"Chen Mu?" Tian Yuo stood up and looked at his best friend who came out from the next room. Chen Mu ignored Tian Yuo's questionable tone, took the plate with the sweet and sour rib and flipped it upside down onto Karen's plate, "If you love it so bad, you eat it."
Zin Leung tried to control his anger, "Chen Mu, do you not think it is basic manners to greet your uncle and to not disturb a family dinner?"
"Uncle? All I see is a blind father who does not remember his own daughter's birthday and forcing the daughter to eat something she's always hated. I don't recall having any uncle like that. Sorry, but with me here, I'd love to see who could bully Susu." He grabbed Susu's handbag and helped her up.
While standing in front of her in a protective manner, Chen Mu's pitiless as steel, keen and frost gaze slowly threatened each of them at the table. Susu could feel his trembling tight grip on her wrist and knew that he was extremely angry. Looking at how thin these room dividers were, he must have heard everything.
She looked admiringly with a smile on her face at his back view. Nobody had ever stood up for her like this. 'This feeling is extremely moving.' Her fingers found his sleeves and she gently tugged on it.
Chen Mu noticed her slightly pink cheeks and thought that she might be feeling sick. He had to finish with these chickens at the table and bring her out of here. Zin Leung slammed his fist against the table angrily, "Is that how you speak to a family friend? Business partner? Are you not afraid that I would terminate our contracts?!"
Chen Mu let out a scornful chuckle, "Sure! You know your operations better than I do. Don't think that just because I normally address you politely, you can climb on top of my head and order me around. You're only using what you have to try to win over what I just claimed. If you ask yourself honestly, when is Susu's birthday? Hmm? Can any of you whose and what's answer me?"
His eyes scanned fearlessly at everyone's eyes. Now that everyone is silent, Chen Mu turned his attention concentrated on Karen, sending chills and goosebumps down her spine instantly. "You, the stepsister. I thought that you had learnt our lesson long ago when you tried seducing me and telling me to make you my fiance. I told you to shut it when you threw insults after insults about Susu. Since you never learned, let me teach you another life lesson."
He loosened his grip on Susu's wrist and interlocked their fingers, "Since you loved using your pitiful tears to make people surrender, let's talk about how illogical everyone at this table is. First of all, why the hell should Susu eat whatever someone had placed to her plate? What if it was spiked like a year ago? Second of all, why the heck should she eat anything she always hated? That is her freedom."
"You were crying because she wasn't eating that one piece of meat that you placed on her plate. Which part of what you said was false then? Should she be loving and forgiving to you and Tian Yuo for the ruined marriage and schemes that were inevitably man-made? In this case, woman-made. Should she be like Buddha and happily entertain you guys just because you all say that you're all family? Ridiculous."
He continued in one breath with a deadly gaze scanning her from head to toe, "You only know how to put on a stupid act because you have such low esteem that you should pity yourself. For those whom you've lied to and will continue to lie towards, they are seriously blind and illogical. Senseless. Literally, this is the type of woman every man despises. For you to compare yourself to Susu? You're not even worthy."
Finally, he lifted his head and looked at Zin Leung and Tian Yuo, "You two have utterly disappointed Susu and me. The only reason why I would continue giving resources and completing projects for Yin Corporation is because of Susu. If one day she gets all tired and tells me that she does not want to have anything to do with you people, I will immediately terminate the contracts."
His eyes landed on Tian Yuo, who was trying to look at Susu, "As for you, I thought of you as my childhood friend, but you never once listened to my warnings. You've been such a loser and has lost all my respect for you. Susu deserves much better than someone like you who falls for this vixen's act every damn time. Come on, use your brain. Even if you regret it and beg Susu to come back, too bad, she will never do that. Reflect on yourself."
Tian Yuo rushed towards Susu when he saw that Chen Mu was dragging her away. Chen Mu pulled Susu behind him before Tian Yuo could reach her, "What do you think you're doing? Your new fiance-to-be is sitting right there looking at you. Aren't you too overconfident and shameless?"
"It's Susu's choice at the end! Susu, remain married to me. I've offered it before and this offer still stands." He shouted loud as a bell that Karen's eyes widened in shock.
Susu rubbed Chen Mu's arm with her free hand and smiled, "Mr. Tian Yuo, then answer this question. When is my birthday?"
"...." Tian Yuo was speechless.
"...." So was Zin Leung.
"What about you, dad? When is my birthday?" Zin Leung looked her with a puzzled expression. He spat out the first date that came up to his mind, "October 2nd." Tian Yuo followed along and nodded, "Yes, yes. That's your birthday. I knew that."
Chen Mu couldn't help but laugh, "Idiots. That isn't her birthday, but Karen's."
Susu shook her head with a bitter smile on her face, "See? None of you could remember my birthday and always celebrated my birthday and hers together. Karen's birthday is in October, but mine is next month. This prestigious family can't afford to separate two celebrations? Or two simple dinners? This just showed how much you doted on one daughter and neglected on me. You guys can say whatever, but I am leaving with Chen Mu. As for this dinner, happy birthday, but only to one person, Karen."
Before she turned around, she hadn't forgotten to say, "Oh right, and this is the last time that I will ever join these pointless dinners. I also don't need anyone to pretend that they care and send me presents for my birthday after this. Redemption chances have long expired since the hospital." Her indifferent eyes laid on Zin Leung, shaming him.
Tian Yuo also didn't have the guts to chase after them anymore. He could only lower his head and stare at the ground while Chen Mu and Susu left the restaurant. Lily, on the other hand, paid the bill and looked at the ruined dinner.
"What a pity that such great foods had gone to waste. I am Susu's best friend and for her, I really can't hold it in anymore!" She stepped towards Karen, took the fresh plate of sweet and sour ribs that had turned cold already and slammed it into her face. As Karen struggled herself free from the dish, Lily made sure each drop of sauce is rubbed onto her face.
After that, she whispered, "Enjoy. This is just one bust of a slap to your disgusting face for my Susu. Dare to bully her again, and it wouldn't be just this."
When she stepped away and clapped her hands, she hadn't forgotten what she wrote on her notepad. As she passed by Tian Yuo, her heels "accidentally" slipped and jabbed both his feet multiple times in lightning speed.
"Ahhrggghghhh!!!" he groaned and bent downwards. When he knelt down, her knees struck up, giving him a nosebleed. "This is what you deserve." She left with her heels intact and satisfyingly headed back home.