Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Pei Ge, why did you make Young Master Ji steal our Pei family’s project last time?!”
Pei Ge was taken aback by Pei Zhenghui’s accusing words.
She reflexively shook her head and denied, “I didn’t!”
She did not understand where he got that idea. She was merely one of Ji Ziming’s secretaries, so how would she have the capability to do that?
Besides, she had no reason to do such a thing.
“You didn’t?! Then, why would the project we have worked so hard to obtain for months just be snatched away like that?!” he roared, his eyes glinting with ferociousness.
Under the stimulation he had received and alcohol he had drunk today, he released all the bottled-up feelings he had inside him.
“Zhenghui, I think you are mistaken. Ge Ge… Ge Ge is not that capable. She will also never do such a thing to her family.” Regaining her senses from his earlier outburst, Zhang Manhua amicably persuaded.
“She is not that capable? The one who stole our project is her boyfriend, that Ji Ziming, so how is she not capable?! Great! Just great! I really brought up an ingrate!” He slapped his palms on the table’s surface and glared at Pei Ge coldly.
Pei Ge, who was worrying about her second uncle’s state, was stunned silly by his words. It was as if someone had gouged out her heart when she heard him call her an ingrate.
The person she had always treated as family and her second father was currently saying these accusing and vicious words to her, so how could she not feel hurt and saddened?
“Second Uncle, what are you talking about? I really don’t understand,” she bit her lower lip and asked in a quivering voice.
“Dad, dad, stop it! Stop it, please! Ge Ge is really not that type of person!” Looking aghast, Pei Shishi tried to stop him.
“Cousin, I’ve never done you any wrong, so why are you treating me like this? What in the world did you say to second uncle for him to treat me like this?!” Pei Ge, who was feeling so awful, turned to question Pei Shishi, who started soothing Pei Zhenghui, about the matter.
She did not understand. It was just one man. Had they not talked it through last time and agreed to let bygones be bygones? Why was her cousin still stuck on it, then?
“Pei Ge, what is with your attitude?! Our Shishi is kindheartedly speaking up for you, so what nonsense are you spouting?!”
Liu Yan, who had gone to get some hangover soup for Pei Zhenghui, returned to see her daughter speak up for Pei Ge only to be scolded in return and immediately flared up.
Putting the hangover soup on the coffee table, she furiously bellowed, “Our family has treated you guys so well and so generously all these years! We even gave you money for living expenses and a place to stay! What kind of good things have you not received?! Why? Now that you finally managed to snag a rich person, are you going to step on us now?
“Hur hur! Ah Hui is right! You are an ingrate! How has your cousin treated you all along?! Your conscience has really been eaten by dogs!”
Liu Yan’s vicious and ugly words made Pei Ge feel so horrible that her eyes reddened.
“Second Auntie, I really didn’t – didn’t do any of those awful things,” she choked with balled up fists.
If she really did not care about her cousin, she would not write off her deeds as just nothing and would not let things go just like that.
“What nonsense! Do you think I’m blind?!” Liu Yan regarded her niece coldly and mockingly.
Her earlier thoughts of treating Pei Ge better to get some benefits vanished upon hearing her husband’s words and seeing her daughter getting ‘bullied’.
“Xiao Yan, our Ge Ge is not a person like that.” Zhang Manhua straightened her face and calmly look at Pei Shishi’s family. “It is already late, so Ge Ge and I will return home now.”
“Hmph! Hurry up and leave, then. Don’t disturb our Ah Hui’s rest.” Liu Yan snorted, giving them a disdainful stare.
“Mhm. We’ll take our leave now, then.” Zhang Manhua did not pay heed to her attitude and only politely excused her daughter and herself. “Ge Ge, let’s go home.”
Pei Ge’s nose reddened as she felt the warm and soft yet strong hand on hers.
Despite her second uncle misunderstanding her like that and saying all those horrible things about her, her mother still chose to stand on her side and believe in her.
Stifling the tears in her eyes, she turned to look at Pei Zhenghui, who had just bellowed at her but was now fast asleep in his drunkenness.
She took a deep breath and then turned to address Pei Shishi and Liu Yan.
“I will come look for second uncle here tomorrow to make things clear and open.”
She, Pei Ge, was never an ingrate. She could not let him misunderstand her like that.
“Hur hur, no, don’t. We don’t have a relative like you,” Liu Yan mirthlessly laughed as she sarcastically said this.
Pei Ge did not rebuke her and merely took one last look at Pei Shishi before turning around and following her mother out.
“Big Auntie, Ge Ge, I will send you guys out,” Pei Shishi gently said this as she watched them turn to leave.
“Shishi, don’t be a fool. Think about how that damn lass treated you just then.” Liu Yan moved to stop her daughter.
“Mom!” Pei Shishi gave her mother a disapproving look and wanted to say something, but Pei Ge stopped her.
“There’s no need to. Cousin, we know the road out, so just take proper care of second uncle.”
Pei Ge was really angered this time around. When she found out that her cousin had joined forces with Liu Yue to frame her up, she only felt sad toward her.
That was because she already found an excuse for her behavior.
This time, though, she was really angry.
She was angry with her cousin for pinning her with all sorts of accusations because of one man and for inverting right from wrong in front of her second uncle.
She was angry because… her cousin seemed to have not treated her as family.
