Apologize? Wishful thinking.

Last time she slapped herself and almost choked to death from the pinch on her neck, Chu Xinyu was still holding a grudge!

If it weren’t for Xinyue persuading her that they were about to attend the Ya Family banquet, and that if she hurt this wretched girl, and she failed to catch the Ya Family’s eye, Chu Xinyu would definitely fight with the dead girl to the bitter end!

Just then, Xuan Yu hurriedly spoke up for her daughter, "Yanhan, let it go, she’s just a child who doesn’t know any better, it was just a casual joke."

Over the years, the malicious treatment Jiayi received from Chu Xinyu at home was tightly concealed by Xuan Yu, who sternly ordered the servants not to utter a word in front of her husband.

Chu Yanhan, busy with official duties, couldn’t always be at home and was not fully aware of how his eldest daughter treated Jiayi, but seeing his eldest daughter snatch away Jiayi’s boyfriend, he knew the sisters’ relationship was not good. Now, hearing his eldest daughter’s sarcastic remarks about Jiayi in his presence, he felt somewhat angry.

Those words were not only insulting Jiayi but also him.

Claiming Jiayi is born of a vixen?

That was also mocking him in front of the servants as a husband who fools around outside.

Chu Yanhan was not ready to let it go, "A joke? Is this how you joke? If outsiders hear, they will say our daughters don’t get along, that the Chu Family is in discord and lacks discipline!"

Seeing her husband genuinely angry, Xuan Yu, fearing Chu Xinyu would be scolded, made a suggestive glance at Jiayi.

In the past, Chu Yanhan had also noticed that Chu Xinyu was not friendly toward Jiayi.

But every time he sensed something wrong, and it seemed like Chu Yanhan was about to scold Chu Xinyu, Xuan Yu just needed to give Jiayi a look, and she, always seeking to keep the peace, would take initiative to speak up for Chu Xinyu, claiming it was just sisterly banter, and Chu Yanhan would then refrain from saying anything else.

However, today, Jiayi turned a blind eye to Xuan Yu’s suggestive glance, treating it as if it were nothing.

Without Jiayi’s intervention, Chu Yanhan reprimanded Chu Xinyu further.

For the first time, Chu Xinyu was scolded by her father in front of the servants, and in such a grand setting, her face turned red, she clenched her dress tightly, and she was about to cry.

Xiaxia was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, pleased for herself and for the third miss, she sneakily approached Jiayi and whispered, "Third Miss, the eldest miss really deserves it."

After finishing the scolding, Chu Yanhan turned his head towards Jiayi, "Jiayi, don’t take your elder sister’s words to heart."

Jiayi shrugged nonchalantly, "It doesn’t matter. I’m used to it, this is nothing."

Chu Yanhan was taken aback, used to it? Could it be that Chu Xinyu often treated Jiayi this way, and there were even more serious matters?

Xuan Yu was also shocked, had the girl changed her temperament, or was she intending to complain in front of her husband?

"Jiayi, what’s going on? Speak clearly. Has Xinyu been bullying you? Daddy isn’t home all the time, I can’t see many things, but if you have any issues, you must tell Daddy!"

Chu Yanhan was a man of principle, with the authority of a family head, and when he asked, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

In reality, he had always wanted to try to get closer to this daughter with the awkward status, but alas, they had spent too little time together.

Before her memory loss, Jiayi was timid and frail, always filled with fear when looking at him, unwilling to utter an extra word.

And now, the amnesiac Jiayi who returned acted towards him like an iceberg, able to freeze someone to death with her emotional starkness.

In the Chu Family over the recent years, the father and daughter had spoken so infrequently that the conversations could be counted on both hands. It was even less likely for Chu Yanhan to hear her confide any personal matters.

Xuan Yu interjected, "Hey, Yanhan, how did we manage to drift so far off topic? They’re sisters, skin of the same flesh, could there really be any irreconcilable enmity? It’s just playful bickering between sisters. The most serious matter was just about Yixiao, but that wasn’t a big deal either. An unmarried man, an unmarried woman, Yixiao chose Xinyu, which is perfectly normal, and Jiayi didn’t say anything in the end. Besides that, what could there be? How could our Xinyu possibly bully Jiayi?"

Hmph.

Jiayi scoffed lightly.

So, Chu Xinyu’s past insults and beatings were merely "playful bickering between sisters."

Chu Xinyu seducing her own boyfriend into bed and being caught in the act, yet still managing to strut about naked, is also "perfectly normal."

It’s truly disgusting, as if the gates of repulsion were flung wide open, reaching the peak of revulsion.

"Don’t speak, I want to hear it from Jiayi herself," Chu Yanhan interrupted his wife’s words.

He had felt uncomfortable about forcing Jiayi to marry a disabled man in place of his elder daughter, and now, knowing she might have been enduring hardship in the Chu family for years, he found it even more intolerable.

Jiayi didn’t speak, her gaze was like a mirror, clear and penetrating. Slowly, a hint of red emerged, and her eyelashes trembled lightly.

How remarkable, this girl. With her pitiable appearance, remaining silent was more impactful than any words, implicitly accusing Chu Xinyu of her misdeeds.

Xuan Yu clenched her back teeth in hatred.

Sure enough, just by seeing Jiayi’s expression, Chu Yanhan felt a surge of anger rush to his throat, and he quickly turned his head towards Xiaxia, bellowing,

"Xiaxia, since the third Miss arrived at the Chu household, you’ve been in charge of her personal care. She won’t speak, so you tell us!"

Xiaxia felt a chilling glare directed at her, and without looking, she knew it was the lady of the house. She shuddered, "Master, I..."

Chu Yanhan was well aware that she feared offending Xuan Yu and Chu Xinyu. He raised his voice and said,

"Rest assured, after today, if anyone tries to kick you out of the Chu family, or treats you unfairly in any way, gives you the cold shoulder, makes things difficult for you, you tell me everything. I will deal with them! I promise that you will be as safe as before, but if you don’t tell the truth, I will have you leave right now!"

With her master’s support, Xiaxia felt relieved.

She had long wanted to speak up for the third Miss. But since the third Miss had always endured silently and never spoken up, how could she say anything?

Xiaxia glanced at the lady of the house with an expression that read "You can’t blame me, the master is forcing me to speak." Then, rolling up her sleeves without any courtesy, she said,

"From the day the third Miss entered the Chu household, the elder Miss never showed her a good face. When the master was home, it was still tolerable, but when he was away, it was as if the third Miss was a servant, no, worse than a servant."

Chu Yanhan’s face darkened, "What do you mean, ’worse than a servant?’"

"At least the servants don’t get beaten. Even if they do something wrong, they’re just scolded a bit. But the elder Miss, whenever she’s displeased, resorts to hitting or scolding the third Miss. Sometimes she’d even pinch the third Miss’s arms until they turned blue and purple," Xiaxia held back her indignation.

Chu Yanhan suddenly remembered: during the years Jiayi had been in the Chu family, she often wore long sleeves and jeans at home.

He had found it odd once and asked her about it. S Country is an Island Nation in Southeast Asia with a hot climate, so why was she always dressed so heavily? She had simply replied that it was habit.

At the time, Chu Yanhan hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed possible that she was hiding bruises!

He suppressed the anger rising within him, "Continue."