Chapter 100: Just a Slap
Although Xu Youyou didn’t know what had happened in the Song family, she guessed it was most likely a family matter.
Song Zhibai had taken his mother’s surname. His father was still alive and was said to be quite wealthy, but he treated Song Zhibai and his mother terribly.
Before even getting into the car, Xu Youyou instructed the four bodyguards behind her, “Keep your eyes sharp. If things get out of hand, step in immediately. Make sure Xiao Song doesn’t suffer any losses, understood?”
The four bodyguards responded in unison.
Two cars, exuding an air of intimidation, sped toward Song Zhibai and his mother’s current residence.
Song Zhibai had just finished filming his last drama. Xu Youyou had seen clips sent by Ouyang—this kid’s performance completely outclassed the pretty-boy actors in the industry. His previous short drama, thanks to his impeccable looks, still dominated the video platform rankings, raking in nearly a million yuan daily.
Considering his past life’s top-tier celebrity trajectory, Xu Youyou had full confidence in Song Zhibai. Right now, he was her number-one cash cow—there was no way she’d let anything happen to him.
In record time, the two cars arrived at the Song family’s residence.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they were met with loud arguments.
“Aren’t you sick? Why don’t you just die already? You’ve ruined our Shen family’s child!”
An old woman’s booming voice rang through the air.
Beside her stood a middle-aged woman, adding fuel to the fire with a sharp, piercing voice, “Mom, big sister was just momentarily confused. Don’t worry, she comes from a scholarly family—she’d never let our family’s eldest son enter the entertainment industry and do such degrading work.”
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow. If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought she had time-traveled two hundred years back, with the way they were tossing around terms like “eldest legitimate son.”
The old lady’s cane struck the ground with a loud bang as she continued, “A scholarly family? What nonsense! She couldn’t even raise her own son properly! Acting in short dramas—how disgraceful! And now, he refuses to leave the entertainment industry? How can our Shen family face the world?”
Song Zhibai seemed ready to make a move, but his mother held him back with all her strength.
Then, Xu Youyou spotted a familiar figure—Shen Yiren.
Shen Yiren, Gu Xueying’s lapdog, was now also stirring up trouble. “Grandma, the entertainment industry is filthy. To become a star, you have to sleep around—with women and even male bosses! It’s disgusting!”
Back when they clashed at the Hermès store, Xu Youyou had been puzzled as to why Shen Yiren targeted Song Zhibai. Now, the mystery was solved—they were half-siblings from the same father.
Song’s mother’s face turned pale with anger. “My son is clean and upright. Don’t spread such vile lies!”
Shen Yiren smirked maliciously. “Auntie, you say he’s clean, but then tell me—who paid for your overseas medical treatment? Who rented this place for you and hired your caregiver? He’s only acted in one short drama so far—how much could he have earned for his boss? Clearly, his boss is interested in his looks! Who knows what dirty tricks he’s been up to behind the scenes? He refuses to bow to our father, but he’s willing to lie under some fat pig. Tsk tsk tsk.”
“Zhibai’s boss isn’t that kind of person! Their relationship is pure—”
Song’s mother was a refined woman, but her weak rebuttals were no match for Shen Yiren’s verbal assault.
Shen Yiren’s smirk widened as she prepared to say something even nastier. “Auntie, you really have no idea how dirty the industry is. Have you heard of—”
Before she could finish, Xu Youyou’s voice rang out loudly, cutting through the chaos. “Shen Yiren, just because you’re filthy inside doesn’t mean everyone else is like you.”
Shen Yiren, who had been basking in her moment of triumph, turned in surprise. Seeing Xu Youyou, she was momentarily stunned.
“What are you doing here? Does Lu Jingyao know you’re keeping a boy toy on the side?” Shen Yiren sneered.
She didn’t know Xu Youyou was Song Zhibai’s boss. At a recent Lu family banquet, she had seen Xu Youyou with Lu Jingyao and assumed she was just his kept woman.
Song’s mother, however, let out a breath of relief when she saw Xu Youyou. She lightly patted her son’s hand.
Xu Youyou didn’t hesitate. She strode up to Shen Yiren and slapped her across the face. “You really need a beating.”
The slap left everyone in stunned silence.
Even the four bodyguards, who had never seen Xu Youyou resort to violence before, were taken aback. While Shen Yiren’s words had been offensive, it was still unexpected for Xu Youyou to actually hit her.
Xu Fang, however, glanced around, then leaned toward Xu Youyou and whispered, “Boss, don’t worry. There are no security cameras here.”
Everyone else: …
Song Zhibai, whose fists had been clenched tightly, gradually relaxed. Though he wouldn’t openly admit it, watching Shen Yiren get slapped filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction. Even his usually composed mother struggled to suppress the corners of her lips from curling up.
Meanwhile, Shen Yiren was utterly shocked. “You dared to hit me?!”
Shen’s grandmother and mother also erupted in anger. “Who is this brat? How dare she hit my granddaughter?!” “She hit my daughter—I’ll make her pay!”
Xu Youyou remained unfazed. One of her bodyguards stepped forward and blocked Shen’s mother before she could lunge.
“As a noblewoman, Madam Shen, you seem rather eager to brawl. Do you enjoy fighting?” Xu Youyou asked with a smirk.
She found it odd. Shen’s mother had managed to climb the social ladder and replace Song’s mother. Xu Youyou had assumed she must be highly capable or come from an impressive background. But now, she seemed no different from a vulgar commoner, despite her designer clothes and gold jewelry. No amount of wealth could disguise her crude behavior.
“Xu Youyou, tell your people to let go of my mother!” Shen Yiren shrieked.
New and old grudges swirled together in Xu Youyou’s mind. Without hesitation, she delivered another slap.
She still remembered how, in her past life, Shen Yiren had locked her in a freezing storage room for two hours right after she had donated bone marrow, nearly causing her to lose consciousness from the cold. Shen Yiren had brushed it off, saying two hours wouldn’t kill her.
Back then, Gu Xueying had pressured her to forgive Shen Yiren. Even when she wanted to fight back, the Gu family told her she hadn’t actually died, so why make a fuss? They called her a wild child with a bad temper who didn’t know how to consider the bigger picture.
Xu Youyou recalled the despair of those two hours in the freezing cold, the severe illness she suffered afterward, and how much weaker her body became.
Compared to that, a mere slap was nothing—not even enough to pay back the interest.
After taking another hit, Shen Yiren’s face swelled red. She glared at Xu Youyou with pure venom. “You’re just some rich man’s plaything, and you dare hit me—”
Another slap landed.
“If I want to hit you, I’ll hit you. You’re just Gu Xueying’s lapdog—nothing special,” Xu Youyou sneered.
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