Chapter 5: No One May Insult My Wife

He Hao Xuan let out a sigh, his face set in tragic resolve. "Ah, I know you don’t like me, you look down on me. I might as well just die."

With those words, he strode to the third-floor window, acting as though he were about to leap.

"Don’t jump!" Li Qing Ying cried out in terror.

Suddenly, He Hao Xuan turned around and asked, "Wife, you just called me a beast—do you mean to say now that I’m less than a beast?"

Li Qing Ying understood the story he was alluding to—the one about the beast and what’s worse than a beast. Her cheeks flushed as she snapped, "You scoundrel."

"My heart aches. I don’t want to live any longer." Before his words had even faded, He Hao Xuan jumped.

"Ah!" Li Qing Ying shrieked.

Li Dong, breathless and clutching a kitchen knife, ran up from the first-floor kitchen to the third floor. Seeing Song Li still there, he asked, "He Hao Xuan hasn’t come out yet, right?"

"No, he’s been inside the whole time. Qing Ying, hurry and open the door so we can come in," Song Li said, emboldened by the knife in Li Dong’s hand.

"Yes, Qing Ying, can you open the door? If not, we’ll break it down," Li Dong said, raising the knife and moving forward with Song Li.

Suddenly, a voice called from behind them—it was He Hao Xuan. "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, shall I help you call for the door?"

"Sure, you call," Li Dong replied without thinking.

In the next instant, both Li Dong and Song Li froze, turning in shock to stare at He Hao Xuan. "You—how are you outside?"

"Why wouldn’t I be outside? Or would you rather I were inside?" He Hao Xuan said with a grin, running to the door and shouting, "Qing Ying, open up! Your parents agree we can consummate our marriage now!"

With a "bang," the door swung open, and Li Qing Ying stared at He Hao Xuan in astonishment.

Hadn’t he just jumped from the third floor? How could he be standing there, unscathed, as though nothing had happened, his hands and arms intact, a mischievous smile on his face?

Remembering how she’d shared the bed with him the previous night—and the way she’d been dressed—her cheeks flushed a deeper red.

Then, recalling what had happened last night, Li Qing Ying’s expression changed dramatically. "Mom, last night He Hao Xuan hit Yang Zhi Yi." She recounted the events for her parents.

"What? That useless fool actually hit President Yang? This is a disaster. Our Brilliant Group is finished!" Song Li shouted in outrage.

Yang Zhi Yi had long pursued Li Qing Ying, and Song Li had approved of him—after all, Picturesque Group was far more powerful than Brilliant Group.

But she hadn’t expected Old Master Li to change his mind at the last minute and have Li Qing Ying marry He Hao Xuan instead. Naturally, Yang Zhi Yi was furious and looking for revenge.

In fact, Song Li had secretly hoped that if something had truly happened between Yang Zhi Yi and her daughter last night, in a year’s time, He Hao Xuan would be out of the picture, and Yang Zhi Yi could marry her daughter—now that would be a match made in heaven.

Seeing the family so tense, He Hao Xuan smiled. "Don’t worry. This can all be resolved."

"Of course you’re not worried! You just hit someone and walked away, but our Brilliant Group will pay the price," Song Li snapped.

At that moment, a servant approached to announce that Second Master Li’s entire family had arrived.

Li Qing Ying’s anger simmered. "Dad, Mom, the reason Yang Zhi Yi dared to break the contract this time is because there’s a traitor in our group—someone must be helping him."

"Qing Ying, you mean them?" Song Li glanced downstairs, her eyes full of fury. If Brilliant Group went under, she’d never live the life of a wealthy lady again.

Li Dong shook his head. "Impossible. What good would it do them to hurt Brilliant Group? They have shares in it too."

Descending to the first floor, they found Second Master Li’s family—over a dozen in all—sprawled across the sofas and chairs in the main hall, barking orders at the servants as though the place belonged to them.

Second Master Li’s branch was formidable: he had three sons, five grandsons, a granddaughter, plus daughters-in-law and others, easily outnumbering Li Qing Ying’s side.

"Li Dong, you’re all here—good. Tell us what happened last night. Did your useless son-in-law really hit President Yang of Picturesque Group?" Second Master Li sat at the head of the room, leaning on his cane with the air of a true patriarch.

Li Dong hurried to placate him with a smile. "Second Uncle, it was just a misunderstanding among young people. We’re planning to visit President Yang shortly to explain and smooth things over, so he’ll resume shipping our goods."

Second Master Li’s eldest son, Li Liang, sneered. "There’s no smoothing this over. President Yang made it clear last night—he wants Brilliant Group destroyed. Unless—"

"Unless what?" Song Li pressed anxiously.

"Unless Li Qing Ying accompanies President Yang," Li Liang said with a lascivious grin. "That’s the only way to save Brilliant Group. Otherwise, we’re all doomed."

The rest of Second Master Li’s family chimed in with their own opinions, threatening to fight anyone who let them lose everything.

Li Dong shook his head. "No, that won’t do. Qing Ying is already married."

"Come on, she can just divorce that loser, right? He’s a pushover—he’ll do whatever we say," Li Liang said.

Song Li wavered, whispering to Li Dong, "Dear, now that Qing Ying’s married that loser and fulfilled the old man’s wish, it’s no problem if she divorces. Yang Zhi Yi’s rich—having him as our son-in-law is a thousand times better than that waste."

Li Dong was tempted and about to agree when Li Qing Ying suddenly cried out, "I will never be with Yang Zhi Yi!"

Yang Zhi Yi would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and after what happened last night, she found him utterly repulsive.

Li Liang’s expression darkened with anger. "Li Qing Ying, who do you think you are? You’ve already been married—President Yang is doing you a favor by wanting you! How dare you act so picky?"

Second Master Li’s family was eager to get rid of Li Qing Ying, hoping that Brilliant Group would fall into their hands. The patriarch had been out of contact for months, and rumors said he’d run into trouble abroad—music to their ears.

Rage shook Li Qing Ying. She never expected her cousin to speak to her like that.

But in that instant, something flew at Li Liang’s face.

With a loud smack, Li Liang clutched his cheek in pain, his face already swelling, and a man’s slipper fell to the floor.

He Hao Xuan, now wearing only one slipper, shouted in fury, "Li Liang, get on your knees and apologize to my wife, or I’ll make you regret it."

If Li Liang weren’t a relative of Li Qing Ying, He Hao Xuan would have broken all five of his legs by now.

"You—you useless fool, how dare you hit me?" Li Liang stared in disbelief.

He Hao Xuan picked up his other slipper and threatened, "You can insult me, but you can’t insult my wife. Are you going to apologize or not?"

Li Qing Ying, still angry, felt a sudden warmth at his words. She glanced sideways at the man she had always considered a good-for-nothing.

He might be useless, but at a critical moment, he would always stand up for her—just as he had last night, and again now.

"Let’s just drop it," Li Qing Ying urged He Hao Xuan.

She knew that once he got worked up, he could be reckless.

"What? The loser hit me, and you just want to let it go?" Li Liang said coldly. "Li Qing Ying, don’t think you’re so great just because you’ve been general manager for a few months. We’re board members too—if you cross us, you won’t keep that seat. And now that President Yang is out to get us, do you really think you’ll stay general manager? What a joke."

Just then, Li Qing Ying’s phone began to ring urgently.