Chapter 4 I Won't Disgrace The Jian Family Anymore

Jean left Glorious Hotel.

She seemed to be walking on thorns. After finding a spot where no one was around, she lost all balance and almost fell to the ground. Luckily, she was able to steady herself using the lion statue near her. The grotesque sculpture was sitting by the side of the hotel gates and staring at her impassively.

Her face had gone pale, and one of her hands was on her chest. Everything that had happened between Stark and her came rushing back to her. The past didn't agree with her so well and a compound of helplessness, anger, and pain overcame her eyes.

For a long time, she relived her flashbacks before her phone rang and dragged her back to reality.

It was Andy.

"Andy."

"Jean, where are you? I can't find you at the party."

Jean took a deep breath to settle her emotions. Andy sounded anxious and she didn't want to worry him further.

"It's okay. I felt stuffy inside, so I came out for a walk. It's nothing. I'm just not feeling that well so I think I'll go home now."

Andy had heard about the recent mishap at the party.

"No, you won't. Not alone. Wait for me outside. We'll go home together,"

"It's okay. I can go back by myself..."

"Don't try to be brave and stubborn. Wait for me. I'll be right out!"

Andy didn't give Jean a chance to argue and hung up directly.

Jean was forced to wait. Luckily, He was out within ten minutes. Seeing that Jean didn't look well, he didn't ask too many questions.

"Get in the car. Let's get you home."

Jean didn't want any enquiries either. The journey started and ended silently and after reaching home, she said in a tired voice, "Andy, I am going to rest now."

"Take care."

Andy nodded. Once Jean's figure had gone out of view on the stairs, he sighed and went away.

The night was quiet, and tiredness quickly put most people to rest. Others were not so lucky and were forced to toss and turn restlessly the whole time.

Jean was one of the latter, staring at the ceiling and unable to fall asleep, as was Stark.

He stood on the balcony of his house and gazed at the starry sky. In his reckless bout of thinking, he littered cigarette butts all over the ground.

Jean finally went to sleep late at night, but was forced awake by an early knock on the door.

"Who is it? And why are you up so early?" she muttered.

"It's Jill, Miss."

Jean got up in a daze and opened the door. Without fully opening her eyes, she leaned against the doorframe and murmured, "What's going on? Why are you waking me at this ungodly hour?"

Jill began to say something but suddenly stopped. A moment later, she continued, "Your parents are back. They are downstairs and wanted to see you at once."

"My parents are back?" Jean lost all trace of sleep instantly.

Jill nodded.

'Andy had said they went on a business trip yesterday morning. How come they are back so early?'

She pondered for a while and then said, "All right. I'll be down after I change. Can you ask them to wait a little longer?"

Jill nodded again and left. It took Jean ten minutes to throw on a pair of presentable clothes and go downstairs.

Eric Jian and Amanda Chen were sitting on the sofa in the living room with serious expressions on their faces. Jean walked over quickly.

"Mom, Dad. Why have you come back so suddenly? Did you miss me so..."

Her sentence was interrupted by the crisp sound of a powerful slap. Shocked, she merely stood there, covering the burning sensation on her right cheek.

Andy rushed down the stairs quickly with his handsome face turning pale in anxiety.

"Jean, are you okay? Let me see..."

Jean came back to her senses several seconds later and shook her head with a pale face.

Looking at the distinct, red colored palm print on her face, Andy pulled her behind him and said angrily, "Mom! Can't you talk peacefully just once? Must you hit her before saying anything?"

"Peacefully? Would she ever listen to me if I talk to her peacefully? Look at her! Look at what she's done right after getting back!"

Amanda Chen threw the morning's entertainment paper furiously on the table.

Andy picked it up and read it. His expressions changed drastically.

Jean stood behind him and saw the headline as well.

It read: Jian Group Wants to Unite with the Lu Group through Marriage Again? The subtitle was equally steamy: The daughter of the chairman of Jian Group was seen flirting with the CEO of Lu Group once more.

The pictures below the huge headline had been taken last night in the corridor of the hotel. Jean and Stark could be seen standing in it.

It looked like the two were kissing, but their faces weren't clear. Therefore, her trying to push the man away looked more like her grabbing Stark's clothes and pulling him hard towards herself.

Without reading further, Jean guessed what the content was going to be.

"Jean, what did I tell you yesterday? Stay away from that Stark! You never take my words seriously. Hadn't you brought enough humiliation to our family three years ago?"

Amanda's furious reproach made Jean's face paler. She clenched her fist to keep herself from crying out.

"Mom! Maybe it's not her fault. Can't you listen to her explain first?"

"Get out of my way, Andy. It's you and your father who spoiled her in the first place. I told you Stark was not a good person and I didn't want them together. But you didn't believe me. Don't you remember what it was like in the engagement party? Have you forgotten that embarrassment already? You..."

Seeing that Jean was biting her bottom lip with increasing strength, Andy interrupted with a roar, "Mom! Just stop talking about that."

Eric also pulled hard at Amanda's hand. Seeing her husband's gloomy face, Amanda took a deep breath but shut up.

The air in the room seemed to be frozen for a while.

Eventually, Jean raised her head. Her thick eyelashes covered all the emotions in her eyes and she merely promised in a soft voice, "I'm sorry. I promise that this is the last time. I won't disgrace the Jian family ever again."

A touch of guilt quickly flashed across Amanda's face at this apology. She opened her mouth several times, but was unable to find any words and finally let it go altogether.

After a few more seconds of silence, she changed the subject. "Jean. It's time for you to find a decent boyfriend. You should rest as much as you can, and I will arrange a few blind dates for you when things settle down. Until that happens, you are grounded."

"Okay, Mom. I will listen to you."

Amanda had thought that Jean would refuse, but she hadn't expected such obedient behavior. It stunned her quite a bit but she came back to her senses and continued, "As for your job, the lobby manager of a hotel in B City was in a car accident recently. His position is vacant these days. I want you to go there and get familiar with the workings of the hotel. You can come back to work in the Jian Group later."

"Okay Mom. It's up to you,"

Jean replied calmly. "Listen. I'm still sleepy. I'll go upstairs and rest for a little while longer."

Without waiting for her mother's response, she turned around and went upstairs.

Andy watched her leave and frowned.

"Mom! You shouldn't have talked to her like that. You've gone too far today."

"I, I..."

Amanda tried to say something but was too furious to continue when she saw that Andy departed without even looking at her.

Eric caressed her shoulder and softly comforted her, "Calm down. But he's right, you know? You shouldn't have scolded her."

"Do you think I wanted to say all that? Jean is my own flesh and blood. What makes you think I don't hate scolding and hitting her? "

Amanda was no longer as domineering as she had been just now. She continued in a helpless, pitiful tone, "I'm just afraid that this silly girl will behave the way she did three years ago. She seemed to have lost her soul after the engagement party. I don't want her feeling that way again."

Eric nodded. He was a father and perfectly understood the emotion.

Upstairs inside Jean's room.

Jean sat down on the bed and raised a hand to touch the dry corner of her eyes.

She thought that she was going to cry but then recalled she'd lost that ability three years ago.