Lou Xinrou cried out in pain in an instant.
Mrs. Lou, alarmed by the sight, subconsciously wanted to help Lou Xinrou get up, but Lou Pinshu stopped her with a look.
Lou Pinshu, disappointed like iron not turning into steel, shook his head and gripped his walking stick tightly.
"Lou Xinrou! You dare to speak insolently even now! Immediately apologize to Miss Qiao and Madam Zhan!"
Struck hard, Lou Xinrou felt a sharp pain in her legs, and raising her head, she saw Qiao Jing, realizing she was kneeling before him.
She clenched her teeth, enduring the pain and trying to stand up.
Being beaten and scolded in front of Qiao Jing was one thing, but to apologize now?
Only over her dead body!
Just as Lou Xinrou was about to bend a leg, Lou Pinshu’s walking stick pressed down on her shoulder, immobilizing half of her body.
"Lou Xinrou, I am telling you one last time, offer a sincere apology to Miss Qiao."
Mrs. Lou, feeling deeply pained at this moment, dared not speak out because of Lou Pinshu’s presence, and could only pin her hopes on Mr. Lou.
"Won’t you speak up for your daughter? She’s already been hit and scolded, kneeling looks so disgraceful."
Mr. Lou looked expressionlessly at Lou Xinrou, who was kneeling on the ground, and snorted coldly.
"Don’t persuade me or dad. As elders, we also bear responsibility for her turning out ! If she had succeeded with the drugging, she would be a murderer, facing prison!"
Upon hearing the words "murderer," Mrs. Lou finally shut her mouth completely, not daring to persuade anyone further.
Lou Xinrou knelt on the ground, gritting her teeth and again trying to stand, but the cane on her shoulder made it impossible to move.
She clenched her fists tightly, her fingernails digging deep into her flesh without feeling anything.
Finally, she very reluctantly spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s.
She knew this was the last chance her grandfather was giving her, and if she did not submit this time, the consequences would be even more severe.
Su Manhan was not satisfied with the apology, frowning.
"Old Master Lou, is this her attitude in apologizing?"
Had Qiao Jing not realized something was amiss, she might well have lost her precious daughter-in-law and their three unborn grandsons today!
So whether the Lou family spoke harshly or acted violently today, she had to make Qiao Jing hear a sincere apology.
Lou Pinshu was also very unsatisfied with Lou Xinrou’s attitude in her apology, increasing the pressure on his walking stick a bit.
"Lou Xinrou, show the proper attitude for an apology, be sincere! How did I teach you when you were younger? Did you just forget it all as you grew up?!"
His granddaughter’s actions had already angered him enough, but now this attitude in apologizing was just adding fuel to the fire!
It seemed all his years of teaching had been in vain!!
Lou Xinrou, feeling rebellious, struggled a few times trying to stand, but the cane was too heavy. With her legs also hurting, she could not get up.
She bit her lip hard, until it broke and began to taste blood, then raised her voice.
"Qiao Jing, I’m sorry, Auntie Su, Nanqing, I’m sorry! This was all my fault. I will never again have any dealings with the Zhan Family, nor will I bother you any further."
From his higher position, Qiao Jing looked down at Lou Xinrou, his gaze piercing her like ice blades, his lips slightly parted.
"Is an apology all you have?"
She would not go easy on Lou Xinrou. Trying to kill her child was not something that could be resolved with a mere apology.
Upon hearing this, Lou Xinrou staggered for a moment, then her face contorted as if she wanted to tear Qiao Jing apart.
"Because of you, I not only endured two slaps and a cudgel but also knelt to apologize to you. What more do you want? What do you want besides an apology?!"
Qiao Jing lightly arched her delicate eyebrows, her phoenix eyes devoid of any emotion, as her cold gaze intensively focused on Lou Xinrou’s swollen cheeks.
She slightly curled her lips in a smile, yet her face carried not a hint of amusement, her voice cold as ice, piercing to the bone.
"Do you think an apology is enough for this matter?"
Under Lou Pinshu’s threat, Lou Xinrou’s apology just now was not voluntary, but she had apologized at least.
But this matter was not so easily resolved with an apology.
Lou Xinrou had to look up to meet Qiao Jing’s eyes; in that moment, she suddenly felt like a lowly, insignificant ant, while the other was like a godly being.
That thought lasted only a second in her mind before she dismissed it.
It was absurd; Qiao Jing was just a country bumpkin, how could she ever entertain such a thought?
Thinking this, Lou Xinrou was just about to continue spewing venom when she felt the cane on her shoulder press down harder.
Then her shoulder was struck again, causing her to grimace in pain, unable to speak.
Lou Pinshu solemnly apologized to Qiao Jing: "Miss Qiao, I am truly sorry, we have failed in our discipline. Rest assured, I will not let this matter rest , and I will deal with her using family law later."
After saying this, he tapped Lou Xinrou’s head with his cane.
"Apologize to Miss Qiao by bowing your head!"
Initially, he thought that if Lou Xinrou apologized properly, there would be no need to force her to kowtow or anything, but now, right after making a proper apology, she started being rude again!
This time, Lou Xinrou was so shocked that her jaw nearly dropped. She struggled a few times attempting to raise her head, but the cane was still firmly pressed against the back of her skull, forcing her to kowtow unwillingly.
"Qiao Jing, I’m sorry!"
Her grandfather, he actually made her kowtow in apology?!
This was not only a loss of her face but also the face of the Lou family!
Only then did Qiao Jing lift her eyes to Lou Pinshu, her gaze lingering on him for a few seconds before she looked away.
Although she wanted to deal with Lou Xinrou in her own way, since Lou Pinshu had already spoken, she had to give him some respect.
Partly because Lou Pinshu was from her grandfather’s generation and also the president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.
Moreover, and most importantly, she could see that Lou Pinshu was an upright person, including Mr. Lou, otherwise, they wouldn’t have disciplined Lou Xinrou right in front of them.
Su Manhan saw that Qiao Jing had said this and chose not to say anything further.
"Then, Elder Lou, we will be leaving first."
Lou Pinshu nodded, and Mr. and Mrs. Lou quickly escorted Qiao Jing and the others to the door.
After Qiao Jing and the others left, Lou Pinshu retracted his cane and placed it aside.
Lou Xinrou slumped onto the sofa, applying the hot egg her mother gave her.
She had already been confined once; she felt nothing special about this incident. It was merely another confinement, so she began to speak without any reservations.
"Grandfather! Why were you so polite to Qiao Jing? When she first arrived, not only did you use your favorite tea cake, but you also personally poured tea for her! Even Auntie Su didn’t receive such treatment. What qualifications does a country girl have? Moreover, this wasn’t my fault to begin with! If it hadn’t been for Qiao Jing’s appearance, the person marrying Brother Pei should have been me!"