C12 You Reap the Flowers but You Sow the Weeds

"Hmm?"

Old Lady Pei and Pei Jinzheng turned their attention to the speaker.

"Lin Xuan, this is none of your business!"

Old Lady Pei jabbed a finger at Lin Xuan and declared, "You're nothing but a worthless man who married into our Pei family. What's more, Qiuyu is on the verge of divorcing you."

Lin Xuan responded calmly, "Whether I'm considered part of the Pei family or not is irrelevant to me."

"The issue at hand is that someone hurt Qiuyu's heart, and they owe her an apology."

Taking a deep breath, Old Lady Pei faced Pei Qiuyu and demanded, "I've come to you in person, what more do you want?"

Her voice was commanding and devoid of any remorse.

Lin Xuan shook his head and insisted, "Someone needs to kneel to show sincerity."

Pei Qiuyu was about to speak when Lin Xuan took her hand, silencing her.

"Qiuyu, are you really going to take this to the extreme?" Old Lady Pei fumed.

"I..." Pei Qiuyu looked down, hesitating.

"Qiuyu has a gentle heart, but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of her," Lin Xuan interjected. "Today, one of you should kneel and apologize to Qiuyu."

"If not, it wouldn't matter if the Emperor of Heaven himself intervened; Qiuyu won't go back with you."

Old Lady Pei's face contorted with anger.

She nodded forcefully, conceding, "Fine, for the sake of our family's business, I, this old lady, will kneel before you."

"Grandma..."

Before Pei Qiuyu could utter another word, Pei Jinzheng chimed in earnestly, "Grandma, you can't kneel to her."

Old Lady Pei gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "My good grandson, I always knew you were the most devoted."

"Yes, I won't let you be humiliated, Grandma," Pei Jinzheng declared proudly.

"Then you shall kneel in my stead."

"What?!"

Pei Jinzheng was taken aback.

He had only intended to make a grand gesture, never anticipating Old Lady Pei would take him up on it.

"You're not willing?" Old Lady Pei asked with an icy stare.

Pei Jinzheng's face was a picture of distress as he glanced at Lin Xuan.

How could he possibly kneel before such a nobody?

No way! It was out of the question!

Yet Lin Xuan spoke calmly, "If none of you are willing to kneel, then I must ask you to leave."

Lee Moxiang stood in the living room, secretly listening to the unfolding drama.

Fearful as she was, she also felt a rush of satisfaction.

Lin Xuan had avenged her in a big way.

When Pei Jinzheng refused to kneel, Elder Pei's expression grew icy as she challenged him, "What's this? You want us to break our agreement with the C Group?"

"The Pei family's total assets are barely eighty million. Are you trying to bankrupt us?"

In a panic, Pei Jinzheng blurted out, "Grandma, don't be deceived by them! They're just trying to humiliate our grandson and bring shame upon the Pei family!"

Old Lady Pei's anger flared, "All this time, you've claimed to act for the good of the Pei family!"

"Now, when the family truly needs you, you're not willing to make even this small sacrifice? I've clearly overindulged you!"

Torn and shaking with fury, Pei Jinzheng clenched his teeth and fixed Lin Xuan with a furious stare. But ultimately, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground with a thud.

Just then, a nosy neighbor, Bird, stealthily captured the moment on his phone and swiftly shared it online.

Pei Jinzheng offered Pei Qiuyu a tearful apology, his eyes brimming with resentment.

But he had no choice but to swallow his pride, knowing full well that if Pei Qiuyu didn't side with him, Old Lady Pei would be unforgiving.

...

Pei Qiuyu's meeting with Wang Baifa couldn't have gone better.

Wang Baifa even organized an elaborate welcome ceremony in her honor.

Meanwhile, Pei Jinzheng was relegated to waiting outside the conference room, completely sidelined.

"Just you wait, Pei Qiuyu," he seethed silently. "If I don't ruin you, then my name isn't Pei Jinzheng!"

Fuming with resentment, he stood outside the door, his fingers itching to type out a message to Yu Yuxuan on his phone.

Just then, he caught sight of a photo that was going viral in his WeChat Moments.

The caption read: "Unbelievable sight as Pei Jinzheng, the esteemed young master of the Pei family, kneels before the young miss, Qiuyu."

"I'm livid!"

Pei Jinzheng furiously typed out a message.

...

Having completed the initial paperwork, Pei Qiuyu returned to her managerial role at Y Corporation.

Several executives, previously swayed by Pei Jinzheng's bribes, were eager to give Pei Qiuyu a hard time. Everyone was aware of her low standing within the Pei family.

Yet, despite her youth and beauty, she was at the helm of a significant project order, which left many feeling skeptical.

But with the backing of a heavyweight like Wang Baifa, they all had to weigh their odds of taking on Pei Qiuyu.

In the manager's office, Pei Qiuyu set about assigning tasks with a look of determination:

"We're up against a tight deadline and a hefty workload. I need everyone's full cooperation to make this project a success!"

Once Pei Qiuyu switched into work mode, she was transformed.

Stern, meticulous, professional, and earnest.

Lin Xuan sat nearby, watching her work, his eyes brimming with contentment.

My dear, you're absolutely adorable when you're this focused on work.

As the workday came to a close.

Lin Xuan and Pei Qiuyu were just stepping out of the company building.

A red Mercedes-Benz C200L pulled up.

A woman with a svelte figure in a body-hugging skirt stepped out.

"Qiuyu, it's been too long!"

Her skirt was slit up to her thigh, and her black Balenciaga silk stockings encased her delicate long legs, oozing allure.

Pei Qiuyu greeted the woman with a smile, "Mucheng, what brings you here?"

The woman, Fong Mucheng, was Pei Qiuyu's college classmate and roommate, and they had always been close.

Fong Mucheng replied with a smile, "It's been ages since we last caught up, hasn't it? I just got back from New Zealand today. Are you free? How about joining me for some shopping?"

"I think... I'll pass," Pei Qiuyu hesitated.

She and Fong Mucheng used to be close, but Fong Mucheng was known for being a gold digger.

Back in school, her behavior with several boys had raised eyebrows.

After starting her career, her lifestyle became even more promiscuous.

Lin Xuan remembered that Fong Mucheng had visited Pei Qiuyu's home a few times, and each visit included her throwing insults his way.

Rumor had it, she later jetted off abroad with some wealthy entrepreneur.

No word from her in two years, and now this unexpected encounter truly caught Pei Qiuyu off guard.

Lin Xuan squinted, "She's no good."

To most, she was the epitome of elegance and beauty, but through Lin Xuan's eyes, she was nothing more than a moss that any rich fool could trample over.

Just then, a man in a sharp suit stepped out of the Mercedes, exuding an air of distinction.

A sleazy glint appeared in his eyes upon seeing Pei Qiuyu's stunning beauty, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Hello, I'm Wu Chengguo. It's a privilege to meet Miss Pei," he said.

Fong Mucheng quickly interjected, "Qiuyu, this is my fiancé, the general manager of the Yuanyuan Group.

"Chengguo, this is my dear friend Pei Qiuyu I've told you about."

Pei Qiuyu was familiar with the Yuanyuan Group, a well-known billion-yuan enterprise in A City, rumored to be backed by a powerful figure.

Wu Chengguo, a young man already managing the group, was clearly no ordinary individual.

"Hello! Miss Pei, you truly are as breathtaking as they say!" Wu Chengguo extended his hand for a shake.

Thinking he could flirt with my wife?

Lin Xuan stepped in, grasping Wu Chengguo's hand with a smile, "Hello, I'm Pei Qiuyu's husband."

Wu Chengguo's brow furrowed.

Fong Mucheng hurriedly introduced, "Ah Guo, meet the Pei family's infamous good-for-nothing son-in-law, the simpleton Lin Xuan!"

Her gaze towards Lin Xuan was filled with nothing but contempt.

Wu Chengguo sneered upon hearing this, withdrawing his hand as he remarked, "And here I thought this stunning lady had married someone of substance. Turns out she's a rose wedged into a pile of manure!"

Lin Xuan offered a slight smile in response. "Well, at least it's preferable to manure festering atop a bed of dog moss."

Pei Qiuyu couldn't contain herself and burst into laughter with a soft "Pfft~".