The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

As soon as he finished speaking, the aunties and grandmas watching outside the gate all gasped in shock!

"hiss--"

Countless shocked, disdainful, and inquisitive gazes, like searchlights, instantly swept across the doorway and pierced Qiao Mingzhu, who was hiding guiltily behind Qiao Lijun, pretending to be "weak."

One of the kind-hearted older women, who had also endured hardship in her younger years, spat and loudly accused him:

"Oh my God! No matter what, you can't treat this girl like this! Stripping a girl naked? What's the difference between this and bandits in the old society?!"

"Exactly! What are the Qiao family thinking? Have they lost their minds?! Letting an adopted daughter who isn't their own treat their own flesh and blood like this—what kind of logic is that?!"

"You can never truly know a person's heart! Mingzhu always seemed so gentle and kind, never daring to say a harsh word, but I never imagined she was so wicked! She actually used something as serious as 'cheating' to slander someone! If this gets out, how will Xinxin ever get married?!"

"What a tragedy! This blind couple actually let a stranger defecate and urinate on their own daughter! How can Qiao Shouguo not even understand family matters? And he's supposed to be a businessman..."

Everyone was talking at once, their spittle practically flooding the Qiao family's gate.

The impolite pointing and whispering, the jumbled chatter, were like resounding slaps to the faces of the Qiao family of four!

Qiao Shouguo, Qin Fangfang, and Qiao Lijun were so embarrassed they wished they could disappear into a crack in the ground!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the anger in Qiao Shouguo's chest was like a volcano, which had been suppressed to the extreme!

He is a man who cares a lot about his reputation, and today's incident has completely humiliated the Qiao family in this compound!

But can he lash out at Qiao Xinxin now? No! That brat has now seized all the moral high ground.

Qiao Shouguo's eyes suddenly turned sinister.

He strode up to Qin Fangfang and Qiao Lijun and shoved aside his eldest son, who was in the way.

Like picking up a chick, they grabbed Qiao Mingzhu, who was hiding behind and trembling!

"Dad—!" Qiao Mingzhu cried out in alarm, her eyes wide.

Before she could react, Qiao Shouguo waved his hand and exerted all his strength—

"Smack—!!!"

A resounding, crisp slap landed squarely on Qiao Mingzhu's fair and delicate face.

The slap was extremely powerful, causing Qiao Mingzhu's head to tilt to the side, and a trace of blood instantly spilled from the corner of her mouth. She staggered and almost fell to the ground.

The neighbors, who had been chattering away, fell silent instantly, as if the air had frozen, after that slap.

Veins bulged on Qiao Shouguo's forehead as he pointed at the dazed Qiao Mingzhu and angrily shouted, "You ignorant brat! Your sister just got back, what nonsense are you spouting?! Apologize to your sister right now!!!"

Qiao Mingzhu covered her burning cheeks, completely stunned.

She was pampered and spoiled by her parents since childhood, and they would feel sorry for her if she bumped or bruised. In the past twenty years, when had she ever suffered such grievances?!

Even if she had just done something wrong, she was certain that her parents would side with her!

But now, her loving father actually slapped her in front of the entire compound!

The moment she realized what had happened, an overwhelming sense of humiliation surged into her heart. Qiao Mingzhu's eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

With a loud "waaaah," a plaintive cry was about to burst from her throat—

But when she looked up and met her father Qiao Shouguo's furious eyes, which were filled with a strong warning, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Qiao Mingzhu's throat tightened with fright, and she forcefully swallowed back the sob that was about to escape her lips!

But her frail body trembled violently, and her once innocent face was now contorted with extreme forbearance and humiliation, betraying the turmoil in her heart.

She gritted her teeth, her nails digging into her palms, and turned to look at Qiao Xinxin, whose eyes were cold under the streetlight.

"I'm...I'm sorry..."

Qiao Mingzhu lowered her head in humiliation, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed and stammered out the words, "Sister... I misunderstood you... I was wrong... Waaah..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she could no longer suppress the collapse and embarrassment in her heart. She covered her swollen cheeks with both hands and, like a stray dog, walked past Qiao Shouguo and rushed into the house without looking back.

"My pearl! Oh, my pearl!"

Qin Fangfang's heart was breaking!

She immediately lifted her foot to chase after him into the yard, but her husband, Qiao Shouguo, grabbed her arm tightly.

"Stop right there! Aren't you embarrassed enough already?!" Qiao Shouguo shouted angrily at his wife in a low voice.

Then, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and turned to look at Qiao Xinxin, who was still sobbing outside the door.

On that stern, rigid face, a forced smile, more like a grimace, was forced out. He raised his hand and waved it irritably: "Alright, alright, Xin Xin, your sister didn't do it on purpose. Dad has already disciplined her for you! Everyone, go home, go home!"

He bowed to the neighbors again, then his gaze finally settled on Qiao Xinxin, his tone carrying an undeniable authority and urging: "Alright, stop making a scene outside! Go inside and get some sleep, it's getting late!"

Outside the gate, the neighbors, seeing that the main culprits had been beaten and apologized, saw that there was nothing more to see and shook their heads and pursed their lips as they dispersed in twos and threes.

However, the whispers about the Qiao family's favoritism still drifted intermittently into their ears.

Qiao Xinxin stopped crying and making a fuss. The performance had gone far enough. She tightened her collar, went barefoot, and silently walked past the biased family of three, heading straight back to her room.

……

Meanwhile, Qiao Mingzhu, who didn't linger in the living room at all, rushed straight up to the second floor.

"Bang!"

She slammed the door shut!

Qiao Mingzhu suddenly collapsed onto the soft bed, buried her face in the fragrant pillow, and began to wail uncontrollably.

Tonight, just tonight, she has utterly lost face in the entire compound!

The gossiping women pointing and whispering, the disdainful looks, and that slap my father delivered in public...

How will she ever have the face to go out again?!

The girls in the compound who were usually on good terms with her probably laughed at her behind her back, calling her an imposter and mocking her for being publicly humiliated.

"Waaaaah... It's all Qiao Xinxin's fault! It's all that country bumpkin's fault!!"

Qiao Mingzhu cried her heart out, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.

Her father, who always doted on her and never dared to say a harsh word to her, actually hit her today because of that peasant!

If that wretched girl hadn't deliberately run outside the gate to cry and make a scene, making it known to everyone, how could Dad have possibly hit her?

Qiao Mingzhu suddenly lifted her head from the pillow. Her once delicate and fair face was now covered with tears, and her large eyes, which were always full of water, now reflected an undisguised madness and malice!

"Qiao Xinxin...you bitch!"