Holy crap!
Grandpa, why did you look so grim?
Su Bai strode excitedly into the hall, ready to announce the good news. But then he saw Elder Su's face, dark as thunder, and his icy gaze fixed on him. Su Bai's heart gave a sudden jolt, and he froze, at a loss...
What was going on?
Hadn't he successfully broken off the engagement? What was with this atmosphere?!
"Su Bai, do you know what you did today?" Elder Su's deep voice suddenly rang out as he looked at Su Bai, who stood frozen in place with a bewildered expression.
The icy question only made Su Bai more confused. He raised a hand and absently scratched the back of his head, then answered, "Me?"
"Didn't I just take my sister to break off her engagement?"
Break off the engagement!
The moment those words left his mouth, Elder Su's already sharp gaze narrowed and swept over him. He snapped furiously, "Today is the Xiao family head's birthday! You and Ruo Xue showed up to break off the engagement. What kind of message were you trying to send?"
As he spoke, he abruptly raised the Dragon-Head Cane and struck the rosewood floor with a heavy thud. The muffled sound echoed through the hall as he confronted Su Bai and Su Ruoxue.
Elder Su had also noticed Bai Yun, but paid her no attention. For now, he needed to question Su Bai and Su Ruoxue properly.
Faced with the repeated scolding, Su Bai remained calm, completely unaffected. Behind him, however, Su Ruoxue lowered her head in shame.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but not a word came out.
Sensing something was wrong behind him, Su Bai immediately stepped in front of Su Ruoxue. He shrugged and took all the blame upon himself.
"Grandpa, it was my idea. It had nothing to do with Ruo Xue."
The firmness in his voice made a flicker of astonishment cross Elder Su's face. He hadn't expected the boy to step up for her.
Since when had the siblings become so close?
Su Ruoxue also looked up at once, gazing at Su Bai in disbelief. Her lips pressed together. Her brother really did seem different now!
A glimmer of surprise passed through Bai Yun's eyes as she looked at Su Bai. What a real man—he faced trouble without fear and took responsibility!
"Your idea?"
Though surprised, Elder Su was still fuming. He gave a cold snort and continued his anguished rebuke.
"Do you realize you've insulted the Xiao family? I heard you even ruined Xiao Zhenzhong's birthday celebration. You showed them no consideration at all! How am I supposed to face my old friend in the afterlife?"
People had always said to leave others some dignity. But Su Bai had practically ground the Xiao family's face into the dirt. The whole social circle of influential families was talking about it, and the Xiao family had been thoroughly humiliated.
Elder Su had thought that by breaking off the engagement, they could still help the Xiao family. He had never expected Su Bai to push them even closer to the edge.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the Su family lost its place among Suzhou's Four Great Families. How could Elder Su not be furious?
Seeing how angry Elder Su was, Su Bai felt his eyelids twitch. Fortunately, he'd prepared for this. He immediately put on a dejected expression and spoke with a hint of self-mockery. "Grandpa, you care about the Xiao family, but they might not care about our Su family at all!"
What?!
His words immediately drew everyone's attention. Behind Elder Su, Su Bai's father, Su Yue, furrowed his brow and looked at his son in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Elder Su also regarded him with suspicion. He didn't entirely trust his playboy grandson.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he barked, "If you don't explain yourself, I'll not only cut off your allowance, I'll punish you according to the family rules!"
At that, everyone in the hall looked shocked. The Su family was a centuries-old clan, and punishment according to its family rules was terrifying.
With Su Bai's frail body, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand it!
"Dad..." Su Bai's mother, Bai Ruo, panicked at once, her heart full of worry. She hurriedly tried to plead for him, but Elder Su raised a hand, releasing a powerful aura that instantly silenced the hall.
Everyone's gaze turned to Su Bai.
When Su Ruoxue heard the words "family rules," she too grew anxious and wanted to help. But Su Bai held out a hand to stop her, then gave her a gentle smile and nodded, as if to say, Don't worry. Your brother's got this.
Su Bai's expression turned resolute. He strode forward without the slightest fear, faced his grandfather, and shouted with grief and indignation.
"Today, when we went to break off the engagement, Xiao Fan of the Xiao family not only arrogantly rejected the compensation our Su family offered and insulted us, he even attacked me and tried to kill me!"
His voice rang through the entire hall. Everyone was stunned, and even Elder Su's face filled with alarm.
"What!"
"How dare the Xiao family!"
Elder Su slammed his Dragon-Head Cane against the floor and sprang to his feet, crying out in shock. His eyes were filled with worry.
Su Bai was the only male in the Su family's third generation and its future heir. If anything happened to him, wouldn't the Su family's bloodline die out?!
Xiao Fan had actually tried to kill him!
"Son, are you all right?" Bai Ruo immediately forgot everything else and rushed to her son, her face stricken with worry. She looked him over from every angle, terrified that something had happened to him.
Even Su Yue, who rarely paid much attention to his son, looked grim and snarled, "The Xiao family has gone too far!"
Everyone began condemning the Xiao family. After all, it was no exaggeration to say that Su Bai was the Su family's lifeblood. Nothing could be allowed to happen to him.
But once his anger subsided and he had calmed down, a trace of doubt crossed Elder Su's eyes. He knew his eldest grandson liked to exaggerate everything, and besides, he was standing there perfectly unharmed.
Could there have been some misunderstanding?
"Ruo Xue, is this true?"
With that thought, Elder Su took a deep breath and turned to look at Su Ruoxue behind Su Bai. He trusted his granddaughter completely.
"It's true, Grandpa!" Su Ruoxue nodded at once. As she thought back on it, a trace of lingering fear crept into her eyes.
If Su Bai hadn't stepped in front of her back then, things could have turned dangerous...
As if sensing that Elder Su still had doubts, Su Bai immediately stepped aside and introduced Bai Yun, who was behind him. "If White Immortal Aunt's disciple, Ruo Xue's senior sister Bai Yun, hadn't saved me, I'd probably be lying in the hospital right now!"
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