"Yan Ze, hurry and open the door, hurry and open the door," came Hao Manqing's panicked voice from outside.
Cheng Yan Ze quickly opened the door, only to see Hao Manqing nearly fall into him. Before Cheng Yan Ze could ask what had happened, Hao Manqing tightly gripped his hand. Her terrified expression was as if some monstrous beast was chasing her from behind.
"Yan Ze, Mom doesn't want to go to jail, you must save Mom, Yan Ze... I did all this for you, all for you," Hao Manqing spoke incoherently, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes. The arrogant noblewoman now looked like a mentally deranged madwoman.
Cheng Yan Ze frowned and asked, "Mom, what happened?"
"They're going to arrest me, Lin Xing Wan called the police, that venomous woman, she called the police! She wants me dead, how can she be so wicked!" As Hao Manqing mentioned the name 'Lin Xing Wan', Cheng Yan Ze's expression grew colder.
Cheng Zhi Yuan, who had rushed up from downstairs, arrived out of breath. He glared at Hao Manqing with uncontrollable rage, his trembling finger pointing at her as he berated her, "You fool! Manqing, how could you be so foolish! What did Xing Wan ever do wrong for you to treat her like this? If it weren't for Xing Wan's mother, our Cheng family wouldn't have had the chance to prosper. You... how could you be so ungrateful and do something worse than a pig or a dog?"
Cheng Yan Ze became even more confused. His father had always doted on his mother, never even raising his voice. What had his mother done now to make his father so furious?
"What exactly is going on?" Cheng Yan Ze's gaze deepened, a coldness settling on his face.
"Let her tell you herself, what kind of scoundrel things she's done!" Cheng Zhi Yuan was too angry to explain. Hao Manqing, however, cried even louder.
"I did all this for you and Yan Ze. If Tao Xian hadn't seduced you back then, would I have hated her so much? And if Lin Xing Wan hadn't set her sights on Yan Ze, I wouldn't have dealt with her this way. It's all their fault, mother and daughter, for being promiscuous and debauched."
As soon as Hao Manqing finished speaking, Cheng Zhi Yuan, in his anger, slapped her.
"You hit me? You still have feelings for that slut Tao Xian, Cheng Zhi Yuan, you heartless man! Tao Xian has been dead for so many years, and you still defend her like this. I must have been blind to marry a fickle man like you." Hao Manqing's eyes were filled with resentment. Cheng Zhi Yuan, furious, lunged towards her again, but Hao Manqing, frightened, quickly hid behind Cheng Yan Ze.
Cheng Yan Ze shielded Hao Manqing. Cheng Zhi Yuan was on the verge of losing his mind. "That's right, I was once moved by Tao Xian, but it was only my one-sided affection. Tao Xian never seduced me. My feelings for her were pure and proper. In fact, because I felt guilty towards you, I gave you whatever you wanted all these years. I never expected you to kidnap Xing Wan, to lock her up with those disgusting centipedes and snakes; and now you're plotting to frame Xing Wan for detention. Do you really think you can get away with all your misdeeds?"
Cheng Yan Ze could hardly believe his ears. His father's words were like a thunderclap. He felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe, his entire body going numb with cold.
Ye Qing Ning, standing beside Cheng Yan Ze, saw his shocked expression and her face was filled with a smile of revenge. For what Hao Manqing had done to Lin Xing Wan, Cheng Yan Ze was destined to live his life in unrequited love.
Cheng Yan Ze's brain lost the ability to control his actions. He stood there like a block of wood, unmoving. He remembered Lin Xing Wan being kidnapped by thugs in her third year of high school and later found in a dark room. He had searched frantically for Lin Xing Wan for a day and a night, and later witnessed her despair and confusion as she was rescued. Even though a long time had passed, Cheng Yan Ze wished he could personally kill the perpetrator every time he thought about it. Yet, now, the mastermind behind it all was his respected mother. No wonder Lin Xing Wan had been distant from him. No wonder she could be with Gu Shao Ting, or Zhou Jin Bai, but never him.
Cheng Yan Ze's heart felt as if it had been struck by a blunt object. His lips trembled, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and after several attempts, he managed to speak, "What about tonight? What happened? What did you do to Lin Xing Wan?"
Seeing her son's pained expression, Hao Manqing's face became flustered. She avoided Cheng Yan Ze's gaze and stammered, "Yan Ze, I did it all for you. Lin Xing Wan is too wicked, she wants to..."
"I asked you what you did to her!" Cheng Yan Ze couldn't control his furious emotions and shouted at Hao Manqing.
Cold sweat broke out on Hao Manqing's back. She looked at her son uneasily. "I... I just... I just swapped her construction materials."
Hearing this, Cheng Yan Ze's face turned ashen, his heart heavy, as if crushed by a thousand-pound boulder, making it impossible to breathe.
"Just? Because of your 'just,' twenty innocent people died! And you call it 'just'!" He stumbled back a few steps, his rage burning away his reason. "Why! Why would you do this to Lin Xing Wan? What did she do wrong? Tell me, what did she do wrong!" Cheng Yan Ze roared. Cheng Zhi Yuan and Hao Manqing were at a loss.
Ye Qing Ning, however, sneered, "So, after all this, you still want to go find Lin Xing Wan?"
Cheng Yan Ze's mind was in chaos. How could he go? How? Should he betray his family and tell Lin Xing Wan the whole truth? He couldn't do it.
"Yan Ze, it was all for you. How could Lin Xing Wan be worthy of you? If you were with her, you wouldn't be as outstanding as you are now. I planned step by step to help you achieve what you have today. If I had let your father be with Tao Xian, and let you be with Lin Xing Wan, our family would have been ruined long ago." Hao Manqing tried to grab her son's hand, eager to explain and gain his approval.
Cheng Yan Ze, however, shook off Hao Manqing's hand as if his heart had turned to ash. He said weakly, "All these years, I've tried my best to live the way you wanted. I hoped the people I cared about would worry less about me. Even if I had to suffer myself, I was willing. I thought I had done enough, but now I realize I was a complete fool. How much I trusted you. If Lin Xing Wan said even one bad word about you, I would get angry. Between her and you, I chose to put you first. I made her understand and respect you, but I never expected my actions would only tear open her wounds and force her from a moral high ground. I finally understand why she was so disappointed in me. If I were treated like that by you, I would have been even more ruthless than her!"
Cheng Yan Ze's pale face was tinged with a sickly green. His gaze was fixed on Hao Manqing. Hao Manqing felt her son was a complete stranger. Although they were less than a meter apart, she felt as if their hearts were worlds apart.
"But Lin Xing Wan also retaliated against me, and I was captured by thugs," Hao Manqing's inner tension grew.
"Yes, you were indeed captured. I was furious at the time. But now that I know the truth, I only feel you deserve it. You did that to Lin Xing Wan when she was in high school. Your consequence is to reap what you sow." Lin Xing Wan was not yet an adult at the time. She was so terrified, so helpless. For a long time, Cheng Yan Ze had stayed with Lin Xing Wan, knowing full well the deep trauma it had left her with. He felt sorry for his mother, but who would feel sorry for Lin Xing Wan?
"She absolutely deserves it! If you had told us all this earlier, things wouldn't have gotten so bad! You foolish woman, you're going to ruin our Cheng family." Cheng Zhi Yuan then looked at Cheng Yan Ze. "Yan Ze, the two things your mother did have caused a huge uproar online. This is about more than twenty lives. This foolish woman has brought disaster upon our Cheng family. What should we do? What should we do?"
Cheng Zhi Yuan was at his wit's end. Ye Qing Ning spoke up, "The reports online don't have any actual evidence. As long as Auntie denies it, the law can't do anything, because we destroyed both surveillance cameras." Ye Qing Ning walked over to Cheng Yan Ze and said, "Cheng Yan Ze, you only have two choices now: either help your mother and give up on Lin Xing Wan; or you go find Lin Xing Wan, but your mother will spend the rest of her life in prison."
The anger and hatred suppressed in Cheng Yan Ze's heart surged wildly. He clenched his fists tightly, like a bloodthirsty demon. His eyes, usually filled with a gentle warmth, were now bloodshot.
"Do I have a choice? I have no choice! You're just going to drive me to my death!" Cheng Yan Ze said, and then rushed out.
"Yan Ze, where are you going?"
"Son, my son... Mom really did all this for you."
Cheng Zhi Yuan and Hao Manqing chased after Cheng Yan Ze. Only Ye Qing Ning watched the backs of the three with a cold, stern gaze, her eyes filled with chilling killing intent. At this moment, Ye Qing Ning no longer had the demeanor of a refined lady, but rather that of a venomous snake ready to strike.
---
The next day.
Lin Xing Wan actually slept well in the detention center. As soon as she finished washing up, a clear female voice came from the corridor:
"Oh, are you annoying or what! If you keep rambling, I'll just call you Dad. How many times have I told you I don't like you and I'm not going to marry you? Why are you deaf? I haven't had enough fun yet."
Following that, a very wealthy and beautiful woman appeared in Lin Xing Wan's line of sight. Her hair was pulled up high, revealing her slender swan-like neck. Dazzling diamond earrings and a diamond necklace as large as a pigeon's egg adorned her. Her off-the-shoulder red dress paired with a fur coat made her look like a radiant flower. However, her face was filled with annoyance and displeasure. She then said, "I'm still very angry. If those little bitches dare to gossip about me behind my back again, I won't just damage their cars next time."
"I'll be away on a business trip for a week. You'll stay in the detention center this week. I'll take you when I get back. While I'm not in Rongcheng, you behave yourself here and play. Otherwise, if you cause trouble, I worry no one will back you up."
Behind this woman followed a man in a silver-grey suit. His voice was deep and magnetic, especially the way he looked at the woman, with unconcealed pampering and affection. Even though the woman's emotions seemed to be on the verge of collapse, the man simply ruffled her hair with a faint smile.
"Alright, alright, you just want to dump me in the detention center. Su Mo Yao, stop making up such grand excuses. I'll take responsibility for the trouble I've caused. Go find somewhere cool to hang out." The woman looked at Su Mo Yao as if he were a fly, with utter disdain. She walked to the door of the room where Lin Xing Wan was being held and stopped.
Su Mo Yao coldly said to the staff behind him, "Clear out this room."
The staff member's face was filled with fear. "Mr. Su, you can't touch the woman in this room. She's Lin Xing Wan, the boss of Top Peak Entertainment. Director Bai personally sent her in."
Su Mo Yao then looked at Lin Xing Wan. As their eyes met, the tenderness and deep affection in the man's eyes vanished, replaced by the disdain of a superior.
"So, she's the protagonist of last night's sensational news," Su Mo Yao said softly to the woman beside him, "Choose another room."
"Why should I choose another room? I want this one. Just add another bed. Open the door, I want to go in." The staff member looked at Su Mo Yao with a difficult expression. Su Mo Yao nodded slightly, and the staff member opened the door. After the woman entered, she even used her gloved hand to lock it herself.
"Bye-bye, Boss Su," the woman said, not even turning around. She merely waved her hand perfunctorily and rolled her eyes. Su Mo Yao sighed helplessly and finally turned to leave. Lin Xing Wan's gaze, however, was fixed on the pink bracelet on the woman's slender wrist.
The woman glanced at Lin Xing Wan and asked, "Can I sit on your bed?" Lin Xing Wan nodded. The woman was not polite and sat directly on Lin Xing Wan's bed.
"Let me introduce myself, my name is Xue Man Ting." Although the woman was speaking to Lin Xing Wan, her eyes were glued to her phone screen.
Xue Man Ting? The vixen-like beauty Xue Man Ting that the man at the Cocoon Transformation Beauty Salon mentioned? The woman's eyes were full of spirit. Lin Xing Wan agreed with the man's description. She was like a little fox, always full of vitality.
"Hello, Miss Xue, my name is Lin Xing Wan," Lin Xing Wan replied.
"I know, the vicious woman who caused the deaths of over twenty people last night. I was so full of gossip about you last night that I was sick of it. I never thought I'd be in the same room as the protagonist of the gossip I was consuming. We're quite fated." Xue Man Ting's attitude was extremely arrogant and her words were blunt. Lin Xing Wan was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say.
Xue Man Ting, on the other hand, put down her phone and patted Lin Xing Wan's shoulder. "Don't think I'm being harsh. I'm a vicious woman too. Last night, fueled by alcohol, I almost ran over three women."
Lin Xing Wan: "..." It wasn't like she had to explain herself.
Seeing Lin Xing Wan's startled expression, Xue Man Ting's mood became incredibly cheerful. She even pinched Lin Xing Wan's face. "Haha, you little sister are too cute. Your facial expressions are so adorable and lively. This is my first time liking someone of the same sex at first sight."
"I'm not little, I'm almost twenty-five." Lin Xing Wan was amazed by the woman's social skills. They had only just met, why was Xue Man Ting so familiar?
"You're still young, I'm twenty-eight." Xue Man Ting, on a whim, took Lin Xing Wan's hand again and said, "Others swear brotherhood in the Peach Garden, how about we become detention center besties?"
Lin Xing Wan: "..." How could she handle this?
"What's wrong? Don't you want to be best friends with me? I, Xue Man Ting, am initiating a best friend relationship for the first time. I advise you to cherish it, it's now or never. Are you still angry about what I said earlier? Actually, I was joking. You look honest and kind, you couldn't possibly be a bloodthirsty person. Don't worry, the truth will come out. If it doesn't, I'll have Su Mo Yao help you."
"Thank you," Lin Xing Wan gave an awkward smile and then asked, "Your bracelet is quite nice, what material is it?"
When Xue Man Ting saw that Lin Xing Wan's attention was on her bracelet, her bright expression immediately became wary. She hid her hand behind her back and said seriously, "I can give you all my jewelry except for this bracelet."
"I don't want this bracelet, I was just curious if it's very valuable?" Lin Xing Wan quickly explained.
"Of course, this bracelet is priceless and a symbol of status. Only those born noble can own such a bracelet, and it also represents the strength of a family. Even if the family has declined, this bracelet can still represent its past glory." Xue Man Ting leaned in and whispered mysteriously to Lin Xing Wan, "And the beads on this bracelet are all identical top-grade conch pearls. It would take a hundred years to gather enough for one."
Lin Xing Wan looked at the bracelet with conch pearls the same size as her mother's necklace. A thread seemed to appear in her mind, connecting the scattered pieces of information. Could her mother have a secret? And the images that appeared in her mind yesterday due to her headache. It was too strange, too perplexing.
"Then what kind of status and position would a conch pearl necklace of this size represent?" Lin Xing Wan inquired.