When they saw Ji Huanlan, those people merely paused for a moment. Third Aunt Ji laughed and said, “Oh, so Huanlan still remembers she has a family. We thought you’d grown your wings, climbed up a high branch, and decided you didn’t want this family anymore.”
Tang Lan sat there with all the airs of a matriarch. “Children grow up and stop listening to their mothers. Now that she has money, she doesn’t even think of helping her own family—instead, she devotes herself entirely to her in-laws.”
Sarcastic and snide.
Shen Xi said nothing. He was only there to back her up.
Ji Huanlan stepped aside. “Huohuo, clear out the irrelevant people. Have the living room sofas replaced, and tell the servants to disinfect the house.”
This sent Third Aunt Ji into a fury. “Ji Huanlan, don’t think that just because you’ve taken over the company, you’re the one in charge here! We are still your elders, and the one sitting there is your own mother!”
Ji Huanlan gave a faint, indifferent smile. “So you do know the company is in my hands now.”
Third Aunt Ji suddenly froze.
Ji Huanlan walked toward the main hall and looked at Tang Lan. “Madam Tang, is there a reason you’ve come back?”
“This is my mother! Can’t she come here?” Ji Yaoqing stood up.
She stared at the face that was identical to her own, grinding her teeth in fury.
Such a beautiful face—how could anyone be allowed to compete with her for it?!
If not for Ji Huanlan, everything she had now would have been hers!
Including Shen Xi!
“So I haven’t kicked you out.” Ji Huanlan’s gaze was teasing. “Madam Tang, I still have family matters to handle. If there’s nothing else, the door is over there.”
“You’re actually kicking me out?”
As Ji Huanlan walked closer, she noticed that on the other side of the folding screen, there was another group of people.
They were a crowd of wealthy wives from the upper circles, hoping to curry favor with Tang Lan.
After all, Ji Huanlan had now become the chairman of Xinggang Fengtou and married Second Master Shen—her status was no longer what it used to be.
At the very least, Tang Lan was Ji Huanlan’s biological mother. Even if they were on bad terms, she was still her mother.
Those people rose to their feet one after another. “Miss Ji.”
“Second Master Shen.”
Shen Xi gave no response. Though he remained silent, no one dared to overlook his presence.
Ji Huanlan sat down and looked at Tang Lan, whose face was struggling to maintain composure. “That’s right. I am kicking you out.”
“Huanlan, I know your father’s passing was a great blow to you. These years, your mother hasn’t spent much time with you. But I am still your mother—I gave birth to you. How can you…”
“Oh?”
Ji Huanlan rested her hand against the corner of her lips. “Did Madam Tang want to give birth to me? I don’t think she was too willing, was she?”
Tang Lan’s expression shifted slightly. “What nonsense are you talking about? Huanlan, you can’t just stop caring about your own family because you got married. A person must not forget gratitude and loyalty.”
“Between us, there hasn’t been any gratitude since that funeral. After all, you could give birth to me, and you could also kill me—isn’t that right?”
Ji Huanlan’s words sent ripples through the entire main hall.
Tang Lan’s pupils trembled. “You…”
“Ji Huanlan, how dare you speak to my mother like that!” Ji Yaoqing made a move as if to strike.
Shen Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly.
At the same moment, Guan Qi and Wang Huo stepped forward, grabbing Ji Yaoqing from both sides and pulling her aside.
Looking at that face identical to Ji Huanlan’s, Shen Xi felt not a trace of emotion.
In his eyes, they were clearly two different people.
“Second Master Shen, look at my sister… She’s so unfilial, only caring about money. How could a woman like that be worthy of being your wife?” Ji Yaoqing tried to smear Ji Huanlan’s reputation.
Shen Xi’s indifference was well known, yet he asked outright, “Then who do you think is worthy?”
No one expected Shen Xi to ask such a suffocating question.
Even though Ji Yaoqing considered herself the most suitable, she wasn’t shameless enough to volunteer herself in front of Shen Xi.
Ji Yaoqing secretly glared at the woman beside her who looked exactly like herself, grinding her teeth as she said, “As her own sister, I truly feel that people shouldn’t be too selfish. Those who are too self-centered harm both themselves and others! Any woman of great integrity, kindness, and virtue would be more suitable for you, Mr. Shen.”
These words were essentially treating Ji Huanlan as an enemy.
How could anyone side with outsiders over their own family like that?
Shen Xi’s gaze remained unchanged, still in that calm tone: “You two are twin sisters. Born of the same mother, closer than ordinary siblings. So I find it truly hard to understand how you, as the younger sister, could slander your own elder sister like this.”
Ji Yaoqing’s expression stiffened. Just as she was about to speak, Shen Xi spoke first: “Even if the relationship is terrible, in front of others, siblings uphold the principle of not airing the family’s dirty laundry and cover for each other. But you—you’re afraid I might not know some hidden thoughts your sister has, so you’ve spilled everything.”
“So when it comes to being too self-centered and harming both oneself and others…”
Shen Xi’s smile was very faint—if you weren’t looking at him, you might not even notice it: “I, Shen, must concede defeat to Second Miss Ji.”
Ji Yaoqing was stunned on the spot. She tasted the pain of the stone she’d lifted falling on her own foot.
What was wrong with this Second Master Shen?
As her own sister, she’d said Ji Huanlan had poor character, yet he refused to believe her—the one who knew Ji Huanlan best—and instead questioned her?
“Mr. Shen, today is the first time you’ve formally visited my home. I was just…” Ji Yaoqing desperately tried to salvage her image.
“You’re mistaken.” Shen Xi cut her off.
“This is the second time. The first was a few days ago, when I attended your sister’s funeral.”
Everyone: …
Ji Huanlan’s mouth twitched.
She hadn’t actually expected Shen Xi to argue on her behalf against these people from the Ji family.
She’d thought she’d have to fight them all with words herself, but judging by the situation, the lines she’d prepared beforehand probably wouldn’t be needed.
Shen Xi shifted his tone: “I should also remind Second Miss Ji—here…”
He glanced around the room: “This is your sister’s home. Not yours.”
Ever since the incident at the funeral, Shen Xi had automatically categorized Ji Yaoqing and Tang Lan as the enemy camp.
Only Ji Huanlan was on his side.
Ji Yaoqing was shocked: “Mr. Shen, I… I’m her own sister! My surname is also Ji! How could this not be my home?”
“Your surname is also Ji?” Shen Xi rarely bothered to glance at her: “I couldn’t tell.”
Ji Huanlan held her forehead, suppressing a laugh.
Shen Xi’s ability to suffocate people without changing his expression was truly…
Something to concede defeat to.
At that moment, Tang Lan sneered: “Huanlan brought her son-in-law back to visit today—perhaps she’s not really here to pay respects to her elders.”
Ji Huanlan snapped back to attention and immediately nodded: “Correct.”
Tang Lan’s expression faltered slightly.
They watched as the woman smoothed her flowing long hair, “I’m here to clean house.”
The moment those words fell, the wealthy madams who had been trying to curry favor with Tang Lan quickly rose and took their leave one after another.
“Mrs. Shen, we’ll be going now. Let’s get together another time.”
The “Mrs. Shen” was directed at Ji Huanlan.
It wasn’t just to flatter Ji Huanlan, but also to get on Shen Xi’s good side.
With these two devils together, who knows what trouble they might stir up in the future—best to steer clear.