Gu Jiangli himself admitted it, and Jiang Huaizhi also testified in person, so the truth of the matter has come to light.

It's an undeniable fact that Jiang Huaisong is harassing and pestering Gu Jiangli.

To solidify Jiang Huaisong's wrongdoing, after everyone had expressed their astonishment, Jiang Huaizhi then said:

"You had been coveting Miss Gu's beauty for a long time and pursued her many times, but she ignored you. So you came up with the idea of ​​spreading rumors in the city."

"You are so sure that Miss Gu is of low status and cannot silence the gossip. The more the rumors spread, the more likely the truth will be confirmed."

"Today you know that Miss Gu is a guest and cannot refuse the host's invitation, so you let her meet with you in secret. Miss Gu did not accept your kindness and even rejected your advances. You then became angry and started spreading rumors during the banquet that she would propose to you today, intending to embarrass her."

"You loved but could not have him, and from that love turned to hatred, which is why you did all these things that ruined other people's reputations."

“Miss Gu still wanted to protect you, and in the end she didn’t say anything about how you molested her today. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I don’t think she would have said it.”

After speaking, Jiang Huaizhi bowed slightly to the city lord and his wife. "Father, Mother, Miss Gu is truly innocent. If Miss Gu is required to apologize to Huaisong under these circumstances, it would make people think that our city lord's mansion is abusing its power."

Gu Jiangli remained silent, casting a grateful glance at Jiang Huaizhi.

She was genuinely grateful; she wasn't putting on an act.

Jiang Huaizhi's willingness to stand up for her was undoubtedly the final blow to Jiang Huaisong.

She initially put on an act in front of Jiang Huaizhi, hoping that he would stand up for her at this time.

However, she was also prepared for failure.

Because, after all, they are family, and the principle of helping relatives regardless of right or wrong is the norm for most people.

Fortunately, Jiang Huai seems to be quite reasonable.

Now, let's see how the city lord and his men clean up this farce.

The city lord's face darkened. The obvious truth was right before his eyes and could not be denied.

"Huai Song! You've disappointed me so much!"

"Father! I didn't..." Jiang Huaisong wanted to deny it.

"Shut up! You don't need to attend today's banquet. Get back inside right now!" The city lord interrupted him directly.

Upon seeing this, the city lord's wife immediately placed her hands on the city lord's arms: "My lord, about this matter..."

"Alright! Don't say any more." He lowered his voice and whispered in his wife's ear, "If you hadn't insisted that the Gu family girl apologize and admit her mistake, none of this would have happened!"

If it weren't for her, this matter would have ended long ago after it was confirmed that the rumors about their relationship were false!

If she hadn't insisted on blaming the Gu family girl, Gu's father wouldn't have revealed the truth he'd been hiding to protect his daughter's reputation.

What was originally a minor matter had already been resolved, but she insisted on making it bigger, and now both Huaisong and their reputations are in a bad light!

The city lord's wife was speechless, knowing she was in the wrong and unable to say anything.

The city lord then turned to Gu Jiangli, his tone tinged with guilt: "Child, don't be sad. We've wronged you in this matter, and you've suffered injustice. Rest assured, now that things have been cleared up, these rumors will certainly no longer circulate in Qingfeng City. As for Huai Song, I will definitely punish him properly!"

Gu Jiangli's eyes were filled with tears: "Thank you, City Lord."

She declined to say anything more.

How the city lord will punish Jiang Huaisong afterward is not something she can decide for herself now.

She has achieved her goal.

From then on, she severed all ties with Jiang Huaisong.

Only after clearing herself of any wrongdoing could she begin her strategy to win over Jiang Huaizhi.

She glanced in Jiang Huaizhi's direction, and found that he had already returned to his seat and was drinking water and eating as if no one else was around.

It's similar to the original owner's memories.

The original owner had lived in the city lord's mansion for so many years, and could count the number of times he had contact with Jiang Huaizhi on one hand.

He maintained a cool and aloof demeanor, always wearing a smile but keeping people at arm's length.

He was polite to everyone and could chat gently with anyone, but he was never seen to be truly close to anyone.

At that moment, he looked up from his seat and gave her a friendly and gentle smile.

Gu Jiangli's heart trembled slightly.

The smile was the same as his expression towards others, but for some reason, it felt different to her.

However, their eyes did not meet for long before Jiang Huaizhi lowered his head and began to eat again.

His ability to eat calmly under such circumstances demonstrates a level of mental fortitude far exceeding that of others.

Gu Jiangli also returned to her seat with her parents.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Huai Song has made a mistake and spoiled everyone's fun. I will punish myself with three cups. Please continue to eat and drink well, and don't let other things disturb our banquet."

The city lord drank three cups in a row, and everyone else raised their cups as well, saying things like "It's alright, it's alright" repeatedly.

Anyone can say polite words, but everyone has their own agenda.

The events that occurred in the City Lord's Mansion today will surely spread to every corner of Qingfeng City very quickly.

She just hoped that today's news would spread as quickly as possible.

————

After the banquet, Gu Jiangli and his parents quickly returned to the Gu family courtyard.

The courtyard was already somewhat blurry in her memory.

After the original owner got married and entered the city lord's mansion, he became estranged from his parents.

It wasn't that Gu's parents intentionally distanced themselves from her, but rather that the original owner's life was so miserable that she was too ashamed to show it to her parents.

Gradually, their interactions decreased.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!