“Hmm.”
He Hongjie responded indifferently.
At least he made a sound, but He Jiayu’s mother, Tong Sijing, didn’t even glance at Xu Zhiyuan, instead whispering to the woman beside her. Others in the living room, seeing this, either wore expressions of “as expected” as if they had anticipated it, mirrored Tong Sijing’s disdain, or simply waited to watch the drama unfold.
Being ignored by her mother-in-law and surrounded by such gazes, Xu Zhiyuan felt both awkward and furious. A fire burned inside her, and she held her breath.
Since this was their attitude, she knew exactly how to respond.
Her parents had never taught her to fawn over those who treated her coldly. They only told her to do her part. Whether others liked her or not, she should maintain proper etiquette and keep up appearances. That way, she wouldn’t give anyone a reason to criticize her, and if they couldn’t find fault with her, then the mistake wouldn’t be hers.
She had long known the He family didn’t like her, so she was mentally prepared. Still, she had hoped that if everyone was polite, she would try to adapt. Now, it seemed she had been overthinking.
From now on, she would just do as she saw fit.
Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to interact much with these people anyway.
Xu Zhiyuan tried to calm her emotions, but He Jiayu couldn’t let his wife suffer such cold treatment.
“What are you and Third Aunt discussing so intently, Mom? Talking about He Jiaying?”
He Jiayu looked at the two women, his expression still gentle, but his eyes carried an undeniable chill that made Third Aunt He shudder. She quickly straightened up. “No, no.”
She didn’t dare speak to Tong Sijing anymore. He Jiayu’s warning was clear.
Tong Sijing was furious. “What’s wrong with me chatting with your Third Aunt? If anyone has a problem with it, they should leave. No one here welcomes them anyway.”
She said this while staring directly at Xu Zhiyuan. Though she didn’t name names, it was obvious enough.
Xu Zhiyuan was so angry she flushed—literally. Her face and neck turned red. She let go of He Jiayu’s hand and, to his surprise, gave him a gentle push. “You should leave. Mom is already unhappy.”
He Jiayu had been ready to stand up for Xu Zhiyuan, but she surprised him instead.
Tong Sijing’s expression stiffened for a moment. She had done it on purpose—she despised Xu Zhiyuan, and she didn’t even like Xu Zhixiao. She had her own candidate in mind for a daughter-in-law. If it weren’t for Grandfather He insisting on fulfilling that ridiculous marriage arrangement, she would have long had her son marry the woman she chose.
Because of her dislike, Tong Sijing found fault with everything about Xu Zhiyuan. She loathed her and wished He Jiayu would divorce Xu Zhiyuan immediately. Just now, she had deliberately tried to humiliate Xu Zhiyuan. If she couldn’t control He Jiayu, couldn’t she at least target Xu Zhiyuan?
What was wrong with this Xu Zhiyuan? Couldn’t she tell she was the one being talked about?
Everyone, including He Hongjie, couldn’t help but glance over. Xu Zhiyuan had always seemed guileless, so they thought they could see right through her. But now, it felt as if they had misjudged her. It turned out Xu Zhiyuan wasn’t a cat without claws after all.
“I was talking about you,” Tong Sijing snapped bluntly, unable to contain her anger.
Xu Zhiyuan looked bewildered and innocent. “Mom was talking about me? But I didn’t say anything just now.”
It was true. She had only said, “Dad, Mom, we’re back,” at the very beginning—just that one sentence—and had been quiet ever since.
“You.”
Tong Sijing was left speechless.
He Jiayu’s lips curved slightly upward, realizing for the first time that sincerity truly was a killer move.
“He’s talking about Jiayu,” He Hongjie spoke calmly. “Aren’t you leaving yet? Your grandfather is waiting for you.”
He Jiayu didn’t look at them but instead turned his gaze toward Xu Zhiyuan.
Xu Zhiyuan smiled at him. “You should go quickly. Don’t keep Grandfather waiting.”
She could handle this. Even if she couldn’t, she had to. At other times, she might let others underestimate her, but not now.
Seeing the fighting spirit blazing in her eyes, He Jiayu’s heart softened.
Just when he thought he already understood her well, she surprised him once more.
He squeezed her hand gently. “Alright.”
Since Xu Zhiyuan believed she could handle it, what he needed to give her was trust.
“I’ll go see Grandfather first and will be back soon. Don’t be too formal—this is home,” He Jiayu said, glancing at He Hongjie and the others. “Mom, Dad, please take good care of Zhiyuan.”
Take good care?
He Hongjie couldn’t help but glance at Xu Zhiyuan again, trying to spot some hidden brilliance they hadn’t yet discovered. Unfortunately, he saw nothing remarkable—except for her face, which was far more pleasant and agreeable than Xu Zhixiao’s ambitious expression.
He gave a noncommittal hum of acknowledgment.
He Jiayu reached out and gently stroked the back of Xu Zhiyuan’s neck before leaving.
The atmosphere in the living room grew quiet after He Jiayu’s intimate gesture toward Xu Zhiyuan.
They still couldn’t be sure whether He Jiayu truly liked Xu Zhiyuan, but one thing was certain: he was protecting her and had taken a liking to her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such an intimate gesture.
This Xu Zhiyuan was something else. She appeared simple and guileless, yet she had managed to win He Jiayu’s favor so quickly.
They had clearly misjudged her.
Xu Zhiyuan had no idea what these people were thinking. She glanced around and noticed that the previously empty seat had already been taken. The person occupying it even smirked at her provocatively. Xu Zhiyuan was displeased, and her expression showed it—though she quickly composed herself.
She took a deep breath and turned to He Hongjie. “Dad, this is my first time here, and I’m not sure where I should sit according to the He family’s rules.”
He Hongjie couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. If not for the utter innocence in Xu Zhiyuan’s eyes, he would have thought she was a seasoned veteran.
By saying she didn’t know where to sit according to the He family’s rules, she was subtly hinting that they hadn’t reserved a seat for her—implying they were being impolite and that the He family lacked proper etiquette.
But Xu Zhiyuan was definitely doing this on purpose. Her eyes were wide open, filled with displeasure and a stubborn determination to charge ahead regardless.
She was an interesting young woman. He suddenly understood why He Jiayu had taken a liking to Xu Zhiyuan.
Xu Zhiyuan was pure.
Despite being born into a wealthy family, she remained untainted—so pure that one could see right through her without needing to overthink. She was gentle but not weak, simple yet not simplistic. Such a person was rare in this circle.
In this world of tangled relationships and intertwined interests, where a single word could change everything, everyone had to weigh their words and actions carefully. Everyone had their guard up, and a single misstep could lead to irreversible ruin.
It was like a rabbit suddenly barging into a pack of wolves—all the wolves would instinctively fix their eyes on the rabbit, eager to tear it apart and devour it. Xu Zhiyuan was that rabbit, and He Jiayu was one of the wolves. However, he had a uniquely advantageous position: the rabbit had landed right in front of him, so there was no reason for him not to snatch it up immediately.
“Sit next to me.”
He Hongjie gave a meaningful glance to the person on his left. The person was surprised but still stood up and vacated the seat.