"I don't need to see it! Last time you tried to trick Xi'er into returning fifty-five million to you. With such viciousness and your long-standing dislike for Xi'er, who else could it be but you?" The more Ning Yuncheng spoke, the more convinced he became: "Plus, you threatened Xi'er that if she didn't repay you within a week, you wouldn't let her off!" At this, Ning Yuncheng had a sudden realization, pulled out his phone to call the police: "It was you, it was you who harmed her! Give me back Xi'er, give her back to me!" As Ning Yuncheng shouted, he lunged toward Ning Yunhuan. The two burly men, who had been waiting nearby holding luggage, simultaneously kicked out at him the moment he moved.

Mindful that Ning Yuncheng was Ning Yunhuan's own elder brother, the two men did not strike with full force, merely kicking him far enough away that he wasn't seriously injured. Consequently, after a brief pause on the ground, he scrambled back up, gnashing his teeth: "I'll fight you to the death! I'll take you down with me! Xi'er, wait for me, Brother Yuncheng is coming to join you." As he spoke these words, Ning Yuncheng was streaming tears, his face the color of ash.

His display, resembling one who had just lost both parents, made not only the Gu family members look extremely displeased, their eyes fixed on Ning Yunhuan with palpable hatred, but also cast the faces of Father and Mother Ning into shadows darker than a pot's bottom.

To raise a son through hardship, sending him abroad to study in England—Father Ning had poured countless efforts and resources into cultivating Ning Yuncheng over the years. Yet, in the end, the boy was willing to live or die over a woman, completely disregarding his own parents. This showed that, deep down, he truly held no regard for them.

The more Father Ning thought about this, the more irritated he became. He extended a hand toward Ning Yuncheng: "Hand over the keys. Since you value Gu Yingxi more than your own life, forsaking your parents for her sake, I will act as if I never had a son like you. From now on, you are not welcome here. I will have the villa at Blue Mountain cleaned up and reassigned."

As Father Ning spoke, Gu Xian instinctively gasped: "How can you do that?"

"Why not?" To have their own house reclaimed, yet require permission from others—the Gu family didn't see by what right! As Father Ning was about to laugh in anger, Gu Xian was already flustered: "Th-then where will we live?"

Because of her illness, doctors had warned the Gu family that if surgery wasn't done immediately, kidney failure would soon progress to uremia. The Gu family was already poor; she, a woman raising three daughters and one son, lived in abject poverty. She couldn't even afford the rent for their current meager dwelling, especially since the family had been in complete disarray since her daughter vanished this month. Fortunately, Ning Yuncheng had just been released from police custody, allowing him to bring the Gu family to the Blue Mountain villa. If Father Ning now took the villa back, where would they go?

Recalling their previous dilapidated shack contrasted with the splendor of the Blue Mountain villa, Gu Xian wasn't foolish; she certainly wasn't keen on returning to the old, cramped house where the whole family was crammed together. Moreover, she currently had no means to rent anywhere. Therefore, upon hearing Father Ning's words, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably: "Mr. Ning, I beg you to have mercy! Our whole family is now homeless, and my daughter is nowhere to be found—you say Miss Ning hid her somewhere! If you throw us out now, where can we possibly go?"

At this juncture, Gu Xian realized her only recourse was to relentlessly pin the disappearance of Gu Yingxi on Ning Yunhuan to elicit Father Ning's sympathy. "My poor, unfortunate daughter, and I am unwell myself. Mr. Ning, please be magnanimous and take us in!"

Father Ning was not inherently ruthless; in fact, he was naturally benevolent. In ordinary circumstances, faced with such a plight, he would offer immediate help, even to strangers, let alone acquaintances. However, when it came to the Gu family, he couldn't muster an ounce of goodwill. Furthermore, despite Gu Xian's seemingly fragile appearance, every sentence she uttered pointed to his daughter being the culprit. Father Ning simply could not tolerate hearing it; trembling all over, he declared:

"What does your situation have to do with me? You must move out this afternoon. If you dare to smear innocent reputations again, I will not be polite to you!"

Gu Xian flinched, then turned to cast a pitiful glance at Ning Yuncheng. Seeing his future mother-in-law's look, a surge of boldness instantly rose within him.

He genuinely loved Gu Yingxi. But now that Gu Yingxi might be gone, killed by that wicked person Ning Yunhuan, he longed to follow his beloved. Yet, his beloved had left behind a mother and siblings. If he simply ended his life now, abandoning the entire Gu household, he would truly have no face to meet Gu Yingxi in the afterlife.

He knew how kind his Xi'er was, how much she valued these family members. Thus, Ning Yuncheng resolved to settle the Gu family first. After he had exacted revenge for Gu Yingxi, then he would descend to meet her!

Through heaven and earth, the two would never part, dwelling together for eternity in the underworld!

Thinking of this, Ning Yuncheng's expression grew firmer. He spoke seriously: "Father, Xi'er was my betrothed, and Aunt Gu is practically my future mother-in-law. Now that Xi'er has been harmed by villains, I cannot abandon Aunt Gu. From this day forward, she is my mother-in-law. I ask you, Father, out of respect for me, to treat Aunt Gu kindly. In the future, if I am no longer around, I beg you to look after the Gu family."

Ning Yuncheng's moving words, which brought tears to the eyes of the Gu family, failed to stir Father Ning; instead, they rendered him speechless with rage, his lips trembling, his cane tapping sharply against the floor: "Yuncheng, I ask you one last time: are you willing to cut ties with that Gu girl? Father has lived far longer than you have eaten rice; listen to me this once. That Gu girl is not suitable for you. There are so many fine girls in this world; why can't you choose one properly?" For the first time, Father Ning addressed Ning Yuncheng not with shouting, but with sincere, earnest persuasion. Ning Yuncheng seemed momentarily touched and called out affectionately: "Father, I know you mean well for me."

The moment his voice fell, his spirit seemed to lift, as if he had found the momentum to persuade Father Ning. He said excitedly: "Yingxi is a good girl. You just don't understand her. If you understood her..."

"I have no desire to understand her." Seeing that his lengthy discourse had no effect and Ning Yuncheng remained adamant, an inexplicable fire flared up in Father Ning's heart: "Since you refuse to listen, I won't say any more."

Ning Yuncheng grew somewhat angry that his father refused to listen to his explanations, but then he recalled Gu Yingxi's gentle and vulnerable nature, and decided it wasn't worth the effort: "Since Father doesn't wish to hear it, I won't speak further. Justice will prevail in time, and eventually, people will discern who is good and who is evil." He said this while looking directly at Ning Yunhuan, implying she was the villain, which caused her to involuntarily raise an eyebrow. Before she could speak, Father Ning drove them out again:

"You may leave now. I am feeling unwell and am unfit to host guests." His disappointment in his son had deepened. As he finished speaking, he didn't even glance at him: "I will send someone to collect the key to the Blue Mountain villa this afternoon. You pack your belongings yourselves to avoid trouble later when you can't retrieve them."

To think that after all his pleading and talking, Father Ning still intended to reclaim the villa. Seeing the fearful and panicked looks on the Gu family's faces, Ning Yuncheng involuntarily puffed out his chest:

"Father, how can you be so cruel? Mother is so ill and needs surgery..."

"Pah!" Mother Ning was furious at the remark: "Yuncheng, have you gone mad? I'm standing right here, who are you cursing with poor health?" Mother Ning knew he meant Gu Xian, but she couldn't swallow her pride. Ning Yuncheng and Gu Yingxi weren't even married, yet he was already rushing to call the other woman's mother 'Mother.' If they actually married, wouldn't he cast his own mother aside?

When her husband's words failed, Mother Ning couldn't help but try to persuade her son herself: "Son, be good, listen to your mother. It hasn't been decided whether that Gu girl will marry you or someone else. Why are you being so foolish?" Mother Ning was barely refraining from openly implying that Gu Yingxi had been with everyone, but the implication was clear. Gu Xian's face soured, while Gu Yinnuo and her sister flushed deep red, unable to utter a word.

But what could they say when Mother Ning was speaking the truth? After Gu Yingxi got together with Ning Yuncheng, Ning Yunhuan brought up her history with Xie Zhuoyin. Not only did Gu Yingxi fail to clarify the relationships, but she brought the two men together, living a life so shameful that even Mother Ning felt embarrassed for her. Yet, she couldn't do anything about Ning Yuncheng.

If Ning Yuncheng was content to wear the cuckold's horns, her anxiety was useless!

"Mother, those people just don't understand Xi'er. Don't you understand her either?" Ning Yuncheng felt increasingly impatient hearing them constantly bring up the fact that Gu Yingxi had been involved with another man. He had been jealous of Xie Zhuoyin's existence himself, but Father and Mother Ning, his own parents, not only failed to sympathize with their son but actively rubbed salt in his wounds. Did they have to bring up Xie Zhuoyin? They knew it pained him, yet they insisted on mentioning it! He was already struggling to hold back, and now they had to say more!

The more he thought about it, the more agitated Ning Yuncheng became, and his expression grew uglier: "I'll just ask you one thing: will you give the Blue Mountain villa to my mother-in-law or not? My mother-in-law is in poor health, and I hope Father will take extra care of her in the future..."

"You..." Father Ning trembled with rage, unable to speak. Ning Yunhuan quickly patted his back, allowing him to finally manage: "Ning Yuncheng, have you lost your mind? Gu Yingxi's mother is sick, but is Father's health perfect? Besides, who is she to Father? On what grounds should Father support the entire Gu family? Raising you to adulthood was hard enough; if you are unfilial, fine, but please stop burdening Father with more dead weight."