Xiao Rufeng had been pacing around her room, wondering if Yan Xiuchen would come and accompany her to the family dinner her father had arranged. While she didn't doubt his words, she was aware that Yan Xiuchen was doing his best to accommodate her request. He was changing for her sake, but she wouldn't blame him if he changed his mind at the last minute.
The knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts. She strode towards the door and found Yan Xiuchen standing outside her door, dressed in a black suit with a black shirt underneath and a gray tie. His hair was brushed impeccably smooth into a part, his hands holding a pair of sunglasses.
"Are you ready to go?" Yan Xiuchen asked, his eyes roaming over her appearance. "You look beautiful."
Xiao Rufeng blushed under his gaze and nodded. "You look dashing."
Yan Xiuchen moved his gaze inside the room, looking everywhere but at her. He was blushing, much to her delight.
"Should we get going then?"
He offered an arm to her, which she accepted at once. As the car they were in left the mansion, Xiao Rufeng spotted Elder Meng at the foyer, waving a hand towards them.
"Thank you for agreeing to come with me tonight. Actually, I'm not sure what to feel or do once I see Xiao Yunyao later. I fear that I might not be able to keep my anger at bay once I see her." She told Yan Xiuchen.
"No one would blame you if that happens." Yan Xiuchen gently brushed his thumb over her hand he was holding. "It was already hard enough to believe that your own sister was able to do such a horrible thing towards you. You are already being kind to her by not pressing legal charges against her."
Xiao Rufeng fell silent. This was something she had yet to deal with and she could only hope that she wouldn't regret this decision later.
"It's never too late, you know." Yan Xiuchen said as if he knew what was going on in her mind at that moment. "You only need to say the word and Su Xiaofei and I would do our best to protect your reputation in public."
She didn't doubt his words. At least Yan Xiuchen was able to give her the assurance she needed. If Xiao Yunyao tried to do anything, then she would be able to rectify her mistake and retaliate in defense.
When they arrived at her family's estate, Xiao Rufeng's anxiety came back at full force. This was the first time she was introducing someone she was seeing to her father and she was worried that he would disapprove of Yan Xiuchen.
Tonight's dinner could make her life more miserable than it already was. She allowed Yan Xiuchen to take her hand when he alighted the car first. As she stood next to him, she surveyed the place where she grew up, where she made good, short memories with her mother.
The two were greeted by the doorman who looked at Yan Xiuchen's scars a bit too long for Xiao Rufeng's liking. No wonder Yan Xiuchen disliked attending social events. She was starting to wonder if she had made a bad decision by bringing him tonight with her.
Yan Xiuchen was obviously on edge and she glanced at him worriedly. Her hold on his arm tightened. The moment they stepped inside the sitting room, they saw Xiao Yunyao and her mother talking to Jin Qiu. Jin Qiu's parents were also there, which Xiao Rufeng hadn't expected.
"Ah, Feng'er, you are finally here. It's been a while since we've seen each other." Jin Qiu's mother regarded her with a smile, her smile faltered when she looked at Yan Xiuchen.
They stopped whatever conversation they had to glance at the newcomers. Xiao Yunyao looked at her sister with a mocking smile before turning her attention to Xiao Rufeng's companion. She gasped and looked at Yan Xiuchen with unconcealed disgust.
"Oh my god, Feng Jie. How could you bring such a scar faced person to our private dinner?!"
Everyone turned their gaze to Yan Xiuchen and Xiao Rufeng was horrified with the way they looked at her boyfriend.
"Enough!" She exclaimed. "How could you say such an insensitive remark to a guest?"
She was livid, her eyes glaring furiously at her younger sister. She was itching to cross the room and slap away the smug on Xiao Yunyao's face. She should have known that Xiao Yunyao would take this chance to humiliate her by using Yan Xiuchen, but she had never thought her younger sister could be this heartless.
"Guest? We aren't the one who invited Mr. Quasimodo here. It was you, dear sister. Or was he the phantom who intended to feed on beautiful women like you? No matter how jealous you are, Feng Jie, you could have at least brought a man you could be proud of." Xiao Yunyao chuckled and wounded her arm around Jin Qiu who was looking at Xiao Rufeng and Yan Xiuchen with a frown on his face.
The more Xiao Yunyao insulted Yan Xiuchen in front of everyone, the more Xiao Rufeng regretted sparing her. Wasn't it obvious that her younger sister was trying to humiliate her?
"I said stop! He's my boyfriend. Haven't you embarrassed me enough?! If you're going to continue being impolite, don't blame me for what will happen next." Xiao Rufeng glowered at her.
"What's wrong? I'm merely stating the truth, Feng Jie. Why are you with him anyway? Just look at his hideous face!" Xiao Yunyao stood up, took a step forward and gave Yan Xiuchen a head to toe look, noticing the expensive suit and watch he was wearing.
"Oh, I finally got it. He's loaded with money, isn't he? Sis, I know that you need to hug a golden thigh to make yourself relevant in showbiz, but couldn't you have chosen a better man? You could have asked me or Dad if you needed some help rather than selling yourself to the phantom. There's no need for you to whore yourself just to get something."
Xiao Rufeng gritted her teeth and marched towards her sister. She raised her right hand and gave Xiao Yunyao a loud slap that left a massive red mark on his cheek, shocking everyone.
No matter how annoyed or angry Xiao Rufeng was towards her sister, she had never once laid a hand on her.
Xiao Yunyao held the side of her face and stared at her sister in shock. She was stunned in place when she saw the murderous look on Xiao Rufeng's face.
"You struck me?" She asked in disbelief. The burning pain on her face let her know that she wasn't imagining things.
For the first time, Xiao Yunyao felt scared of her older sister. She then cried in pain when Xiao Rufeng grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her face close to hers.
"I could do more, dear little sister. I haven't seen you for a while and you have developed such a filthy mouth? Do you gargle dirty water every morning without a miss?" She sneered at Xiao Yunyao's face. She understood now why Su Xiaofei could never get along with Ye Mingyu, despite them being sisters.
"Xiao Rufeng, release her at this instant!" Jin Qiu glared at her. A look of hatred and fury on his face.
"Well, Mr. Jin. Since my stepmother doesn't seem capable of disciplining my sister, I should take over the job, no?"
"Yao'er is merely concerned about you." He hissed then turned his eyes to Yan Xiuchen. "You know this is an intimate dinner between our families, but you chose to bring him tonight?"
"Whoever I bring as my date tonight has nothing to do with you, Jin Qiu. Perhaps you are right. We could have attended tomorrow to ruin your engagement party, right? I think Yunyao would love to be the center of everyone's attention by then."
"Feng'er, Yaoyao, what's going on?"
A familiar voice forced Xiao Rufeng to release the hold she had on her sister. She pushed Xiao Yunyao away from her, making the latter fall on the cold floor. Lifting her head, she saw her father looking at them with displeasure from the top of the stairs.
Jin Qiu immediately came to his fiancee's rescue and helped Xiao Yunyao back to her feet.
"Dad, Feng Jie hit me!" Xiao Yunyao exclaimed with tears spilling from her eyes.
Their father looked at Xiao Rufeng with disappointment, his eyes questioning her.
"She insulted my boyfriend. Do you really expect me to watch as she runs her mouth uncouthly?"
"Boyfriend?" Her father furrowed his brows then turned his head to regard his eldest daughter's companion. His eyes widening in recognition.
"CEO Yan, what brings you here tonight?" He hurriedly went downstairs to welcome their special guest, much to everyone's confusion.
"I came to finally meet my girlfriend's family, but I guess I'm not welcomed at all."
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