Chapter 72

Xue Xiuqing, upon hearing her husband's words and seeing his fierce expression, nervously said to Lin Guozhong, "Old Lin! I know you are worried about our daughter, but my father and his people might not necessarily harm her. Otherwise, they wouldn't have delayed our daughter's trip to Yanjing for a match-making session until now."

Lin Guozhong, hearing Xue Xiuqing's words, looked at her with a serious expression and questioned her, "Xiuqing! Do you really think I only care about work and nothing else? What did you do in Hancheng last month? Don't think I don't know just because I didn't ask. If I hadn't been holding them off, your brothers would have already taken our daughter to Yanjing and forced her into a marriage."

Xue Xiuqing, upon hearing Lin Guozhong's words, immediately showed a look of surprise. She hadn't expected that her husband knew everything about her trip to Hancheng.

However, considering the future of the family, her daughter's happiness, and her husband's career, Xue Xiuqing, despite knowing that Lin Guozhong was already angry, still argued with him, "Not all political marriages lack happiness. In ancient times, many couples didn't even know who their partners were before they got married, yet they still lived happily ever after. Besides, Xiaqing is also my daughter. The young men my brothers introduce to her, I will thoroughly investigate them first. Only after confirming that they are excellent in every aspect will I introduce them to Xiaqing. How could I possibly push our daughter into a fire pit as you suggest?"

"Since these young men are so excellent in every aspect, why don't your brothers introduce their own daughters to them? Wouldn't that better consolidate their power?" Lin Guozhong, hearing his wife's rebuttal and thinking about his investigation results, felt a surge of anger rise from his heart.

Lin Guozhong opened the bottom drawer of his desk, took out a stack of documents, and threw them in front of Xue Xiuqing, saying coldly, "Take a look! These are the so-called excellent young men you mentioned. Look closely at how excellent they really are. This one is about the Wang family's son. His so-called listed company is entirely dependent on his family's influence in finance, using various means to borrow funds and make empty profits. Of course, such situations are common in Yanjing, and everyone is already used to it."

"Even more infuriating is that this scoundrel, who appears polite on the surface, is a complete scoundrel at heart. Do you know what happened with the recent highly publicized gang rape case? Let me tell you, it was this Wang Xuechao who, after drinking, gang-raped a waitress in a hotel room with a few rich kids from Yanjing."

"After the incident, to prevent the girl from reporting it, they even threatened her and falsely accused her of being a prostitute, claiming that their encounter was just prostitution. It wasn't until the girl's family presented a recent medical examination report proving she was a virgin that the scoundrels' families used their power to change the charge from gang rape to consensual sex, which is utterly ridiculous."

Xue Xiuqing, upon hearing Lin Guozhong's account, showed a look of disbelief. She hadn't expected that the young men she had brought for her daughter's match-making could be so despicable. She glanced at the documents her husband had thrown on the desk, recalling what her older brother had told her, and picked up the document, saying in surprise, "These can't be true. My brother told me that Wang Xuechao is an excellent young man, a returnee from America with a double degree, a rare young talent."

"If I remember correctly, your brother's daughter is one year older than Xiaqing and is still unmarried. If he is so excellent, why doesn't your brother introduce his daughter to Wang Xuechao instead of my daughter? Xiuqing, I'm telling you, this is the last time. If it happens again, don't blame me for not considering our marital relationship."

Xue Xiuqing, upon hearing Lin Guozhong's words, felt somewhat guilty. She hadn't expected her brother to deceive her. However, considering her husband's future, she tried to defend herself, "Old Lin! I didn't expect my brother to deceive me. But Xiaoli already has a boyfriend, introduced by my brother, who is from the Hu family. I know you are doing this for our daughter, but I also want her to find a good home. Besides, my brother said that you are at a critical moment now. If you can find a political ally, it will benefit both you and the Xue family."

"Slap!" Lin Guozhong, upon hearing his wife's words, felt a surge of anger rise from his chest. He angrily slammed the desk and roared at Xue Xiuqing, "Everyone thinks I, Lin Guozhong, have achieved what I have today because of the Xue family. But you, Xue Xiuqing, should have a clear conscience. In all the years we've been married, when have I ever used the Xue family's resources? Which of my promotions relied on the Xue family? I, Lin Guozhong, have advanced through my own abilities, not by selling my daughter!"

As Lin Guozhong's wife, Xue Xiuqing naturally knew that her husband was telling the truth. In the Xue family, her husband was always an outsider, and the Xue family's resources would never be used for her husband. The main reason for her husband's deep resentment towards the Xue family was that when they got married, the Xue family had strongly opposed their union due to her husband's status. If she hadn't been pregnant, she probably wouldn't be Mrs. Lin now.

Seeing that Xue Xiuqing remained silent, Lin Guozhong, knowing his wife well, warned her, "Xiuqing! Don't think I don't know your brothers' intentions. They want to use our daughter's happiness to gain leverage for the Xue family. I'm telling you, you better make your brothers give up this idea, or don't blame me for not considering family ties."

Seeing her husband's face turn blue with anger, Xue Xiuqing, feeling guilty, knew he wasn't exaggerating. Although she wanted to help her brothers, she was very clear that if she really pushed her husband to the limit, it could lead to serious consequences. As the saying goes, one's success or failure affects the whole family. Now that her husband was at a critical moment, she didn't want her brothers' affairs to affect his career. Therefore, she promised Lin Guozhong, "Old Lin! I promise that from now on, I won't introduce any more boyfriends to our daughter. However, any boyfriend she chooses must be approved by me, and ultimately, the final decision will be made by you, the head of the family. Do you think this is acceptable?"