Turning the Tables

The dining room.

The banquet was drawing to a close when Fu Zhenzhen rushed inside in a panic, drawing everyone's attention.

She ran straight up to Song Jici and the others, panting as she said, "Jiang Nian... Jiang Nian, she..."

Song Jici frowned and stood up. "Slow down. What happened to Nian?"

It took Fu Zhenzhen a while to catch her breath before she said:

"Jiang Nian is missing!"

Shen Hui shot to his feet. "What did you say?"

Jiang Nian was missing?

Jiang Father and Jiang Mother heard her too and hurried over. "Our Nian is missing?"

Wiping away tears, Fu Zhenzhen described what had happened. "We went outside for some air. I only went to the restroom, but when I came back, Jiang Nian was gone. I looked everywhere and couldn't find her!"

Song Jici clenched his fists. Could there have been something wrong with that glass of wine in the banquet hall?

Hearing the commotion, Shen Qifei came over as well, supporting Old Master Shen.

"Please don't worry, everyone. I'll send the security guards to look for her right away. We're sure to find her."

Jiang Father and Jiang Mother nodded anxiously.

Fu Zhenzhen's eyes shifted, and she spoke again. "But Jiang Nian told me earlier that she had feelings for Shen Lei. Now both Shen Lei and Jiang Nian are missing. Could they..."

Jiang Mother narrowed her eyes at Fu Zhenzhen. "What are you implying?"

Was she insinuating that her daughter was involved with that illegitimate son?

As though frightened by Jiang Mother's stare, Fu Zhenzhen stammered, "I... I'm just worried something might have happened to them, ma'am. I didn't mean anything else."

Song Ling patted her best friend's hand reassuringly, then gave Fu Zhenzhen a piercing look. "Zhenzhen, Nian is my goddaughter. I know what sort of person she is. She would never do something like that. Are you certain?"

Under Song Ling's gaze, Fu Zhenzhen swallowed nervously. But then she remembered that she had already hacked the surveillance system. Without evidence, they couldn't pin anything on her.

So she looked at Song Ling sorrowfully. "Jiang Nian told me herself that she liked Shen Lei. Auntie, don't you believe me?"

Watching the aggrieved Fu Zhenzhen, Shen Qifei lowered his head in thought.

If the Jiang Daughter really liked Shen Lei, his chances of bringing Shen Lei into the Shen Family would be much greater.

After all, with the Jiang Family's support, he would no longer have to worry about pressure from Jiang Lian's parents.

He therefore tried to reassure Jiang Mother and the others. "Please don't worry yet. Let's find the two of them first."

Everyone looked worried, except for the main cast, who watched Fu Zhenzhen with cold expressions.

They didn't know what everyone else was thinking, but they absolutely refused to believe that Jiang Nian was involved with Shen Lei.

Jiang Nian was practically ready to bury Shen Lei herself.

That meant Fu Zhenzhen was deliberately misrepresenting their relationship in front of everyone.

Shen Hui stared at Fu Zhenzhen darkly.

They had just heard that Jiang Nian had given Shen Lei the aphrodisiac Fu Zhenzhen had intended for her. Now Fu Zhenzhen was insinuating that Jiang Nian and Shen Lei were involved.

What on earth did Fu Zhenzhen have against Jiang Nian? First drugging her, then spreading malicious rumors about her.

Since she sounded so certain, Jiang Nian and Shen Lei must be together right now.

But Jiang Nian had already drugged Shen Lei with an aphrodisiac. If they were together, wouldn't Jiang Nian be in danger?

The more they thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. They were just about to go out and search when Jiang Nian rushed into the dining room, looking disheveled.

"Dad! Mom! Boohoo..."

Jiang Nian threw herself into her parents' arms.

Her carefully styled updo was a mess, and her dress was dusty, with several tears in it.

Jiang Father and Jiang Mother held their pitiful-looking daughter and hurriedly asked, "Nian, what happened? How did you end up like this?"

Jiang Nian sobbed as she said:

"J-just now, Fu Zhenzhen and I went outside for some air, but she pushed me into Shen Lei's room and locked me in. Then... then Shen Lei tried to assault me. I only got away by jumping from the second floor. Boohoo..."

Everyone's piercing gaze landed on Fu Zhenzhen.

This was completely different from what Fu Zhenzhen had told them.

Fu Zhenzhen went deathly pale.

How could this be? Hadn't she been affected by her arousal buff? How was she still clearheaded? And how had she escaped on her own?

Faced with everyone's scrutinizing stares, she gritted her teeth and stuck to her story:

"Jiang Nian, how could you frame me? I never locked you two in together! You went to see Shen Lei yourself, and then he assaulted you!"

With that, Fu Zhenzhen looked heartbroken as she tried to reason with Jiang Nian:

"I know you're trying to escape responsibility so your parents won't punish you, and that's why you're blaming everything on me. But that's wrong!"

Jiang Nian quietly watched Fu Zhenzhen spin her lies.

To think anyone could be so utterly shameless.

"Could Jiang Nian really have gone to see Shen Lei herself, then blamed Fu Zhenzhen after he assaulted her?"

"Surely not? Jiang Nian doesn't seem to have anything to do with Shen Lei. If she really is blaming everything on someone else, that's disgusting."

"Neither of them looks like she's lying..."

As the surrounding guests murmured among themselves, Old Master Shen stepped in to calm them. "Since you each have a different account, let's bring Shen Lei here and hear what he has to say."

If Shen Lei really had assaulted the Jiang Heiress, he could do without that grandson.

Soon, the security guards brought over Shen Lei and Jiang Wenxue, both with their clothes in disarray.

Shen Lei seemed to have regained his senses. He looked toward Jiang Nian, who was surrounded by people, his gaze unreadable, then slowly approached while gripping Jiang Wenxue's hand.

A maid had just unlocked the door for him and told him what had happened in the dining room.

Since Fu Zhenzhen had paved the way, Jiang Nian couldn't blame him for following her lead.

Old Master Shen looked at him sternly. "Shen Lei, Jiang Nian said you forced yourself on her. Is that true?"

At his grandfather's question, Shen Lei first looked incredulous, then turned to Jiang Nian in disappointment. "You... you're actually turning this around on me..."

Jiang Wenxue walked straight up to Jiang Nian and tried to slap her, but Song Jici stopped her.

She shot Jiang Nian a hateful look and sneered:

"You were the one who came to seduce Lei. When you failed, you framed him instead. Aren't you just trying to force him to be with you? Disgusting!"

After she woke up, Shen Lei had told her everything that had happened. Had she not been asleep at the time, she would never have let Jiang Nian lay a single finger on Lei.

Hearing Jiang Wenxue's accusations and seeing the disappointment on Shen Lei's and Fu Zhenzhen's faces, everyone sided with them.

"So it really was just like Fu Zhenzhen said..."

"He already has a girlfriend, and she still threw herself at him. Jiang Nian has no shame."

Old Master Shen gave Jiang Nian a meaningful look, then said sorrowfully, "Jiang Nian, you can't force someone to return your feelings. Shen Lei is still a member of the Shen Family. Haven't you gone too far?"

Shen Hui folded his arms and looked mockingly at his grandfather in name only. "Funny, I didn't know Shen Lei had become a member of the Shen Family. An illegitimate son like him? Is he even worthy?"

Shen Qifei roared, "Shen Hui! He's your younger brother! He's my son, yet he's never fought you for anything. What more do you want?"

Shen Hui looked coldly at those two scumbags. He really should just destroy them all.

Watching everyone turn against her and seeing the Shen Family's shameless attitude, Jiang Nian laughed in anger.

Wasn't the Shen Family trying so hard to pin the blame on her just to wring benefits out of the Jiang Family?

She wondered whether they would still be smiling in a moment.