Chapter Eighteen: In the Name of Guarding Her Kindness, I Shall Punish You

Everyone turned their heads toward the direction of the applause, surprised to see it was Fang Nian. He sat with one leg crossed over the other, clapping his hands with a playful look on his face, his words laced with mockery.

“The Xia family’s traditions are truly pure—each person sweeping snow only from their own doorstep, everyone flying off when disaster strikes. You’ve all performed this act to perfection. Your teeth are so white.”

“So white... You brat, who are you calling dark?”

Fang Nian shrugged. “Whoever responds, that’s who I mean.”

Seeing Fang Nian single out Xia Junhui, her rather unattractive son, Xia Qiu, stood up.

“Damn it! You dare insult my mother, you worthless son-in-law! What right do you have to speak here?”

“So what if I’m worthless? At least I’m handsome enough to marry a beautiful wife. Unlike you... Oh, sorry, that slipped out. Xiao Qiu, it’s not your fault you’re ugly—it’s your parents’. Don’t take it to heart. As long as you don’t go out and scare people, no one will blame you.”

Xia Junhui could no longer contain herself. She grabbed the wine glass at hand and hurled it at Fang Nian.

“You little brat, you’re really asking for it!”

But at that moment, Fang Nian’s expression suddenly changed. He caught the flying glass effortlessly and slammed it onto the table. In an instant, the glass shattered into pieces, shards scattering across the table, and the table itself was left with a deep handprint where his palm struck.

The dramatic scene silenced the entire banquet hall. Almost everyone felt a jolt of fear—they had never imagined Fang Nian possessed such strength.

“Y-You little brat, you—”

Xia Junhui wanted to say something more, but Fang Nian suddenly turned to her, his voice thunderous with anger.

“Shut up.”

At those words, everyone’s eyes widened in shock, swallowing nervously. Was this useless son-in-law insane? Who did he think he was, daring to speak to Xia Junhui like that? Yet, though some were clearly displeased, no one dared to say another word.

Fang Nian swept his gaze across the crowd, his eyes as cold and menacing as a demon from the depths of hell.

“You all should take a good look at yourselves in the mirror and see what you’ve become. Remember, if you wear a mask long enough, it becomes your face.”

With that, he grabbed Xia Moye’s delicate, boneless hand—the girl who had been watching him in bewilderment—and turned to look at Xia Hong, who had remained silent from the start.

“Grandfather, there’s no need for everyone to worry about this matter anymore. Moye and I will take full responsibility for the consequences. We’ll be leaving now.”

Without waiting for Xia Hong’s reaction, Fang Nian took Xia Moye by the hand and strode away. At first, she resisted, but for some reason, she soon relented and allowed herself to be led back to their room.

Those left in the dining hall stared at one another in shock and disbelief.

……

Back in the room on the second floor, with the door closed behind them, Xia Moye instinctively pulled her hand free from Fang Nian’s grasp. He released her a little reluctantly, embarrassed.

“Did I hurt you? Sorry, those people went too far. I just couldn’t stand it anymore, so I said what I did.”

He put on a sheepish look, scratching his head awkwardly.

“By the way, did I go overboard just now? Honestly, can we afford the damage I caused?”

Looking at the man before her—so masculine a moment ago, and now suddenly so guileless—Xia Moye was at a loss for words. Then, unexpectedly, she burst out laughing.

“You really are something... No ability but still showing off. How are you going to take responsibility? Do you even have money?”

Her laughter was so beautiful that Fang Nian felt it was worth everything—rushing to her defense for her sake.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Fang Nian scratched his head.

“No, I don’t. I just got carried away in the moment and blurted it out.”

Xia Moye, seeing his silly expression, felt much better and smiled warmly.

“It’s fine. I’ll figure something out. It’s always been like this, I’m used to it.”

Fang Nian was taken aback.

“It’s always been like this?”

She nodded with a bitter smile, and the two sat down.

“Yes... When I was young, my mother’s influence made me deeply interested in hunting ground construction technology, so I chose that as my field of study. Back then, I swore I’d grow up to be a hunting ground architect like my mother.”

As she spoke, the pride on Xia Moye’s face faded into sorrow.

“But fate is cruel. In my second year of university, I suddenly received news of my mother’s death. It happened during a Hope Project—an accident, they said. My mother was the pillar of the Xia family; our position in District 16 was almost entirely her doing.”

“Her death was a devastating blow to our family. After a brief transition, the Xia family began to decline. In the end, before I even finished my sophomore year, I was forced onto the front lines to inherit my mother’s work.”

“You’ve seen the rest for yourself. They’re always like this. I’ve gotten used to it.”

Hearing Xia Moye’s words, Fang Nian’s heart ached for her. She was bearing burdens no one her age should have to bear, and he was moved.

In today’s world, how many responsibilities and hardships are young people forced to shoulder? How many live under crushing pressure? How many ever get the chance to pursue their dreams?

The answer is: very few. Faced with reality, many choose to compromise. They study subjects they dislike, take jobs they hate, marry people they don’t love, abandon their pride and dignity, even end up on the path of no return.

Then they complain—why was I born into this family? Why isn’t my father a billionaire? But are those born into wealth truly happy?

You see Xia Moye, born with a winning hand, living in luxury in a broken world. But how could you ever understand her pain? What she longs for may not be riches, but a life of her own choosing.

Yet her life isn’t hers to command. She has no say in her own fate. She carries too many burdens, unable to follow her heart’s desire, sacrificing her life for her so-called family’s benefit—even marrying Fang Nian, a man she had never so much as met.

Of course, perhaps she doesn’t yet know that her reversal of fortune is about to begin. Tomorrow holds new hope.

……

After chatting for a while, Xia Moye returned to her work at the hunting grounds. In her view, the only way to recover from the losses was to publish more successful hunting ground themes, not to retaliate.

Fang Nian, touched by the kindness at her core, found her all the more endearing. Who wouldn’t like a girl like that?

But Fang Nian was not like Xia Moye—he didn’t share her kindness. In his eyes, he was no saint. If someone wronged him, they would pay, no questions asked.

“If you dare to mess with my woman, you’ll pay the price. In the name of protecting her kindness, I will see you punished.”