C14 Please Show Some Respect!

Acting?

Xia Ming snorted through his nostrils, his eyes scanning Lin Feng and their grandmother before coming to rest on his second uncle, third uncle, and a few other elder relatives with a hint of scrutiny.

They all looked on with eager anticipation, clearly ready to enjoy the unfolding drama between Xia Ming and Lin Shuyu.

It was evident they were all in cahoots, eagerly awaiting the spectacle.

Xia Ming's gaze hardened as he looked at his grandmother, recalling Lin Feng's words from the day before—Lin Shuyu wouldn't be CEO for much longer. It seemed his grandmother was indeed set on a power grab today.

Chances were, these relatives were still in the dark about the company securing an investment!

Lin Shuyu's smile was tinged with irony. "I was worried Grandma might not like it! Xia Ming, bring out the gift, please!" she beckoned to Xia Ming.

Lin Feng, along with his second uncle Lin Zhong and third uncle Lin Cheng, watched Lin Shuyu and Xia Ming with detached interest.

The others might have been clueless, but Lin Feng knew all too well. The jade earrings Lin Shuyu had purchased had been shattered by someone he'd hired. It would be a surprise if Lin Shuyu and Xia Ming had anything to present.

"Oh!" Xia Ming fumbled in his pocket, even turning it inside out, but the box with the earrings was nowhere to be found.

Panic flickered across Lin Shuyu's face. "What's the matter? Xia Ming, the earrings? Didn't you have them when we left?"

"Exactly, where could they have gone? They must have been left in the car. Give me the keys, I'll go check!" Xia Ming wasn't feigning his concern; he had indeed placed the gift box with the earrings in his pocket before leaving, but now it was genuinely missing.

While speaking, Xia Ming reached out to Lin Shuyu for the car keys.

Lin Shuyu's face betrayed her embarrassment. "Be quick about it!"

Lin Feng, who had been eagerly anticipating a scene, seized the moment to burst into laughter. "Hahaha, my dear cousin, were you lying about buying those 800,000 yuan earrings? Hmph! Grandma entrusting the company to you was a mistake. Not only is the business on the brink of bankruptcy, but you've also taken up lying... I bet Xia Ming, that fool, led you astray. Such a worthless person has no place in our Lin Family!"

Xia Ming was acutely aware of Lin Feng's tactics. Frankly, a single phone call from Xia Ming could make Lin Feng vanish from the face of the earth.

The reason Xia Ming hadn't made that call was simply because he didn't see the necessity—yet.

But that didn't give Lin Feng free rein to misbehave. "Lin Feng, show some respect when you speak. Even if you don't respect me, at the very least, respect Shuyu. She's the Lin family's eldest granddaughter, the heir designated by our grandfather! And as her husband, you should address me as your brother-in-law... Didn't your father teach you these basic manners?"

Xia Ming's words, though not overtly cutting, were laced with insinuation. He managed to rebuke Lin Feng and take a swipe at Lin Feng's father, Lin Zhong, in the process!

Lin Feng's lack of manners was a reflection on Lin Zhong!

"Respect? Don't make me laugh... Xia Ming, do I need to remind you of your origins? A stray dog picked from the trash, a pretty boy living off a woman, serving people in KTVs every day—is that money enough to sustain you?" Lin Feng scoffed. "Let me be clear, Young Master Zhao is also attending today. He's a far better match for my cousin. If I were you, I'd gracefully bow out and spare myself the embarrassment!"

Young Master Zhao?

Xia Ming and Lin Shuyu exchanged a glance. Zhao Chengyi?

Xia Ming was somewhat familiar with him—a scion of one of River City's wealthiest families, who had pursued Lin Shuyu during their university days, though she never accepted his advances.

Even after Lin Shuyu married Xia Ming, Zhao Chengyi hadn't given up.

And now, Lin Feng had brazenly invited Zhao Chengyi to Grandma's birthday banquet, and with no objection from Grandma, it appeared she had implicitly condoned Lin Feng's behavior.

How intriguing—things were becoming increasingly interesting!

Xia Ming had initially thought that today's birthday celebration for Grandma was merely a pretext to undermine Lin Shuyu and himself, or a chance to vie for power. But with Zhao Chengyi entering the fray, the situation promised to be even more entertaining.

Before Xia Ming could utter a word, Lin Shuyu swiftly advanced two steps and delivered a fierce backhanded slap across Lin Feng's face!

Crack!

The sharp sound echoed through the hall. Lin Shuyu's chest heaved with fury, "Lin Feng, you've gone too far! At the very least, he is your brother-in-law now. Show some respect!"

Hiss!

A hushed silence fell over the crowd. No one had anticipated that the usually composed Lin Shuyu would slap Lin Feng in front of everyone at their grandmother's birthday celebration.

After all, Lin Feng was the grandson their grandmother cherished most. Wasn't striking Lin Feng akin to insulting their grandmother?

But Xia Ming understood that Lin Shuyu had reached her breaking point. She had already tolerated Lin Feng's undermining tactics at the company.

Yet, just yesterday at the mall, Lin Feng had not only competed with Lin Shuyu for a pair of earrings but also had someone shatter them. Today, he had insulted Xia Ming repeatedly. Lin Shuyu could no longer hold back.

If Xia Ming had remained as inconspicuous and unremarkable as before, it might have been different.

However, the events of yesterday at the KTV, then at the mall, and the subsequent investment for the company... When Lin Shuyu pieced everything together, she realized that Xia Ming seemed to have changed.

At the KTV, just as Boss Cui's bodyguard was about to strike a deadly blow, Grandpa Liu appeared at the perfect moment.

Could all of this really be mere coincidence?

Lin Shuyu had pondered deeply the previous night and had formed a suspicion. Although not yet confirmed, her feelings towards Xia Ming had shifted. At the very least, she could not stand by and watch Xia Ming be demeaned at his grandmother's birthday banquet.

"You... Lin Shuyu, have you lost your mind? How dare you strike me? Grandma, look at Lin Shuyu, what kind of behavior is this?" Lin Feng, clutching his swollen cheek, turned to his grandmother with a look of aggrieved innocence.

Grandmother's expression darkened, "Shuyu, what is this behavior? Hitting your own brother over an outsider? You've really learned to assert yourself... Hmph, and as for Xia Ming, that good-for-nothing, I've never liked him either! If he didn't buy a gift, why pretend to be something he's not?"

Within the family, aside from Grandfather who truly adored Lin Shuyu, the others held little affection for her. Anticipating her grandmother's reaction, Lin Shuyu glanced at Xia Ming, "Xia Ming, go to the car and bring in the gift!"

Xia Ming nodded. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine, I can handle it!" Lin Shuyu had been at the helm of Lin's Group for quite some time, and she certainly had the mettle for it. She wasn't overly troubled by the family's internal strife.

At least for the moment, there was no need for Grandmother and the others to come to blows.

Taking the car keys from Lin Shuyu, Xia Ming turned to leave the hall. Lin Shuyu stood her ground as she addressed Grandmother, "Grandmother, Xia Ming is my husband. We were wed in a proper ceremony, so how is he an outsider? If you find us disagreeable, we'll leave as soon as Xia Ming returns with the gift. There's no sense in lingering here!"

Lin Shuyu was resolute, leaving no room for discussion. It seemed she was truly prepared to depart.

At Lin Shuyu's declaration, Lin Feng's composure crumbled, his eyes beseeching Grandmother for support. Today, Lin Feng, Grandmother, the Second Uncle, and others had orchestrated a significant plot. If Lin Shuyu and Xia Ming were to leave, their entire plan would fall apart. "Grandmother..."