Xia Shi Xue's lie was so transparent, even a three-year-old child wouldn't believe it.
She knew exactly what kind of person Fu Yan Ting was, yet she dared to scheme against him. Fu Yan Ting's retaliation was entirely her own doing.
He Yun settled the matter not because of Xia Shi Xue's pleas, but out of concern for Yan Xi. He feared that if Yan Xi saw such news, she would misunderstand Fu Yan Ting.
Then, a pair of lovers would go their separate ways.
Seeing that He Yun was unwilling to help her, and even too lazy to offer comfort, Xia Shi Xue felt a pang of despair.
She was also a victim! If Fu Yan Ting hadn't treated her so poorly, she wouldn't have had to shamelessly scheme against him.
Thinking of this, Xia Shi Xue's expression grew even more grim.
Putting on a victim's guise, Xia Shi Xue glanced at He Yun. Seeing that he remained unmoved, she was utterly disappointed in him.
She turned and left the study.
After Xia Shi Xue left, He Yun let out a helpless sigh.
He truly hadn't expected Xia Shi Xue to become like this.
Ten minutes later, Fu Yan Ting arrived at the He residence. Seeing Fu Yan Ting's furious demeanor, He Yun knew why he was there. He Yun, trying to be rational, calmly said, "Lao Fu, now is not the time to come to the He family to settle accounts with Shi Xue. You need to find Xi Xi first. I've already instructed those paparazzi to suppress this trending topic, but they're being disobedient."
"Heh, Xia Shi Xue is one of your He family. Without your tacit approval, would she dare to do this?"
Fu Yan Ting looked at He Yun coldly, completely disbelieving his explanation.
He Yun knew that the day's events had deeply hurt Fu Yan Ting. He had done his best to mitigate the damage, but he hadn't expected Fu Yan Ting to be so unappreciative.
He even suspected that He Yun had orchestrated everything.
He Yun's expression also darkened. He looked at Fu Yan Ting, his gaze sharp, and said in a low voice, "Lao Fu, that's enough. I've already apologized to you, and I've tried my best to make amends. What's the point of you blaming me like this?"
Fu Yan Ting pursed his lips, remaining silent.
He Yun understood that Fu Yan Ting's current outburst was due to his worry that Yan Xi might not be able to handle seeing such trending news. He sighed and said, "Let's find Xi Xi first. Once Xi Xi is back, we can deal with this issue."
Fu Yan Ting clearly shared the same thought.
Eavesdropping from outside, Xia Shi Xue heard He Yun say this and immediately knew that He Yun was biased towards that slut Yan Xi.
He Yun only cared about Yan Xi and would never choose to help her.
She had to rely on herself.
Back in her room, Xia Shi Xue recounted the entire incident to He Rou. He Rou frowned upon hearing it, and after a long pause, said calmly, "You too. Such a huge loophole, He Yun isn't an idiot, and Fu Yan Ting is even harder to fool. You were too obvious. They didn't even need to investigate to know it was self-staged."
"Mom, what should we do? Big Brother is so infatuated with that slut Yan Xi that he's lost his mind. He definitely won't help me. You know Fu Yan Ting; he's not one to cherish a woman. I don't want to die."
"Alright, I have a plan for this."
He Rou hung up the phone, leaving Xia Shi Xue anxiously pacing.
Xia Shi Xue was unwilling to give up on Fu Yan Ting, yet she was also terrified of him, especially the way he looked at her when he arrived at the He residence. Whether it was guilt or something else, Xia Shi Xue felt a chill run down her spine.
Xia Shi Xue pursed her lips and anxiously returned to her room.
Five minutes later, He Rou returned to the He residence. She came directly from the garage, not through the main entrance, so the gatekeepers at the He family weren't aware of her return. He Rou went straight to Xia Shi Xue's room.
Hearing the door open, Xia Shi Xue thought it was He Yun bringing Fu Yan Ting to settle scores with her, and she was startled. But when she saw it was He Rou, she felt as if she had found a lifeline. Grasping He Rou's hand, she said softly, "Mom, why are you only arriving now? If you were any later, they would have scared me to death."
"Enough, look at you, you have no backbone."
Having lived in the He family for so many years, He Rou had seen her fair share of storms. Her forte was adaptability, and she excelled at playing the role of the most innocent and vulnerable to gain sympathy.
Having lived in the He family for so long, He Rou had cultivated an unflappable demeanor. If she were like Xia Shi Xue, crying and wailing over every minor issue, she would have perished long ago.
He Rou's words instantly stopped Xia Shi Xue from crying. She looked at He Rou and, after a moment, asked, "Mom, weren't you at the company? Why did you come back so soon?"
He Rou looked at Xia Shi Xue with disappointment, like a teacher looking at an unmotivated student, and didn't bother to respond to such a foolish question.
He Rou handed Xia Shi Xue a fruit knife. Xia Shi Xue pouted and said softly, "I don't eat fruit. The situation is so dire, I don't have the leisure to eat fruit."
He Rou was furious!
She almost roared through gritted teeth, "I want you to cut your wrists and commit suicide, not peel fruit!"
"Mom, are you crazy or am I crazy? I'm a young lady of the He family, after all. If this escalates, it won't be good for anyone. Fu Yan Ting won't be so impulsive as to force me to die for a woman. I'm not committing suicide."
Besides, cutting one's wrists… that would hurt so much.
Xia Shi Xue's words immediately incurred He Rou's displeasure.
He Rou sighed with frustration, sizing up Xia Shi Xue. After a long pause, she said calmly, "Who told you to die? I want you to stage a bitter flesh strategy. What you've done has already angered both Fu Yan Ting and He Yun. You know He Yun's feelings for that slut Yan Xi, don't you? Do you really want us to be kicked out of the He family?"
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Xia Shi Xue sighed. She had considered these possibilities, but she still lacked the courage to cut her wrists. She didn't want to lose her life.
"Listen to my arrangement. You cut your wrists, and I've already called 120. If you wait any longer, it'll be too late. You can't cut your wrists on the ambulance, can you?"
Xia Shi Xue was speechless.
He Rou continued to persuade her, "Only by attempting suicide will you be cast in the role of an innocent victim. Then, I can tell the paparazzi that this incident has pushed you and Fu Yan Ting into the spotlight, leaving Fu Yan Ting speechless."
"But I saw how angry Fu Yan Ting was just now. Are you sure that if we do this, Fu Yan Ting will take responsibility for me?"