Chapter 1625

As the banquet was winding down, Xiao Qingqing's phone rang. Seeing that it was her mother, Mu Lan, calling, Xiao Qingqing hesitated for a moment before standing up. She nodded apologetically to the guests, excused herself, and stepped out to take the call. Leaning against the wall outside the private dining room, she barely had time to speak when Su Jiaojiao's shrill voice erupted from the other end of the line. "If she doesn’t get her ass back here right now, you old hag, pack your shit and get out of my house!" A cold glint flashed in Xiao Qingqing’s eyes. She had planned to settle the score with Su Jiaojiao after dealing with Nuan Nuan’s situation. But before she could make a move, Su Jiaojiao had come knocking first. Mu Lan let out a weary sigh before speaking to Xiao Qingqing. "Qingqing, can you come home? Jiaojiao says the news scandal is all your fault. Is that true?" News? Xiao Qingqing recalled yesterday’s sensational headline: "Qiao Corporation’s CEO Defies Age, Spotted in Midnight Rendezvous with 20-Year-Old Su Heiress—Passion Ignites, Youth Restored..." "Qingqing?" Mu Lan’s voice pulled her back to reality. Just as Xiao Qingqing was about to respond, she heard her mother gasp in pain. "Mom? Mom!" She called out several times, but there was no answer—only the abrupt click of the call disconnecting. Su Jiaojiao had always been unreasonable. Now that the media had exposed her, she was bound to take her fury out on Mu Lan. Xiao Qingqing looked worried as she turned back to the private room. Picking up her purse, she bowed slightly to the group and said, "Excuse me, everyone, but I have an urgent matter to attend to and need to leave early." Mu Nuan stood up immediately, concern etched on her face. "What's wrong, Qingqing? Did that Ding You cause trouble for you again?" Xiao Qingqing shook her head and leaned in to whisper, "It's a family matter. Don't worry about it—I can handle it. Nuan Nuan, congratulations again on your engagement. I'll see you back at school." With that, she gave Mu Nuan's shoulder a reassuring pat and left swiftly. She hailed a cab and headed straight to the Su family villa in Jinxiu Jiayuan. As she stepped into the courtyard, the sound of shattering porcelain echoed from the living room. Pushing the door open, she was met with a scene of utter chaos—broken fragments scattered across the floor. Her stepfather, Su Changping, sat rigidly on the sofa, his expression icy. Mu Lan stood nearby, wringing her hands helplessly as tears streamed down her face. Su Jiaojiao, who had only dared to return home after hiding out all day, spotted Xiao Qingqing and immediately hurled a porcelain vase at her before charging forward. "You bitch! How dare you ruin my reputation? I’ll kill you today!" Xiao Qingqing sidestepped calmly, letting the vase shatter at her feet. With a cold glint in her eyes, she raised her hand and caught Su Jiaojiao’s wrist mid-swing. Unlike the pampered Su Jiaojiao, Xiao Qingqing had been trained in self-defense by her father from a young age. Years of working odd jobs to support herself had also made her deceptively strong despite her slender frame. With a sharp shove, she sent Su Jiaojiao stumbling backward. Brushing off her hands in disdain, she shot her stepsister a frosty glare. Before she could speak, Mu Lan rushed over, her voice trembling with emotion. "Qingqing, your Uncle Su just came back and said you were at that hotel last night with Samuel. The whole circle is talking about it. Tell me the truth—what really happened? Your sister said she was the one meeting him. Why was it you instead...?" Su Jiaojiao exploded with rage, "What else could it be? She swapped my room and slept with my man!" Xiao Qingqing turned her head sharply to glare at Su Jiaojiao. No wonder Su Jiaojiao had shown up at that hotel last night after scheming against her—she had intended to make a move on Third Uncle, only to have her room switched! And the one who swapped the rooms... Her eyes flashed with realization—it was Third Uncle! Third Uncle really was... ruthless! Su Jiaojiao's fury burned hotter the more she thought about it. "You and your mother—one shameless old hag seducing my mother's husband, the other a brazen little slut stealing my man! You're both—" Before she could finish, Xiao Qingqing struck like lightning, her palm cracking sharply against Su Jiaojiao's cheek. The crisp slap echoed through the empty living room, freezing everyone in place. Xiao Qingqing's voice was icy. "Who gave you the right to insult my mother? Don’t forget—your father was the one who pursued her! And everything you enjoy now was bought with the Xiao Group, the company my father left behind!" From the nearby sofa, Su Changping slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang. Mu Lan flinched nervously, her eyes darting to Xiao Qingqing. "Qingqing, please—Jiaojiao suffered such humiliation yesterday. She’s hurting. Just let her vent a little. Don’t—" "Let her vent?" The memory of last night’s ordeal sent a surge of fury through Xiao Qingqing. That had been her first time! For twenty years she had lived a quiet, obedient life—until Su Jiaojiao destroyed it all in a single night! The sight of Su Jiaojiao now, lips swollen and face bruised, only confirmed the rumors about Old Qiao’s twisted tastes. If not for her uncle’s intervention last night, she—a girl with no connections—would have suffered a fate even worse than Jiaojiao’s. Her voice was low, her expression resolute. "Mom, I won’t back down this time. Su Jiaojiao brought this on herself—she deserves it!" She took a deep breath. "I’ll ask you one last time. I’ll take care of you, support you for the rest of your life. Will you come with me?" Mu Lan’s eyes reddened as she turned to glance at Su Changping. Su Changping scoffed, his cold gaze devoid of any warmth. "I’ve said my piece. Think it over and decide for yourself. Of course, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you. After all, it’s your choice." Mu Lan lowered her head, hesitating for a long moment before finally reaching out to grasp Xiao Qingqing’s hand. Then, slowly, she shook her head. "Qingqing... I don’t want to live without security anymore. I can’t go with you." Her voice trembled. "The reason I called you here today is... your Uncle Su’s company is in trouble. Jiaojiao’s reputation is ruined, and it’s hurting the business. So, I was hoping... you could take the blame for this?" Xiao Qingqing yanked her hand away, stumbling back in disbelief. "What... did you just say?" Mu Lan couldn’t meet her eyes, tears welling up in silence. But Su Jiaojiao, standing nearby, sneered. "Are you deaf? She wants you to hold a press conference and tell everyone that last night, you—out of jealousy over my feelings for Third Master Lu—set me up and threw me into that old bastard Qiao Nancheng’s bed! That way, I’m the victim, and the company’s reputation stays clean!" Mu Lan still refused to look at her daughter, pleading in a whisper, "Qingqing, just this once... Please, do this for me. Just this once, okay?"