Chapter 2128: Wen Yuan (22)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Call off the engagement? Are you… crazy?!”
Almost everyone knew about what happened at the business cocktail party last night!
She went against Han Jichi in public and took Qiqi away from him twice.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that this was no longer something an uncle should do to his niece.
In the end, he even took her away from the banquet without hiding anything!!!
With such blatant behavior, the banquet erupted.
Han Jichi came to the main house to look for Qiqi last night. She apologized to him with an embarrassed expression.
He was the one who brought her out. He was sorry that he didn’t bring her back now.
He was already worried and asked with an unfriendly expression, but he was told that Shang Qingmo had taken Qiqi away at the banquet!
He immediately called Shang Qingmo, who admitted that he had taken Qiqi away.
He told him that he would resolve the matter.
When she woke up early in the morning, he was the one who announced the annulment of the engagement.
The entire Ping Cheng City was in an uproar!
If she could still force herself to explain what happened at the cocktail party last night, then the subsequent annulment of the engagement undoubtedly confirmed the matter.
This was how they blocked everyone’s mouths.
More importantly, the Song family didn’t know about this beforehand.
He even called in the morning to ask about the situation!
Everything was decided by him!
He really didn’t expect that his son, who had always made him proud and had never disappointed him since he was young, would do such an unbelievable and ridiculous thing at such a mature age.
Shang Qingmo endured the old man’s cane and a thick and eye-catching purple-red mark appeared on his neck.
He pursed his lips and remained silent.
She looked like she was letting the old man scold her.
Old Master was furious this time.
It was obvious from his expression that he wouldn’t change no matter how he beat or scolded her.
He pointed at Shang Qingmo for a long time, his fingers trembling.
“What do you mean by this? Is this a one-sided annulment of the engagement? You… How can you let the Song family down?! Song Yunshu was a good girl, but you wasted four years on her. How can you… How can you do such a disgraceful thing?!”
Shang Qingmo pursed her lips and clenched her fists. “I’ll explain this to her!”
“You can’t explain clearly!” Old Master roared again. “How can you make up for a woman’s four years of youth? Let me tell you, I’m still the same as before. The daughter-in-law of the Shang family can only be Song Yunshu!”
Shang Qingmo frowned. “I’ve already broken off the engagement. I won’t marry her.”
“What’s wrong?! Are you determined to be a heartless man in everyone’s eyes?! Do you have any shame?! Where’s Qiqi? Does she know what you’ve done? You’re shameless, but Qiqi doesn’t?”
“Let me tell you, Shang Qingmo, don’t force me! Don’t forget what I told you back then. You promised me that you wouldn’t go back on your word. Even if you do one day, I won’t touch you. I’ll put the blame on Qiqi!”
Shang Qingmo looked up at the old man. “This is my responsibility. She was forced.”
Shang Yekun glared at him fiercely before his gaze landed on the second floor. “Call Qiqi down. I want to take her away.”
“No!” Shang Qingmo didn’t pause at all. She said stiffly and firmly, “I’ve said it before. Look for me if you need anything. It has nothing to do with her.”
The old man tried his best to control his temper. Because of his words, he closed his eyes forcefully. He had to prepare himself for a long time before he could barely suppress his anger.
“Can you lock her up forever? Does she know that you broke off the engagement? Do you think she can be with you even if you break off the engagement?”
Shang Qingmo frowned. “She has no other choice.”
“She does!” Shang Yekun snorted coldly. “Her choice is Han Jichi. The two of them are dating now!”
At this point, Old Master’s voice was filled with uncontrollable anger. He couldn’t help but hit Shang Qingmo’s walking stick again.
“Bastard! You have a fiancée and you want to snatch someone else’s girlfriend! And it’s your niece! You…”
The old man didn’t know what else to say to vent his anger. He raised his walking stick and smashed it on Shang Qingmo’s shoulder.
The strong wind mercilessly landed on his shoulder.
“Our Shang family has really made a fool of ourselves in Ping Cheng!”
After he finished speaking angrily, he instructed the people behind him, “Go upstairs and bring her down!”
Four tall bodyguards walked out immediately.
Shang Qingmo’s face darkened and her eyes turned cold. “Who dares!”
With a bang, Shang Qingmo staggered.
It was Old Master’s cane that hit his kneecap.
The sound of the bone colliding with the wooden stick was terrifying. Shang Qingmo’s usually steady and tall body staggered.
Uncle Chen was shocked.
With this strike, his kneecap must have cracked.
He hurried forward to help Shang Qingmo up, which happened to separate her from the bodyguards.
The bodyguard went upstairs.
Shang Qingmo straightened her body and shook off the butler’s support. She wanted to chase after him, but the old man hit her with his cane again.
He used all his strength and showed no mercy.
He grabbed the stair railing in front of him.
She watched as the bodyguard went upstairs.
The butler was sweating profusely. He had no choice but to step forward to support the old man to prevent him from swinging his walking stick again.
Not long after, Shang Qiqi was brought down.
Old Master Shang stood at the staircase with a gloomy expression. Shang Qingmo held the railing with one hand. Her face was pale and her forehead was covered in sweat.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly cold and oppressive.
She walked down slowly. When she passed by Shang Qingmo, he suddenly grabbed her wrist forcefully.
Shang Qiqi shrank back in shock and subconsciously turned to look at him. However, she suddenly met his deep and pleading eyes.
“Don’t go.”
He seemed to be trying his best to control himself. His voice was trembling and hoarse as though it came from the depths of the abyss.
Her heart tightened. Looking at the sweat on his forehead and his pale face, her heart ached even more.
“What… happened to you?”
Shang Qiqi walked towards him and her other hand touched his sweaty forehead.
“Qiqi.” The old man’s voice sounded coldly. He couldn’t bear to see the two of them having any more interactions and emotions.
Shang Qiqi paused and retracted her hand slowly.
“Grandpa.”
The old man’s face darkened. “Come home with me.”
The grip on her wrist tightened. “Shang Qiqi.”
“Uncle.” Shang Qiqi wanted to retract her arm, but she couldn’t. “I have to go back to accompany Grandpa.”
Shang Qingmo pursed her lips and refused to let go.
Shang Yekun looked at them coldly and took a deep breath. He turned around and sat on the sofa in the living room.
“Qiqi.”
Shang Yekun called out to Shang Qiqi, but everyone in the living room looked at him.
Shang Qiqi could only stand rooted to the ground and call out softly, “Grandpa.”
“Since he refuses to let you go now, let’s talk here. Do you listen to Grandpa?”
Shang Qiqi’s body stiffened. She had a bad feeling.
She looked at the old man quietly for a long time, wanting to find out something from his face. In the end, she became even more flustered.
After a long while, she could only nod lightly.
Shang Yekun’s gaze swept across Shang Qingmo’s face coldly before landing on Shang Qiqi. The pity in his eyes was completely replaced by ruthlessness.
“Then Grandpa will give you two choices now. One, stay in Ping Cheng and get engaged to Han Jichi immediately.”
Shang Qingmo turned around slowly, her eyes filled with coldness.
“I forbid it.”
Old Master ignored him and continued, “Second, leave Ping Cheng City and the Shang family. Don’t ever come back.”
Shang Qingmo’s cold face was so cold that she couldn’t look at him directly. Every inch of his face was like a sharp blade. He enunciated every word clearly and said, “I’m not accurate.”
Shang Yekun’s expression did not change. His weathered face was cold.
“Qiqi, you choose.”
Shang Qiqi’s face turned pale.
This was a difficult problem for her.
She didn’t know what had happened today. The atmosphere between the father and son was tense, and they were forcing her to make such a decision now.
‘Why?’
“Grandpa, Ji Chi and I… just started dating.”
“Are you dating for the sake of marriage?”
Shang Qiqi nodded. “Yes.”
There was a sudden pain on her wrist, a pain that threatened to crush her bones.
She didn’t dare to look into Shang Qingmo’s eyes. His actions last night had made her panic.
She was now Han Jichi’s girlfriend. She couldn’t imagine what he had faced last night when he was alone.
No matter what, she couldn’t embarrass Han Jichi now.
Old Master Shang grunted before turning to look at Shang Qingmo. He snorted coldly and stood up with the support of his walking stick.
“In that case, you can announce your engagement first. Is that okay?”
Shang Qiqi didn’t say anything.
“Qiqi, as long as you plan to marry Ji Chi, why are you still hesitating? There needs to be a reasonable explanation for what happened at the cocktail party last night. It’s the best choice for you to announce your engagement now!”
Shang Qiqi’s eyes flickered. She was obviously convinced.
Grandpa was right. As long as the engagement was announced, everything that happened last night would be exposed.
There was nothing going on between her and Shang Qingmo. He was the only one who took her away from the party yesterday!
At most, it was her uncle who was unhappy with his niece’s husband and embarrassed him…
Although it was a little far-fetched, announcing the engagement was the best solution.
“… Okay.”
“Shang Qiqi!”
Just as she finished speaking, Shang Qingmo’s furious voice exploded in her ears!
Shang Qiqi shrank her neck in fear. When she saw his bloodshot eyes, her eyes turned red.
She had never seen him so out of control.
In her eyes, he was always a steady, cold, and high-spirited man.
He could be confident, heartless, and stern, but he wouldn’t lose control because of panic.
Was she that important to him now?
But how good would it have been four years ago?
Everything was much simpler than it was now.
She couldn’t break the current balance, or it would be a mess.
The Shang family, the Han family, and the Song family were of no benefit to anyone.
Now that things had come to this, the road ahead was filled with thorns.
Despite the pain in her heart, Shang Qiqi endured the bitterness and sobbed.
“Little Uncle, this is good for everyone…”
“But treating me badly isn’t what you want. Shang Qiqi, you’re not allowed to announce your engagement to him! How dare you!”
“Little Uncle, please, don’t do this…”
Shang Qingmo shook his head and gripped her tightly. He hid her behind him and glared at Shang Yekun.
“She won’t have the chance to choose an engagement!”
Shang Yekun’s fingers that were holding the walking stick turned pale. He suppressed his temper and said in a low voice, “She doesn’t have to announce it personally.”
“So what if I announce it? I won’t let her appear at the engagement party. It’ll just be another joke.”
“Didn’t you give her two choices?” Shang Qingmo nodded with a ferocious expression. “Since Ping Cheng can’t tolerate her being with me, I’ll bring her away from Ping Cheng and the Shang family and never return!”
Everyone present, including the usually expressionless bodyguards, revealed shocked expressions.
Leave Ping Cheng City with Shang Qiqi forever?!
The Shang family didn’t want her anymore? They didn’t want the company anymore? They didn’t even care about their father?
Giving up all these meant that he had given up everything…
Old Master Shang felt his vision darken. His body swayed violently before he collapsed onto the sofa.
“You… actually dare to threaten me like this?!”
Shang Qingmo pursed her lips. “You should know. I’m not just saying.”
“You’re crazy…”
Shang Qingmo didn’t deny it. “Perhaps… as long as I don’t want to let her go, she can forget about leaving.”
“Have you asked her?!”
“I don’t need anyone’s permission.”