Chapter 64 We Are Definitely Not on the Same Side

Elder Jiang had not expected the other party to show him so little respect.
Of course, in front of the Chen family, his old face was probably not worth that much courtesy!

"Either you hand over your granddaughter and her good-for-nothing fiancé, or this matter will not rest today!"

When Young Master Chen said this, his voice was full of vigor, not looking at all like someone who had been severely injured.
It was obvious that he was intentionally making things difficult today.
Elder Jiang knew all of this in his heart, but asking him to hand over Li Mu and Jiang Wan...
No matter how he looked at it, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You surnamed Chen, have you forgotten how you treated me back at the Imperial Clubhouse? How dare you still bully my grandfather today?"

A woman's voice rang out from behind Elder Jiang.
Her voice was resolute and powerful, causing everyone to turn their heads in that direction. They saw Jiang Wan holding Li Mu's arm as they walked out slowly.

"I didn't expect the two of you to still dare come here to throw your lives away today?"

Upon seeing Jiang Wan, Young Master Chen's anger flared up instantly, and seeing her looking so intimate with Li Mu made him even more furious.
Where on earth was this stinking beggar better than him?
Was it just because he knew how to fight?
The woman he had exhausted every scheme to win was actually being held by that good-for-nothing.
Although Young Master Chen didn't particularly care deeply for Jiang Wan, seeing this scene before him inevitably made him feel quite displeased!

"I never thought you two would actually dare to show up in front of me today! You really have a lot of nerve for a good-for-nothing!"

Li Mu raised his eyebrows nonchalantly.
"Why wouldn't I dare show up in front of you? People like us, who have never done anything against our conscience in our entire lives, naturally have nothing to fear!"

After saying this, he slowly walked over to Young Master Chen and gently patted him on the shoulder.
With just this single pat, Young Master Chen was almost scared out of his wits.

"What do you want to do?"
"I don't want to do anything. Why are you so frightened? Could it be that you've done too many shady things?"

Standing on the side, Jiang Wan also wore a look of approval.
The people around them looked at the three of them with strange gazes, until a middle-aged man behind Young Master Chen angrily rushed to the front!

"What are you babbling about, you useless piece of trash? I advise you not to be so arrogant!"

Hearing this, Li Mu didn't react much.

This felt just like someone putting their all into a punch, only for the blow to land squarely on a pile of cotton.
That sense of utter impotence was deeply infuriating!

"No matter what, the Chen family is still a prominent family in the Imperial Capital. Now that our young master has lost face in Yuncheng... if we don't wipe out the Jiang family, how can we ever maintain our footing in Yuncheng!"

Li Mu's lips twitched as he looked at the middle-aged man in front of him.
If his intelligence reports were correct, this man was none other than Chen Dabao's father, Chen Tianhu!
In other words, he was Young Master Chen's paternal cousin once removed.

At this very moment, he surely had no idea what kind of ordeal his own precious son had been through.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have any energy left to bark like a dog here!

Seeing the look of utter disdain on Li Mu's face, Chen Tianhu had never felt so humiliated in his entire life.
"Today, I am going to drive the Jiang family completely to bankruptcy!"

Suddenly, the people around began to buzz with discussion. Not only the members of the Chen family, but many within the Jiang family as well began pointing fingers behind Jiang Wan's back.

"Oh dear, look at her—choosing a beggar for a fiancé is bad enough, but she even goes around offending people! Is she trying to get us all killed?"
"Who's to say otherwise? They always say she's a troublemaker who loves stirring up trouble outside. Elder Jiang, just look at your precious granddaughter!"
"Grandfather, if the Chen family really flies into a rage and bankrupts our Jiang family, life won't be easy for us from now on!"

He left the unspoken thought trailing off at the back of his mind: without this halo of privilege shielding him, how was he supposed to find a girlfriend?

Hai Yan's face darkened visibly. Though she felt a twinge of pity for her daughter, the thought of the beggar she had chosen made her anger flare up all over again!

"Jiang Wan, get over here right now! You foolish girl, stirring up such a massive mess—are you actually trying to drive your father to an early grave? I told you long ago to stay away from that penniless wretch, but you just wouldn't listen!"

Looking at Hai Yan's expression, Jiang Wan wore a blank, stunned look.
For a split second, she even wondered if the person standing before her was truly her biological mother.

Realizing that her words might have been a bit too harsh, Hai Yan sighed helplessly and patted Jiang Wan on the shoulder.
"Quickly go and offer your apologies to Young Master Chen!"

A look of aggrieved sorrow surfaced on Jiang Wan's face.
If her mother only knew what had actually happened that night, would she still speak this way?

"Auntie, what happened that night cannot be blamed on Jiang Wan at all. Do you even know where Jiang Yusheng and He Yan Kuan took her that night? You have no idea how deeply wronged Jiang Wan was!"

But how could Hai Yan possibly listen to any of this?
She swung her hand and slapped Li Mu right across the face.
"And isn't all of this because of this useless piece of trash? What qualifications do you have to stand here and talk back?"

Li Mu froze in place instantly, his hands clenched tightly into fists.
Yet after all, the woman was his future mother-in-law; he possessed anger in his heart but dared not voice it!

"Mom, what are you doing?"
With that, Jiang Wan pulled Li Mu aside and checked him for injuries.
Fortunately, only a faint red mark was left on his face.

"To tell everyone the truth, the person who actually struck Young Master Chen that night wasn't our Wanwan at all—it was this good-for-nothing!"

Everyone's eyes widened in unison.
If the one who threw the punches was merely this beggar, then this whole situation became much easier to resolve!
Anyway, they had no personal ties to Li Mu; even if they had, pushing him out as a scapegoat was entirely within the realm of possibility.

"So it was this beggar who made the move! Well then, every debt has its debtor, and we sincerely hope Young Master Chen will not let his anger implicate the rest of the Jiang family!"
"I agree. Although Jiang Wan can be somewhat impulsive at times, she isn't nearly this hot-headed!"

Elder Jiang was caught in a painful dilemma.
Right now, everyone in the Jiang family was anxious to draw a clear line between themselves and the incident. What should he do?
After all, the young man was his savior; both reason and emotion dictated that he couldn't push the fellow out to take the fall.
Yet the Jiang family truly could not afford to shoulder this disaster!

Watching the fickle and cold-hearted spectacle around her, a trace of deeply hidden heartache appeared on Jiang Wan's face.
Though the man before her lacked status and background, and always spoke with a glib, oily tongue during peaceful days, when real trouble struck, he truly stepped up to shield her.

"You stinking beggar, did you see that? In the eyes of the Jiang family, you are nothing more than a biting dog!"

Jiang Wan stepped in front of Li Mu.
"Young Master Chen, he is my fiancé and can be considered a member of the Jiang family. Rest assured, I will definitely give you an explanation for today's events, but please show some respect and do not insult my fiancé!"

Elder Jiang looked at his granddaughter's resolute face and couldn't help revealing a smile of profound relief and pride.
As for Li Mu, a wave of genuine warmth washed over his heart.