Chapter 17: The Old Madam Faints in Fury

At that moment, Old Lady Su, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly shouted, “Enough!”

Pan Yixuan quickly halted, and everyone else fell silent. Even Zhang Liping, who had just been lying on the ground wailing like a shrew, dared not utter another word.

“Get up! Look at yourself—what kind of spectacle are you making?” Old Lady Su glared furiously at Zhang Liping, scolding her.

Feeling aggrieved, Zhang Liping stood up from the floor and obediently moved aside, not daring to say another word.

Now, all attention in the room shifted to Old Lady Su, including Jiang Hao.

Without delay, Old Lady Su strode up to Jiang Hao, met his gaze, and declared, “It seems you harbor deep resentment toward the Su family.”

“Resentment is only the beginning,” Jiang Hao replied coolly.

“In that case, our ties are severed. No more words are needed. Today, you’ll divorce my granddaughter Su Qingli, pack your belongings, and leave the Su family. From now on, there will be nothing between us. What do you say? Continuing to quarrel will only invite ridicule from others, and surely you don’t wish to waste more time here?”

Her commanding words unsettled Jiang Hao. Even now, Old Lady Su still put on airs before him?

Yet, her words did make some sense. Jiang Hao had caused a scene at her birthday banquet, humiliating the Su family before their guests; that was enough. To drag out the conflict any longer would only make things worse.

It would be better to sever ties swiftly, divorce Su Qingli, and leave the Su family behind to begin a new life.

With that thought, Jiang Hao took a deep breath and spoke earnestly, “Very well. As you wish, I’ll divorce Su Qingli today.”

At his words, the Su family members all breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Tianming sneered, “So you finally see reason. If you refused to divorce, I’d never—”

His words were cut short by a sharp glare from Old Lady Su.

“What use is there in spouting nonsense now? Haven’t you caused enough commotion? Aren’t you ashamed?” Old Lady Su scolded.

Su Tianming was stunned; he hadn’t expected his grandmother, who always doted on him, to suddenly reprimand him.

But he quickly understood. Old Lady Su was cutting through the chaos, silencing the arguments and getting Jiang Hao to agree to the divorce. If he provoked Jiang Hao now and Jiang Hao refused to divorce out of spite, things would only get messier.

Thinking this, he hurriedly closed his mouth and took a step back, standing quietly.

The Su family members were inwardly delighted, feeling they could finally rid themselves of Jiang Hao, the “king of freeloaders.”

But unexpectedly, a clear, gentle voice rang out.

“I do not agree!”

Everyone was stunned, including Jiang Hao himself.

The speaker was none other than Su Qingli.

Old Lady Su demanded the divorce, the family supported it, even Jiang Hao himself had agreed. Yet Su Qingli opposed it—how could this not surprise everyone?

“What did you say?” Old Lady Su whirled around, glaring at Su Qingli.

Su Qingli opened her mouth to speak, but her mother Zhang Liping seized her wrist anxiously. “Are you crazy? Things have come to this—why won’t you divorce him? Have you forgotten how he treated you at the banquet? How he humiliated you? Are you still clinging to some fantasy?”

Su Qingli’s smile was tinged with sorrow, her beautiful eyes reddening.

She looked up at Jiang Hao and spoke slowly, “Whatever happens, we are still husband and wife. If there truly were no feelings, then divorce would be fine. But this is all a misunderstanding…”

“What misunderstanding? What could possibly be misunderstood? Don’t say anything foolish!” Zhang Liping was frantic. She could see Su Qingli was about to reveal the truth about the kidney matter to Jiang Hao.

If Su Qingli exposed it before everyone, it would become the Su family’s greatest scandal, and her own crimes would be laid bare.

She would be utterly ruined!

Desperate, Zhang Liping tried to stop her, but Su Qingli broke free and quickly walked to Jiang Hao.

Jiang Hao looked at her coldly, then turned away. “What else is there to say? Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could possibly exist between us? Su Qingli, I have no feelings for you anymore. Let’s divorce.”

Despite his words, Jiang Hao felt a pang in his heart.

He and Su Qingli had been together since university, married after graduation, and spent several years together.

Now, to divorce her—he could not deny a lingering sense of reluctance.

Yet he could not tolerate her deception, her betrayal.

So, the divorce was inevitable.

Su Qingli gazed at him mournfully, her voice trembling with suppressed sobs. “Jiang Hao, it really is a misunderstanding. I’ll tell you the truth now, and you’ll understand…”

“Don’t say another word!” Old Lady Su, both angry and anxious, shouted, trying to cut her off.

But the usually gentle Su Qingli suddenly became stubborn.

She spun around to face Old Lady Su, raising her voice, “I must speak! I will speak! I cannot let you decide my marriage for me, nor let my future be destroyed by your hands!”

“You—you—” Old Lady Su was so furious she trembled all over, suddenly unable to catch her breath. She staggered backward and collapsed to the floor.

“Grandma!”

“Mother!”

“Old Lady Su!”

Su Tianming, Zhang Liping, the rest of the Su family, and Pan Yixuan, the young master of the Pan family, all rushed to her side.

But Old Lady Su lay unconscious, her breathing growing weaker.

Su Qingli stood there in shock, unable to believe such a sudden turn of events.

Su Tianming glared angrily at Su Qingli and Jiang Hao. “It’s all your fault! Jiang Hao, Su Qingli, you despicable pair—you’ve killed Grandma!”

“This…no…I didn’t mean to…” Su Qingli panicked, hurrying over to check on Old Lady Su, but Su Tianming shoved her aside.

“Don’t touch her! Su Qingli, Grandma always had your best interests at heart, as did all of us, but you treated her kindness like dirt! How can you live with yourself?” Su Tianming howled in grief and rage, then turned his fury on Jiang Hao. “And you! Jiang Hao! You’re the root of all this! If Grandma dies, I swear I won’t let you off!”