Chapter 133

Lin Yan stared at Pei Qiaonian in disbelief and shouted sharply, "How dare you!"

A group of well-trained bodyguards immediately surrounded the scene, also restricting the movements of the elderly Master Pei.

Pei Qiaonian smiled at the old man and said, "Old man, I advise you not to move. I have no plans for a funeral anytime soon."

The old man’s eyes widened in horror. In Pei Qiaonian’s gaze, he saw a glaring murderous intent. He did not doubt for a moment that if he spoke up to keep Lin Yan and her son this time, he might end up dying from some accident.

After a long pause, he straightened his back and bowed slightly. Unconsciously, the grandson he least expected had grown to this extent.

He sat silently in his chair, no longer uttering a word.

Pei Qiaonian turned to the others and continued, "Uncles, I apologize for the poor hospitality this time. I will make it up next time. Please take your leave now; I need to handle some family matters. Oh, and I don’t want a single word of today’s events to be leaked."

Lin Yan saw that Pei Qiaonian was serious.

She cast a pleading look at the old man. "Dad! I came back for Xingzhi. If you don’t intervene, he will die."

The old man’s lips moved slightly as he glanced at Pei Qiaonian.

Seeing the situation, Lin Yan realized she could no longer rely on him. Gritting her teeth, she gave up all pretenses and looked at the assembled Pei family members, many of whom were relatives: "Isn’t the purpose of your gathering today to make Pei Qiaonian resign as president of Pei Corporation? Everyone knows that if news of his marriage spreads, especially since the woman has such a heavy stain on her past, the stock market will take a huge hit. You all understand that. What we need to do is stop the losses in time. There are so many of you, mostly his elders, and you can’t even handle this matter?"

Pei Qiaonian lowered his gaze, his slender fingers clutching a porcelain cup. Assistant Gao looked at his boss with concern, having learned something about this banquet. But without the facts fully verified, accusing Xu Yunzhuo like this was no different from slander.

Some of the elders at the table were moved. A man in his sixties sighed, "A-Qiao, we’re not here to pressure you today. It’s just that your marriage is too hasty. If it were a decent girl, we wouldn’t say anything. Nowadays, love is free, and we old bones don’t interfere. But... she, she once..."

Pei Qiaonian’s eyes turned cold. "Once what? Uncle Liang, a man must take responsibility for every word he utters. I hope you choose your words carefully."

Uncle Liang was so choked up he couldn’t say another word.

Pei Corporation was now dominated solely by Pei Qiaonian. They had hoped Lin Yuan’s return would allow them to share some of that power, but judging by the situation, they might only get a share of the profits at best. So they wisely kept silent.

Lin Yan was about to explode with fury.

When the banquet was arranged, it was already agreed that if Pei Qiaonian refused to divorce and cast aside that woman, her son would temporarily take over as president. But she hadn’t even finished speaking before Pei Qiaonian intimidated her into silence.

She took a deep breath. They might fear Pei Qiaonian, but she did not.

"The Pei family has a history of over a hundred years, passed down since the ancestors. Every head of the family must contribute and never bring shame to the clan. Yet you married without the elders’ consent, and your wife carries such a heavy stain. The fact that she was once violated by her foster father—if this leaks out, do you know what ruin it would bring upon the Pei family?" Lin Yan’s words struck the table with force, voicing what everyone else thought.

Pei Qiaonian couldn’t bear it any longer. He raised his hand and threw the porcelain cup.

The cup struck Lin Yan’s shoulder. She cried out in pain and stepped back, sitting down with a start.

Lin Yuan quickly moved forward to check on her, his gentle gaze tinged with coldness.

No one present dared to breathe; they all knew this was a sign Pei Qiaonian was about to erupt in anger.

He scanned everyone’s faces and said each word clearly, "My affairs are not for you to decide. Whom I marry is my right. You have no authority to interfere. Those who spread such rumors deserve condemnation, and I will find them out."

He paused and looked at Lin Yan. "Even if what you say is true, it is not my wife’s fault. Why should a woman bear the blame for the sins of a man? You are blaming the wrong person."

At that moment, footsteps sounded behind him.

Pei Qiaonian turned and saw Xu Yunzhuo being led in by the Pei family butler.

She blinked, glanced around, and seeing the tense atmosphere, looked toward the front. Noticing Pei Qiaonian was there, she exclaimed in surprise, "Hey? What are you doing here?"