Chapter 21: Once the Goods Have Shipped, No Returns, Dear!

Inside the venue, Lu Jingchen naturally took the microphone from the emcee and swept his gaze over the crowd. His overwhelming presence gradually quieted the chaotic scene.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you are all aware of AI face-swapping technology. I have absolute faith in my wife’s innocence; someone must have framed her in this matter..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the hall doors swung open.

Gu Qiyu rushed in, only to find the entire venue in dead silence. Everyone was staring at him with heated gazes—gazes that were intense yet carried a hint of the bizarre.

Gu Qiyu touched his face. Was he so handsomely dressed today that everyone was stunned by his looks?

Little did he know, they weren't looking at his face, but at his chest. The bright red hickeys and scratch marks revealed just how intense their "battle" had been. Furthermore, his flashy, seven-colored pineapple-patterned shirt made him impossible to miss. This disheveled appearance matched the video perfectly.

Gu Qiyu’s sudden appearance rendered Lu Jingchen’s previous explanation entirely unconvincing.

Lu Jingchen’s face darkened. Of all the times, why did he have to choose today? At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment even toward Jiang Xinwan.

Suddenly, Gu Qiyu’s sharp eyes landed on Jiang Wanning, who stood on the stage. There was no helping it; her elderly woman disguise stood out far too prominently among the crowd of people in formal evening wear.

"Jiang Wanning, why are you here?" Gu Qiyu trotted over to her, his face full of surprise.

He found this girl to be a creature of wonder—she could summon lightning and vanish into thin air. That day, a flash of white light had passed before their eyes, and then she had magically disappeared. Before she vanished, she had even stabbed Ji Chen. If he didn't need her kidney, he would have really liked to be her friend.

He was very curious about where she had been during the time she disappeared. Why was she still wearing the same clothes she had on when she vanished? Ugh, she smelled like she had been pickled in them. Disgusting!

"What does it have to do with you? You’d better mind your own business." Was she even close enough with him for him to be acting so shameless?

Gu Qiyu finally noticed that everyone’s attention was fixed on him. What was going on? He wasn't the groom!

He turned his head again. Oh, why was his beloved Wanwan crying?

"Wanwan, why are you crying? Who upset you? Tell me, and I’ll go cut them down." He struck a pose of domineering protection.

Well, that solidified the illicit affair even further.

Lu Jingchen clutched his forehead. What an idiot!

Jiang Xinwan began to cry even more miserably.

Jiang Wanning let out a snort of laughter. She didn't usually laugh unless she couldn't help it; this play was truly spectacular.

When she laughed, several people in the audience couldn't help but chuckle as well. Rumor had it that the youngest master of the Gu family was spoiled beyond reason, but who knew he was this adorably stupid?

Lu Jingchen gave a light cough. What was he best at? Twisting the truth, of course. What case hadn't he judged? What situation hadn't he seen? He could convince anyone that the dead were alive.

"I am very grateful for Young Master Gu’s care for my wife. The Gu and Jiang families have always had close ties; the two are very familiar with each other. Their relationship is merely that of siblings. Someone with ulterior motives is exploiting this to smear them and the Lu family. Am I right, brother-in-law?"

Lu Jingchen intended to drag others into the fray to provide proof and protect Jiang Xinwan’s reputation. Although Jiang Shiye was a playboy, he had a good reputation in the circle—generous and full of a sense of justice.

The simple-minded Jiang Shiye was about to step forward, but Jiang Wanning grabbed him and warned him with a look to stay silent. Jiang Shiye had never seen such a fierce look from his younger sister, and he was genuinely intimidated.

"Sibling affection that involves getting into bed together—your family’s moral character is quite unique. At any rate, our Jiang family has no such upbringing. You say the Gu and Jiang families are close, but shouldn't he be closer to me, since I grew up in the Jiang family? Why is he so close to the sister who was just found? Mr. Lu, you are truly generous to go to such lengths to cover for Jiang Xinwan. It must be true love."

The System was spinning in circles in her mind. "Host, what are you doing? You are here to complete a mission; why are you acting against the protagonists? We don't have a mission to overthrow the leads in this dungeon!"

Jiang Wanning spoke directly to the System in her mind: "Oh, I just don't like them."

The System: "..." Could she not be so willful?

"Miss Jiang, you have repeatedly sabotaged this wedding. I assume this is your handiwork as well? Are you so unable to bear seeing your sister find happiness that you would even go so far as to fabricate a video?" Lu Jingchen suddenly spoke.

Jiang Wanning pointed at herself, shocked. Big brother, your surname is Lai (to blame/shift responsibility), isn't it? You're so good at shifting blame, but she wasn't going to carry this heavy pot. Her hands were itching; she wanted to wring the necks of this group.

[Host, please do not attempt to kill the protagonists. If they die, the plane will collapse, and everyone in this world will die!] The System desperately suppressed her restless impulses, though it had a premonition that it wouldn't be able to hold her back forever.

This host wasn't like this in the real world. Why was she acting like a maniac now? What on earth happened to her while she was out of contact?

The System felt a chill; it sensed that the host wanted to hack it too!

Congratulations, it guessed correctly.

Jiang Wanning temporarily extinguished her urge to violently destroy the protagonists.

"So, you police officers don't need evidence to do things anymore, right? I suppose that's true. Us common folk can't fight against you powerful officials. Naturally, whatever you, the Chief, say goes."

As soon as these words were out, they resonated with many people. The identity of an "official" was Lu Jingchen’s advantage, but it could also be turned into his weakness. Officials needed a good reputation; they had to cherish their feathers and subject their every move to public scrutiny. Jiang Wanning, a mere citizen, had nothing to lose.

"Miss Jiang, you are very good at manipulating public opinion, but everyone is not a fool to be played by you. You have bullied your sister many times before—would you like me to list them one by one?"

Lu Jingchen wasn't sure if today's incident was Jiang Wanning’s doing, but someone had to take the fall so he could preserve Jiang Xinwan’s reputation. Therefore, even if Jiang Wanning hadn't done it, it had to be her.

Jiang Xinwan wept like a flower in the rain. "Chen, it couldn't have been my sister. Even though she doesn't like me much on weekdays and feels that I stole our parents' love, she would never do something like this."

Although, however—a classic green-tea script. What a heavy stench of tea.

"I had heard that the second Miss Jiang was extremely mean to the eldest Miss Jiang at home. It seems true today. She would actually spread such lewd rumors about her own sister, and on such an important occasion, tsk tsk."

"I heard the eldest Miss Jiang was kidnapped by human traffickers as a child and only found these past two years. The newcomer is never as good as the one who grew up by their side. The eldest Miss Jiang must have suffered so many grievances; it's truly pitiful."

"Fortunately, she has Mr. Lu’s care and trust now. The eldest Miss Jiang has finally come to the end of her suffering."

Whispers rippled through the audience.

Jiang Wanning treated them like a flock of cawing crows. She crossed her arms, her posture relaxed. "Go ahead then. How exactly did I bully her? Give me some examples."