Chapter 29: Backing

"What exactly are you here for?"

Shen Qingyao could not muster a polite tone. She cast one sharp glance after another at them.

"We heard your brother was in trouble, so we came to testify for him." Wang Guihua’s smile was as bright as a flower, and she even tried to pull Shen Qingyao close in a show of false warmth.

Shen Qingyao felt an inexplicable surge of anger. "What does my brother need you to testify about?"

"I heard from people that your brother has been pilfering at the factory..." Wang Guihua lowered her voice, acting as if she were trying to keep some dark secret.

"Get out."

Hearing this, Shen Qingyao completely lost her patience. She grabbed Wang Guihua and Shen Mengyi and shoved them toward the exit. Shen Mengyi refused to leave, shrieking and screaming. To cover Shen Mengyi’s mouth, Shen Qingyao let go of Wang Guihua.

Hearing Shen Mengyi’s shrill cries, Wang Guihua scrambled to pull at Shen Qingyao, trying to separate them. "Help! Someone's killing us! She's hitting people!"

Wang Guihua shouted in a panic, drawing the attention of passersby. Chen Zheng asked Jiang Yan if he should step in to break it up, but Jiang Yan shook his head.

"Yao-yao has the upper hand."

Chen Zheng was baffled. How could he tell? It was two against one.

Just as Chen Zheng was breaking a sweat for Shen Qingyao, she locked Shen Mengyi in a chokehold, silencing her and freezing her in place. Finding a shard of glass on the ground, Shen Qingyao held it directly toward Shen Mengyi’s face.

"Commander, this..." Chen Zheng was no longer worried about Shen Qingyao getting hurt; he was now afraid she would cause a major incident. They were at the gate of the steel factory; it was quiet now, but that could change at any moment.

Shen Qingyao glared at Wang Guihua. "Wang Guihua, if you want to stay in one piece, take your daughter and get out now. Otherwise, don't blame me for what happens..."

"We're going! We're leaving right now! Please, just don't cut Mengyi’s face, I beg you..." Wang Guihua was terrified. She had always thought of Shen Qingyao as a prickly nuisance but never imagined she would actually go this far.

A single tear fell from Shen Mengyi onto Shen Qingyao’s hand. As she released her, Shen Qingyao brushed her hand off in disgust.

"Get out."

Shen Qingyao suppressed the revulsion in her heart, though her eyes betrayed her. With the confrontation over, Jiang Yan figured it was time for him to appear. Seeing him step out of the car, Chen Zheng followed. After a few steps, he realized he had forgotten his hat and doubled back to retrieve it.

Jiang Yan spoke at the perfect moment. "Yao-yao."

He strode over on his long legs and pulled her into his arms. Shen Qingyao stiffened upon hearing his voice. Oh no, she had forgotten Jiang Yan was there. Would he think she was violent? She could explain it, though—after all, Wang Guihua and Shen Mengyi were the ones trying to frame her brother.

Before she could speak, Jiang Yan took her hand. His tone was gentle. "Does it hurt?"

Shen Qingyao’s eyes lit up. Oh my, he was here to back her up. She leaned into him, drawing out her voice. "It hurts."

Chen Zheng stared, dumbfounded. He had clearly seen that Shen Qingyao hadn't suffered a scratch. Why was she claiming pain? And that sickly sweet voice... Chen Zheng shuddered and took a step back.

"How could it hurt? You were the one holding the glass shard to my..." Shen Mengyi pouted, her face flushed red. Her voice was laced with grievance as she looked toward Jiang Yan, hoping he might be the reasonable one.

Shen Qingyao knew exactly what Shen Mengyi was aiming for. She buried her face in Jiang Yan’s chest. "Jiang Yan, it really hurts." She spoke with a muffled, pained tone, acting as if she had been deeply wronged.

Seeing Shen Qingyao put on such a show, Shen Mengyi was furious. But this was Jiang Yan. Lu Shaojun had gone to the city to submit some documents, otherwise, she wouldn't have been at such a disadvantage. Yet, even if Lu Shaojun were here, he was just an ordinary soldier; he was no match for Jiang Yan. Was she really expected to swallow this humiliation? Shen Mengyi’s eyes turned red with bitterness.

[Host, Shen Mengyi’s resentment toward you is accumulating.]

[Does this have anything to do with the mission?]

[Shen Mengyi is plotting revenge. Please resolve this cleverly. The reward for this task is 300 points.]

She hadn't expected Shen Mengyi to be worth 300 points. Shen Qingyao nodded to herself. Could she farm points just by provoking her more often? She felt like she had found a bug.

"I believe everyone here saw what happened just now. Whether this matter is settled or not depends on the two of you," Jiang Yan said in a low voice. He didn't explicitly take Shen Qingyao's side, but he made it clear he would not allow anyone to drag this out.

Wang Guihua’s eyes darted around as she quickly weighed the pros and cons. A little suffering was fine, as long as the future gains made up for it. She nodded vigorously. "It’s settled, of course it’s settled! We’re all family, right, Mengyi?"

Seeing Shen Mengyi freeze, Wang Guihua nudged her. Shen Mengyi bit her lip, unable to hide her rage. She took a deep breath and put on a different face. "Sister, I apologize..."

Shen Qingyao stepped out of Jiang Yan’s embrace and responded with a cold sneer. "It’s been a while, but your apologies are still as fake as ever."

"Sister..."

In front of Jiang Yan, Shen Mengyi felt utterly belittled by Shen Qingyao. First controlled, then threatened, and now insulted. She was terrified she might lose control and throw a stone at Shen Qingyao.

Wang Guihua sensed Shen Mengyi’s agitation and pulled her behind her. "Yao-yao, we didn't just come to see your brother today; we came to see you, too."

"See me?" That was a surprise.

Wang Guihua explained unhurriedly, "You haven't been home for two days, and people outside are bound to gossip. I came to check on you so you can go back and shut their mouths, don't you think?"

"Not necessary," Shen Qingyao refused flatly. She didn't care what others said; in her eyes, those people just enjoyed the thrill of gossip. They had nothing better to do than sit in the courtyard and stir up nonsense.

"Sister, if you don't care, what about the reputation of the Shen family?" Shen Mengyi said, her voice rising with excitement, as if she were already planning her revenge. "You aren't even married yet, and people are saying such nasty things—don't blame them when they do. Father is counting on being named an advanced worker at the factory; don't ruin the whole family because of your own reputation!"

"Is that so? Are you really thinking of the family, or do you just want to get back at me?"

Having her true intentions laid bare, Shen Mengyi didn't bother to hide them anymore.