WBSGVS Chapter 31 V1

This scene could easily be described as a three-part tribunal.

When Qingli returned yesterday, Pei Xiyue’s parents were not home. After she had dinner, she went upstairs, where her room had a bathroom, and she didn’t come out at all; no one saw her.

But today is different. Pei Xiyue’s parents and his aunt are all present. Pei Mingjiang, in his semi-retired state, didn’t leave and is now seated in the central position, leaning on his cane. The smile he usually wears has faded.

A group of people is sitting on the sofa, their faces devoid of any smiles.

As soon as Qingli entered, Pei Xiyue’s aunt, Pei Qi, let out a cold huff, one hand still comforting the sobbing and accusing Wen Shi, while Pei Xiyue’s parents pretended not to see anything.

Pei Mingjiang’s aged voice spoke faintly, “Come here.”

Qingli, upon seeing Uncle Wei, quickly restrained her indifferent demeanor and transformed into the obedient and well-behaved version of the original owner. She walked over as instructed.

The Pei family lived in a large house with a spacious sofa, where there were empty seats. She sat down directly and said brightly, “Grandpa Pei.”

Seeing her sit down, Pei Mingjiang’s expression darkened even more. However, he had always maintained an image of doting on Fu Qingli and didn’t say anything.

Fortunately, Pei Qi spoke up first, her tone stern: “How dare you sit there?! Fu Qingli, who gave you the audacity to hit Shi Shi? Kneel right now!”

Qingli remained unmoved, frowning as she said, “I’m sorry, but Wen Shi was about to hit me, so I just fought back a little.”

Pei Qi looked down at her daughter in surprise.

Wen Shi immediately cried out, “I didn’t! I just thought she was being shameless, insisting on riding home with my cousin. When I told her to get out, she hit me with a cushion…”

Pei Qi narrowed her eyes sharply, but before she could speak, Qingli said in surprise, “But I was sitting on the far right, and the cushion was on the far left. If I wanted to hit you, I wouldn’t use the cushion. You hit me first. I was just defending myself. If defending myself is wrong, then I am wrong.”

Pei Qi immediately understood and shot a warning glance at her daughter: “Did you make a move?”

Wen Shi shrank back a little. She had been raised by her mother to be a refined young lady; bullying others in private wasn’t acceptable, especially since Old Li was in the car. The Pei family always maintained a gentle and kind image. Even when they disapproved of the marriage between Pei Xiyue and Fu Qingli, they never mistreated Fu Qingli in public.

She was somewhat afraid of her mother getting angry, but she was even more furious about being bullied. She shouted, “But later she hit me with a book! Mom, she hit me! It hurt so much!”

She covered her left cheek, which showed no signs of redness at all.

Yet Pei Qi still felt a pang of sympathy for her daughter. She reached out to rub her daughter’s face and then turned her cold gaze on Fu Qingli, saying in a deep voice, “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Qingli replied clearly, “Because she tried to grab me, I fought back in advance.”

“Isn’t she just trying to grab you?” Pei Qi was thoroughly enraged. “A solitary girl would not have such a life of ease if our family hadn’t taken her in. Do you think you can fight back? Believe it or not, I’ll have you thrown out of the Pei family!”

Qingli immediately panicked, and Wen Shi smirked in delight.

Qingli turned to Pei Mingjiang and asked, “Grandpa Pei, are you going to throw me out of the Pei family too?”

Pei Qi said coldly, “Don’t ask my dad. Who do you think you are? Hurry up and apologize to Shi Shi!”

Wen Shi chimed in sweetly, “Mom, I want her to slap herself twice. She hit me, and it hurt so much!”

“Alright,” Pei Qi nodded decisively and then said to Qingli, “Did you hear that?”

Qingli stubbornly shook her head, saying, “I won’t do it!” She looked at Pei Mingjiang with pleading eyes, “Grandpa Pei, you speak up!”

Pei Mingjiang’s expression was cold, and his gaze revealed utter disappointment: “Qingli, our Pei family took you in not expecting much from you, but at the very least, you should act like a decent person. Shi Shi is young and means no harm. Why would you bully her like this?”

Qingli wanted to laugh; how righteous his words sounded!

If the original owner had regarded him as her closest person and had a sensitive temperament, she would have surely felt anxious under such a gaze and such words, fearing the disgrace in her dormitory.

Qingli pursed her lips and asked curiously, “Grandpa Pei, but I already said it was her who hit me first. She’s only two years younger than me; am I not allowed to fight back? If that’s how it’s going to be, then you might as well send me to an orphanage.”

Pei Mingjiang paused, a look of surprise crossing his face.

Did she just say she wanted to go to an orphanage?

Pei Qi, Wen Shi, and Pei Xiyue’s parents all lit up at this statement. Pei Qi immediately insisted, “Yes, Dad, send her away! We can’t keep such a heartless ingrate in our family, and she doesn’t deserve Pei Xiyue. If not, our next generation is doomed!”

“Enough nonsense!” Pei Mingjiang immediately reprimanded her, his tone much more serious than before. “How can you send someone away after adopting them?”

“Dad!” Pei Qi exclaimed in disbelief. “You’ve raised her, and she still bullied your granddaughter!”

Pei Mingjiang’s expression softened as he looked at Qingli. He spoke gently, “Qingli, grandpa knows you’re a good child, and that your interaction with Shi Shi was just ordinary play. But why not apologize? We can put this matter behind us, how about that?”

Pei Qi’s face turned dark. Her daughter had been hit by a girl they had taken in, and it was said that an apology could settle everything. Yet she still didn’t dare to oppose her father and could only stifle her anger.

But Qingli shook her head again, resolutely like a dogmatic follower: “Grandpa Pei, although I hit her, it was self-defense, and I did nothing wrong. I won’t apologize. If she bullies me again in the future, I’ll hit her again.”

“Qingli!” Pei Mingjiang’s face darkened as he shouted.

Pei Qi jumped up and reached for Qingli, her voice sharp: “Fine! You are all Pei family members, and even the adopted ones are of noble status. If you won’t even apologize, then I will personally make things right!”

In the next second, a heavy backpack was hurled straight at her.

As she leaned in, Qingli quickly pulled back her backpack and swung it at her while swiftly moving behind the back of the sofa, feigning panic as she took out her phone and shouted, “Ah! Don’t hit me! I’m calling the police!”

The backpack hitting her face hurt far more than the book did earlier. Pei Qi was struck squarely in the face, her nose taking the brunt of it, followed by her cheek, which burned with pain. What hurt even more was her backside, as the impact made her fall back, crashing into the coffee table and then to the floor.

With a series of loud thuds, as she landed, Pei Qi’s face twisted in pain.

“Then go ahead and call the police!” Pei Qi was furious, shouting, “Butler, get her out of here! Either she stays, or I do!”

Just as Butler Wei was about to take action, Pei Mingjiang quickly stood up and said, “Shut up!”

Pei Qi was taken aback; she didn’t expect that at this moment, her father would still be helping Fu Qingli.

Butler Wei’s serious expression cracked as he also didn’t anticipate that it would be Pei Mingjiang who intervened.

Pei Mingjiang’s face was pale, but he still managed a warm smile for the flustered Qingli and gently said, “Ah Li, don’t worry, our Pei family won’t drive you away. Why call the police? This matter doesn’t concern you; your aunt’s issue will be handled by Grandpa.”

Pei Xiyue’s parents exchanged worried glances, surprised that her father would defend this girl at such a moment. What kind of spell had Fu Qingli cast on him?!

Pei Rong reminded, “Dad!”

Wen Shi was also stunned; she hadn’t expected her mother to be hit by Fu Qingli and yet not face any punishment. She glared at Pei Mingjiang, saying, “Grandpa! How can you favor an outsider like this?”

“Outsider?!” Pei Mingjiang said in a deep voice, casting a warning glance at his dissatisfied son, his furious daughter, and his granddaughter. “Ah Li is my adopted granddaughter; her grandfather saved my life. She is not an outsider!”

Wen Shi turned pale, scared to look any further. She truly hadn’t realized how much her grandpa cared for Fu Qingli. If he found out what she had done to Fu Qingli, wouldn’t that mean…

She shot a fierce look at Fu Qingli.

Qingli knew that Pei Mingjiang wouldn’t stand by idly and that the situation was escalating. Although Lin Hengzhi, who was absorbed in his research, might not pay attention, if he missed the first warning, calling the police wouldn’t help.

Of course, if by chance he did notice, then the subsequent benefits for the Pei family would be lost.

However, even though Qingli had dialed 110 on her phone, she didn’t take action. She hadn’t stirred up enough trouble yet, and the original owner certainly didn’t want to appear in front of her grandpa as a spoiled child.