Stop Messing Around, Mr Bo! Chapter 2128 - Wen Yuan (22)

“Call off the engagement? Are you… crazy?!”

Nearly everyone had heard about the chaos from last night's business cocktail party!

He openly clashed with Han Jichi and snatched Qiqi from him not once, but twice.

Anyone with sharp eyes could see this surpassed mere uncle-niece boundaries.

Ultimately, he whisked her straight out of the banquet without a shred of concealment!

Such brazen actions ignited pandemonium at the event.

Han Jichi rushed to the main house last night searching for Qiqi. She gave him an awkward apology.

He had pulled her out himself. He felt bad for failing to return her now.

Already on edge, he demanded answers with a hostile glare, only to hear Shang Qingmo had carried Qiqi off from the banquet!

He called Shang Qingmo right away, who owned up to taking Qiqi.

He promised to sort everything out.

She stirred awake that morning to his declaration of ending the engagement.

Ping Cheng City exploded in shock!

She might scrape together an excuse for the cocktail party fiasco last night, but this engagement breakup nailed the truth for good.

That's precisely how they shut down all the rumors.

Even worse, the Song family got zero warning.

They even phoned that morning to inquire about progress!

He called every shot alone!

He never dreamed his lifelong pride, the son who'd never faltered once, would pull such a shocking, laughable stunt at his grown age.

Shang Qingmo absorbed the old man's cane blows as a vivid purple-red bruise bloomed boldly on his neck.

He pressed his lips tight and said nothing.

He stood there taking the old man's tirade without flinching.

The Old Master raged harder than ever this time.

His scowl made it clear no amount of thrashing or yelling would sway him.

He jabbed a quivering finger at Shang Qingmo for what felt like forever.

“What do you mean by this? Is this a one-sided annulment of the engagement? You… How can you let the Song family down?! Song Yunshu was a good girl, but you wasted four years on her. How can you… How can you do such a disgraceful thing?!”

Shang Qingmo compressed his lips and fisted his hands. “I’ll explain this to her!”

“You can’t explain clearly!” Old Master bellowed once more. “How can you make up for a woman’s four years of youth? Let me tell you, I’m still the same as before. The daughter-in-law of the Shang family can only be Song Yunshu!”

Shang Qingmo frowned. “I’ve already broken off the engagement. I won’t marry her.”

“What’s wrong?! Are you determined to be a heartless man in everyone’s eyes?! Do you have any shame?! Where’s Qiqi? Does she know what you’ve done? You’re shameless, but Qiqi doesn’t?”

“Let me tell you, Shang Qingmo, don’t force me! Don’t forget what I told you back then. You promised me that you wouldn’t go back on your word. Even if you do one day, I won’t touch you. I’ll put the blame on Qiqi!”

Shang Qingmo lifted his gaze to the old man. “This is my responsibility. She was forced.”

Shang Yekun shot him a savage glare, then shifted his eyes to the second floor. “Call Qiqi down. I want to take her away.”

“No!” Shang Qingmo rejected instantly, tone unyielding and resolute. “I’ve said it before. Look for me if you need anything. It has nothing to do with her.”

The old man fought to leash his fury. Those words forced his eyes shut tight. It took ages of steadying himself before he scarcely tamed his wrath.

“Can you lock her up forever? Does she know that you broke off the engagement? Do you think she can be with you even if you break off the engagement?”

Shang Qingmo frowned. “She has no other choice.”

“She does!” Shang Yekun snorted icily. “Her choice is Han Jichi. The two of them are dating now!”

Here, the Old Master's tone surged with uncontainable rage. He swung his walking stick at Shang Qingmo again without restraint.

“Bastard! You have a fiancée and you want to snatch someone else’s girlfriend! And it’s your niece! You…”

At a loss for words to unleash his fury, the old man lifted his cane and slammed it onto Shang Qingmo’s shoulder.

The fierce impact crashed mercilessly onto his shoulder.

“Our Shang family has really made a fool of ourselves in Ping Cheng!”

After spitting that out in fury, he ordered his attendants, “Go upstairs and bring her down!”

Four towering bodyguards advanced without delay.

Shang Qingmo's face turned ashen, eyes chilling. “Who dares!”

Bang! Shang Qingmo stumbled.

The Old Master's cane had struck his kneecap.

That bone-on-wood clash sounded horrifying. Shang Qingmo’s typically firm, towering build faltered.

Uncle Chen paled in horror.

That blow had to have splintered his kneecap.

The butler quickly stepped up to assist Shang Qingmo to his feet, inadvertently pulling him away from the bodyguards.

The bodyguard ascended the stairs.

Shang Qingmo steadied himself and brushed off the butler’s hand. He longed to pursue, yet the elder struck her once more with his cane.

The blow was delivered with full force, holding back nothing.

He clutched the nearby stair railing tightly.

Helplessly, she observed the bodyguard climbing upstairs.

Sweat poured down the butler’s face. With no other option, he moved to steady the old man, stopping another swing of the cane.

Soon enough, Shang Qiqi was escorted downstairs.

Old Master Shang lingered at the foot of the stairs, his face darkened with fury. Shang Qingmo gripped the railing with one hand, his complexion ashen and forehead slick with perspiration.

A heavy, stifling tension filled the air.

She descended the steps gradually. As she drew near Shang Qingmo, he seized her wrist with sudden force.

Shang Qiqi recoiled in fright and instinctively glanced his way, only to lock eyes with his intense, beseeching gaze.

“Don’t go.”

He appeared to strain every fiber to hold back, his voice quivering and raspy, echoing like a call from the darkest depths.

Her chest clenched. Seeing the sweat beading on his brow and his pallid features, an ache pierced her heart.

“What… happened to you?”

Shang Qiqi approached him, her free hand reaching to feel his damp forehead.

“Qiqi.” The old man’s tone cut like ice. He could no longer tolerate any further closeness between them.

Shang Qiqi hesitated, then slowly withdrew her hand.

“Grandpa.”

The elder’s countenance grew stormier. “Return home with me.”

The hold on her wrist intensified. “Shang Qiqi.”

“Uncle.” Shang Qiqi tried to pull free, but failed. “I need to go back with Grandpa.”

Shang Qingmo pressed his lips together tightly, refusing to release her.

Shang Yekun eyed them with icy detachment and drew in a heavy breath. He pivoted and sank onto the living room sofa.

“Qiqi.”

Shang Yekun summoned Shang Qiqi, drawing every gaze in the room toward him.

Shang Qiqi remained frozen in place, murmuring softly, “Grandpa.”

“If he won’t release you right now, we’ll discuss it here. Will you heed Grandpa?”

Shang Qiqi tensed up. A sense of dread washed over her.

She studied the old man silently for what felt like ages, searching his expression for clues. Yet, her unease only deepened.

After a prolonged silence, she managed a faint nod.

Shang Yekun’s sharp glance flicked over Shang Qingmo’s face before settling on Shang Qiqi. The fleeting compassion in his eyes vanished, overtaken by stark severity.

“Then Grandpa offers you two options now. First, remain in Ping Cheng and get engaged to Han Jichi without delay.”

Shang Qingmo swiveled slowly, his gaze brimming with frost.

“I forbid it.”

Old Master ignored him and pressed on, “Or second, depart from Ping Cheng City and the Shang family. Never return.”

Shang Qingmo’s icy visage was piercingly frigid, each feature sharp as a knife’s edge. He articulated each syllable with precision, declaring, “Absolutely not.”

Shang Yekun’s features stayed impassive, his aged face etched with chill.

“Qiqi, make your choice.”

Shang Qiqi blanched.

It was an agonizing dilemma for her.

She couldn’t fathom the day’s events. The rift between father and son crackled with hostility, cornering her into this ultimatum.

‘Why?’

“Grandpa, Ji Chi and I… we’ve only just begun dating.”

“Is your dating aimed toward marriage?”

Shang Qiqi nodded. “Yes.”

A sharp pang shot through her wrist, as if her bones might shatter.

She avoided Shang Qingmo’s gaze. His behavior from the previous night had left her rattled.

Now Han Jichi’s girlfriend, she shuddered at the thought of what he endured alone last night.

Regardless, she couldn’t humiliate Han Jichi at this moment.

Old Master Shang let out a grunt, then shifted his stare to Shang Qingmo. With a cold harrumph, he rose using his cane for support.

“In that case, announce your engagement right away. Does that work?”

Shang Qiqi stayed silent.

“Qiqi, if you intend to wed Ji Chi, why hesitate? Last night’s cocktail party fiasco demands a clear explanation. Announcing your engagement is the perfect fix!”

Shang Qiqi’s gaze wavered. She was clearly swayed.

Grandpa made sense. Proclaiming the engagement would clarify everything from last night.

Nothing had transpired between her and Shang Qingmo. It was solely him whisking his niece’s beau away from the event!

At worst, it painted her uncle as displeased with his niece’s partner, causing some awkwardness…

Though a stretch, publicizing the engagement offered the ideal resolution.

“… Okay.”

“Shang Qiqi!”

Her words barely landed when Shang Qingmo’s enraged roar detonated beside her ears!

Fear caused Shang Qiqi to shrink back her neck. Spotting his bloodshot eyes made her own well up with tears.

She had never witnessed him in such a frenzied state before.

To her, he had forever been a calm, aloof, and arrogant man.

He might display arrogance, cruelty, and harshness, yet he never let panic drive him to lose his composure.

Did she hold such great significance to him now?

If only things had happened four years earlier—how much better that would have been!

Life back then was far less complicated than today.

She dared not shatter the fragile peace now, lest everything descend into chaos.

Such turmoil would profit neither the Shang family, the Han family, nor the Song family.

With events unfolding this way, the future path bristled with dangers.

Though her heart throbbed with agony, Shang Qiqi swallowed her grief and wept softly.

“Little Uncle, this is best for all of us…”

“But hurting me like this isn't your wish. Shang Qiqi, you're forbidden from announcing your engagement to him! How dare you!”

“Little Uncle, please... don't do this...”

Shang Qingmo shook his head while clutching her firmly. He pulled her behind himself and fixed a fierce glare on Shang Yekun.

“She won't get the chance to announce any engagement!”

Shang Yekun's fingers gripping the walking stick went deathly white. Curbing his rage, he muttered lowly, “She doesn't need to announce it in person.”

“So what if I make the announcement? I won't allow her to show up at the engagement banquet. It'll turn into nothing but a laughingstock.”

“Didn't you offer her two choices?” Shang Qingmo nodded ferociously. “Since Ping Cheng rejects us being together, I'll take her away from Ping Cheng and the Shang family forever, never coming back!”

Shock rippled across every face in the room, even those of the typically stoic bodyguards.

Depart Ping Cheng City with Shang Qiqi for eternity?!

Abandon the Shang family? Forsake the company? Disregard their own father?

Surrendering all that equaled throwing away his whole life...

Old Master Shang's vision blurred into darkness. His body lurched unsteadily before crashing onto the sofa.

“You... dare threaten me like this?!”

Shang Qingmo pursed his lips. “You know full well. I'm not just talking idly.”

“You're insane...”

Shang Qingmo offered no denial. “Perhaps... so long as I refuse to release her, she'll never be free.”

“Have you even asked her?!”

“I need no one's approval.”