Chapter 54 Xue Shuyu

"Dad! That little bitch Xue Wen bullied me! She hit my leg with a baseball bat, it hurts so much! So much!" Xue Shuyu threw herself into Xue Bin's arms, weeping bitterly like rain beating against pear blossoms.

Xiao Zigong never expected to run into Xue Shuyu under such circumstances. Even less did he expect to see such a coy and affected side to her. Where was the capable, sharp, and admirable female police officer of the past?

Could this manipulative, scheming, and whiny woman be Xue Shuyu's true self?

Though Xue Shuyu wept bitterly, Xue Bin felt intensely awkward. Coal prices had not yet surged, and the Yunling Coal Mine was currently a tasteless burden—making a modest profit when the market was good, and losing money when it wasn't. Securing Xue Ao to take it off their hands meant Xue Bin had landed a massive bargain.

Now, with his own daughter repeatedly cursing Xue Ao's daughter, it made Xue Shuyu look unappreciative and downright overbearing!

"Stop crying! Is there some misunderstanding here? Shuyu, you've always been a bit spoiled..." After all, she was his own daughter, and Xue Bin couldn't bring himself to use harsh words.

Xue Shuyu was displeased: "Dad! I'm the one being bullied here! Look at my leg, it hurts so bad from being hit with that bat, it feels like it's broken!"

Xue Qiang stepped forward and pulled Xue Shuyu to her feet: "Little sister, I know Wenwen's character. She would never hit you for no reason. Tell us, what was this about?"

"Because! Because..." Xue Shuyu stammered, temporarily at a loss for how to answer the question.

"Because her foul mouth called Lele a bastard and called me a bitch!" Xue Wen walked in from outside, holding a baseball bat in her hand. Gone was her usual timid demeanor; she looked like an enraged tigress!

"I didn't... no, I didn't!" Xue Shuyu tried hard to argue, but her words carried zero conviction.

After all, in everyone's eyes, Xue Shuyu had always possessed low moral character—she had even colluded with outsiders to drug Xue Wen and force her to conceive Lele! Thus, not a single word Xue Shuyu uttered had any credibility.

Through her recent experiences, Xue Wen had learned a crucial lesson: cowardice and forbearance could never liberate one from the fate of being bullied. If she wanted to avoid being bullied, she had to fight fire with fire, eye for eye.

Stepping closer with every word, Xue Wen pointed the baseball bat straight at Xue Shuyu's nose: "Xue Shuyu, do you dare swear in front of Grandfather and prove your innocence?"

The docile little rabbit of the past had transformed into a fierce wolf, catching Xue Shuyu off guard and leaving her struggling to accept the reality.

She wanted to swear an oath, but she feared Xue Wen might be secretly recording her with a backup plan ready to expose her lies.

The situation turned somewhat awkward. Xue Ao reached out and patted Xiao Zigong on the shoulder, and Xiao Zigong caught on immediately: "Wenwen, don't be so unforgiving in front of Grandfather. Since it's Shuyu's fault, let her apologize to you, and we'll consider this matter settled."

"Why on earth should I apologize to her!" Xue Shuyu was extremely resistant. Only after spitting out those words did she turn to look at Xiao Zigong: "You, surnamed Xiao, do you have any right to speak here? You're nothing but a live-in son-in-law of the Xue family, one that I discarded..."

"Enough!" Old Master Xue slammed his palm down on the table: "Shuyu, I've spoiled you too much in the past, which is why you've become so arrogant, willful, and devoid of right and wrong!"

"Now, I order you to apologize to Wenwen!"

It was the first time Xue Shuyu had ever faced such stern severity, and she found it difficult to accept. In the Xue family, the Old Master's word was law, and Xue Shuyu dared not defy him, so she could only cast a pleading look at Xue Bin.

Under different circumstances or at another time, Xue Bin might have cracked a joke to smooth things over and protect his daughter.

Not today, however. With success just within arm's reach, Xue Bin was not about to sacrifice a golden opportunity for his daughter's sake.

Consequently, Xue Bin glared at Xue Shuyu, signaling her to behave and stop making an unreasonable scene.

Xue Shuyu was stunned, unable to understand why the father who had always protected her was acting this way! In the past, even if he knew pleading was useless, her father would have at least spoken up.

Fearing that the finalized arrangements might hit another snag, Xue Qiang anxiously slapped Xue Shuyu on the back: "Shuyu, be sensible. Grandfather has already spoken; you cannot violate the family rules!"

Xue Shuyu was utterly shocked, feeling the absurd sensation of a poor student tutoring a top scholar. In the Xue family, Xue Shuyu's academic record had always been stellar; whether passing college entrance exams or becoming a criminal police officer, she had outperformed Xue Qiang at every turn.

Yet now, Xue Qiang was lecturing her with a tone of instruction. Had she woken up the wrong way, causing her to hallucinate?

Looking at her grandfather's furious expression, Xue Shuyu knew she could stall no longer. She bowed slightly toward Xue Wen and said, "Wenwen, I'm sorry. I apologize to you!"

Xue Wen's expression was complex. She stared at Xue Shuyu for a moment, momentarily at a loss for words.

Xiao Zigong stepped in to smooth things over: "Since the conflict is cleared up, let's continue discussing official business."

Already feeling humiliated and annoyed, Xue Shuyu felt her face burn with fire upon hearing Xiao Zigong's words. With nowhere to vent her internal fury, she found her target: "Don't gloat here. Family matters of the Xue family are none of an outsider like you to interfere with."

"Just look at what status you hold!"

"You're merely a live-in son-in-law I once chose and then discarded. Do you have any right to speak here!"

Hearing this, Xiao Zigong was fumed into laughter! Her words not only insulted him but also slapped Xue Wen and Xue Ao in the face.

If he didn't clear the air today, his reputation would be completely ruined!

Known for his good temper, Xiao Zigong's expression shifted slightly as he glared at Xue Shuyu: "You and I were in a transaction from the start. You paid, I helped you, yet you ran away from the wedding."

"If not for preserving the bigger picture, I could have walked away too. But I happen to be kind-hearted and chose not to make the Xue family a laughingstock in Tianhai City."

"Since we've met here again today, shouldn't we settle the logic of this? You breached the contract, I fulfilled it. Theoretically, you still owe me four hundred thousand!"

"What? You actually dare ask me for money?" Xue Shuyu's jaw dropped, her brain struggling to process the information. Was this really how logic worked?

Though she felt something was profoundly wrong, Xue Shuyu couldn't find a single counter-argument.

Fearing complications under the moonlight, Xue Bin made an executive decision: "Zigong makes sense. Qiangzi, go fetch four hundred thousand in cash for Zigong right now, and deduct it from Shuyu's allowance!"

"Why..." Feeling utterly wronged, Xue Shuyu opened her mouth to argue further, only to be silenced by a fierce glare from Xue Bin. Seeing that none of her relatives stood on her side, she had no choice but to stomp away in a rage!

Xue Ao was thoroughly satisfied. With a capable future son-in-law, even his daughter had begun to change, refusing to let herself be taken advantage of. If everything turned out as Xiao Zigong predicted—that coal prices would skyrocket after joining the WTO—then leadership of the Xue family might genuinely return to the direct eldest branch!