...
The emotions of everyone in the Zhao family had boiled down to a wreck. They didn't even know how they got home.
When Madam Zhao got back to the villa, her fingers were still trembling. She was trying her best to calm down, but when she took off her high heels, she lost focus for a while and almost fell down as she lost her balance. Zhao Zhanhuai who was standing beside was hesitant. Nonetheless, he still helped her up.
Madam Zhao didn't say anything. She pulled up her dress and rushed to her room.
It didn't take long before the sound of crying came out from the room.
As Madam Zhao's cries resounded throughout the house, the whole atmosphere became even more depressed and solemn.
Because the nanny and the chef had no idea what happened, they did not dare to stay in the villa and left to their own quarters.
Mr. Zhao was clearly in a bad mood. He looked in the direction of Madam Zhao's room. He partially blamed Madam Zhao, but he was so exhausted that he didn't say much. He merely said, "There are still many guests at the birthday banquet who have yet to be sent off. I have to make a trip there."
The birthday banquet this year could be considered as a total failure.
Also, it just might be the most unforgettable birthday for Madam Zhao.
Madam Zhao had just put on her evening dress and did not have the time to interact with the guests even for just a while. In fact, she received the call from Zhao Zhanhuai before the arrival of a majority of guests— and now they are in this situation. How could their family still have the mood to return to the birthday banquet and continue to receive guests?
Zhao Zhanhuai nodded and said, "I'll be going to the hospital later. Zhao Mo's injuries are minor. He didn't suffer any injuries to his bones. You can be rest assured."
"How can I be rest assured? All of you only know how to make me worry!" Mr. Zhao adjusted his tie. His face was pale as he walked outside and said, "We'll talk about Mingxi once I get back. In fact, I want to ask you all about this! I've only been on a business trip for a month. How did things turn out to be like this?!"
Once Mr. Zhao left, Zhao Yuning looked tired of it all. He turned and was about to leave as well.
Zhao Zhanhuai hurriedly held him by his elbow, his emotions in a wreck. "Why are you running away?! Zhao Yuning, where are you off to?!"
"Brother, did you forget that I'm still living away from home?" Zhao Yuning sneered, "I only attended today's birthday banquet because you asked me to, otherwise I wouldn't have gone! I'm so mad. Mom has yet to apologize to me for slapping me on the face indiscriminately too!"
After he finished talking, Zhao Yuning could care less about Zhao Zhanhuai's reaction. He took off his tuxedo jacket and threw it into the cabinet at the entrance, turned around and left.
Once Mr. Zhao and Zhao Yuning left, the entire Zhao family villa looked like an empty grave.
There was only the faint sound of Madam Zhao's cries.
It was so quiet that no one could bear staying there any longer.
Zhao Zhanhuai sat down on the sofa and massaged his forehead in dismay.
After taking a deep breath, he realized that no one else could clean up this mess except for him.
A short moment later, he went upstairs and knocked on the door of his mother's room a few times.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"...How did things turn out to be like this? Is there still room for us to return everything to how it was?" Madam Zhao recalled the indifferent tone that Mingxi had used when she told them that she had deleted all their photos, asked them to delete her photos and to not carry out illegal activities. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like she was being stabbed with a needle. Her chest was getting tighter and she was experiencing shortness of breath along with heart palpitations.
