Chapter 179: The Tolerant Virtuous Wife in a Harem Novel…2

When Xie Shu saw her father’s face suddenly go cold, she immediately began to regret her earlier words. Why had she spoken so carelessly?

But under his icy gaze, a rebellious streak flared up in her. She clenched her teeth and glared back, unwilling to back down.

“If I had done something truly wrong, or if I had mistreated you in some way, then I’d accept your criticism without complaint.”

“But all I did was cancel your supplementary credit card, and now you’re accusing me like this? Then I’d like to say the same thing back to you.”

After saying that, Xie Hui stepped around her and entered the elevator. This time, Xie Shu didn’t try to block his way.

She slumped back onto the sofa, her mind a mess. She tried to recall what her father had just said, and for some reason, her eyes began to sting.

He said he wanted to return the same words to her? Did that mean, if he had known from the start that she didn’t love him, he would’ve regretted bringing her into this world?

Inside the elevator, Xie Hui took a deep breath to suppress the anger rising in his chest.

Since transferring departments, this was the first time he’d encountered such a difficult subject.

A father who only knew how to spoil his child without teaching her properly had helped raise her into this lawless, entitled state. The client bore undeniable responsibility.

Everyone could talk about principles, but when it came to applying them to your own life, it was never easy.

After returning upstairs, Xie Hui sat in the study. The steward brought him a cup of coffee. Standing by the window, sipping slowly, he looked out at the courtyard and carefully analyzed the reasons behind Xie Shu’s behavior.

It probably stemmed from a lack of love in her childhood. She hadn’t received the affection she longed for, and now that she was older, she craved it so badly that she’d become insecure and needy.

There was no way to go back in time. Given the current situation, helping Xie Shu return to normal would be incredibly difficult.

That evening at dinner, Xie Hui sat at the table but didn’t see Xie Shu. The steward stood nearby, looking a little troubled.

“Sir, Miss Shu said she’s dieting tonight and doesn’t want to eat.”

Xie Hui simply nodded at that, unlike the original host who would’ve said she wasn’t fat and didn’t need to diet. After finishing his meal and calming his emotions, he walked to Xie Shu’s bedroom door and knocked gently, wanting to talk.

“Come in…”

Only after hearing her permission did Xie Hui press down the handle and step inside.

She was sitting at her desk, with an empty snack wrapper beside her. Judging by the packaging, it was likely something high in calories.

Sitting cross-legged in her chair, Xie Shu still had crumbs on her cheek. She was trying hard to look angry, but was secretly sneaking glances at Xie Hui.

“Do you have a moment? Let’s talk about this properly.”

Xie Shu was still a little upset, but when Xie Hui spoke in a gentler tone, she deflated and hugged her stuffed animal, leaning back and nodding.

“But let’s agree on one thing first, Dad. You’re not allowed to badmouth Zhou Yang anymore. He’s really a good person.”

Xie Hui sat down on the sofa and lightly pinched the ear of the stuffed toy. Hearing her words, he turned to glance at her.

“Before you say that, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Dad, I’m sorry… I was in a bad mood after you blocked me, and then you froze my card. I didn’t even have money to buy a new dress. I shouldn’t have said such hurtful things while I was angry.”

As she apologized, her face turned bright red. She nervously squeezed the head of a turtle plushie in her palm.

“Dad hopes you understand that once words are spoken, the damage they cause can’t be undone. So next time, think before you speak.”

“I got it, Dad…”

Xie Hui didn’t really believe she was upset about not being able to buy a dress. She received new ones every season, and there were plenty in her closet that she hadn’t even worn once.

He suspected she had wanted to buy something for Zhou Yang, but didn’t have enough of her own allowance.

“Dad, why did you freeze my card?”

“Let’s set that aside for now. I want to talk about something else first.”

In this setting, Xie Shu didn’t seem as stubborn as she had on the phone. She actually seemed willing to listen. Hugging a plush toy, her hair a mess, she looked much more approachable.

“Go ahead, Dad. But I bet you’re going to talk about how Zhou Yang isn’t good again. You can’t just assume he’s bad because so many people say so. Maybe he’s just too outstanding, and they’re jealous of him.”

The client disliked Zhou Yang not only because he was a flirt, but also because of his bad reputation.

So in Xie Shu’s mind, she believed her father had misunderstood her boyfriend.

And with the client’s naturally reserved personality, he didn’t know how to communicate with his grown daughter, which only deepened the misunderstandings between them.

“First of all, I think you make a fair point. But if so many people say he’s not a good person, there must be some reason, right? The idea that people are jealous of him might be part of it.”

Hearing the first part, Xie Shu nodded in agreement. But when her father continued, her face scrunched up in frustration.

“That is the reason, Dad! Even if you don’t feel sorry for Zhou Yang being targeted by so many people, how can you believe those lies they made up just because they’re jealous? How can you think he’s not a good person because of that?”

As she reached the height of her frustration, she smacked her stuffed animal hard and leaned back in her chair, staring at her father with a wounded expression.

“Alright then, what exactly is Zhou Yang so good at that people would be jealous of him? Has he won a lot of scholarships?”

Xie Hui’s question caught Xie Shu completely off guard.

“No… no, Zhou Yang said he doesn’t want to compete with others.”

“Then during his school years, aside from that, did he have any other achievements that might make people jealous?”

Xie Hui’s string of questions left Xie Shu speechless.

“Dad doesn’t want you to be so one-sided in everything, only listening to what you want to hear. Like the last time, when you said maybe some younger girl was trying to seduce Zhou Yang.”

At that, Xie Shu lowered her head even further.

“Dad, I was just too angry and said something I shouldn’t have… I know I was wrong now.”

Seeing her admit her mistake, much of the frustration that had built up in Xie Hui’s heart dissipated. It was understandable for someone who’d always been pampered and never seen the uglier side of life to act impulsively.

“I’m not here today to talk about whether Zhou Yang is right or wrong. But let’s say, hypothetically…”

“Let’s say Dad suddenly wanted to find a partner. And that woman had three or four male friends who regularly stayed over at her place. When one of them was upset, she’d even go to his home and spend time alone with him.”

“She might even cancel a date with Dad because of that. Would you want someone like that to be your stepmother?”

Xie Shu didn’t even hesitate before blurting out:

“Dad, when did your taste get so bad? Why would you want to be with someone who has no boundaries in her intimate relationships?”

Xie Hui didn’t reply. He just smiled faintly and kept his eyes on her.

After a long pause, Xie Shu finally realized that her father had taken something Zhou Yang had done in the past and pinned it on someone else.

Without the filter of affection, without being her boyfriend, just looking at it from an outsider’s perspective, a cold sweat broke out on Xie Shu’s back for no apparent reason. Still, she stubbornly tried to defend him.

“Zhou Yang, he… he might just be kindhearted. Maybe he’s not like what you think at all, Dad.”

Xie Hui shrugged helplessly and replied, “I haven’t even said what I think yet.”

After meeting this child again, Xie Hui was convinced she was genuinely naive. His anger over what she had done before faded significantly.

It was understandable that when encountering something new and exciting, she might temporarily forget about her father. Most people grow up thinking their parents will always be there—just a glance over the shoulder away—so they take it for granted and don’t feel the need to look back often.

She also seemed to realize that in that previous situation, shifting all the blame onto another girl wasn’t right. She knew she’d made a mistake. At least she wasn’t so foolish as to be beyond saving.

“Dad, didn’t you promise me before that we wouldn’t badmouth Zhou Yang? He’s been really upset lately.”

“Oh? What’s he upset about?”

In the original storyline, Zhou Yang had already started replicating classic business moves from another world and made his first pot of gold. During his collaboration with a domineering female CEO, the two developed a subtle romantic tension, and in the process, he began to neglect Xie Shu.

It was around that time that Xie Shu became determined to be a gentle, understanding wife.

More precisely, she didn’t want to lose Zhou Yang, so she tried to secure the most important place in his heart.

“Zhou Yang said his sister got divorced again and asked him to send some money home. But he’s still a student—where is he supposed to get money from? Dad, why don’t you give me your card first? Once Zhou Yang starts working, he’ll pay you back.”

Hearing this, Xie Hui finally remembered that Zhou Yang was just a golden phoenix who had flown out of a mountain village by feeding off his sister’s blood.

Looking at Xie Shu, who had no idea of the truth and was wholeheartedly defending Zhou Yang, a sudden idea popped into Xie Hui’s mind.

He picked up a hair tie from the table nearby, walked over, and tied Xie Shu’s messy hair into a low ponytail.

“If what you said is true, then his sister really is awful. How about this—you take two weeks off, and I’ll take you to Zhou Yang’s hometown. If things are really as you say, I’ll give you another card.”

“Alright, Dad! It’s a deal—you can’t go back on your word later!”

Believing her boyfriend had been having a hard time, Xie Shu agreed almost without hesitation. Seeing her father about to leave, she quickly stood up and followed him out.

“Did Auntie save me any food? Dad, I’m starving…”