"Tonight we're having dinner with the Han family," Jia Nanfang said helplessly. "This engagement is practically announced to the world, there's no turning back. Our Shu family can't afford to be a laughingstock for a second time. Be good, hurry and change your clothes and put on some makeup."
"All you care about is face and being a laughingstock!" Shu Yan cried, rushing in front of Jia Nanfang and shouting, "Why don't you think about my lifelong happiness? The Han family is not worthy of our Shu family at all, and Han Hai is so disgusting, I'd rather die than marry him! I'm not going, I won't marry!"
Jia Nanfang said helplessly, "I don't want you to marry that Han Hai either, but who told you that you got involved with him like that at the banquet? It's all your fault for provoking him. I really don't understand why you had to provoke him!"
How wonderful it would have been if Shu Yan could have married Xiao Anjing. It would have been of great help to her later plans.
But who would have thought that her daughter would make such a mess again? She was so stupid, no matter how much she was taught, she never learned!
Shu Yan still wanted to argue, "I didn't provoke him..."
At this moment, Shu Zhongze also arrived at her door and said coldly, "Your mother and I have checked the surveillance footage from that time. You were the one who initiated the greeting, and you were the one who ran to the lounge where he was."
Shu Yan dared not look Shu Zhongze in the eye and said, "Dad, it's not like that. The images in the surveillance footage aren't necessarily the truth. I wanted to embarrass Gu Susu back then..."
Before she could finish, Shu Zhongze's usually calm face contorted with anger. He pushed Jia Nanfang aside and directly struck Shu Yan's arm, "You still have the nerve to say that? If you don't have the ability to harm others, you dare to do such despicable things, you foolish creature!"
Shu Yan felt an unbearable pain in her arm and knelt on the ground, trembling all over, sobbing, "Dad, I was wrong, I'm sorry, I was wrong."
Shu Zhongze looked down at her with disgust and said, "If you make a mistake, you have to bear the consequences yourself. Get up and change your clothes to meet the Han family."
Shu Yan suddenly grabbed Shu Zhongze's trouser leg tightly and pleaded, "Dad, I'll never dare to do it again. Don't give up on me, don't make me marry into the Han family. There must be other ways, please!"
Shu Zhongze closed his eyes in hatred and kicked her away, "How could I, Shu Zhongze, have raised a daughter like you? You still dare to fight with others, you're not even as good as a single finger of that Gu Susu! Get out, once you're married off, I don't want to see you again! Our Shu family has no use for a fool like you!"
Jia Nanfang had never seen Shu Zhongze so disappointed in Shu Yan, and he even compared Shu Yan to that Gu Susu.
She was terrified and dared not protect Shu Yan any longer, only wanting to avoid being implicated by her. "Old Shu, don't get too angry and hurt yourself. I'll persuade her. She'll change her clothes. You go downstairs and wait, just for a moment..."
Shu Zhongze gave her an unfriendly look and said, "These are all the good daughters you've spoiled. She has no brains when she does things. She's so stupid, is she even my biological daughter?"
Jia Nanfang's face instantly lost all color, but she quickly regained her virtuous demeanor, solely focused on appeasing him. "You must be confused with anger, don't be angry, don't be angry. I'll help her change and put on makeup, and we can leave soon."
Shu Zhongze snorted coldly and went downstairs.
His words earlier had plunged Jia Nanfang into an icy abyss, filling her with immense fear. She grabbed Shu Yan, who was still kneeling and crying on the ground, and said sternly, "Have you cried enough? If you marry into the Han family, you can at least be a young madam. If you don't listen to your father anymore and force him to disown you, we'll have to beg on the streets!"
Shu Yan stood up from the ground, her heart turning cold, and asked, "Is he really my biological father..."
But before she could finish, Jia Nanfang, unable to bear it any longer, slapped her. She said nervously, "Don't you ever say such things again!"
Shu Yan covered her face in shock. Shu Zhongze hadn't hit her face, but her own mother, the one closest to her, had hit her even harder.
Jia Nanfang also realized she had hit too hard. She wanted to check if her face was alright, but she had to harden her heart. She couldn't indulge her any longer; if this continued, they would all be ruined.
"Go change your clothes. If you don't, I'll disown you too!"
Shu Yan felt completely despairing of her parents. She stopped her tears, lifted the corners of her mouth, and said faintly, "Okay, I'll listen to you." She turned around coldly and opened the wardrobe.
Jia Nanfang felt a pang of heartache. This was her only daughter, whom she had doted on since childhood. Now that she had become like this, how could she not feel heartbroken?
But now, not only did Shu Zhongze despise Shu Yan, but his attitude towards her had also changed. Would some of the secrets she had hidden for years surface? If Shu Zhongze found out the truth about some of those matters from back then, let alone protecting Shu Yan, she might not even be able to protect herself.
She couldn't tell anyone about those things, and Shu Yan couldn't understand her feelings.
After changing her clothes, Shu Yan went to the hotel with her parents.
Sitting in the car on the way, the three of them were lost in their own thoughts, silent.
Upon arriving at the private room in the hotel, they saw that the Han family had already arrived.
Han Hai, wearing a suit with a very flashy shirt underneath, stood up as soon as he saw Shu Yan and pulled out a chair for her, letting her sit next to him.
Shu Yan sat down blankly and said, "Thank you."
Han Hai's parents also invited Shu Zhongze and his wife to sit down, calling them "in-laws" repeatedly, which made them feel uncomfortable.
Shu Zhongze suppressed his disgust for the family and sat down, saying, "You're too kind. If you have any requirements for the wedding venue, please don't hesitate to tell us. Since our Shu family is marrying off a daughter, it must be grand and without any mishaps."
Han Hai's father waved his hand, and the large, thick gold ring on his finger dazzled people's eyes.
He said loudly, "In-laws, you are too polite. The wedding preparations are going very well. It's just that project we wanted to cooperate with Shu Corporation on..."
Shu Zhongze maintained his outward politeness and interrupted him, "The project you mentioned is currently open for bidding. We treat all bidding companies equally."
"Old man, tonight is about our son's wedding, why are you talking about this?" Han Hai's mother nudged Han Hai's father, telling him to stop talking about company matters.
Jia Nanfang could clearly feel Shu Zhongze's anger. They had agreed to discuss wedding details, but the Han couple started making demands again. Before the wedding even took place, they wanted benefits from them, which was incredibly vulgar and mercenary.
"Yes, yes, let's not talk about business, let's eat first, eat." She had to smooth things over.
Han Hai's narrow, small eyes were constantly fixed on Shu Yan. He smiled and asked, "What do you like to eat? I'll serve you."
Shu Yan said with a sullen face, "Whatever."
Han Hai immediately got up and, while serving her food, took the opportunity to place his hand on her shoulder and ask, "Do you like lamb chops?"
"Take your hand off," Shu Yan said, shaking her shoulders as if to shake off an annoying fly.