Joy Zheng sat there, wishing she could just leave. But even more, she was worried about what would happen when Evan Lin showed up and heard what those rich wives were saying—he'd probably flip out.
You ladies go ahead and chat, I'm going to step outside for a bit.
Joy Zheng got up from her seat, but Susan Xu and the other wealthy ladies quickly pulled her back down, not letting her escape.
Don't be in such a rush! We haven't even seen your kid yet. But honestly, that one walks like a turtle—just a few steps, and he's still not here?
Maybe he's weak or sickly, huh? Not surprising, coming from a backwater like Whitewood—there's nothing there to help a kid grow strong. But don't worry, once he's in Oceanport, at least he'll get a proper meal!
A few of the rich wives burst out laughing.
Joy Zheng stood there, looking more and more awkward.
And hey, I meant what I said—I'll give you a few addresses later. Just send your boy to meet those girls, one after another. Don't be embarrassed! Let him go door to door, maybe he'll get lucky and land one!
And those girls aren't exactly poor either—at the very least, they've got houses and cars!
One of the rich wives looked smug and self-satisfied.
Just keep those women for your own son.
Just then, a calm voice floated in from outside the door.
Joy Zheng turned to look and saw Evan Lin walk in. She wanted to say something, but held back.
She was already starting to regret letting Evan come straight over. If she'd known, she would've just taken him for a walk around the neighborhood herself.
As soon as Evan spoke, Susan Xu and the other rich wives all turned to look at him.
Their eyes lingered on Evan, sizing him up. The young man standing before them looked sharp and handsome, and his words carried not a hint of fear. That made them all even more curious.
But the rich wife Evan had just snapped back at gave a mocking smile. "So you're that Evan, huh? You look decent for a kid, but clearly no one ever taught you any manners."
First time in Oceanport, huh?
What your aunt just said—even if it was a little harsh—you'd better listen up. Otherwise, you'll get burned sooner or later. With your background, making it in Oceanport won't be easy. Auntie's helping you out for Susan Xu's sake, so don't be the fool who can't tell good intentions from bad—don't mistake kindness for malice!
She flashed a smile, putting on all the airs of someone who thought she ran the place in front of Joy Zheng and Evan.
"Your aunt really is thinking of what's best for you. You have no idea—even the girls with less impressive backgrounds come from super rich families! That kind of money is probably more than you'd ever dream of!"
Another woman chimed in, her words dripping with superiority.
"Manners, huh?"
Evan walked over, casually picked up a cup of cold tea from the table, and headed straight for the rich wife.
"What are you doing?"
The rich wife's expression changed, suddenly uneasy.
But before she could react, Evan was right in front of her—and poured the entire cup of cold tea over her head.
Only, the tea—which had been cold for ages—suddenly turned scalding hot the moment it hit her head.
"Ah!"
Hit by the hot tea, the woman shrieked and leapt out of her seat, frantically slapping at her own head.
"Outrageous!"
Susan Xu's face darkened when she saw this and she snapped at Evan, her voice sharp.
The other women nearby were also startled by Evan's sudden move.
"What do you think you're doing!"
"Not a shred of manners!"
"What is this! Are you trying to turn the world upside down?"
All the women glared at Evan, their faces ugly with anger and more than a little wary.
"First, you'd have to actually count as people before you can talk to me about manners. But in my eyes, you're no different from a bunch of talking dogs."
Evan's gaze swept over them, cold and sharp as a blade.
Anyone Evan looked at felt a sudden chill run through them, as if they might die right here at any moment.
A wave of terror crashed over them, but the next moment, Susan Xu had already turned to glare at Joy Zheng and Claire Zheng, her face full of displeasure. "Joy Zheng, is this really your child?"
"He walks in and dumps water on someone's head! Is that something a normal person would do?"
She barked out her words.
Susan Xu didn't dare meet Evan's eyes, but she was determined to pin things on Joy Zheng.
"Sorry, sister-in-law. I'll apologize to your friends on Evan's behalf."
Joy Zheng sighed. After all, they were at the Zheng family estate, and Evan's move had startled her too.
Now Joy was starting to wonder if coming back had been a mistake.
"Apologize? What if I dump water on your head and then say sorry, would that be fine?"
After a while, the rich wife—her scalp still tingling from the heat—looked utterly disheveled and furious.
She just couldn't figure out how that cup of tea, which was clearly cold, had suddenly turned boiling hot!
But at that moment, nobody was paying attention to the details.
"This kid needs some serious discipline—he's way out of line!"
"He's just plain rude!"
"I've lived a long time, but I've never seen such an arrogant kid!"
The women were all fired up.
"Don't go too far, all of you! He's just a kid, and besides, you were the ones who started with the insults. You're all grown women—how about a little shame?"
Claire Zheng's face darkened at their words, her brow furrowing again and again.
"Claire, this has nothing to do with you! Stay out of it!" Susan Xu snapped coldly, then turned to Joy Zheng. "You said you wanted to come back, and the Zheng family opened its doors for you. But you brought home a child with no manners at all—there's bound to be trouble in the future!"
"I will definitely tell Old Master Zheng about what happened today. Let's see how you handle it then!"
Susan Xu's tone was icy, full of menace: "If someone like him wants to enter our Zheng family's doors, I'll be the first to say no!"
Joy Zheng's face was especially grim at Susan Xu's words, and she felt humiliated.
This was supposed to be her home, but after years away, she was now being forced to lose face by Susan Xu.
Claire Zheng stood by, at a loss for words.
"Finished?"
Evan looked calmly at Susan Xu and spoke in a flat voice.
"What now? Are you thinking I'll pour tea on your head too?"
Susan Xu turned and glared at Evan. "I'm Leonard Zheng's wife! You wouldn't dare touch me!"
Susan Xu was fierce, staring Evan down with a look that brooked no argument.
"You were so tough when you walked in—why not do it now?"
"I bet you're scared!"
"Leonard Zheng is your mother's eldest brother—the head of the Zheng family! That makes me your aunt. If you dare touch me, your uncle will throw you out!"
"If you want to get anything out of the Zheng family, you'd better learn to swallow your pride. You're just a kid—don't think you can do whatever you want!"
Seeing Susan Xu take the lead, the other women became even more arrogant.
"I don't know who Leonard Zheng is."
"I usually don't lay a hand on women."
Evan spoke softly, a trace of loneliness in his voice. He gazed at Susan Xu, his expression indifferent: "For you, I'll break my rule. You should feel honored."