Chapter 466 – A Different Negotiation Approach
Xu Jinning had long known from Xie Ting’an how Grandpa felt about these ungrateful children.
Her views and attitude were perfectly aligned with Grandpa’s.
So how could she possibly go against Grandpa’s wishes for these two?
She wasn’t out of her mind.
Without hesitation, she shot back bluntly.
“Mrs. Xie, let me be direct. What you and your brother did—well, it’s not just me, most people in Beijing know about it.”
“You both did something so despicable, and yet now you have the audacity to say you want to come back and show filial piety to Grandpa?”
“Do you really think anyone would believe such words?”
“I don’t think you want to come back to care for Grandpa; you want to come back for the Xie family. After all, the glory the Xie family enjoys now is beyond your reach.”
“If you’re here for the Xie family’s wealth and status, then stop with the hypocritical talk.”
“But why should you be allowed to come back so easily? When you abandoned the family without hesitation, why should it be so simple to return now?”
“Let me ask you, what right do you have? Is it your selfishness and shamelessness?”
“Have you ever considered how Grandpa feels?”
“Back then, when he was struggling, raising a young Xie Ting’an, abandoned by you, how heartbroken and disbelieving he must have been. And now, seeing the Xie family rise to prominence, you come crawling back—have you ever thought about how angry and hurt Grandpa must feel?”
“You’ve only ever thought about yourselves, never about Grandpa.”
“But why? Why should Grandpa unconditionally forgive all your actions? Just because you’re his children? Just because he’s your father, does that mean he must endure everything unconditionally?”
“Xie Miaomiao, let me tell you this.”
“You may not care about Grandpa, but I do!”
“As long as I, Xu Jinning, am here, I will never allow you to hurt Grandpa again, and I certainly won’t let you use me to do something that would harm him.”
Xu Jinning had become a person with a strong sense of empathy.
She could hardly imagine how, more than a decade ago, in such difficult circumstances, Grandpa must have felt being abandoned by his own children.
He was likely furious, but his sadness must have far outweighed his anger.
It wasn’t just abandonment; it was betrayal.
Back then, Grandpa Xie was already an old man, and Xie Ting’an was just a five or six-year-old child.
It was just an old man and a young child, surviving together in the countryside for over a decade.
How did he manage to convince himself to endure all those years?
Just thinking about what Grandpa must have felt during that time brought tears to Xu Jinning’s eyes.
Grandpa truly was a good person.
Even though she was merely his granddaughter-in-law, he always protected her and looked out for her in every way.
If he could protect her, someone who was only his granddaughter-in-law, to such an extent, how much more must he have cared for his own children?
The more heartless Grandpa appeared now, the more despair he must have felt back then.
So, Xu Jinning didn’t blame Grandpa—she understood him.
These people were just too cruel.
Meanwhile, Xie Miaomiao hadn’t expected Xu Jinning to speak so sharply and be so well-informed about everything.
As they spoke, the eyes of those around them turned toward them.
Although the passersby didn’t know the full story, from Xu Jinning’s words, they could tell that Xie Miaomiao was in the wrong.
It was easy to guess what kind of person Xie Miaomiao was—someone who abandoned and betrayed her father when he was in trouble, and now, with his success, shamelessly wanted to return.
For people like her, no reasonable person would take Xie Miaomiao’s side.
As a result, the bystanders looked at her with eyes full of reproach.
Some even spat on the ground near her as they passed, muttering insults under their breath.
“You!” Xie Miaomiao was furious.
Xu Jinning no longer wished to stand there with Xie Miaomiao.
“From now on, don’t come looking for me again, and more importantly, stop bothering Grandpa.”
“Otherwise…”
Xu Jinning slowly approached Xie Miaomiao. “You know my current status and position. Think about yourselves carefully. If you come back again, I can’t guarantee that I won’t take action against you!”
She gave Xie Miaomiao a deep look, then, without hesitation, turned and got into her car, driving away.
As for Xie Miaomiao, she was thoroughly shaken by Xu Jinning’s gaze just now.
She stood frozen in place for a long time before finally snapping back to her senses.
But by the time she did, Xu Jinning’s car was already far down the road.
Xie Miaomiao stomped her foot hard, gritting her teeth.
“After watching for so long, how much longer are you planning to hide?” Xie Miaomiao suddenly glanced at the alley nearby and spoke.
After a moment, someone slowly emerged from the alley.
“Oh, it’s you, my dear sister-in-law. I didn’t expect you to be lurking around, spying like this.”
The person who came out was none other than Duan Wei, Xie Zeheng’s wife.
Duan Wei stepped forward, a bit embarrassed, and said, “Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Spying? Oh no, I was just passing by.”
“Heh, passing by? Do you even believe yourself when you say that?”
Duan Wei: “…”
Why didn’t you speak so eloquently when you were facing Xu Jinning just now? You were so overwhelmed by Xu Jinning’s words that you couldn’t say a thing.
But now your tongue is so quick and ready, knowing how to deal with her.
“Anyway, you saw what just happened. This Xu Jinning is even more unyielding than we imagined.”
“I certainly don’t want to talk to her anymore.”
“If you all have the ability and energy, go ahead and find her.”
Duan Wei smiled and said, “Since we tried to negotiate nicely, and she refused, let’s change our approach.”
Xie Miaomiao frowned slightly. “Change it how?”
“Well, Fang Tong said before, ‘First show respect, then use force.'”
“Since she doesn’t want to drink the toast, but insists on the penalty drink, we should let her experience it firsthand. I just happen to know some people…” Duan Wei didn’t finish her thought, but Xie Miaomiao understood.
Indeed, at this point, they had completely realized that the old man would no longer acknowledge them.
And returning through Xie Ting’an or Xu Jinning was impossible.
In that case…
They would have to take a gamble.
Using Xu Jinning to exchange for some benefits would surely ‘please’ the old man and Xie Ting’an.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
“When will we take action?” Xie Miaomiao asked.
“There’s no rush; we need to prepare first,” Duan Wei replied.
After all, they were dealing with the powerful Old Master Xie, and they needed to be well-prepared. Otherwise, they might end up worse off than they were now.
Duan Wei certainly didn’t want to find herself in a situation even more unfavorable than the current one.
They needed to ensure that everything went flawlessly.
Once they used Xu Jinning to obtain their rightful benefits, they would leave the capital completely, even the country.
This way, even if the old man’s influence extended far, it wouldn’t reach them.
