After helping Lin Jiaojiao up, Tang Yunzheng glared fiercely at Su Mianmian. "Su Mianmian, why did you push Jiaojiao?"
Lin Jiaojiao huddled in Tang Yunzheng's arms, pouting. "Yunzheng, it's not Mianmian's fault. She wanted to go home, but I wanted to play with you a little longer, so I thought I'd keep her a little longer. I didn't expect her to suddenly get angry..." "You're talking nonsense! That's not how it happened at all!"
Su Mianmian hadn't expected Lin Jiaojiao to make up such a story right in front of her. "You said a bunch of nasty things to me and grabbed my hand. I shook you off, but I didn't really use any force."
Tang Yunzheng only heard Su Mianmian say that she shook off Lin Jiaojiao's hand, which caused Lin Jiaojiao to fall. His brow furrowed deeply.
"Su Mianmian, ever since your birthday, you've been like a completely different person. You've become so strange and difficult to get along with. Jiaojiao just wanted you to stay a little longer, why are you taking it out on her like this?"
They say people in love have zero IQ, and Su Mianmian felt that Tang Yunzheng's IQ had practically dropped to negative numbers. She could accept that he didn't like her, but she couldn't tolerate him teaming up with Lin Jiaojiao to bully her like this!
Thinking of this, she pointed to the security camera above her. "If you want to know whose fault it is, just check the security footage."
Lin Jiaojiao had only met Su Mianmian twice. From Tang Yunzheng's descriptions of her, she roughly judged that Su Mianmian was a weak and easily bullied person, which was why she dared to bully her behind Tang Yunzheng's back.
She never expected Su Mianmian to be so fierce when she was truly provoked. Afraid that Tang Yunzheng would find out the truth, she panicked for a moment. "Yunzheng, it's really not Mianmian's fault. Don't argue with her because of me. Look, I'm not hurt. Let's just let it go."
Su Mianmian wasn't going to let it go so easily. "How can we let it go? I'm not going to take the blame for nothing!" She said, and walked towards the restaurant's front desk. Tang Yunzheng didn't understand why Su Mianmian was still holding a grudge even though Lin Jiaojiao had already been generous and didn't care. He shouted from behind, "Do you think you own the restaurant and can check it whenever you want?" Lin Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief. "Yunzheng, can't we just check the security footage here?" Tang Yunzheng grunted, his thick eyebrows furrowing. "Making a mountain out of a molehill! Isn't it chaotic enough already!"
Lin Jiaojiao pouted. "Mianmian is so fierce, not at all like the gentle person you described." Tang Yunzheng was also seething inside. He didn't know what was wrong with Su Mianmian these past few days; she seemed to be constantly contradicting him.
He took Lin Jiaojiao's hand and followed her to the front desk, where he heard Su Mianmian talking to the lobby manager. "I'm sorry, ma'am, it's not that we're uncooperative, but it involves the rights of other customers, so we can't just let you see the surveillance footage. We hope you can understand."
Lin Jiaojiao heard this from afar and a smug smile played on her lips. Tang Yunzheng coughed, "Su Mianmian, that's enough. Jiaojiao hasn't even said anything yet."
Su Mianmian bit her lip, thinking that her sister knew the owner of this restaurant, and hesitated whether to call her. A group of people in suits escorted a tall, handsome man into the restaurant.
The lobby manager spotted Gu Yizhou immediately and rushed forward to greet him. "Mr. Gu, welcome!"
Gu Yizhou nodded slightly, then noticed Su Mianmian's downcast head. He paused, gestured for his people to go in first, and then turned to walk towards Su Mianmian. "What happened?"
Su Mianmian first saw a pair of shiny leather shoes, then heard a familiar voice. She looked up, startled, and met Gu Yizhou's dark eyes. "Brother-in-law?" Gu Yizhou hummed in response. "Why are you unhappy?"
The lobby manager, a smooth operator, had been quite startled when Su Mianmian called Gu Yizhou "brother-in-law." Hearing Gu Yizhou's question, he quickly stepped forward and explained the situation on Su Mianmian's behalf. "Just checking the surveillance footage?"
Su Mianmian nodded. Judging from his tone, this seemed easy for him. She looked at Gu Yizhou hopefully. Gu Yizhou glanced at the front desk manager, and before he could speak, the manager immediately agreed. "Check it, I'll take you there right away."
...Including the manager, the five of them went to the surveillance room. Su Mianmian sat in a chair, the others standing behind her. Tang Yunzheng half-embraced Lin Jiaojiao, looking impatient.
Gu Yizhou, on the other hand, leaned forward, carefully watching the footage on the monitor, one hand on the back of her chair. A faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, gradually calming Su Mianmian's emotions. Just then, the surveillance footage showed Lin Jiaojiao asking Su Mianmian if she liked Tang Yunzheng.
Su Mianmian's face flushed with embarrassment. She glanced at Tang Yunzheng and saw his thick eyebrows furrow, and his arm around Lin Jiaojiao stiffen slightly.
Then Lin Jiaojiao launched into a tirade, clearly audible to everyone, including the final fall—a obviously staged fall. Next, Tang Yunzheng stormed out, angrily berating Su Mianmian for Lin Jiaojiao's sake.
The video ended there, revealing the whole truth. Su Mianmian turned to Tang Yunzheng, "Now can we prove who's right and who's wrong?" Lin Jiaojiao hadn't expected things to be exposed so quickly; her face flushed.
"Yunzheng, let me explain, I…" "Shut up!" Tang Yunzheng hadn't expected this at all. Hearing Lin Jiaojiao's increasingly offensive insults directed at Su Mianmian, he felt a pang of pain in his heart. "Lin Jiaojiao, are you sick?
Is it fun to bully Su Mianmian?" Lin Jiaojiao pursed her lips and remained silent. Tang Yunzheng walked up to Su Mianmian again. "Little Mianmian, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have doubted you and wrongly accused you."
Su Mianmian avoided Tang Yunzheng's gaze. "Tang Yunzheng, from today onwards, let's not contact each other anymore." She then stood up and walked out. Tang Yunzheng reflexively tried to chase after her, but Gu Yizhou sidestepped him, blocking his path. "Have you thought it through? Who do you choose?"
Tang Yunzheng hesitated for a moment. Lin Jiaojiao, standing beside him, quickly grabbed his arm, large tears streaming down her face.
"Yunzheng, please listen to my explanation. I only made a mistake because I care about you too much..." Tang Yunzheng and Lin Jiaojiao hadn't been together for very long; the honeymoon phase was still going on. Seeing the beauty in tears softened his heart considerably.
As for Su Mianmian, she never held a grudge against him overnight; she'd deal with it properly tomorrow. Gu Yizhou clearly saw all the inner changes in Tang Yunzheng's eyes, remained expressionless, and turned to leave.
...Su Mianmian finally let out a sigh of relief after walking all the way outside the restaurant. While the feeling of the truth coming out was indeed satisfying, having so many people overhear Lin Jiaojiao saying she liked Tang Yunzheng in the surveillance footage was practically a social disaster.
She was definitely not going to take Tang Yunzheng's car home now. She hailed a taxi, and only when she sat down did she realize she'd forgotten to thank Gu Yizhou. Oh well, she'd thank him next time she saw him.
When Su Mianmian got home, it was already past nine o'clock. Her parents were already asleep, but her sister's room light was still on. Su Mianmian knocked and went in, seeing her sister, Su Yang, curled up in a wicker chair drinking red wine. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red-rimmed.
"Mianbao, you're back." Su Mianmian glanced at the empty wine bottles on the table, walked over, and squatted down beside Su Yang. "Sister, why did you drink so much again?" Su Yang didn't answer, taking another sip of wine. "Mianbao, what do you think is the purpose of life?"
Su Mianmian thought for a moment. "People live to do what they love every day and see the people they love." Su Yang hummed in agreement, her voice soft from the alcohol.
"But if I marry Gu Yizhou, I'll never see the person I love again." Su Mianmian was startled and looked at Su Yang. "Sister, what do you mean? You… don't you like Gu Yizhou?" "No, not at all."
Su Yang's voice trembled with tears. "I know, everyone thinks Gu Yizhou is handsome, has good character, and comes from a good family, but everything has its order, right? It was clearly that person who entered my heart first…" "That person?"