Mr. Yan, wake up! Your wife isn't a delicate little flower.

Zhang Zhiyue, the eldest daughter of the Zhang family.

City A has many wealthy families, including eight that have been established for centuries.

Thanks to their ancestors' connections, the Zhang family is quite prominent in City A.

They are at least several levels above the Qin family, which has no foundation.

Qin Jian marrying Zhang Zhiyue was considered a step up for him.

Upon learning that Cheng Xihe was coming back, Zhang Zhiyue made thorough preparations, intending to thoroughly ridicule her.

Unexpectedly, she returned later than expected.

Zhang Zhiyue thought that even so, she had to establish this rule first!

Seeing Cheng Xihe pulling a tattered suitcase and standing at the door in simple casual clothes, Zhang Zhiyue couldn't help but mock him:

"Why is the house still in such a dilapidated state when I get back?"

Cheng Xihe twitched the corner of his lips but didn't say anything.

Secretary Zhou, who was standing nearby, was about to explain when he saw Cheng Xihe's expression and swallowed his words.

Secretary Zhou dared not speak at this moment.

He nodded to Zhang Zhiyue and hurriedly left.

There was no intention to introduce Zhang Zhiyue at all.

Now only Zhang Zhiyue and Cheng Xihe remain on the first floor of the villa.

The huge villa was empty; the servants had all disappeared.

Cheng Xihe glanced at Zhang Zhiyue, strode over, and went straight upstairs.

If she remembered correctly, her room was the first one on the second floor.

"What, can't you greet someone?"

Seeing that Cheng Xihe was ignoring her, Zhang Zhiyue couldn't contain her anger: "So ill-mannered! No wonder he's from the countryside, he has no manners at all!"

Today, we must give this kid a good beating.

"Who are you? The housekeeper?"

Cheng Xihe looked her up and down: "Wear your work uniform next time."

Logically speaking, Cheng Xihe had never met Zhang Zhiyue, so there was nothing wrong with what she said.

But on the bus, Cheng Xihe had already read through all the information about the Qin family.

He said this on purpose to provoke Zhang Zhiyue's anger.

She wanted to see just how deep this woman's waters ran.

"What nanny? How dare you talk to me like that?"

Zhang Zhiyue blushed instantly: "Didn't Secretary Zhou tell you? I'm your mother now!"

"My mother is dead," Cheng Xihe replied indifferently.

Clenching her fists, Zhang Zhiyue suppressed her anger: "Your mother died young and didn't teach you manners, I don't blame you."

"As your stepmother, I must teach you proper manners, lest you embarrass the Qin family when you go out."

"Is being mute considered part of the rules?"

"The auntie never introduced herself. Was it because she couldn't bring herself to do so?"

Cheng Xihe retorted with two sarcastic remarks.

When has Zhang Zhiyue ever suffered such injustice?

She raised her hand, ready to slap him: "You unruly country bumpkin! You need to be taught a lesson!"

"What are you hitting?"

Cheng Xihe blocked Zhang Zhiyue's attack with a cold smile, her slender fingers gripping Zhang's wrist tightly with a slight force.

"what!"

A sharp pain shot through my wrist.

It was as if she had crushed his bones.

Meeting Cheng Xihe's icy, deep eyes, Zhang Zhiyue couldn't help but swallow hard.

In addition, the other person's height of 168cm put pressure on her, who is 158cm tall.

Okay, that's terrifying.

"Relax, let go!"

Zhang Zhiyue tried to pry Cheng Xihe's hand open, but found that her fingers were like suction cups, completely immobile.

She panicked: "You, how dare you pinch me! Let go!"

"Auntie, you're fierce." Cheng Xihe shook off her wrist.

A deep fingerprint was visible on her fair wrist.

"Ah, my hand!"

Zhang Zhiyue gently clutched her wrist, looking up at Cheng Xihe in disbelief: "I'm your mother, how could you treat me like this? Aren't you afraid of me...?"

Zhang Zhiyue was furious: This country bumpkin is not only impolite, but also incredibly rude.

How dare they lay a hand on me! It's outrageous!

When has Zhang Zhiyue ever suffered such injustice?!

"I'm not afraid."

Cheng Xihe ignored her acting like a clown, went upstairs, and opened the door.

The original bedroom has been completely transformed, with mirrors and railings on all four sides and wooden floors on the floor.

It looks like a dance studio.

Everything that originally belonged to her is gone.

"Who's there?"

Cheng Xihe suddenly turned around, walked over, and pulled a trembling maid out from the corner of the stairs: "Where's my room?"

"This, miss... I don't know..."

The maid shuddered.

Cheng Xihe narrowed his eyes slightly: "Are you genuinely unaware or pretending not to know?"

"I……"

The maid glanced at Zhang Zhiyue cautiously and whispered, "Come, come with me."

Cheng Xihe laughed dismissively.

The maid took her luggage and led her to the storage room on the first floor.

Looking at the messy room, Cheng Xihe curled his lips: There must be more than just this one method, right?

The maid quietly hid.

"What are you looking at in a room that doesn't have your room!"

Zhang Zhiyue walked over, a hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

The first room on the second floor was so big that she had long ago converted it into her daughter's dance studio.

Qin Jian didn't dare say anything about this.

"Oh, Xiao He, I'm so sorry. Your dad didn't tell me you were coming back beforehand, so I had someone prepare a room for you. It's not great, but it's fine for now, isn't it?"

Zhang Zhiyue spoke in a feigned manner, her malice barely concealed on her face.

Cheng Xihe found it strange; was this person really that brainless?

It's that simple; they just wear their malice on their faces.

She became secretly on guard.

A simple and malicious person doesn't seem like someone who grew up in a wealthy family.

In wealthy families, even children have unfathomable thoughts.

She understood this principle when she was 6 years old.

"Yeah?"

Cheng Xihe took out his phone: "Then I'll call him and ask him."

"you!"

Seeing that she was completely unyielding, Zhang Zhiyue was filled with rage.

Shouldn't someone from the countryside be intimidated by these things?

She thought her stepdaughter would be scared by a few words, but she actually wanted to stand up to her.

"Go ahead and ask."

Zhang Zhiyue pretended to be calm and shrugged.

Seeing her fearless demeanor, Cheng Xihe became even more wary.

This person is indeed extraordinary.

"It seems that the servants in our Qin family are not as efficient as before."

"In that case, fire them all and replace them with a new batch of quick-handed people." Cheng Xihe stared coldly at Zhang Zhiyue.

She had just noticed that the maids in the house were unfamiliar faces.

Those hiding in the corner were people I'd never seen before.

It's likely that all of this was done by Zhang Zhiyue.

"You've only just gotten home, and you're already interfering in family matters. Do you think I, the matriarch of the Qin family, don't exist?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiyue immediately became anxious.

Cheng Xihe remained calm: "It's not good that Auntie is surrounded by incompetent people."

A single, brief sentence nearly made Zhang Zhiyue vomit blood.

Just then, the villa's gate opened.

Qin Jian walked in from outside: "Wife, is Xihe back?"