The main purpose of coming to the social gathering with Guan Huie was to meet the Ji family members.
Encountering Xia Ziyu and Wang Jianhua was unplanned, but Xia Xiaolan effortlessly managed to put them in their place. The aftermath of their tutoring class incident might not have fully blown over, and currently, Xia Xiaolan was indeed doing better than both of them. No words were necessary – just knowing about her situation was enough to make Wang Jianhua and Xia Ziyu suffer!
Especially Xia Ziyu, who was probably worried about potential revenge.
Making Xia Ziyu and Wang Jianhua uncomfortable was just a bonus – the main target was the Ji family. After more than an hour, they finally saw Ji Ya’s brother, Ji Lin.
Ji Lin came straight over after descending the stairs.
As the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the social gathering, it wouldn’t be difficult for Ji Lin to learn about the attendees’ identities.
By now, Ji Lin had surely figured out the implications of Ning Yanfan’s “reminder.”
Comrade Guan Huie was Zhou Guobin’s wife.
If Tang Hongen was formidable, wasn’t Zhou Guobin equally so?
The Zhou patriarch was still alive.
Even when Ji’s grandfather was alive, he couldn’t match the Zhou patriarch. Ji’s grandfather wielded a pen, while Zhou’s patriarch wielded a gun – the latter’s reason depended entirely on his mood.
Was Ji Jiangyuan Ji Ya’s precious darling?
Well, Zhou Cheng was practically the only capable heir of the Zhou family’s third generation.
People said Ji Jiangyuan wouldn’t turn out badly, and that he was an excellent child with promise.
Zhou Cheng, about the same age as Ji Jiangyuan, was already successful.
The Zhou and Ji families had different development paths. Zhou Cheng didn’t need high academic credentials; what mattered was his career trajectory.
Someone like Zhou Cheng would be treasured by any family.
Ji Ya had insisted that Xia Xiaolan was Tang Hongen’s plant to get close to Ji Jiangyuan, humiliating her twice at school. Now the truth was clear – no matter how powerful Tang Hongen was, he couldn’t possibly command the Zhou family’s future daughter-in-law!
The Ji family was being undermined by Ji Ya.
In just a few days, Ji Lin had already felt how difficult work had become without his grandfather’s protection.
The Zhou family didn’t need to take any deliberate revenge – merely expressing doubt and dissatisfaction with the Ji family was enough. Feeling pressure from both Tang Hongen and the Zhou family, Ji Lin couldn’t care about saving face anymore. Learning that Guan Huie had brought Xia Xiaolan to the social gathering, he couldn’t sit still.
He had been observing from upstairs for a while – Xia Xiaolan seemed good-tempered and approachable.
Being a university student, she should be reasonable.
Ji Lin had carefully planned his words before coming downstairs to approach Xia Xiaolan.
Xia Xiaolan watched as this elegant Ji family member approached with an enthusiastic expression:
“Comrade Guan, Student Xia, hello! Please share any feedback about today’s gathering – we welcome the opportunity to improve! Let me introduce myself – I’m Ji Lin from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
While Guan Huie remained silent, Xia Xiaolan just smiled:
“I have no complaints. The gathering is quite nice.”
Compared to her genuine sweet smiles for others, her response to Ji Lin was merely perfunctory.
Xia Xiaolan understood courtesy, but that didn’t mean she would turn the other cheek after being slapped. So far, she hasn’t received any apology from the Ji family. Ji Ya hadn’t apologized in the office, and if other Ji family members found her behavior inappropriate, they could have easily found Xia Xiaolan to apologize.
Ji Lin hoped to gloss over the matter with a few friendly words, but even if Xia Xiaolan agreed, would Guan Huie?
Seeing their cold response, Ji Lin felt bitter.
He wished he could drag Ji Ya over to apologize, but she had smashed everything in the hotel room. Ji Jiangyuan, unable to bear his mother’s hysteria, had run away late at night. No one knew where he stayed that night, only returning home the next noon.
After returning home, Ji Jiangyuan became increasingly silent.
Words like cheerful and sunny no longer applied to him.
Fortunately, Ji Jiangyuan was a boy – spending one night away wouldn’t harm him. If it had been a girl, Ji Lin would have had to report to the police!
Xia Xiaolan heard Ji Jiangyuan’s uncle switch to a more sincere tone:
“Student Xia, I want to apologize. I failed to properly guide my family members. The damage to your reputation caused by my sister – the Ji family will take responsibility!”
He didn’t apologize to Guan Huie, indicating this wasn’t about fearing the Zhou family’s power. Simply regarding Ji Ya’s actions towards Xia Xiaolan, Ji Ya was wrong and naturally owed Xia Xiaolan an apology.
After letting Ji Lin finish, Xia Xiaolan countered:
“Mr. Ji, your sister is an adult. Doesn’t she know how to apologize?”
Ji Lin choked. From afar, Xia Xiaolan had seemed good-tempered, but up close, she was assertive, far from docile. It wasn’t such a big issue, yet while the Zhou family was making threats, Xia Xiaolan herself wouldn’t accept his apology.
Ji Lin almost stormed off, but with Guan Huie watching coldly from the side, he suppressed his displeasure and explained painfully:
“My sister’s mental state isn’t good. Due to some emotional issues, she might not be able to apologize to Student Xia personally-“
Xia Xiaolan feigned sudden understanding:
“Mr. Ji means that Ms. Ji Ya suffers from mental illness, making her unable to take responsibility for her actions. Coming to school to humiliate me wasn’t Ms. Ji Ya’s intention but rather her illness acting up?”
Ji Lin didn’t want to admit it.
But this was the best solution.
Admitting Ji Ya was ill meant most people wouldn’t hold it against a sick person.
“That’s correct. I hope Student Xia can understand. If you have any requests, please voice them. The Ji family will compensate you however we can.”
Seeing Ji Lin take this route, Xia Xiaolan secretly shook her head.
No wonder Tang Hongen said the Ji family would decline. Ji Lin couldn’t even distinguish sarcasm – how did he work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where words must be carefully chosen?
“Mr. Ji, you misunderstand. I mean, if Ms. Ji Ya’s condition is so severe that she can’t be responsible for her actions, the Ji family shouldn’t let her roam freely. I know our country’s research on mental illness isn’t very advanced, but there should be professional psychiatric hospitals. I suggest the Ji family quickly admit Ms. Ji Ya for the treatment… Of course, I wouldn’t hold anything against a patient, don’t you agree, Mr. Ji?”
If someone’s ill, they should seek treatment.
Illness shouldn’t be a shield for doing whatever one wants.
Xia Xiaolan only trusted hospital diagnoses. If Ji Ya’s condition was truly so severe she couldn’t control herself, the Ji family should send her to a mental hospital!
Not sending her to the hospital proved she could manage daily life, so why couldn’t Ji Ya, a middle-aged woman, apologize herself?
Xia Xiaolan didn’t owe the Ji family anything. She was only a freshman – should those who act unreasonably rule the world while those who follow reason deserve to suffer?!
“You-“
Ji Lin barely contained himself from losing his temper. Xia Xiaolan wasn’t good-tempered at all; she was relying on the Zhou family’s backing to be unforgiving even when in the right!