After the school beauty rejected me, I became her mom's number one fan!

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the courtyard, which had just eased a little, instantly froze again!

It's even colder than before!

If the previous questions were merely an examination of Ning Xiuyang's "hardware," then this question is a thorough examination of his "software," which goes straight to the heart!

This is also the bottom line that the Qiao family cannot tolerate!

Ning Xiuyang paused for a moment.

He slowly sat back in his seat, without the slightest panic, nor did he try to explain or hide anything.

He raised his head, looked directly into Qiao Jingtang's eyes, and said calmly, "Mr. Qiao, your investigation was correct."

Admit it!

He admitted it so casually!

Qiao Jingtang's face visibly darkened.

He originally thought that Ning Xiuyang would make up various excuses, such as "it's all a misunderstanding," "we're just friends," or "the media is making things up."

He even prepared the script on how to expose these lies.

But to his utter surprise, this kid actually admitted it so readily!

What is this?

Are they acting with impunity?

Or did they simply not take the Qiao family seriously?

"You're just a young upstart, already eyeing what's in the pot while eating what's in your bowl?"

Qiao Jingtang's voice turned cold, and the oppressive aura of someone who had long held a superior position pressed down on Ning Xiuyang as if it were a tangible force.

"Do you really think my granddaughter, Qiao Jingtang's own daughter, can share a man with another woman?"

Ning Xiuyang felt the immense pressure, but he remained sitting upright, his back not bending at all.

He neither backed down nor made excuses.

He said something that stunned Qiao Jingtang on the spot.

"Mr. Qiao, I will not lie to you or deceive you because of your status and position."

"It's true that I have other women in my life. But I can assure you that I treat each and every one of them seriously."

"If you find this unacceptable, I fully respect your opinion. However, Jinlin is an adult, and she has the right and the ability to make choices for her own life."

These words were spoken with neither arrogance nor servility, and were delivered with resounding force!

It's both a confession and a declaration!

Qiao Jingtang's expression changed completely.

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the rattan chair, making a dull thud!

"You bastard!"

The old man suddenly stood up, his voice rising eight octaves in an instant, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

"What choice?! You want her to choose to be one of your concubines?! Ning Xiuyang, let me tell you, the daughter of the Qiao family isn't someone you can do whatever you want with!"

A powerful aura erupted from the old man's thin body, and the locust tree leaves in the yard seemed to rustle!

"Grandpa!"

Just then, Qiao Jinlin's tearful cry came from behind the courtyard gate.

She had clearly been eavesdropping behind the door. Hearing her grandfather's angry roar, she could no longer hold back and hurriedly ran out, her pretty face turning deathly pale with fright.

At the same time, Qiao Feiyu also walked quickly towards the kitchen, her face also filled with anxiety and worry.

She glanced at the two men, who were locked in a tense standoff, and took a deep breath.

Then, she did something that surprised everyone present.

To Qiao Jingtang's astonishment, Qiao Feiyu quickly walked behind Ning Xiuyang and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

She demonstrated her stance through her actions!

Qiao Jingtang was stunned when he saw his daughter's actions.

His wrinkled face was filled with shock and bewilderment.

He couldn't understand why his daughter, a high-ranking official known for her composure and rationality, would stand by the side of a womanizer with a bad reputation at this time.

Doesn't she know what this means?

This means that she is openly challenging her authority as the head of the household!

"Feiyu, what do you mean by this?" Qiao Jingtang's voice carried a hint of suppressed anger and deep disappointment.

However, what Qiao Feiyu said next struck him like a thunderbolt.

"Dad, Jinlin knows he has many women around him, and so do I."

Qiao Feiyu's tone was unusually calm, but beneath that calmness lay an unprecedented determination.

"But if Jinlin is willing, I support her."

boom!

These words were like a bombshell, exploding in the small courtyard.

Qiao Jinlin, standing at the gate of the courtyard, was completely stunned.

She stared at her mother with her mouth agape, incredulous.

She had thought her mother might put in a good word for her, but she never expected her mother to express her support in such a direct and resolute way!

Is this... is this still the same mother who is strict with herself and wants to control everything?

Qiao Jingtang swayed slightly, then slowly straightened up, leaning on the cane that had been with him for decades, and walked step by step to Qiao Feiyu.

He stared intently at his daughter, as if he were meeting her for the first time.

"Do you support it?"

The old man's voice trembled, not from fear, but from extreme anger.

"You, a high-ranking official at the vice-ministerial level and the top leader of Zhonghai City, would you support your own daughter sharing a husband with another woman?"

"Do you realize the uproar these words will cause if they get out?! What about your political future?!"

Faced with her father's questioning, Qiao Feiyu did not back down in the slightest.

Meeting her father's gaze, she said, word by word, "Dad, Jinlin is twenty years old this year, not a three-year-old child. The person she chose is at least... a million times better than the one I chose back then!"

These words were like the sharpest knife, piercing deeply into Qiao Jingtang's heart.

She mentioned that man.

That ex-husband who abandoned his wife and daughter, and who fawned over foreign things, made her a laughingstock in the entire capital.

That was one of the few times in Qiao Jingtang's life that he misjudged someone.

It is also a pain that will never fade in his heart.

Qiao Jingtang was instantly speechless.

The anger on his face seemed to be extinguished by a bucket of cold water, quickly fading away and replaced by a more complex expression.

There was heartache, anger, and a sense of powerlessness regarding the unbearable past.

He remained silent for a very long time, so long that even the wind in the courtyard stopped.

Finally, he slowly turned around, his back to everyone, and his voice suddenly sounded much older.

"You...you're trying to shut me up by bringing up the failures of the past."

"Feiyu, do you think this is fair?"

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

Ning Xiuyang knew it was time for him to speak.

If this standoff between the father and daughter continues, things will only get worse.

He stepped forward, not to defend himself, but to help Qiao Feiyu out of the predicament.

"Mr. Qiao, may I say a few words?"

Qiao Jingtang did not turn around, but he did not refuse either, which can be regarded as tacit consent.

Ning Xiuyang's voice rang out clearly in the courtyard.

"We younger generations cannot judge what happened back then, whether it was right or wrong. But Aunt Qiao is right about one thing: Jinlin chose me because she thought I was worthy."

"When it comes to matters of the heart, only the person experiencing it knows whether it's hot or cold. I can assure you that as long as Jinlin is with me, I will make her happy every single day."

"If one day in the future I make her unhappy or cause her any distress, she can leave at any time, and I will never linger or say a word."

"But now, I implore you to give us a chance, and also give Jinlin a chance to choose his own happiness."