Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Only Ye Wan Lan Could Pull This Off

Last time, Ye Wan Lan had nearly injured Sheng Yun Yi’s right hand. This time, she’d gotten smarter and gone after the painting.

Cheap. Dirty. A low trick that would never stand on any stage.

But as the accusations filled the room, Zhou He Chen suddenly realized something—his secretary wasn’t with him.

Sheng Yun Yi noticed too. “He Chen, what happened to Secretary Li?”

Zhou He Chen frowned. “He said he ate too hard and dislocated his jaw. I approved his leave. He’s recovering at the hospital.”

Secretary Li had always been reliable. Zhou He Chen still couldn’t quite believe something so ridiculous could happen.

“Then let him rest,” Sheng Yun Yi said softly. “It’s nothing. It’s just a painting. I can paint another. It’s just… Gold Mountain Hotel—”

“No.” Fang Qing Ya’s voice snapped like a whip. “We can’t let this go. How did she even get in?”

The person in charge froze. “She’s definitely not a student at No. 1 High School. As for how she entered… I honestly don’t know.”

Zhou He Chen’s gaze turned cutting. “Useless. Bring me the principal.”

The person in charge practically ran.

A few minutes later, the principal arrived with him, panting. “Mr. Zhou, Miss Sheng, Miss Fang—this Miss Ye is not a student at No. 1 High School. Two days ago, her uncle came to our school to try to enroll her, but we absolutely could not accept her.”

He wiped his forehead. “The reason she appeared on campus is because she came for counseling.”

“Counseling?” Fang Qing Ya scoffed. “What counseling does she need? The one with trauma is Yun Yi. The one who nearly had her hand cut off wasn’t her!”

The principal went pale. “Please rest assured—she will never appear at No. 1 High School again. I’ll have the counseling team put her on the visitor blacklist.”

“And what good is that now?” Fang Qing Ya shot back. “Yun Yi’s painting is already destroyed. Can she reproduce it stroke for stroke?”

The principal choked. “I… well…”

The bell rang for class dismissal, and a wave of cheering rolled in from outside the windows.

“Yun Yi,” Zhou He Chen said, pulling her close, “come to my place first. I’ll send people to find Ye Wan Lan. I won’t let you suffer for this.”

“Sister Yun Yi,” Fang Qing Ya said through clenched teeth, “I’ll call my second brother too. Don’t worry. We’re all on your side.”

Sheng Yun Yi lowered her lashes. “Thank you, Qing Ya.”

“Why thank me? We’re good sisters.” Fang Qing Ya’s fury burned bright. “This time we can’t let her off like last time. If she dared to do it, she has to bear the consequences.”

—

At the same time, Lin Huai Jin was driving the family to a restaurant.

Once they arrived, he went to park.

Lin Wen Li and Ye Wan Lan walked side by side toward the private room. Xu Pei Qing hesitated, then—after struggling with herself—didn’t pull Lin Wen Li away.

Lin Wen Li’s mouth tightened. “Are you really going to No. 7 High School?”

“Yeah.” Ye Wan Lan’s expression stayed lazily indifferent. “The day after tomorrow I’ll take the qualification exam. Then I’ll officially enroll at No. 7 High School.”

She had someone to find there.

Lin Wen Li frowned.

He didn’t know what the principal had said to Professor Fu after he left. He only knew the result: nothing came after.

Still… Ye Wan Lan really did seem different lately. Better. Except for the moments when she acted like she’d gone completely off the rails.

Lin Huai Jin walked into the private room and immediately noticed the gift box in Ye Wan Lan’s hand. “Who gave you that? Don’t let some bad guy trick you again.”

Ye Wan Lan’s features were striking—half like Lin Jia Yan, deep-set and intense, the kind of beauty that hit you on first glance. Lin Huai Jin had never met his sister-in-law who remarried, but he could imagine she must have been a rare beauty too.

And that was what worried him.

He didn’t want Ye Wan Lan attracting another man like Zhou He Chen—powerful, high status, and treating women like a product.

“Trick me?” Ye Wan Lan tugged at the ribbon, thinking. Then she smiled. “I’m the one tricking him.”

Lin Huai Jin blinked. “Tricking him how?”

“I tricked him into letting me pinch his cheeks,” Ye Wan Lan said calmly. “He’s very considerate.”

Lin Huai Jin stared. “…What?”

None of that made sense.

He was starting to think she really did need counseling.

When the dishes arrived, Lin Huai Jin leaned toward Xu Pei Qing and muttered in misery, “Pei Qing… you think some random pig is trying to steal our family’s cabbage?”

Xu Pei Qing didn’t answer. She picked up a piece of flatbread and stuffed it into his mouth.

“You’re annoying.”

Lin Huai Jin fell silent.

—

An hour later, Zhou He Chen’s private courtyard was packed with young masters and young ladies from River City’s top families.

The mood was ugly.

“Why even check? It was obviously her,” someone said. “She knows Yun Yi’s paintings are often borrowed by No. 1 High School for the students to study.”

“Qin Xian is still in the hospital,” someone else added. “That tells you how vicious she is.”

“If it’s her, then drag her over,” another voice said impatiently. “Settle it.”

Fang Qing Ye had a cigarette between his teeth. “What are you all talking for? Bring her over and end it.”

He couldn’t care less whether Ye Wan Lan had ruined Sheng Yun Yi’s painting. He only wanted the mysterious girl who’d raced at the Little Gold Mountain.

Sheng Yun Yi didn’t interest him. This drama didn’t interest him. He didn’t have time for it.

Fang Qing Han finally spoke, measured and calm. “There’s no evidence. We can’t assume it was Miss Ye.”

“Brother, you’re naïve.” Fang Qing Ya pressed a protective hand to Sheng Yun Yi’s back, anger and grief mixing. “Besides Ye Wan Lan, who would target Yun Yi? She’s always been jealous. Did you forget last time? If we hadn’t arrived in time, Yun Yi’s hand would’ve been ruined.”

“Times change,” Fang Qing Han said. “I heard Miss Ye has already given up on He Chen. If so, she has no reason to keep targeting Yun Yi.”

Before he could finish, Xu Li shook his head. “You haven’t dealt with her. You don’t understand her. She’s petty, jealous, vindictive—and she bullies the weak. Only she could do something like this.”

“Exactly,” Fang Qing Ya said bitterly. “It has nothing to do with Yun Yi, but she always blames Yun Yi for everything.”

Sheng Yun Yi wiped her tears. Her voice trembled, but her eyes stayed steady. “She can target me all she wants. But she shouldn’t have touched my painting.”

She drew in a breath. “I’m calling the police.”