Ye Li was stunned when she heard this. She looked surprised and replied instinctively, “We don’t have emeralds, though?”

Old Lady Xue’s face darkened. “Even if you don’t want to lend it to me, don’t come up with such an excuse! I heard from Yaoyao that you guys gave Xue Xi a box of gems and had her bring it to the school to flaunt her wealth. What is it? They existed when she was flaunting her wealth, but now that I have use for them, they’re gone?”

Ye Li shot Xue Sheng a glance, afraid that he would think that she had the gems and did not want to lend it to the old lady.

Although the old lady and Xue Sheng had split up, the old lady was still his biological mother. As his wife, she could not be too distant.

She hurriedly said, “There’s really no such things here. Xue Sheng knows it the best!”

Xue Sheng nodded when he heard this. He knew better than Ye Li what precious things were in the house. The most valuable thing in the house was the Night Li painting hung in Xue Xi’s room.

That was Ye Li’s work from her early years. It had already been hyped up to millions, but since Ye Li had given it to her daughter, she would not sell it.

Moreover, the family had not reached the stage where they needed to sell paintings to maintain their lives.

Old Lady Xue looked at Xue Sheng and heard her eldest son saying, “Mom, you’re the only one who believes Xue Yao’s words! If there really is a pigeon-egg-sized jewel and a box of gems, would I have let Xixi bring it to school? This is clearly a lie!”

Old Lady Xue, on the other hand, trusted Xue Yao even more. “Xue Yao brought a classmate with her. That female classmate surnamed Li also said the same thing. Moreover, everyone in their class has spread the news around. Someone even posted on the school’s forum. It can’t be fake!”

Xue Sheng sneered. “Then did Xixi admit it?”

Old Lady Xue was stunned.

Xue Sheng continued, “Perhaps Xixi took a box of stones and those were mistaken for something else?”

Old Lady Xue frowned and believed him.

A box of gems was worth tens of millions. It was not a small sum of money. Even if Xue Sheng really had it, this eldest son had always been a low-profile person and would not show off.

If that was the case, those might really be fake.

She frowned and said, “She’s so young and yet she’s already flaunting her wealth in school. Did she do it after Xue Yao wore a gem ring given to her by my daughter-in-law? You can’t compare such matters. Indeed, it shows that she’s a child raised in an orphanage. One look and you can tell that she’s uncultured!”

Xue Sheng and Ye Li had been too embarrassed to reject the old lady’s request, but when the old lady criticized Xue Xi, Ye Li and Xue Sheng objected.

Ye Li immediately said, “Mom, how can you say that about Xixi?”

Xue Sheng also stood up abruptly. “Mom, it’s time for dinner. You should hurry back!”

Xue Sheng could not be bothered to speak to Old Lady Xue anymore. He could see clearly that Old Lady Xue did not like him and Ye Li and also implicated Xue Xi. No matter how much he defended himself, she would not believe it.

Old Lady Xue pouted. “Why? If she did something wrong, why can’t I say anything? If Xue Yao did something wrong, I would just randomly hit and scold her. When it’s Xue Xi’s turn, your heart will ache? No matter what, I’m her elder! Look, ever since Xue Xi returned, did she ever call me Grandma?!”

Ye Li was furious when she heard this. “Then do you treat Xixi as your granddaughter? Must a junior still be kind and filial while an elder is being cruel? What right do you have to demand a junior to be filial to you?!”

Her words made Xue Sheng’s expression change.

Ye Li must have been filled with resentment since long ago. The words she said just now were not only referring to Xue Xi, but also to him!

In the past, when Old Lady Xue quarreled with them, she had won by being loud and unreasonable. In the past, Ye Li had held back her anger, but now, she was actually retorting. Old Lady Xue was instantly infuriated. “You’re really something else. Are you going to go against your elders again?! I gave birth to Xue Sheng and gave him his life. I’m his mother! According to the law, he has to provide for me in my retirement! Moreover, I brought him up as he sh*t and peed. Even if it’s not meritorious, it’s hard work!”

She started crying. “Son, why are you so heartless? Have you forgotten that I sent you to school when you were young? You wanted a pencil case and I saved my lunch money to buy you a pencil case, remember? In the end, I fainted from hunger…

“Once children get married, they forget their mother! What sin did our family commit?! I’d rather die!”

This was what Old Lady Xue did every time they quarreled. She cried, kicked up a fuss, and threatened to hang herself.

Xue Sheng was already used to it, so he said, “Mom, since I’m so unfilial, why don’t you just sue me? The law will be the judge. Coincidentally, I have the contract for when we gave you 30 million yuan last time. Let’s go look for a judge to settle this…”

If Old Lady Xue had really spent all her money already, she would not have a single cent left. According to the law, Xue Sheng would still have to provide for her.

However, how could a selfish person like Old Lady Xue not give herself a way out?

She had money in her bank account!

The law would not side with her.

Old Lady Xue had even hired a lawyer for this and asked if she could request for Xue Sheng to give her allowance every month. When the lawyer heard that there was a contract, he immediately said that even if they filed a lawsuit, they would not be able to win.

Hence, Old Lady Xue shut her mouth. “We’re all family. Why should we take this to court?”

As she spoke, she also stood up and began heading out. “I’m still being expected for dinner at home. I’ll go back for now. Don’t forget what I told you. On your father’s birthday, bring that gigolo over!”

When she reached the door, she saw Xue Xi and the old lady snorted. She ignored her and left.

However, the next day, when Xue Xi went to school, she realized that the students in the school were looking at her differently. She could vaguely hear the words “pretentious,” “fake,” and “flaunting your wealth.”

Xue Xi ignored them.

After entering the classroom, Li Hanlei said loudly, “Tsk, tsk. Why are some people so shameless? They actually use stones to flaunt their wealth. Tsk, tsk!”

Xue Yao smiled. “Don’t say that…”

However, the rest also started pointing fingers at Xue Xi.

Xue Xi was a transfer student and was originally the center of attention. After she became first in the class, everyone admired her for her studies.

However, with Xue Yao’s hard work spreading information, everyone knew that Xue Xi’s mother was just an ordinary person. She had no money, so Xue Xi did not have much money…

Zhou Zhen frowned.

He admired Xue Xi’s good grades, and she had never taken the initiative to start any issues herself. He did not believe that the Goddess of Studying was a vain person.

Moreover, the gems he saw that day did not seem to be fake. How could it be like what Xue Yao had said—that they’re just rocks?

Hence, he walked to Xue Xi’s side and said, “Xue Xi, show me your stones!”

Li Hanlei immediately said acerbically, “That’s right. Our class president’s family is in the jewelry business. He must have done some research on this. Let the class president take a look at your dozen or so stones!”

What’s the point of mocking her in secret? It would only be interesting if she was exposed as a faker!

Let everyone see that poverty can’t give rise to any good people!

Xue Xi had no idea what these people were talking about, but the class president had a good relationship with her. When she returned, he had also lent her his notebook.