Su Jin's words landed like a bolt of lightning.
Su Nuo's face went pale in an instant.
She stared at Su Jin, her expression full of disbelief and growing panic.
How?
How did this timid, submissive girl suddenly become so sharp—so unshakable?
If this matter were truly investigated, it would all trace back to her.
Su Mingyuan knew it too.
The entire banquet had been organized by Gu Xiangyun. If she hadn't been involved—if she hadn't allowed it—how could those three men have appeared upstairs without anyone noticing?
His expression flickered.
He glanced at Su Nuo with guilt, then shifted his gaze to Fu Siyan, who stood there silently, his presence like a blade in the room.
After a moment of hesitation, Su Mingyuan made a decision.
With a resounding smack, he slapped Su Nuo hard across the face.
"You're too willful," he barked. "Apologize to your sister!"
"Dad?!" Su Nuo gasped, clutching her cheek, stunned.
Her father—who had always indulged her—had actually hit her.
And not for anything else… but for that woman.
It wasn't enough that he slapped her. He wanted her to apologize.
"What are you waiting for? Go!" Su Mingyuan shouted, his temper boiling.
Su Nuo didn't dare disobey him.
She slowly stepped in front of Su Jin and forced the words through clenched teeth:
"I'm sorry. Please… forgive me."
Su Jin didn't move.
She stood still, her face expressionless, her cold gaze fixed on Su Nuo.
There was no warmth in her eyes—only the quiet fury of a woman who had seen the truth too clearly.
Say "sorry"… and expect me to forgive you?
Dream on.
Seeing Su Jin remain silent, Su Nuo's mind raced. Suddenly, she let her knees give way and collapsed to the floor.
"If my sister won't forgive me… then I won't get up."
Shameless. Absolutely shameless.
She had tried to ruin Su Jin completely—yet now she knelt there, pretending to be the pitiful one.
Su Jin's lips curled slightly in cold amusement. Her voice was soft, but cut like a blade:
"Fine. Then stay kneeling."
Su Nuo's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected Su Jin to show no mercy.
Now she was stuck—on her knees in front of everyone, unable to rise without losing face, yet already utterly humiliated.
The atmosphere turned very awkward.
Gu Xiangyun's face twisted in barely concealed rage. She looked at Su Jin as though she wanted to devour her alive.
This little bitch actually dared to humiliate Su Nuo like that—publicly!
Her chest heaved with fury as she barked out, "Why are you all just standing there? Help the Second Miss up!"
Two servants immediately stepped forward and helped Su Nuo to her feet. Her face was flushed red with humiliation, and her eyes—damp with unshed tears—darted toward Fu Siyan.
But one look at his face made her blood run cold.
Fu Siyan's expression was unreadable… but the darkness in his eyes had deepened.
A suffocating pressure began to build in the room, invisible but inescapable.
The air felt thick, and the weight of his silence was unbearable.
Everyone went still.
They couldn't read him—what he was thinking, what he might say next. And so no one dared speak. They simply stood there, awkward and tense.
Finally, Su Mingyuan forced himself to break the silence. He stepped forward with a laugh that rang hollow in the heavy air.
"Haha, Mr. Fu must have been amused by our little family quarrel," he said, trying to smooth things over.
"It's entirely my fault—poor discipline at home. I hope you won't take it to heart. Let's head downstairs and take our seats, shall we?"
He gestured toward the stairs with an ingratiating smile, trying to salvage what little face he had left.
Hearing this, Su Nuo's eyes lit up with excitement.
She had spent weeks preparing for this banquet—specifically to showcase her piano skills in front of Fu Siyan, hoping to impress him enough for the Fu family to sponsor her national concert tour.
This was supposed to be her night.
But just as her joy was beginning to bloom, Fu Siyan's cold voice cut through the air like ice:
"No need. I have other matters to attend to. I'll be leaving now."
He gave the crowd a slight nod, then turned and strode away—his tall figure disappearing down the corridor without another word.
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
As soon as Fu Siyan left, the rest of the guests began to stir.
"Ah… something urgent just came up for me. I'll have to excuse myself," said one with a forced smile.
"Me too, I suddenly remembered a prior engagement…"
"I'll visit another day—congratulations, of course…"
Su Mingyuan's face twitched. He rushed forward, trying to salvage the situation.
"Boss Zhang! At least stay for dinner—Boss Li, don't go just yet—"
But no one listened.
Everyone found a reason to leave.
The Su family had become the evening's entertainment—a walking scandal.
And now that the real star, Fu Siyan, had left in disgust, no one wanted to stay behind and share in the fallout.
Su Mingyuan was left standing there alone, bowing stiffly as he saw each guest out with a forced smile stretched across his face.
Once the last guest had gone and the doors finally closed…
The smile vanished.
With a furious expression, he turned toward Gu Xiangyun and slapped her hard across the face.
Smack!
"Do you know how much effort I put into getting Fu Siyan to attend this banquet?" he roared.
"I gave Old Master Fu a priceless Tang Dynasty Jiulong Cup! That's the only reason he agreed to come!"
His face twisted with fury.
"And now you've ruined everything!"