Chapter 24: You Truly Are Skillful

What kind of scene was this supposed to be? Just moments ago, she had clearly tried to shake off the other woman’s hand, wanting to end the entanglement. But it was Ning Qian who, following the force of her movement, guided her own hand to slap herself across the face!

In an instant, Ning Qian clutched her cheek, her eyes turning red and filling with tears, looking utterly pitiful and inviting sympathy at a glance. Shen Ling saw through her feigned frailty immediately—she was doing it on purpose.

Before she could discern Ning Qian’s true intentions, a figure suddenly rushed in. Shen Ling’s shoulder throbbed with pain from the collision, and before she could even wince, her hand was seized in a man’s iron grip.

She looked up and found herself locked in a fierce, icy gaze—it was Bo Jinhan. He didn’t bother distinguishing right from wrong before he began his interrogation. “Why did you hit her?”

Shen Ling was stunned for a moment, but then it all became clear. Ning Qian’s affected vulnerability was meant to be seen by Bo Jinhan. Shen Ling’s face darkened, and she remained silent.

Ning Qian suddenly began to sob softly, her breath hitching as if she might run out of air—her pitiful state only making her more endearing and pitiable.

“Mr. Bo, it was my fault. Don’t blame Miss Shen. I was the one who wanted Miss Shen to stay, and she only struck me because she was anxious. It’s all my fault.”

Her saccharine self-blame, her pretense of strength, was plainly meant to direct all suspicion toward Shen Ling.

As expected, the chill in Bo Jinhan’s expression deepened. He clenched his teeth and snapped, “You don’t need to explain for her. I saw everything just now.”

Outside the tearoom was a large glass door. Anyone passing by could see inside at a glance. No wonder Ning Qian had chosen to quarrel with her at the entrance—it was the perfect stage for an audience.

Prejudice in the human heart is a mountain immovable. Shen Ling knew Bo Jinhan had already made up his mind, but how could she let Ning Qian slander her so easily?

Her expression steeled as she looked at the fragile-looking Ning Qian. “Miss Ning, you should know that slander carries legal consequences.”

Ning Qian’s face went pale; she glanced around nervously, a hint of guilt flashing across her features.

Shen Ling caught every nuance of her reaction, and smiled coldly. “Frightened? There are high-definition cameras throughout the venue. Why don’t we take a look and see what really happened?”

With a clear conscience, she met their eyes without flinching.

Bo Jinhan, unable to bear it any longer, shot her a glare and sneered impatiently, “Enough. Is there anything you wouldn’t do?”

Shen Ling had thought her heart was already so battered it could feel no more pain. Yet when she suggested looking at the evidence and Bo Jinhan still insisted on believing only what he wanted to believe, she found herself chilled to the core all over again.

In Ning Qian’s once soft and innocent eyes, a glimmer of triumph began to appear at the man’s partiality. Her haughty, arrogant look seemed to silently declare: “How can you possibly compete with me?”

Amid Shen Ling’s confusion and frustration, Xu Shengye suddenly appeared, pulling her behind him protectively.

“She would never do such a thing. There must be some misunderstanding here.”

His arrival did little to clear Shen Ling’s name; instead, Bo Jinhan’s anger only burned fiercer.

Bo Jinhan’s deep, complicated gaze turned to Xu Shengye, his face frosty as he retorted, “Did you see it yourself?”

Xu Shengye shook his head but met Bo Jinhan’s eyes with unwavering conviction. “I didn’t see anything, but I know Shen Ling. She would never do such a thing!”

Bo Jinhan gave a bitter, incredulous laugh, his frustration barely contained, his voice cold as steel. “What’s your relationship with her, that you dare guarantee it?”

Xu Shengye remained as calm as water, undaunted by Bo Jinhan’s fury. He simply turned his gaze to Ning Qian.

“I know her. She would never do such a thing. Surely there must be some misunderstanding.”

Ning Qian whimpered softly, tugging at Bo Jinhan’s sleeve. “Just let it be my fault, Mr. Bo. There’s no need to stand up for me.”

Yet the more she spoke, the more her tears flowed, streaming down her cheeks like a fountain—her appearance so delicate and aggrieved, how could she not want the man to defend her?

But Bo Jinhan no longer cared about Ning Qian being struck; what preoccupied him now was the relationship between Shen Ling and Xu Shengye.

His brows knitted tightly, he turned a chilling gaze on Shen Ling. “Shen Ling, you’re truly something. You used Zhou Bin before, and now you’ve moved on so quickly. Is there room in your world for anything but personal gain?”