Tang Yan looked at Tang Xiaomin with a complicated gaze, his heart pounding. Had Tang Xiaomin deliberately sent her away to badmouth him to President Pan? Perhaps about the Meihuan Design incident.
Tang Yan stood up from his seat and walked out of the private room anxiously. He waited outside for nearly an hour. President Pan and Tang Xiaomin seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation. When President Pan emerged, he shot Tang Yan a cold glance and left. The calmer things seemed, the more Tang Yan was unable to fathom the situation, and the more he suffered.
Tang Yan blocked Tang Xiaomin's path, losing his composure and shouting, "What did you say to President Pan? What do you want?"
Slap!
Without a word, Tang Xiaomin slapped Tang Yan across the face. A bright red handprint instantly appeared on Tang Yan's cheek.
"You… you dare to hit me?"
Tang Xiaomin's heart sank, and the pent-up anger could no longer be suppressed.
"I hit you, and that's what I'll do!"
With that, she fiercely kicked Tang Yan.
"Ah!"
Tang Yan flew several meters away, shattering a large vase. Tang Xiaomin slowly walked up to Tang Yan, looking down at him with disdain. Tang Yan clutched his chest, looking at Tang Xiaomin in disbelief. Tang Ye had told him that Tang Xiaomin was ruthless. He hadn't seen it with his own eyes and hadn't felt truly terrified, nor had he been hit by Tang Xiaomin. At this moment, besides being shocked, he was extremely fearful of Tang Xiaomin.
"You… you… what do you want to do to me?"
"I… I warn you, don't mess around. There's surveillance here. If you harm me, you won't escape either."
Despite his words, Tang Yan's body was struggling to retreat. Every step he took back, Tang Xiaomin advanced one step, relentlessly pursuing him. She was a vengeful ghost, relentlessly chasing him, her shadow clinging to him! In a moment, Tang Yan's back was against a wall, with nowhere left to retreat.
At this moment, President Pan emerged from the adjacent restroom. Tang Yan, seeing him as a savior, cried out, "President Pan, save me!!!"
Simultaneously, Tang Xiaomin's kick narrowly missed Tang Yan's head, hitting the wall instead. Fortunately, she was wearing jeans; otherwise, from Tang Yan's angle looking up, there would have been a wardrobe malfunction.
President Pan had first seen Tang Xiaomin at Tang Zhongcheng's birthday banquet. Even then, he knew Tang Xiaomin's relationship with the Tang family was strained. Seeing Tang Xiaomin beat Tang Yan so severely, his initial surprise turned into greater curiosity.
"Miss Tang, what's going on?"
Tang Yan shot President Pan a pleading look. President Pan smiled.
"Frankly, I shouldn't interfere in your personal disputes. However, Tang Yan is, after all, a designer at my company. Could I ask you to spare him, for my sake, and not pursue this matter for now?"
Tang Xiaomin slowly withdrew her foot and offered President Pan a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Since President Pan has spoken, I will give you this face."
"I hope President Pan will seriously consider the conditions I mentioned earlier."
Tang Xiaomin left without another glance at Tang Yan. President Pan did the same.
"Hoo…"
Looking at the dented concrete wall behind him, Tang Yan slumped to the ground, utterly drained. If President Pan hadn't appeared in time, could he have withstood that kick to the head?
Tang Yan was only twenty-three years old, and his mental fortitude was not as strong as Tang Yu's. He was now terrified and stumbled home. He couldn't just do nothing; he had to find a solution.
"Mom, Tang Xiaomin hit me, Mom…"
Tang Yan was the youngest son of the Tang family and was extremely dependent on Zhang Meiyu. Zhang Meiyu was startled by the sight of Tang Yan, panicked and disheveled. However, after everything that had happened, Zhang Meiyu had begun to understand Tang Xiaomin's principles. As long as one didn't provoke her, she generally wouldn't provoke others. Zhang Meiyu had already made up her mind.
"You provoked her, so why would she hit you for no reason?"
"Mom…"
Tang Yan had been beaten, yet his mother was blaming him. This made Tang Yan feel indignant and hurt.
Tang Zhongcheng also said, "I told you long ago to stay far away from her. Why didn't you listen?"
Tang Ye, staying home and focusing on his creative work, was living a peaceful life. "Cherish life, stay away from Tang Xiaomin."
The entire family adopted an attitude of "Tang Yan deserved it," offering no sympathy. Who could know the despair Tang Yan felt?
"I just returned to the country with President Pan. How could I have provoked her?"
"She's clearly trying to harm me now. Why are you all siding with her? Are you even family?"
The family could only shake their heads helplessly. Who could stop Tang Xiaomin from doing what she wanted? It was merely revenge; she hadn't killed him directly, which showed Tang Xiaomin's kindness and that she hadn't completely lost her humanity.
Tang Yan was beaten, and the whole family remained cold and indifferent. Watching his mother quietly retreat to her room, Tang Yan felt like an abandoned child. No one cared about him; what should he do?
"Dad, what should I do? Tang Xiaomin is so vicious; she won't let me off. I'm the only one left in our family who hasn't been harmed by her. Dad, save me, Dad."
At this moment, Tang Zhongcheng's hair was entirely white. He looked like an old man at the end of his life, barely clinging to existence. Tang Zhongcheng sighed.
"Think carefully about where you wronged her. Go to her yourself and sincerely repent, seeking her forgiveness."
"What if she doesn't forgive me?"
Tang Yan blurted it out, unintentionally confessing. Tang Ye watched Tang Yan with a grave expression and questioned him coldly, "What exactly did you do to her? Tell me honestly!"
Facing Tang Ye's interrogation, Tang Yan was powerless and couldn't meet his gaze.
"I… I didn't."
The family knew each other inside and out. Tang Yan, when he did wrong, couldn't withstand questioning. Just like now, he was being stubborn and denying it while not daring to look at anyone.
Tang Ye stood up and unceremoniously pushed Tang Yan. "I don't care what you did to her. Since she's seeking revenge on you now, for the peace of Mom, Dad, and myself, you should leave. Don't implicate us."
Having been shot, Tang Ye had witnessed Tang Xiaomin's ruthlessness and was truly afraid. Now that life had finally stabilized somewhat, he didn't want to be dragged down by Tang Yan.
Tang Yan glared at Tang Ye indignantly. "You want to drive me away? On what grounds?"
On what grounds? That was the right question. Tang Ye glanced at his white-haired father beside him and said, word by word, "You're not blind. You know how broken Mom and Dad are. If you have any conscience, stay far away from us. We've finally found some stability; don't drag us down again."
What was once a united family now saw Tang Ye prioritizing self-preservation. Tang Zhongcheng remained silent, tacitly agreeing.
"You… are you even still family?"