Qingdu City, at the Xia Villa.
The Xia family was having their family dinner.
"Mom, I haven't seen Jiang Xiu. Where is she?" Xia Mingyu asked when he didn't see his cousin.
Hearing her son ask about the girl, Fang Rong sneered, "Have you forgotten what day it is today? She picked up her good-for-nothing sister again. She'll be back by the evening since she still has classes tomorrow."
Xia Mingyu curled his lips, then he said with a voice filled with displeasure, "How can you talk about a cousin that way Mother? You know what happened to them. The least we can do as their family is understand their situation."
Xia Mingzhou defended their mother when she saw her face contorted with anger, "Older Brother, Mother is simply telling the truth and we've helped them more than we could offer already. You know there are no better words to describe Jiang Yue other than a good-for-nothing. You should talk to cousin to stop meeting with her or else she'd be led astray too."
"What do you mean?" Xia Zhong, their father asked.
"Oh, you might not know this Father since you and Older Brother had been busy with the company, but I heard rumors going around that Jiang Yue is with a group of gangsters. My classmate's father worked in the neighboring City Police Department. I was told that she was penalized because she got into a big fight." Xia Mingzhu shivered as though what she just said scared her.
Feng Rong, their Mother immediately added, "That's why I told you to not let that Jiang Xiu stay here! Letting her go to Shuhui Middle School is more than enough already. Even if their father is alive today, I doubt he'll be able to send any of his two daughters to Shuhui Middle School. Mingzhu shouldn't even associate with that niece of yours yet she has to put up and go to school with her! The day will come where we'll be implicated with—"
"Enough!" The villa was suddenly quiet and the clanking of utensils being placed on the glass plate can be heard clearly.
"The Jiang sisters will stay here if they want to. That's the end of the matter." The Old Patriarch of the Xia Family ended the matter just like that.
"Yes, Grandpa." Xia Mingzhu immediately acknowledge her grandfather's words and stood up when she saw the old man was finished eating.
"I'll go with you, Grandpa." She said sweetly and held her grandfather's arm.
When they've already gone far enough from the dining table, Xia Mingzhu said, "You shouldn't get too angry Grandpa, it's not good for your health. Mother only said those words because I once complained to her that some of my classmates are distancing their selves from me after those rumors circulated. Mother can be crude with her word sometimes but I know she's only doing it for me, so don't be angry with her. If you're still angry, why don't you scold me instead Grandpa?" Xia Mingzhu asked as though she doesn't mind being scolded for the sake of her Mother.
The old man scowled when he heard that. "How could I scold you? It's not your fault, you are the one being implicated instead because of your cousins." He sighed, his tone of voice filled with pity for his precious granddaughter and annoyance for his other pair of granddaughters.
"If anyone bullies you because of those rumors, tell Grandpa okay? I won't hesitate to give them a lesson."
The girl giggled when she heard that, "Thank you, grandfather! Don't worry, who would dare to bully me?" She declared proudly.
Who would indeed dare bully a retired City Finance Director's granddaughter and the CEO of Xia Company's daughter?
Only those who are ignorant would do so.
"That's good. How're your studies?"
"Of course still the best in the class."
The old man laughed, "Aiya, you should learn to be humble." He suggested but it can be seen from his expression that he is proud of what her granddaughter just told him.
Xia Mingzhu pouted but then nodded as though her grandfather's words were absolute, "Then I'll do so. How could I go against grandfather's words?"
The old man's laugh can be heard once again in the villa.
***
Luo Zhelan offered his phone when the car stopped in front of the hospital.
Jiang Yue simply raised her brow when she saw that.
"Add me on WeChat." Jiang Yue grabbed his phone and added his account.
"Contact me if you finally decided to discuss the collaboration."
"No need." Luo Zhelan's body froze when he heard that.
"What do you mean?" He asked, he couldn't but be nervous thinking that Jiang Yue doesn't want to continue with it.
"I meant that there's no need to discuss. Handle it the way you want to, as long as New Hope Hospital will provide the best Neurologists to take care of my father. You can discuss the newly created EEG machine with Diang Ning, I'll let him contact you." Luo Zhelan frowned at her words but then he nodded.
"Then don't hesitate to contact me when you need anything."
"Thank you, Young Master Luo." Jiang Yue nodded at him and got off the car.
Luo Zhelan stared at her slender back as she disappears from his line of sight. He couldn't help but frown once again.
He felt as though he had just been kicked aside after being used.