Before Wang Hongxia could get angry, Zhao Yunlin put on a hurt expression.
"Cheng You, how can you think of me like that?"
"You're allowed to throw mud at me, but I'm not allowed to throw it back? Besides, I'm speaking the truth, not mud."
These two could exchange flirtatious glances in front of her. She didn't know when they had gotten together.
What was laughable was that the Cheng You in her dream was blind and didn't notice this.
Zhao Yunlin sneered and shook his head, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. You're just feeling guilty because that male educated youth hugged you, so you're trying to pin the blame on me."
He hadn't even settled accounts with her for the matter of Qi Chengyan yet!
Cheng Wenyu couldn't stand listening any longer and gritted his teeth in retort, "You keep saying my sister was hugged by a male educated youth. Then what about you watching a movie with Cheng Tao yesterday and giving her face cream? How do you explain that?"
Cheng Tao and Zhao Yunlin's faces changed drastically at the same time, leaving them speechless with shock.
Cheng Tao quickly changed her expression, feigning innocence, "Wenyu, how could you say that about me? I bought that face cream myself, it wasn't..."
"I saw you two go to the movies together with my own eyes. After coming out, he took you to the department store to buy it! Zhao Yunlin even bought me a pair of military boots and told me not to tell Cheng You!"
As he spoke, he took out the shoes from inside the house and threw them forcefully on the ground.
"I don't want these shoes anymore!"
Cheng Tianhua hadn't expected Cheng Tao to be involved in this and was both angry and upset.
But this daughter wasn't like Cheng You; he couldn't just hit or scold her, nor did he want to lose face in front of so many people.
Zhao Yunlin stammered an explanation, "I just happened to run into Cheng Tao. I had originally made plans with Cheng You, but she didn't show up. Seeing Cheng Tao, I just went to a movie with her. The tickets were already bought, it would have been a waste not to go."
Cheng You said sarcastically, "Happened to? So going to the department store to buy face cream was also a coincidence? Then Cheng Tao, what about you? Insisting I give you this outfit, then wearing it to watch a movie, and even borrowing lipstick from Sun Xiaowan at the educated youth point, was all a coincidence?"
That was quite a coincidence indeed.
Cheng Tao was powerless to refute. The intention behind it was clear as day.
She bit her lip tightly, lowering her head and saying nothing.
Cheng You was determined to strip her bare.
Wang Hongxia looked at Zhao Yunlin in disbelief, disappointed.
He worked at the supply and marketing cooperative, a job many dreamed of. Why would he worry about not finding a wife?
Had all the girls in Yangshu Village died out that he had to find someone from the old Cheng family?
If she had to say, Cheng Tao wasn't Cheng Tianhua's biological daughter, and she wasn't as good as Cheng You.
However, in front of outsiders, she would naturally defend her son.
"I already said it was a chance encounter. As for the face cream, Cheng Tao was greedy and begged my son to buy it, so my son reluctantly gave it to her."
Cheng You let out a long "Oh," her gaze lingering on Cheng Tao's pale face.
"Sister, is that true? You begged Zhao Yunlin to buy you face cream?"
Cheng Tao looked up with tears in her eyes, giving Zhao Yunlin a pleading look.
If she admitted it, her reputation would be ruined.
Stealing her sister's fiancé was inexcusable.
Her tearful appearance made people feel sympathetic, and Zhao Yunlin couldn't help but soften.
"No, I bought the face cream for Cheng Tao." He took the blame upon himself.
Wang Hongxia wished she could slap him. Useless good-for-nothing, being led around by a woman.
Zhao Yunlin forced an explanation, "But the reason I bought Cheng Tao face cream was because she is Cheng You's sister. I did it for Cheng You's sake."
Cheng You found this amusing.
"Because she is my sister, so you bought her face cream, but not me? Zhao Yunlin, listen to yourself, does that make any sense?"
Zhao Yunlin's expression became awkward. Facing Cheng You's relentless questioning, he felt a trace of disgust.
This was an emotion he had never felt towards Cheng You before.
Even though she had never given him a good look, he had still enjoyed following her.
But now, compared to Cheng Tao, Cheng You was clearly much less sensible.
She had made a mistake today, yet not only did she not apologize, but she had escalated the situation to this point.
"Cheng You, how have you become like this?"
Cheng You feigned surprise, looking at him strangely.
"Zhao Yunlin, Cheng Tao has told you so much about me. In her words, haven't I always been like this? Spoiled, lazy, unreasonable, making a fuss, I haven't changed at all."
Cheng You tilted her head, her expression playful, but her eyes held a cold sharpness.
Zhao Yunlin had never seen Cheng You like this.
Cheng Tianhua did not want to break off the engagement and naturally could not fall out with the Zhao family at this time.
No matter what happened, as long as it didn't cross the line, he could play it down.
"Sister Wang, it's all a misunderstanding. Please calm down, let's just let it go."
With the incident of Zhao Yunlin and Cheng Tao going to the movies, Wang Hongxia couldn't vent her anger anymore, no matter how great it was.
This made her extremely uncomfortable. Her face turned ashen, and a lump of anger stuck in her chest, unable to go up or down.
She had originally intended to use this opportunity to break off the engagement, but if it were to be broken off today, wouldn't it all be Zhao Yunlin's fault?
This would affect Zhao Yunlin's future prospects for marriage.
After much thought, Wang Hongxia had no choice but to swallow her anger.
"Fine! Fine! Let's consider it a misunderstanding. Come, let's go home!"
Wang Hongxia's face was tense, her anger about to spill over. With every step she took, she wished she could stomp through the floorboards.
However, Zhao Lifang was unwilling and huffily walked up to Cheng Tao, extending her hand.
Cheng Tao was startled, "Lifang, what are you doing?"
"Give back the face cream. You don't intend to keep it all to yourself, do you? My brother hasn't even bought me and Mom face cream. Why should he buy it for you?"
Cheng Tao's skin was pulled off by her, hurting like a burning fire.
Was she greedy for that little bit of stuff?
If Zhao Yunlin hadn't given it to her, she wouldn't have cared.
Cheng Tianhua couldn't protect her and said sternly, "Cheng Tao, return the face cream."
Zhao Lifang lifted her chin haughtily, "It should be returned anyway. Technically, you're my brother's aunt-in-law. What's the meaning of you taking something my brother gave?"
Cheng Tao bit her lip tightly, tasting the metallic tang of blood but not letting go.
She rushed into the house, clutching the face cream tightly, her nails turning white.
"Here, take it back. I don't want it!"
She shoved the item into Zhao Lifang's hand, then turned and ran back into the house, collapsing on the bed and sobbing.
Zhao Lifang showed a smug smile. She didn't care if Cheng Tao cried; she just wanted what she wanted.
After Zhao Lifang left, Song Yulian, suppressing her anger, closed the door. She turned to scold Cheng You but was met with a glare from Cheng Tianhua.
The words on the tip of her tongue were forced back down.
"Tianhua..."
Cheng Tianhua sneered, "I thought the face cream was really something you bought for her with your own money. Now it's different. You've learned to lie to me!"