Yuan He said with malice, "Cheng You, how dare you speak to me with such condemnation? Your cousin is no good either. If I weren't from the city, would she have married me!"
In essence, it was a transaction from the start.
Since he hadn't gotten what he wanted through Jiang Wanrou, why should he let her have her way?
A clean break was the best outcome.
Cheng You smiled, "You've misunderstood. I'm not defending Jiang Wanrou's honor. After all, she cut ties with my maternal grandfather's family to marry you. But shouldn't you clean up your act before you start dating Qi Ning? You haven't even sorted out your own mess, yet you hoodwinked Qi Ning into a relationship. And now, what has Qi Ning become?"
A mistress.
Society already harbored enough malice towards women. If this news got out, Yuan He would likely remain unscathed.
Outsiders would simply say that Jiang Wanrou deserved it for marrying him for his city status.
They would also say that Qi Ning deserved it for becoming a mistress.
As for Yuan He, he would carry on as usual, unaffected.
Qi Ning's father, Qi Chongwen, spoke directly, "Yuan He, this is a family dinner. It's already inappropriate for Ning Ning to bring you here. How about you go home first, and we can talk another day?"
Yuan He, suppressing his anger, shot Cheng You a glare before bowing his head, "Alright, Uncle. I'll head back then."
Cheng You waved goodbye, "See you, cousin-in-law."
Yuan He sneered coldly, "As soon as I find your cousin, I'll divorce her."
Cheng You leaned back nonchalantly in her chair.
"From the moment you married her, I knew you'd get divorced."
Yuan He snorted and turned to go downstairs.
Qi Ning sobbed on the table, having lost all face and dignity.
Zheng Xiuyu slapped her hard and scolded, "How dare you cry! Cheng You was wronged by you, and she still tried to cover for you. You're the one who dragged this out into the open!"
While she was concerned with appearances and had minor flaws, she was clear-headed when it mattered.
However, the more she spoke, the harder Qi Ning cried.
It was precisely because she knew she was wrong that she cried.
After speaking to Cheng You like that yesterday, she felt even more ashamed.
Cheng You offered a comforting smile, "It's actually good that you've realized your mistake now. At least it's just dating. It's not like my cousin, who was already engaged to him."
She had even married him.
Song Qinglan nodded, agreeing with Cheng You for the first time.
"Indeed, Cheng You's cousin didn't cry, so you have no reason to cry, Ning Ning."
Qi Ning looked up, her eyes swollen like walnuts.
Although she felt hurt and embarrassed, she still wanted to understand things.
"Then where is your cousin?"
Cheng You shook her head, "I don't really care where she is."
"Why? Isn't she your cousin?"
Cheng You smiled, "Because for Yuan He, she severed ties with our entire family. Theoretically, she's no longer my cousin. So, Qi Ning, you must not follow in her footsteps and cut ties with your family for a man."
It was precisely because she no longer considered Jiang Wanrou her cousin that she used this as a negative example when speaking to Qi Ning.
Zheng Xiuyu tapped Qi Ning's forehead, "Did you hear that?"
Qi Ning nodded, "I understand. I'm not that foolish. I'll break up with him after dinner."
Her parents were her greatest support. She wasn't so foolish as to leave her family and live a hard life with a man.
Zheng Xiuyu's expression softened.
Fortunately, the people present were all family. It wasn't shameful even if they knew.
If Cheng You hadn't intervened today, and the truth had come out when they were discussing marriage, it would have been far more embarrassing.
"Cheng You, my third aunt and Qi Ning spoke out of turn earlier. Please don't take it to heart."
Cheng You smiled and poured them hot tea, "We've gotten to know each other through this little conflict. Of course, I won't take it to heart."
Zhou Qi raised his teacup, toasting Cheng You with tea instead of wine.
"Sister-in-law, I apologize for any past offenses I may have caused."
Cheng You gave a slight smile, her attitude noticeably cooler than before.
Zheng Xiuyu glanced at him, unsure what he had done to earn such disdain from Cheng You.
However, Zhou Qi, thick-skinned, took a sip of tea, his hands clenched into fists beneath the table, veins bulging.
As most guests had arrived, Song Qinglan signaled for the food to be served.
They could talk and eat.
Qi Shengwen wanted Qi Cheng'an to sit at his table, but he refused.
"I'll sit here."
His attitude towards Qi Shengwen was the coldest, and everyone could see it.
Song Qinghe smoothed things over with a smile, "Brother-in-law, how long have the newlyweds been married? It's their honey moon phase, don't spoil the mood."
Cheng You chimed in with a smile, "Yes, Uncle. I want him by my side, feeding me dishes."
Qi Ning suddenly admired Cheng You, who was the most intimidated by this uncle.
Every time she saw him, she tried to avoid speaking.
However, Cheng You's address...
"Sister-in-law, why are you calling Uncle? You're married to Brother Yan, you should call him Dad."
Zheng Xiuyu put a piece of fish on her plate, "Eat your food, you talk too much."
Everyone knew that Qi Cheng'an had a strained relationship with his family.
Cheng You not calling them Mom and Dad wasn't a sign of disrespect, but rather her dissatisfaction with the Qi family.
It wasn't that the Qi family didn't acknowledge her, but rather she didn't acknowledge his parents.
Qi Ning took a bite of the fish, "This stir-fried fish is quite good."
Zheng Xiuyu nodded, "Your aunt-in-law has tasted all sorts of delicacies. She's excellent at ordering dishes."
Song Qinglan wiped her mouth and thought about it after hearing her words.
"I actually didn't order this dish today."
Zheng Xiuyu looked up at her, "Was it complimentary?"
Song Qinglan glanced at the table, "I didn't order the braised sea cucumber with scallions either. Did they make a mistake?"
"Oh, we can ask when the others arrive."
Both dishes were likely expensive, and there were several other tables.
When a server came to bring more dishes, Song Qinglan asked.
The server smiled, "Our boss sent it. Please enjoy."
Zheng Xiuyu swallowed her food and flattered, "Sister-in-law, you have such influence that the boss personally sends dishes for a family banquet."
Song Qinglan said, "Perhaps it's because of your elder brother's influence."
She still found it strange.
But the boss's thoughtfulness made her feel quite pleased.
"If we like the taste, we'll come here again during the holidays."
Cheng You thought it was alright, just a novelty.
If she had to say it tasted good, then Qi Cheng'an's cooking was more to her liking.
Qi Ning had been paying close attention to her since earlier.
"Sister-in-law, what do you think?"
Cheng You nodded, "It's okay, but I prefer your brother's cooking."
Qi Ning exclaimed, "My brother cooks too?"
Cheng You nodded, "He's very talented. Next time you visit my place, I'll have him show you his skills."