Chapter 24: Two Heads Are Better Than One!

Song Miaoke was truly bewildered by his behavior. He had clearly stated the day before that he would stop eating, yet he hadn't been able to control himself by nightfall, only to suffer for it again the following day. Perhaps this was the nature of a man’s pride; the man in their household seemed to possess an exceptionally strong sense of it.

Su Zhihan remained oblivious to this little episode. The animal hospital had been busy over the past two days, and between caring for furry patients and her work, she had no time to keep tabs on Ji Han and Song Miaoke. As the weather grew colder, both humans and pets were prone to catching colds. While she diligently clocked in for her shifts, she would scroll through social media to see the wealthy socialites attending one party after another; compared to them, she was far too level-headed.

Song Yu had also attended several banquets lately, mostly hosted by elders, which made it difficult for him to decline. One day, fresh from a banquet, he stopped by the animal hospital to see Su Zhihan. Watching her comfortably petting a dog, Song Yu was filled with both envy and jealousy. "Your life is so comfortable. You have no idea how busy I’ve been these past few days. Those elders are constantly dropping hints about setting me up on dates; it’s absolutely exhausting."

They weren't close, and these wealthy acquaintances were all superficial. Even if their families had long-standing ties, it never reached the level of true friendship. They claimed to care about his love life, but it was really all about profit—why dress it up in such flowery language?

Su Zhihan looked at him with amusement. In this world, her parents were completely hands-off, so no one pressured her to marry. Having money and no one to answer to—this life was truly comfortable.

As Song Yu continued, he brought up Ji Han. Though Ji Han hadn't attended, he was still the subject of much attention. "Ji Han is genuinely popular. Everyone knows he has a girlfriend, but many still have their own plans. The elder who tried to set me up wanted to introduce his granddaughter to Ji Han. He even said, 'What does having a girlfriend matter? She has no family background; he can just keep her as a mistress on the side.'"

Song Yu’s expression was one of profound disgust as he spoke. These people were truly beasts. The couple was so happy together, yet they were determined to tear them apart. Su Zhihan was equally repulsed by this high-society mentality. Had they forgotten the fate of the Lin family? Curious, she asked, "Have they forgotten what happened to the Lin family? Do they want to be the next to fall?"

"That’s different. The Lin family didn't have the status of this family; they are an old-money dynasty," Song Yu explained in detail. The family, surnamed Tang, had been wealthy for generations. The patriarch of the previous generation had several wives, and the household was enormous—the primary wife had several children, and the concubines had even more. Their business empire was vast, and not a single man in the family was honest. Even with modern regulations forbidding multiple wives, they all kept mistresses on the side. They lived by the motto of keeping the "red flag" at home while flying the "colorful flags" outside. The younger generation of the family had frequently engaged in bullying and harassment.

As she listened, Su Zhihan’s expression twisted. It was a family of scum.

Song Yu continued, "In a week, the old man is celebrating his 80th birthday. They’ll likely invite Ji Han’s family, and I suspect Song Miaoke is on the guest list too. Imagine an old man stooping to bully a young girl—how shameless!"

Su Zhihan nodded in agreement. "Truly shameless. I’m going to go and see for myself; I despise such scumbag families." If they wanted to break up Ji Han and Song Miaoke, they would have to answer to her first. This pair of "extraordinary" characters belonged together, and she would see to it that they stayed that way. However, she needed to give Ji Han a heads-up so he could prepare.

After dialing his number, Su Zhihan brought up the Tang family and then offered a earnest suggestion: "Old Ji, why don't you just scar your face a little? If you were disfigured, I bet fewer people would be setting their sights on you."

Hearing her tone, which was completely serious, Ji Han wanted to knock some sense into her. "Su Zhihan, are you serious?"

"With the tone I'm using, can't you tell how serious I am?" she replied matter-of-factly. "But I have another idea, if you want to hear it."

Ji Han was silent for two seconds, certain it would be another terrible suggestion, but he decided to listen. "Go ahead."

Su Zhihan chuckled, a sound that was somewhat devious. "This method is a bit underhanded, but it would definitely get rid of your unwanted admirers. Look at these wealthy socialites—even if they haven't been with 'countless' men, they’ve certainly seen their fair share of the world. If you just let it slip that you're... impotent, I’m sure most of them would lose interest immediately."

Ji Han’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone, his facial muscles twitching with rage. "Su Zhihan! Shut your mouth! What kind of ridiculous idea is that? Why should I ruin my own reputation?"

"I’ve realized you’re nothing but a hack with a head full of rotten ideas. Get lost!"

After hanging up, Ji Han struggled to calm down. Every time he received a call from Su Zhihan, his nerves were on edge, because one could never predict what she would say or do next.

Su Zhihan looked at the disconnected phone and muttered in protest, "If you don't agree, you don't agree—no need to yell at me. I was just trying to help you solve the problem once and for all." After all, he was the male lead, and male leads were always prone to attracting trouble.

The Tang family had sent out many invitations. Su Zhihan had originally planned to attend as Song Yu’s date, but to her surprise, she had received an invitation of her own. Most of the Su family’s business was overseas, and her parents were also abroad, so their influence in the country wasn't as strong as it once was. She had assumed the Tangs had forgotten she was the daughter residing in the country, but their memory was surprisingly sharp.

On the day of the patriarch’s 80th birthday, guests arrived in their finest attire. Su Zhihan meticulously selected a high-fashion gown from her wardrobe—an old hobby of the former Su Zhihan. Just as she finished dressing, Song Miaoke called; it was obviously about the banquet.

Su Zhihan answered directly. "Don't worry about the banquet. Ji Han won't let anyone hurt you, and Song Yu and I are on your side. Just think of it as going out for a meal."

Song Miaoke said timidly, "Is it really okay? I’ve attended such banquets before, and people always look down on me."

Su Zhihan replied, "That’s just because they lack class; it has nothing to do with you. And when it comes to lacking class, no one can outdo me. If Ji Han doesn't hold his own today, watch me! It’s been a while since I’ve shown my true strength."

When dealing with a family of scum, she didn't need to be polite—she would just go in and finish it. Besides, she didn't believe for a second that this family would ever try to introduce anyone decent to anyone else.