It was mealtime, and Zui Xian Lou was bustling with people.
Ning Zhe, thrown out of the private room like a dog, quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers.
Never before had Ning Zhe been so humiliated. He scrambled up from the floor like a madman and charged back into the room, swinging a kick at Chen Xinan.
Chen Xinan casually dodged and, with a flick of his hand, slapped Ning Zhe on the back of the head.
Ning Zhe's face collided with the edge of the dining table with a crash, and he sprawled across the floor.
Plates toppled, and hot soup drenched him from head to toe.
"I'll kill you! How dare you hit me! Tell me—who the hell are you?!"
Blushing and fuming, Ning Zhe staggered to his feet, unsure if it was embarrassment or the scalding soup that reddened his face.
Chen Xinan sneered. "I'm the one marrying Ning Xiruo.
Sure, she's not exactly… well-endowed, but she's about to be my wife.
You dare bully my wife? I ought to beat you to a pulp!"
"Shut up! Nonsense!" Ning Xiruo's face burned red. If her eyes had been knives, Chen Xinan would already have been shredded to pieces.
Ning Zhe froze, sat on the floor, and looked Chen Xinan over, then Ning Xiruo. He clutched his stomach and laughed hysterically.
"Oh my God! This is the man the matriarch chose for you? I thought he was a starving ghost at first sight!"
"Look at that outfit… did he just come back from planting the fields?"
"Not a hair on his head—did the matriarch pick a monk for you?"
"Ha! I can't! Xiao Ruo, you're marrying this guy? The matriarch really loves you!"
The surrounding guests gasped.
"That guy is Ning's fiancé? My god… a rose in a pile of dung!"
"Exactly! How can someone like him deserve Ning Xiruo? I'm better than him!"
"It's like a toad wanting to eat a swan! If he had any sense, he wouldn't be so overconfident!"
Ning Xiruo, blushing, turned to Chen Xinan. "Don't make trouble! I already gave him the money to leave—don't embarrass me here!"
Ning Zhe stood up, grinning at Chen Xinan. "Kid, did you hear that?
You even dare hit me! Were you kicked by a donkey on the way here or what?"
"Even if you marry Xiruo, you're just a live-in son-in-law of the Ning family! You do what we say, nothing more!"
Chen Xinan glanced at him, frowning. "Has anyone ever told you that your fake-smile face is incredibly annoying? Makes me want to hit you just looking at you."
Ning Zhe's face darkened. "Kid, don't get cocky! I'm your second uncle. Even your wife must respect me. Who do you think you are?"
Bang! Chen Xinan kicked him square in the stomach, sending him sprawling to the floor.
"Everyone says your smile's irritating. How come you never learn?" Chen Xinan snarled through gritted teeth. "Looking for a fight, and I'm not giving you satisfaction? Shame on you!"
"I'll kill you!" Ning Zhe roared, charging at Chen Xinan.
Chen Xinan slapped him once, then again before he could react. "Laugh again! Let's see you grin now!"
"Chen Xinan!" Ning Xiruo yelled, furious. "I told you not to get involved! Do you want to ruin me? Do you enjoy seeing my family in chaos? Do you even know how much trouble this could bring me?!"
"Shut up!" Chen Xinan yelled back, louder than her. "They're bullying you! You just swallow it like nothing's wrong? Are you sick or what?!"
"None of that whining nonsense—doing something is satisfying! Stop hiding behind excuses!"
Chen Xinan pointed at her. "If you keep yapping, I'll deal with you too!"
The room went silent, like even a needle dropping could be heard.
This was a pile of dung, a miserable toad—yet marrying such a goddess, shouldn't he treat her like treasure? But this kid… he didn't bow, didn't kowtow, didn't flinch!
He even dared to hit his second uncle and slap his stunning wife! Insane!
Yet… strangely satisfying?
Ning Xiruo had never been scolded so loudly, and in front of so many people! She stomped and shouted, half angry, half embarrassed:
"You don't understand my difficulties!"
"Hmph!" Chen Xinan snorted. "I overheard some of your argument just now—not much, but enough!
My parents worked hard to build their business. Giving it to you is generosity; not giving it is fair!
If you can't appreciate it, you don't deserve it!
Sell it if you want, spend the money quickly, don't ask me for more. I'm not obligated to support a bunch of useless, spoiled brats!"
"Don't just cling to the status quo. If it collapses, make it small first, rebuild bigger later. My parents could do it—I can too! No need to bow and scrape!"
Ning Xiruo frowned. Sure, running a company wasn't that simple. But some of his words hit home.
She took a deep breath. "Ning Zhe, leave. I won't give you a single cent! You heard me!"
Ning Zhe bared his teeth. "You'll regret it! Everyone here can see it—family love is crap when money's involved!"
Chen Xinan sneered. "You really remember the beatings but not the lessons!
I said your smile is annoying, and you insist on asking for a beating!
Family? You call poisoning your own sister and sending her to an old creep family? That's not human!"
The crowd erupted. Everyone stared at Ning Zhe, pointing and whispering.
"I can't believe the rumors were true! Ning really got tricked by his own brother!"
"Yeah, if it weren't for Qingjie, who knows what would have happened to her!"
"Not human! Even family members scheme against each other! Only beasts do that!"
Ning Zhe hung his head in shame. As he tried to spit a final insult at Ning Xiruo, Chen Xinan blocked him, and he slunk away, defeated.
Chen Xinan strutted back into the private room, muttering:
"Can't even enjoy a meal without this crap happening. Didn't even finish eating! Ning Xiruo, any rice left? Fill me a bowl!"
Good heavens… are you a pig? How can one person eat so much?
The table full of food was barely touched by anyone else, yet he hadn't had enough? Fine—he earned it after defending her. But if she ever has to live with a pig like this, no way. After dealing with the matriarch, he still needed to be sent packing!