Chapter 142: Condemned by All

To the Chen family, Hong Yu had always been an outsider. Had he possessed any real talent, things might have been different, but as a live-in son-in-law who had relied on his wife for support for several years, he was hardly in a position to command respect.

Moreover, the person Hong Yu had exposed this time was Chen Shufen, the eldest daughter of the Chen family patriarch and the most prominent and wealthy member of the clan. Her husband was a minor tycoon in Huaizhou, someone the Chen family felt compelled to curry favor with. Not long ago, when the eldest Chen brother’s enterprise faced a liquidity crisis and was on the brink of bankruptcy, it was Shufen’s husband who had provided the loan to see them through. The patriarch had not forgotten that.

Therefore, the patriarch was determined to protect Chen Shufen at all costs, regardless of whether Hong Yu’s accusations were true. As for whether Hong Yu would be offended by being made the scapegoat, the old man cared little. In fact, he hoped Hong Yu would be so incensed that he would divorce Lin Shuyu, or at least finally grasp the reality of his own worthlessness and stop making a scene.

The moment the patriarch stepped in to defend Shufen, Hong Yu understood the situation entirely. He had seen enough of this "kin over justice" mentality back at the Lin family to recognize it anywhere. Realizing that further argument was futile, he abandoned the matter of the ginseng and said, "Grandfather, you truly do dote on your daughter. Such blatant favoritism—it’s quite impressive."

He practically roared the last words, as if venting his pent-up frustration.

"You insolent wretch, what do you mean by that?!" Chen Jianwei bellowed, standing up. "Is that any way to speak to your elder? Remember your place! You are the junior; he is your elder. Whatever he demands of you, whatever he says to you, you are to accept it without question!"

He turned to his niece. "Shuyu, I don't mean to criticize, but what kind of man did you bring into this family? I’ve seen stray dogs on the street that show more respect for their elders than this wretch!"

Lin Shuyu’s face went pale. A moment ago, she had been smiling and encouraging Hong Yu, never imagining things would escalate to this. The grandfather she had always known as kind and the uncle who had always doted on her now wore expressions so twisted and cold that she barely recognized them.

Hong Yu took her hand, signaling for her to stay calm. He smiled faintly and said, "Shuyu, I’m sorry. I really shouldn't have come today. I never wanted you to suffer this humiliation because of me." He pulled his hand away and added, "I’m leaving. You stay and finish celebrating your grandfather's birthday—after all, blood is thicker than water." Though he smiled, his voice was heavy and hollow.

Those who knew Hong Yu could see he was struggling to contain a volcanic rage. Lin Shuyu wanted to hold him back, but she realized that keeping him here would only bring him more grief, so she could only shake her head in helpless silence.

As Hong Yu turned to walk away from the Chen estate, Chen Shufen sighed in relief and sneered, "Heh, that kind of trash should have left long ago. No, he never deserved to step foot in our home in the first place! From now on, if he ever dares to set foot in the Chen estate again, I’ll have someone beat him to a pulp!"

*Crash!*

As she spoke, she caught sight of the tea Hong Yu had brought as a gift and swept it off the table, scattering the leaves across the floor.

Lin Shuyu was about to protest the cruelty when Chen Jianwei turned to her and said, "Shuyu, surely you can see who he really is by now? I told you long ago that a man like him is not worth a lifetime of commitment. Divorce him. Your uncle will find you a suitable partner."

The patriarch nodded, adding, "Your uncle is right. Don't blame me for not showing you respect earlier; I’ve been furious at you for taking in such a live-in son-in-law. To be honest, if it weren't for our family’s strong moral values, I would have washed my hands of an disobedient granddaughter like you long ago. You ought to cherish the guidance we give you!"

The words of the Chen family were cutting and deeply insulting. Lin Shuyu felt her eyes welling up with tears. The guests joined in, whispering and mocking Hong Yu, leaving her feeling utterly isolated and helpless.

Suddenly, she looked up at Hong Yu’s retreating figure. Driven by a surge of desperate courage, she shouted, "Hong Yu, I won't let you leave!"

The room fell into stunned silence. Hong Yu stopped in his tracks.

Lin Shuyu turned to the Chen family, her gaze fierce. "Grandfather, Hong Yu was indeed disrespectful to my aunt just now; that was inappropriate for this occasion, and I apologize on his behalf to my aunt, to you, and to all our guests. I am sorry!"

She stood tall. "But today, no one is allowed to drive him away. He came here with me to celebrate your birthday. If you insist on forcing him out, then you must force me out along with him!"

The patriarch was stunned, then erupted in fury. "Shuyu! Is this how you treat your grandfather? Are you actually threatening me?"

"How audacious!" Chen Jianwei stood up, trembling with rage. "You are a junior, yet you dare threaten your elders? How did your mother raise you?"

Chen Shufen sneered, "We act out of kindness, and you treat it like malice! Shuyu, why do you think we are so worked up? It’s for your own happiness! Have you never heard that 'poverty brings out the sorrow in a marriage'? And it’s not just about money—his character and his breeding are both fundamentally flawed."

She looked around at the guests. "Everyone here, don't think we are bullying them. Even my sister, his mother-in-law, agrees. She told us specifically to ensure that Shuyu divorces this scoundrel! We are only following her instructions. If Shuyu weren't my niece, do you think I, a person with no time to breathe, would waste a second on such trivial matters?"

The guests began to nod, finding Shufen’s words reasonable.

"Shufen is right, I can vouch for that. Lan has complained to me many times about her daughter marrying such a useless man," one guest whispered.

"Everyone knows it. I’ve never understood what Shuyu was thinking."

"She’s so beautiful and has such good prospects—why marry such a loser? It’s no wonder the Chen family is so annoyed with him."

"It seems he really isn't worth it."

"She should divorce him while she’s still young and childless; with her looks, she could easily find a better husband."

The guests buzzed with gossip, and the patriarch’s face turned darker by the second. He had never expected that the always-dutiful Lin Shuyu would defy him and humiliate him in front of everyone.

Just then, the roar of a car engine sounded from outside. Another guest had arrived.