They were voices of Han Yifeng, Deng Wenwen, and Yue Lingsi.
Xi Xiaye was having difficulty breathing. The hand that was supporting her against the wall was slowly losing strength. She raised her head and looked at Deng Wenwen in disbelief, yet she suddenly could not say anything.
Xi Xinyi started crying all of a sudden, "I'm sorry, I can't. I can't accept a marriage without Sister's blessing especially when I... I just want your forgiveness, Sis... Xiaye, how do I make you feel better? Would you forgive me, forgive everyone else if I let go?"
Xi Xinyi's eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Xi Xiaye. "If that's the case, I'm willing to let go…"
"Xinyi!" Han Yifeng frowned as he dragged Xi Xinyi over anxiously.
"Xinyi, what are you saying?!"
Yue Lingsi looked at Xi Xinyi in horror. Finally, she looked at Xi Xiaye. "Xiaye, Yifeng and Xinyi are getting engaged soon. You know for yourself how Xinyi has treated you all these years. Why do you still cling onto the past when they are both in love with each other? Back then, Xinyi went out of her way to save your life. Is it so difficult to ask for your forgiveness now?"
"Mother, stop it!" Xi Xinyi shouted at her.
"I'm just telling the truth. Isn't it all because of her that our family has become like this today? Your body is still weak because of that incident, yet now she's being ungrateful and isn't even willing to forgive you? Xinyi, you're too kind. You care about her and the peace within the Xi family. Don't you know that she doesn't appreciate all of these!"
Yue Lingsi looked at Xi Xiaye with disappointment.
Xi Xiaye's face looked drained. Did they actually say that she was the one who had messed the Xi family up?
What about her family?
Who messed her family up?
Many years ago, this woman had ruined her happy family, yet now the perpetrator was blaming her for it!
She lowered her head and tried to breathe. Her burning eyes blinked but no tears fell from her pair of dry eyes. Her voice at the moment was as calm as the surface of the quiet water.
"I messed up the Xi family and ruined the peace in your family? Don't you think you destroyed someone's family when you took my father away from us back then? Was Xi Xinyi guilty when she approached Han Yifeng with other intentions?"
Her calm criticism made the expressions of Yue Lingsi and Xi Xinyi freeze.
"Among the whole family, you two have no right to talk about this. Forgiveness? I wouldn't forgive both of you even if I died. If you guys really think I owe Xi Xinyi my life…"
Xi Xiaye pushed Xi Xinyi away and rushed towards a dining cart before tripping because of her unstable steps. Qi Lei tried to help her, but she pushed him away and grabbed onto the cart.
A bright reflection flashed in everyone's eyes.
Thud!
Everyone could hear the sound of a steel knife stabbing into flesh.
"Xiaye!" Han Yifeng was stunned as he gaped at Xi Xiaye.
"Sis!" Xi Xinyi's body trembled as she saw a fruit knife go right into Xi Xiaye's shoulder. Bright red blood dripped from the wound…
Deng Wenwen and Yue Lingsi were in shock as well. They never expected the quiet Xi Xiaye to do something like this when she was being stubborn.
A cold and sharp pain surfaced, helping her to stay conscious. Her eyes were as cold as ice. She forced herself to pry the knife out of her shoulder while the strong, metallic smell of blood wafted in the air.
"Xi Xinyi, this is me paying you back. From now onwards, I don't owe any of you…"
She threw the knife away and blood suddenly came gushing out of her shoulder. She pressed on the wound as she used her large, black windbreaker to cover her shoulder that was drenched in red.
Miraculously, she had never felt so clear-headed before. She could even walk away calmly as everyone looked at her with an aghast expression.
There was a trail of blood in the direction that Xi Xiaye left.
As she reached the turning corner of the stairs, she heard the loud sound of a slap followed by Xi Xinyi crying, yet Xi Xiaye did not have the mood to care anymore.
From now onward, she had nothing to do with the Xi family anymore.
…
On the other hand —
"Father! How could you hit Mother?"
Xi Xinyi's eyes flew wide as she looked at the angry Xi Mushan and Yue Lingsi's face swelled.
She could not believe that his usually calm and collected father would hit somebody and even did so in front of Han Yifeng and Qi Lei.
"Are you not embarrassing enough? The guests are all waiting downstairs. Why don't you get Father already?"
Xi Mushan glared at Deng Wenwen, then he turned around and looked at Qi Lei. "CEO Qi, the banquet is downstairs. Please forgive us for any inconvenience caused."
Qi Lei raised his eyebrows and took a glance at everyone before he nodded and went downstairs with his bodyguard.
"Xi Mushan! How dare you hit me?"
Yue Lingsi teared up as she looked at Xi Mushan, unable to believe what had just happened.
Xi Mushan threw her a cold and frightening gaze before heading downstairs. "Today is the Elder's birthday. Don't blame me for being merciless if anyone causes any more trouble."
"Xinyi, go and get your grandfather downstairs!"
He then proceeded downstairs as his assistant Ah Hui caught up with him.
"Go and take a look. Make sure to send her to the hospital." Xi Mushan sighed quietly.
"Yes!" Ah Hui replied and went down swiftly, quickly rushing towards the direction of the backyard.