Chapter 239 Exposing the Lies
As if she had been utterly wronged, she said, "Are you mistaken? Mr. Lin is clearly a respectable businessman, polite in speech and proper in manner. How could he be associated with such a dangerous person as a spy?"
She paused, her voice trembling slightly, as if afraid of saying the wrong word, "Besides... he came today because he genuinely wanted to take Sister Wanyin to Hong Kong to live a good life! That's the life so many women dream of, brightly lit, with no worries about food or clothing..."
Song Yazhi quickly chimed in, her face filled with anxiety and anger, her finger trembling as she pointed at Qiao Wanyin: "Son, don't listen to their nonsense! All this talk about Hong Kong and happiness is just a smokescreen! The important thing is—your wife is having an affair with this man, meeting him in private, exchanging ambiguous words, and acting suspiciously! What kind of family is our Fu family? Our ancestors were clean, and our clan rules are strict! If this gets out, what will the neighbors say? Will we lose all our reputation?"
Fu Li'an's gaze slowly fell on his mother's face, his brows furrowed, and his eyes swirling with a complex mix of pain and struggle.
His voice was low and restrained, each word seeming to be forced out from his throat, heavy as if cast in iron:
“Mom, I believe Wanyin. She’s not that kind of person. She has her reasons for everything she does, and even if others don’t understand, even if the whole world is questioning her, I choose to believe her.”
“Commander Fu,” Zhang Jianshe interrupted, feigning gentleness, a seemingly sincere smile playing on his lips, his tone almost seductive, “Aqing just wants a better life. She’s seen the glamour of Hong Kong, the flashing neon lights, the towering buildings, the bustling traffic—that kind of life is worthy of an outstanding woman like her.”
He sighed softly, his tone regretful, "You...you can't just stop her from pursuing her own happiness because of a marriage contract, can you? Wouldn't that be too cruel?"
"Brother Li An, did you hear that?!"
Fang Wanyu, as if she had caught someone red-handed, slapped her thigh and raised her voice with triumphant excitement, "If they were truly innocent, why would Mr. Lin give her 50,000 Hong Kong dollars? And why would he be so considerate of her, showing concern and making arrangements for her future? What else could this be but a close relationship?"
She got more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes flashing with jealousy, "Fifty thousand Hong Kong dollars! That's enough to buy an entire alley! What makes Qiao Wanyin have that much? Is it because of her beauty? Or because of her seductive skills?"
HK$50,000!
This is real money!
In this era of soaring prices yet still measured in copper coins, HK$50,000 is enough to shake half the city.
Who could casually pull out such a huge sum of money?
Unless they are wealthy merchants or mysterious figures with powerful backers.
Qiao Wanyin, oh Qiao Wanyin—you really dare to reach out!
How dare you accept such a hot potato of money? Aren't you afraid it will burn your life?
Qiao Wanyin stood motionless, her face cold and her eyes icy, watching Fang Wanyu's performance in silence.
Her eyes were sharp as knives, and every word she uttered seemed to be chilled by frost.
Finally, she spoke, her voice not loud, but cold as ice shards scraping against metal, piercing the eardrums:
"Fang Wanyu, how do you know so much about Zhang Jianshe? When he came, when he left, how much money he spent, what he said... how can you say it in such detail?"
She took a step closer, her voice cold. "Have you two been secretly contacting each other behind someone's back? Or... have you been colluding in the shadows for a long time?"
Fang Wanyu shuddered, her face turning deathly pale, as if her underwear had been pulled down in public. She frantically shook her head in denial.
"You...you're talking nonsense! I've never even seen him! Not even once! I swear! Heaven and earth bear witness!"
"Yeah?"
A clear female voice suddenly rang out, like shattered jade falling onto a plate, cleanly and decisively breaking the deathly silence in the room.
A person was already standing at the door—Qiu Zishu.
She wore a light blue floral dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the wind. She carried a bag of apples and oranges she had just bought. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her and highlighting her clear features and piercing gaze.
Her gaze was fixed on Zhang Jianshe and Fang Wanyu without flinching, filled with scrutiny and sarcasm.
"Zi Shu?"
Qiao Wanyin was somewhat surprised, not expecting her to appear at this critical juncture.
Qiu Zishu walked over quickly and firmly, placing the fruit on the bedside table with a soft "thump".
She turned and stood facing the two men, a slight upturn at the corners of her lips, but without a trace of a smile:
"Mr. Lin, what a coincidence! Yesterday afternoon at Chunfeng Teahouse, you and Miss Fang were sitting in a private room by the window on the second floor, having a very lively conversation. The aroma of tea filled the air, laughter never stopped, and you talked for a full two hours."
Her tone was calm, yet every word was firm and resolute: "We've run into each other here again today? What a coincidence."
Fang Wanyu's face stiffened, her lips trembled, and she forced a rebuttal: "What nonsense are you talking about! I don't know him at all! What teahouse? What private room? I didn't even leave the house yesterday!"
"Don't you recognize me?"
Qiu Zishu's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes as icy as frost. "So yesterday at exactly three o'clock, you were alone in the 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion' private room on the second floor for a full two hours, and the tea was changed three times without you coming out. Were you ghosts chatting? Or did you think no one saw you?"
Zhang Jianshe frowned, his brows furrowing into a deep "川" shape. His expression was solemn, and his tone was steady and restrained: "Zishu, you can't just say things like that. This is the first time Miss Fang and I have met. We've never met before, and we have no personal relationship whatsoever. Your accusations are far too arbitrary."
“I have evidence.”
Qiu Zishu's eyes were red and glistening with tears. Her voice trembled slightly, but carried an undeniable resolve. "The teahouse owner is my friend. Yesterday afternoon, when I went to his shop to pick up the photos, I happened to catch you two having a secret conversation in a corner of a private room on the second floor. Do you dare to call him over right now in front of everyone? Make him tell you what you two were talking about?"
Fang Wanyu's face changed drastically, her breathing became rapid, and she stood up abruptly, angrily shouting in a sharp tone, "You're crazy! Who would play such a pointless game with you! Are you out of your mind? You think you can ruin my reputation based on just a few hearsay?"
"So that means you feel guilty?"
Qiu Zishu glared at her fiercely, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing straight to her heart. He said, word by word, "Not daring to confront me is tantamount to admitting it. You're afraid, aren't you? Afraid of the truth coming out, afraid of your lies being exposed."
“Zi Shu…”
Qiao Wanyin was stunned for a moment, her lips parted slightly, and her heart skipped a beat.
She only intended to offer some words of advice, but she never expected that the girl would actually find out the truth.
She didn't expect that the girl would figure it out on her own, not by being enlightened by others, but by witnessing and hearing it with her own eyes and ears, piecing together the conspiracy behind it step by step.
Qiu Zishu lowered her head, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, her fingertips turning white. Her voice was choked with suppressed sobs, yet still firm: "Sister Wanyin..."
I'm sorry. I was so deceived by him before. I was blinded by his gentleness and thoughtfulness, thinking he genuinely cared for me. But now I understand everything.
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