A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

Xu Miao trembled as his father yelled at him.

But her pitiful pride and sense of self-respect made her bite her lip tightly.

How could she possibly admit that she paid thugs to ambush someone?

The two families still have a relationship; saying this...

She stammered for a long time, but couldn't squeeze out a single word.

"Speak!" Lu Weidong had no patience to wait for her and turned to shout at the thug.

The tall, thin thug trembled, his face contorted in a grimace: "I...can you let me go if I tell you?"

The moment he opened his mouth, he met Lu Weidong's cold, piercing eyes and immediately fell silent.

"Sir, I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!" The tall, thin man was so frightened that his tongue was tied in knots.

"Just a few days ago, at that old billiard hall in Daowai, I met this girl surnamed Xu."

She said the man she liked was being entangled with a woman of questionable character.

"They also said the woman used despicable means to force him into marriage, and they couldn't stand it, so they wanted us to 'speak up' on her behalf and then get rid of her."

He stole a glance at Xu Miao's pale face and continued speaking, trembling.

"She gave us twenty yuan and said she'd give us two packs of good cigarettes after it was done. So we agreed."

"I cornered this woman at the bookstore today and told her to stay away from Lu Weidong."

"Otherwise, we'll block the road every time we see them, but we really don't intend to do anything else, just scare them a little..."

His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, and he lowered his head even further:

"Later, this woman agreed to leave, but someone, bewitched...tried to stop her..."

"Then, this officer arrived..."

With each word the thug spoke, Xu Miao's face grew paler, while Staff Officer Xu's face darkened.

Xu Miao's face was ashen, but there was no remorse in his eyes. Instead, they were gradually filled with resentment and a kind of insane malice, which was fixed on Ye Wenxi.

Staff Officer Xu took several deep breaths before he could barely suppress the dizziness.

He walked up to Xu Miao, his voice heavy with sorrow and disbelief:

Is what he said true?!

Xu Miao stiffened her neck, biting her lower lip tightly, refusing to utter a single word.

The resentment in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Seeing her stubborn refusal to admit her mistake, Staff Officer Xu's chest heaved violently, and he suddenly swung his arm to slap her.

"Old Xu!" Xu's mother screamed and rushed over, grabbing his arm tightly.

The commotion here had already alerted the entire residential compound.

It was the time when people were getting off work and heading home, and there were quite a few people coming and going.

They all stopped in their tracks and gathered around from a distance, pointing and whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that the second son of the Lu family? What happened?"

"Oh dear, why is Staff Officer Xu hitting his daughter?"

"Who is that girl standing next to me?"

.....

The buzzing of the crowd's discussions came from above, each sound like a needle pricking the faces of the Xu family.

Staff Officer Xu took a few deep breaths to calm his turbulent emotions, then walked up to Lu Weidong, his face full of shame and exhaustion.

"Weidong, I'm so sorry. It's my fault for not raising my daughter well, causing you so much trouble. I..."

Lu Weidong's face remained unmoved, only cold and hard.

"Brother Xu, the person you should really apologize to is my wife."

He turned to the side, gesturing in Ye Wenxi's direction, "If I hadn't arrived just in time today, no one can guarantee what might have happened to her."

"I won't let this go."

A low gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

"wife?!"

"What did he say? That's his wife?!"

"Lu Weidong got married?! When did that happen?!"

"My goodness... My husband was saying just a few days ago that he wanted to introduce her to his sister."

Staff Officer Xu felt a lump in his throat from Lu Weidong's merciless words.

But knowing he was in the wrong, he quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, we should apologize to Comrade Wenxi."

He strode up to Ye Wenxi. This respected veteran in the army, for the sake of his daughter, completely abandoned his pride and dignity in front of everyone, and spoke in a tone that was almost pleading.

"Comrade Wenxi, I'm sorry. It's all Xu Miao's fault, and it's also my fault as his father for not disciplining him properly."

"Could I ask you, for the sake of our past relationship, to let her off the hook?"

"I'll definitely give her a good talking to when I get back, lock her up in jail, and make her apologize to you..."

Looking at his graying temples and his humble demeanor in front of everyone, Ye Wenxi felt a mix of emotions.

Xu Miao rushed over, tears streaming down her face, and grabbed her father's arm, her voice shrill.

"Dad! Don't beg her! She doesn't deserve it!"

"Shut up!!" Staff Officer Xu turned around abruptly and roared at her.

Did I say something wrong?!

Xu Miao seemed to have gone all out, pointing at Ye Wenxi, her voice filled with sobs and hysterical hatred.

"She must have used some underhanded tactics! They got married after knowing each other for only a few days?"

"What else could it be but despicable tactics?! She's simply—"

"Shut up!"

Lu Weidong's loud shout and Staff Officer Xu's resounding slap rang out at the same time!

"Snapped!"

Xu Miao's face was slapped to the side, and he froze on the spot, a bright red finger mark instantly appearing on his face.

She covered her face, looking at her father in disbelief, then at the astonished or disdainful gazes around her.

Finally, he glared at Ye Wenxi with such venomous eyes that they seemed to bleed.

The surrounding crowd began to buzz with discussion, and the wind subtly shifted direction.

Didn't you say you were single just a few days ago?

"So that's how it is, no wonder it was so fast."

The crowd's initial contempt for Xu Miao's hiring of a perpetrator gradually shifted to questioning Ye Wenxi's "background" and "methods."

Those gazes became complex and subtle, probing as they fell upon her.

Xu Miao covered her face, but a twisted and smug smile appeared on her lips.

She looked at Ye Wenxi defiantly, as if expecting her to be overwhelmed by the criticism and suspicion of the crowd.

Upon seeing this, Lu Weidong's eyes suddenly turned even colder.

He strode forward, his tall frame directly blocking Ye Wenxi and Xu Miao, completely protecting her behind him.

His gaze swept over Xu Miao, revealing a coldness and undisguised disgust.

Xu Miao trembled at the sight, and the smugness on his face instantly froze.

Ye Wenxi gently tugged at Lu Weidong's arm and stepped out from behind him.

She didn't look at Xu Miao, but faced Staff Officer Xu directly.

Her voice was clear and calm, and it was especially clear in the quiet courtyard.

"Chief of Staff Xu, I was fortunate to escape danger today, thanks to Wei Dong's protection. But what caused all this was your daughter's deliberate act, knowing the consequences."

She paused, her tone still steady, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"I understand your feelings as a father, your love for your daughter, and your desire to protect her."

Ye Wenxi's tone was calm, yet carried a clear sense of boundaries.

"But your daughter is an adult now, no longer a child who needs your constant protection. She should bear all the consequences of her choices and actions."

She paused, then looked at Staff Officer Xu with a calm and firm gaze.

"So, I'm sorry, I don't accept this apology, and I won't forgive her."

Staff Officer Xu opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately kept it closed.

He looked at the young woman in front of him, whose eyes were clear and whose demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant.

Thinking of the outrageous things his daughter had done, all the words of pleading stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Yes, you reap what you sow.

He nodded heavily, his voice sounding as if he had aged considerably in an instant.

"I see."