Under the suspicious gaze of the crowd, Li Li walked to the center of the living room, opened her phone, and cast the surveillance footage she had just received onto the television.
The screen, which had previously displayed the "Happy Union" wedding cover, slowly began to play the video.
The footage was not high-definition, but it was clear enough to show that Li Xiang had arrived at the restaurant before Li Li. She was seen speaking to someone dressed in a waiter's uniform and finally handing him a bottle. The angle of the camera was near a blind spot, so it was impossible to see exactly what Li Xiang had handed over, but the subsequent footage showed the waiter pouring the contents of the bottle into the food. The dishes were then served to the table in the dining room.
Li Li had only just obtained this footage. She glanced at Li Xiang, only to see a flicker of surprise on her face before she regained her composure. Li Li frowned silently, not yet having time to process it, when she heard Li Xiang speak up and admit it first: "That was indeed the medicine I gave the waiter."
The moment these words were spoken, the entire room was stunned.
Li Siyou was the first to speak out in her defense: "So it was medicine, so what? It’s your own fault. Xiangxiang isn't as arrogant and domineering as you are; she must have had her reasons for doing this."
Li Li: "??" *What a useless teammate,* she thought.
Madam Li, however, reacted quickly: "This footage is just a blurry clip. How can you be so sure your sister is trying to harm you? If Xiangxiang really wanted to harm you, why would she take the medicine herself? She didn't hesitate to eat the meal with you at all."
"I can provide proof."
From outside the tattered door, Fu Xiao appeared. Behind him, a man hobbled in, limping. Everyone looked over and recognized the man in the waiter's uniform as the same one from the surveillance footage.
Li Li frowned silently. No one had told her there was a witness. For some reason, she glanced behind her, but Shang Che was no longer there.
Fu Xiao, sporting short chestnut-brown hair, strolled in with his hands behind his back. He didn't forget to grin at Li Li: "Little girl, do you remember your brother?"
Li Li: "..."
Fu Xiao was the only son of a prominent literary family in Wucheng. The Fu family had produced high-ranking officials for generations and maintained a strict family code. Yet, Fu Xiao had turned out to be a devil-may-care playboy. Despite this, aside from his overly cheerful personality, he had inherited the Fu family’s excellent genes for intelligence and strategy. He was a respected heir within their circles. Even the Patriarch Li had to show him a certain degree of respect for him to be present here.
Li Li didn't speak, just stared at him with suspicion. *Did Ji Huaiyan send him?* Her brother was in Hong Kong City; news couldn't have traveled that fast, could it?
Noticing her thoughts, Fu Xiao walked over, bumped her shoulder, and whispered, "Don't worry, our brother doesn't know."
Li Li looked at him with disdain and shifted away, acting aloof. She didn't say a word, but her eyes were full of silent insults. *Who's "our brother" with you?*
Seeing her disdain, Fu Xiao couldn't do anything to this little ancestor. In the past, Ji Huaiyan protected her; now, that psycho Shang Che was protecting her too. She was untouchable. Ji Huaiyan was at least reasonable, but that motherfucker Shang Che was a complete madman—he could tear his own brothers apart and toss them into a cesspit to rot for eternity, and the stench would still cling to them for a hundred reincarnations.
Clearing his throat, Fu Xiao turned back and glared at the waiter: "Kneel down and tell the truth."
Only then did the crowd notice that the waiter’s face was bruised and his leg was injured. Before anyone else could speak, Fu Xiao deflected the blame: "Why are you looking at me? This is a civilized society; I’ve got thin arms and legs, I don't do that kind of dirty work."
Everyone: "..."
The waiter kept his head down and spoke with resignation: "It was my own fall."
Li Li could clearly see that this young master, Fu Xiao, was just here to watch the show; the waiter’s injuries really had nothing to do with him. She stayed silent, but she didn't hold any hope for this situation.
Sure enough...
Before anyone else could ask, Li Xiang took the initiative to ask the waiter: "Tell them what happened last night."
The waiter looked at Li Xiang and said directly: "Yesterday, Miss Li indeed gave me a bottle of medicine and told me to sprinkle it on every dish. She specifically instructed that the braised pork and the white fungus lotus seed soup were the second Miss Li's favorite dishes, and that I should add more to those."
Afraid that people wouldn't believe him, the waiter hurriedly pulled out a bank card: "This is the money Miss Li gave me. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I really needed the money. I’m sorry, I was wrong, I deserve to die."
The waiter's words caused the expressions of everyone present to shift again and again. Patriarch Li, seeing the sour look on the face of the Head of the Shang Family, quickly stepped forward and kicked the waiter: "Nonsense! Slander!"
"Tell me, how much were you paid to slander my daughter like this? Do you know that you are legally responsible for making false accusations?"
Li Li stood by with her hands behind her back, learning for the first time that Patriarch Li could actually fly into a rage for his child. She lowered her eyes silently and gave a bitter smile. She had thought that Patriarch Li didn't care about anyone.
Madam Li was also frantic: "There must be some misunderstanding. I believe in Xiangxiang. She is gentle and has always treated Li Li with the utmost care. She would never do anything to hurt anyone."
Li Siyou, like a ignited firecracker, began to berate Li Li: "Did you find this man to slander Xiangxiang? You have poor character yourself, so you're jealous of Xiangxiang’s sophistication and want to destroy her, don't you? Li Li, you really are vicious and insidious. It's no wonder no one loves you. You should have died out there in the first place!"
In the vast living room, one curse after another echoed. Li Li stood there, holding her head high, unmoved.
Fu Xiao, however, couldn't listen anymore. This was the little princess held in the palms of the Ji family; in Hong Kong City, anyone who dared to say a harsh word to Li Li would be torn apart by the Patriarch Ji. Yet, back here at the Li family, she was being kicked around and cursed by everyone.
It was enough. His heart ached for this girl.
Fu Xiao stepped forward, shielding Li Li behind him, his eyes narrowing: "That's enough."
"The Li family is a prestigious name, yet everyone here is acting like a shrew. What? Does the person who shouts the loudest and curses the meanest have the truth on their side?"
"No wonder people say the Li family dotes on their adopted daughter while suppressing their own blood. I’ve seen it for myself today."
Patriarch Li’s curses died on his lips. He shot a warning glance at Li Siyou and forced a smile: "The boy is rude, please excuse him, Young Master Fu. Both Xiangxiang and Lili are my daughters; as a father, I naturally don't want them to suffer any grievances."
"Your daughters?" Fu Xiao squinted his eyes. "How do I remember it correctly that the Li family only has one son and one daughter? Can a stray you picked up really stomp all over your own flesh and blood? What? Just because she wasn't raised by you personally, she has to be ranked behind wild weeds?"
Fu Xiao’s words were sharp as a blade. Patriarch Li was left speechless.
Shang Yang had been staring at the surveillance footage, but after a moment of silence, he pulled Li Xiang into his arms, his tone filled with concern: "This medicine was something I went to great lengths to get from abroad. Why did you put it all into the food?"
Madam Li, who had felt like the sky was falling, heard this as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw and quickly asked: "Is this the medicine you brought back for Xiangxiang?"