"Are you still stubborn at this point?" Yan Zhen's denial infuriated Yan Haikun. He operated on the computer, opened an audio file sent by Wei Shu, and played it in front of Yan Zhen. He said coldly,
"Today, I'll let you understand before you're done for."
[That night, Yuan Xi called Yan Zhen again and again, but he never answered. At first, she was quite unhappy. Then, she received a call from Yan Zhen and left.]
The content in this audio completely shattered Yan Zhen's long - held beliefs. Goosebumps rose on his body one after another, and he felt as if he had stepped into thin air and was falling off a cliff, with an extremely unreal sense of dizziness.
"I never received any of her calls. Not a single one,"
he said.
"I know someone did call her away that night, but it wasn't me,"
he murmured in a low voice.
"How could this be... It's not true."
— Yan Zhen, can I still trust you?
— Yuan Xi, can I still trust you?
Finally, he remembered what had flashed through his mind when his grandfather asked him that question. It turned out that he had said the same thing to Yuan Xi four years ago!
But at that time, he chose not to believe anymore and pushed her away brutally.
What if she was just like him now, actually wronged? What if she had never done those things at all?
Yan Haikun knew everything clearly. Seeing Yan Zhen's reaction and considering that Yan Zhen had been with Yuan Ya'er that night, he guessed that Yan Zhen had also been set up four years ago.
— And the person who set him up had now become his closest lover, and was the one Yan Zhen had personally asked to marry.
Yan Haikun always knew that his grandson, Yan Zhen, was not outstanding enough in terms of aptitude and lacked self - control. But at least he had a sincere attitude towards learning. As long as he was well - polished and trained, he could take over the Yan Group after his death. Moreover, there was the formula of his youngest son, Yan Yincheng, to support the Yan Group. As long as the uncle and nephew worked together, it would not be a problem for the Yan Group to last for several more decades. But who would have thought that this grandson... was actually being played around by a woman? He not only failed to see through her but also regarded her as a treasure.
How should he put it?
Stupid? Blind? Arrogant?
None of these words seemed to be enough to describe Yan Haikun's disappointment at this moment.
"This is the recording of the guests who attended Yuan Xi's birthday party that night. Your uncle thought there was something wrong with that incident back then, so he asked one person after another and got this result. He went to such lengths to protect Yuan Xi and seek justice for her."
"And what about you?"
"What did you do four years ago? You not only failed to verify carefully but also humiliated her in front of all the guests at your birthday party, saying that she was worthless. But do you know that in her heart, it was you—who personally pushed her into hell that night. Now, you say you can't let go, you're not willing to give up, and you don't want to see her with your uncle?"
"Yan Zhen, what can you compare with your uncle? Your brazenness and shamelessness?"
The moment when the truth is exposed is always the cruelest. Looking at his grandson's staggering and almost crazy expression, Yan Haikun also felt a bit uncomfortable.
But he knew that if this problem was left unsolved, it would lead to even greater disasters in the future. The relationship between Yan Zhen and Yuan Ya'er, which was built on schemes and deceptions, must be exposed. And Yan Zhen must be made to know that misjudging people would come at a great cost.
Next, it was up to Yan Zhen to make his own choice.
Yan Haikun said, "Go back and digest what I've said to you today. Think carefully about what really happened four years ago. Think about who in this world would want to kill your grandma and uncle, and who would make the Yan family restless and even ruin it."
After saying that, he waved his hand, making a gesture of driving someone away.
...
At the Yan family's old mansion, after having breakfast, Yan Zhen went into the study to talk to Yan Haikun. In the living room, only Yuan Ya'er, Yin Shulan, and Butler Pang were left.
Yuan Ya'er really didn't want to stay with Yin Shulan, but in front of Butler Pang's eyes, she still had to maintain her cute and generous smile and sit down beside Yin Shulan.
"Grandma, are you pruning the flowers? Do you need my help?"
Yin Shulan was still immersed in her own world and didn't respond at all.
Yuan Ya'er was so angry that she clenched her fists. She cursed the old woman in her heart. She was so old, half - buried in the soil, and still pretending. She was just as annoying as her son.
"Grandma, what kind of flower is this? I think this potted plant is growing quite well. Why do you need to prune it?" she asked persistently.
Finally, Yin Shulan responded. She glanced at Yuan Ya'er and said indifferently,
"Some potted plants may seem to be growing well, but they are full of rotten buds everywhere. If you let the rotten buds grow, they will ruin the whole potted plant. You must prune them regularly to keep it alive."
Although Yuan Ya'er thought there seemed to be nothing wrong with these words, she always felt that she was being insinuated.
Not knowing how to reply, she could only smile and say, "Grandma's hobby is really elegant."
Deliberately looking around, Yuan Ya'er asked, "Why haven't I seen Uncle Yan and Sister Xiaoxi? Have they gone out? I was thinking that after I came here and saw Sister Xiaoxi, I would apologize to her and catch up with her."
Yin Shulan's cold gaze fell on her and said,
"Call her Auntie. Didn't the two slaps at the wedding teach you a lesson?"
Yuan Ya'er's smile froze for a moment. Then she lowered her head and said, "I remember, Grandma."
Her tone sounded extremely aggrieved.
"If you find it boring to accompany this old woman, turn on the TV to kill time," Yin Shulan said and then buried her head in pruning the potted plant again. Beside her, Butler Pang very considerately turned on the TV and even switched the TV channels for Yuan Ya'er.
Coincidentally or not, just when they switched to the Fengcheng Entertainment Channel, it was broadcasting the entertainment news flash that Fengcheng people liked to watch the most. The sweet voice of the female anchor attracted everyone, and Butler Pang stopped pressing the remote control.
"Now, we are going to broadcast a piece of tabloid news about the feud among the wealthy families. Viewers who follow the news of the wealthy families in this city must know about the wedding between the Yan family and the Yuan family held at the Zunting Hotel yesterday. The bride at the wedding, Xu Zixi, became extremely popular in Fengcheng and on the Internet four years ago because of an indecent photo. But just this morning, Ji Xinyue, the daughter of the Ji family, suddenly posted a video on her social account, admitting that the photo of Xu Zixi four years ago was deliberately photoshopped by her. This is really shocking!"
As the female anchor explained, the photo taken by Li Mao four years ago appeared in the upper - left corner of the TV screen. The program later added special effects such as "PS", "fake", and "photo - montage" to the photo, making it full of entertainment effects.
There was also a commentator beside the female anchor, who also said, "This can really be said to be the most explosive news today. So far, the video posted by the daughter of the Ji family has been viewed 300 million times!"
The content of the news made Yuan Ya'er open her eyes in disbelief.
What did this mean? Ji Xinyue admitted that the photo was photoshopped? But the photo was clearly taken on the spot! And she and Yan Zhen had seen that scene with their own eyes!