"Qin Long, get on your knees and apologize to the Old Master imdiately!" Zhang ilan’s face was grim as she glared coldly at Qin Long.
But Qin Long simply ignored her, slowly sipping hot water by the side.
"Qin Long, what kind of attitude is that for a cripple?" Zhang ilan felt utterly humiliated. "Believe when I say I could flay you alive!"
In her eyes, Qin Long was nothing more than a piece of trash they fed. And now he was blatantly ignoring her?
"Who do you think you are to command ?" Qin Long shot a cold glance at Zhang ilan.
At his words, Zhang ilan’s expression changed dramatically, while Qin Long remained completely unperturbed. He had only refrained from stooping to her level for Xuewu’s sake. But now that Zhang ilan had jumped out to attack him, why should he continue to show her any courtesy?
His icy attitude completely infuriated her. Zhang ilan’s old face flushed red with sha. In the past, even if Qin Long disagreed with her, he would never talk back. He had never contradicted her like this, causing her to lose face so publicly.
Why does he dare act like this?
"Qin Long, do you know who you’re talking to?" Zhang ilan slamd her hand on the table and rose, glaring at him with gritted teeth. "I see you really have no idea who you’re ssing with! Do you want to tear your mouth off?"
A mocking smile touched Qin Long’s lips. She kicked out of the Tang Family without even telling Xuewu. Why should I be pleasant to her?
"Zhang ilan, listen to very carefully," Qin Long said, his voice turning frigid. "I’ve only tolerated you all this ti for Xuewu’s sake. Now you’re trying to kick out of the Tang Family, and you still expect to be pleasant to you? If you dare to try anything today, I’ll slap your mouth off your face!"
As his icy words landed, Zhang ilan was struck dumb. Even Old Master Tang stared at Qin Long in shock. The Qin Long they knew always kept his head down, quiet and unable to express himself. For such sharp words to co from his mouth today stunned every mber of the Tang Family.
"You animal! I am your fiancée’s mother! How dare you speak to like that!" Zhang ilan shrieked. "We raised a useless, crippled dog for nothing! What, you’re finally baring your fangs?"
She snatched a teacup from the table and hurled it at Qin Long. He caught it effortlessly with one hand and took a slow, deliberate sip of the tea.
"If I were you, I wouldn’t let myself be used as soone else’s pawn," Qin Long said, looking at her with an indifferent expression. "You’d be better off just keeping your mouth shut, lest you expose your foolishness. For Xuewu’s sake, I’ll forgive you one last ti."
Hearing this, Zhang ilan wondered if her ears were failing her. Has Qin Long really beco this audacious today?
An uproar went through the room. They all rembered a Qin Long who wouldn’t fight back when hit or talk back when scolded. The man before them today seed like a complete stranger. It was as if all his suppressed emotions had finally erupted. Usually, when Tang Xuewu was around, he wouldn’t dare even breathe too loudly. Today, with her absent, it seed he had nothing left to fear.
The faces of the surrounding family mbers turned ugly. This was supposed to be a public trial for Qin Long, one specially arranged behind Tang Xuewu’s back. What was happening now?
Qin Long ignored Zhang ilan completely, his cold gaze sweeping over the other mbers of the Tang Family. They shivered involuntarily as they t his icy eyes.
"I, Qin Long, have never needed to explain my actions to anyone," he declared. "But today, for Xuewu’s sake, I’ll make an exception. Since you want to put on trial, then let’s have a proper trial, shall we?"
He stood with his arms crossed, his face unconcerned.
"You want to condemn ? Let’s start at the beginning. It was Lady Tang Rulan who proactively sought out my master to arrange the betrothal to Tang Xuewu. My master agreed because Lady Tang Rulan was an honorable and heroic woman. And now that you see in my current state, you’ve done nothing but insult relentlessly.
"Even more laughably, you accuse of mortgaging the Tang ancestral ho to buy luxury cars and jewelry for Tang Xuewu’s family. I’d love to know how a cripple like could have obtained the deed to your ancestral ho. This is clearly a case of framing."
Qin Long’s words stunned Old Master Tang. He had rely used this as a pretext to drive Qin Long away, never bothering to check the deed himself. Qin Long’s rebuttal made his old face burn with sha.
"You say I’m ungrateful and have wronged the Tang Family. Well, let ask you: who took care of my every need? Who fed ? It was Tang Xuewu who cared for day and night, taking everywhere to seek dical help. Since she took in, you’ve all exploited her, making her care for on a ager salary of 3,500 a month. She often stays up late finishing project proposals that aren’t even her responsibility. Don’t you think that’s exhausting for her?
"If I weren’t trying to repay my debt to Xuewu, what would the Tang Family even an to ? Xuewu saved my life. What does that have to do with any of you? So tell , where is this supposed ingratitude?
"And for Xuewu, I pulled the Old Master back from the brink of death. You didn’t thank . Instead, you called a charlatan and claid it was a coincidence that he woke up. Fine. In the future, when he’s in critical condition again, don’t you dare co asking for my help."
Though Qin Long’s voice was soft, his words exploded like muffled thunder, leaving them all stunned.
"Do you dare to admit to any of this?" Qin Long scanned the crowd with his cold eyes.
"Shut up!" Old Master Tang slamd his cane on the floor.
Tang Yuxiang was also speechless, and at his side, Zhang ilan was seething with rage.
"You are still a heartless beast!" she screeched, pointing a trembling finger at Qin Long’s nose. "Xuewu is the princess of our Tang Family! She was born a Tang, and she’ll die a Tang! The debt of her saving your life is the Tang Family’s debt!"
"You? You dare say such a thing?" Qin Long glared at her. "Are you even fit to be her mother? For money, you were willing to marry your precious daughter off to Wang Ming, a notorious debaucher in Jiangzhong. Are you blind?"
"I’ll tear your mouth apart!" Zhang ilan shrieked, flailing her arms as she lunged at him. "I’ll scratch your face and rip your lips for your insolence and disrespect!"
She charged right at him.
But Qin Long’s eyes turned to ice. In a flash, he grabbed her right hand, twisting it back toward her own face.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
Three crisp sounds echoed as Zhang ilan was forced to slap herself harshly three tis. Her face imdiately began to swell.
Qin Long actually made Zhang ilan hit herself. Has he gone mad?
"The first slap was for your greed. The second, for your poor judgnt. And the third, for your disregard for right and wrong," Qin Long stated, sitting back down, his voice glacial. "From this day forward, I, Qin Long, will no longer show you, Zhang ilan, any courtesy."
Everyone froze, completely stupefied.
"Qin Long, you’re not even human!" Tang Yuxiang finally managed to say, glaring at him.
Qin Long remained as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened. After all, in all these years, Zhang ilan had never once treated him with kindness.
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