The loud commotion attracted the others back to the kitchen. When they returned, they were shocked by what greeted them. They couldn’t immediately make sense of the situation because they were alarmed by the howling Long Hui on the floor.
Fortunately, Little Jun wasn’t with them. Clover stayed with him while Dom and the others checked what the hell was happening in the kitchen. The toddler would surely become upset if he saw his father in such a disturbing condition.
“What happened?! Dom cried dramatically. “Why is elder brother boss screaming like a pig being slaughtered?! Sir boss, did you break his spitting cobra?! Oh no! What if it can’t make babies anymore?! Or worse, it might never stand up again! Poor Big Sis Yue!”
He gasped in horror at the possibility. He even clutched his chest and paled, as if it was the worst tragedy that could ever happen in Jiang Ying Yue’s life.
“Shut up, Dom!” Jiang Ying Yue snapped. She had no time for his dramatics at the moment.
Long Hui’s howls gradually became groans. Jin Liwei had covered him with ugly injuries. With his torn clothes, he looked pitiful.
Yi Mei and the other household staff alternately looked at the two couples. The Long Hui-Jiang Ying Yue couple looked miserable on the floor, while the Jin Liwei-Iris couple looked frightening with their combined aura of cold danger.
“Ying Yue, bring that stupid idiot to the hospital. Even I’m not sure if the orange dealt permanent damage to his peroneal nerve.” Her way of phrasing her words cast the blame entirely on the orange, as if it launched by itself to hurt Long Hui. “Leave Little Jun here with us. We’ll take care of him. Go and babysit that delusional fool who clearly lost the majority of his brain cells tonight due to his sudden stupidity. Maybe you can squeeze some sense back into his decomposing brain.”
Everyone was already used to Iris’ occasional sharp tongue, but they still couldn’t help but wince at her cutting words towards her own brother. It was only Jin Liwei and Dom who didn’t think that her words were too much.
Jin Liwei loved her more than life itself. He would always side with her, even if she were to burn Long Hui alive or anyone else for that matter. He would even give her an endless supply of fuel and a diamond-encrusted lighter to do the job.
“Xiulan, I’m so sorry about what Hui said. I’m sure he didn’t mean any of it,” Jiang Ying Yue apologized for her fiancé. Her eyes implored Iris for forgiveness.
Iris’ eyes softened at her friend.
“Why are you saying sorry to her?! I meant everything I said!” Long Hui roared at Jiang Ying Yue. “Do you really believe that she has changed for the better? Open your eyes! She has never changed! Mark my words. She’ll become exactly like her mother, that slut!”
He had truly lost control of himself. There were only rage and resentment against Iris and Jin Liwei in his heart at the moment.
“You son of a bi—” Jin Liwei was about to attack Long Hui again but Iris stopped him.
“Liwei, don’t dirty your hands anymore on scum like him. He’s not worth your time or energy.” Then she instructed the housekeeper. “Yi Mei, call the driver and have him drive Ying Yue and that stupid idiot to the hospital.”
“Right away, Young Miss.” Yi Mei left to do her bidding.
Long Hui threw his head back and gave an ugly, mocking laughter. “Hospital? Still pretending to be a selfless and magnanimous person? Huh, little sister?”
“I never claimed to be selfless or magnanimous,” Iris said in a cold voice. “I just don’t want scum like you dirtying my floor longer than necessary. I’m sending you to the hospital because it’s either that or have you thrown to the dumpster where you rightfully belong. Besides, it’s better to send you to the hospital so Father won’t be able to blame me for your injuries which, by the way, you totally deserve.
Then she instructed the other staff. “Help Ying Yue get that stupid idiot into the car, so that they can go to the hospital. No need to be careful. Just drag him. If he resists, just put him in a sack or something and then dump him into the trunk.”
“Whoa, boss! You’re so bad-ass!” Dom exclaimed. “You’re just like the female lead from the webtoon Queen of the Shadows by Princess Porkchop!”
Nobody responded to his off-topic remark, especially in this kind of tense situation. He didn’t really mind, though.
As for Jiang Ying Yue, she felt torn between the siblings. However, she couldn’t really defend any of Long Hui’s actions tonight because he was clearly in the wrong. Besides, he was the one who started insulting his own sister.
“Before you go, I want all of you to know that I’m banning that stupid idiot from entering the penthouse until further notice,” Iris announced.
“Xiulan…” Jiang Ying Yue’ expression fell.
“Don’t worry, Ying Yue. You and Little Jun are always welcome here. But that scum isn’t. That’s all. Now go.” Iris waved a hand, dismissing them.
“Hah! So what if you ban me? Go ahead! I never want to enter this forsaken place ever again either!” Long Hui pointed threatening finger at Iris. “You want Long Industries for yourself? Think again! I’ll never let you!”
Iris had no interest in Long Industries. Ever. However, she thought that Long Hui’s foolish provocations might just compel her to take over the damn company just to spite him.
After that, she grabbed Jin Liwei’s hand and they both marched away. Jin Liwei made sure to throw an intimidating look at Long Hui before leaving the kitchen with his baby girl.
###
On the way to the hospital, a fierce argument was taking place inside the car.
“Stop the damn car! I don’t want to go to the hospital!” Long Hui roared.
“My apologies, sir. My employer is the Young Miss Xiulan, not you. She instructed me to bring you to the hospital, so I must do it at all cost even if I have to knock you unconscious,” the driver politely replied.
“You! How dare you?! This is kidnapping! I’ll call the police!”
“Go ahead, sir.” The driver remained polite all throughout, not the least bit intimidated by Long Hui’s threats.
The driver knew that the Young Miss protected all of the members of her household as long as they remained loyal to her. He also knew that her lawyer was one of the best private lawyers in the country, not to mention that Sir Liwei’s own lawyer was the very best in the corporate world.
“Hui, I beg you to please calm down. This is not you,” Jiang Ying Yue pleaded with him. She was doing her best to remain calm.
“What are you talking about? Get a hold of yourself. Of course, I still love you. It’s just that you’ve said so many hurtful things to Xiulan. This is so unlike you, Hui. I beg you to calm your anger.”
“Why are you siding with her?!”
“Because Xiulan is my friend!”
“I’m your fiancé and the father of your child!”
Jiang Ying Yue flinched at his yell. But she quickly straightened her already ramrod straight back, trying to stay strong even when she was upset at Long Hui’s uncharacteristic behaviour.
He pointed an angry finger at her. “It may seem like it’s because of Xiulan that you now have a comfortable life being the head of security at the condo, but you should know that I was the one who asked her to hire you as a bodyguard in the first place! You think that she’s your friend? Think again! I begged her to hire you! I was the one who did things for you! You should be grateful to me, not to her!”
Her lips pressed hard into a thin line. “I refuse to talk to you when you’re being unreasonable like this. Please cool your head first. We can talk like two decent adults then.”
“Xiulan has banned me from her place and now you don’t want to talk to me? So you’re really siding with her, huh? Is it because she’s richer than me? Able to buy company shares like they’re candies? Has close connections with powerful people? You’re choosing her over me because she can give you more expensive things than me? Is that it?”
Jiang Ying Yue slapped him hard on the face, while tears began falling down her eyes.
