Chapter 81: I Won’t Let Your Pain Be for Nothing

“Ms. Ye Hua, you seem to have made a mistake. Lu Yao is not some shameless woman, but an honored guest invited by Father. To treat Father’s guest with such disrespect is a grave insult to him.”

The term “shameless woman” made the veins stand out on Ye Zehong’s forehead. His sharp, hawk-like black eyes flashed with a chilling light, the coldness in his gaze as if he might twist off the very hand Ye Hua had just used to slap Lu Yao.

His voice, icy as frozen steel, sent a shiver through the room.

An honored guest?

Lu Yao, worthy of such a title?

Ye Hua cast Lu Yao a look of utter contempt, then scoffed, “Let’s be honest, there’s no shortage of top lawyers in the capital who could help the Ye family win a case. If Lu Yao hadn’t schemed to get Father to appoint her, she’d never have had the chance to show off.”

Ye Zehong’s gaze was fixed intently on Lu Yao’s face, his blade-sharp brows drawn deep as he took in the obvious red mark on her cheek.

Damn it!

He had only stepped away for a brief discussion with Ye Yingtang about the next steps, and in the blink of an eye, he’d failed to protect her.

He was angry—angry that she hadn’t struck back and slapped Ye Hua in return.

Qiao Wan’er, noticing Ye Zehong’s excessive concern for Lu Yao, realized his feelings went beyond what was proper between a man and a woman.

Her heart was filled with both grievance and fury. Jealously, she said, “Ze Hong, you and Sister Hua are family, after all. There’s no need to quarrel over an outsider.”

No sooner had Qiao Wan’er finished speaking than Ye Hua sneered, “Who’s family with him? Don’t try to flatter someone whose blood is hardly pure.”

Hearing Ye Hua slander Ye Zehong, Qiao Wan’er instantly bristled. “Sister Hua, that’s going too far. Whatever you say, Ze Hong is the eldest son of the Ye family—and the next head of the family will be him. Aren’t you afraid that if you make too big a scene, you’ll regret it in the future?”

“If you have time to stand up for him, you’d do better to think about how to hold on to your place as his fiancée.” Ye Hua, her eyes burning with resentment, shook off Ye Zehong’s hand. “His heart is with Lu Yao now. Stop wasting your efforts trying to please a man who doesn’t love you!”

Qiao Wan’er, already fuming with nowhere to vent her anger, was pushed over the edge by Ye Hua’s words. She lunged, grabbing Ye Hua’s hair, screaming hysterically:

“Shut up! Just shut up!”

“Who says Ze Hong doesn’t love me? Who said that?”

“If you dare say it again, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Ye Hua was startled by her outburst, stepped back, pried Qiao Wan’er’s hand from her hair, and as she ran off, cursed, “Lunatic! You’re all lunatics!” But inwardly, she cursed Qiao Wan’er for being a fool, unable to tell friend from foe.

After screaming, Qiao Wan’er realized she had lost her composure in front of the man she loved most. At once she straightened her back, put on an elegant smile, and said, “I’m feeling a little unwell. I’ll just step out to the restroom.”

Lu Yao watched Qiao Wan’er’s retreating figure, thought for a moment, and said, “It looked just now as if Ye Hua put something in the special drink and deliberately got Miss Qiao to drink it. I wonder what her intentions are.”

Ye Zehong acted as if he hadn’t heard, his gaze fixed on Lu Yao’s face. Lifting his hand, he gently touched her reddened cheek. Seeing her flinch in pain, his hawk eyes narrowed, and he asked softly, “It must hurt, doesn’t it?”

“…Yes.” Lu Yao nodded lightly, her voice soft. “She slapped me so suddenly, I didn’t even have time to react. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken it for nothing.”

“I won’t let you suffer in vain.”

(End of this chapter)