Shi Ning dissolved into tears, a raw, childlike sob escaping her lips. She flung herself into Shi Guoqiang’s embrace like a frightened forest bird, making his old heart feel as if it were being sliced by a thousand knives. The pain was excruciating.
“My dear daughter, don’t cry,” he croaked, stroking her hair. “She just said that! Whether you are married or not, you will always be Dad’s precious daughter! You are the mistress of this family; no one will ever drive you out! All the property is yours!”
Shi Guogang’s temples throbbed violently at these declarations. He quickly interjected, “Brother, Ningning, there must be a misunderstanding! Yinyin would never say such things!”
“Woo wow!” Shi Ning’s cries intensified, brimming with even deeper anguish, her performance nearly shattering Shi Guoqiang’s paternal heart. He was overcome with distress, his own old eyes welling with tears. “My dear daughter! Don’t cry. Tell Dad everything slowly. Dad believes you.”
Shi Guogang watched the loving father-daughter display, then glanced at his own child, still soaking in the swimming pool. A surge of anger threatened to erupt, but he swallowed it back down. “Brother, let Yinyin get out first. We can ask them both clearly. There must be misunderstandings.”
Shi Guoqiang’s face was grim. “Old Zhao, let them get up!” Only then did Butler Zhao signal for the servants to cease their vigil.
Shi Qingyin scrambled out of the pool. Shi Guogang quickly removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders, his voice strained. “Yinyin, what happened? Speak clearly, don’t let your uncle misunderstand.”
Shi Qingyin, feeling utterly wronged, especially after catching Shi Ning’s subtly provocative smirk, burst into fresh tears. “I didn’t say any of those words! It was Shi Ning who slandered me! She just bullied me because I’m living under someone else’s roof! She wouldn’t let me out of the swimming pool… woo woo.”
Both cousins insisted on their version of events, both dissolving into aggrieved tears, portraying themselves as victims. This deepened Shi Guoqiang’s frown, though he continued to comfort Shi Ning with tender affection.
“Brother,” Shi Guogang interjected, his voice firm, “please say something. We may live in your house, but we are not servants.” His gaze hardened. “If Ningning doesn’t welcome us, just tell me, and we’ll move out! Don’t bully our family like this. We are people with backbone!”
Shi Ning had waited for this very moment, deliberately prolonging her tears until Shi Guogang had finished his defiant speech. Now, it was her turn.
“My cousin said that Dad will give you a villa worth 200 million, a subsidiary company, and 100 million in cash!” she cried, her voice choked with sobs, feigning breathless exhaustion. “She… she also said that these are only half of the Shi family’s assets. In the future, the Shi family’s assets will belong to her and my second uncle’s family! That it’s not my turn, as a married outsider!”
As these words left her lips, Shi Ning added the final, devastating blow. “She… she also said that Dad only asked for 300 million yuan for the company’s turnover and sold me to Qin Heye as a commodity!”
The effect was instantaneous. Shi Guoqiang’s face darkened horribly, his rage palpable. He turned to Shi Qingyin, his voice dangerously low. “How could you say that to Ningning?”
Shi Guogang and Shi Qingyin both visibly panicked. Only the three of them—Shi Guogang, Shi Qingyin, and Shi Guoqiang—knew about the promised properties. Shi Guoqiang had only just concluded that conversation, promising the assets. Shi Ning couldn’t possibly have known! Yet, she had recited it verbatim. There was only one truth: Shi Qingyin had said it.
Shi Qingyin, scrambling to comprehend how Shi Ning knew, frantically explained, “Uncle, I didn’t say any of this!”
Shi Ning choked back a sob. “Qin Heye and Butler Zhao can testify!”
No one present had actually heard Shi Qingyin utter those words. However, Qin Heye, without a flicker of emotion, testified for his wife. “Indeed, I confirm that my wife is speaking the truth.”
Butler Zhao chimed in, equally unwavering. “Everything the young lady said is true.” And the servants, in a unified chorus, echoed, “Everything the young lady said is true!” All of them, lying with open eyes.
Shi Qingyin was overwhelmed by the blatant slander, her anger and anxiety escalating. “They are all Shi Ning’s people! They’re all helping her and slandering me!”
Shi Ning pointed at Shen Xizhou, a cunning glint in her tear-filled eyes. “Shen Xizhou can testify too! He’s your fiancé; he wouldn’t help me, right?”
Shen Xizhou looked at Shi Ning, his mind racing. The coveted west city land deal was still out of reach. And Shi Qingyin had already betrayed him. He held a wellspring of anger towards her and decided to side with Shi Ning, hoping to win her favor and secure the land. “Yes,” he affirmed, “what Shi Ning said is true! Yinyin said those words.”
Shi Qingyin’s rage exploded. “Shen Xizhou! You’re talking nonsense!” As she spoke, she lunged, her hand raised to scratch his face. Shen Xizhou instinctively dodged backward. But standing so close to the pool’s edge, he lost his balance. In a desperate attempt to stabilize himself, he grabbed Shi Qingyin’s hand, pulling her down with him.
Splash!
Shi Qingyin and Shen Xizhou tumbled into the swimming pool together, flailing in the water. Once they resurfaced, both were furious, launching into a furious brawl—grabbing faces, pulling hair.
Shi Ning watched their aquatic battle with immense satisfaction.
Shi Guogang, momentarily forgetting his submerged daughter and her ex-fiancé, turned back to Shi Guoqiang, his head bowed. “Brother, Yinyin…”
Shi Guoqiang cut him off, his face a mask of cold fury. “Don’t say anything. What I said in the office just now doesn’t count.”
Only moments ago, in the sanctity of his office, Shi Guoqiang had promised Shi Guogang a villa, a company, and 100 million in cash. It was an act of gratitude, a gesture of guilt for suddenly driving his brother out, a way to ensure they lived comfortably for the rest of their lives. The transfer of ownership and the check exchange were set for tomorrow. Now, Shi Guoqiang’s words revoked it all. Shi Guogang had lost an immense fortune.
Shi Guogang’s face turned crimson with anxiety. “Brother…”
Shi Guoqiang’s gaze was sullen, his anger barely contained. “Ningning is my only daughter. I will not allow anyone to bully her!”
“Brother…” Shi Guogang pleaded again.
Shi Guoqiang’s voice hardened, laced with a chilling finality. “I have almost repaid your kindness over the years. You can rely on my generosity, but you cannot be insatiable and never stop! You absolutely cannot harm my daughter’s interests or bully her. I will not tolerate this!”