During a family dinner, Gu Yuan was met with unprecedented coldness. When Qian Luoyao teased him about the table being crowded, the rest of the family chimed in, even suggesting he find somewhere else to sit. To Gu Yuan’s shock, his mother-in-law, Xiao Ju, joined in the criticism. She told him that if he found it crowded, he should just go find a seat elsewhere. In the process, Xiao Ju subtly praised a young man named Wei Shuan, suggesting he was far more accomplished and had more potential than Gu Yuan, and she pointedly implied that Wei Shuan was interested in Qian Ruixue. Xiao Ju, usually suppressed by Qian Rushan and rarely able to speak her mind, finally unleashed her long-held resentment. Her attacks on Gu Yuan were not limited to the seating arrangement; she also brought up his attitude toward his ex-wife, Lin Xiangyu, and explicitly belittled his status within the family.
Facing this, the other members of the Qian Family either watched in silence or joined in the verbal assault. Even Qian Ruixue, who usually appeared gentle, could only offer an apologetic look, powerless to change the situation. Ultimately, Gu Yuan chose to rise silently and leave. At that moment, he felt a bone-deep chill, realizing he had never truly been considered a member of this family. Though he had once harbored thoughts of protecting the Qian Family, reality had dealt him a heavy blow.
Xiao Ju watched Gu Yuan’s retreating back with a look of contempt before turning to welcome Wei Shuan. It …
Chapter 116