Seeing her provocations hadn't had much effect, Jiang Yao felt as if countless ants were gnawing at her heart. She felt incredibly uncomfortable. The resentment surged like a raging tide, surging in her chest, threatening to drown her.
Jiang Yao sat in her exquisitely decorated yet somewhat cold room, everything around her distorted in her eyes. Her gaze fell on a painting hanging on the wall, a painting she had once stumbled upon at an exhibition. The woman in the painting held a faint sadness in her eyes, a sadness that seemed to mock her failure. She abruptly stood up, walked over to the painting, and tried to tear it down, but stopped mid-stretch. She simply glared at the woman in the painting, as if she had robbed her of her happiness.
She began to pace back and forth in the room, her high heels making a crisp and chaotic sound on the floor, like her panicked and angry heartbeat at the moment. Her mind kept replaying the images of Jiang Zhi and Shen Qingchen together. Those images were like sharp thorns, piercing her heart fiercely. She couldn't figure out how she was inferior to Jiang Zhi in terms of appearance or family background? Why couldn't Shen Qingchen see her good points, but instead had a special liking for Jiang Zhi.
"Hmph, Jiang Zhi, do you think you can find happiness so easily? You must have used some tricks to deceive Qing Chen." Jiang Yao gritted her teeth, her eyes gleaming with madness. She felt she couldn't let this go and had to make everyone see Jiang Zhi's true face.
So, she began to carefully plan a plan to spread rumors within the Shen family's social circle. She knew that the people in this circle cared most about the family's reputation and wealth. A little incitement would stir up the jealousy and suspicion hidden beneath the seemingly harmonious surface. Her first thought was the elders of the Shen family. Although they were polite to Jiang Zhi on the surface, Jiang Yao knew that deep down they must be dissatisfied with this woman who suddenly appeared and stole the family heir.
Jiang Yao spent several days dressing herself elegantly, then, carrying carefully prepared gifts, began visiting each of the elders. She first went to Shen Qingchen's uncle's house. Shen Qingchen's aunt was a traditional woman who always paid close attention to family matters. As soon as Jiang Yao entered, she smiled and said, "Aunt, you look so energetic today." Seeing it was Jiang Yao, Shen Qingchen's aunt smiled and asked her to sit down, then began to exchange pleasantries.
Jiang Yao casually brought up Jiang Zhi. Frowning, a look of worry crossed her face as she said, "Auntie, you know what? I've heard something about Sister Jiang Zhi lately, and I'm not sure if I should tell you." Her eyes lit up when she heard this, and she asked curiously, "What's it? Tell me." Jiang Yao was secretly delighted, but on the surface, she feigned embarrassment. "I heard Sister Jiang Zhi is very close to some of the Shen Group's partners, and she's even been seen meeting with them alone in high-end restaurants. I don't know what they were talking about. I'm worried she's marrying Brother Qingchen just for the Shen family's wealth." Her auntie's smile faded as she said thoughtfully, "Is there such a thing? This is something we can't take lightly."
Seeing her aunt wavering, Jiang Yao felt even more pleased. She continued, "Aunt, I didn't mean to say anything bad about Sister Jiang Zhi. I'm just really worried that Brother Qingchen might have been scammed. You know, the Shen family's wealth is highly valued. If anything went wrong, it would be terrible." Her aunt nodded in agreement.
After leaving her aunt's house, Jiang Yao went to the homes of several other elders, spreading the same rumors about Jiang Zhi. Every word she spoke was like a seed, quietly sowing seeds of suspicion in the hearts of these elders.
As time went on, these rumors began to spread slowly throughout the Shen family's social circles. Like a gust of wind, they blew through every corner of the Shen family mansion and into everyone's ears. Those who had originally had a good impression of Jiang Zhi began to look at her with strange eyes. At a small tea party hosted by the family, Jiang Zhi walked into the venue as usual, but she clearly felt that the atmosphere was different. Those who would have greeted her enthusiastically in the past now just glanced at her lightly, then turned their heads to whisper something to others.
Jiang Zhi was a little confused, but she didn't take it too seriously, thinking she was just being overly suspicious. However, when she walked over to a group of ladies and started chatting, they suddenly stopped talking, their eyes filled with a hint of vigilance and disdain. One of the ladies said sarcastically, "Hey, isn't this Jiang Zhi? You've been so popular lately, but some things should be done in moderation." Jiang Zhi frowned and asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that? I don't quite understand." The lady snorted, turned around and left without saying anything.
Jiang Zhi felt very aggrieved, she didn't know what she had done wrong. At this time, Shen Qingchen was discussing business matters with several elders in the family and didn't notice what was happening here. Jiang Zhi walked silently to a corner, her heart full of doubts and uneasiness. She looked at the people around her and felt like an outsider. The originally warm and harmonious family atmosphere had become so strange at this moment.
In another room, Jiang Yao heard what happened at the tea party, and a triumphant smile rose at the corner of her mouth. She thought her plan was already halfway successful, and that with just a little more fanning the flames, she could completely destroy Jiang Zhi and Shen Qingchen's happiness. However, what she didn't know was that Jiang Zhi wasn't someone who would be easily defeated by rumors, and Shen Qingchen's trust in Jiang Zhi was far deeper than she had imagined.
While Jiang Yao's plan seemed to have some success on the surface, it actually laid the groundwork for failure. Her unscrupulous behavior not only failed to win Shen Qingchen's heart, but also further damaged her image within the Shen family. Even those who truly understood the situation were filled with disgust when they saw Jiang Yao deliberately destroying others' happiness.
However, Jiang Yao was so caught up in her own fantasy of seemingly imminent success that she didn't realize she was on a path of no return. Her jealousy, like a blazing fire, had driven her sanity to its limit. She only thought about how to drive Jiang Zhi away from Shen Qingchen, completely disregarding the consequences of her actions.
The author has something to say:
In this chapter, we witness Jiang Yao's inner world spiraling deeper into darkness, driven by jealousy. Her reluctance to accept the consequences leads her to immoral behavior, highlighting the dire consequences of unchecked human weakness. Meanwhile, Jiang Zhi begins to face external pressure, a test of her and Shen Qingchen's relationship. I hope this plot structure will allow readers to gain a deeper understanding of each character's personality traits and their diverse responses to difficulties and challenges. I also hope this story will teach readers that while rumors may seem terrifying, as long as one remains true to one's heart, the truth will eventually come to light.
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