Chapter 178: Parting on bad terms

"Bang, bang, bang!" Just when the atmosphere had grown awkward, a knock sounded from outside.

Upon hearing it, Xiu E quickly stepped out of the room and opened the door of the villa. A cold breeze rushed in as three people entered, one older than Qi Yuanlong, and the other two roughly the same age as Qi Li and Jiang Hai.

However, as the three men walked in, Qi Li, who had been sitting alone eating oranges, and Liu Li's mother, who had previously looked upset, suddenly changed their expressions. Qi Li immediately stood up.

"What are you doing here? You're not welcome. Get out!" Qi Li pointed at one of the men, a smile on his face, and harshly scolded him without any hesitation.

"Hey, niece, you're a guest. How can you be so unreasonable?" The man at the front, frowning, said impatiently in response to her words.

"I'll say it again. You're not welcome here. Get out!" Qi Li ignored the man's words and repeated herself, her voice firm.

"Sister-in-law, is this how you treat guests? After all, there are no men in the family. Changwu is my guest. If you drive him out, you'll have to drive me out too," the man, now visibly displeased, said. He understood how stubborn his niece was, and he preferred to make things clear with Qi Li's mother.

"My attitude is the same as Xiao Li's. Big Brother, don't forget that our family has just gone through a crisis. It's not right for us, mother and daughter, to side with the enemy now," Qi Li's mother, standing up from the sofa, said coldly. The man she referred to as Big Brother was Qi Song, her brother-in-law, and Qi Li's uncle. However, they were not particularly close.

Qi Song's father had been the brother of Qi Li's grandfather, making them distant relatives from the previous generation.

Logically, they had already parted ways, and Qi Song should not have had any influence over Qi Li's family. However, Qi Song was the most scheming of the lot. If he were like Qi Yuanlong, with a family of drunks, it might have been a blessing for Qi Li. Even if he needed financial support, it wouldn't have mattered as long as they didn't cause trouble. But the issue was that Qi Song was rather capable.

He had been the first in their family to venture into business, following Qi Li's father when he started his career. But as Qi Li's father grew more successful, Qi Song's business remained stagnant, which caused him great dissatisfaction. He always believed that everything in the Qi family should belong to him, not the way things were now.

"What do you mean by 'enemy,' sister-in-law? What are you talking about? I'm also deeply saddened by Qi Li's father's death, but we all know that it was a heart attack. What does that have to do with Changwu? If you're intent on blaming the An family, then that's between An Dexun and An Changyong. What does this have to do with Changwu, who wasn't in charge at the time? Besides, Changwu has had a hard time these years. We all know how close he is to Xiaoli. Is there anyone who sympathizes with him more than I do?" Qi Song's face grew serious as he began to speak, his words full of falsehoods.

"Uncle, I'm calling you 'uncle' now, but don't think your age gives you an advantage. Do you know why my father had a sudden heart attack? Don't pretend you don't know. If it weren't for you, our family would still be together, and it wouldn't be like this!" Qi Li's face darkened as she pointed at Qi Song and responded with fury.

"Sister, you're mistaken. Your father had a pre-existing heart condition. As for the failed acquisition, it was an accident. And didn't you also benefit from it? Liu is still in charge of the family. Now, Changwu has come to apologize. Although this matter has nothing to do with him, it's about attitude. We should forgive when we can. Resolving a grudge is easier than making one!" Liu Song, hearing Qi Li's words, also looked displeased. Taking advantage of your age—those words were too casual.

Seeing Qi Song's face grow darker, another man behind him stood up with a smile.

This man was Qi Liangcai, Qi Song's 35-year-old son. Like his father, he was highly ambitious.

When Qi Li's father passed away, it was their family that was in the best position to take over Qi's company. After all, Qi Li was a woman, and she was young at the time. But surprisingly, Qi Li's mother was decisive and married her off to Jiang Hai. A married woman was seen as more trustworthy than an unmarried one, especially when the man she married had no influence over her. This move sidelined the Qi Song family from taking over the company.

This left them uneasy and discontent. After more than a year of hard work, Qi Li seemed to be solidifying her position in the company.

"Money moves people's hearts," they said. It seemed they would stop at nothing to gain control of the company, even if it meant aligning with their enemies.

Hearing Qi Liangcai's words, both Qi Li and her mother's faces darkened. They weren't politicians, but even politicians had their bottom lines. What was Qi Song suggesting now? Cooperation! In a life-or-death situation, who would they cooperate with?

Just as mother and daughter were fuming with anger but unsure of how to respond, a mocking voice rang out from behind them. Although the voice wasn't loud, it was clear to everyone. Turning around, they saw Jiang Hai sitting there. "I always thought I had thick skin, but today I've realized there are people even thicker-skinned than me. Qi Li, today you've broadened my horizons."

"What do you mean, kid?" Qi Liangcai, who might have shown some respect to Qi Li, wasn't so polite with Jiang Hai, who they considered a worthless man married into their family.

"Isn't it obvious? You're shameless. You bully orphans and widows, and still have the nerve to talk about cooperation? Cooperation? There are two kinds of hatred in this world that can never be resolved—the hatred of killing your father and the hatred of stealing your wife! All your nonsense doesn't change the fact that my father-in-law died because of him. This grudge will never be resolved unless all our family members are dead!" Jiang Hai smiled disdainfully, making his contempt clear.

"What qualifications do you have to speak here? Don't forget your place." Qi Song's face turned serious as he shouted angrily at Jiang Hai.

"What's my place? I'm Qi Li's husband! This is my home! And what's your place, uncle? Sorry, but it seems we're no longer related. What does our family's business have to do with you? A shareholder of Qi's? Fine, if you don't want to hold our shares anymore, I'll buy them from you at a 20% premium. Want to sell?" Jiang Hai's words hit home, and Qi Li and her mother may have given face to these people, but Jiang Hai didn't have to.

His main business was in Boston, where he had a manor, and he dealt in hard currency. He had no interest in shipping goods domestically, and these people couldn't dictate what he did. Jiang Hai stood firm.

"You!" Qi Song trembled, unable to believe what he was hearing. This was the man who had once been terrified of him and too scared to speak, yet now he was speaking like this!

"Uncle Qi, don't be angry… Jiang Hai, right? Let me introduce myself. I'm An Changwu, Qi Li's boyfriend. You just said there are two kinds of hatred in this world that can't be resolved. So, does that mean the hatred between us is unsolvable too?" As Qi Song's son, Qi Liangcai, grew silent, An Changwu, the one most affected by Jiang Hai's words, spoke up, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes, although I'm not sure where you're from, Qi Li married me—it's that simple. I want to thank you for giving me such a beautiful woman. She's talented, beautiful, and knows how to care for others. Our wedding night, well... hiss, why are you pinching me?" Jiang Hai had heard of An Changwu but had never met him. Now that he hoped to distance himself from Qi Li, he'd rather irritate this man than lose her. But before he could finish, Qi Li pinched him.

"Well, you can imagine the rest," Jiang Hai added with a wink, seeing Qi Li's face redden with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

Seeing the tension rising, An Changwu gritted his teeth. "It seems I've been too presumptuous today… Goodbye." With that, he stormed out of the Qi family's villa, and Qi Song and Qi Liangcai followed after him, exchanging looks.

As for Qi Wulong's family, they quickly found an excuse to leave, knowing the situation was no longer suitable for celebrations. (To be continued.)