Chapter 17

Ye Yao returned from outside, feeling utterly exhausted.

“Yao Yao, I would never dare to do such a thing…”

Zhang Qiufeng’s trembling voice came from inside the house. Ye Yao’s eyes flickered, and she quickly stepped in.

Inside the house, apart from Zhang Qiufeng, were Wang Guihua and Li Cuilan.

The atmosphere was tense and awkward, with Zhang Qiufeng looking especially anxious.

“What are you all doing?”

Ye Yao’s sharp voice interrupted their conversation.

Wang Guihua glanced at her, curling her lips in disdain.

Zhang Qiufeng clearly hadn’t expected Ye Yao to return so suddenly. She panicked and said, “Yao Yao, I’m just talking to your aunties. You should go back to your room.”

No matter what, she couldn’t let her find out about this.

But instead of leaving, Ye Yao strode forward, shooting Wang Guihua and Li Cuilan a cold glance.

“What are you talking about? Let me hear it too.”

With Wang Guihua around, the one being bullied was always her mother.

Zhang Qiufeng’s face turned even uglier as she nervously wrung her hands.

Why couldn’t she just listen for once?

“Qiufeng, since Ye Yao is back, we might as well discuss this openly.”

Wang Guihua’s sharp tone carried an imposing air.

Zhang Qiufeng instinctively positioned herself in front of Ye Yao, but her frail frame starkly contrasted with Ye Yao’s plump figure.

“Qiufeng, stop shielding her. You won’t be able to protect her anyway!”

Wang Guihua sneered, then shifted her gaze past Zhang Qiufeng to Ye Yao.

“Ye Yao, the neighbors in the compound are all saying that you’ve been messing around with a poor boy from the village. Is it true?”

Ye Yao looked at Wang Guihua’s accusatory expression, her eyes lowering slightly, a hint of coldness flashing within.

“So what if it’s true? And what if it’s false?”

Wang Guihua’s expression instantly changed. She nudged Li Cuilan beside her.

“Cuilan, did you hear that? She didn’t deny it.”

Li Cuilan nodded awkwardly, her face darkening.

Zhang Qiufeng was extremely uneasy, wanting to explain, but Ye Yao stopped her with a glance.

She wanted to see what these two women had come here for.

“And what does this have to do with you? Are you just bored, meddling in my family’s business?”

Wang Guihua was so furious that she nearly lost her breath. This damn girl had really grown bold—not only had she beaten up her daughter, but now she dared to talk to her in this tone.

“How does it not concern us? After doing such shameless things, you still think you can marry Li Cheng? Let me tell you, we’re here today on behalf of the Li family to break off the engagement!”

Ye Yao rolled her eyes, looking at her as if she were an idiot.

“You represent the Li family? And what’s your connection to them?”

“I may not be directly related to them, but Cuilan is Li Cheng’s second aunt…”

Wang Guihua had already planned this out, which was why she had persuaded Li Cuilan to come along—so that they could formally back up their claims.

Li Cuilan was momentarily stunned but quickly sighed.

That wasn’t what Wang Guihua had told her before they came.

This morning, the entire compound was abuzz with rumors, and she had heard them too. Not long after, Wang Guihua had come to her.

She had convinced her to come along to Ye’s house to clarify the situation—after all, Ye Yao was supposed to marry into the Li family, and if such a scandal had erupted, as an elder, she had a duty to look into it.

Originally, she had thought that if the rumors were true, she would hurry back to discuss the matter with her elder brother and sister-in-law to reconsider the engagement. But unexpectedly, Wang Guihua had taken it upon herself to speak for the family and declare the engagement broken!