"Humph, who are you putting on this sanctimonious act for? Don't tell me you're playing some hard-to-get game?"
"I'm telling you, Yan Qiubai was never yours to begin with. If you're smart, you'd better get out of here now. That'd show some self-awareness on your part."
She took a step closer, her voice dripping with malice and a twisted sense of pleasure.
"Otherwise, once the Yan family finds out you've been messed around with by some random guy and even got pregnant with some bastard's child..."
"Do you think the Yan family will let you off? Or will they let our Du family go?"
"By then, the entire Du family will be dragged down by you alone! Can you bear that responsibility?"
The words "bastard child" were like poisoned needles, stabbing deep into Meng Ruozhao's heart.
Du Xixi watched as Meng Ruozhao's face instantly turned pale. She laughed smugly, thinking she had finally hit her sore spot.
However, the next second—
"Slap!"
A crisp and resounding slap landed unexpectedly on Du Xixi's venomous face.
The force was so great that Du Xixi was completely stunned. She staggered back a couple of steps, covering her face and staring at Meng Ruozhao in disbelief.
The burning pain quickly spread across her face.
Meng Ruozhao slowly retracted her hand, her eyes as cold as ice shards in the depths of winter.
She looked at Du Xixi. Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying an air of unassailable authority.
"Du Xixi, since your mother failed to teach you how to speak properly, I, as your younger sister, don't mind giving you a lesson today."
She took a step forward. Although she was not much taller than Du Xixi, she exuded a powerful sense of oppression that made Du Xixi instinctively take a step back.
"Otherwise, in the future, your mouth will not only cause trouble for yourself but also bring about the downfall of the entire Du family."
Meng Ruozhao's gaze swept across Du Xixi's suddenly panicked face, her tone laced with a hint of mockery.
"After all, if the Du family collapses, do you think you can still live comfortably as a rich young lady and spout nonsense like you do now?"
Du Xixi was so angry that her whole body trembled. Her face turned red and white alternately, half from the pain and half from shame and anger.
She pointed at Meng Ruozhao, wanting to curse back, but found that the other woman's aura completely overwhelmed her.
The venomous words were stuck in her throat, and she didn't dare to say them for a moment.
She wanted to fight back, but the sting of that slap still lingered on her face, reminding her that she was no match for Meng Ruozhao.
In fact, she didn't even realize it herself.
Every time she saw Meng Ruozhao, she couldn't help but provoke, belittle, and humiliate her.
It was as if it was a conditioned reflex.
It was also a morbid need to gain a sense of superiority by putting the other person down.
But every time, the result was almost the same—she couldn't win an argument, and she couldn't win a fight. In the end, she could only stew in her own anger.
But the next time, she still didn't learn her lesson. She was truly incompetent but keen.
"You... You dared to hit me! Meng Ruozhao! You wait! Dad will never let you off!"
Du Xixi finally managed to bluster out some empty threats. Covering her face, she ran upstairs crying, probably to complain to Xia Lian.
Meng Ruozhao watched her back, her face expressionless.
She slowly tightened the hand that had just delivered the slap, her fingertips trembling slightly.
It wasn't out of fear but out of anger.
Every time she came back here, she had to face these nauseating schemes and humiliations.
No wonder she had gone abroad to study back then.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions. Straightening her back, she walked towards the study.
The real battle was still inside.
She went upstairs and pushed open the heavy study door.
Sure enough, the familiar oppressive atmosphere filled the room.
Du Feng was standing behind the huge mahogany desk with his back to the door. Hearing the sound of the door opening, he suddenly turned around.
Just as Meng Ruozhao had expected.
There was a blazing anger on his face. The moment he saw her approaching, without a word, he raised his hand and slapped at her face.
Meng Ruozhao's eyes flashed. She was well-prepared and quickly and nimbly took a step back, precisely dodging the whistling slap.
Not only did Du Feng's hand miss, but he also staggered a bit due to the excessive force.
He stared at Meng Ruozhao in disbelief, seemingly unable to believe that she had dared to dodge.
Meng Ruozhao stood still, looking at him coldly. There was not a trace of fear in her eyes, only cold mockery and aloofness.
If it weren't for the last shred of father-daughter bond, with her personality, the moment she dodged, she would have retaliated without hesitation.
"You... You dared to dodge?!"
Du Feng was so angry that his fingers trembled. Pointing at her, his voice was hoarse with rage.
"You've gone too far, Meng Ruozhao. What on earth do you want? Huh?!"
Meng Ruozhao smoothed out the sleeves that had been slightly disheveled during the dodge. Her voice was calm and composed.
"I don't want anything. It was you who called me back."
Her unyielding and overly calm demeanor only added fuel to the fire.
Du Feng suddenly slapped the table, making a loud noise.
"I called you back to admit your mistakes! To go back obediently and apologize to Young Master Yan, not to act arrogantly in front of me!"
"What's wrong with Yan Qiubai? In terms of family background, looks, and ability, isn't he top-notch in every aspect?"
"How many young ladies from prominent families in Haicheng are lining up to marry him? You, a..."
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, as if realizing something. But the contempt in his eyes was undisguised.
Meng Ruozhao keenly caught the unspoken implication. She sneered inwardly and continued for him.
"What kind of person am I? A person with a sordid past? Right?"
She took a step forward.
Although she had a pair of amorous and beautiful eyes, at this moment, her gaze was as sharp as a knife, stabbing directly at Du Feng.
"I'd like to ask Dad, what exactly is this 'past' of mine that you keep bringing up again and again? What exactly are you referring to?"
Du Feng was taken aback by her question. His face instantly turned a bit ugly and he looked a bit guilty.
How could he know the details?
His eyes flickered as he avoided her direct gaze. He tried to maintain his imposing manner, but his voice involuntarily weakened a bit.
"You... You know exactly what dirty things you've done!"
"What decent girl would be like you, so young and yet... yet..."
He seemed too embarrassed to say it out loud. Finally, he summarized vaguely, "That's proof of your self - indulgence!"
"Self - indulgence..."
Meng Ruozhao repeated these four words. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed by an ice pick, filled with sharp pain and chill.
Even her own father saw her in this way.
But she must not show the slightest bit of vulnerability in front of him.
She curled her lips. The smile was cold and broken, carrying a self - deprecating mockery bordering on self - destruction.
"Yes, I'm just such a self - indulgent and impure person."
"So, don't I have self - awareness? How could someone like me be worthy of the young master of the Yan family?"
"I took the initiative to break up so as not to cause trouble for the Du family and not to embarrass you. Shouldn't you be happy? Why are you so angry instead?"
"You...!"
Du Feng was rendered speechless by her fallacious reasoning.
He was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. Then he suddenly covered his chest, looking as if he was about to suffocate.