center.
At this moment, no one dared to underestimate the girl in the cheongsam by his side.
Xie Jingran walked up to the still-trembling Chu Anhe’s grandmother, slightly bowing. His voice was unusually gentle. “Grandma, you were frightened just now, weren’t you? Rest assured, with me here, no one will dare bully Anhe, nor touch a single hair on your head.”
Chu Anhe’s grandmother looked at the extraordinary young man before her, tears streaming down her face. She trembled as she reached out, careful not to dirty his clothes, nodding repeatedly. “Good… good child… as long as Anhe is safe, this old woman can die in peace…”
Chu Anhe held her grandmother’s hand. “Grandma, I’m sorry… because I… caused you trouble.”
The grandmother patted her granddaughter’s face. “It’s grandma’s fault for being useless, letting you suffer all these years… Now it’s fine. Finally, there’s someone who can protect you. My heart can finally rest.”
She then turned to Xie Jingran, straightening her slightly hunched figure. “Master Xie, though our family is humble, Anhe is our cherished treasure.”
Her voice choked with emotion. “If someday… I mean, if by any chance, your feelings change, and you no longer care for her, I beg you, don’t hit her, don’t scold her, don’t neglect her. Just return her safely. Our family may be poor, but we can raise our own children. My granddaughter will not endure even a single injustice living under someone else’s roof.”
Xie Jingran looked at the silver-haired woman before him, who had straightened her spine for her granddaughter, and a rare flicker of respect appeared in his normally cold black eyes.
The young master of the Xie family, whose steps could shake Haishi, bowed deeply to the old woman in worn clothes. “Grandma, thank you for entrusting Anhe to me. Words are easy to make, but I will prove through actions that I will never let Anhe down.”
System: Alert! Alert! Male protagonist’s charm off the charts! All female guests’ favorability overflowing! Host, this man is irresistible!
Chu Anhe’s grandmother, seeing his sincerity, finally relaxed, repeatedly whispering three times, “Good… good… good.”
Seeing everything, Old Master Xie laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, future grandmother-in-law! If this boy ever wrongs Anhe, I’ll be the first to expel him from the family! From now on, Anhe will be first in the Xie family records, and this boy last.”
Xie Jingran gestured to the attendants. “Take the grandmother to the VIP lounge, have the family doctor check for injuries, and prepare some hot tea and snacks.”
Once her grandmother was settled, Xie Jingran’s gaze fully rested on Chu Anhe.
Her eyes were red, still incredulous as she looked at him.
“Speechless?” Xie Jingran raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Or have I captivated you?”
Chu Anhe sniffled, her voice hoarse. “You… really Xie Jingran?”
“Authentic and verified,” he shrugged.
Chu Anhe laughed through her tears.
At that moment, the main lights dimmed, and a spotlight precisely illuminated the two of them.
From the second-floor railing, the birthday celebrant, Old Master Xie, watched with a smile, microphone in hand. “Since the jade token has been returned, I will no longer hide it.”
The guests all looked up at him.
Old Master Xie gazed at Chu Anhe, his eyes kind. “Anhe, your grandfather saved my life back then. This marriage arrangement was my request. Today, with everyone here, I officially declare”
“Miss Chu Anhe, you are the Xie family’s only recognized granddaughter-in-law, and the wife of Jingran!”
Applause thundered.
If Xie Jingran’s earlier defense was personal, the old master’s words officially sealed Chu Anhe’s status as the Xie family young mistress. From this day on, no one in Haishi would dare look down on her.
In the spotlight, Xie Jingran gentlemanly extended a hand, palm up, toward Chu Anhe.
His gaze was deep and focused, as if the entire grand banquet hall had emptied, leaving only the two of them.
“Let’s formally meet,” he said, his voice low, gentle, and sincere. “Hello, Miss Chu Anhe. I am your husband, Xie Jingran. For the rest of our lives, please take care of me.”
Chu Anhe looked at his strong, elegant hand, took a deep breath, and slowly placed her fingers into his palm. “Hello… Mr. Xie.”
Their hands clasped.
System: Ding! Congratulations, host, you have completed the main storyline mission, Identity Revealed and Status Confirmed! Reward: Female lead favorability +20, Life +10 days, Luck +1000! Hidden achievement unlocked: On this originally tragic night, you restored the fairy tale for Cinderella.
Xie Jingran gently tightened the cool, small hand, pulling her closer, and whispered in her ear with a soft laugh, “Miss Chu, may I have this dance?”
“I’d be delighted.” Chu Anhe’s face instantly turned crimson, like a frightened little rabbit, yet she did not struggle against his embrace.
In the distance, outside the main gate, faint sirens could be heard wailing.