He looked at Qin Jiaojiao, who was weeping like a pear blossom drenched in rain, his brow furrowing slightly as a flash of displeasure crossed his eyes. Yet Qin Jiaojiao remained entirely oblivious. Raising her tear-filled, hazy eyes, she looked at Yin Sichen with a pitiful and aggrieved expression, crying out, "Elder sister somehow got hold of a poison called Spirit-Disrupting Powder and tried to frame me during the trial. Fortunately, I discovered it in time, otherwise..."
"Enough!" Qin Zhizhi could no longer bear to listen. She abruptly stood up and glared angrily at Qin Jiaojiao. "Clearly, you were the one who wanted to frame me from the start, and now you're turning it around and biting back! Have your conscience eaten by dogs?"
"You..." Intimidated by Qin Zhizhi's imposing aura, Qin Jiaojiao was momentarily left speechless. Yin Sichen cast a cold glance at Qin Zhizhi, his tone biting and icy, "Eldest Miss Qin, you can eat your words, but you cannot speak carelessly. Jiaojiao has a kind heart, how could she ever do such a thing?"
"Brother Sichen, I didn't..." Qin Jiaojiao timidly tugged at Yin Sichen's sleeve, her eyes brimming with grievance. Yin Sichen gently patted the back of her hand and comforted her in a soft voice, "Don't be afraid, I believe you."
Such a simple sentence felt like a heavy hammer, fiercely striking Qin Zhizhi's heart. She looked at Yin Sichen in disbelief, her eyes filled with wounded sorrow. He actually believed Qin Jiaojiao and refused to even give her a chance to explain! Qin Zhizhi gave a bitter, desolate smile, and the last shred of hope in her heart shattered. She suddenly felt utterly, bone-wearily exhausted, as if every ounce of strength had been drained from her body. She collapsed limply to the ground, letting her tears blur her vision.
Once, she had been a favored daughter of heaven, the apple of her parents' eye, and the focal point of everyone's attention. But now, she had become a pitiable wretch who was framed, misunderstood, and abandoned by all.
In this world, was there still anything worth believing in? Qin Zhizhi's despair spread through the air, its bitter taste making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She closed her eyes and let her tears flow freely, as if venting all her grievances and unwillingness.
"Beep, beep, beep—"
Right at that moment, a mechanical sound suddenly rang out in Qin Zhizhi's mind.
"Host emotional fluctuations detected to be excessively high. Initiating emergency soothing procedure."
"Host, please note that you have triggered a hidden quest: The Truth Comes to Light."
"Quest Objective: Find the critical evidence of Qin Jiaojiao framing you, bring it to light, and clear your name."
"Quest Rewards: Five hundred spiritual stones, one advanced Cultivation Manual, one random skill draw."
The System's prompt was like a ray of dawn cutting through the darkness, illuminating the depths of Qin Zhizhi's despairing heart.
She snapped her eyes open, the flame of hope reigniting in their depths. Yes, she could not just give up like this! She had to find the evidence, prove her innocence, and make those who framed her pay the price!
The System's voice sounded once more: "According to the System's analysis, the conspiracy by Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan was meticulously planned. They deliberately hid the Spirit-Disrupting Powder inside your personal belongings beforehand and smashed it at a crucial moment in the trial, creating the false impression that you used a forbidden drug."
"The System has locked onto a key piece of evidence: a storage ring that has been tampered with. This ring originally belonged to Qin Jiaojiao, but a month ago, she gave it to you, claiming it was a symbol of your deep sisterly bond."
A thought stirred in Qin Zhizhi's mind. She remembered—Qin Jiaojiao had indeed given her a storage ring a month ago, specifically emphasizing at the time that the ring was a symbol of their sisterly friendship and making her promise to keep it safe.
Thinking about it now, that ring was clearly a trap!
Qin Zhizhi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and agitation in her heart, and asked calmly, "System, what should I do to find the evidence?"
"The Host only needs to extend her divine sense into the storage ring to discover the anomaly within."
Qin Zhizhi did as instructed, extending a wisp of her divine sense into the storage ring.
The next second, her expression drastically changed!
Hidden within the inner lining of this storage ring was actually a micro-array! And the purpose of this array was precisely to release the "Spirit-Disrupting Powder" silently without a trace!
Qin Zhizhi sneered inwardly. Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan's conspiracy was indeed airtight! Yet she had to admire their audacity, daring to tamper with something as private as a storage ring—weren't they afraid she would discover it?
Perhaps, in their eyes, she, Qin Zhizhi, was nothing more than an innocent and naive fool who would never think of such things.
Unfortunately, for all their scheming, they failed to anticipate that she was no longer the same Qin Zhizhi who could be manipulated at will!
Qin Zhizhi calmly withdrew her divine sense, a cold arc curving at the corners of her lips.
She wanted to see who would have the last laugh this time!
Night fell, and the Qin Family mansion was brightly lit, though the lights could not conceal the undercurrents surging beneath the surface. Qin Zhizhi stood alone in the courtyard, gazing up at the twinkling stars in the night sky, determination shining in her eyes. She had already found the key evidence; next came how to bring it to light and make Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan pay the price!
Just then, however, a faint sound of footsteps came from behind, accompanied by a low and familiar voice, "What are you doing?"
Qin Zhizhi spun around abruptly to see that Yin Sichen had appeared behind her at some point. With a tall, upright posture and a stern expression, his deep eyes seemed to harbor an endless storm.
Yin Sichen's sudden appearance made Qin Zhizhi's heartbeat quicken slightly. Without batting an eye, she put away the documents in her hand, turned to meet his probing gaze, and replied calmly, "Nothing, just came out for a walk."
"A walk?" Yin Sichen clearly did not believe her. His sharp gaze swept over the hand Qin Zhizhi was hiding behind her, a hint of suspicion in his tone, "What were you looking at?"
Qin Zhizhi took a deep breath, forcing herself to look natural, and said indifferently, "Some documents regarding company projects. I've been studying family business management lately."
"Oh?" Yin Sichen raised an eyebrow, not pressing further, but instead remarked meaningfully, "You certainly are taking these matters more and more to heart."
Qin Zhizhi lowered her eyelids to mask the complex emotions swirling in her depths. When had she ever wanted to be dragged into these scheming struggles? But she could not sit by and watch the Qin Family fall into the hands of Qin Jiaojiao and Lin Wan, nor could she let them escape unpunished!
"System, how is it? Did you find anything?" Qin Zhizhi walked away from Yin Sichen to a secluded corner of the garden, asking the System in her mind in a low voice.
"Host, I have successfully breached Qin Jiaojiao's computer and found a massive amount of evidence showing her and Lin Wan conspiring to transfer company assets and frame your father!" A trace of excitement tinged the System's electronic voice.
"Great!" Qin Zhizhi clenched her fists, the fire of hope blazing in her eyes. "I will definitely make them pay!"