While walking, he said to her softly, “Our family is very strict and uptight about social etiquette. We try to avoid making noises when we walk, as far as possible. You may be wearing stilettos, but you should still try to take lighter footsteps.”
She answered, “No, that’s your family rule, not mine. I’m not a member of your family so I don’t have to follow it, at least not until I gain your family’s approval.”
“You’re so willful.”
Donggong Lianzhi brought her to a large mansion. They walked toward the door in the middle, and he said, “This mansion belongs to my grandparents. My family would usually gather here at this time, lest the two of them feel lonely. This has already become an unspoken rule.”
“Oh.”
“My grandparents dislike me, so they would naturally be prejudiced against you too, but that doesn’t matter. It’s always been difficult to survive in a huge family.”
An Xiaoning glanced at him, feeling a little tense. However, she had been through all sorts of events and was not afraid of the Donggong family at all.
The moment they entered, An Xiaoning almost gasped in shock. Although she had heard about all his family members, she did not expect to see so many of them at once. Almost all the members were present, except those who could not make it.
An Xiaoning felt as if she had just witnessed an ancient family that was largely extended.
“Good morning, Grandpa and Grandma,” Donggong Lianzhi greeted.
Instead of standing next to him, she glanced at all the eyes on her dauntlessly without uttering a single word. She did not rush to introduce herself because she knew that someone would definitely ask about her.
“Who’s this woman who’s dressed so awfully?” an elderly lady remarked while sitting on a high chair and glaring at them coldly.
An Xiaoning almost choked the moment she heard the snide remark. I’m dressed so normally, how is this awful!?!
What an overbearing elderly woman who throws her weight around!
At this very moment, it was her turn to speak.
An Xiaoning replied, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way I’m dressed. Did you forget that you’re dressed in red too, Madam? I don’t think you should be criticizing yourself like this.”
The elderly Mrs. Donggong looked down at her own outfit and humphed before rebuking, “Who gave you the audacity to mock me!?!”
“You’ve gotten me wrong, Old Madam. I was just stating facts. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to you at all. I didn’t comment about your outfit or call it awful the moment I saw you, did I? I didn’t play the age card and say that you’re bullying me because I’m young. I was just stating facts from an objective viewpoint. Lianzhi and I came here today to announce something important to you guys.”
“Who do you think you are? Who allowed this woman in my house!?!”
“I’m nobody. I’m Lianzhi’s girlfriend. I heard that you guys have arranged a marriage for him. Please call off the engagement. This is what I came here to talk about today,” she said while holding onto Donggong Lianzhi’s arm.
The patriarch finally broke his silence and chastised, “What an arrogant little lass. Who are you to jeopardize our family matters? Lianzhi, she may be unsure of our rules since she’s an outsider but how could you not know? We can’t just make changes to your marriage. You’d better handle this woman properly. If you don’t, I’ll have to punish her myself.”
An Xiaoning drawled, “I’m carrying your family’s flesh and blood. Old Mr. Donggong, are you sure you want to break us up?”
Donggong Lianzhi looked at her in shock. She didn’t rehearse this bit with me beforehand!
“What!?!” The patriarch flew into a rage and stood up immediately.
Her words had garnered a variety of responses and reactions.
Some were nonchalant and indifferent.
Some were shocked and derisive.
Some were simply waiting to watch a show.
There were all sorts of facial expressions. An Xiaoning shifted her gaze onto a woman who seemed rather worried and anxious. An Xiaoning could guess from her features that she was probably Donggong Lianzhi’s mother.
His mother was the only one who had such a reaction.
Clearly, Donggong Lianzhi did not command respect in the Donggong family at all.
“Lianzhi, is this true!?!” Old Mr. Donggong questioned sternly.
Donggong Lianzhi felt a sense of relief and comfort after An Xiaoning tightened her grip around his arm.
He answered composedly, “Yes, Grandpa. That’s why I want you to cancel my engagement. I must be responsible toward Mu Ning and our child.”
Donggong Lianzhi’s mother finally stood up and stared at him in disbelief. “Son, did you forget what you said to me last time? You said clearly that you wouldn’t get into any other relationships outside of your engagement. Were you lying to me?”
After a few seconds of silence, Donggong Lianzhi answered, “I just want to be with the woman I love.”
Donggong Lianzhi’s mother glared daggers at An Xiaoning, who exchanged glances with her and even smiled at her. It seemed as if An Xiaoning was the arrogant daughter-in-law while Donggong Lianzhi’s mother was an aggrieved mother-in-law.
Old Mrs. Donggong hollered, “In that case, I’ll have to uphold justice for my granddaughter-in-law-to-be! Guards! Take this witch out to be beaten and executed!”
Donggong Lianzhi stared at An Xiaoning in astonishment only to see that she was still cool and collected. She retorted composedly, “You’ve really given me an eyeopener. The Donggong family is still so old-fashioned and you guys still resort to medieval punishment. I shall make things clear beforehand. I’ll teach whoever dares to lay a finger on me a hard lesson!”
“How arrogant! Take her away to be executed!” Old Mrs. Donggong screeched.
Soon, four men entered in a bid to pull An Xiaoning away. However, as soon as they touched her, they were thrown off balance by a sudden force and were propelled out of the door.
Everyone stared at her in astonishment. Old Mrs. Donggong then exclaimed frantically, “Shoot her to death! Hurry!”
The guards outside the door immediately whipped out their guns and rushed inside. Since the members of the Donggong family were not allowed to carry guns into the house, the bodyguards were the only ones who were armed with them.
The moment they swarmed inside, they stopped in their tracks, not daring to take another step forward.
The reason was, An Xiaoning was already holding the elderly matriarch at gunpoint.
Donggong Lianzhi stood rooted to the ground in shock, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
He had witnessed An Xiaoning placing her gun against his grandmother’s forehead within just a few seconds.
The thing was, she was in stilettos…
