He was a disabled military officer who doted on his research work in the Northwest.

Several women in the crowd softened their expressions.

"This girl... is indeed still in school."

"Zhao Jianhui is a braggart—"

But on the other side of the crowd stood several children from the compound who had grown up with Zhao Jianhui since childhood. Their faces were ashen.

"How dare she say that?" a young man with a buzz cut muttered. "Everyone knows she's always telling Jianhui, 'Brother Jianhui, I want that,' 'Brother Jianhui, that dress is so pretty'—and now she says she doesn't want to wear it, that Jianhui forced her to. Has she no shame?"

"Exactly," chimed in a tall, thin man. "When Jianhui treated us to dinner, she sat at the head of the table and ordered—braised chicken, braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs—the whole table of food cost more than half a month's worth of my food expenses. Why didn't she say she was an exhibit back then?"

Hearing these words, Zhao's mother felt as if she had found a witness, and her voice rose even louder:

"You all heard that, right? I'm not wronging her! She's the one who led my son astray!"

Shen Yao pursed her lips.

Some people are starting to side with Zhao's mother, and the situation is not good.

"Auntie—" She took a deep breath, her voice suddenly becoming calmer, "I know you hate me. But Jianhui is an adult; he makes his own decisions about what he does and says. I didn't force him, and I couldn't stop him."

"you--"

"He came to me that night and asked me to run away with him." Shen Yao's voice was steady. "I didn't run away. When the investigation team asked me, I told the truth. I'm sorry to Jianhui, but that's because three people died. Three lives!"

Her eyes were clear as a pool of water, but her words were like knives to Zhao's mother: "I can't run away like him and pretend nothing happened."

Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother's mind went blank for a moment.

She had imagined that Shen Yao would deny it to the death, but she didn't expect that this woman would admit it so openly, and even use Jianhui to whitewash herself after admitting it.

That moment of silence instantly turned into fury: "Stop pretending to be a good person, you slut!" Her voice was shrill like an owl's, "You didn't betray my son out of any conscience—you did it to clear yourselves! You're afraid of being seen as an accomplice! You're just selfish!"

These words hit the nail on the head, and Shen Yao's lips twitched slightly.

But she quickly regained her composure: "Auntie... I can't help it if you say that, but I have a clear conscience."

"A clear conscience?!" Zhao's mother's voice was shrill. "My son is in jail eating—and you're out there living it up, you think you have a clear conscience! You have no conscience at all!"

Her rationality had snapped; she abruptly raised her hand—

"Snapped!"

He slapped Shen Yao across the face.

The crisp sound echoed through the alley.

Shen Yao's head was knocked to one side, and her left cheek quickly swelled up, leaving a clear, bright red handprint.

A gasp went up from the crowd.

Shen Yao covered her face and swayed slightly.

pain.

Burning pain.

But her mind was clearer than ever.

a slap.

Well played.

As long as she was hit, Zhao's mother would be forever branded as the abuser.

She was the victim, a pitiful girl who was dragged down by her ex-boyfriend and violently bullied by his mother.

Shen Yao slowly lowered her hand from her face.

She did not back down.

Instead, he took a step forward, tilted his head back, and turned his right cheek toward Zhao's mother.

"Auntie," her voice was soft and trembling, but unusually clear, "if hitting me can calm you down... then please continue hitting me."

Zhao's mother was stunned.

The onlookers were stunned.

Shen Yao stood there with her face tilted back, her left cheek swollen, her right cheek facing Zhao's mother.

Tears streamed down her face silently. "I know you hate me... Jianhui is in jail, and you're heartbroken..." Her voice was as soft and gentle as a thread in the wind, "If hitting me would make you feel any better... then hit me."

Her shoulders were trembling, and her thin figure stood in the gray winter sunlight, like a white flower bent by the wind.

Several women in the crowd suddenly had tears in their eyes.

"Oh dear, this child has had a tough time..."

"Yes, what a young girl, beaten up like this..."

"Sister-in-law Zhao, you've gone too far—that's just a young girl who doesn't know anything... Isn't it all Jianhui's own fault?"

Zhao's mother's hand trembled as she held it in mid-air, her chest aching with anger, wishing she could strangle Shen Yao in front of her.

"You—don't think I'll soften just because you're playing the victim!" Her voice was hoarse. "You ruined my son—"

"Auntie," Shen Yao interrupted her, her voice carrying a hint of restrained calm, "Although I haven't done anything, if you must find someone to hate—hate me."

Her voice softened further: "After all, I used those things... although I don't know where that money came from... if this makes you feel any better, Yao Yao is willing."

The way she said that made her sound like a pitiful little innocent flower.

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, and public opinion visibly shifted in Shen Yao's favor.

"That's enough, Sister Zhao—the girl's already offered her her face, what more do you want?"

"Jianhui, it's your own fault for not disciplining your son properly, why are you blaming that young girl?"

"Exactly—what's wrong with someone cooperating with the investigation and telling the truth?"

Zhao's mother was trembling with rage. Seeing public opinion overwhelmingly against her, her reason was about to be extinguished by her fury.

"You've all been fooled by her!" Zhao's mother roared at the crowd, "She's just a—"

"How dare you hit my daughter?"

Shen's mother rushed out of the house.

She had been hiding inside the house, too afraid to come out—but when she saw her daughter's face swollen from being hit, and she still offered her face to be hit, she couldn't bear the heartache.

"Your son, Zhao, is a good-for-nothing who broke the law—what does that have to do with my daughter?" Shen's mother rushed forward, blocking Shen Yao's path. "You can't even raise your son properly, yet you have the nerve to cause trouble in my house? My daughter is beautiful, and he's willing to spend money on her—what can we do? According to your logic, all beautiful girls in the world are sinners!"

"You—" Zhao's mother was furious and shoved Shen's mother aside. "What a fine daughter you've raised! First, you seduce people into spending money, then you sell them out when things go wrong—your entire Shen family is the same! You old whore!"

Shen's mother was pushed and stumbled, but once she regained her balance, she immediately pounced on Zhao's mother and grabbed her by the collar.

"Who are you calling an old whore! Say it again!"

The two women started fighting.

Pulling hair, tearing clothes, scratching faces with fingernails.

"Make way, make way—"

"Stop hitting me—"

"Ouch, sister-in-law, let go, let go, you pulled on me—"

Shen Yao took two steps back and stood in the corner of the courtyard.

She covered her left cheek, her shoulders still trembling slightly—to outsiders, she looked like a pitiful girl who was terrified.

But the eyes beneath her lowered eyelids were as cold as ice.

She watched coldly as the two women fought through the gaps in the crowd.

When Zhao's mother came to make trouble, it suited her just the way she wanted to.

The more she made a scene, the more she seemed like a victim.

The more she made a scene, the more sympathy people felt for her.

That slap just now—it hurt. But it was worth it. The price of one slap was the sympathy of the entire residential compound.

Zhao Jianhui is in jail. The Zhao family is finished. The factory director's position is also gone.

Even if Zhao's mother cursed her to the heavens—so what?

Shen Yao gently covered the red mark on her face.

She'll have to get married someday. She needs to be careful with her next boyfriend; she can't accept a good-for-nothing like Zhao Jianhui. She needs to find someone more successful and capable.