Chapter 21: Sheng Yang Is the Last Person Qualified to Accuse Wen Jin

Wen You’s expression shifted slightly, her lips pulling into a faint, strained smile. "Since Wen Jin took the items, they obviously need to be replaced."

Sheng Yang did not answer, merely looking down at her.

His gaze made Wen You feel a flicker of panic. She turned her face away. "Wen Jin’s parents are nothing more than a nanny and a driver; what kind of child could they possibly raise? They’re most experienced when it comes to this sort of petty theft."

Evening had arrived, and the sky was dim.

Sheng Yang looked up at the heavens, the dark blue hues deepening within his eyes.

A moment later, he looked away, though his gaze did not linger on Wen You for even a second. He took a step forward. "Let’s go. It wouldn’t do to be late to meet your parents."

Watching his retreating figure, Wen You slowly tightened her grip on her palms, then acted as if nothing had happened, following closely behind him.

She saw it now.

Sheng Yang did not truly care for Wen Jin after all.

***

"I just spoke with Sister Jing, and she said she can return to work next Monday," Wen Jin reported to Sister Shuang at the office.

Ming Yueshuang nodded, rubbing her temples as a headache set in. Looking at Wen Jin, her eyes held a trace of guilt. "Wen Jin, I have to report today’s incident to the boss. It might affect you, but I will make sure to explain everything clearly."

"The boss isn't someone who can't tell right from wrong."

Honestly, regarding today’s matter, if Sheng Yang and Wen You had been willing to check the surveillance cameras or cooperate with an investigation, the label of "thief" would never have been pinned on Wen Jin.

Yet, it was precisely those few words from Sheng Yang that directly condemned her, even though they all knew Wen Jin had nothing to do with it.

That is how rumors spread.

Wen Jin nodded, saying softly, "Thank you, Sister Shuang."

Ming Yueshuang looked at her, wanting to say more, but in the end, she could only manage, "You’ve been wronged."

Had she been wronged? Perhaps. But Wen Jin felt no great ripples in her heart anymore. She had suffered more than enough indignities at the hands of Sheng Yang; this incident hardly mattered.

After leaving the office, Wen Jin packed her things, intending to stay with Qiaoqiao for a while. However, she suddenly received a call from the prison. A sense of foreboding washed over her the moment she saw the caller ID.

She answered, and a formal voice reached her ears: "Is this the family of Wen Chaosheng? This is Red Mountain Prison."

The call lasted only two minutes, yet Wen Jin’s heart turned completely cold.

Wen Chaosheng was facing additional sentencing due to a previous incident where he had assaulted a prison guard.

Wen Jin quickly replayed everything in her mind, then remembered Sheng Yang’s words from earlier. The blood in her veins ran cold. She closed her eyes and gripped the table to steady herself.

After a long silence, she finally called Sheng Yang.

Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. She tried sending him a message, but it remained unacknowledged. Consumed by anxiety, Wen Jin gathered her things and rushed toward the Mei Garden. How ironic—only last night she had declared she would never return, yet here she was, begging to come back.

But Wen Jin had no other choice. When Sheng Yang chose to ignore her, she had no way to reach him.

However, upon arriving at the Mei Garden, she found he wasn't there. He had gone to meet Wen You’s elders.

Wen Jin took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. She opened the group chat she had previously muted and, sure enough, found the name of the hotel where they were staying.

Without time to think, she rushed to the hotel. But she couldn't get into such a place and was forced to wait downstairs. During this time, every message she sent to Sheng Yang vanished into the void.

To make matters worse, her aunt seemed to have heard something, tentatively asking via WeChat what had happened. Wen Jin called her back, explaining, "There’s a hidden story behind Father’s situation. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it as soon as possible."

Her aunt sensed something was wrong. "Is there trouble with the Sheng family?"

"No," Wen Jin denied it immediately. She watched the elevator doors. "It’s complicated to explain over the phone. I’ll tell you the details when I return to Yangcheng."

With things left at that, Guan Fanghua couldn't press further, though she worriedly reminded Wen Jin to reach out to the family if she ran into trouble.

The elevator opened, and Wen Jin saw Sheng Yang step out. She hung up the phone and hurried toward him, slightly breathless. "Sheng Yang—"

Sheng Yang was always meticulous about his appearance, but the level of refinement today made it clear how much he valued Wen You’s family. Wen Jin tried to ignore everything else, focusing on his rolled-up sleeves.

The protruding bone of his wrist formed a beautiful, fluid line, outlining his sense of power.

Wen Jin’s voice was low and steady. "I have something to ask you. Can we talk in private?"

Sheng Yang raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her with blatant sarcasm. "I recall you weren't like this back at Crescent this afternoon."

Wen Jin knew Sheng Yang’s temperament; he was the most vengeful of men, especially after she had defied him repeatedly.

Wen Jin curled her fingers, lowered her lashes, and whispered, "I apologize for earlier, but I have something very important to ask you."

Sheng Yang scoffed. "Is it a question, or are you looking for a favor?" His eyes grew colder. "Wen Jin, you’ve always been such a hypocrite."

Wen Jin didn't miss the disdain in his eyes, but she couldn't afford to show even a hint of resentment. She had come for her father; she had to endure his mockery.

"Sheng Yang, do you know about my father? You said before that you wouldn't let him get an extended sentence..."

She looked up at him, her clear, clean eyes filled with humble pleading. But before she could finish, Sheng Yang cut her off.

He remained expressionless, a flicker of impatience appearing between his brows. "When did I ever promise you such a thing?"

"I said that a hit-and-run driver like Wen Chaosheng would never do anything good. Why would I help a man of such poor character?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over her from top to bottom. "You and your father are very much alike."

"I agree with Wen You. Parents with poor moral character truly cannot raise decent children."

The words were a reminder of what had happened at the design studio that afternoon. Wen Jin closed her eyes, her eyelids turning red. Tears welled up, wetting her lashes, but she bit her lip and forced them back.

She dug her fingernails into her palms to keep her voice from trembling.

"Sheng Yang, you are the last person who should be judging me from a moral high ground. From the first day I met you, I have never done anything to wrong you."

Not only had she never wronged him, but from start to finish, she had carefully held him in her palms, trying to appease him.

Now, Wen Jin realized how terribly wrong she had been.

She composed herself and stepped past him. Yet, she couldn't help but mock herself internally. She must have truly lost her mind today to have tried to seek his help under such circumstances.