Looking for Something or Up to Something Else

Ruan Mingyi knew Shen Qingling could never do such a thing and prepared to argue her case with Fang Qingran.

Shen Qingling shielded Ruan Mingyi behind him, his gaze cold as he looked at Fang Qingran.

"I don't know you, nor do I know anything about this so-called necklace of yours. What evidence do you have that I took it?"

"I checked the surveillance footage. At today's banquet, you were the only person I bumped into. Other than you, no one came near me."

"And that's what you call evidence?"

"What else could it be? Who else could it be but you? Everyone at this banquet is someone of status—except you, who came with Ruan Mingyi."

Fang Qingran let out a cold laugh, looking Shen Qingling up and down with utter disdain.

"I heard you're not even Ruan Mingyi's marriage alliance partner, much less some family heir. You're just a poor student from Jiang University!"

The onlookers around them began to whisper among themselves.

"So that's it. The people Ruan Mingyi used to bring were all the sort who couldn't be shown in public. Why did she change her style this time? Looking at that face... maybe she paid to keep him too?"

"No wonder no one could find out his identity. We thought he was from Beicheng, but it turns out he isn't even from the same social class."

"I was wondering why I'd never seen someone like him before. So he's Ruan Mingyi's pretty boy."

"He's a Jiang University student, at least. Yet he's out here doing something that disgraces the school's reputation."

"But there's no evidence that he did it yet, is there? We shouldn't jump to conclusions so easily, or we might wrong someone."

"Fang Qingran has a point. Other than him, a poor student, who here would set their sights on a necklace?"

Fang Qingran said loftily, "Either hand over the necklace on your own, and I won't call the police or stoop to your level."

Shen Qingling remained perfectly calm. "You can call the police. If something's missing, it's right to go to the police. But if I never touched your things, then coming after me is useless."

"You! You're at death's door and still trying to argue! A search will tell us whether you stole it or not."

"A search? Are you a police officer? Do you have a warrant?"

Shen Qingling narrowed his eyes, a trace of danger glinting in his gaze.

That look caught Fang Qingran off guard. She pressed her lips together and turned her eyes away.

"If you won't let me search you, that just means you have a guilty conscience."

"Do you want to search me because you're looking for something, or do you have some other motive?"

The instant Ruan Mingyi heard that, she laughed.

She walked over to Shen Qingling's side and said with great interest, "Fang Qingran, don't tell me you've taken a fancy to him and deliberately came up with this excuse to cop a feel?"

The originally taut, sword-drawn atmosphere suddenly took on a strange turn under Shen Qingling and Ruan Mingyi's perfectly matched exchange.

Fang Qingran's face reddened as well. Stomping her foot in fury and embarrassment, she said, "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm looking for my necklace! Who would covet his body?!"

Ruan Mingyi curled her lips. "Weren't plenty of women gathered here just now, all coveting him?"

Fang Qingran gave a cold snort. "That's them. The only person I like is Xiang Shan. Don't think you can change the subject. Keep talking nonsense, and don't blame me for getting rough."

Just as Fang Qingran thought she was about to call in people from the Sheng Family and get serious, Shen Qingling agreed.

"Sure. Search me, then. But what happens if you don't find anything? An apology alone won't be enough for me."

"You said it yourself. If I don't find anything, I'll let you deal with me however you want. The necklace has to be on you."

"Fine, but I have one condition."

"What?"

"You search me right here, in front of everyone. If we leave this place, then even if I had ten mouths, I couldn't clear myself. Wouldn't I be at your mercy to say whatever you pleased?"

"Search you... here?"

Faced with all those pairs of eyes, Fang Qingran felt so awkward that it was as if ants were crawling all over her body.

Xiang Shan had said this should be handled privately and that they couldn't let people laugh at them. If she searched him here, Xiang Shan would be angry, wouldn't he?

Besides, was she supposed to grope a man all over in front of so many people?

"I... I'll have someone else search you. I won't do it myself, so you can't say I have any ideas about your body."

"That won't do. You're the one who lost something, not someone else. If you don't search me now, there's no way to prove my innocence. You slandered me, and now you think you can just leave?"

Shen Qingling lifted his chin and took a step forward. Lowering his eyes to look down at the petite woman, he said in a cold, hard voice, "Search."

Fang Qingran froze where she stood. By now, she was riding a tiger with no way to get off.

Gu Yijin, standing among the crowd, frowned. Shen Qingling was completely refusing to play by the rules.

Shen Qingling was extremely prideful. How could he accept something like being searched, especially in front of so many people? He showed no shame or awkwardness whatsoever, nothing like the person Gu Yijin understood him to be.

Could the investigation materials have been wrong? Had Shen Qingling's lofty aloofness and pride all been an act?

If that was true, then this person was likely far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined...

Gu Yijin had originally assumed Shen Qingling would never agree to be searched in public. Then he could have the Sheng Family step in and take Shen Qingling away to settle the matter.

As long as Shen Qingling was out of everyone's sight, the people Gu Yijin had arranged would be able to find the necklace on him without a hitch.

As long as Shen Qingling left everyone's sight, everything would be easy to handle.

The necklace was in his hands anyway; he could arrange things however he wanted.

But Shen Qingling refused to leave. He was even willing to be searched in full view of everyone, and now it had turned into him forcing Fang Qingran to search him.

Gu Yijin sensed that something was wrong.

Seeing Shen Qingling's calm expression, the people around them began changing their tune.

"What's with Fang Qingran? Now that she's being told to search him, she's hemming and hawing without moving. What is she playing at? Don't tell me she really is slandering someone here."

"That young man looks so composed. It seems this matter really has nothing to do with him."

"Honestly, with a face that handsome, all he had to do was crook a finger and plenty of women would be willing to spend money on him. Why would he need to steal Fang Qingran's necklace?"

"That woman Fang Qingran has no brains either. She made such a huge scene at a Sheng Family banquet. Who knows whether President Sheng will be angry."

"Where's Xu Xiangshan? Isn't he going to keep his woman in line? Making such a fuss over one necklace—how embarrassing."

Seeing that she still did not move, Shen Qingling frowned impatiently. "Didn't you want to search me? I'm letting you search me, yet now you won't move. What do you mean by that?"

If this had happened to the Original Host, he would definitely have walked right into Gu Yijin's trap.

But Shen Qingling was not the Original Host. Pride was useless in a situation like this. It was only a search—if she wanted to look, then look; if she wanted to search, then search. He was a man; he had nothing to lose.

If he really went somewhere with no one around, that would be the real loss. Even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he would never wash himself clean. No matter how things ended, he would be branded a suspected thief. He had to let all these people watch her fail to find anything on him.

The woman before him looked like nothing more than a brainless pawn. The person hiding behind her was either Xu Xiangshan or Gu Yijin—or perhaps the two of them were in league from the start. Otherwise, why would Xu Xiangshan frame him for no reason?

Fang Qingran's lashes trembled. Biting her lip, she finally reached out toward Shen Qingling.