Jiang Huai's voice successfully pulled Bai Shuqin back from the brink of losing her sanity. Like a cold bucket of water being poured over her, her impulsive actions came to a sudden halt.
At the same time, the noise caught the attention of the people inside the villa, and Jiang Yucheng walked out.
"What's going on?"
As the current head of Jianghai Group, Jiang Yucheng was a well-known figure in the media and business reports. Bai Shuqin recognized him almost immediately. She quickly forgot about her altercation with Guan Xu Xu and switched her expression to one of polite smiling as she walked toward him.
"Mr. Jiang, I am the wife of Guan Baocheng, the president of Guan Construction Materials. I didn't expect you to be home. How wonderful!"
Jiang Yucheng's gaze shifted from Bai Shuqin to Guan Xu Xu and Jiang Huai, his expression unreadable. He asked calmly,
"Mrs. Guan, hello. Is there something you need to discuss?"
Given Jiang Yucheng's status, he didn't need to be so courteous. He wasn't the type to engage in unnecessary pleasantries. However, knowing that the people before him had raised Xu Xu, he made an exception, assuming she was here to discuss something related to Xu Xu's lifestyle or habits.
Bai Shuqin didn't understand the underlying tone of his words. Hearing him ask if she had something to discuss, her vanity swelled.
This was the head of Jianghai Group! He was asking her to give him instructions!
It was clear how important her company was in Jiang Yucheng's eyes.
The frustration she'd felt earlier because of Jiang Huai's words melted away, and she subconsciously puffed out her chest. "Indeed, there are a few things I need to discuss."
With a smug glance at Guan Xu Xu, she quickly grabbed her daughter, Guan Ruixi, and said, "Mr. Jiang, this is my daughter, Guan Ruixi."
Guan Ruixi immediately greeted him sweetly, "Hello, Uncle Jiang."
"Well, I know that the landmark project in Haishi City is about to start. The government plans to select eight students from the four major universities to serve as representatives for the city in a promotional video. The final list will be submitted to Jianghai Group."
Bai Shuqin continued, "For some reason, my daughter's spot was taken by someone else, so I came to ask Jianghai Group for help in getting that spot back. It's just a small favor, really."
Jiang Yucheng furrowed his brow slightly.
He knew about this matter, but it was being handled by the third son, and he hadn't gotten involved.
He wasn't fond of this kind of using public resources for personal benefit.
But since the people before him had raised Xu Xu, Jiang Yucheng felt a little more inclined to consider it.
Fine, he would do it as a repayment for their care of Xu Xu.
With that thought in mind, Jiang Yucheng sighed and said, "I'll look into it. Who took your daughter's spot? I'll have my secretary check."
"Guan Xu Xu." Bai Shuqin almost couldn't wait to speak.
Jiang Yucheng froze for a moment, his hand pausing as he pulled out his phone. He looked up at Bai Shuqin, clearly stunned. "Who did you say?"
"Guan Xu Xu." Bai Shuqin repeated, thinking he hadn't understood her. She even pointed to Guan Xu Xu and added, "It's her. This child was actually adopted by our family, but she's ungrateful. Not only is she ill-tempered, but she also lies. I didn't expect her real parents were working for the Jiang family. I don't mean to speak badly of the child, but a person's nature is fixed from birth. No matter how hard I tried to raise her, she's just not a good person..."
Bai Shuqin tirelessly smeared Guan Xu Xu's reputation. Jiang Huai's expression darkened. Now, he finally understood what Xu Xu meant earlier when she spoke about someone talking behind her back.
The housekeeper and the nanny were both stunned.
"How could she dare to speak ill of the young lady in front of Mr. Jiang?"
Could it be that she had lost her mind?
Guan Xu Xu had long been accustomed to Bai Shuqin's slanders. She didn't care much when Bai Shuqin badmouthed her to the housekeeper earlier.
But now, in front of Jiang Huai and her newly met biological father, Bai Shuqin's words made her inexplicably angry.
This was her newly accepted family. She had just begun to develop a tiny bit of hope for her so-called family. But why? Why was this person always trying to bring her down?
Did Bai Shuqin not realize how her words would sound to others?
She knew.
But she didn't care. She just wanted the whole world to hate her.
When she was young, if a teacher ever showed her affection or praised her, Bai Shuqin would find ways to slander her to the teacher so they would think she was a bad child.
The teachers probably never expected that a mother would slander her own child. They all believed Bai Shuqin, thinking that Guan Xu Xu was a bad child.
The more she wasn't liked, the more Guan Ruixi could suppress her.
Over time, Bai Shuqin's dislike and slanders against her became a habit, just like now.
Her hands clenched by her sides, listening to Bai Shuqin's constant complaints, Guan Xu Xu finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Shut up!"
"Shut up!"
Two voices rang out simultaneously. Guan Xu Xu subconsciously turned her head toward the other speaker.
It was Jiang Yucheng, whose face was now icy with frost.
He already had a cold, hard demeanor, and with his face darkened, he looked even more imposing.
Bai Shuqin immediately fell silent, startled by his sudden change in expression.
Jiang Yucheng fixed his cold gaze on Bai Shuqin and said with a commanding tone, "My daughter from the Jiang family is not someone you, an outsider, can talk about. Housekeeper, please escort them out."
Bai Shuqin was stunned by his sudden change, and before she could even understand what he meant by "Jiang family's daughter," the housekeeper had already swiftly escorted them out.
Jiang Yucheng glared at the two women being swiftly shown out, then turned to Guan Xu Xu and asked, "Was this how the Guan family treated you in the past?"
As soon as he said this, he immediately felt the question was redundant.
If they dared to slander her in front of him, he couldn't imagine how badly they must have treated her in the past.
He had thought that Xu Xu, being adopted by the Guan family, at least had food and shelter, but it turned out... the Guan family was like this!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned to Jiang Huai and ordered coldly, "Call your third uncle and tell him to withdraw from the cooperation with Guan Corporation."
That project had originally been arranged to repay the Guan family for raising Xu Xu, with preferential conditions that included billions in profits for the Guan family. It was meant to help them rise further. But now, knowing how the Guan family had treated Xu Xu behind the scenes, Jiang Yucheng was not going to continue supporting them.
They didn't deserve it!
Jiang Huai, now fully back to his usual smile, quickly pulled out his phone. "Got it."
Guan Xu Xu stood frozen, watching Jiang Yucheng's outburst. She lowered her head slightly, and a smile—one so faint she didn't even notice—curved her lips.
Her new brother and new father seemed so different from the Guan family.
...It felt so good.
At the gate.
Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruixi were unceremoniously shown out of Jiang's villa.
Both of them were confused. Why had Mr. Jiang suddenly exploded in anger?
And what did he mean by "Jiang family's daughter"?
Who?
The housekeeper, seeing that the two hadn't yet processed what had happened, thought to himself, "How could the Guan family be this clueless?"
Originally, they had raised the young lady, and because of that, they could have enjoyed many benefits from the Jiang family in the future. But the Guan family clearly didn't understand whose daughter they had raised.
As a housekeeper, he valued his professionalism and wouldn't easily resort to insults or sarcasm.
But he felt it was necessary to politely remind them.
"Our Mr. Jiang lost a daughter eighteen years ago. Today is the day our young lady returns home. Naturally, Mr. Jiang cannot tolerate those slandering her. Please leave now."
With that, he turned and instructed someone to close the villa's gate.
Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruixi were left standing outside, dazed.
Bai Shuqin leaned on her daughter's arm, dazedly asking, "Ruixi, what did he just say... what 'young lady'? Who?"
Guan Ruixi couldn't believe what she had heard, or rather, she didn't want to believe it.
"It's impossible... I must have misunderstood."
The Jiang family's daughter couldn't possibly be Guan Xu Xu.
It couldn't be her!
Bai Shuqin slowly turned her head to look at her daughter, and after a long pause, her legs suddenly gave way, and she nearly collapsed onto the ground.
"It's over! We're finished!"