The cool night air was filled with Si Hua’s sigh as she turned to He Ju, “I’m sorry for the trouble. Why don’t you go wait in the car?”

Si Hua truly didn’t want He Ju to stay by her side; she couldn’t bear to see him suffer like this.

After all, it was she who meticulously planned this marriage. Whatever the consequences, she was ready to bear them alone. She was certain there was nothing wrong with that.

But He Ju just smiled and ruffled her hair, “Nonsense. We’re husband and wife, and whatever happens, we’re supposed to face it together.”

Besides, he was kneeling not before strangers but before Si Hua’s parents, his own in-laws.

It was nothing to him.

However, if it was this tough from the start, the road ahead would undoubtedly be even harder.

Si Hua wanted to persuade him further, but He Ju had already knelt down, leaving her no choice but to kneel beside him, helpless.

Si Hua’s father, Bai Yan, might seem easygoing on regular days, but when it came to crucial moments, he was known for his uncompromising disposition.

Even if every member of the Bai family wanted to stir up trouble, as long as Bai Yan was around, they had to rein it in.

Seeing the two kneeling earnestly, the servants hurried to inform Bai Yan and Si Mei.

At this moment, almost everyone from the Bai family was in the hall, and amidst the crowd sitting on sofas, there was another person being denounced, kneeling at the center.

Bai Xu’s face was as dark as it could be.

This was why he couldn’t warn He Ju in advance to bring a couple of cushions.

Bai Yan sat on the sofa, and although Si Mei was anxious, she didn’t utter a word.

Then, Bai Jun, who had been chattering all evening, started to stir the pot, “Isn’t Si Hua here already? Let her come in and kneel. What’s the meaning of making her kneel outside?”

Si Mei rolled her eyes inwardly, cursing to herself. Come in and kneel? To let them sneer and jeer at her? Better to kneel outside where it’s peaceful.

Bai Xu shared his mother’s thoughts exactly. To come in and kneel? It’s bad enough to lose face, let alone endure the noise.

If he had known he’d be punished to kneel, Bai Xu wouldn’t have stepped through these damned doors. His knees were already scraped raw. No, once this was over, he’d have to demand compensation for medical and emotional damages from He Ju.

At that moment, Bai Yan glanced indifferently at Bai Jun and snorted, “Come in and kneel? Her marriage has implicated the whole family, and she went ahead and married in silence. Does she even have the face to come in? Let her kneel outside!”

Everyone looked at each other, bewildered. Wasn’t it…

They had returned to China specifically to resolve Si Hua’s marriage issue, and now?

Could it be that all the elders were expected to go out and question Si Hua? With so many of them, it wouldn’t sound good if word got out, as if they were bullying her.

Then, Bai Xu spoke up, “Big brother, it’s cold outside. Si Hua is a delicate young lady; how can we really let her kneel out there? Better to let her come in and explain how this marriage came about.”

Before Bai Yan could respond, Si Mei calmly said, “How else? I sent the household registration book.”

With that one sentence, Si Mei practically fried everyone’s brains.

So, this mother and daughter had planned it all along?

Everyone was dissatisfied with Si Mei, faces darkening, but for a moment, no one spoke up.

Si Mei looked aggrievedly at Bai Yan, who was somewhat speechless, and stood up, “It’s my fault. As the lady of the Bai family, should I kneel too? Then let me kneel. Brothers, please don’t make it hard for my Hua…”

As she was about to kneel, Bai Xu, Bai Jun, and the relatives all stood up in alarm, “Sister-in-law! You must not kneel!!!”

Bai Yan was quick to support Si Mei, “Who said it was your fault? We’re just a bit upset that Si Hua hid her marriage, who asked you to kneel?”

Tears in her eyes, Si Mei leaned on Bai Yan’s arm and looked accusingly at Bai Jun, “Really? Fourth brother, you’re not blaming your sister-in-law?”

Bai Jun’s face turned from green to white and back again, a spectacle to behold. Under everyone’s gaze, he managed to say, “Of course, sister-in-law always has her own way of doing things. Besides, this is a matter between big brother and you. How could I blame you?”

Bai Xu, kneeling to the side, was massaging his leg. Everyone’s expressions were quite a sight, but he had no mood to appreciate them, knowing all too well his mother’s knack for this tactic.

If she really knelt, his frail mother would faint on the spot.

And why faint? Because of the pressure from the Bai family.

Then she would play the role of a gentle and virtuous wife in front of the media, a kind and good sister-in-law bullied to the brink of death.

Once this persona was established, the media would question the Bai family instead.

And Bai Yan, he was usually just a pawn, silent and sighing on camera, ending with, “Wife, it’s my fault…”

Wasn’t he just playing the role of a helpless husband and big brother?

Torn between sympathy for his wife and the need to manage family and business, even a billionaire would get tired!

Who among those present wasn’t a person of status? Once the video spread, how could they continue in the business world?

Gossip could be lethal.

His mother might not be skilled at much, but she was once a contestant in the entertainment industry, climbing to the top as an actress through shamelessness and family power, even if her title didn’t carry much weight. But it made her quite the actress.

The Bai family’s wealth was substantial, and it was no secret that others coveted it. Whom would the media believe?

Moreover, once Si Mei got Bai Yan, she didn’t want to work anymore and just wanted to lie flat at home, so she left the entertainment industry, claiming illness from filming…

No need for trending searches to believe that story.

As Bai Xu recalled all this, Bai Yan said, “Alright, if you’re unwell, go rest. Everyone else, go home. As for Si Hua’s matter, we’ll discuss it tomorrow.”

Bai Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but Bai Jun spoke up again, “Big brother…”

His mother, Si Mei, also spoke, “Husband, I feel so dizzy…”

Bai Yan promptly supported Si Mei, “Wife, did you forget to take your medicine today? Quick, call the family doctor…”

And so, the couple harmonized together and left the hall.

Bai Xu also hurriedly scrambled away, thinking it a joke to stay any longer, not knowing what else might be dragged into the light.

Bai Jun’s face was green with envy, wanting to go out and grab Si Hua by the neck and demand, “What are you playing at?! Trying to keep all the property in your own hands by finding a son-in-law?”

But such an act would only expose his ambition and cost him face.

And now that the main players had left, who was there to vent his anger on?

He left, his face a portrait of discontent.