Chapter 0113

As soon as I stepped inside, I saw the front courtyard packed with people, yet no one spoke a word. The silence was so thick it felt like walking into a morgue—not even a single breath dared to escape.

The old mansion was bustling with dozens of people, men and women, most of them over thirty, with only a handful of younger faces.

"Luo Yao, you’ve finally returned." The masked woman’s voice trembled slightly, her eyes burning with hatred.

"With this many of you, are you planning to invade Iraq?" Luo Yao said coldly.

Every single person present wore a look of utter confusion.

Sure, they had numbers, but Luo Yao had brought over thirty people herself. Even if she was outnumbered, she’d arrived alone at the helm.

"Cat got your tongues?" Luo Yao’s voice was icy.

"This must be our nephew-in-law! Come, take a seat." A middle-aged woman spoke with exaggerated warmth, putting on the airs of a doting elder.

Luo Yao ignored her, and Lin Ran naturally followed suit.

Luo Yao: "I told you to speak, not to waste my time."

The woman’s face stiffened with embarrassment, but she didn’t dare say another word.

"Where’s the old man? What’s the meaning of that ridiculous summons?"

Luo Yao was already thinking about burning that so-called "gathering order" today.

"The family head is in the back hall. Shouldn’t you go see him first?" the masked woman spoke again.

"Luo Wuyou, what’s with the mask? Trying to play mysterious?"

That’s right—the masked woman was Luo Wuyou. Lin Ran recognized her voice.

He remembered her quite well.

So she hadn’t died after all. Surviving a sabotaged plane crash—talk about luck.

Luo Wuyou’s hatred ran deep. The reason she wore a mask was because of her injuries.

Last time, shortly after takeoff, she realized the plane was malfunctioning. When she tried the emergency escape pod, she found it completely devoid of survival gear.

Her only option was to jump at the last possible moment before impact—a move with terrifyingly low odds.

But during the descent, she was injured, forcing her to leap at the final second. The explosion from the crash engulfed her, leaving her with severe burns across her body, including her face. At least she’d survived.

"Heh. Didn’t expect me to still be alive, did you?"

Luo Yao smirked mockingly.

"You’ve said that before. Every time you do, it just proves you’ve suffered inhuman torment. So what if you’re alive?"

Luo Wuyou: "Very good, Luo Yao. You really are ruthless. Not even a shred of familial loyalty between aunt and niece."

Everyone else looked baffled. Only now did they realize the masked woman was Luo Wuyou.

But why did their exchange sound so… hostile?

Luo Yao stepped right up to Luo Wuyou.

"Spit it out if you’ve got something to say."

Luo Wuyou leaned in and whispered into Luo Yao’s ear: "We’ve got news about Second Uncle. With his support, how long do you think you’ll last as family head?"

Luo Yao’s eyes narrowed. So the mastermind behind all this was him.

"Luo Yao, are you going to see your grandfather in the back hall?"

Everyone expected her to refuse, but to their surprise, Luo Yao nodded.

"Fine." She then turned to Lin Ran.

"Hubby, wait here for me, okay? 0v0" Luo Yao didn’t want to bring him along.

Lin Ran nodded. He knew the place was already under Luo Yao’s control, with armed guards stationed around. Plus, she had a gun. There wasn’t much to worry about.

After Luo Yao and Luo Wuyou left, the crowd in the front hall began eyeing Lin Ran curiously.

"Is this Luo Yao’s boytoy?"

"Nephew-in-law, would you like something to eat?" The same woman from earlier spoke up again.

Just then, another voice cut in.

"Auntie, why bother with him? He’s just that crazy Luo Yao’s pet."

"Exactly. Pretty boys like him are the worst."

Lin Ran: ??? You’ve just signed your own death warrants.

At that moment, an older man stepped forward—Luo Yao’s cousin, Luo Disi.

"Kid, this is the Luo family ancestral home. Mind your manners."

Lin Ran: ??? What did I even do?

"You—what kind of man stoops to being a kept boy? And Luo Yao, what’s wrong with her? First, her personality’s a mess, and now she’s flaunting her indecency by keeping a man? Disgusting."

Lin Ran’s temper flared instantly. Insult him all they wanted, but his wife? That was a line they couldn’t cross.

He lunged forward and slapped Luo Disi hard across the face, leaving the man stunned.

"You dare hit me?" Luo Disi couldn’t believe it—a mere boytoy, striking him?

As Luo Disi moved to retaliate, a series of ominous clicks echoed through the hall.

Old Man Fu had the guards train their guns on Luo Disi. One word from Lin Ran, and he’d be turned into Swiss cheese.

Terrified, Luo Disi immediately raised his hands in surrender, utterly bewildered.

Lin Ran delivered another resounding slap.

"Talk shit about me all you want, but insult my wife? Who else would I slap but you?"

Luo Disi exploded. Even after surrendering, Lin Ran had the audacity to hit him again? He roared in fury.

"I’m Luo Yao’s brother! I’ll have her beat you to death!"

Another slap landed.

"Keep your voice down, dumbass. Your spit’s flying everywhere—disgusting."

Lin Ran showed zero respect, and the entire Luo family watched in shock.

This man… wasn’t anything like the rumors.

As tensions threatened to boil over, the same woman from earlier stepped in to mediate.

She was Luo Yao’s paternal aunt by marriage, Bi Yaolian—a name meaning "unstained by mud, untainted by impurity."

Also the lawful wife of Luo Yao’s second uncle.

"We’re all family here! What’s this nonsense? Disi, even if Luo Yao’s a shameless slut, they’re legally married now. How could you say such things?"

Bi Yaolian wanted to assert her authority while playing peacemaker for both sides.

"Everyone, do me this favor and let it go, alright?"

Lin Ran turned and—smack—slapped her so hard her face twisted.

Bi Yaolian stared at him in disbelief.

"Why did you hit me?"

Lin Ran leaned in, his voice dripping with venom.

"That mouth of yours isn’t for speaking—it’s for spewing trash. Every word out of it is pure filth. If I didn’t slap you, I might as well not have hands."

"And you want me to give you face? You’ve trampled your dignity into the ground and used it as a doormat—must feel real good, huh?"

Just then, another man stepped forward—Luo Wumu, Luo Yao’s uncle and the old patriarch’s nephew.

"Lin Ran, don’t think you can act wild just because you’ve got Luo Yao’s backing. This is the Luo family. That deadbeat girl is still one of us, and I’m her uncle—you should be calling me ‘Uncle’ too. If you won’t give your aunt face, at least give your uncle some respect. For my sake, tell those men to lower their guns."

Luo Wumu smirked inwardly: Pathetic woman. Useless. This is how a real Luo man handles things.

Smack!

Lin Ran’s slap arrived fashionably late. He’d half-expected something sensible, but no—just more garbage.

"I’m Luo Yao’s cousin, Luo Dimei. Give me some face—"

Smack!

"I’m her younger cousin, Luo Dichuang—"

"Slap!"

"I am Luo Yao's aunt, Luo Wudie..."

"Slap!"

"I am Luo Yao's cousin, Luo Po..."

"Slap!"

Lin Ran, exhausted from the beating, bent over and roared hysterically.

"Who! Else! Wants! Me! To! Give! Them! Face?!"