Mr. Zheng arranged for a high-end restaurant in the city that specializes in business banquets, with very high standards.
It was Su Xingyu's first time coming to such a place, but she wasn't shy and engaged energetically in joking and chatting with everyone. The atmosphere was harmonious. Halfway through, her phone rang, and she excused herself to go outside the private room to take the call.
It was Mr. Su calling: "Su Xingyu, how many days have you not come home! Come back at once!"
Her brows slightly furrowed: "Dad, I've already moved out to live on my own. Anyway, neither you nor Mrs. Liu welcome me, so now we can all have some peace. Do you have something to tell me? If so, just say it directly on the phone."
Mr. Su was furious: "You've grown wings now, do you still consider me as your dad? Xingqi said you're out there hooking up with some indecent men for money, and Qin Mu found out. You even argued with Qin Mu! Can't you have a bit of decency? Even if not for yourself, you should think about your sister. Being so indiscreet, what will the Qin Family think of us, think of your sister?! How will your sister marry into that family in the future?! Can't you, as her elder sister, stop causing trouble for her?"
Su Xingyu only felt her heart grow cold: "Dad, you know Qin Mu was originally my fiancé."
Mr. Su sneered coldly: "You still have the nerve to mention it! If you hadn't messed up your university life and insisted on doing those shameless things in nightclubs, would Qin Mu have rejected you? If you can't marry into the Qin Family yourself, don't block your sister's path! When your sister becomes the Qin Family's young mistress, she'll bring glory to our family! And you, stay away from your sister in the future; wherever she is, don't attend, lest people discover she has such a disgraceful sister!"
Su Xingyu stood against the corridor wall, only feeling her heart ache: "Dad, is Su Xingqi the only one in your eyes? Am I not your daughter? Why don't you ask what really happened at the nightclub, ask if I was falsely accused?"
"Your sister already said, you were caught with your paramour during a raid on a den of lowlifes! Wronged? You're still trying to argue!" Mr. Su was even angrier, "Is the Su Family unable to support you or what, that you're so desperate for men? Qiqi said you're working at a magazine now, dressing up flamboyantly all the time, making her feel embarrassed! Have you incited those bosses to sideline Qiqi's ads? Immediately quit your job for me and obediently stay at home!"
This last part was the main point.
Su Xingyu lifted her head; the crystal chandelier's light in the corridor was blinding, causing her eyes to well up with tears. Is this truly her father, using such degrading words to insult her, how is a girl supposed to bear it?
She calmed herself, her voice indifferent and without emotion: "I will not resign."
"I wasn't expecting you to be so easily obedient," Mr. Su laughed coldly, "Not resigning, are you? I'm at the entrance of 'Huaying Court' right now! Have you come here to meet men tonight? Do you believe I might come in and ruin your night?"
Huaying Court, that's the name of this restaurant.
Su Xingyu's heart skipped a beat. How did Mr. Su find her?
She immediately said: "Don't come in! I'll come out." She knew exactly what her father was like; if she put on a tough stance, he might really storm inside and create a scene with Mr. Zheng, Huadie, and Ling Weilong present. She didn't want things to become too unpleasant.
She hurried out to see Mr. Su indeed standing at the entrance of Huaying Court, alongside Su Xingqi and Liu Meizhi.
"How did you find this place?" she asked directly. She hadn't told them she was coming here for dinner today.
Su Xingqi was dressed in a little western-style dress of a socialite look, with exquisite makeup, looking at Su Xingyu with a cold smile: "Sister, you underestimate Dad, aren't you? As if he wouldn't simply contact someone at the telecom company to check your location?"
Su Xingyu then understood.
She was very angry: "I've moved out; what more do you want from me? Can't we just go our separate ways and leave each other alone?!"
"Only if you stop bothering Qiqi!" Mr. Su berated, "You troublemaker, hurry back home with me!"
"No!" Su Xingyu was stubborn, not wanting to make too much of a scene at the restaurant entrance, so she walked toward the nearby bus stop along the street, "If there's anything to discuss, another day. Goodbye, Dad."
"Don't leave!" Su Xingqi grabbed her arm, "Sister, I know you resent me, but shouldn't you feel relieved after ruining my chance to be on a cover? Don't mix with those men outside anymore, come home with us."
Her words were sincere, yet every word felt like a knife, almost making Su Xingyu believe she was the good sister.
But she was clearly ruinous to her sister's reputation!
Su Xingyu couldn't hold back: "Su Xingqi, watch your mouth! The one mixing with men is you, the one shamelessly stealing someone's fiancé is you! It's good enough I'm not troubling you, so don't keep dragging at me!"
Saying this, she shook off Su Xingqi.
"Oh!" Su Xingqi staggered back several steps into Liu Meizhi's arms, crying, "Sis, you're too much, how can you scold me so awfully and deliberately push me! You want me hurt so I can't become a model, right!"
"You wretch!" Mr. Su saw this scene, filled with rage, rushed up and slapped Su Xingyu fiercely!
Su Xingyu hadn't expected it, the slap hit her squarely, her face turned to the side, blood trickling from her lip. She raised her hand slowly to hold her cheek, looking at Mr. Su in disbelief: "You hit me?"
For some unfounded crime, hitting her with such force?
"Don't embarrass us outside, come home with me!" Mr. Su stepped forward to pull her.
How could she go back? She began struggling with him at the Huaying Court entrance: "Let go of me!"
A black business car stopped at the entrance of Huaying Court.
Several men in suits stepped down from the car, their attire and demeanor were very dignified.
Seeing the tussle at the entrance, they halted, one of them said: "Why is there a fight here? Blocking the way. Miss Xie, please wait here for a moment, I'll call for a doorman to clear the path."
It was still several meters from the main entrance.
The doorman had already been observing the situation here. Initially, when Mr. Su and the others were just arguing, they hadn't intervened, but when it escalated into a fight and a car got blocked, a party of evidently high-spending customers alighted early, causing him to rush over to separate Mr. Su from Su Xingyu: "Sir, please don't resort to violence at our entrance."
"I'm disciplining my daughter, what's it to you!" Mr. Su raged, shaking off the doorman and again trying to grab Su Xingyu.
Su Xingyu stepped back, then one of the suited men shielded her behind him.