Chapter 38: The War of Four Women (Part II)

Liu Lin let out a shriek as coffee poured down her cheeks and hair, staining her pristine white clothes with a large, dark brown blotch. She glared at Kong Lingxin with vicious malice, as if Kong were the one to blame for the entire debacle.

Yuan Chuchu glanced at Liu Lin with a guilty conscience, but upon seeing that Liu was glaring at Kong Lingxin, she felt relieved. Taking the offensive, she snapped, "Well, well, Kong Lingxin! To think you would dare treat Liu Lin like this—you are truly wicked!"

Kong Lingxin was utterly dumbfounded by Yuan Chuchu’s ability to turn facts upside down. She felt a sense of helplessness toward these two women, who, despite their high-society backgrounds, possessed the petty mentality of commoners. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, she chose to retreat. Liu Lin already looked pathetic enough, and Kong Lingxin could not help but feel a flicker of pity for her.

The shop attendants were terrified by the scene. After a long moment, one finally approached timidly to offer Liu Lin a clean towel. The few customers nearby gathered to watch the spectacle, pointing and whispering at the disheveled woman.

Ignoring the pair, Kong Lingxin pulled Wan Si aside.

Liu Lin, coddled and spoiled since childhood, could not swallow this insult. Seeing Kong Lingxin walk away, she lunged like a mad dog, shouting, "How dare you splash coffee on me! I’ll kill you for this!"

Seeing the situation escalate, Wan Si warned, "Miss Kong, run!"

Kong Lingxin, having studied martial arts, looked at Liu Lin’s amateurish, purely rage-filled assault and chuckled coldly, "Why run? We haven't done anything wrong."

Liu Lin charged straight at Kong Lingxin, attempting to grab her. Kong Lingxin dodged with fluid grace, leaving Liu Lin to stumble forward and crash into a table due to her own momentum.

Onlookers couldn't help but snicker. Enraged, Liu Lin grabbed a cup from the table and hurled it at Kong Lingxin, who dodged left and right, evading every projectile.

When the store manager stepped in to mediate, Liu Lin shrieked him away. Yuan Chuchu watched the violence with the cold intent of using Liu Lin as a blade, secretly cursing her for being so useless—not a single item she threw had actually hit Kong Lingxin.

Wan Si, initially worried for Kong Lingxin, was now deeply impressed by the seemingly delicate socialite’s clean and agile movements. Soon, every cup on the nearby tables had been thrown, and yet, Kong Lingxin remained unscathed.

***

It was unclear who had called the police, but just as Liu Lin was searching for more "weapons," several officers appeared in the coffee shop.

Yuan Chuchu darted toward them, pointing at Kong Lingxin. "This woman is guilty of intentional assault! Arrest her at once!"

Wan Si stepped forward. "Stop spouting nonsense! There are plenty of witnesses and surveillance cameras here. Evidence determines guilt, not your accusations!"

Yuan Chuchu shot Wan Si a look of disdain and said to the officers, "The victim is the niece of Director Liu of the Public Security Bureau. If you don't handle this properly, expect to be fired!"

Wan Si rolled her eyes. "What an impressive title! So, that’s why you’re so emboldened to hit people—you’re relying on your uncle, the Bureau Chief."

The officers, seeing that all the women appeared to be of status and elegance, hesitated to jump to conclusions.

Yuan Chuchu turned to Liu Lin. "Linlin, call your uncle quickly! Just because the Meng family has power doesn't mean they can bully you for no reason!"

The coffee on Liu Lin’s face and clothes had begun to dry, leaving unsightly brown patches that made her look like she wouldn't even need makeup to play a lunatic.

Throughout this, Kong Lingxin watched with cold detachment, letting them play out their charade. She refused to believe that black could be turned into white.

Seeing Kong Lingxin’s indifferent expression, Liu Lin shook with rage. She took her phone out and dialed her uncle, the legendary Bureau Chief. As soon as the call connected, her tears flowed on cue. "Uncle, someone hit me! You have to stand up for me!"

Fearing Liu Lin wouldn't explain it well, Yuan Chuchu grabbed the phone. "Uncle Liu, Linlin has been bullied. A woman splashed coffee on her for no reason. The police are on the scene, so please tell them to ensure justice is served for Linlin."

She handed the phone to the highest-ranking officer. "Your director wants to speak with you!"

After the call, the officer returned the phone to Liu Lin and said to Kong Lingxin, "Please come to the station to assist with our investigation."

Liu Lin and Yuan Chuchu exchanged triumphant smiles.

Wan Si stepped in to argue, "Your procedures are flawed! Do you even know who you’re trying to take in?"

***

Kong Lingxin pulled Wan Si back. "It’s fine. Since they’ve gone to such great lengths to pull strings, let’s just cooperate."

Wan Si was anxious. She didn't doubt that Kong Lingxin would eventually be cleared, but the young mistress of the Meng family seemed unaware of how much the Meng household valued their reputation. If word got out that the daughter-in-law of the Meng family had been taken to a police station, Chairman Meng Haoquan would be absolutely furious.

Wan Si insisted, "No, you cannot go with them. If we must go, these two women must come as well!"

The officer looked troubled and was about to call for instructions when a voice rang out from the crowd. "I am an eyewitness. I can clarify exactly what happened, and this has nothing to do with Miss Kong."

Everyone turned toward the speaker. Yuan Chuchu stepped back in shock. "It’s... it’s Young Master Liu."

Liu Hanyi walked up to Kong Lingxin and remarked, "You have quite agile reflexes."

Kong Lingxin was surprised that Liu Hanyi had witnessed the altercation; the feeling of being watched made her uncomfortable.

Liu Hanyi showed his credentials to the police, who immediately became respectful.

"Just now," Liu Hanyi said, "Director Liu’s niece spoke rudely to Miss Kong. Miss Yuan Chuchu then attempted to throw her coffee at Miss Kong, who deflected it, causing the coffee to spill on the director’s niece. Miss Liu then completely abandoned the decorum of a lady and began hurling items from the table like a shrew. Fortunately, Miss Kong dodged them all, or Miss Liu might have been facing criminal charges."

The crowd, whether driven by genuine observation or resentment toward the powerful, began to speak up: "That’s right! I can testify that the director’s niece started it!"

"Exactly! I saw it too!"

The officer, now uncertain, turned away to report the new developments.

Liu Lin and Yuan Chuchu turned pale. They knew clearly that with Young Master Liu’s intervention, their scheme had fallen apart.