Chapter 20: The Liang Family in Turmoil

Just as Su Yue and Li Xiangbei finished eating, a loud commotion erupted outside, mixed with a sharp, piercing woman’s cries.

Su Yue moved closer to the corner wall, trying to hear more clearly.

Seeing she had no intention of going out to look, Li Xiangbei set up a nearby ladder against the wall and signaled for her to climb up and take a peek.

Su Yue shot him a playful glare, then climbed up.

Across the street, the entrance to the Liang family’s house was surrounded by layer upon layer of onlookers.

From her vantage point, Su Yue saw everything clearly.

At the entrance, a man lay unconscious on a lounge chair, his head wrapped in gauze. Beside him, a woman sat on the ground, weeping bitterly.

“My son was only visiting the Liang family, and they made him climb up to fix their roof. He fell off! Then they heartlessly dumped him at our doorstep and washed their hands of it. We all work during the day—there’s usually no one at home. If it weren’t for a kind neighbor who spotted him and rushed him to the hospital, he might not have survived!”

Despite her sobs, the woman clearly explained the whole situation.

“The doctor said if he’d been brought in sooner, it would’ve just been a minor injury. But because the Liang family delayed, he missed the best treatment window—and now he’s in a coma! The doctor also said familiar voices might help him wake up. I came begging Liang Xiaohong, who’s close to my son, to visit him—but she deliberately avoided me. And now they’re trying to break off the engagement? Are they trying to drive my son to his grave?!”

The crowd buzzed with discontent, voices rising in judgment.

“That’s outrageous. He got hurt helping them, and now they want to cut ties?”

“Exactly! Calling off the engagement now is just heartless.”

Just then, the Liang family’s door creaked open. Granny Liang, face dark with anger, shoved Liang Xiaohong outside. When Xiaohong saw the injured man and his weeping mother, panic flickered in her eyes.

She quickly tried to defend herself, “It’s not what you think! Wang Qiang volunteered to fix the roof. He climbed up himself—it had nothing to do with us!”

Hearing this, the mother cried even harder.

She jumped to her feet, pointing at Xiaohong. “Liar! My son’s been afraid of heights since childhood. He can’t even climb trees—how could he have offered to fix a roof? He doesn’t even know how! You’re just saying this because he’s unconscious and can’t defend himself!”

At that moment, a man from the crowd stepped forward, “It’s true—Wang Qiang’s fear of heights is well known. He even gave up his dream of joining the army because of it. There’s no way he’d willingly climb a roof.”

Xiaohong shrank back, trying to stay calm. “We’ve returned the betrothal gifts. I have no ties to your family anymore. Marriage is about freedom now. I don’t love Wang Qiang anymore and don’t want to marry him.”

Wang Qiang’s mother stared at her in disbelief. “So you’re just going to walk away now? My son got hurt at your house—you owe us an explanation! If not, I’m going to the police to report you for attempted murder! Everyone saw you dump my son on the street—there are plenty of witnesses!”

Granny Liang dramatically dropped to the ground and started wailing, “Heavens! What injustice is this? Wang Qiang climbed our roof for some unknown reason and fell! We were kind enough to send him home, and now they’re extorting us? Is there no justice left in the world?!”

Wang Qiang’s mother trembled with rage.

Just then, a girl from the crowd shouted, “It was Liang Xiaohong! She wanted to show off how much Wang Qiang loved her—that he’d even conquer his fear of heights for her. She pressured him to climb up.”

All eyes turned to the girl.

She took a deep breath and continued, “Xiao Ling and Yaqin can confirm this too. Xiaohong forced Wang Qiang to prove his love by climbing the roof. He was scared and hesitated, but she said if he didn’t do it, she wouldn’t marry him. Then she made him walk ten laps on the roof. By the eighth, he lost his footing and fell.”

She turned to the two girls beside her. “Xiao Ling, Yaqin, you both saw this. I know you’re loyal to Xiaohong, but look at what she’s done to Wang Qiang. Will you still cover for her?”

The two looked at each other, clearly torn. Xiaohong shouted, “Lies! You’re lying, Li Juan! Why are you framing me?”

Li Juan stood her ground. “We’re her friends. Shouldn’t we help her realize her mistake?”

Xiao Ling bit her lip, struggling, while Yaqin clutched her clothes tightly, eyes brimming with tears.

Finally, Xiao Ling whispered, “It’s true. Xiaohong kept threatening Wang Qiang with breaking up if he didn’t climb the roof. We tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Yaqin nodded, her expression tense.

The crowd erupted in outrage.

“Poor Wang Qiang. What a terrible person to fall for.”

“She’s too much—risking someone’s life for vanity?”

“This whole Liang family is awful. Trying to dodge blame now?”

The torrent of anger surged toward the Liang household.

Xiaohong’s face went paper white, her body trembling. She opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. Granny Liang panicked too and scrambled up from the ground.

At that moment, someone had already called the police.

With authorities arriving, the Liang family didn’t dare cause further trouble. The Wang family demanded compensation, but Granny Liang kept crying poor.

In the end, under police mediation, it was decided that Liang Xiaohong would marry into the Wang family as originally planned and take care of Wang Qiang.

Only then did the chaotic scene finally calm down.