She delivered the slap without any mercy, and the entire hall fell silent in an instant.
Old Madam Tan had never expected Tan Qingya to actually strike someone right there in front of everyone. With a sigh, she said, “How can you be so disrespectful to your elders!”
She turned to Li Ye, her expression cooling noticeably. “Are you all right?”
It was obviously nothing more than feigned concern.
Li Ye clenched his teeth and shook his head. “Mom, don’t worry—I’m fine.”
Tan Qingya let out a cold snort. As if Li Ye dared to be anything but fine.
Over the past few years, while she’d been abroad, Li Ye had pulled plenty of sneaky stunts behind her back. She’d turned a blind eye to it all. But the man was no spring chicken anymore, and he still couldn’t keep it in his pants. Word was that he’d been getting bolder lately—reckless enough that it wouldn’t be long before he ended up behind bars for a few years.
And yet here he was, lecturing her own daughter about propriety? What a joke!
Her gaze shifted to Zhou Jianghao, who stood frozen nearby. “Is the child yours?”
Zhou Jianghao started, then immediately shook her head. “No.”
If it wasn’t hers, then what was the rush to shield the girl? Playing the saint? Tan Qingya couldn’t make sense of it. But since the poor thing already had a tough time in the Tan Family, Tan Qingya swallowed her scolding words and turned a cold eye on Li Tongan instead. “What happened?”
Li Tongan sniffled softly. “It was just… an accident.”
“Were you taken advantage of?”
“N-no… nothing like that. I just… had a bit too much to drink…”
Li Tongan stammered through her explanation, but the meaning was clear enough: a one-night stand. Tan Qingya withdrew her gaze. What was it with young people these days? Hooking up with total strangers?
What was done was done—there was no point digging deeper now. But with the baby almost here, marriage to Zhou Jianghao was obviously off the table.
Tan Qingya sighed. She still had a headache to deal with.
She was just about to speak when she caught sight of Tan Yanxi hurrying in from the corner of her eye. Tan Qingya lowered her gaze and stepped forward without a word, positioning herself to block Zhou Jianghao from view. That way, if things got messy later, the foolish girl wouldn’t rush in and take another hit.
“It’s just one child,” said Tan Yanxi, who had arrived in a rush but reacted with cool indifference. She glanced at the still-kneeling Li Tongan without much interest. “Let her have it. It’s not like the family can’t afford to raise another one.”
With that, she turned to the Old Madam. “Mom, you’re about to hold your great-grandchild. This is cause for celebration—you should be happy!”
Old Madam Tan fell silent.
She shot her youngest daughter an inscrutable look and clutched at her chest. A great-grandchild on the way, and yet this girl’s own marriage was still up in the air. It was enough to break her heart!
Tan Yanxi, still smiling, turned to Tan Qingya. “Qingya’s going to be an aunt now, too. Time really flies, doesn’t it?”
Tan Qingya’s lips twitched. “I couldn’t possibly accept such an honor.”
Old Madam Tan’s heart ached even more at Tan Yanxi’s words. Her gloom over Li Tongan’s premarital pregnancy—and the unknown father—overwhelmed everything else.
“All right, get up,” she said at last. Mindful of the pregnancy, Old Madam Tan held her temper and had the girl helped to her feet before falling silent once more.
Years ago, her eldest daughter Tan Yanxi had led a scandalously promiscuous life, prompting Old Madam Tan to rewrite the family rules. By those rules, Li Tongan deserved twenty lashes. But with a baby on board, beating her risked too much.
On the other hand, letting it slide might encourage the younger generation to follow suit…
As Old Madam Tan hesitated, Tan Qingya spoke up. “A child’s failings are the parents’ fault. Big Sis, Brother-in-Law, since Li Tongan is pregnant, how about you each take ten lashes in her place as punishment?”
Tan Yanxi’s face twisted in fury at the words. That little brat! She’d only tossed out a bit of sarcasm, and now this?
She glanced at Old Madam Tan and caught the dawning realization on her face. Her heart sank, rage trembling through her. That old bat was hopelessly biased! Her husband gripped her hand at her side, and she drew a deep breath before grinding out her agreement. “Qingya’s right. Aye and I didn’t look after the child properly, and that’s what led her astray. We should accept the punishment.”
For an outsider to linger through all this would be terribly tactless.
Zhou Jianghao glanced up at Tan Qingya, who still stood protectively in front of her, then took a tentative step to the side. Before she could say anything, however, Tan Qingya suddenly frowned and glanced back at her.
Old Madam Tan followed Tan Qingya’s gaze and finally remembered the girl standing nearby. She couldn’t very well let the juniors—and an outsider—watch her eldest daughter get flogged. Rising to her feet, she said, “Little Hao, and the rest of you youngsters—come with me.”
The younger generation’s faces fell at once.
No doubt this was about the marriage talk.
In the study, Zhou Jianghao pressed her lips together tightly as she watched the people who usually lorded it over her now scrambling for excuses. She felt like a worthless piece of trash—shunned and despised by all.
“Quiet.”
Tan Qingya’s two words cut every voice short.
In that moment, Zhou Jianghao had to admit she was grateful for her.
“I’m asking you to marry a beautiful wife, not dragging you off to a ghost wedding. Who are you putting on these funeral faces for?”
Tan Qingya sneered.
She might have a sharp tongue, but she had a point—and Old Madam Tan didn’t argue. Instead, she chimed in right after. “Back when your mother was ill, Little Hao’s mother helped us out immensely. Now that Little Hao’s mother is the one who’s unwell, her one wish is for her daughter to find a good home. You all need to repay that kindness.”
“Hasn’t she been living off our family for years already? We’ve more than repaid any debt!” Li Zhenyu, who despised Zhou Jianghao with a passion, couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out.
One voice sparked the rest. Soon the study was abuzz, everyone chiming in with their objections. Looking around, not a single one of them wanted anything to do with marrying Zhou Jianghao.
Old Madam Tan’s expression darkened. She’d put the word out, but none of the juniors were playing along. Instead, they’d given an outsider a good laugh at the family’s expense.
Zhou Jianghao’s face remained as calm as ever. The Tan Family’s contempt for her was plain as day—they’d never agree to marry her. With that in mind, she hesitated and turned to Tan Qingya. “President Tan said before that I could pick any member of the Tan Family. Does that still stand?”
The room went deathly still. Everyone’s faces changed.
Old Madam Tan narrowed her eyes and studied Zhou Jianghao closely, betraying nothing. She hadn’t realized her family members were suddenly up for grabs.
“Of course it does,” Tan Qingya replied with a smile. She swept a glance over the seething juniors and added with mock sweetness, “Don’t you all go around bragging that you’re Tan Family members? Here’s your chance to prove it—why not seize it with both hands?”
The group shuffled awkwardly, none daring to reply.
Only then did Old Madam Tan realize how invested her youngest daughter was in Zhou Jianghao’s marriage prospects. She made a snap decision. “The rest of you, go. I’ll have a few words alone with Little Hao.”
Zhou Jianghao’s eyelashes fluttered.
Deep down, she was afraid of this old lady.
She could still vividly recall kneeling before her as a child, with her mother beside her. It had left her unable to meet the woman’s eyes ever since.
She couldn’t help glancing at Tan Qingya, who stood ahead of her.
To her surprise, Tan Qingya had been staring right back. Their eyes met abruptly, and Zhou Jianghao flushed. A few seconds later, she instinctively looked away—only to remember her predicament and hesitate once more.
The juniors filed out, their minds heavy with worries. Tan Qingya made no move to leave, prompting Old Madam Tan to glare at her. “Why are you still here?”
“The girl’s timid. Don’t go scaring her,” Tan Qingya said with a chuckle, eyeing Zhou Jianghao’s hesitant expression. She turned to Old Madam Tan. “Say whatever you like. Pretend I’m not even here.”
Old Madam Tan kept her composure. “I know what I’m doing.”
Only the white-knuckled grip of her hands betrayed her feelings. When had this brat ever been so protective of anyone? Don’t scare her? Who was the one making people cry every other day?
She was clearly determined to stick around, no matter what. Tan Qingya’s brows furrowed slightly. She could snub her big sister without a second thought, but she couldn’t very well defy her own mother.
“Relax,” she told Zhou Jianghao before leaving. “My mom’s just a kindhearted old lady.”
She put special emphasis on “kindhearted” and shot Old Madam Tan a meaningful look.
Old Madam Tan nearly choked.
Was this meant to comfort the girl… or warn her?
If she’d only suspected something fishy between the two before, now Old Madam Tan was utterly convinced. There was definitely something off with that brat!
The moment the door closed behind Tan Qingya, she turned on Zhou Jianghao. “Have you gone to see Qingya?”
The question came out of nowhere, nothing like what Zhou Jianghao had expected. She hesitated. “President Tan came to see me twice—about the marriage matter.”
She had to get her facts straight.
Zhou Jianghao wasn’t stupid. If it sounded like she’d gone seeking Tan Qingya out, it would make her seem scheming.
But to her surprise, Old Madam Tan only seemed more intrigued. “She came to you? When?”
The old lady’s attitude felt strangely off, and Zhou Jianghao lowered her eyes. “A little while ago.”
Old Madam Tan wasn’t one to let vague answers slide. She pressed for details, her presence overwhelming. Zhou Jianghao, who already feared her, could barely hold up.
In the end, she had no choice but to give two specific dates—rough as they were.
They weren’t precise, but Old Madam Tan’s reaction left her uneasy. Recalling the things Li Zhenyu and the others often said, Zhou Jianghao stiffened and explained, “I didn’t deliberately try to get close to President Tan.”
She paused, then remembered how the woman’s attitude had shifted only after she’d mentioned picking a Tan Family member. “And I won’t take President Tan’s words at face value, either. You can rest assured—I won’t covet what I shouldn’t.”
Her days in the Tan Family were hard enough already. If she offended Old Madam Tan over some misunderstanding, she’d be even more adrift and alone.
Although Zhou Jianghao had been bullied frequently by Li Zhenyu and the others over her years in the Tan Family, the Old Madam always stood up for her whenever she found out. Thus, aside from her fear, Zhou Jianghao held considerable respect for the Old Madam.
She was afraid of losing that protection.
The Old Madam said nothing, but inwardly, she continued to mull things over.
Zhou Jianghao had arrived at the Tan Family around ten years old, skinny and small, utterly pitiable. The Old Madam had taken an interest in her for a while, but when she saw the little quail trembling at the mere sight of her, scared out of her wits, she lost interest and handed the girl over to the servants.
Now, it seemed her courage had not grown much.
Timid though she was, her temperament had always been gentle. Her grades had been excellent from childhood onward, and she was truly beautiful.
Her daughter had clearly taken a liking to Zhou Jianghao, though not deeply enough to keep her close. She had even wanted to play matchmaker and push her toward someone else. If Li Tongan were not pregnant, would Zhou Jianghao not have been married off to another?
The Old Madam gnashed her teeth in hatred.
She could not even pursue a little girl properly! All those years of schooling had been wasted!
“What if I want you to deliberately get close to her?” The Old Madam looked up and saw the girl dumbfounded. She chuckled. “Little Hao, whether you simply approach her or harbor designs on her, I won’t stand in your way. Whether you can marry into the Tan Family will depend entirely on your own abilities.”
