Fang Ya's expression shifted slightly, and she cursed inwardly: "Vixen!"
She knew Gu Qinghe was shrewd and difficult to deal with.
Yet she never expected that after Qin Yuchen returned, Gu Qinghe would actually put on such a wronged act of having been bullied to tears.
She had zero shame!
Fang Ya's cheeks tightened. Suppressing her irritation, she forced a smile and said, "Yuchen, it's nothing major. We were just chatting about where to go for the weekend, and for some reason Comrade Gu suddenly started crying..."
She sighed as she spoke. "Perhaps she felt left out and is a bit upset."
On the surface, she was explaining, but in reality, she was twisting the truth to imply that Gu Qinghe was being dramatic—that she could throw a melodramatic fit and cry over a simple chat.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaotang, who had been somewhat nervous facing Qin Yuchen, calmed down and chimed in with a smile, "That's right, Qinghe, if you wanted to come along with us, you should have just said so. Why cry your eyes out like this?"
Qin Yuchen's expression remained as calm as still water. No excess emotion flickered in his eyes, and he didn't even look at them directly, keeping his gaze fixed entirely on Gu Qinghe.
The young girl kept her head lowered, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt. Her high nasal bridge twitched slightly, and her shoulders trembled as she silently sobbed, tears dropping down patter by patter.
Even though he knew she wouldn't let herself be bullied, Qin Yuchen's heart still tightened uncontrollably.
"I wasn't asking you." He lowered his brow, a layer of chill freezing in his deep eyes, and said in a low voice, "I asked her."
Fang Ya and Su Xiaotang exchanged glances, closing their mouths in embarrassment.
Gu Qinghe seemed startled by his cold and hard tone. She subconsciously shrank back, crying even harder with a faint whimper, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Sister Xiaotang and the others said I seduced Comrade Guo, making him so desperate for me..."
She looked at Qin Yuchen with tear-filled eyes, her voice choked with sobs. "But I didn't! I... I only met Comrade Fang for the first time today, how could I possibly have seduced him?"
Su Xiaotang's expression changed, and she instinctively retorted, "Gu Qinghe, don't make malicious accusations! When did I ever say anything like that?!"
Gu Qinghe's voice was soft and light, yet it carried clearly into everyone's ears. "Whether Sister Xiaotang said it or not, she knows in her heart."
Su Xiaotang's face turned faintly pale. She had indeed said those things earlier, but she would rather die than admit it in front of Qin Yuchen.
"Of course I didn't!" She stiffened her neck in denial and gave Fang Ya a look, signaling for backup."If Second Brother doesn't believe me, you can ask Fang Ya and Fang Min, they can both vouch for me!"
Fang Ya's eyes darted around and she immediately caught on, nodding. "That's right, Yuchen, we've been with Xiaotang the whole time, and she truly never said those things."
Qin Yuchen furrowed his brow. From the bottom of his heart, he believed Gu Qinghe wouldn't frame someone out of nowhere.
Yet if both sides stuck to their own stories, it would be difficult for him to side with her without evidence.
Looking at those red, swollen almond eyes, he felt a bitter, aching sensation in his heart, as if someone were pinching it.
He pressed his thin lips together, pulled a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and said gently, "Don't cry. Tell me slowly whatever is on your mind."
"Thank you, Brother." Gu Qinghe didn't refuse. She stopped sobbing and took the handkerchief.
Slowly wiping the corners of her eyes, she used her peripheral vision to observe Fang Ya and the others without leaving a trace.
She clearly saw a thick wave of jealousy welling up in the depths of Fang Ya's eyes as the latter glared at her, grinding her teeth.
It looked as though the next moment she might rush over and snatch the handkerchief right out of her hand.
As for Su Xiaotang, her face was full of reluctance and anger that nothing had been settled yet, while Qin Yuchen still chose to favor her.
As for Fang Min, whose personality was straightforward, her face darkened completely, utterly disgusted by her hypocritical act.
Gu Qinghe's lips curved upward. She chose Fang Min, pressed the handkerchief to the corners of her mouth, and silently mouthed two provocative words to her:
"Idiot!"
Sure enough, Fang Min, who was already in a rage and couldn't stand Gu Qinghe's behavior, felt a surge of blood rush to her head and directly snapped, "Gu Qinghe, who do you think you're putting on that pitiful act for?"
"We're not Guo Jingming; we won't be fooled by your fake, pure, and delicate vixen act!"
Fang Ya's expression shifted drastically. She instinctively checked Qin Yuchen's reaction while forcefully pulling Fang Min's arm to signal her to stop talking.
"Sis, why are you pulling me?" Unaware that she had said anything wrong, Fang Min protested indignantly, "I didn't say anything wrong! She's deliberately playing the victim to win Brother Yuchen's sympathy."
She turned her burning gaze to Qin Yuchen, her words earnest: "Brother Yuchen, don't let Gu Qinghe trick you. She's no good."
Fang Ya choked, closing her eyes speechlessly for a moment as she powerlessly let go of her grip.
She and Su Xiaotang had coordinated for so long, and just as they were about to sweep the matter under the rug, this idiot Fang Min ruined it all.
Hearing these words, Qin Yuchen already understood the situation.
With a freezing expression and a gaze as sharp as a knife, he looked at Fang Min, as well as Su Xiaotang and Fang Ya behind her, and said in a deep voice: "Whether my sister is a good person or not, I know it in my heart. I don't need outsiders like you to judge."
His words carried immense weight. Fang Ya's pupils shrank sharply, a wave of panic welling up in her heart as all the color drained from her face. Her lips trembled as she stammered, "Yuchen, no, it's not... There's a misunderstanding here..."
Qin Yuchen ignored her explanation. Exuding an oppressive aura, he said expressionlessly, "Apologize."
Fang Ya's breath caught, and she bit her lower lip hard.
Fang Min's eyes widened in intense defiance. "What on earth do I have to apologize to her for? I didn't say anything wrong! She is a vixen, charming even a level-headed and self-restrained Brother Yuchen into losing his sense of right and wrong..."
"Fang Min!" Fang Ya shouted angrily, cutting her off. With a dark face, she grabbed Fang Min's arm and dug her nails deep into the flesh with force.
Lowering her voice, she delivered each word with a freezing chill: "I told you to apologize, did you not hear me?!"
If not for this idiot Fang Min, how could her perfect image in front of Qin Yuchen have been destroyed in an instant?
Fang Ya wanted nothing more than to slap her a few times and then sew up that loose mouth of hers!
Fang Ya's expression was so terrifyingly ugly that Fang Min finally realized belatedly that something was wrong and dared not spout nonsense anymore.
Yielding to Fang Ya's intent, she trembled as she said to Gu Qinghe, "I'm sorry..."
The moment she finished speaking, her eyes turned red.
She had never suffered such great grievance in her entire life!
Fang Ya felt terrible too. Forcing down the anger in her heart, she pulled herself together and smiled as she looked at Qin Yuchen, "Yuchen, is this enough?"
Qin Yuchen didn't answer her. Instead, he turned and bowed slightly toward Gu Qinghe, a gentle light shining in the depths of his eyes. "What do you think?"
Gu Qinghe paused in her tear-wiping. Her clear, water-like eyes blinked as she feigned innocence and asked, "What about Comrade Fang Ya and Sister Xiaotang?"
"Don't they need to apologize to me?"