Yang Xiaodong clutched his stinging cheek, his face a picture of disbelief.
He had just been slapped—hard—by his cousin, whom he hadn’t seen in years!
“Ah! You little bitch, how dare you hit my son? I’ll kill you!” Yang Yue was the first to react, shrieking like a tigress protecting her cub as she lunged forward.
She had clearly forgotten the humiliation she’d suffered at the hotel in Wushui County.
Predictably, before she could even get close, Liu Yutong kicked her to the ground.
Seeing his mother attacked, Yang Xiaodong’s eyes burned with rage.
He hadn’t retaliated immediately—partly because the slap had caught him off guard, and partly because he’d hesitated to hit a woman.
But now, he couldn’t hold back anymore.
Just as he was about to strike, Gao Min stepped out of the kitchen and immediately intervened.
“Try it, and I’ll have you cooling your heels in a jail cell for a few days!”
Yang Xiaodong froze. “You’re a cop?”
Gao Min walked over to Liu Yutong and nodded. “That’s right. If you don’t believe me, I can show you my badge.”
With that, Yang Xiaodong had no choice but to back down.
But he wasn’t about to let Liu Yutong off the hook.
“Officer, then what about her? She just hit my mom and me! What are you going to do about that?”
Gao Min shrugged. “I didn’t see it.”
She wasn’t lying—she’d been busy roasting sweet potatoes under the stove.
If not for fear of them burning to a crisp, she’d have stepped out sooner.
Yang Xiaodong frowned. “What do you mean?”
Gao Min spread her hands. “No witnesses, no evidence. How can I arrest anyone?”
Yang Xiaodong protested, “We all saw it! Isn’t that enough?”
Liu Debao was quick to cut in. “Yang Xiaodong, don’t spout nonsense. My parents and I didn’t see anything.”
Gao Min nodded, adopting an official tone. “See? It’s not that I don’t want to act, but your stories don’t match. Since neither of you seems seriously hurt, why don’t we just drop it?”
“From now on, no more fighting—or I won’t be so lenient.”
Yang Xiaodong finally understood—this cop and Liu Yutong were clearly in cahoots, shielding her without shame.
The grandfather, Liu Chengjiang, who had been silently observing, finally stood and issued an ultimatum.
“You’ve paid your New Year’s respects. Now go home. I’d like a few more years of peace.”
With his eldest son married into another family and his youngest in prison, his granddaughters were his only solace.
Yang Yue, however, grew frantic. She pinched her husband’s arm and hissed, “Quit dawdling! Get to the point!”
Yang Jianren winced, rubbing his waist as he stepped forward. “Dad, we know we were wrong. We came not just to wish you a happy New Year, but also… we need Yutong’s help.”
Liu Yutong had already guessed. “Spit it out. What do you want?”
Yang Jianren didn’t mince words. “Yutong, do you know Master Jin from Wushui County?”
“He suddenly cut ties with our business. All our suppliers followed suit, and now we’re drowning in unsold stock. We can’t even pay our workers.”
“If you really know him, could you put in a good word for us?”
Yang Yue listened, seething but swallowing her pride. Their family’s livelihood was on the line.
Ever since their clash with Liu Yutong at the hotel last year, Master Jin had severed all business ties—ignoring even the old family connections.
Only after Yang’s patriarch personally begged for answers did Master Jin reluctantly hint that their niece was involved.
Back at the hotel, Yang Yue and her family had slipped away when Master Jin vowed to investigate who’d misused his name. They’d missed the rest—only catching wind of an arrest.
Otherwise, they’d have groveled at Liu Yutong’s feet right then.
Master Jin, out of respect for past ties, hadn’t pursued them—but the business relationship was dead.
Now, on New Year’s Day, they’d swallowed their pride to beg.
But to them, Liu Yutong was just a lucky upstart clinging to Master Jin’s coattails.
Her response stunned them.
“Master Jin? I don’t know him.”
Yang Yue exploded. “How can you not? He was at the hotel next to your graduation banquet!”
Liu Yutong scoffed. “Why should I? And your failing business isn’t my problem.”
Yang Yue sputtered, “I—”
Just then, Aunt Li came rushing in.
“Trouble! Yutong, a gang of bikers just rolled into the village—Cao Wang brought them!”
The room fell silent.
Yang Jianren’s family was baffled. Why would thugs show up on New Year’s?
But Liu Yutong and Gao Min knew.
“Aunt Li, are you sure?”
She nodded. “I saw Cao Wang handing out cigarettes at the crossroads. There were cars too—even a Mercedes. They’re parked at the village chief’s place.”
“You should hide. I think they’re here for you.”
Gao Min’s eyes flashed. “Let them try—I’m here.”
Yang Yue, seething, couldn’t resist a spiteful laugh.
“Hah! Serves you right, you little witch! Now you’ve pissed off the wrong people—let’s see you talk your way out of this!”
“Justice at last!”
Yang Xiaoqian tugged her sleeve. “Mom, stop. We still need her help.”
Yang Yue sneered. “Help? She just said she doesn’t know Master Jin! And after hitting me, karma’s finally biting back!”
Liu Yutong ignored the rant, frowning as she strode out of the yard.
Gao Min followed.
"Don't worry, I'm here. They won’t dare cause trouble."
It didn’t take long.
Seven or eight motorcycles soon appeared in front of them, each carrying a thug armed with weapons.
Cao Wang jumped off the back of one of the bikes.
When he saw Gao Min still standing beside Liu Yutong, he immediately grabbed one of his lackeys by the collar and demanded, "What the hell? Why is she still here?"
The lackey shrank back, his face twisted in misery. "Well... Boss Wang, I just couldn’t force down a whole pound of lard..."
"Useless! Get out of my sight!" Cao Wang kicked him aside in frustration.
But there was no time to dwell on that now.
He’d already called his men—backing out wasn’t an option.
Besides, the village chief’s house was hosting some big shots from Wushui County today. Even if one of them was a cop, they could still handle it.
Cao Wang’s arrogance returned as he gestured to the gang behind him.
"Liu Yutong, happy New Year!"
"Today, I’ve brought the boys here especially to give you two a grand New Year’s greeting!"
