Chapter 157: Avoiding Suspicion

When Liang Jinshang hurried into the surveillance room and met Zheng Jue's indescribable expression, she suddenly realized how she could have ever believed Le Quan's nonsense.

Look at that, even the person involved thought it was a couple's outfit.

And she had the nerve to talk about a matching men's and women's haute couture series—didn't she see that Zheng Jue was about to lose his mind!

"We'll talk about the clothes later." Zheng Jue felt his career prospects were in jeopardy. "...You should look at the surveillance footage first."

Liang Jinshang walked into the surveillance room.

"Come over here and look..." Shang Yucheng turned his head, his voice trailing off as his gaze fell upon Liang Jinshang's dress.

His brow was slightly furrowed, showing clear displeasure.

Liang Jinshang didn't care whether he was happy or not. With a glance, she saw the paused monitor screen.

It was frozen right at the moment when the waiter almost stepped on a balloon.

It really wasn't Gong Nian, but another unfamiliar little boy.

Liang Jinshang remained silent, but Shang Yucheng spoke up calmly, "Now that you've seen it with your own eyes, are you willing to believe me?"

"Of course. Seeing is believing, and I never wrong an innocent person." Liang Jinshang changed her tone, a trace of sarcasm in her voice. "However, before seeing this footage, Gong Nian had the highest suspicion of doing this. Yet you didn't even bother to investigate and believed her without any reason."

"Was it really me believing without reason, or you suspecting without reason?" Shang Yucheng pointed out slowly and calmly. "I knew it wasn't her because I saw with my own eyes when her asthma attack hit, and she went to the lounge right after using her inhaler. As for you, wasn't it simply guilty until proven innocent?"

"Who can blame them when those two sisters never do anything good?" Liang Jinshang retorted. "How was I supposed to know a five or six-year-old boy would pull such a malicious stunt?"

Shang Yucheng had someone pull up another clip. On the screen, Gong Xueyuan was handing balloons to the little boy, pointing in Liang Jinshang's direction and saying something.

Although there was no sound, this footage was more than enough.

Liang Jinshang sneered. "Look, just as I thought."

Despicable and brainless.

Shang Yucheng said, "Sins should not be visited upon the family. Don't let the evil things Gong Xueyuan does spill over onto Gong Nian. Jinjin, in this matter, you let your biases cloud your judgment first."

His attitude was very earnest.

Liang Jinshang's response was equally earnest. "Her character was already warped by the age of eight. As long as Gong Xueyuan keeps persistently warping her, I believe that one day, my bias will no longer be a bias, but will become reality."

Before Shang Yucheng could open his mouth, she raised a hand to cut him off. "In my heart, there are simply no good people in the Gong family. This is my own logic, and I am not asking you to agree with it. Do not attempt to persuade me otherwise, unless you want to start a fight."

Shang Yucheng looked at her quietly for a moment, his profound brows full of restrained emotion.

His gaze fell back on the gown that matched Zheng Jue's outfit, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Go change your clothes first."

Liang Jinshang didn't head toward the dressing room; she had more important things to do.

Getting wine spilled on her was a minor matter.

Gong Xueyuan probably figured it was such a trivial thing that after disgusting Liang Jinshang and Le Quan, they wouldn't blow the matter out of proportion.

However, Liang Jinshang didn't want to swallow her anger, not even over something this small.

Shang Yucheng grabbed her arm. "Didn't you say you were going to change?"

Liang Jinshang still needed him for something, so she didn't openly defy him. Instead, she smiled at him. "Not yet. Don't I look good in this dress?"

The sheer fabric was romantic, the embroidery exquisite—especially when she smiled at him like that, carrying a flavor that men found almost impossible to resist.

Shang Yucheng curved his lips at her, cupping her delicate face in one hand while using the other to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, remarking offhandedly, "Pretty, it's certainly pretty."

Liang Jinshang had originally wanted to divert Shang Yucheng's attention away from the dress so she could negotiate some other terms with him.

But Shang Yucheng had said those words while looking right into her face.

His gaze and tone were practically seductive.

It was quite embarrassing.

He lifted Liang Jinshang's face, intending to steal a kiss—something he had wanted to do back in the banquet hall.

Liang Jinshang didn't let him succeed, turning her head away. "Shang Yucheng, Gong Xueyuan bullied me like this. Aren't you going to help me exact revenge?"

"How do you propose I do that?" Shang Yucheng said with an unchanged expression. "I don't hit women."

"Who asked you to hit a woman?!"

Liang Jinshang said, "You text Gong Xueyuan and ask her to come out, right over there."

Shang Yucheng handed her his phone, but didn't let go immediately.

Instead, he wrapped his palm around Liang Jinshang's hand as well. "What are you planning to do?"

"Do something harmless, but satisfying enough to make me feel better." Liang Jinshang pursed her lips, using a tactical retreat. "If you won't help, forget it."

Since she was putting on an act, how could Shang Yucheng fail to see through it?

He let go. "Send whatever you want, do it yourself."

Liang Jinshang didn't stand on ceremony with him and directly opened the chat dialog with Gong Xueyuan.

[Xueyuan, come to the small wooden cabin on the outdoor lawn in fifteen minutes. I have something to discuss with you.]

After typing, she lifted her eyelashes to look at Shang Yucheng. "Did I nail the tone?"

Although it looked cold, this was precisely Shang Yucheng's style.

If she had really switched to some intimate tone, Gong Xueyuan probably wouldn't have fallen for it.

Shang Yucheng took the phone back from her and deleted the opening address "Xueyuan". "Like this."

He was quite careful about avoiding suspicion.

Liang Jinshang called out to Le Quan, "Let's go."

Le Quan asked, "What are we going to do?"

"Grab some makeup remover, and there are still plenty of air balloons over there." Liang Jinshang blinked at Le Quan.

An eye for an eye, doubled in return.

With just a slight hint, Le Quan understood. "Got it. When it comes to these little tricks, at a crucial moment, who isn't a woman?"