Those who were chatting animatedly about the gossip never expected someone to suddenly barge in and start acting out.
They didn't even have time to react.
The person in the middle got drenched on the head, and those beside also got splashed to varying degrees.
When they finally saw who it was, those who were about to fly into a rage immediately backed down.
Even the person in the middle didn't have time to push back the wet hair before forcing out a smile.
"Miss Xu, is there some misunderstanding here?"
Pretending to be oblivious while actually knowing full well.
But since Xu Tingyu had barged in, she wasn't going to give them the chance to feign ignorance.
She stared coldly at the speaker. "Didn't you just say that I look down on people and act high - and - mighty? Well, I can't just bear such a bad reputation for nothing, right?"
Let the commotion grow. The bigger, the better.
It would be best if it became known to the whole world and even the old master of the Qi family couldn't stand it.
However, those people didn't want to offend Qi Ye.
Even though Xu Tingyu was acting "arrogantly," they had no intention of arguing with her.
In fact, they still plastered on smiles and claimed that it was all a misunderstanding.
They didn't mean what it seemed.
"Actually, from the very beginning, we thought Miss Xu was a perfect match for Young Master Qi. Now that everything is back on track, we can only offer our blessings."
"And Young Master Qi has had no other women around him for so many years. His deep affection for you has truly touched us."
They didn't look the least bit embarrassed. Instead, they surrounded Xu Tingyu and showered her with flattery.
In contrast, Xu Tingyu seemed rather out of place and embarrassed.
Zhang Wan didn't know what Xu Tingyu was up to. Out of caution, she immediately sent a message to Qi Ye.
By the time Qi Ye arrived, Xu Tingyu was standing in the middle of the crowd, yet she seemed so out of sync with them.
She stood upright, her expression a mix of restraint and stubbornness. Her hands by her sides were trembling.
It was as if she had suffered some great injustice.
But those who surrounded her were all being extremely humble and obsequious, speaking in a cautious manner.
He walked over, directly to her side, put his arm around her shoulder, and looked down at her, whispering, "What's wrong?"
"They said I'm really scheming and playing both you brothers against each other."
There were tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall. She truly looked extremely aggrieved.
Qi Ye's expression immediately changed.
He had brought Xu Tingyu here today and publicly announced that she was his fiancée. He didn't want people to talk about her like this behind her back.
Moreover, he really disliked them mentioning Qi Shifeng.
He especially hated the phrase "playing both sides."
"Do you all not want to cooperate with me anymore?"
The reason he was the center of attention in this circle was, of course, that these people all relied on him to some extent.
That was why they didn't dare to argue even after being splashed with wine by Xu Tingyu.
Qi Ye's words were enough to make everyone even more panicked.
"Mr. Qi, there's really a misunderstanding. We truly do wish you and Miss Xu well. How could we dare to talk nonsense?"
"Yes, Miss Xu must have misheard what we said outside. It's a misunderstanding. We have absolutely no intention of being disrespectful."
...
Qi Ye ignored their explanations and continued to whisper to Xu Tingyu, "If you don't like them, we'll leave."
"Anyway, all my assets will be yours in the future. If you're not happy, we won't cooperate with these people."
His voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for everyone present to hear.
Then, without caring about everyone's reactions, he simply put his arm around Xu Tingyu and walked out.
"Let's go. Let's go home."
No one dared to stop them or say a word. They could only watch helplessly as they walked out.
It wasn't until they got in the car and Xu Tingyu had calmed down that she apologized to Qi Ye.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't control my emotions. I didn't cause any trouble for you, did I?"
After all, she had promised Qi Ye not to cause any trouble before they went.
Even though she had done it on purpose, she still had to show 100% sincerity to prove that it was all because of her impulsiveness.
Qi Ye's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds. It was unclear whether he really believed her or not, but his words were still gentle.
"I was too impatient. I wanted you to fit in, but I didn't warn them in advance. That's why they were talking nonsense."
"Don't worry. This kind of thing will never happen again. If you don't want to see them in the future, we won't."
It seemed as if he had really just brought Xu Tingyu to integrate into the social circle and had no other intentions.
Xu Tingyu pursed her lips and then carefully asked, "How's Youyou? How is he now? I was so worried about the child just now, so my attitude was bad."
She was also showing him one thing: if Youyou was always in danger, her emotions would always be unstable.
This was a game of wits, to see who would give in first.
Qi Ye nodded and took out the latest video.
"He's already been taken to the hospital. Youyou is so well - behaved. He looks a lot like you when you were a kid."
In the video, Youyou was lying in the hospital bed, already on an IV drip.
The child was awake, looking at the camera. His big eyes were filled with a bit of fear and tiredness. One could only imagine how pitiful he had been recently.
Yet Qi Ye still said he was well - behaved and looked like Xu Tingyu.
Xu Tingyu had never been kidnapped when she was a kid.
But she couldn't say this out loud. She just stared at the video again and again until her vision became blurred with tears.
"Tingyu, you like kids so much. How about we have one, no, two kids?"
Qi Ye put away his phone and suddenly proposed excitedly.
Before Xu Tingyu could say anything, he frowned. "However, our kids must be born in wedlock. So you have to get the divorce certificate from Shifeng first."
"I'll contact Shifeng as soon as possible. You'll get the custody of Youyou. But we've agreed that Youyou can't be raised by your side."
"After all, as you've heard, some people won't understand us. If Youyou stays with you, our kids will definitely be gossiped about."
"It's not fair to our kids. But don't worry. I won't treat Youyou badly materially. He can come and live with us after he turns 18."
...
He started to plan for the future seriously.
Xu Tingyu liked kids, but only Youyou.
The thought of having a child with a crazy person like Qi Ye made her feel nauseous.
However, for now, she just regarded his words as the ramblings of a crazy man.
Discussing with a crazy man would just be a waste of her breath.
So she obediently asked, "When will we go back?"
She had to be present in person to get the divorce certificate, right?
Who would have thought that Qi Ye would smile and say, "You just need to give me a power of attorney. You don't have to be present in person to get the divorce certificate."
"And I think you'll never see Qi Shifeng again in your life."
He used the word "never," not "need not."
Was something really wrong with Qi Shifeng?
No. If he were really dead, there would be no need to get a divorce certificate.
So it was likely that Qi Shifeng was seriously injured.