The city lights were just beginning to flicker to life.
Inside the Jiang Family Villa, it was time for the evening meal, yet the atmosphere throughout the household was stiflingly heavy.
Old Mr. Jiang sat in the center of the living room, while the second and third branches of the family sat on either side. The younger generation remained huddled in a tense, pointed silence.
Jiang Yucheng sat directly opposite the old man. His expression was as cold as ice, radiating a pressure that felt increasingly suffocating.
It wasn't until Jiang Huai had recounted the entire incident regarding the room that Jiang Yucheng learned the truth. He finally knew how Jiang Su, Jiang Han, and the others had taken turns attacking Xuxu before his return.
Jiang Ying had even gone as far as to tell Xuxu to get out of her house.
And he, without knowing the full story, had first reprimanded her for going to the Song family without permission, and then… just like the others, he had opened his mouth and told her to give up her room to her younger sister.
No wonder. No wonder Xuxu had been so disappointed that she had declared her intent to move out.
As a father, he had failed.
"Big Brother, it was just Yingying being a child and acting without thinking. It's all my fault," Yao Lin said, sensing the worsening mood and stepping forward to take the blame. "I'll explain everything to Xuxu and do my best to earn her forgiveness…"
Jiang Yumin frowned at this, taking Yao Lin's hand with a look of disapproval. "How is this your responsibility? Yingying is young; she just says what she wants. It's not that big of a deal. If you ask me, Xuxu is making a mountain out of a molehill. She's only been back for two days, yet she's throwing a tantrum and running away over something so small…"
Before he could finish, Jiang Yucheng raised his eyes, his gaze freezing his brother in place.
"Second Brother," Yucheng said, his voice low and dangerous. "My daughter just returned home and was immediately hounded until she felt forced to leave. You call that a small matter?"
The muscles in Jiang Yumin's face twitched. Meeting his elder brother's sharp, piercing gaze, he found he could not bring himself to say another word.
Jiang Yucheng's eyes swept over everyone present, his aura utterly overbearing.
"Jiang Ying is young, and she wanted Xuxu's room because it was pretty. Fine, that's not a crime. But the Jiang family is no minor household. If she liked that style, we could have redecorated a room to princess specifications with a single phone call. Why was it necessary for Xuxu to surrender hers?"
When the second branch remained silent, Yucheng's voice dropped another octave.
"You didn't just want her room. You simply felt that because she was a newcomer, she should have to please you all that she should perform and beg for your acceptance!"
"Big Brother, those are heavy words! They're just children, how could they have such schemes?"
"Do they not? If you hadn't viewed her as an outsider from the very start, why would anyone tell her to 'get out of my house'? Even if it was said in the heat of a moment, a child should know which words are forbidden."
Jiang Yucheng's tone grew harsh. Nearby, Jiang Ying trembled and shrank into Yao Lin's arms. Her lip wobbled, but she didn't dare burst into her usual loud wailing.
Yao Lin's face was full of heartache for her daughter. "Yingying said the wrong thing. I'll apologize to Xuxu. I'll go personally and ask for her forgiveness and beg her to come back. If an elder like me goes to her, she surely won't stay away forever. Big Brother, please don't blame Yingying…"
Seeing his mother acting so humble and pleading before his uncle, Jiang Han felt a flash of irritation. He couldn't help but speak up.
"Uncle, she chose to leave on her own. No one forced her. And this isn't my mom's fault, so why should she have to go beg her to return? For all we know, she's only using this 'moving out' thing as an excuse because she's afraid Grandpa will be angry that she offended the Song family!"
Jiang Yucheng turned his head to look at him. "If Xuxu does something wrong, I will be the one to teach her. I don't need to give anyone an account. But Jiang Han, if you maintain this attitude toward Xuxu, then you don't need to call me Uncle ever again."
His voice wasn't loud, but it sent a violent jolt through the hearts of Jiang Han and the other juniors. Their eyes widened in shock.
Jiang Yucheng's gaze slowly drifted over Jiang Su, Jiang Cheng, and the other younger members of the family.
"The same goes for the rest of you. If you are unwilling to accept Xuxu, then you don't need to call me Uncle either."
He had never been this severe. The juniors reflexively straightened their backs, stammering their denials.
Jiang Yutong had always respected his eldest brother. He reached out and gave his own son a firm, warning pat before trying to smooth things over with a smile. "Big Brother, the kids have sharp tongues, but they don't mean any harm. There's no question of 'accepting' her or not Xuxu is a child of this family, after all. It's not that serious."
Jiang Yucheng's eyes darkened, his voice carrying a trace of suppressed emotion.
"Xuxu was lost to us for eighteen years. Even if the Guan Family never let her go hungry, she suffered countless grievances as a foster daughter there. Now that she's finally home,
I will not allow her to suffer even a fraction of that again. I'm not demanding that every one of you caters to her every whim, but at the very least, treat her as a member of this family."
He paused, his voice turning even heavier. "If you cannot do that, then I will choose to take Xuxu and Jiang Huai and live elsewhere."
The statement was like a massive boulder dropped into a still pond. The faces of everyone in the second and third branches turned pale instantly.
They never imagined their eldest brother would play such a high-stakes game!
For the sake of one Guan Xuxu, he was actually talking about splitting the family estate!
At that moment, Old Mr. Jiang, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke. His tone lacked any overt aggression, yet it carried an absolute, unquestionable weight.
"Eldest, I do not want to hear those words a second time."
He continued, "The Jiang family is a single unit. As long as I am still breathing, no one is permitted to speak of moving out!"
The room fell into a deathly silence. No one dared to contradict the patriarch. Even Jiang Su could only grumble inwardly that Guan Xuxu was the one who had brought up moving out first.
The old man shifted his gaze toward the couple from the second branch.
"The children of the Jiang family can have anything they desire. But while you pamper a child, you must also ensure she understands that she cannot always have everything she wants in this world."
"Children must be taught. If you cannot teach her well, I can teach her personally."
Hearing that her grandfather intended to teach her personally, Jiang Ying shuddered violently. She almost burst into tears from sheer terror. That sounded far too frightening. She didn't want that!
Jiang Yumin and Yao Lin lowered their heads in silence, holding their daughter tightly and promising they would discipline her properly.
Seeing that the juniors had finally grasped the severity of the situation, Old Mr. Jiang didn't say more. He turned to Jiang Huai, who had been sitting lazily and silently the whole time.
"Find a time to bring your sister back. The family has already arranged a party to officially announce her status as the Eldest Miss of the Jiang Family. She must return."
Jiang Huai maintained his trademark smile and nodded. "I know."
Just as the old man was about to continue, the butler suddenly entered the room. He walked up to Jiang Yucheng and said, "Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Song have arrived."
Jiang Yucheng knit his brows. At this hour? The Song family was visiting in person.
Was it about Xuxu again?
While Xuxu shouldn't have gone to their door saying those things, coming to the Jiang house to demand accountability seemed excessive.
Jiang Su and the others, having just been scolded, didn't dare speak up, but they exchanged sly, knowing looks. Their eyes were filled with a hidden glee. Guan Xuxu had finally caused enough trouble that someone was coming to settle the score.
They knew it she had definitely run away to avoid taking the blame. It wasn't their fault at all.
As they were thinking this, the Song couple walked quickly into the entrance. Their faces were clouded with anxiety.
Assuming that Xuxu had offended them, Jiang Yucheng forced himself to look composed as he rose to greet them.
"President Song, Mrs. Song. Xuxu was mischievous today and caused you some trouble. I have already disciplined her…"
He had intended to take a firm stance first, assuming that Song Yongming and his wife would be reasonable enough to drop the matter once he acknowledged the fault. However, the moment they heard his words, their expressions shifted. They looked panicked and deeply ashamed.
"President Jiang, please, you mustn't say that! It was our fault we misunderstood the situation and Miss Jiang completely. Miss Jiang was kind enough to give us a warning,
and it was our own ignorance that led us to act so poorly. We know we were wrong! Please, you must give us a chance to apologize to Master Jiang in person and make amends!!"
The moment the words left the Song couple's mouths, the living room fell into a bizarre, stunned silence.
Jiang Su and the others stared with eyes wide in disbelief, almost wondering if something was wrong with their hearing.
Why weren't the Songs here to make trouble for Guan Xuxu?
And…
What the hell was a "Master Jiang"?!
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