With a loud *smack*, a heavy slap landed.
Fu Wenwen stared at Fu Wanyi in disbelief, tears welling in her eyes. The slap had been so hard that half of her face quickly began to swell.
"Wenwen, hurry up and apologize to Shengxia!"
Fu Wanyi's voice trembled with restrained anger. Her slap had not only stunned Fu Wenwen but also made everyone nearby forget what Lin Shengxia had said just moments ago.
Lin Shengxia stood quietly where she was, her face expressionless, seemingly untouched by Fu Wanyi's outburst.
Fu Wanyi took in that scene, gritted her teeth, and raised her hand again.
"Mom, how can you side with that bitch!"
Fu Wenwen was young and reckless. Ever since moving into the Lin family with Fu Wanyi, she had lived a life of comfort and luxury, never once suffering humiliation. But now, because of Lin Shengxia, she had been thoroughly embarrassed. How could she swallow such an insult?
A choked sob escaped her lips as a draft of air swept past. Then, Fu Wenwen turned and rushed toward the emergency exit without looking back.
They didn't even bother with the elevator—they ran straight down the stairs.
"Enough! Move the table back!"
Lin Yixiong's brows had been tightly knit ever since seeing Lin Shengxia, his eyes fixed on her as though searching for answers.
Unexpectedly, Lin Shengxia met his gaze. Her cold, unblinking expression was as still as a frozen lake. She didn't speak, but that single look told Lin Yixiong everything—she had already seen through him. A shiver passed through him. When had his daughter become someone he could no longer control?
"Where did you go?" Lin Yixiong's tone was darker than ever before. Even Fu Wanyi, normally bold and sharp-tongued, fell silent.
"I went to discuss a business deal," Lin Shengxia replied calmly, her voice cool and steady.
"What kind of shady deal could stir up such chaos? You've completely disgraced me!" Lin Yixiong barked, his voice echoing through the room.
"Father, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't say whatever you want," she said evenly. "It's the media causing this chaos. Besides, I'm curious—if, as Ms. Fu says, no one from the Lin family tipped them off, how did the news spread so quickly? I couldn't figure it out before, but now… I think I understand everything."
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a faint glow over Lin Shengxia's fair skin. Her slightly parted lips curved as she spoke, and her words made Lin Yixiong stiffen.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded, though he already knew the answer.
"Father is a clever man," Lin Shengxia's tone was indifferent, "surely you can figure it out yourself."
She stopped there. Some truths lose their weight when said aloud.
Lin Yixiong's face darkened, his cold gaze settling on Fu Wanyi. His daughter had gone missing, yet instead of calling the police, he'd allowed his stepdaughter to act with complete freedom. If not for Fu Wanyi's constant manipulation, he never would have made such a fool of himself. The longer he looked at her, the angrier he became.
With a harsh *smack*, Lin Yixiong—who had pampered Fu Wanyi ever since she entered his home—slapped her for the first time.
Lin Shengxia did not react. Her long lashes lowered slightly, her eyes dark and unreadable.
It was hard to say what she was thinking.