Chapter 290 A Game That Cannot Be Lost

"I've heard people mention... that Director Qiao had some less-than-respectable things to do when she was young?"

Li Hongmei's face turned pale instantly.

Those words were like a fine needle, piercing her nerves.

She froze on the spot, her pupils contracted slightly, and her breathing slowed down.

Of course she knew—her sister-in-law had secretly run off with someone years ago, causing quite a stir in the city.

Back then, if a girl did something like that, the whole family would be ashamed.

Moreover, the Qiao family also runs a kindergarten, and they value integrity and dignity.

Although many years have passed, whenever someone brings it up, it's like peeling off a scabbed wound, causing people to gasp in pain.

But that's a family scandal, we can't talk about it outside.

According to ancestral rules, family scandals should not be aired in public.

As her sister-in-law, she should keep quiet and protect her family's reputation.

She opened her mouth, then bit her lip, and said nothing.

The tip of his tongue pressed against his teeth, his throat bobbed, he wanted to refute, but didn't know where to begin.

In the end, he could only swallow his words, like swallowing a mouthful of bitter water.

Liu Piaopiao smiled calmly, "Sister Li, don't overthink it. I'm just saying that those old stories... might be her weakness. If someone uses that as leverage and spills it..."

Her voice was soft, yet like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, silently coiling around me.

Every word carried a seductive quality, as if whispered in one's ear.

The word "shake" is used with exceptional force, as if lifting up a dusty old sheet and letting the wind blow it all over the city.

She spoke subtly, yet every word she uttered pointed to the most vulnerable parts of people's hearts.

"Who dares!"

Li Hongmei jumped up suddenly, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

She stood up abruptly, causing the chair to slide backward with a screeching sound.

Her eyes were red, her fingers were trembling, and her chest was heaving violently, as if someone had stepped on her vital spot.

"I'm going to tear her mouth apart!"

Her voice rose, filled with anger and a hint of instinctive protectiveness.

No matter how much resentment she harbored, Director Qiao was still her sister-in-law, bound by blood, and their ties remained unbroken.

A faint smile flashed in Liu Piaopiao's eyes, but it was extremely faint and disappeared in an instant.

She didn't move or stop her; she just watched quietly as Li Hongmei became angry.

In those eyes, there was calculation, appreciation, and a hint of composure in control of the whole situation.

"So, that's the crux of the problem."

Her tone softened, as if she were coaxing an anxious child.

“You see, it’s not that no one dares to speak up, but that when no one dares to speak up, you stand up and become her savior.”

She pulled Li Hongmei back down to sit, her movements gentle yet leaving no room for refusal.

My palm rests against the other person's arm, with a soothing force.

"Just imagine, what if people start gossiping in the courtyard, saying that Director Qiao was unethical in the past..."

She paused deliberately, leaving room for Li Hongmei to imagine.

Those rumors, like ants crawling around people's ears, become more and more distorted and more and more misleading as they are spread.

"At this time, if you, as her sister-in-law, stand up for her, clarify things, and support her, what will she think?"

She stared into Li Hongmei's eyes, her tone sincere, as if discussing something perfectly normal.

Will she be grateful, or will she blame you?

Li Hongmei's eyes slowly brightened.

Her tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, as if she had seen a ray of light in the darkness.

"Then...then my little sister will know that I'm good to her, and that she won't be able to live without me?"

She murmured, her voice tinged with a mixture of disbelief and delight.

So, what people fear can actually be used as leverage to build closer relationships?

"That's right!"

Liu Piaopiao slapped her thigh, making a crisp "smack" sound.

She smiled openly, as if she had everything under control.

"At that time, she won't kick you out; she'll thank you!"

Her tone was resolute, as if she could already see that scene—Director Qiao, with red eyes, holding Li Hongmei's hand and saying, "Sister-in-law, it's all thanks to you."

Li Hongmei's hands were shaking.

It wasn't out of fear, but out of excitement.

She looked down at her hands, her fingertips trembling slightly, as if she had touched some kind of hope.

"Comrade Fang, you're so bright! But..."

She suddenly stopped, and half of the light on her face faded.

Hesitation was like cold water, poured down little by little.

"Isn't this... just gossiping about my little sister behind her back?"

Her voice was low and strained.

He meant well, but his methods were like stabbing her in the back.

Liu Piaopiao was prepared and said calmly, "Sister Li, this isn't called scheming, it's called tactics—we call this methods."

She deliberately used a fancy word to make "methods" sound less like a conspiracy and more like an art.

“You didn’t actually insult her or spread rumors; you just let people hear and think about things that already exist.”

She spoke with such conviction, as if stating a fact.

"You can lend a hand while you're at it."

Every word seemed to cloak Li Hongmei in a cloak of justice.

Seeing that Li Hongmei was still hesitant, her brows still furrowed, Liu Piaopiao added:

"Think about Miaomiao. If she could stay in the military region to attend primary school, what a bright future she would have!"

She softened her voice, but every word was as sharp as a nail.

"That's a top-tier primary school with excellent teachers and a great environment, completely different from local schools."

She paused, then delivered the final blow:

"For the sake of the children, there are some things you have to be tough on."

When she said the words "be ruthless," her eyes were calm, as if she had weighed countless options before uttering those words.

Li Hongmei's heart skipped a beat.

Miaomiao...

It was her Achilles' heel, and the root of all her struggles.

These words were like a thin, sharp needle, piercing straight into Li Hongmei's heart, causing her so much pain that she could barely breathe.

She bit her lower lip tightly, leaving a faint mark on her lips with her teeth, her inner struggle surging like a tide.

After a long silence, she finally nodded slowly, her voice low but resolute: "Fine! I'll listen to you! But how exactly do I do it? You need to explain it to me clearly!"

Liu Piaopiao gently approached her, turning to the side to block any possible view, and lowered her voice to explain every detail word by word.

Her tone was calm and meticulous, as if she were setting up a chess game that could not afford to fail.

As Li Hongmei listened, her brows furrowed at times, as if she had heard something unacceptable; at other times, she nodded slightly, as if she understood the intricacies of the matter.

Finally, she gripped Liu Piaopiao's hand tightly, her eyes shining brightly, like a fire suddenly igniting in the darkness: "Comrade Fang, you are truly my benefactor! If this really works out, I, Li Hongmei, will never forget you for the rest of my life! Once it's done, I will definitely thank you handsomely, and I will never make empty promises!"

On the way home, the cold wind rustled through the bare treetops.

Li Hongmei wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter, but her steps were much more firm than when she came.

As she walked, she silently encouraged herself again and again: "Little sister, it's not that your sister-in-law is heartless and doesn't care about family ties, it's that you are ruthless and set obstacles at every turn, trying to control our lives."

"If you won't let me walk the right path, then don't blame me for finding another way..."

As soon as she stepped into the familiar courtyard of Old Zhang's house, the scene before her eyes eased her expression slightly.