Her hand held Pei Yibai's firmly, their fingers interlocked tightly, the strength emanating from her body transmitted into Pei Yibai's hand through her right hand.
He did not speak, slightly turning his head to look at his wife's clean profile, seeing her tenacity, persistence, and defiance.
Her hand was clearly trembling, but she forced herself to remain steady, and although she had teared up when she talked about yearning for her father's love just before, she was now righteously rebutting her father.
Remembering how she anxiously asked him not to divorce her, wasn't it just because she felt insecure?
"Rebellion, rebellion, so now you think you're right? Do you think this is some sort of honor?" Rong Jing'an was infuriated by what Song Weiyi had just said.
Great, now she's learned to argue back and even to use his own words against him?
What he wanted to hear right now was definitely not Song Weiyi's clever rebuttals.
Song Weiyi pouted, "That's not what I mean, I just hope Dad could seriously consider it too. We've come this far; surely we can't break up me and Yibai so inconsiderately, right?"
If they demanded separation, it would indeed be akin to forcing two lovers apart, and by then his image would be irreparable no matter what.
The situation with Elder Sheng was tricky, but he also couldn't completely disregard this matter, Rong Jing'an quickly realized.
According to the previous plan, to surreptitiously bring Song Weiyi to Elder Sheng's bed and then let something happen before getting married, that would be considered natural.
But now, not to mention that the plan was not going smoothly, Song Weiyi had become someone else's husband, and it was impossible to stick with the original plan. Otherwise, if his daughter caused a huge scene, the entire Fu Family would suffer the consequences.
With this thought, Rong Jing'an took a deep breath and aggressively sat down on the sofa at the head of the room.
His cold gaze shot towards Pei Yibai but did not flare up again.
"So, Pei Yibai, where is your family from? What's your personal situation like?" Rong Jing'an asked bluntly.
As soon as he said this, Song Weiyi had a bad feeling because Pei Yibai's background was not as impressive as Elder Sheng's, and her father would surely look down on it.
Of course, it didn't matter if her father disapproved; it mattered that she did not!
The problem was, she feared for her husband's self-esteem. What kind of father-in-law behaves this way towards his son-in-law?
"Dad, it's getting late. Why don't you rest earlier? Let's talk tomorrow." Song Weiyi stood up earnestly with a forced chuckle.
It was just past nine, how could it be getting late?
"I'm talking to Pei Yibai. Why are you interrupting?" Rong Jing'an glared at her with a warning look.
Song Weiyi certainly understood his meaning, but compared to offending her own father, she was more willing to protect Pei Yibai.
"I'm just worried Dad might be tired, right? Oh, by the way, it seemed like Dad didn't eat much earlier; are you hungry? Let me make some supper for you."
She tugged at Pei Yibai's hand, trying to slip towards the kitchen.
Rong Jing'an's voice ominously rose behind them, "You're right about one thing, I am indeed hungry. Go and cook me a bowl of noodles. As for Pei Yibai, sit down and have a chat with me."
Song Weiyi's forward steps froze, and she stood still, her expression uneasy.
"Go ahead, I'll be fine." Seeing her protect him like a mother hen her chick, Pei Yibai found it amusing yet helpless.
How could Song Weiyi feel at ease? The whip had been taken out; if it wasn't for her, was it meant for Pei Yibai now?
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She stomped her foot and sneakily glanced behind Pei Yibai, where Fu Zining was muttering incomprehensibly to Rong Jing'an.
Song Weiyi, holding Pei Yibai's hand, reminded him in a low voice, "My dad has a really bad temper. He's fuming right now and nobody can calm him down. Don't go head-to-head with him."
"I know," Pei Yibai hooked up the corner of his mouth.
Seeing his unmoved demeanor, Song Weiyi warned again, "Also, if he tries to hit you, don't just stupidly stand there. If you can't fight back, then let's run. If my dad goes too far... then, fight back."
The last few words were spoken with considerable struggle.
Regardless, Rong Jing'an was still her father; this was a fact she couldn't deny.
To have Pei Yibai retaliate was a decision Song Weiyi made after much internal conflict.
Pei Yibai couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He gently touched her hair, "Go about your business. Don't worry." Her father posed no threat to him, let alone harm.
With Pei Yibai's assurance, Song Weiyi had no choice but to trust him. She headed to the kitchen but couldn't help looking back every few steps.
Rong Jing'an pointed to the seat opposite him, "Sit down and let's talk. Who else is in your family? Make everything clear!"
His gesture was full of contempt because Pei Yibai's attire had led Rong Jing'an to dismiss him out of hand. Having dominated A City for so many years, he had never heard the name Pei Yibai; he was sure the man wasn't wealthy.
Pei Yibai seemed oblivious to Rong Jing'an's scorn, calmly sitting down and answering his questions at a measured pace. "I have a younger brother and a younger sister below me."
Under normal circumstances, as a father, Rong Jing'an should properly engage in the conversation but at this moment, he was still seething with anger and wanted to resolve things quickly.
"The eldest in the family? You must be quite old yourself, right? Do you have two elderly parents above you? Do you have a house and car in A City? How big is the house? What car do you drive?" Rong Jing'an asked with a cold sneer.
In the kitchen, Song Weiyi was restless, only helping Auntie Zhang with the side tasks.
Auntie Zhang was quite curious about the handsome and distinguished man. "Madam, who is that gentleman?"
"Are you talking about Yibai?"
"His name is Yibai? That's a nice name, and he's good-looking, too. Madam, you've got good taste," Auntie Zhang laughed, her eyes narrowing into slits.
"Yeah, my husband, of course, is unique," said Song Weiyi, feeling proud as she heard the praise.
Just as her mood improved, a loud clanging sound from the living room startled Song Weiyi severely.
"What... what happened?" she stuttered, asking Auntie Zhang and, not reassured about Pei Yibai's safety, she rushed out immediately.
On the ground lay a shattered purple clay teapot, with its hot tea spilled around, wetting the area.
"Dad, what happened?" Song Weiyi dashed out, and her gaze immediately sought Pei Yibai. Had her dad hit him? Was her dad bullying her husband because of his status?
As these thoughts crossed her mind, Song Weiyi's heart clenched tight, "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" She took Pei Yibai's hand and asked anxiously.
After looking him over from head to toe, she found the man was unharmed.
"I'm fine. Why did you come out?"
"I heard a loud noise and was worried..." Song Weiyi began, only to be suddenly yanked away from Pei Yibai's side by Rong Jing'an, who grabbed her wrist.
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