Chapter 12 — Called Off Right on the Spot

Shen Zixing broke the silence, his tone softening in a rare display of paternalistic persuasion. "Qinghe, the matters of the previous generation might be tangled and obscure, but Grandfather would never deceive you. The Shen Corporation is currently facing turbulent waters, and the stalled negotiations with the Institute cannot afford any further delay. If you are willing to lend a hand and help us navigate this crisis, the details of our marriage can be discussed at a leisurely pace."

"And what of Lin Man?"

Shen Zixing fell silent. The old patriarch, however, cut straight to the point with characteristic ruthlessness. "As for Manman, this chapter ends here. Her record must remain unblemished; she cannot afford to have a criminal mark stained against her name." I slammed the document down onto the mahogany table with a sharp crack. "So today was never about discussing our impending marriage at all. It was merely a transaction, a cold-blooded trade." The old patriarch narrowed his eyes, challenging me. "Do you agree to the terms, or do you not?"

"I do not."

"Are you entirely devoid of fear that your father's name will be dragged through the mud, branded as an ingrate who repays kindness with betrayal?"

"If my father genuinely owes the Shen family a debt, he will repay it. But if you expect to use this dubious piece of paper to coerce me into acting as a scapegoat for Lin Man's crimes, you are gravely mistaken."

A flash of malicious intent flickered across the old patriarch's aged eyes. "Xu Qinghe, just who do you think you are? A lowly, insignificant assistant at a research institute—do you truly believe that Old Liang, who shielded you once, possesses the power to protect you for the rest of your days?" Shen Zixing stared at me intently, as though he were desperately searching for a crack of panic across my composure. I could not be bothered to offer them the dignity of an explanation. After everything that had transpired tonight, I had already extended far too many chances to the Shen family.

"Mr. Shen, if you truly possess this definitive document in your hands, why have you never dared to show it directly to my father?"

The muscles in the old man's face stiffened for a fraction of a second. I captured that precise, telling moment of hesitation.

"Because you dare not."

The patriarch slammed his fist against the table, rattling the teacups. "Insolent girl!" I pressed on relentlessly, refusing to cede ground. "You are terrified that my father would instantly recognize the falsity of this document." Shen Zixing’s expression shifted violently. "Xu Qinghe, what precisely are you implying?" I pointed a steady finger toward the signature at the corner of the page. "Whenever my father writes, the final stroke of the surname 'Xu' is invariably rounded, never tapered to a sharp point. Yet this signature has been ruthlessly tapered." A flicker of guilt shadowed the patriarch's gaze. "So many years have passed; your memory is merely failing you."

"My father writes me a birthday letter by hand every single year without fail. I have spent more than twenty years staring at those exact strokes."

Suddenly, the heavy doors of the conference room were thrust open. Lin Man strode in. She clearly looked as though she had just rushed back from outside; her hair was slightly disheveled, yet her face radiated the smug, triumphant glow of someone who had miraculously slipped the hangman's noose.

" Miss Xu, there is no need to continue performing this elaborate farce."

Shen Zixing rose abruptly from his seat. "Why have you returned?" Lin Man glided gracefully to his side. "Director Shen, someone has finally stepped forward to provide testimony on my behalf. They can prove that yesterday I merely sat in the vehicle to reverse it; I never ventured out onto the main thoroughfare. Therefore, it cannot legally constitute driving under the influence." I turned my gaze slowly toward her. "And just who is this miraculous witness?" Lin Man lifted her chin with an air of supreme arrogance. "Old Zhou, the parking lot attendant." The hand resting lightly upon the edge of the table froze mid-motion. Uncle Zhou? Lin Man emitted a mocking laugh. "He stated that yesterday you were the one who aggressively fought for the parking space and deliberately provoked me with your barbed words. The surveillance footage merely confirms that a minor collision occurred; it proves nothing regarding whether or not you incited me." Shen Zixing looked at me, his gaze laced with a tangle of convoluted emotions. "Xu Qinghe, yesterday you were the one who specifically instructed Old Zhou to preserve the surveillance footage. Was it because you had already plotted to manipulate the evidence from the very beginning?" I looked back at him, suddenly finding the entire situation profoundly absurd. "I instructed him to preserve the footage precisely because I feared people like you would wipe it clean." Lin Man extracted a recording pen from her handbag. "This contains the words spoken by Old Zhou himself. Miss Xu, do you still wish to fabricate excuses and lie your way out of this?" She pressed the playback button. Old Zhou's trembling voice spilled out into the quiet room: *“It was Miss Xu who initiated the hostilities with harsh words, which drove Assistant Lin to a state of agitation. As for the parking space dispute, my own vision was obscured. Furthermore, the surveillance camera possesses a severe blind spot.”* My expression darkened instantly. The old patriarch seized the opportunity with predatory speed. "Did you hear that? Xu Qinghe, from the very beginning to the end, you have done nothing but weave lies." Shen Zixing retrieved the recording pen, listening intently to the final few seconds. "Why?" I shot him a cold, sidelong glance. "Are you truly asking me that?"

"Old Zhou was clearly speaking on your behalf yesterday. Why would he suddenly turn around and betray you today?"

Lin Man replied in a soft, saccharine tone, "Perhaps his conscience finally caught up with him." I fixed my unblinking gaze upon her. "What have you done to threaten his family?"