Chapter Thirty-Three: The Truth Revealed

"What do you think?" Feng Bing looked at Du Zhiye. "I feel Wen Xiyao is quite good." She counted Wen Xiyao's merits on her fingers. "He's handsome, gentle, and courteous, knows how to take care of a woman, comes from a good family, and most importantly, he likes you."

"So?" Du Zhiye asked.

"Why not try dating him?" Feng Bing replied. "You broke up with Tao Ranming, and Du Xin has hooked up with Jiang Yingnan. Your stepmother must be quite pleased with herself!" She shifted, finding a comfortable position. "By the way, the last time you mentioned someone tampering with your car, any progress?"

Du Zhiye shook her head, then added since Feng Bing couldn't see it, "I suspect it's my stepmother, but there's no evidence yet."

"If you do find evidence proving it was her, what will you do?" Feng Bing asked.

Du Zhiye paused, then spoke calmly as if discussing something utterly mundane. "Take away what she cares about most."

What Yan Xiufang cared about most was her position as Madam Du.

Du Zhiye thought Yan Xiufang wouldn’t slip up so soon, but the next day, the private detective sent her several photos and a video.

Du Zhiye looked at the photos first—they were all taken in a café. Yan Xiufang wore sunglasses, sitting opposite Chen Dong. The two clearly knew each other.

Yet in the photos, the atmosphere between them was hardly pleasant.

Du Zhiye saved the photos and clicked on the video.

The video was much more direct. Chen Dong was tied to a chair, blindfolded, his face marked with various wounds.

He confessed everything, detailing the tasks Yan Xiufang had instructed him to do.

Du Zhiye closed the video and exhaled deeply.

That evening after work, Du Zhiye didn’t return to her apartment, but drove back to the Du house.

In front of Du Qi, she tossed the photos of Yan Xiufang and Chen Dong meeting at the café onto the table.

Du Qi froze, picked up the photos for a glance, his gaze turning cold. "What’s going on?"

He directed the question to Du Zhiye, but his authoritative eyes landed firmly on Yan Xiufang.

"I’d like to know myself!" Du Zhiye raised her head, looking at Yan Xiufang, whose face had gone pale, her body trembling slightly. She spoke languidly, "Aunt Yan, what shady business are you up to outside? Someone sent me these photos."

Yan Xiufang clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her flesh. The pain steadied her. She managed a forced smile. "I have no idea who played this prank."

She lifted her gaze to meet Du Qi’s questioning eyes, her eyes reddening instantly. "I went to the mall yesterday and had my phone stolen. The man in the photo helped me get it back."

She lowered her eyes, her face full of grievance and sorrow at being doubted by Du Qi. "I offered him money, but he refused, saying if I wanted to thank him, I could buy him a cup of coffee."

Du Zhiye smiled silently. Yan Xiufang was certainly composed, but whether she could withstand deeper probing remained to be seen. "Aunt Yan, along with the photos, they also sent me this man's information."

Yan Xiufang stiffened for a moment, but quickly wiped her eyes, using the gesture to hide the panic within. "Is that so?"

"Indeed," Du Zhiye said. "You and this man really are fated, he’s also from Gaofeng County."

Yan Xiufang’s heart sank, but after a lifetime of scheming, such minor storms from Du Zhiye hardly fazed her. "That I didn’t know."

Du Zhiye let out a faint sneer, picked up the photo Du Qi had tossed onto the coffee table, and frowned slightly. "How odd." She looked at Yan Xiufang. "Aunt Yan, you say you were thanking him for helping you get your phone back, but… why do both of you look so unhappy in these photos?"

"You’re mistaken," Yan Xiufang replied, her annoyance barely concealed.

"Is that so?" Du Zhiye smiled, lifting her eyelids to glance at Yan Xiufang before handing the photo to Du Qi. "Dad, you have a keen eye for people, take a look—doesn’t the atmosphere in these photos seem a bit peculiar?"