"Felix, don’t listen to that little girl’s nonsense. She bit my Bowman first—look, she drew blood! And she kicked his family jewels, nearly breaking them! My wife was just so angry that she decided to teach her a lesson."

Sherman Golding mustered his courage to argue. Mandy York rolled up her older son’s sleeve, revealing the spot where Tang Xiaonan had bitten him. The wound was indeed quite deep.

"He deserved it even if she’d bitten him to death! Your whole family ganging up on my Xiaonan, a six-year-old kid! Are you even human? If you’ve got guts, come at me! I’ll chop you into pork floss and feed you to the pigs!" Phoebe Huxley let loose a stream of curses, then shot a scornful look at Bowman Golding. "A big boy like you can’t even beat my Xiaonan? You deserve to have your family jewels kicked off! A good-for-nothing wimp like you doesn’t deserve to get married!"

Phoebe Huxley, whose tongue was unmatched in the entire production brigade, immediately intimidated the family with her tirade. Mandy York, however, was unconvinced. "We were over here planting beans, and your girl came to make trouble, spilling all the beans! If you won’t discipline your own girl, then of course someone else will teach her a lesson for you!"

"It’s not your place to teach her a lesson, you old bitch!"

Phoebe Huxley didn’t waste any more words. She strode forward, grabbed Mandy York, and swung a heavy slap across her face. The crisp sound was more beautiful than a symphony. Tang Xiaonan’s face didn’t even hurt as much anymore, but she was still scared. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

’I’m spitting blood. How many more years do I have left to live?’

’Am I going to end up like Sister Lin, meeting a tragic and miserable fate?’

"It’s okay. You lost a tooth."

Adrian Hawthorne picked up a small, blood-stained tooth. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes. He had been terrified just now, thinking that Tang Xiaopang was actually going to die. Thankfully, it was just a false alarm.

Tang Xiaonan licked her gums. The molar that had been loose before was gone. Her tongue tasted a bit metallic, and her gums were still bleeding. She must have bitten Bowman Golding too hard earlier.

She let out a long sigh of relief, her anxious heart finally settling. A molar could grow back. It was no big deal. ’I’ll definitely live to be a hundred,’ she thought, ’maybe even break one hundred and fifty! Anything is possible!’

The weight in Felix Thorne’s heart lifted as well. As long as there were no internal injuries, it was fine. He had done a quick check just now; his daughter had no injuries on her body. The ones on her arms and face were the most severe, but they were just superficial wounds. Still, he would make them pay for every single one, with interest.

"Watch Xiaonan."

Felix Thorne looked at Adrian Hawthorne, his gaze softening considerably. Just now, Adrian had shielded his daughter, willing to take the blows himself. He was a good kid. It was no wonder Xiaonan was always thinking about him.

Adrian Hawthorne nodded firmly, took Tang Xiaonan’s hand, and stepped aside to watch Felix Thorne deal with the scumbags.

Rosalind Green came over crying, her face tear-streaked, her eyes full of concern and guilt. She reached out, wanting to touch the bruises on Adrian Hawthorne’s face, but he turned his head slightly to avoid her hand, a flicker of impatience in his eyes.

In the past, he had felt that protecting his mother was his duty as a son. Besides, he had promised his father, and he had to keep his word. So, no matter how weak or helpless Rosalind Green was, he never complained.

But today, with Tang Xiaonan as a stark contrast, Adrian Hawthorne felt impatient for the first time—and even a little resentful.

’Even Tang Xiaopang, a six-year-old girl with no blood relation to him, could bravely stand in front of him. She got hurt because of him, and she even fought back as best she could, managing to hurt Bowman Golding in the process.’

’If Rosalind Green had even half of Tang Xiaopang’s fire and courage, maybe he wouldn’t have had to suffer so much these past four years?’

Rosalind Green’s expression turned pained. Self-blame and guilt made her cry even harder. ’I’m so useless,’ she thought. ’I can’t do anything. I’m just a burden to my son!’