The engagement was with the younger brother, but I've fallen for the older brother.

Si Yimian nestled in Ruan Qiutang's arms, watching Si Ningyou's smooth and effortless performance of shifting blame.

High, really high.

As expected of the woman who survived to the last chapter in the original story, her mind works faster than a spinning top.

One second I wanted to slap her, the next second I slapped my best friend.

What a spectacle of best friends sacrificing themselves to the heavens, their power boundless!

She managed to carve out a way out of what was clearly a dead end.

If Si Ningyou had used her brains for good, she would have turned the Si family into a Fortune 500 company long ago.

But this is better.

She loves watching dog-eat-dog dramas.

Qin Enyu probably wants to strangle Si Ningyou right now.

Si Congshan's face was ashen. He glanced at Si Ningyou and Qin Enyu, who were still blaming each other, and spoke in a deep voice.

That's enough.

The entire room fell silent.

Si Congshan looked at Qin Enyu with a stern face and spoke in a cold tone.

"Miss Qin, the Si family will investigate tonight's events thoroughly."

Qin Enyu shuddered, her legs went weak and she almost fell back into the pool.

Reporters were still snapping photos frantically, their microphones practically poking her face.

Si Congshan paused, then turned his gaze to Si Ningyou.

"Ning You, go tidy up first, don't make a mess here."

Si Ningyou's lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but seeing Si Congshan's expression, she wisely shut her mouth.

She wrapped herself tightly in a bath towel, lowered her head, and walked away quickly. When she passed Si Yimian, she paused for a moment.

Si Yimian raised her face and gave her a smile that only the two of them could see.

Si Ningyou dug her nails into her palms and quickened her pace.

She thought she was smart enough and ruthless enough.

As a result, in front of Si Yimian, she was like an elderly person who had just downloaded an anti-fraud app and then received a scam call.

I've been scammed again!

Si Yimian peeked out from Ruan Qiutang's arms, waved, and signaled the waiter next to her to come over.

"Could you please pick up the bracelets on the ground for me, and put the broken ones away as well?"

The waiter squatted down, carefully picked up the bracelet that had broken into three pieces, wrapped it in a velvet cloth, and handed it to her.

Si Yimian took it and looked down at the pieces of broken jade.

"Mom, I'm going to say a few words to Miss Qin."

Ruan Qiutang frowned: "Mianmian, she just now..."

"It's fine."

Si Yimian looked up, her eyes clear, her expression both firm and gentle.

"Let's talk things out and not bother each other anymore. I don't want you and Dad to keep worrying about me."

That's incredibly sensible of you to say.

Ruan Qiutang looked at her daughter with heartache in her eyes, and finally nodded.

Si Yimian walked towards the crowd, lifting her wet skirt.

When the reporters saw her coming, they automatically made way for her.

"Miss Qin, shall we talk?"

She stood in front of Qin Enyu.

Qin Enyu looked at her warily, the fierceness on her face fading, leaving only confusion and fear.

"What do you want to do?"

"Nothing."

Si Yimian tilted her head, her expression innocent.

"I just feel that some things need to be discussed behind closed doors. It's awkward for everyone to talk about them here."

She paused, then added.

"Of course, if you want to talk here, I have no objection."

"Since the reporters haven't left yet, it's a good opportunity for them to take more footage."

Qin Enyu glanced at the reporters who were still frantically pressing the shutter button and gritted her teeth.

"Where to?"

Si Yimian turned her head and gestured with her chin towards the waiter next to her.

"Take her to the lounge."

Si Yimian turned to face the reporters, raising her flushed face.

"Everyone, there are many misunderstandings about what happened tonight. Ms. Qin and I need to talk about it privately."

"Please give us some space, thank you."

The reporters looked at each other, some wanting to ask more questions, but Si Yimian had already turned and left.

Meanwhile, He Sichen stood in the shadows of the second-floor terrace, his shadow elongated by the light.

I swished the champagne between my fingers, then tilted my head back and poured the liquid down my throat.

When he saw Si Yimian slip out through the side door, he instinctively followed her out.

I never expected to witness a textbook example of entrapment.

From the moment she took off her shoes to warm up by the pool to the moment she slapped Qin Enyu so hard she was completely disoriented.

From the moment she was holding two people down in the water, one in each hand, to the moment she heard footsteps, her expression instantly changed to that of a pitiful little drowning girl.

The entire process was completed in one go, with zero editing.

This is the first time I've ever found watching people fight so interesting.

He always thought she was obedient, gentle, and occasionally a little mischievous.

But what was essentially a little creature that needed to be protected and cherished turned out to be a little Tyrannosaurus Rex in sheep's clothing.

This contrast will take him a while to process.

pretty good.

That way he won't always worry about her being bullied.

He glanced in the direction she had left, placed the empty glass on the stone railing, and turned back to the banquet hall.

He will be there when it's his turn.

He chose not to cause trouble when it wasn't his place to be there.

……

Twenty minutes later.

Si Yimian took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and let her half-dry hair fall loosely over her shoulders.

She pushed open the door to the lounge, where Qin Enyu had already changed into dry clothes and was sitting on the sofa.

The swelling from the slap on my face has subsided somewhat, but the redness and swelling are still there.

When Qin Enyu saw her come in, she jumped involuntarily.

"What are you planning to do now?"

Si Yimian closed the door behind her and locked it.

"Don't be nervous."

Si Yimian sat down on the sofa and placed the broken jade on the coffee table with a clinking sound.

"Let's talk about compensation."

"Are you paying by credit card or in installments?"

Qin Enyu stared at the velvet bag, her face turning pale.

"It fell by itself! I didn't pull it! You deliberately let go!"

Do you have any evidence?

Si Yimian raised an eyebrow at her slightly.

"There are no security cameras in the pool. You say I deliberately let go, but I say you grabbed it and dropped it. Don't forget I have Si Ningyou as a witness."

"We each have our own version of events, so guess who the judge will believe?"

Qin Enyu opened her mouth, only to find that she couldn't utter a word.

Just now by the pool, that's what she said to Si Yimian.

Karma came too quickly; before she could recover from the first blow, the second one had already hit her in the face.

"You...you set me up?"

"Don't put it so harshly."

Si Yimian carefully put the broken bracelets back into the velvet bag, tightened the drawstring, and moved slowly and methodically.

"I'm the kind of person who treats others the way they treat me."

"You're using the lack of CCTV footage to falsely accuse me of bullying, so I'll use the lack of CCTV footage to make you pay compensation. That's fair."

Qin Enyu also knew that she couldn't deny this.

There's no surveillance footage, but that bitch Si Ningyou's slap just now made her stance perfectly clear.

The Si family's legal team is no pushover either.

She stared at the few pieces of broken jade, her lips trembled slightly, and all her former arrogance vanished.

"I...I don't have 70 million."

"Si Yimian, just kill me, I really can't afford it."

Si Yimian sneered, "Why would I kill you? I won't do anything illegal."

Qin Enyu looked up, her eyes reddening.

Despite her glamorous career in the two years since her debut, the company takes a huge cut, and she hasn't saved much money at all.

Adding to the recent negative news, several business contracts that were about to expire have fallen through, and the brand owners are still pursuing breach of contract penalties.

If what happened tonight gets published by the media, she won't even be able to keep her name as an unknown actress.

If the Si family holds her accountable, her life will truly be over.

But the fact that Si Yimian was willing to talk behind closed doors shows that she still has something she wants from him.

When there is demand, there is market.

Qin Enyu took a deep breath and made the most clear-headed decision of her life.

She slid off the sofa, her knees hitting the carpet with a dull thud.

"Ms. Si, I'm sorry."

"I know I was wrong. It was my fault for bullying you in high school, and it was also wrong of me to talk nonsense on variety shows..."

"But I really can't afford to pay for it. If you call the police, my life is over."

Si Yimian listened quietly as she finished speaking.

"Miss Qin, what does your life's end have to do with me?"

Qin Enyu's tears streamed down her face: "I'll do anything as long as you let me go..."

Si Yimian looked down at Qin Enyu kneeling in front of her, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"You really would do anything?"