So it was me

Jiang Nian pulled away from Jiang Mother's embrace and gave her hand a reassuring pat.

"I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry."

After reassuring her mother, she turned to Shen Lei and the others who had been condemning her.

"I remember that villa had security cameras, didn't it? Instead of talking so much, why don't we just watch the footage?"

Ignoring the triumphant looks on Fu Zhenzhen's and Shen Lei's faces, she asked them with a smile:

"Don't you agree?"

Shen Lei had nothing to fear from the cameras. When he had first arranged the plan, he had already sent someone to break them.

Fu Zhenzhen wasn't afraid either. She had also had her system disable those cameras.

Both readily agreed. "Sure. Why wouldn't we watch it?"

Old Master Shen then had a servant bring over a copy of the footage and project it onto the dining room's large screen.

With a crackle, the footage began to play, showing Fu Zhenzhen pulling Jiang Nian along at a brisk pace.

Fu Zhenzhen's disdain gradually turned to shock, and her mind went blank.

How could there be footage? I clearly told the system to disable the cameras!

Jiang Nian glanced at the horrified Fu Zhenzhen, her eyes curving with her smile.

Because I had 88 restore them, of course!

Chest out, proud and tall!

The footage played on, showing Fu Zhenzhen leading Jiang Nian along for some time before suddenly spotting Shen Lei entering a room.

She stopped, then smiled at Jiang Nian.

"Didn't you want to know what I was planning? Now you'll find out."

With that, she shoved Jiang Nian into the room Shen Lei was in, then deftly pulled out a key and locked the door.

She sneered twice at the door before strolling away.

The crowd erupted. Jiang Mother gave Fu Zhenzhen a cold look. "Didn't you say Nian went to find Shen Lei herself? What do you have to say now?"

The people around them began murmuring.

"She even said Jiang Nian was framing her to dodge responsibility. What a joke. Who's really dodging responsibility here?"

"Wow, did you see Fu Zhenzhen's smile in the video? She looked like a villain!"

"That acting! Who wouldn't call it fucking incredible?"

Fu Zhenzhen stood rigid, her mind racing. "I... Jiang Nian told me she liked Shen Lei, so I wanted to help them get together."

Then she looked at Jiang Nian with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jiang Nian. I wanted so badly to help you find love that I went about it the wrong way. I'm sorry!"

"But you shouldn't have done that to Shen Lei either. He just doesn't like you. He's innocent!"

While shifting the focus, Fu Zhenzhen inwardly mocked Jiang Nian with cold contempt.

Even if the cameras weren't broken, you still can't clear up what happened between you and Shen Lei.

As long as she insisted that Shen Lei had done nothing wrong, her own mistake wouldn't amount to much.

She had only wanted to help her friend find love. Who could have known that her friend wanted to steal someone else's boyfriend, then accuse him of rape when she couldn't have him?

As long as she apologized to Shen Lei afterward, this would have nothing more to do with her.

Shen Lei understood that too. All he needed to do was act like a victim. As long as Fu Zhenzhen and Jiang Wenxue sided with him, he would be fine.

After all, there were no cameras in the room. How could a third person know what had happened?

Then the Jiang Family would be in the wrong, and the Shen Family would surely reap a hefty profit. He might even turn this misfortune into a blessing and officially join the Shen Family.

Imagining the moment he achieved his goal, Shen Lei could barely maintain his sorrowful expression.

Jiang Nian watched the two unrepentant people coldly and scoffed. "Fine. Just fine."

"So in the end, it's somehow my fault, even though I'm the victim?"

She looked at Fu Zhenzhen first.

"Fu Zhenzhen, when did I ever tell you I liked this scumbag?"

Then she glanced at Shen Lei.

"Shen Lei, do you really think we're the only two who know what happened in that room?"

Jiang Wenxue lifted her chin arrogantly. "What, are you going to say Lei forced himself on you? Shameless."

Although she had been asleep at the time, her Lei could never be that sort of person.

Shen Qifei was also eager to clear his son's name. He looked at Jiang Nian with a trace of displeasure. "Jiang Nian, I know my son's character. He would never do something like that."

Looking at the stubborn group, Jiang Nian slowly raised her right hand and gazed at the diamond bracelet around her wrist.

"Tell me, isn't my bracelet pretty?"

Jiang Wenxue frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Weren't they discussing Lei? Why was Jiang Nian bringing up her bracelet?

Jiang Nian didn't look away. She simply kept gazing at the bracelet as she spoke.

"A friend gave me this bracelet. I love it, not because of how it looks, but-"

"Because it can record audio."

Shen Lei's face went pale. Record audio?

How could that bracelet have a recording function?

Was Jiang Nian bluffing?

Jiang Nian didn't care what anyone else was thinking. She stroked the bracelet and glanced at Shen Qifei. "Uncle Shen, come see this wonderful son of yours who supposedly never fights or competes for anything."

She pressed a hidden switch, and her voice and Shen Lei's rang clearly throughout the hall.

"I... I don't know! I just wanted to come out for some air, and then Fu Zhenzhen shoved me into this room."

"The door's locked. It won't open."

"Shen Lei, have you lost your mind? This is rape!"

"I'm Shen Qifei's son, the heir to the Shen Family. If you become mine, wouldn't it be wonderful for our two powerful families to join forces?"

"So what if I'm an illegitimate son? After tonight, Shen Hui's reputation will be ruined, and I'll be able to enter the Shen Family openly and legitimately!"

"Tell me, what would happen if everyone found out Shen Hui fucked his own brother's girlfriend at his grandfather's birthday banquet?"

"So you drugged him? Despicable! Shameless!"

"A real man has to be ruthless. I'm just teaching him a little lesson."

"After all these years, why does he get to live in wealth and luxury with the Shen Family while Mom and I have to hole up in a little villa, branded a mistress and an illegitimate son?"

"Your mother knowingly became a mistress, and you think she was justified? What about Shen Hui when you schemed to drive his mother to her death? Didn't he deserve pity?"

"They have only themselves to blame for taking the places that belonged to Mom and me!"

"Ah!"

The recording stopped abruptly.

Jiang Nian was very pleased as she surveyed the crowd's varied expressions.

She addressed the ashen-faced Shen Qifei.

"Uncle Shen, I have to say something in fairness. Shen Hui is your son, yet he never fights or competes for anything. What more do you want from him?"

"If you can defend Shen Lei without even bothering to find out the truth in front of all these distinguished guests today, it's hard to imagine how alone and helpless Shen Hui must be in everyday life."

"In ancient times, favoring a concubine's son at the expense of your legitimate heir wouldn't have earned you a good reputation."

"It doesn't matter that I was falsely accused today. After all, I know my family will always believe me."

"But if Shen Lei's scheme really had succeeded, would you have favored Shen Hui the way you favor Shen Lei?"

Of course he wouldn't. Shen Hui's fate in the original novel was the best example.

Although Shen Hui had later pulled himself together with Fu Zhenzhen's comfort, the hurt he had suffered was still hurt.

Jiang Nian wasn't afraid of a jerk like Shen Qifei. She kept piling on while he was down.

Even if she was a supporting female character, she was one from a wealthy, powerful family. If she spoke a little aggressively, her parents would merely say she was young and didn't know better.

But if Shen Qifei sent someone to secretly kill her, that would be another matter.

Then she could only blame her bad luck ^_^.

Everyone else watched Jiang Nian's tirade in astonishment. Only Shen Hui, watching her speak without pause, quietly pressed a hand to his chest.

He hadn't actually felt all that wronged by what had happened in the Shen Family. After all, he had made it through all these years.

But Jiang Nian's eyes, blazing with anger, were too dazzling-so dazzling that he didn't quite know what to do.

So the one who fell first...

Was me.