"Taking the blame?!"
Qin Feng's brows furrowed, his eyes intense as he looked at the Old Dowager sitting upright in the main hall.
The Old Dowager sipped her tea and said lightly, "This concerns the reputation of the Xu family. So, let the fault of Changye be borne by you! Don't worry, you won't be in for many years, you are still young, there's plenty of time ahead."
"Why should I? Xu Changye is two years younger than me, even younger!" Qin Feng said.
"Nonsense!"
On the side, the uncle spoke coldly, "Can you even compare to Changye!"
"Exactly, look at your own status!"
"This is giving you a chance to make merits. Becoming our Xu family's son-in-law, isn't it all for money? Stay in for a few years, we'll give you two hundred thousand, that's already a bargain for you."
"..."
In the hall, all the relatives and elders started talking all at once.
Qin Feng curled his lips.
He cursed inwardly, a bunch of selfish and inhumane bastards.
Three years ago, he married into the Xu family as a "Chongxi" for Xu Guosheng's third son. On normal days, not a single person looked him in the eye properly.
And now, they have the audacity to ask him to take the blame!
Yesterday, the youngest son of Uncle Four from the Xu family, Xu Changye, had drugged a girl in a bar and made a mistake. Afterward, the girl went to the police. Since she was unconscious due to the drug, she didn't know who the real culprit was.
The Xu family, fearing that it would be found out with time, immediately convened a family meeting and decided to have him confess on behalf of Xu Changye in advance.
Two hundred thousand.
It seemed like a considerable sum.
But Qin Feng's marriage into the Xu family as "Chongxi" was not for money, but for his wife, Xu Yunxiao!
That winter when he was five years old, amidst heavy snow and bone-chilling winds, he was wandering the streets, almost frozen to death by a garbage pile, when the passing Xu Yunxiao gave him a piece of bread that saved his life. From then on, he vowed that he would repay her with his lifelong devotion!
These three years, he lived like a dog, all the household chores, washing clothes, cooking, were his responsibilities. He faced disdain and humiliation. Even once when the cooking was a bit salty, his mother-in-law slapped him!
Even Xu Yunxiao looked down on him, a man living off a woman—husband in name only, they even slept separately.
But as long as he could stay by her side, he was content.
As for money?
In his heart, even a dazzling mountain of gold was far less important than her!
"I do not agree."
Qin Feng said lightly.
What a joke.
If he went in, how could he continue to protect her?
"Do you think you've grown arrogant? Trying to seize an opportunity to extort?"
"He must be aiming to jack up the price, such an ignorant fool!"
"..."
The crowd erupted into an uproar again.
At this moment, Xu Yunxiao could no longer stand it, her eyes swollen red, "You, you all, that's enough!"
Although she usually looked down on Qin Feng for living off a woman, he was, after all, her husband in name. His being insulted like this was clearly an insult to her as well.
"Yunxiao, how can you speak to your elders like this? Really lacking respect!" The uncle frowned.
"Been with him too long, forgotten your own last name?" The second uncle said.
At this time.
Xu Changye walked into the main hall with a cigarette between his lips, saying, "Grandma, if he doesn't agree, I have another solution, which is to ask Young Master Li for help."
"Young Master Li? Li Group's Young Master Li?" Everyone was surprised, including grandma.
"Of course!"
Xu Changye raised his head proudly, "I had a few drinks with Young Master Li yesterday, he's very approachable, appreciates me, even mentioned there might be collaboration in the future!"
The hall fell silent, everyone was astonished.
Li Group was very famous in Lake City, one of the three major families, a true wealthy household far beyond the small Xu family in their eyes!
"However, Young Master Li has taken a liking to Sister Yunxiao. So, if Sister Yunxiao divorces and marries Young Master Li, that would settle it."
Xu Changye added.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze back to Xu Yunxiao.
Especially her mother, Li Cuilan, her eyes filled with excitement.
What an honor it would be to marry into the Li Family?
This is a great opportunity for one to rise to high status!
She had also been wanting Qin Feng to leave the Xu family all along, but grandma considered the Xu family's reputation, afraid of leaving a bad name of "burning bridges after crossing" with outsiders, and never gave her consent.
At this moment, grandma's serious eyes also revealed uncontainable excitement.
After a moment of shock, she stood up, slammed the table, and loudly declared, "Yunxiao getting a divorce and marrying Young Master Li is settled!"
Obviously.
She was not going to let go of this opportunity either.
With Young Master Li's connection, the Xu family's dream to step into the ranks of the elite families would not be so unreachable!
As for Qin Feng?
Just a useless man who married into the family, who cares about him!
"Yes, yes, it's settled!"
"..."
The others also started to shout excitedly, praising Xu Changye for his capability to establish a connection with Young Master Li.
"Yunxiao, you should really thank Changye."
Grandma, with a glowing face, sipped her tea as if she was already part of a rich family.
Xu Yunxiao furrowed her brows tightly, shaking her head, "No, I disagree!"
"Disagree?" Everyone looked at her.
"You all should have heard of Young Master Li's character. Not to mention his philandering ways, he has also infected many women with diseases," Xu Yunxiao said.
"This... might be because those women were promiscuous!" her uncle said.
"Yes, yes! Who says it's Young Master Li who passed it to them, maybe those women are just scheming to extort money!"
"..."
Hearing their persuasions, Xu Yunxiao felt a chill in her heart, and she gritted her teeth and said again: "Grandma, if it weren't for Qin Feng bringing 'Chongxi' to our door three years ago, I might not be alive today, I, I cannot burn the bridge after crossing!"
"How dare you!!"
Grandma was furious, slammed the table and scolded, "Are you saying I'm burning bridges?!"
"That's what she means!"
Beside her, Xu Changye added fuel to the fire, saying, "Sister Yunxiao, you're only thinking of repaying him, but have you thought about grandma? Without grandma, how could there be your Third Uncle, without Third Uncle, how could there be you? So, your life is all thanks to grandma!"
"Yes, yes, Changye is sensible," the others also said.
"..."
Grandma also looked very approvingly at Xu Changye, then said to everyone, "Let's end it here! Dismissed!"
"Grandma..."
Xu Yunxiao wanted to argue back, but grandma had already walked into the inner room, completely indifferent to her feelings.
The others also incessantly urged her to consider the bigger picture and think of the family.
Tears streamed down Xu Yunxiao's face.
Like a child abandoned, her crying was heart-wrenching.
Qin Feng's gentleness and fury were ignited, he stepped forward and wiped the tears off her face, frowning as he said word by word, "Wife, don't worry, I won't let anyone bully you!"
After speaking.
He turned and walked outside.
Xu Yunxiao, stunned.
In that moment, she felt a different aura from Qin Feng, completely unlike his usual easy-going and incompetent demeanor, as if he was a different person!
Upon exiting.
Qin Feng lit a cigarette, took a deep inhale, then pulled out his phone, found a number he had been resisting to dial, and made the call.
"Young Master, is it really you? That's great! This old servant has been waiting for your call, waiting till my hair turned white, sniff, sniff..." On the other end, an elderly man cried emotionally.
Qin Feng indifferently said, "I can inherit that vast fortune, but I have a condition..."
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