"Brother Qi Huan," Jiang Yonghe looked at Qi Huan again, her face a picture of pitiful vulnerability. "Save me... please? You still have me in your heart, right? You still want to marry me, don't you?"
Before Qi Huan could speak, Qi An'an, afraid that Jiang Youli might misunderstand, quickly clarified for him. "Jiang Yonghe, stop your wishful thinking! Brother Huan has never liked you, from beginning to end, okay!"
"That's not true... Brother Qi Huan... If you didn't like me back then, why would you agree to an arranged marriage with me? In terms of family background, my Jiang family wasn't the best choice, and in terms of looks, there are women in Beijing more beautiful than me..."
Qi An'an said, "The marriage was arranged by Grandpa. If it weren't for the fact that the heir to the Qi family had to marry to carry on the family line, and that he didn't want to anger our Grandpa whose health was failing day by day, Brother Huan would never have agreed to marry you."
Sitting in his wheelchair, Qi Huan was uncharacteristically devoid of his usual gentle elegance. His dark eyes held a faint trace of mockery. "I never wanted to marry you. My heart only has room for Little Li'er. You have done so many things to hurt Little Li'er; even if Jiang Yangxu's family could forgive you, I cannot."
Jiang Yangxu immediately chimed in, "Young Master Qi, rest assured, I could never let this little bastard who harmed Youli off the hook. I will definitely make sure Youli is satisfied!"
Qi Huan knew perfectly well why Jiang Yangxu was being so ruthless to Jiang Yonghe. He merely offered a faint smile at the guarantee, remaining silent.
After begging everyone in the room, Jiang Yonghe finally realized that at this very moment, the only person who could save her was Jiang Youli!
But she really didn't want to plead with Jiang Youli!
At this time, Jiang Yangxu had already walked up to Jiang Yonghe, his face fierce. "You little bastard, as soon as Young Master Qi's legs were crippled, you begged us to bring our biological daughter back to marry him in your place. Now you still have the nerve to beg Young Master Qi for mercy? You are truly shameless!"
Jiang Yonghe knelt on the ground, crying profusely as she begged for mercy, "Dad, I'm begging you, have you forgotten our twenty years of father-daughter bond..."
"If you remembered our bond, you should never, ever have hurt my biological daughter!" Ignoring Jiang Yonghe's pleas, Jiang Yangxu crouched down, intending to drag her up.
Terrified, Jiang Yonghe swatted Jiang Yangxu's hand away and scrambled backward.
"Jiang Xing, grab her. Don't let her move!" Jiang Yangxu ordered in a deep voice.
Jiang Xing's eyes darkened. After a moment of hesitation, he resolutely stepped forward and hauled Jiang Yonghe up from the floor.
"Big brother, big brother, let me go..." Jiang Yonghe was still pleading relentlessly.
"Let you go? If it weren't for you, my leg wouldn't be crippled, and my poison would have already been cured. Everything is because of you!" Jiang Xing gripped Jiang Yonghe's wrist with intense hatred, his fingers pressing so hard they almost snapped her tendons.
Jiang Yangxu tore off Jiang Yonghe's mask, aimed the blade at her still-swollen face, and made a clean, sharp slash.
"Ah!" Jiang Yonghe let out an agonizing wail. A long gash was sliced open across her swollen face, running from the corner of her eye down to the corner of her mouth.
Zhang Susu turned her head away. Even though she deeply hated Jiang Yangxu and his family, she couldn't stomach seeing such a bloody and cruel scene.
Jiang Yehan wrapped his arms around her, gently pressing her head against his chest.
"That cut was for my son, Jiang Zhao. And for my daughter, Jiang Youli, I will give you another cut on her behalf."
After making the first cut, Jiang Yangxu slashed another gash on the other side of Jiang Yonghe's face. Only then did he put the knife down and look at Jiang Youli. "Youli, look, Dad has avenged you. If you feel this isn't enough to vent your anger, tell Dad where else you want to cut her. Wherever you say, I'll cut!"
Jiang Youli glanced at the two bloody wounds on Jiang Yonghe's face, confirming that her face was completely ruined, and sneered, "Don't, I can't bear that honor. You clearly slashed her face out of humiliated rage because your family was screwed over by Jiang Yonghe and now can't get a single penny of the Jiang family's assets. Don't force this blame onto me."
"That's not it, Youli, my precious daughter. Dad truly knows he was wrong. You can ask Dad to do anything," Jiang Yangxu said, his eyes filled with tender affection.
Qin Yulian chimed in, "Youli, Mom and Dad both know we were wrong. Please forgive us, okay?"
Jiang Youli mocked, "You don't know you were wrong. You're just doing this because you've lost everything and have no other choice."
Exposed, Jiang Yangxu said unhurriedly, "...I understand, Youli. You must feel that you haven't vented enough anger. Don't worry, I absolutely will not let Jiang Yonghe appear in front of you again to be an eyesore and upset you!"
With that, he turned and instructed his wife, "Yulian, lock this little bastard up!"
Qin Yulian nodded, "Okay."
As she was about to drag Jiang Yonghe away, Jiang Youli said, "Ms. Qin Yulian, where are you taking Jiang Yonghe? Don't forget what Grandpa said. The West District Villa and the entire Jiang family now belong to me. You can no longer live here."
Hearing that they had to move out today, Qin Yulian would have flown into a rage in the past, but now she could only wear an extremely ugly expression and try to play the sympathy card. "Youli, your dad is injured right now, and your second brother just woke up..."
Jiang Youli remained expressionless. "Save your breath. I'm only giving your family one day. You must leave the Jiang family today, or else I'll have people throw you out."
Qin Yulian helplessly cast her gaze toward Old Master Jiang, who was sitting in the seat of honor. Her eyes were full of pleading, as if hoping he would step forward and say a word on her behalf.
Old Master Jiang turned a blind eye to her and once again solemnly instructed his granddaughter, "Youli, the Jiang family is in your hands from now on. It's time for this old man to enjoy some peace and quiet."
After delivering these heartfelt words, Old Master Jiang slowly stood up. He glanced at Zhao Zhigang, the former branch manager of the West District who had been tied up and brought over, and instructed the head butler, "Have someone take Zhao Zhigang to the police station."
"Understood," the head butler nodded.
Supported by the head butler, Old Master Jiang hobbled toward the door until his figure completely disappeared from everyone's sight.
Jiang Yehan took Zhang Susu's hand, turned to Old Master Zhang, the old madam, and the others, and said, "Dad, Mom, First Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, it's been a long trip for you all. Come with us to the East District Villa and rest for a while."
"Alright."
Zhang Susu and Jiang Yehan led Old Mr. Zhang, his wife, and the others out of the West District Villa.
Jiang Youli and Qi Huan, along with Qi An'an and her three best friends, were just about to follow when Jiang Zhao struggled up from the sofa and walked toward Jiang Youli, trying to grab hold of her.
"Sister..."
Jiang Youli turned sideways, dodging Jiang Zhao's hand, and frowned in disgust. "Don't call me sister. It's disgusting. Don't forget what you did to me before you fell into a coma."
Jiang Zhao's eyes were incredibly hurt. Of course he hadn't forgotten; he had ordered someone to tamper with the brakes on her car. If it had been severe enough, it could have truly cost her her life.
"Youli, I am an absolute bastard! A complete fool! To think I was wicked enough to try and kill my own flesh and blood! I deserve to die a hundred times over!" Jiang Zhao clutched his head in agony. "When I was paralyzed, unable to move a muscle yet completely conscious, I heard the things Jiang Yonghe said right in front of me. When I finally saw that vicious woman for who she truly is, you have no idea how much regret and torment tore through my heart.
"Youli, if you would just forgive me, I would gladly lay down my life for you."
