Ch. 326..330: Mr CEO Ex-wife Escapes Again Chapter 326-330

Chapter 326: Chapter 326: Some Things Are Etched in the Bones

Yin Hehe left the house with Sheng Siyuan at nine o’clock in the morning.

She had Cheng Chi prepare the car outside, and as soon as the two came out, they headed towards the broadcast building in the city center.

"Honey, have you memorized everything written on this paper?"

All the way there, Yin Hehe worried that upon arrival at the broadcast building, Siyuan might forget the prepared statement, so she had to ask again.

Fortunately, Siyuan, who had been holding a rabbit the entire way, glanced at the paper and nodded his head.

"That’s great!"

Yin Hehe finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, the trio arrived at the city center.

"Cheng Chi, is everything arranged upstairs? Have all the journalists arrived?" Yin Hehe asked worriedly as they got out of the car.

Cheng Chi nodded eagerly: "Everything’s arranged. The Xiahou elder has given his greetings; they wouldn’t dare not to comply."

"Then that’s good."

Yin Hehe quickly led them into the building.

Indeed, she planned to use the television station here to hold a small press conference. Given Sheng Siyuan’s unique situation, a standard press conference, which would attract journalists from all over the world, might frighten him.

Therefore, this morning, she especially called Xiahou Yi to arrange for some controllable individuals and a venue.

Yin Hehe led them to the site of the press conference.

"Mrs. Sheng, you’ve arrived. Everything has been prepared for you."

"Good, thanks so much!" Yin Hehe, seeing the TV station head waiting for them, couldn’t express enough gratitude.

All preparations were complete, and to ensure that Sheng Siyuan appeared on camera before the stock market opened, the special press conference began.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Shengshi Group press conference. I am the director of the Legal Department. Regarding the false rumors that emerged in the market a couple of days ago, our chairman Sheng Siyuan is here to clarify them!"

The press conference began, with Yin Hehe introducing it in her capacity as the director of Shengshi Group’s Legal Department.

She was dealing with the company’s rumor scandal.

Naturally, it was reasonable for the head of the Legal Department to appear at the press conference.

As a result, as soon as this video went up, it immediately gained massive exposure during the morning rush hour as people were just starting work.

"Mrs. Sheng, the video has already hit one million viewers; you can let Mr. Sheng move on to the main topic."

The TV station head saw this and immediately reminded Yin Hehe through the earpiece.

Yin Hehe then looked towards the man beside her, signaling that he could start reciting the prepared statement that he had memorized.

However, there was no response.

He just sat there, looking indifferently at the journalists filming him, his expression hiding defiance and alertness.

Right, he had been frightened by journalists just two days ago.

In an instant, Yin Hehe felt the sweat of urgency rise.

"Honey, don’t be scared!" In her desperate urgency, she had an idea and slowly stretched her hand under the table towards the man.

And indeed, the moment she touched his hand, he immediately flinched as if startled, his tightly clenched fist instantly opening as if electrified.

"Don’t be scared!" Yin Hehe felt the response and immediately grasped his other hand tightly.

She enveloped him, her gentle palm warm like her body heat when she was tightly clinging to him at night.

Sheng Siyuan was momentarily stunned.

After a moment, he looked down at his hand which she was holding and finally, his body’s vigilance gradually relaxed.

"Mr. Sheng, are those online rumors true? Have you been injured recently?"

"No!"

"Then may I ask if you indeed belong to the Xiahou family?"

"Yes!"

I never expected that, after narrowly answering the first question, the second one would introduce another complication.

Yin Hehe was stunned.

The reporters were also momentarily scared speechless by this unexpected answer.

"Mr. Sheng, you..."

"The Xiahou Family is the head of the four great families in the capital, and Shengshi Group has partnered with them to better promote domestic development. Naturally, we are now one family."

The man sat on the stage, casually finishing his answer, and once again the entire reception was left dumbfounded.

Especially Yin Hehe, she simply couldn’t believe what she was seeing, as if even her breathing had stopped.

Those words were not on the script.

"Mrs. Sheng, there’s nothing wrong with what Mr. Sheng said, is there? He spoke so well, could you be overthinking it?"

The person in charge also came over, expressing her perplexity in her shock.

Yin Hehe couldn’t come up with a single word in response.

"Then Mr. Sheng, regarding the incident where you allegedly beat someone to death in a restaurant, is that true?"

"Of course not!" he answered calmly once again.

"After Shengshi Group partnered with the Xiahou Family, strong alliances will naturally lead to some business competition. As long as it does not violate the law, I generally won’t pursue it, but this time it’s gone a bit too far, so I’ve handed it over entirely to the director of our Legal Department."

This time, his answer was much lengthier.

But these words, too, were not on the script.

Yin Hehe watched his composed demeanor, and suddenly, it seemed like she understood.

Right, in his current state, after arriving here, the familiar work mode had triggered his inherent habits and thinking.

That’s why he could easily come up with such a detailed discourse.

The press conference ended perfectly.

"Hehe, is he better now? Is he? Tell me!" Right after it ended, Sheng’s grandfather made a phone call.

He was very excited, his voice even choking up at times.

You couldn’t blame him, a press conference that could deceive thousands of people—don’t mention him, even someone like her who attended the event.

Almost believed that the man was cured.

"Soon!"

In the end, Yin Hehe could only tell the old man with tears and a smile.

Indeed, soon, for today he was able to say so much, even if those were thoughts etched into his bones.

But, it also represented progress.

Therefore, she believed that his recovery was imminent.

"Madam, where do we go next? Back to Willow District or... a trip to Xiahou Royal Mansion?"

After exiting the broadcasting building, as Cheng Chi drove, he suddenly asked.

Yin Hehe had just placed the little bunny in the man’s arms next to her, and upon hearing this, she sensed something was off.

"What’s up with the Royal Mansion?"

"I just heard, that girl named Xiahou Jingxiao was severely beaten by General Xiahou and then committed suicide by jumping into the lake!"

"What?"

Yin Hehe’s face turned pale at once.

Xiahou Jingmu’s sister had died? Was it worth it? If one did something wrong, wasn’t it allowed to give a lesson?

Immediately, Yin Hehe instructed Cheng Chi to drive to Xiahou Royal Mansion.

Meanwhile, at the Royal Mansion, the lady who had hurried over from He’anli and the Xiahou Maoqing couple saw their daughter’s body lying by the lake. The lady fainted on the spot.

Chapter 327: Chapter 327: Are all strong people cold-blooded?

Yin Hehe, accompanied by Sheng Siyuan, returned to the small courtyard where they lived. Once she had calmed him down, she then approached the main hall.

By the time she arrived, Xiahou Jingxiao’s body, already covered with a white cloth, had been carried outside the hall.

She was the younger generation.

Moreover, having committed suicide, she had no right to be carried into the main hall.

"Xiaoxiao, why were you so foolish? Now that you’re gone, how is Mom supposed to go on living?"

The lady of the house had come to her senses and, at that moment, sat collapsed on the ground, holding her daughter’s corpse and crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Yin Hehe carefully entered the main hall.

Only to discover that despite such a big incident happening outside, the hall was dead silent, virtually empty.

Except for Xiahou Yi, who sat inside the hall.

"Enough with the wailing. A small setback and she seeks death," what’s there to cry about? At least in death, there’s peace!"

Xiahou Maoqing, who was outside, took note of the silence in the hall and immediately chastised his wife.

"What did you say? At least in death, there’s peace?" His words cut through the grieving lady of the house like a knife.

"Xiahou Maoqing, that was your daughter. How can you speak like that?" she demanded, looking up in anguished fury.

Xiahou Maoqing, upon hearing this, felt a surge of unbearable sorrow flood his eyes.

But quickly, when he glanced at the old man in the hall, still silent as ever, he began to rebuke her again, "Did I say anything wrong? She made a mistake herself, didn’t know to repent, and even sought death after being disciplined by her elders. What use is such a person in this world?"

"You—"

The lady of the house was so angry she nearly passed out again.

In the end, Xiahou Jingmu arrived.

He saw the scene, his gaze lingering on his sister’s body before he moved over to console his mother.

"Mom, please stop grieving for now, let me take you down to rest."

He bent down, intending to lead his mother away to rest.

But as soon as the lady of the house saw him, she clung to him and started crying her heart out again, "Oh my son, what shall we do? your sister is gone, how shall we cope?"

"Mom..."

"Have you cried enough yet?" Finally, an impatient roar came from inside the hall.

In an instant, whether it was Yin Hehe standing at the doorway or the Xiahou Jingmu family outside, everyone jumped in shock.

"If you can’t even educate your own child properly, you have the nerve to come here and cry? What? Are you blaming me for hitting her?"

Xiahou Yi walked out from the hall step by step, his furious demeanor alarming everyone present.

The lady of the house was so terrified that she was immediately silenced.

"Great Uncle, it’s not like that. We’re at fault for not disciplining her properly, please calm your anger," Xiahou Maoqing managed to say after a long while, quickly lowering his head to apologize to the elder.

Xiahou Yi glared at him fiercely, "Let me tell you, even if such a useless person were saved and still alive, I would drag her out and beat her to death myself!" He added harshly.

At that moment, Xiahou Maoqing’s face drained of all color, while the lady of the house couldn’t catch her breath and fainted completely.

"Mother!"

Xiahou Jingmu saw this and called out in alarm, immediately reaching out to support her.

Yin Hehe, too, forgot to go forward. In that instant, she saw the fingers of the man supporting his mother turning white, veins protruding.

Yin Hehe: "..."

Both the lady of the house and Xiahou Jingxiao’s body were taken away.

Bowing deeply, Xiahou Maoqing approached Xiahou Yi, who still had a stern expression on his face at the top of the stairs.

"Great Uncle, it is my fault for not disciplining my daughter properly and causing you trouble. Rest assured, I will immediately order someone to clean up according to Wang Fa."

"..."

No answer.

Xiahou Yi stood there, his entire expression still cold and gloomy.

Seeing this, Yin Hehe was about to step forward and say a few good words, but just then, Xiahou Maoqing lowered his head and added, "I will also replace all the water in the lake to ensure it is completely clean!"

Yin Hehe was stunned.

Even the lake water needed to be changed?

Yet it was this very statement that seemed to finally soften the old man’s face.

"Fine, you may leave now!"

Then, he turned and went back into the hall.

Upon seeing this, Xiahou Maoqing left with boundless gratitude,

Yin Hehe watched his retreating figure for a long time, then finally entered the great hall and looked at the old man, who was cleansing his hands and burning incense.

"Old General, were you not... a bit too cold just now? After all, they are your family."

"What? Now you’re speaking on their behalf?"

Xiahou Yi did not answer the question but, after inserting the incense into the burner, he retorted.

Yin Hehe was immediately at a loss for words.

She wasn’t trying to speak for these people, but from a human perspective, it did seem excessively indifferent.

That girl, although she had taken her own life, there was no need to still speak such cold-blooded words about her family.

"No, I was just wondering, wouldn’t your words just now chill their hearts?"

In the end, Yin Hehe could only offer that explanation.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she heard the old man scoff coldly, "Chill their hearts? They fail to discipline their child and expect to push the responsibility onto others? Let me tell you, if that’s the case, then you can forget about ever successfully running this family in the future!"

Unexpectedly, he switched the focus of the conversation to this matter so abruptly.

Yin Hehe was stunned!

Was this what he was thinking about?

No wonder he had been able to manage such a large family so obediently over the years. It turns out that those in charge really do need to be cold-blooded and heartless!

Yin Hehe returned to her courtyard.

"Madam, you’re back."

Cheng Chi, now tacitly allowed to stay by their side, came out of the side room when he saw her return.

Yin Hehe looked at him and asked, "How is he? Is everything alright?"

"Nothing wrong," Cheng Chi shook his head.

"But just now when I wasn’t back, I saw young Master Jingmu. The president rarely glanced at him, yet Xiahou Jingmu walked away without even acknowledging him."

Cheng Chi frowned and mentioned this.

Hearing this, Yin Hehe grew even more pessimistic in her heart.

She knew that in this man’s current state, if he gave someone an extra look, it meant he recognized and permitted contact with that person.

Yet now, Xiahou Jingmu had outright ignored him.

"Let’s not bother with these matters. After we eat, let’s return to Willow District,"

She really didn’t want to get involved in these family disputes and thought about keeping as far away as possible.

At noon, after everyone had finished eating, Yin Hehe prepared to leave.

But just then, the old butler suddenly came over.

"Xiaoyin, the Old General just asked me to tell you that you’re still needed to oversee the funeral arrangements for the doctor’s daughter from He’anli."

"Me?"

The moment these words were spoken, Yin Hehe was extremely shocked!

Chapter 328: Chapter 328: Where There is Hope, There is Expectation

"Why must I go? Even if the madam is grief-stricken, there are other sisters-in-law in the Xiahou Family; can’t they preside over it?"

Once Yin Hehe calmed down, she immediately refused.

However, the old butler shook his head, "The old general wants you to go for two reasons: firstly, because the madam doesn’t get along well with others in her family for a long time, it’s uncertain if anyone would be willing to help."

"..."

"Secondly, you and the young master are ultimately the ones to take charge of the household. By having you handle this matter now, it’s akin to giving you some practice."

The old butler’s last words were very straightforward.

Upon hearing this, Yin Hehe’s eyes widened even more than before.

No, what household are they to take charge of? They’re going to return to Jiangbei in the future. Who will stay in this damned place?

Yin Hehe refused once more, "Old butler, I can’t go over. The death of Xiahou Jingxiao already has to do with us; if I were to preside over his funeral, the madam certainly wouldn’t be able to accept it. Also, Ayuan and I are not well-received in the family as it is. If you ask me to preside over this funeral, it will probably provoke even more jealousy. Our life as a couple will become even more difficult."

"This..."

The old butler was at a loss for words after hearing this.

In the end, he could only leave, and Yin Hehe returned to the courtyard, promptly instructing Cheng Chi to bring Sheng Siyuan along. The three left the royal residence and headed for Willow District.

Staying away from the land of troubles was the right move.

Once the three returned to Willow District and opened the door, Sheng Siyuan’s mood visibly improved a great deal.

"Feed the fish!"

He ran to the koi pond, ready to feed his fish.

But Yin Hehe pulled him back and took him to a cleaned-up study.

"Husband, how about we do something different today?"

She brought him in front of the desk and pointed at a stack of neatly organized documents and a pen.

The man looked at these items with even more confusion in his eyes.

What is this for?

Seeing that he wasn’t resisting, Yin Hehe was delighted. She immediately pushed him into the chair to sit down and stood by his side to accompany him.

"First take a look at this and see if you can understand?"

She handed him a document.

This was actually a very ordinary contract. If it had been before, he could have resolved it with one glance.

But now, he might not even recognize the characters.

However, Yin Hehe decided to teach him patiently, starting from the beginning.

"Contract?"

What a pleasant surprise!

He recognized these characters, but as he uttered them, his handsome brows furrowed slightly in displeasure.

Yin Hehe was extremely happy, and she immediately had Cheng Chi bring over a plate of pastries she had made herself.

"Yes, this is a contract. To reward you, from now on, for every correct task you complete, I will reward you with a piece of sweet cake. How does that sound?"

She cajoled him like a child.

The man was overjoyed.

He stuffed the piece of pastry into his mouth and quickly started to look at the contract again. Yin Hehe and Cheng Chi watched anxiously from the side.

"Finished!"

In just a few minutes, the man had actually finished looking at everything and then stretched out his hand, asking for a pastry.

Yin Hehe was taken aback.

"So fast? Then do you understand the meaning? Can you explain it to me? If what you say is correct, I’ll reward you with two pieces!"

She tempted him again.

But this time, she was, understandably, a little disappointed. The man looked blank, and what’s more, he was quite unhappy about the added condition.

Seeing this, Cheng Chi quickly tried to smooth things over, "Madam, let’s not push him too hard. The fact that he can recognize so many characters already is commendable."

Yin Hehe: "..."

Though somewhat disheartened, she still gave him two pieces of pastry.

Just as she was teaching, a servant from the garden outside rushed in to call for her: "Young Madam, Master Jingmu from the Xiahou Family has come to see you."

Xiahou Jingmu?

Yin Hehe was quite surprised and put down her pen to go out.

"Junior General, is it really you? What brings you here?"

She greeted Xiahou Jingmu, who indeed stood outside the residence, and then asked.

With a black armband on, Xiahou Jingmu’s face bore even darker shades of sadness and sorrow. Upon seeing the woman in front of him, he hesitated for quite some time before finally speaking in a hoarse voice, "I came to ask if you could oversee a funeral at my house."

"Ah?"

It was about this matter again.

And this time, it was the genuine head of the household extending the invitation.

Yin Hehe was genuinely taken aback.

"Why? Don’t you have other people in your family?"

"You mean my aunts? I don’t want to leave it to them. You might not know, but they’re probably delighted about our family’s crisis. Just thinking of my sister lying there, with them presiding over the funeral tomorrow, laughing inside, it makes me very upset..."

The young general, usually so upright and steadfast, even had his eyes reddening by the time he reached the last few words.

Seeing this, Yin Hehe found herself unable to utter a word of refusal.

She agreed in the end.

"Cheng Chi, I’ll be back soon. Take good care of him while I’m gone."

Before leaving, she made sure to instruct Cheng Chi, who nodded in acknowledgment.

It wasn’t long before Yin Hehe followed Xiahou Jingmu to He’anli.

This place, she hadn’t actually visited before. If the incident hadn’t happened the other day, she would have come here to pick up Sheng Siyuan.

But instead, her actual visit was because of a funeral.

"Xiahou Jingmu really brought her over. Their family is truly magnanimous. Despite their own sister having been harmed by this couple, they were still willing to invite her to take charge. Admirably generous; I’m impressed beyond words!"

"So am I!"

"Stop talking, will you? After all, he’s been the one the old master has always looked upon favorably. If he didn’t do this, how could he hope to take over as head of the main house in the future?"

"..."

Upon her arrival, Yin Hehe saw a courtyard filled with white banners and heard some people there starting to gossip while looking at the two of them.

From a distance, Yin Hehe couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying.

But being sharp as she was, she could tell that their gazes were not friendly. So, when she went inside, she refrained from greeting them.

"Father, I’ve brought little aunt over. Whatever you need, just tell her," Xiahou Jingmu said to Xiahou Maoqing as he led Yin Hehe into the mourning hall.

Xiahou Maoqing immediately put on a smile and came over.

"Little sister-in-law, we really must trouble you this time. Your sister-in-law is too distraught to manage anything, and we need a woman of the house. There’s simply no other way," he said with an apologetic tone.

Yin Hehe shook her head and her eyes were drawn to the black-and-white photograph behind him.

It was of a young girl with a beaming smile, round-faced, with a pair of sparkling black eyes that seemed full of life in the photograph, evidently a very lively and pretty young lady.

What a pity...

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: Always Trying to Draw Her into the Game

"Great Teacher, I also bear responsibility for this matter. If I hadn’t agreed to have Ayuan sent to your house at that time, this wouldn’t have happened. I need to apologize to you all!"

After Yin Hehe turned her gaze back, she began by apologizing to the Xiahou family first.

As her voice faded, Xiahou Maoqing was stunned for a moment. In the hall where the spirit tablet was enshrined, everyone else also looked over.

Yin Hehe continued, "Also, about the words spoken by the old general at the royal residence this morning, please don’t take them to heart. He is strict in managing his household and comes from a military background, so it’s inevitable that he speaks bluntly. But he didn’t mean any harm; it was all for the sake of this family."

She then spoke favorably of the old man on his behalf.

As a result, as soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall became even more strange.

No one uttered a word.

However, the look in their eyes as they stared at Yin Hehe was filled with horror, as if they had seen a ghost.

Even Xiahou Jingmu stared at her for a while longer in astonishment.

Yin Hehe: "..."

Had she said something wrong?

"Elder, all the guests have arrived outside."

Fortunately, at this moment, a servant entered and called for Xiahou Maoqing.

Xiahou Maoqing finally snapped back to reality.

"Younger sister-in-law, I’ll go out to receive the guests first. Please help me keep watch over the spirit hall," he said.

"Alright, go ahead," Yin Hehe readily agreed.

Xiahou Jingxiao’s young suicide meant that, according to funeral customs, the proceedings should not be conducted on a grand scale. Setting up a spirit hall was merely a simple way to offer thanks to peers, as elders would not enter.

So, at this moment, Yin Hehe only had to receive these people in her capacity as an elder, and shortly after, she could retreat.

Yet that afternoon, she did not expect to actually see every member of the Xiahou family in the spirit hall, ranging from those of the same generation as Xiahou Yi to children only a few years old.

It made her increasingly uncomfortable.

"Shaojie, come in. This is your little aunt; pay your respects to her properly," someone said.

Another young man in his early twenties was brought in to kowtow to Yin Hehe.

Yin Hehe recognized him and immediately extended her hand to stop him.

"I’ve seen you before, at the hospital. You and the third elder of the Xiahou family went through great lengths to see Ayuan. You’re from the fourth branch," she said.

"Yes, I’m amazed that little aunt has such a good memory!" Xiahou Shaojie immediately admitted with a grin, and then, with a "thud," he suddenly knelt before Yin Hehe.

"You—" Yin Hehe’s face changed color.

"Little aunt, there’s no need to be angry. Sooner or later, we all have to kowtow to you anyway. As a future heir of the Xiahou family, whether early or late, it’s all the same," he explained.

After Xiahou Shaojie finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the ground again.

In an instant, those who had also greeted Yin Hehe earlier gathered around again, as if they had received some command, and uniformly followed in his wake, kneeling down!

"You!!"

"Good afternoon, little aunt. We hope you’ll lead us Xiahou clan members to better days in the future," they said.

The loud and unified voices left no room to doubt that this had been premeditated.

Yin Hehe clenched her fists, while her eyes, sharp as blades, turned towards Xiahou Jingmu, who had brought her here.

She realized that Xiahou Jingmu, who had been dazed just moments before, rushed over to scold these people upon meeting her gaze, "What are you doing? Today is my sister’s funeral, not a time for you to be greeting someone!"

His anger was palpable, with the veins on his fists bulging out.

Yin Hehe’s gaze narrowed.

Could it be that she was mistaken? Was this not his idea?

Just then, a middle-aged woman wearing a black coat and sunglasses strutted in from outside.

"Oh, what a lively scene, what’s going on here?"

"Madame Chu, have you arrived? We were just teaching everyone to pay their respects to the young mistress of your family."

The third lady outside the mourning hall saw her and immediately greeted her with great enthusiasm.

It turned out that this woman was Chu Feng’e, who hadn’t made a public appearance in a long time.

She had actually come.

Could it be that she was behind this incident? After all, she harbored a deep-seated hatred for Hehe.

Yin Hehe began to suspect this woman.

"Hahahaha~" Sure enough, upon hearing this, Chu Feng’e burst into loud laughter on the spot.

"Well, indeed, it’s time to properly meet my dear sister-in-law, the future mistress of the Xiahou Family. If you don’t get on her good side now, you’ll have a hard time in the Xiahou Family in the future."

She didn’t even try to hide it, outright directing everyone to continue kneeling before Yin Hehe.

Yin Hehe’s entire beautiful face darkened.

"Chu..."

"Aunt Chu, you’re being too outrageous. This is my sister’s funeral. How can you let them pay homage to their junior aunt? Don’t you have any respect for people?"

He had barely uttered a word.

Xiahou Jingmu had already spoken first, angrily questioning Chu Feng’e with a glare.

Xiahou Maoqing went over as well.

"Feng’e, you’ve gone too far. How can you do this? Aren’t you afraid that your elder uncle will blame you when he finds out?"

"Him, blame me? Let me tell you, he was actually planning to do this today. He wanted this woman to come and preside over the mourning to practice, so that she gets used to managing the household in the future!"

Unexpectedly, Chu Feng’e opened her mouth and uttered such words.

On the spot, Yin Hehe’s face changed color upon hearing this.

How could she know about these things? Weren’t these the words the old butler had said to her, Yin Hehe, this morning? Could there be spies for her in the royal household?

Xiahou Maoqing’s face turned pale.

He turned his head to look at Yin Hehe, seeming reluctant to believe this was true.

Yin Hehe’s fingers clenched tightly all at once.

Her gaze shot toward the young general, hoping to see a different expression on his face.

But to her sinking heart, his expression was one of shock and disbelief...

Eventually, a trace of pain and disappointment flashed in his eyes.

Yin Hehe: "..."

In that instant, her fist clenched suddenly, and she stepped out of the mourning hall.

"Indeed, the old general did say these words to me this morning, but I have already declined. As you all can see, Ayuan is now mentally like a child; he simply cannot be the heir to the Xiahou Family!"

"..."

"So, instead of being swayed by others here, why not continue to work hard individually and see who can eventually take that position?"

Her gaze piercingly swept over the crowd as she personally threw down what they all coveted.

The atmosphere changed!

In the time it took to utter that sentence, everyone in the courtyard could feel a surge of excitement, exhilaration, euphoria... intense emotions swirling around, appearing on everyone’s faces, making them completely forget what they had just done.

Yes, the reason these people could be instigated like that, to do something so foolish earlier, was the envy and jealousy that Yin Hehe had spoken about with the old butler this morning!

Now, she was just giving these things back to them.

Chapter 330: Chapter 330: The Wind Rises

Yin Hehe had just presided over the funeral and was leaving He’anli when it was Xiahou Jingmu who escorted her out.

"Junior General, I meant every word I said today, and I hope you don’t misunderstand, Ayuan and I will return to Jiangbei in the future," Yin Hehe mentioned this to him again on the road.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Jingmu, who was driving, turned his head to glance at her.

This woman’s eyes were very bright, especially under the sunlight, her amber pupils were like fine gemstones, dazzling to behold.

Xiahou Jingmu looked for quite a while before he replied, "Why? You both have acknowledged your ancestry and returned to the family, so why leave?"

Acknowledged their ancestry?

Yin Hehe felt like laughing when she heard this, "Junior General, this was never our choice. You might not have seen the sober Sheng Siyuan, but if he were clear-headed now, he would definitely not stay here."

Yin Hehe said this looking at the rural road ahead being enveloped by the fiery red afterglow of the setting sun.

Xiahou Jingmu was stunned.

Perhaps, he hadn’t expected that even now, these two still didn’t consider themselves part of the Xiahou Family.

Xiahou Jingmu took Yin Hehe to Willow District.

"Madam, you’re finally back; the president has been looking for you for a long time,"

As soon as she arrived at the door, Cheng Chi, hearing the noise, came out and eagerly said.

At these words, Yin Hehe felt a sense of urgency. Without greeting the young general behind her, she quickly went inside.

Xiahou Jingmu stood outside, watching her figure disappear.

In fact, he had realized by now that this woman indeed didn’t see herself as one of them.

Because, up until now, she had always addressed him as Junior General!

Xiahou Jingmu returned to He’anli.

As night fell and the guests dispersed, the usually lively house became so quiet after the loss of a living person that it was suffocating.

It was as if a large stone was blocking one’s chest.

"Where is the madam?" Xiahou Jingmu came in and scanned the room. Not finding anyone, he asked.

The servant who was tidying up immediately replied, "She’s sleeping. The lady’s been in a bad mood, and we just managed to give her some calming soup."

Xiahou Jingmu: "..."

Without saying much, he headed toward the ancestral hall.

Even though his sister had been buried during the day, the ancestral hall needed to be maintained for three more days, which was the local custom.

Xiahou Jingmu intended to offer incense for his sister.

Unexpectedly, when he entered, he saw his father, Xiahou Maoqing, sitting inside in a daze.

He looked at his daughter’s photo, lost in thought, unaware that the incense was about to burn down to his fingertips.

"What are you doing?"

Xiahou Jingmu came in and took the incense from his hand.

Xiahou Maoqing finally snapped out of it.

"You’re back? Did you deliver her safely home?" he asked, trying to compose himself.

Xiahou Jingmu took three new sticks of incense, lit them, and stood in front of his sister’s black and white portrait.

"Do you still hope that I delivered her home safely?"

"What are you talking about?"

Xiahou Maoqing, who was waiting for his response, suddenly heard this and his face immediately turned ugly.

"You know what I’m talking about. Wasn’t today’s event orchestrated by you? You deliberately had me invite her over, and then behind the scenes you stirred up the relatives to make trouble in front of her. Wasn’t this all your idea?"

Xiahou Jingmu inserted three sticks of incense into the censer and turned around, his gaze sharply fixed on his father.

Xiahou Maoqing’s face finally changed.

"What nonsense are you spouting? This was clearly Chu Feng’e’s doing. What does it have to do with me?"

He denied it angrily.

Seeing this, Xiahou Jingmu let out another cold laugh, "Do you think I would believe that? With Chu Feng’e’s stupidity, could she really pull off something like this? Also, the third aunt and fourth aunt have always been at odds with her, so why would they obediently listen to her?"

"..."

Xiahou Maoqing was finally at a loss for words.

The atmosphere in the ancestral hall had also fallen into a deathly silence at that moment.

Xiahou Jingmu’s chest heaved, and in the bone-chilling ancestral hall, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

"Why did you do this?" he heard himself ask.

Xiahou Maoqing’s face turned from green to white.

At first, he was like a thief who had been caught, very uneasy and nervous, his hands trembling slightly.

But suddenly, when he turned his head and saw that black and white photo, he calmed down.

"Why did I do it? Don’t you know? Our family has been groveling on the ground like servants long enough; don’t you want to stand up straight?"

He asked, punctuating every word.

Xiahou Jingmu, hearing this, suddenly widened his eyes; he seemed unable to believe such words could come from his father’s mouth.

Servants?

He was actually calling their family members servants?

Could it be? His meaning was... all these years, at his grandfather’s side, all he had ever remembered was being ordered around and strictly controlled, and he had forgotten everything else?

Then why could he still be so respectful in front of him? Even this morning, when his sister died, he even knelt like a dog in front of him?

Xiahou Jingmu’s worldview had been overturned!

"What do you mean? Are you saying that all these years you’ve actually just been putting on an act?"

He heard himself ask, trembling.

"Could it be that... Grandfather wasn’t good enough to us?" his emotions began to rise as he asked loudly.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, his father tore off that facade of hypocrisy completely.

"Good? Are you really that naive? He was only acting affectionate to protect his own grandson, with the aim of directing the Xiahou Family’s internal strife towards you. Don’t you understand?"

He roared out these words with all his might!

In an instant, Xiahou Jingmu’s pupils dilated, and his entire expression stared at his father in utter shock.

"You’re talking nonsense; Grandfather wouldn’t do that. He said it was because I was talented that he took special care of me!"

"Bullshit!" As soon as those words fell, they were met with yet another merciless taunt from his father.

"If he was really grooming you, why didn’t he send you abroad to study instead of let Xiahou Maolin’s stupid son go to Country F? Don’t you have even a bit of brains?"

"..."

"And you say you’re talented. Then why, after both of Xiahou Maolin’s children died, did he rather pass the heir of the Xiahou Family to that lunatic, and not to you? Are you even worse than a madman?"

Xiahou Maoqing’s words were like sharp knives that plunged into Xiahou Jingmu’s heart again and again, leaving him unable to retort at all.

His face grew paler and paler.

Many things, he too had questioned, but because he had been graced and taught by Xiahou Yi since childhood, he wouldn’t allow himself to think about these things, nor could he bear to doubt the old man.

But now, he found he truly had no reply...