Chapter 28: Apologize to Your Sister

Lu Yao could no longer stand by and watched with a cold expression as she intervened:

"If you all love making up stories so much, feel free to resign and start your own business. You are not welcome here."

She naturally commanded a strong presence, and as her voice dropped, the individuals who had been fiercely debating shrank back, not daring to make a sound. However, while she could silence her subordinates, Yun Qingqing would not listen to her.

Meeting Lu Yao’s gaze, Yun Chuxia knew it was time for her to step in. She slowly pulled out a tissue and wiped her hands with an air of elegance. Turning her beautiful eyes, she beckoned to Yun Qingqing with a crook of her finger:

"Come here to your sister."

This familiar expression made Yun Qingqing inexplicably recall that night; she remembered all too well the strength in Yun Chuxia’s grip. Having always been used to bossing her around, she had assumed that Yun Chuxia’s behavior that night was merely a temporary outburst fueled by Si Yuchuan’s protection. But looking at her now, that didn't seem to be the case at all.

Yun Chuxia’s voice turned colder, and as she looked at Yun Qingqing, she spoke every word with deliberate emphasis:

"I said, come here."

Being tall by nature, she stood up to find herself a full head taller than Yun Qingqing, even with the latter wearing high heels. Her gaze was icy, and her aura was overwhelming.

The live-stream comments flooded in:
[Is this the legendary bloodline suppression?]
[This gives me flashbacks to when my sister used to beat me to a pulp; she has that exact same look. I’m so scared, shivering right now.]
[They aren’t even blood sisters, where would the bloodline come from?]
[Supporting the side character for a second—go get her!]

Yun Qingqing couldn't help but tremble; her body was afraid before her mind could even process the situation. As the scene reached a stalemate, Su Muxue stepped in to smooth things over:

"Chuxia, behave yourself in an environment like this. Don't take this too far."

Yun Chuxia’s eyes were filled with mockery. Nobody had stopped anyone when she was being smeared with dirt, yet now they were pretending to be the voice of propriety. She shut Su Muxue down with a single line: "This is a family matter."

Su Muxue bit her lip and said nothing more.

Lu Yao sat with her arms crossed and legs tucked, squinting as she watched the Yun sisters. Yun Chuxia had to prove that she wasn't someone to be trifled with. In this circle, people judged you by what you brought to the table—you either needed resources or capability. She might be able to help her for a moment, but she couldn't shield her from everyone’s gossip. If Yun Chuxia remained submissive, she would never be able to control her team or earn a seat at the table.

Yun Qingqing looked arrogant, but in reality, she was a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Under the chilling gaze of Yun Chuxia, she lowered her head and slowly shuffled over to her side.

Yun Chuxia reached out and pinched her chin, asking:

"Does your face still hurt?"

Yun Qingqing instinctively pulled her neck back, but her chin felt as if it were clamped in a steel vice, impossible to break free from. She dared not move, forced to look up at Yun Chuxia.

Yun Chuxia’s lips curled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, which grew increasingly cold:

"What was that you said just now? Sister didn't hear you clearly."

Yun Qingqing had been pampered since childhood and was always the one doing the bullying; she had never suffered such humiliation. She stiffened her neck, her habitual defiance momentarily taking over:

"You did what you—"

A sharp pain shot through her chin. Yun Qingqing suddenly realized that with Yun Chuxia’s strength, she might actually dislocate her jaw. She had only just had it touched up with two injections of filler.

Her sudden panic did not escape Yun Chuxia’s eyes. She tightened her grip just a fraction more, though her tone remained gentle:

"Don't make a scene. Apologize to your sister."

Because Yun Chuxia was tall and seated in a corner, half-hidden by her beige trench coat, others could only hear her voice and could not clearly see the movement of her hands. To them, it sounded as if a sister was gently reasoning with her sibling.

Yun Qingqing was in so much pain that tears were about to fall. Whenever she tried to say anything else, Yun Chuxia would immediately exert pressure to force her shut. With her cheeks aching intensely, she could only mumble through a mouth full of saliva:

"I... I'm sorry."