Without waiting for Chen Wenyu to move first, Yan Zhengfeng walked towards Chen Wenyu's courtyard.
"Yes," Chen Wenyu replied, leading Yan Ruxue to follow. She shot Yan Jiaojiao a glare.
Yan Jiaojiao was indifferent and lazily followed.
Chen Wenyu's courtyard was exceptionally quiet, with hardly any servants in sight along the way.
Yan Jiaojiao became vigilant, her grip on the little black dog tightening slightly.
Whether sensing her unease or finding the embrace too tight, the little black dog extended its tiny paw and patted Yan Jiaojiao's hand.
The soft, fluffy paw instantly eased Yan Jiaojiao's tense nerves. She couldn't help but grasp the little paw and rub it a few times.
The group arrived at Yan Ruoliu's door. Yan Ruoliu was still listlessly propped against the headboard of her bed, showing no sign of improvement after a long period. As soon as she saw Yan Zhengfeng enter, she burst into tears, "Father! You're finally back!"
Yan Zhengfeng, always the traditional patriarch with a stern demeanor, couldn't help but show concern at Yan Ruoliu's fragile and helpless tears. He hurried forward, sat by the bed, took Yan Ruoliu's outstretched hand, and said, "Ruoliu, you've suffered."
Yan Jiaojiao's eyes darkened, and she couldn't help but feel it was unfair to the original host. The original host was clearly the victim, yet she had never received a word of comfort and was instead treated as a thorn in everyone's side!
"Come here and kneel! Apologize to your sister properly!"
Yan Zhengfeng's roar followed, his gaze towards Yan Jiaojiao terrifying, as if he wanted to kill her.
How could Yan Jiaojiao kneel? She met Yan Zhengfeng's gaze with a straight posture and said, "My inner dan was also destroyed by her. She even gouged out my spirit bone and kicked me into the Ten Thousand Beasts Abyss. I merely took back what she owed me, and I haven't even taken her life yet."
"Yes, Father, don't blame sister," Yan Ruoliu said, tears welling up. Her eyes towards Yan Jiaojiao showed fear, as if she had been so terrified by Yan Jiaojiao that she had developed a phobia. She even cowered, "I... I brought it upon myself. I dare not anger sister again."
Yan Zhengfeng could not stand seeing his beloved daughter like this. He roared at Yan Jiaojiao, "To think you feigned kindness and innocence before, only to be so cruel and heartless! You wanted your sister's life over a small disagreement! If I let you marry into the Sheng family of Jiangnan, you would truly bring disaster upon them!"
Upon hearing the words "Sheng family of Jiangnan," Yan Ruxue's tears also began to flow.
"Oh, Xue'er, why are you crying now?" Chen Wenyu immediately went forward to hug Yan Ruxue, deliberately raising her voice.
Yan Ruxue choked out, "Mother, the Sheng young master and I have no destiny. I only wish that Jiaojiao can take good care of the Sheng young master in the future."
"What is going on?" Yan Zhengfeng frowned upon hearing this. Although he had heard Chen Wenyu mention wanting to marry Yan Ruxue into the Sheng family, he was unaware that Yan Ruxue and Sheng Mobai had already met.
"Alas, my poor Xue'er," Chen Wenyu also wiped a tear before saying to Yan Zhengfeng, "Xue'er met that Sheng young master the other day when she went out, and they got along quite well. Jiaojiao also knew about this. We had even discussed with Jiaojiao if the eldest sister could marry first, but Jiaojiao insisted on taking back the jade pendant she had gifted to Xue'er..."
Chen Wenyu continued to wipe her tears and sighed, "Alas, one cannot blame others. It is only a pity that fate plays such tricks. With the Sheng young master's words at the banquet today, my illegitimate daughter has no hope."
These ambiguous words painted Yan Ruxue and Sheng Mobai as a couple forced apart, with Yan Jiaojiao being the obstacle between them.
Yan Zhengfeng's brows furrowed as he looked at Yan Jiaojiao, "Is this true? I also remember that you had already given that jade pendant to Xue'er. Why insist on taking it back now? Could it be that you truly have your heart set on marrying into the Sheng family?"
Yan Jiaojiao felt like laughing. The Sheng family was originally betrothed to the original host's legitimate mother. This marriage was rightfully the original host's. Now, it sounded as if she were snatching her sister's husband, using her position and power to force Sheng Mobai.
Fortunately, the original host was dead, and she herself had no desire to marry into the Sheng family. Otherwise, she would have been angered to death by this "happy family."
Yan Jiaojiao said, "As I said, the jade pendant was originally mine. I am merely taking back what belongs to me. I want nothing else."
"So that means it is indeed true," Yan Zhengfeng's face darkened to the point where it looked like it could drip water.
"So what if it is?"
"Slap!"
No one saw how Yan Zhengfeng moved. Yan Jiaojiao's face was already slapped to the side.
"Don't think you can do whatever you want in the Yan family just because you have the backing of the General's Mansion!" Yan Zhengfeng roared. "Your legitimate mother is dead, and how long can the General's Mansion continue to protect you?"
Yan Jiaojiao pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek, where she had been hit, and sneered, "As long as your status has not surpassed the General's Mansion, you must keep me, isn't that right?"
Song Zhi was the legitimate daughter of the current Marshal of Mighty Tigers. When she was a young maiden, she was ambushed while traveling and happened to be saved by Yan Zhengfeng, who was passing by on his training journey. Song Zhi fell in love with him and insisted on marrying him.
Yan Zhengfeng had initially intended to refuse, but when news of the Yan family's then-patriarch being critically ill arrived, Yan Zhengfeng immediately agreed to marry Song Zhi of the General's Mansion. With the support of the General's Mansion, he managed to seize the position of Yan family patriarch.
However, the General's Mansion had too powerful a background, and Yan Zhengfeng was constantly pressured by them, harboring resentment. It was only after relocating to Kunyang City that Yan Zhengfeng could finally somewhat lessen the control of the General's Mansion.
Even now, though they had moved to Kunyang City and Song Zhi had passed away, the lingering influence of the General's Mansion remained. They explicitly forbade Yan Zhengfeng from taking a new primary wife and occasionally reminded him to ensure Yan Jiaojiao's daily affairs were managed.
The more this was the case, the more Yan Zhengfeng detested Yan Jiaojiao. At this moment, when Yan Jiaojiao provoked him with the General's Mansion, Yan Zhengfeng was enraged.
Yan Zhengfeng stepped forward and flung a beam of green light directly at Yan Jiaojiao's face. Yan Jiaojiao was startled and, relying on her agile reflexes, dodged to the side, rolling on the ground in a clumsy manner before narrowly avoiding the attack. The little black dog in her arms was also thrown out.
The spot where the light had struck now had a small pit, with dust and gravel flying up.
Yan Zhengfeng had resorted to lethal force!
Yan Jiaojiao was furious, "You want to kill me?"
Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs, yet Yan Zhengfeng showed no remorse. He looked down at Yan Jiaojiao and said, "You deserve punishment."
Yan Jiaojiao sneered, "Punishment? You clearly want to kill me, just like my legitimate mother before, right? First, you killed her and then spread false news that she was seriously ill and could not be seen. Now you want to do the same to me!"