Lin Qiutong hadn't suspected Song Qinian at first. The past few days, the more she thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Everything had happened too quickly and too coincidentally. She didn't believe it if someone wasn't orchestrating it from behind the scenes.
The only person who hated her to the bone and wanted to drag her down from her pedestal was Song Qinian.
Song Qinian watched Lin Qiutong's inaction, and her reaction was clearly an admission.
Lin Qiutong never would have imagined that Song Qinian, who always appeared so gentle and weak, and whom she thought only knew how to feign weakness, would actually be the one to bring her down.
Back then, Lin Qiutong had invited Song Qinian to her birthday banquet precisely to show her that even without Shen Chiyan, she was still the high-and-mighty princess of the Lin family.
As long as they hadn't lost anything, she could always use Lin Feichi to keep Shen Chiyan bound to her. Song Qinian would never have a peaceful and happy life with Shen Chiyan.
Now, she realized that Song Qinian's quick agreement to attend her birthday banquet was actually part of a plan to ensure her utter ruin.
She had truly underestimated that damned woman.
Lin Qiutong let out a cold snort, "I guess you went to all this trouble not for Mu Yuxin, right?"
Song Qinian's eyes flickered slightly, then she slowly gestured, "Yes."
"It's for your father who's in prison, isn't it? You're truly persistent!"
"You framed my father and sent him to prison for three years. Did you really think I would let this go?"
With things having come to this point, Song Qinian could only provoke Lin Qiutong into saying something reckless, confessing to framing Song Guanliang, and recording it with a voice recorder to hand over to the police.
At least this way, Song Guanliang could be bailed out. Other evidence could be found slowly.
Song Qinian's heart was incredibly tense. Her palms even started to sweat while waiting for Lin Qiutong to speak.
Lin Qiutong stared intently at Song Qinian. After a few seconds, a sinister smile suddenly appeared on her lips, followed by an innocent expression, "Miss Song, you can eat anything, but you can't say anything. It was your father who caused me to lie in bed for three years, wasting three precious years of my life. How can you say I framed your father and sent him to prison?"
Song Qinian's face instantly turned cold.
The next second, Lin Qiutong got out of bed and walked step by step to her side, leaning close to her ear, "Next time you plot against someone, remember to control your facial expressions properly, or you'll easily give yourself away."
Aside from Li Junshen, everyone Song Qinian had interacted with since childhood was quite simple. She herself wasn't good at scheming, so she inevitably revealed cracks when doing things like this.
Moreover, Lin Qiutong had taken micro-expression analysis as an elective in college. Song Qinian was like a little white rabbit in front of her, and she could tell what Song Qinian was up to at a glance.
Besides, Lin Qiutong didn't believe Song Qinian had bought a bouquet of flowers out of genuine concern. After all, Song Qinian hated her to death.
When Song Qinian acted unusually, there was bound to be a reason, so Lin Qiutong naturally kept her guard up.
Lin Qiutong took out the activated voice recorder from Song Qinian's pocket. Song Qinian instinctively reached out to snatch it back. Lin Qiutong turned off the recorder and threw it back to Song Qinian.
"Song Qinian, you'll never be able to save your father. You've ruined me like this. As long as I'm alive, you'll never be reunited with your family!!!"
After leaving the hospital, Song Qinian clenched her fists, her face as grim as it could be.
She had underestimated Lin Qiutong. How could someone who could scheme to send someone to prison in her early twenties be so easily exposed?
Damn it, since this attempt failed, Lin Qiutong would definitely be wary. It would be much harder to get anything out of her mouth in the future.
"Nian Nian?"
Suddenly hearing someone call her name, Song Qinian instinctively turned her head. Then she saw the radiant and captivating Ji Luofei.
Song Qinian's impression of Ji Luofei was still from childhood. Ji Luofei was beautiful and elegant. She rarely went out, but whenever she did, she would attract considerable attention.
Of course, her presence also caused quite a stir in several households. Wives were always suspicious that their husbands were infatuated with Ji Luofei and wished they could gouge out their husbands' eyes.
Song Qinian often heard people gossiping about Ji Luofei, including Liu Xiaohan.
But Ji Luofei had always been kind to her. Whenever she saw her, she would smile gently. Sometimes she would give her chocolate, sometimes she would give her beautifully made and exquisite pastries, and sometimes she would share some of the flowers she had just bought.
Ji Luofei also smelled nice. At that time, Song Qinian quite liked her.
It was only later, after the incident with Li Junshen, and when Zhou Shaoyuan died, that they, mother and son, left.
Since then, Ji Luofei had faded from Song Qinian's life.
When Song Qinian saw her at the Shen family's residence that day, she was quite surprised. Ji Luofei hadn't changed much and was still as beautiful.
However, she was worried about Gu Zhiyan, so she rushed to see Gu Zhiyan and didn't have time to greet Ji Luofei.
Now that they met again, Song Qinian suddenly didn't know how to face her.
"I thought I was mistaken, but it's really you!"
Song Qinian smiled faintly. The last time Ji Luofei visited the Shen family, she had seemed timid and nervous, but now she was poised and dazzling, as if she were a different person.
"Why are you here alone? Are you feeling unwell?"
Song Qinian shook her head. Just as she was about to gesture, she remembered that Ji Luofei might not understand her gestures. She took out her phone to type, and then heard Ji Luofei say, "You can use sign language, I understand."
Song Qinian was stunned for a moment. Had sign language become so common now?
"I'm not feeling unwell. I'm here to see someone."
"Oh, that's good. It's been a while. It's rare to meet again, and it's almost noon. How about we go for a meal together?"
Song Qinian pursed her lips, looking somewhat conflicted.
If Ji Luofei weren't Shen Zhenghao's current woman, she might have been able to spend time with her. But in this situation, it didn't seem appropriate for them to reminisce.
However, before Song Qinian could refuse, Ji Luofei spoke again, "Nian Nian, do you think I stole Shen Zhenghao and that's why you disdain to have a meal with me?"
Song Qinian quickly waved her hands, "I didn't mean that."
A hint of sadness flashed in Ji Luofei's eyes. "I know that in your eyes, I'm a bad woman who stole someone's husband and father. But over the years, I've had my own difficulties. When Zhenghao found me, I rejected him. But he was too persistent. I've suffered most of my life, how could I refuse such a good man?"
Saying this, Ji Luofei pretended to shrug with a relaxed air. "It's okay. You're Shen Chi'an's wife now, so it's normal for you to dislike me..."
"Mom..."
Hearing Li Junshen's name, Song Qinian's brow furrowed tightly. The next second, she saw Li Junshen approaching them.