Shao Hua had finished editing the video. Xu Zifan saw Qi's father lead people upstairs and instructed five people to find the hidden camera. Then, he carefully approached Wang Yalin's door.
The security camera was nowhere to be found. The door was ajar, and Mr. Qi frowned, perhaps suspecting that someone had ill intentions towards Qi Xiangheng. He tentatively called out "Xiangheng" before pushing the door open and entering.
A dozen or so used tissues were scattered on the coffee table and carpet. The room was so quiet it seemed no one was there. Father Qi waved his hand, signaling the others to search each room. One of them reached the bedroom door, paused, then turned back and whispered, "Found it. It's here. It seems...safe."
Mr. Qi hurriedly went over and pushed him aside, seeing the scene inside. Wang Yalin was nestled in Qi Xiangheng's arms, the blanket covering both of them up to their waists. Although it was clear from their upper bodies that they were dressed, Qi Xiangheng had one hand on Wang Yalin's chest!
No wonder the bodyguard said there was no danger; this is clearly a date!
Knowing his family was still worried, and that this kid was sleeping soundly with a girl, Mr. Qi was furious. He shouted, "Xiang Heng! Get up!"
"Who?!" Qi Xiangheng and Wang Yalin were both startled awake and reflexively looked towards the door.
Seeing his son's state only fueled his anger. The door was open, and someone had probably filmed him, yet the boy was completely oblivious—he was truly blinded by lust! Qi's father said coldly, "Get up! Aren't you ashamed? Come out here!"
"Ah—" Wang Yalin was startled when she saw so many people at the door. She screamed and sat up abruptly, hugging herself.
Her movement made Qi Xiangheng suddenly realize that the sensation in his hand was wrong; he had just been holding her breast! Qi Xiangheng was completely stunned. How could he be such a beast? Wang Yalin trusted him so much, and he actually took advantage of her while she was sleeping…
Mr. Qi glanced at them, snorted, and returned to the living room. Qi Xiangheng hurriedly got out of bed and stood still, explaining to Wang Yalin in a panic, "I...I didn't mean to! Yalin, I just wanted to put you on the bed so you could sleep more comfortably, but you were pulling on my clothes, and I...I just wanted to stay by your side and keep you company. I didn't expect you to fall asleep. I really didn't mean to, please don't be angry."
Wang Yalin lowered her head and began to sob, "How could this happen... and your father saw it..."
Qi Xiangheng said anxiously, "Yalin, don't be sad. I... as long as you don't mind, I... I'm willing to take responsibility. Really, I've liked you for a long time." After saying this, he breathed a sigh of relief, and then it went much more smoothly. "Yalin, I like you. Be my girlfriend. I will treat you well and never let anyone bully you again. Don't be afraid."
Wang Yalin looked up at him, tears falling down her face. She then hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, and said in a muffled voice, "You can go out first. I... I want to be alone."
"Okay, I'll go out first. Don't overthink it." Qi Xiangheng left the bedroom, looking back every few steps, still feeling uneasy.
Wang Yalin's distressed expression vanished. She got out of bed, locked the door, and peered through the lock to listen to the conversation outside. She was flustered and confused, not understanding why Qi's father had come and even pried open her lock to catch them "in the act."
She didn't believe Qi Xiangheng's words. Families like theirs never took responsibility so easily; they always needed their parents' approval. Now, she could only gamble on Qi Xiangheng's feelings for her.
Qi Xiangheng walked up to his father with a puzzled look, glancing at the bodyguards around him. "Dad, why are you here? And with so many people? By the way, how did you all get in?"
"You're asking me? I'd like to ask you what happened. Look at this, didn't you know you were being followed?" Mr. Qi tossed him a phone in an annoyed tone, which played a video of Qi Xiangheng coming to see Wang Yalin.
Qi Xiangheng was shocked. "Who recorded this? How could this happen?" He glanced at the door. "I didn't notice anything wrong."
"Hmph, you're obsessed with women, what else could you possibly notice? You ask how we got in? The door was already open when we arrived!"
"Impossible, I specifically closed the door when I came in..."
"Doesn't that just prove that someone has ill intentions?" Qi's father felt uncomfortable at Wang Yalin's house and frowned. "Let's talk about it when we get home. Your grandparents and your mother are waiting."
Qi Xiangheng glanced back at the bedroom door. "But I can't leave Yalin alone. We don't even know who recorded this video; it's too unsafe. I'll go back at dawn. Dad, you guys go ahead..."
"Shut up! I think you've lost your mind and can't tell what's important. Take him back!" Father Qi ordered coldly, not giving him a chance to object, and left first.
At this point, Wang Yalin was caught in a dilemma: whether to go out or not. Before she could come up with a solution, the bodyguard grabbed Qi Xiangheng and left, leaving her alone again.
She was also a little scared, so she grabbed a knife for self-defense, hung up the chain inside the door, and pushed a sofa to block the doorway.
Once she calmed down, her hatred for the Xu family intensified. The fact that she was switched at birth wasn't something she could control; since they had raised her and accustomed her to a life of luxury, why could they just abandon her like that?
It's always easier to go from frugality to extravagance than from extravagance to frugality. The Wang family's mistreatment of Xu Mengyao won't prevent her from enjoying a life of luxury later on, but the Xu family has raised her to be pampered and spoiled. How will she live an ordinary life in the future?
Now she has to face this unknown danger. How can they be so irresponsible towards her? Are seventeen years of living together really less important than blood ties?
Xu Zifan saw her sitting in the room with a resentful expression and stopped looking at her.
After a short while, seeing Qi Xiangheng return home, Qi's father explained what had happened, and the elders' expressions all turned sour.
Grandma Qi immediately declared that the Qi family would never accept Wang Yalin as their daughter-in-law. Unexpectedly, Qi Xiangheng, who was usually very obedient, reacted strongly, saying that Wang Yalin was down on her luck and he couldn't abandon her, which made the Qi family even more disgusted with Wang Yalin.
However, such petty romances were unimportant to them, and they didn't believe Qi Xiangheng could pull anything out of it. They focused their attention on the person behind the scenes. Big businessmen are suspicious, prone to convoluted conspiracy theories, and before dawn, they had people check IP addresses and neighborhood surveillance footage.
Xu Zifan had originally asked Shao Hua to erase all of this, but now he had an idea. He asked Shao Hua to set the IP address to Dijingyuan and secretly put the video into Wang Yalin's email, making it appear as if it had been sent to them, and even deliberately concealing it.
After finishing all that, he went to sleep. He had already done everything he could for his brother. If he couldn't stop him even after all that, then he deserved it. Consider it tuition.
After lunch, Xu Mengyao went to school as usual. Xiao Qing helped her straighten her school uniform at the door and watched her leave. She had returned to work after what happened last night.
Xu Zifan walked over and glanced at her a few more times. Xiao Qing saw that no one was around and smiled slightly, "Young Master, in the past three years, I have learned patience and strength. I am not as fragile as you think."
Xu Zifan nodded. "Let's go pick up Yao Yao with the driver tonight and bring her to the company."
Xiao Qing looked at him with scrutiny, assessed the risks, and then agreed. Whether it's good or bad, they'd have to take it one step at a time to find out.
Wang Yalin still didn't go to school that day. Faced with her classmates' curiosity, Xu Mengyao didn't tell them the inside story, only saying, "Wang Yalin moved to Dijinyuan. The environment here is good, which makes it easier for her to study and prepare for the college entrance examination. She's probably settling into her new home these days."
Zhang Tingfei, who had been unable to contact Wang Yalin, angrily retorted, "You're the one who kicked her out, aren't you? Why would she move out all of a sudden? Xu Mengyao! Yalin has already been very accommodating and tried her best to be nice to you, what more do you want?!"
A small group of classmates changed their attitude. They had raised the adopted daughter for seventeen years, and now she was being kicked out? Xu Mengyao kept saying she didn't mind Wang Yalin's situation, but was she saying one thing and doing another?
Xu Mengyao had anticipated the questions, and with a cold smile, she calmly said, "Sorry, I don't have the authority to kick her out of the Xu family. Since you think she's compromising, what's wrong with her moving out and being free?"
You know her identity has changed; her surname is Wang, and mine is Xu. She's always so cautious and timid in my house. If she feels wronged, we feel uncomfortable too, don't we?
Besides, there are many people who come and go from my family, and we have to attend many banquets. Even if we can shut people up, we can't stop them from looking at us. You are her friend, and you don't want her to face all this, right? Her drastic drop in monthly exam scores is the best proof of that. Letting her stay in the Xu family would only harm her.
So my mom bought her a penthouse in the Imperial Garden complex for easy access to school, and also gave her a three-story villa in Phoenix Shore, along with a considerable amount of savings to ensure her future financial security. My mom also visits her frequently; I think that will make her life much easier and happier.
The king of buildings in Dijingyuan, and the three-story villas on Fenghuang'an!
Before the students could even discuss how the Xu family was heartless, these words changed their minds.
That's right, Wang Yalin is the Xu family's adopted daughter and an innocent victim. It would seem heartless for the Xu family to kick her out. But Xu Mengyao is right. Wang Yalin's status is so awkward; she's bound to be looked down upon in high society. Staying in the Xu family and this circle would only make her miserable. The Xu family is doing this for Wang Yalin's own good; they're not kicking her out at all.
Besides, Wang Yalin is almost eighteen. The Xu family has raised her for so many years, they have no obligation to continue doing so, especially since her biological parents are still alive. If she's so unhappy living in the Xu family, what's the point of staying? If she insists on staying, it's only out of vanity!
Zhang Tingfei vaguely heard her classmates' discussions, all leaning towards the idea that Wang Yalin should be content, and that any further greed would be ungrateful. She wanted to defend Wang Yalin, but didn't know how to put it; something felt off. But Xu Mengyao's words also made sense. How come Xu Mengyao was getting better and better at talking?
Xu Mengyao lowered her head to work on her problems, a subtle smile playing on her lips. Dealing with these people now required absolutely no effort; they were all so naive. Her biggest wish right now was to get first place in her grade, to make her brother's promise a reality, and to repay him for all the support he'd given her at home.
When Wang Yalin returned to school after calming down, her first thought was to vaguely explain things to everyone so that they would misunderstand Xu Mengyao and the Xu family. However, she was immediately rebuffed as soon as she started to speak. The girl sitting in front of her gave her a meaningful look, telling her to focus on her studies, stay grounded, and not think about things she shouldn't.
Zhang Tingfei hurriedly told her what Xu Mengyao had said and asked if it was true. What could she say? She could only smile and say yes.
The way her classmates looked at her was different now; she felt like all her paths in life were blocked.