Chapter 69: The Unveiling of Truth

Su Yingning stood before the woman, her gaze flickering between her and Liang Laoshi. She let out a deep sigh, a hint of reluctance still lingering in her expression.

“There’s always something detestable about those who invite pity; they don’t deserve our sympathy.” Su Shunhua gently placed a hand on the young woman’s shoulder, seeking to reassure her.

“Stop… stop with the bluster!” The woman recoiled, her neck drawing back, her eyes darting away nervously.

Perhaps Su Shunhua’s words had indeed shaken her, stirring a touch of fear within her heart.

“Bluster? No, from beginning to end, you’re the only one who’s been blustering.” Having made her decision, Su Yingning spoke coldly, her voice devoid of mercy. “You’re a clever individual. You know how to leverage circumstances, how to escalate matters until they become public knowledge, using that to threaten and pressure me… to force a confession out of me.”

“You exploited loopholes in the law and the lack of concrete evidence, preying on people’s tendency to avoid trouble in an attempt to extort me. Had it been anyone else standing here today instead of me, they would likely have fallen into your trap long ago.”

Su Yingning’s gaze grew increasingly frigid as she swept her eyes across the surrounding onlookers – her former colleagues. She had once dedicated herself to helping them, yet today, they willingly stood as accomplices to her executioner.

A chill settled in her heart.

“…Hmph, words mean nothing! You clearly stole something, and now you’re trying to bite back! Someone has already accused you, yet you still refuse to admit it! Are you going to return the item or not?! If you don’t, I’m calling the police!” The woman threatened, her tone blustering yet betraying an inner weakness.

“Very well, call the police then,” Su Yingning retorted with a cold smile, stepping closer as she pulled out her phone. “If you won’t report it, I will!”

“You… you’re insane!” Seeing Su Yingning actually press 110 with such defiance, the woman’s composure shattered, and she snatched the phone from her hand. “The evidence is conclusive, someone accused you of stealing, and you’re still denying it… Are you sure you want to blow this out of proportion?”

“Indeed, the evidence is conclusive… but it’s evidence of your fraud.” A hint of coldness played on Su Yingning’s lips.

“Fraud? I’m telling you, if you make baseless accusations without proof, I can sue you for defamation!” The woman instantly flared up, as if her sore spot had been jabbed.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Shunhua dashed to the bar, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, snatched a stool, and hurried back. He settled down, ready to enjoy the show.

“I was waiting for you to say that,” Su Yingning suddenly smiled softly. “Evidence? However much you want, I’ll give you that much!”

“Hmph… well, out with it then…” The woman scoffed dismissively, yet her legs beneath her coat had begun to tremble.

“May I ask what brand your ring is, and where you bought it?” Su Yingning pressed.

“I’ve long forgotten such things… It was my engagement ring, bought for me by my husband!” The woman’s gaze flickered evasively.

“In that case, which finger do you usually wear your ring on?” Su Yingning inquired further.

“An engagement ring is, of course, worn on the ring finger!”

“Left hand or right hand?”

“The left hand, naturally!”

Upon hearing this, Su Yingning offered a faint smile. “Then please, raise your left hand.”

As if realizing something, the woman began to resist. “You… what are you doing!”

Su Shunhua tossed aside his sunflower seeds, lunged forward in a single stride, and, ignoring the woman’s struggles, lifted her left hand, presenting it for all to see. In the process, he also snatched back Su Yingning’s phone.

The woman’s exposed ring finger was smooth, its pad flat and unblemished.

“Anyone who has worn a ring knows that even after wearing it for a short while, a faint indentation will appear, pores will become constricted, and fine hairs will be pressed down, creating a small, smooth circle. Not to mention a finger that frequently wears a ring; the skin adapts to its presence, and such marks would take at least several days to fully disappear. Yet, your finger bears absolutely no indentation.”

“Let go!” The woman struggled in terror.

‘You tell me to let go, and I let go? What exactly do you think you are, huh?’

Su Shunhua pinned the woman’s hands behind her back, restraining her with one hand while the other began pulling sunflower seeds from his pocket to crack.

“According to you, this is an engagement ring given to you by your husband, and judging by your age, you appear to be between forty and forty-five. So, may I ask if you got engaged just yesterday?”

“What of it?! Today is my wedding anniversary! Is it wrong for me to take out my ring and wear it to commemorate the day?!”

Su Yingning smiled faintly. “Of course, you can… if you still insist after I’ve finished what I have to say.”

The woman glared at Su Yingning.

“You’re wearing very heavy makeup. Apart from actresses, most women only apply heavy makeup for important occasions because it’s harsh on the skin, so they wouldn’t do it casually. Furthermore, heavy makeup is a way to project a certain aura, but it can also be a sign of insecurity. Why are you deliberately trying to enhance your presence? Well, this could be explained by today being your wedding anniversary, and you taking it very seriously. You chose to wear a black mink coat, but it’s October; while the weather has turned slightly cooler, it’s not yet cold enough for fur. You’d rather be sweating profusely than not wear such an ostentatious, nouveau riche garment, clearly also aiming to boost your aura and make yourself appear more like a lady of leisure. However, this mink coat doesn’t belong to you at all; I’ll explain why I’ve come to this conclusion later. Your hair is long but messy, clearly rarely trimmed, indicating that your recent life has been difficult, and you haven’t had the time to care for yourself. Your shoes are dirty and old, making it hard to imagine a lady, dressed in mink and wearing a diamond ring for her wedding anniversary, would wear such footwear. The only reasonable explanation is that you believe that area doesn’t need attention, that people’s focus won’t be on your shoes, and they won’t detract from the aura you wish to project. For a woman, dressing up isn’t merely about attracting attention; it’s also a reflection of her personality and temperament. You intentionally tried to dress fashionably, yet the result is incongruous, suggesting that you don’t frequently dress up in your daily life and lack normal social interactions, to the extent that no one has ever pointed out your peculiar aesthetic. You carry a strong scent of pastries, indicating that you often spend time in a bakery, having absorbed many of the artificial fragrances bakeries deliberately use to attract customers. This scent can linger for a very long time, impossible to wash off even with a bath. Therefore, it’s quite evident that your profession was once that of a pastry chef in a bakery, but that was in the past; you were fired. This is because you’re wearing red nail polish, which is slightly chipped, suggesting it was applied a long time ago. Bakeries absolutely do not permit staff with nail polish to handle pastries; this is a clear government regulation for the catering industry. If caught, there are fines, and no boss would dare take such a risk. Coupled with the information gathered earlier, it’s simple to deduce that you are currently unemployed, at home, and in a state of extreme vexation.”

Su Yingning delivered her monologue like a rapid-fire cannon, without even pausing for breath.

“You are addicted to mahjong, which is evident from your habitual small gestures while sitting at a table, such as the way you spin mahjong tiles. You must have been playing mahjong frequently recently; this explains the wear on your nail polish. Furthermore, your mahjong stakes are high, as you chose to play in person rather than online. This indicates that the bets are significant to you, and you distrust the easily manipulated nature of computer programs, opting instead for a hands-on approach. Your luck at gambling is clearly not good, otherwise, your complexion wouldn’t be so poor. Am I correct in all of this?”

Su Yingning gazed coldly at the woman, who stood gaping, her eyes wide with terror, having even forgotten to struggle.

‘This person… does she have mind-reading abilities?’

‘Every single point was accurate!’

“Given all this, I’ll summarize: you were fired from your job, your gambling luck has been terrible lately, you’re in a dreadful mood, and you’re desperately short on money. You claim today is your wedding anniversary, which is why you’re wearing a diamond ring and luxurious clothes to commemorate it. However, a woman’s attire always serves a purpose. If it were your wedding anniversary, you should be dressing up for your husband, but you’ve been gambling away large sums and squandering your family’s assets. Therefore, even if today were your anniversary, your husband wouldn’t possibly give you a kind look. You possess a clear mind and understand how to exploit situations to pressure me; you are certainly not so foolish as to miss this point, nor would you wear luxurious clothes and jewelry to provoke your husband, whose nerves you’ve already frayed. Thus, the most probable conclusion is—today is absolutely not your wedding anniversary; you are lying!”

The woman was utterly terrified, collapsing to her knees on the ground.

“You deliberately announced loudly, ‘My clothes cost twenty thousand yuan,’ didn’t you, because you were afraid people wouldn’t know how ‘wealthy’ you are? The reason I say this coat doesn’t belong to you at all isn’t just because nothing else you’re wearing matches that price tag. It’s also because, given your gambler’s nature, as we deduced earlier, you would never keep such a coat without selling it off to gamble. For you, this coat is merely a dispensable facade. However, your seemingly luxurious yet unkempt appearance shows that you don’t actually care about such superficialities. This means the coat is something you rented to enhance your presence and dress yourself up as a lady of leisure! By the same logic, it’s impossible for you to possess an item like a diamond ring without having sold it off. Since today isn’t your wedding anniversary, and you deliberately wore a coat to bluster and escalate the situation, what exactly were your intentions? Do I need to continue?”

The truth had been laid bare.

Su Shunhua began applauding without hesitation. Immediately afterward, though deeply embarrassed, the surrounding crowd reluctantly followed suit, clapping their hands.

Watching the hypocritically smiling faces and the awkward applause of those around him, Su Shunhua felt utterly delighted. ‘Why weren’t you all smiling before I arrived?’

Su Yingning clutched Su Shunhua’s hand tightly; she wasn’t particularly happy.

“My deductive reasoning isn’t quite perfected yet, so please excuse my amateurish display,” Su Yingning said, a hint of weariness in her voice. “Still, as I said, if you wish to go to the police station, I will accompany you.”

Su Shunhua knew the young woman didn’t want to go to the police station or escalate the matter. If she had, the situation would have been resolved long before he arrived.

It was because of Liang Laoshi, precisely because he was involved, that she had hesitated to reveal the truth… until the people around her pushed her to her breaking point.

The young woman was truly formidable; with her observational and learning abilities, she would be a terrifying force in any industry. Yet, she was still too young, having not yet undergone any significant tempering. The incident with the Xiang family siblings was the first major event in her life, and since it left her no room to maneuver, she had been helpless. However, that experience also brought about immense change in her; she began to understand that many issues could not be resolved by law alone.

What a gratifying yet terrifying growth to witness. Su Shunhua even wondered if one day, Oleander would no longer be able to cause any trouble for Gunfire Rose.

“Let’s go, young woman,” Su Shunhua said, a helpless smile touching his lips. “First, you dropped out of school, and now you’re resigning again.”

“Mm…” The young woman’s eyelids were cast down.

****

They returned to their respective changing rooms, and after shedding their staff uniforms, met again at the main entrance.

Today had been another blow for her… but this was the real society, the real world.

Su Shunhua had never wanted her to witness such things, yet ugliness and trouble had sought them out on their own. Su Yingning’s departure would probably be a relief to the staff at that store, wouldn’t it?

‘Oh, right. I remember Su Yingning received a 5,000 yuan bonus after helping the elderly person, didn’t she? And it was cash, apparently?’

He secretly glanced at the young woman. She was clad in a pristine white tracksuit, and five thousand yuan was no small sum; it should have created a noticeable bulge in her pocket. Yet, Su Yingning’s pocket showed no protrusion whatsoever. ‘Where was the money?’

Su Shunhua looked back, catching a glimpse of the receding restaurant, and saw Liang Laoshi kneeling on the ground, weeping profusely, repeatedly kowtowing to them, a stack of money clutched in his hands.

‘…So that’s how it is.’

‘…Foolish young woman.’

‘…After witnessing all of this, she still chooses to remain true to herself?’

‘This truly is her most formidable quality!’

They set off on their return journey, bathed in the scorching midday sun.

“Brother… who exactly is to blame for all of this?” The young woman’s voice was hoarse as she spoke.

“It’s you; you’re simply too outstanding,” Su Shunhua replied with a smile, raising a hand to pat her head, only for her to predictably dodge him once more.

“Sigh…” The young woman sighed, then linked her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Liang Laoshi, cornered by his family’s plight, chose to commit a crime. Your former friends turned against you out of jealousy. In this world, there is no absolute right or wrong. We are not gods; we can never uncover an absolute truth. All we can do is be ourselves,” Su Shunhua said casually, since Su Yingning wouldn’t let him pat her head, he simply clasped his hands behind his own, pulling a blade of grass to chew on. “They ostracize you not because you’ve done anything wrong, but truly because you are too exceptional, too wonderful, which makes them feel inferior. But wherever there are people, such things are inevitable.”

Su Yingning leaned quietly against his shoulder, her gaze distant and unfocused.

Su Shunhua patted her back. “When you choose the path of excellence and kindness, you are destined to be at odds with the narrow-minded and hypocritical people of the world. So, don’t worry too much. Those who can understand you will always understand you. As for those who can’t, let them go to hell, eh? Speaking of which, we’re at the pastry shop. Cheesecake for two, as usual?”

“No! Five servings!” The young woman pouted, her voice muffled.