Chapter 859 — The Overbearing Guan Xuewen
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"But have you ever thought about Xinxin's happiness? Since that's how it is, when that man comes looking, let him come to me! Tell him I'm the one who broke the engagement!" Guan Xuewen's anger turned to wry laughter. "He did you a favor—well, I treated his wife's leg! If he's unhappy about it, he can take it up with me! And if you still try to marry Xinxin off, I'll have her renounce you as her father, and give you the cold shoulder, just the way you did to me back then!"
With that, Guan Xuewen slammed down the phone with a sharp clatter, paying no heed whatsoever to whatever else Guan Xiaopeng might have to say.
Guan Xiaopeng stood there holding the receiver, caught between laughter and tears, not knowing what to say. His father had actually turned his own tactics from years ago against him! Still, at least his father had taken the matter off his hands and promised that if trouble arose, the benefactor should come to him. That eased the pressure on Guan Xiaopeng somewhat—though he still had no intention of going back on his word.
This matter, it seemed, could only be resolved by slowly bringing his father round. His father was in a temper now; calling again to argue the point would only strain their already tense relationship further, and that was the last thing Guan Xiaopeng wanted.
When Guan Xuewen hung up, Guan Xin's tears turned to smiles. Seeing her grandfather stand up for her so firmly, she was sure her father would have to give in! And if not—well, then she would side with her grandfather, give her father the cold shoulder just as he had done in his youth, and see what he could possibly do to her.
If she refused to marry, he could beat her to death and it would make no difference.
"Xinxin, happy now? Your grandfather is on your side. Rest assured, as long as I don't give my consent, no one will marry you off!" This much, at least, Guan Xuewen could decide.
"Thank you, Grandpa." Guan Xin broke into a delighted smile.
"What's there to thank me for? Go on now, wash your face. Mother Liu is nearly done with dinner—let's all go and eat something!" Guan Xuewen nodded with a smile.
Guan Xin ran off happily to wash her face. Little did she know that her father had still not given up on the matter...
Kang Jingming emerged from Guan Xin's house in a thoroughly dejected mood, climbed into the car with a face like a bitter melon. Zhu Xiaozhang, who had been waiting in the car, saw him come out looking so woebegone and was rather puzzled. "Young Master Ming, what's wrong? Did Guan Xin's father refuse to let you court her?"
"Ugh, don't even mention it! It's a long story!" Kang Jingming felt that all his time and money had been wasted, and the worst of it was that he had broken his leg for nothing, and handed Xiaofen a few hundred thousand to boot—a spectacular loss all round!
"Let me explain," Wang Shubin said, looking at Zhu Xiaozhang. "Guan Xin is already promised in marriage—it was arranged when she was a child, and there's no changing it. So Guan Xiaopeng will certainly never allow Young Master Ming to have any dealings with Guan Xin. With an engagement in place, it's impossible for Guan Xin to be romantically involved with Young Master Ming either; and for the sake of her future reputation, she could never do anything that might damage her good name. So where Guan Xin is concerned, it's a dead end."
Wang Shubin had entered the villa together with Kang Jingming, so everything he said was based on what he had witnessed with his own eyes. Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhang had no need to go and question Kang Jingming himself, and merely said in deep frustration, "So you're saying all our efforts so far have been wasted?"