691 Filthy Blood

However, today was the matter of protecting her step-daughter. So what if she's a step-daughter? A daughter is still a daughter! Yours or mine, why would that matter? This was Zhao Huan's pure and innocent thoughts. 

But obviously, other people won't agree with this. For them, if she's my daughter then she's precious. If she isn't my daughter, why bother caring?

Xiu who was protected behind Zhao Huan felt like someone wrapped a warm blanket around her body. Because of her mental state and her pregnancy, her emotions were in disarray already. But she suddenly felt so calm when she heard Zhao Huan's words. 

For the first time, she also had a mother to hide behind. Without realizing it, Xiu's tears slid down her cheeks. Only when she tasted the saltiness did she realize that she was crying like an idiot. How absurd was it that she was touched by such a simple act?

Zhao Huan turned around and seeing Xiu's tears, her eyes widened. She wiped Xiu's tears and caressed her face saying, "Silly one! Why are you crying?"

Like a little kid, Xiu lifted her finger and pointed at her bloody cheek saying, "It hurts."

Zhao Huan felt her clenching as she held her in her embrace and stroked her back soothingly. "It's okay. I'm here now. Should I blow on it? It won't hurt again."

Xiu snorted, "I'm not a kid."

"Yes, yes. You're not a kid." Zhao Huan agreed before she beckoned Darren over and passed her over saying, "You take care of her. Let me take care of the rest." She turned around to face Zhao Wei as she said, "Dear little sister, your daughter has made my daughter cry. How are you gonna fix this?"

Zhao Wei was completely confused as to why Zhao Huan would be so protective over Xiu. Oh, and let's not forget that Zhao Wei was very familiar with Zhao Huan's nature since the latter was her elder sister. Even though they now weren't on good terms, once they were also like a pair of adjoined twins. 

"Auntie Huan, you can't be this unreasonable as well," Qiu Meihui couldn't speak for herself but her best friend Liu Nuan could. "You can clearly see what this wild girl did to Meihui. How can you take her side?"

"Meihui took the first step, how can you blame it on Xiu?" retorted Zhao Huan without any hesitation. She looked at Xin Xiaoli as she asked, "Xiao Li, who started the verbal abuse first?"

Xin Xiaoli looked over at Qiu Meihui coldly as he answered, "She did."

Liu Nuan stared at Xin Xiaoli, "Cousin, how can you also do this? Meihui is now your wife. You can't take sides with an outsider!"

"Exactly my point!" agreed Zhao Huan. "If she can be called an outsider, you have even lesser right to talk right now, Liu Nuan."

Liu Nuan was stunned to her spot. She looked over at Xiu and tried to think of why everyone was defending her? Even Xin Zimen would actually defend her? And Zhao Huan who usually kept her distance from these things actually spoke up for a nobody? Why? What was she missing here?

Xin Zimen looked at his best friend, Qiu Jiayi, and said, "Sorry, Yi. But your daughter insulted my family. Unless she apologizes to Xiu, I won't let this go."

Qiu Meihui was hopping mad now. Even with her painful face, she stepped up and shrieked, "Why are you all standing on her side? Who is she? Isn't she just important because she is Regan Darren Salvay's girlfriend? So what? What else is her identity? She is a nobody! How can you all insult me for her?!"

Instead of raising his voice like her, Xin Xiaoli calmly said, "As dad just said, Xiu is family. You have no right to insult her."

"Family?" snorted Qiu Meihui. "Just because you all consider her family, doesn't mean she is! At the end of the day, she is an orphan! She is nothing but a bastard child of someone! So what if I called her a low born? Did I say anything wrong? I'll say it again! She is a low born! She has someone's filthy blood running-"

*Ptak!*

Her words were left hanging as another resounding slap landed on her already swollen face. This time, the slap came from a very unexpected person. Because the one to raise her hand was Francesca Salvay.

Darren looked at his mother who said, "I didn't teach my son to raise his hand on women or else, you'd be in a worse condition right now. I always thought of you as a spoiled and a bit willful person. I never thought you had such an evil heart."

Qiu Meihui was even more unwilling to back off now, "You all want to shut me up by using force. Guess what! It's not happening!" She rushed over to claw at Xiu who held her wrists and twisted it behind her back.

"As I said, you seem very eager to die," spoke Xiu as she sniffled and dragged Qiu Meihui off of the stage under everyone's watchful eyes. "Since you want to know whose filthy blood is running through my veins, I'll let you know today."

Dylan was about to move but was held back by Darren just like his father was held back by Xin Zimen who shook his head. He knew what Xiu was doing and he didn't feel like stopping her. In fact, he felt like this could be the best time for this revelation.