Lin Mo couldn't help but glance at Shen Yaoyao.
This woman was truly shameless. With everything exposed, how could she still stand here?
Perhaps his gaze was too obvious, and Shen Yaoyao couldn't pretend not to see it. The intimate scene between the man and woman before her was also too glaring. She couldn't help but call out, "Jing Shu, this really wasn't me."
Lin Mo silently grumbled, "Miss Shen, with the evidence so clear, there's no need for denial."
"I'm not denying it!" Shen Yaoyao shot a fierce glare at Lin Mo, who had interjected, then turned back to Fu Jingshu, her expression instantly reverting to one of tender affection and pitiable vulnerability. "Jing Shu, you must believe me, I really didn't lie to you!"
"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Shen Qingqing asked leisurely.
"It was my mother," Shen Yaoyao said, naming her mother with hardly any hesitation. She believed her mother wouldn't blame her for wanting her to be with Fu Jingshu!
Shen Qingqing's expression instantly turned strange. Upon closer inspection, one could see a trace of schadenfreude mixed in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to shift this blame onto your mother?"
Given Fu Jingshu's personality, he would never let the mastermind behind this plan go. Shen Yaoyao doing this was tantamount to pushing Chen Xiang into a fiery pit.
"What shifting blame? I'm telling the truth."
"How do you say it?" Shen Qingqing looked at Fu Jingshu, her peripheral vision catching Shen Yaoyao's unpleasant expression as she drew closer to him. She couldn't help but smile slightly and deliberately leaned in even closer. "No matter who caused the misunderstanding between us, I think you should severely punish her."
Fu Jingshu nodded without a second thought. "Of course."
Seeing this, it was as if a favored concubine was making a plea, and Fu Jingshu had transformed into an indulgent, reckless emperor, agreeing to all her wishes.
Lin Mo watched in astonishment. Was this still the formidable Master Fu?
Shen Yaoyao's eyes were red with jealousy. "Jing Shu, I'm telling the truth. This really wasn't me. I was drugged at the time, and I slept through it. When I woke up, my mother told me that you and I... I always thought that the two of us really..."
She bit her lip and looked at him mournfully.
"But I never expected that this was all a dream woven by my mother for me. Jing Shu, I know my mother was wrong, but it was all for me, because she knew I loved you too much."
Any man would be moved by such a heartfelt confession from a beautiful woman. Shen Qingqing turned her head to observe Fu Jingshu.
He truly wasn't.
This man's self-control was quite good.
Sensing Shen Qingqing's satisfied gaze, Fu Jingshu, though unsure why she was looking at him like that, felt very pleased. His mood improved, and he no longer bothered to argue with Shen Yaoyao.
"Get out."
"Jing Shu, I still want to..."
Seeing his tone soften, Shen Yaoyao thought she had a chance and was about to explain herself further when she saw the man sitting on the sofa suddenly turn cold.
"You'd better not think about anything else. If you don't leave now, I don't mind implementing the subsequent measures on you. I was schemed against, and this matter is not over."
Shen Yaoyao's face paled. She dared not say another word and fled the office in disgrace.
Shen Qingqing watched her retreating figure and said, "You're just going to let her go like this?"
"Of course not."
Fu Jingshu didn't want to talk about Shen Yaoyao anymore. He gave Lin Mo a cold look. Lin Mo immediately understood this was a dismissal and left without a word.
Shen Qingqing asked doubtfully, "Then what do you plan to do?"
"There's no rush for that."
Although the previous plan had been disrupted, Fu Jingshu's interest remained. It didn't even need to be reignited. But when he reached out to take that soft hand, he was dodged.
Shen Qingqing smiled slyly. "Let's clarify this matter first. As for the other things... we can talk about that later."
Fu Jingshu stared at her intently. His gaze made Shen Qingqing's heart pound, giving her the inexplicable feeling of being watched by a dangerous large predator.
Fortunately, Fu Jingshu soon looked away. "Since Shen Yaoyao said that Chen Xiang was responsible for all of this, I will grant her wish. I only hope she won't regret it when the time comes."
Shen Qingqing's eyes flickered, and she understood. "You are truly wicked."
She could hardly wait to see Chen Xiang's comeuppance.
...
Shen Yaoyao returned home, still somewhat shaken. She didn't know if Fu Jingshu had believed her words, but if he hadn't...
Thinking of his methods of retaliation, she shivered.
Just then, Chen Xiang saw her and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Weren't you going to deliver lunch to Fu Jingshu? Why are you back so soon?"
"Nothing, it's nothing."
Shen Yaoyao's eyes flickered. She ultimately didn't dare to admit that she had shifted the blame onto her. She decided to keep it a secret for now and found an excuse to slip away.
"I'm a little tired. I'll go upstairs to rest."
Watching her rush away, Chen Xiang was filled with confusion. "This child..."
Just as she finished speaking, there was a knock at the door.
She walked to the entrance and opened it without much thought, only to be shoved inside. She stumbled, her lower back hitting the shoe cabinet. Before she could get a clear look at who was in front of her, she heard a gruff male voice.
"Are you Chen Xiang?"
Chen Xiang clutched her lower back, her face contorted in pain. "Who are you?"
"Very good, we've found you."
"What do you mean?"
Before Chen Xiang could finish asking, one of the men grabbed her wrist, pulled her, and pushed her onto the sofa. Though the sofa was soft and she didn't get hurt from the fall, she was still dazed.
"What do you people want?!"
Before she could even get up, a heavy weight pressed down on her, and to her horror, her clothes were ripped off!
She let out a sudden scream, struggling with all her might with her hands and feet. The commotion alerted the servants working in the kitchen, but as they came out, they were immediately subdued by several burly men in black, not even given a chance to call for help.
Chen Xiang was frantic.
Her clothes were torn to shreds, and in her struggles, she sustained several bruises. Her mind was a mess, and she had no idea what she was doing, only resisting instinctively.
Shen Yaoyao, who was upstairs, finally heard the commotion and rushed down. Seeing the scene before her, she was both terrified and surprised. Without thinking much, she rushed forward to intervene.
She was then easily subdued by the men, and all she could do was ask in alarm,
"What do you people want?!"
"Miss Shen, I should thank you, actually." The man holding Chen Xiang looked up briefly amidst his actions. "If it weren't for you, how would I know that Madam Shen is still quite charming for her age?"
Chen Xiang looked at Shen Yaoyao in shock.
Shen Yaoyao shook her head in panic. "What are you talking about? I don't understand you!"
The man didn't explain, just gave her a mocking look and lowered his head to continue with Chen Xiang. Just then, one of the servants broke free from their restraints and secretly called the police with their phone.
"I've already called the police. You'd better scram now!"
The expressions of the men changed. They exchanged glances and, very unwillingly, let go of Chen Xiang. They left in a hurry, just as they had arrived.
Shen Yaoyao quickly rushed over to support Chen Xiang. Her whole body was trembling. She got up, tidied her disheveled clothes, and then slapped her!