“Then you can’t just search people without permission!” Shi Nan stood tall beside Qiu Mang, her tone firm.

"Alright, alright, no body search, no body search. Then please, Miss Qiu, open your bag and let us see it. That shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

Seeing that Lu Yanting was already standing there, Cheng Siyan knew she couldn't be too presumptuous, so she immediately suggested this compromise, with a hint of cunning in her eyes.

Shi Nan glanced at Cheng Siyan suspiciously, then looked at Qiu Mang with concern.

He lowered his voice and said, "Amang, this brat is very troublesome. I think she won't let us go back unless she causes some trouble tonight."

Qiu Mang understood immediately, nodded slightly, and then looked up at everyone with a clear and unambiguous gaze.

"As I said, I am not a thief, nor did I steal Miss Cheng's necklace, so I am not afraid of you checking my bag!"

But I must be upfront about some things. Your unfounded suspicions are a serious insult to my character. If what you're looking for isn't in the bag, I hope this Ms. Cheng will sincerely apologize to me publicly!

"Of course! I always keep my word. If my necklace wasn't in your bag, I would definitely apologize to you!"

Cheng Siyan spoke readily, and then snatched Qiu Mang's bag with lightning speed.

Seeing this, Jin Xue cleverly turned on the lights, and in an instant, the area was brightly lit.

Seeing that something was going on, the people around them swarmed over like a tide, all wanting to see what was happening.

In front of everyone, Cheng Siyan unzipped her bag and then flipped it over, causing the loose items inside to fall out with a clatter.

Qiu Mang was not worried at all. She leaned back on the sofa calmly and watched the scene before her as if it were something that had nothing to do with her.

The next second, something shiny fell onto the sofa. Under the overhead light, it looked like a shooting star falling from the night sky, emitting a dazzling light—it was clearly a fishtail necklace!

Qiu Mang's face turned deathly pale instantly. Her eyes widened as she stared at the necklace in disbelief, her mind going completely blank.

How...how is this possible?

She clearly hadn't taken the necklace, yet it was now conspicuously in her bag!

What's going on? What exactly happened?!

The surrounding crowd instantly erupted in discussion.

"Oh my god, it really was in her bag!"

"I never imagined she would be this kind of person..."

Shi Nan was also shocked, her mouth agape. She instinctively stood in front of Qiu Mang, trying to shield her from the strange looks from the crowd, and anxiously explained, "A Mang, someone must be deliberately framing you!"

Cheng Siyan, however, became smug. She held the necklace high and boasted, "Look, this is the necklace I lost! Miss Qiu, what else do you have to say?"

Qiu Mang took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She looked directly at Cheng Siyan with a piercing gaze: "This is a frame-up. I never took this necklace. I have a clear conscience!"

After saying that, she lowered her head in embarrassment and anger. Although she was innocent, in the face of overwhelming evidence, any further explanation she gave would seem like sophistry.

Lu Yanting's brows furrowed into a deep frown as his gaze darted back and forth between Qiu Mang and the necklace.

He naturally believed that Qiu Mang wouldn't steal anything. There was an even easier shortcut in front of her, but she didn't take it. How could she be so foolish as to steal the necklace?

But who exactly is trying to frame her?

Qiu Mang slowly raised her eyes, which met Lu Yanting's deep, abyss-like eyes. The panic that flashed in her eyes was not missed by him.

Lu Yanting was all too familiar with her flustered look; memories flooded back like a tidal wave.

He recalled the first time he saw her. She had been drugged and tricked, and climbed the stairs to his floor. She was wearing ill-fitting high heels, and her steps were unsteady. She looked panicked and frantically knocked on his door. Then, she stumbled into his room by sheer accident.

He still remembers clearly that at that time, her eyes were round and innocent, but shimmering with fear and helplessness, like a frightened fawn, delicate and pitiful.

Originally, Lu Yanting had already decided to let her go, but at this moment, when he met her eyes again and looked into that familiar gaze, Lu Yanting's heart suddenly started racing uncontrollably, as if an invisible hand was gently plucking at his heartstrings.

Just as he subconsciously opened his mouth, wanting to ask her if she needed help, Shi Nan's voice suddenly rang in his ears.

Shi Nan stood to the side, her face flushed with anger, veins bulging on her forehead. She shouted angrily, "Don't go too far! I don't know what underhanded tricks you've used to frame us, but I swear on my life, A Mang would never steal your things!"

As she spoke, she stepped forward and shielded Qiu Mang behind her.

Han Bing, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, suddenly walked over with a lollipop in her mouth. Her leisurely demeanor was completely out of place with the tense atmosphere around her.

She calmly took off the lollipop and casually said, "I think what Brother Yanting said earlier makes sense. Since that necklace is so important to Cheng Siyan, we definitely can't just let it go like this. We should call the police when necessary."

We are all lawful citizens of China, and our personal safety and property are protected by law.

Since someone dared to commit such a disgraceful act of theft, they should pay the price. How can a simple apology be enough to end it all?

As Han Bing spoke, she glanced at everyone intentionally or unintentionally, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Han Bing glanced at Cheng Siyan and said meaningfully, "When the police arrive, we can thoroughly investigate this matter. Also..."

She paused, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense, before continuing, "Also, it's Sister Jingyan's birthday today, and my brother asked me to come and help record a video."

I just bought a mini video camera and recorded some footage. I wanted to show it to everyone so that when the police come, we can use the footage as evidence.

Lu Yanting raised an eyebrow, looking at Han Bing, the apple of the Han family's eye. It seemed that someone had stood up for Qiu Mang.

"Video recording?"

Cheng Siyan panicked instantly, her smile froze, and a look of panic flashed in her eyes.

However, she quickly tried to cover it up, trying to appear calm as she said, "What... what could you possibly photograph? It's probably just some trivial stuff."