A sound, neither loud nor soft, plunged the entire conference room into silence.
Everyone looked up to see the distinguished young master of the Ning family wearing an elegant and polished smile. Beneath his dark hair, his peach-blossom eyes scanned the room with an unreadable expression. His tone was calm. "The Qincheng Police Station has always been known for its strict discipline and upright conduct. I trust you wouldn't go looking for trouble or let any unpleasant rumors arise..."
Upon hearing these lethal words, the Police Chief felt cold sweat bead on his forehead.
Following Ning Yan’s gaze, he saw "Lu Wensheng" hiding behind a police officer while being threatened and insulted by a group of scions from wealthy families. A lightbulb went off in his mind; he suddenly understood why this young master had graced his "small temple" so early in the morning.
The Chief let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Rest assured, Young Master Ning. We will handle this case impartially and uncover the truth. We will never show favoritism, nor will we let any bully go unpunished!"
Ning Yan chuckled, his slender fingers tapping his cheek.
Though he couldn't pinpoint the source of that strange sense of dissonance, he decided... forget it!
Whether or not this "Lu Wensheng" was the woman who had slept with him, there would be no further connection or intersection between them. Ning Yan had no interest in letting any woman weave herself into his future life.
As for last night's accident... what did it have to do with him that the idiot had slept with someone?
Ning Yan suppressed a shallow trace of curiosity, cast one last glance at Lu Qingtang, withdrew his gaze, strode past the steps, and turned to leave without a shred of hesitation.
***
In the lobby, Lu Mo and the others were venting their malice toward Lu Qingtang without restraint. The vile and vicious verbal abuse made the faces of the present police officers turn leaden.
However, these individuals were all young masters and ladies from the elite circle of Qincheng. If it were just one or two families, it would be fine, but this time, over a dozen families had been affected by the injuries.
With such combined influence, even if the investigation eventually proved the young girl named Lu Wensheng innocent, her fate would likely be grim.
While the crowd looked on with concern at Lu Qingtang, who stood to the side rubbing her ears and lost in thought, the Police Chief suddenly emerged from his office, followed by a group of detectives in high-ranking uniforms.
His stern gaze swept across the noisy lobby, and he commanded coldly, "Inside a police station, openly insulting others, threatening their personal safety, and disrupting official business—cuff them all and lock them up!"
At these words, the jeering from Lu Mo and her group cut off instantly.
It wasn't until the cold metal of the handcuffs clicked onto their wrists that the group of bullies—accustomed to acting lawlessly due to their family backgrounds—realized what was happening.
They instinctively tried to pull rank, but the moment they opened their mouths, the Chief barked, "One more word and I’ll double your charges!"
"Furthermore, call their families to notify them. Investigate their past records. I want to see exactly which powerful clans raised these people to be so lawless that they dare to scream threats of violence inside a police station!"
The bullies' faces paled at his words.
Realizing that this Chief was a tough nut to crack, the group unwillingly clamped their mouths shut, though they still glared at Lu Qingtang with venomous eyes.
Lu Qingtang looked at the Police Chief, her eyes narrowing slightly.
A moment ago, the gaze that had been secretly observing her had suddenly vanished. Then, the highest leader of Qincheng had emerged. While he hadn't made it obvious, Lu Qingtang keenly sensed a subtle, lingering sense of protection coming from him.
...Who was that man?
Why help her?
Or perhaps... was he helping Lu Wensheng?!
Seeing that Lu Mo and the others had quieted down, the Chief turned to Madame Lu and Lu Erya. "Madame Lu, the results of the weapon analysis will be out in a couple of days. We will naturally ensure justice for the victim then!"
"Before that, Madame Lu, please remember: physically assaulting others is against the law!"
Madame Lu choked on her words.
Lu Erya’s expression turned ugly.
Though she didn't know why this case had alarmed the Police Chief, it didn't matter who stepped in this time; nothing could save Lu Wensheng!
However...
If she brought out her "trump card" now to seal Lu Wensheng’s guilt on the spot, the Madame Lu standing beside her might just get in the way.
After all, while she could make Madame Lu despise Lu Wensheng as a daughter, blood ties were still blood ties. Even if Madame Lu could send Lu Wensheng to her death for her sake, the rest of the Lu Family might not be so inclined.
It would be better to wait until Lu Wensheng thought she was about to be cleared, and then bring it out.
That way, she could slap Lu Wensheng hard in the face, cast her from heaven into hell, teach her to recognize the chasm between them, and force the Lu Family to completely abandon her, making her end incredibly painful and miserable!
...This time, she would completely destroy Lu Wensheng!
Thinking of this, Lu Erya put her phone away, turned to Madame Lu, and said softly, "Mom, the officer is right. Once the lab results come out, everything will be clear."
"I have a headache. Let's go home."
Madame Lu looked at the well-behaved and sensible Lu Erya, then back at "Lu Wensheng," who had been ignoring her from the start. Frustrated and unwilling to look at "Lu Wensheng" for another second, she left with Lu Erya.
After Madame Lu bailed Lu Erya out, the Chief turned to Lu Qingtang and said quite courteously, "Once the investigation results are out, we will call you, Miss Lu."
The implication was that even without bail, she was free to leave at any time.
Lu Qingtang smiled.
Things were suddenly getting... interesting.
***
Lu Qingtang pushed open the door to the rented apartment.
Lu Wensheng, who had been huddled inside, rushed out the moment she saw her. Her delicate, pale face was drained of all color, and her voice trembled from extreme terror. "Are... are you alright?"
Lu Qingtang opened her arms and spun in front of Lu Wensheng, smiling. "I'm great! No injuries, no pain, and in high spirits!"
Only then did a hint of color return to Lu Wensheng’s pale face.
Watching her shaken eyes, Lu Qingtang placed a hand on her shoulder, her voice calm and firm. "Don't be afraid. I am a very capable person. Not to mention that fake heiress, even if all their families combined their power, they couldn't touch me!"
Lu Wensheng gazed quietly at the face that was identical to her own. It took a long while for her slender frame to stop trembling.
Seeing that she had recovered, Lu Qingtang turned to find something to drink.
She grabbed a disposable paper cup, poured a glass of warm water, and began to sip it slowly.
After an unknown amount of time, Lu Wensheng’s voice came from behind her, barely audible. "Why... did you believe me?"
Lu Qingtang turned around with the cup, looking at Lu Wensheng in confusion, as if she didn't understand the question.
Lu Wensheng looked up, her clear eyes fixed on her. Her voice was very soft. "Didn't you hear what they said?"
"Many people said they saw it—that I was the one who put needles in Lu Erya's piano, causing her to hurt her fingers and lose the ability to perform. That’s why they..."