“Who could be so despicable?!” Lin Hexu was dumbfounded, nearly jumping three feet into the air.

Gu Xicao’s gaze swept over the group of men and women who had been lingering around Wang Xueli. Some returned her look with composure, while others appeared curious. But one person avoided her gaze entirely.

“Mr. Guang, aren’t you going to explain?”

Gu Xicao’s sharp gaze landed on Guang Pingzhi.

Everyone’s eyes followed hers to Guang Pingzhi.

Among the group surrounding Wang Xueli, Guang Pingzhi was the most inconspicuous and taciturn. His appearance was average, and his personality was clumsy, to the point that even women of lesser family status looked down on him.

“I—I don’t know what’s going on. Don’t ask me; I don’t know what to say!”

Guang Pingzhi stammered, sweat pouring down his face.

“You think no one noticed,” Gu Xicao said. “Taking advantage of Ren Xiran’s plan to stage a prank, you slipped poison into his wine glass and planted the remaining powder in Miss Wang’s bag. You believed no one would dare search her bag, and without evidence, no one would suspect you.”

Wang Xueli narrowed her eyes, her expression turning vicious. “Was it really you?!”

Just as Guang Pingzhi was about to speak, Gu Xicao kindly advised, “I suggest you confess now, lest you embarrass yourself further later.”

Looking at her face, Guang Pingzhi inwardly sneered.

Confess? That would be walking straight into a trap!

He had worked so hard to exact revenge on Ren Xiran; why would he confess now?

Feigning innocence, he said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you have evidence, show it.”

Gu Xicao sighed inwardly.

She strode forward in three quick steps, grabbed Guang Pingzhi’s right hand, and said, “The evidence is on your hand! You thought you were clever, believing that even if evidence was found, it couldn’t be traced back to you. But you forgot that powders like this easily stick to the hands, especially under the fingernails. Look at your right thumb and index finger!”

Guang Pingzhi glanced down and his pupils contracted.

He immediately broke free from Gu Xicao and lunged toward the table, reaching for a cup of tea.

But the police officers reacted faster. Several of them tackled him to the ground with a loud thud and cuffed his hands behind his back.

The forensics team quickly stepped in to collect samples from under his nails.

Guang Pingzhi stopped struggling and finally gave up.

“You hurt my brother. Why?!” Ren Xirou was furious, her voice sharp as she glared at Guang Pingzhi.

“Why?” Guang Pingzhi let out a cold laugh and raised his head. “It’s all his fault for stealing Pingfeng from me!”

Zhang Pingfeng, who had been shocked to learn that the normally mild-mannered Guang Pingzhi had poisoned someone, now found herself dragged into the chaos.

“Zhang Pingfeng?” Li Yali looked at her, then at Guang Pingzhi. “What does this have to do with her?”

“How could it not? I loved Pingfeng, but she didn’t love me. She loved Ren Xiran. I hated him for taking her away from me!”

Guang Pingzhi’s face twisted with resentment, but when he looked at Zhang Pingfeng, his eyes softened with affection. “Pingfeng, I truly love you!”

“Wow, so it’s all about a love triangle. No wonder he resorted to poison.”

“Zhang Pingfeng really is a femme fatale. Who knew quiet little Guang could be so malicious all because of her?”

As the crowd whispered among themselves, their gazes filled with curiosity, they all stared at Zhang Pingfeng.

Zhang Pingfeng’s mind went blank. “You’re spouting nonsense! What does your crime have to do with me?!”

“Zhang Pingfeng, stop pretending! This is all your fault for seducing men everywhere, which led to today’s mess,” Li Yali sneered, sizing Zhang Pingfeng up and down before rolling her eyes. “I’ve always known you were just a little fox spirit!”

“You ruined my brother’s life! You vixen! My brother is so unlucky to have liked someone like you!”

Ren Xirou glared at Zhang Pingfeng, her gaze filled with resentment.

The surrounding crowd began to step away from Zhang Pingfeng, distancing themselves.

“It’s not—this has nothing to do with me!”

Zhang Pingfeng was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes. While she did like Ren Xiran, how could this situation have anything to do with her?

Besides, she had absolutely nothing to do with Guang Pingzhi before!

“Guang Pingzhi, I have to hand it to you. Even at this point, you’re still trying to drag others down with you,” Gu Xicao said with a cold smile. “You wanted to poison Ren Xiran because when you confessed your feelings to him, he rejected you, calling homosexuality disgusting. You resented him for it and feared that he might reveal your secret to others, which could cause you to lose your family inheritance and ruin your reputation in your social circle. That’s why you seized the opportunity today to make your move.”

What?!

Everyone’s minds were spinning.

Wait a second—Guang Pingzhi was gay? And he had confessed to Ren Xiran?!

Guang Pingzhi’s eyes widened in fury, his humiliation turning into rage. He struggled violently, even toppling over the police officers holding him down. Like an enraged bull, he charged straight at Gu Xicao. “Shut up!”

The crowd screamed in fright. Those with weaker nerves covered their eyes, unwilling to witness what they thought would be Gu Xicao’s tragic fate.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before anyone could react, Lin Qianshi performed a perfect shoulder throw, flinging the frenzied Guang Pingzhi two meters away. He crashed into the ground, taking down several flower vases before finally coming to a stop.

“Utterly shameless. Truly revolting.”

Lin Qianshi lowered his gaze, his expression full of unmasked disdain.

Inspector Liu Dutong and his officers were taken aback. Several officers rushed forward to secure Guang Pingzhi, while Liu Dutong, clearly uneasy about uncovering more scandalous gossip, stood up and prepared to leave. “Now that we’ve apprehended the culprit, we’ll take our leave.”

“Ah Sheng, escort Inspector Liu,” Grandpa Lin instructed Father Lin.

Snapping out of his daze, Father Lin quickly went to see Liu Dutong and his team off.

With the true culprit apprehended and the situation turning chaotic, the Lin family hastily encouraged their guests to leave.

Lin Qianshi personally escorted Gu Xicao outside. The night breeze carried a refreshing coolness, lifting everyone’s spirits slightly. Lin Qianshi, still feeling apologetic, said, “I invited you here to relax, but instead, it turned into a mess. I’m really sorry for all the trouble today.”

“It wasn’t that bad—just a bit thrilling,” Gu Xicao said, blinking playfully. “By the way, where’s your uncle? I didn’t see him.”

“I’m not sure what’s going on with him. I’ll call him later and let you know,” Lin Qianshi replied, pulling a linen handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to Gu Xicao.

Gu Xicao tilted her head, looking at the handkerchief with a puzzled expression.

Seeing her confusion, Lin Qianshi couldn’t help but feel amused. Compared to her composed and eloquent demeanor earlier, the contrast was striking.

“There’s some dirt on your face—wipe it off.”

Gu Xicao blinked in surprise and touched her left cheek. “Really? I don’t see anything.”

“It’s on your right temple,” Lin Qianshi pointed out.

Still unable to find it, Gu Xicao felt a bit lost.

Suppressing a smile, Lin Qianshi naturally reached out and gently wiped her face with the handkerchief. The cloth brushed against her delicate features, and her thick lashes fluttered as she glanced up, her eyes twinkling like stars.

Lin Qianshi’s heart skipped a beat.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

A car horn honked nearby, breaking the moment.

Both Gu Xicao and Lin Qianshi turned to see Zhang Pingfeng pulling up in a red Ferrari.

“Mr. Lin,” Zhang Pingfeng greeted Lin Qianshi before turning to Gu Xicao. “Master Gu, can I give you a ride home?”

“That works. But my place is a bit out of the way—are you sure you don’t mind?” Gu Xicao leaned against the car window and asked with a smile.

Zhang Pingfeng forced a smile, her lips twitching slightly. “The party ended early, and I have nothing better to do. Why would I mind giving you a ride?”

With that assurance, Gu Xicao got into the car and waved at Lin Qianshi. “Mr. Lin, thanks for the handkerchief—and for that kick earlier. It was very satisfying. Goodbye!”

Lin Qianshi clenched the handkerchief in his hand, a warm smile spreading across his face. “Goodbye.”

Zhang Pingfeng noticed Lin Qianshi’s expression and silently took note.

During the drive, Zhang Pingfeng remained mostly silent. Gu Xicao, not one to force conversation, simply leaned against the window and enjoyed the breeze.

When they arrived, Gu Xicao thanked Zhang Pingfeng and prepared to leave. However, Zhang Pingfeng, gripping the steering wheel tightly, couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Master Gu, why did you help me earlier?”

Gu Xicao turned back, her expression puzzled. “What?”

“You clarified that I had nothing to do with the poisoning. Why were you so kind to me?”

Zhang Pingfeng’s ears turned red as she stared intently at Gu Xicao.

Gu Xicao frowned slightly. “Isn’t it obvious? You had nothing to do with it.”

“But earlier, I was with Wang Xueli and the others when they were isolating you. Shouldn’t you hate me?”

Zhang Pingfeng’s voice was filled with shame and awkwardness.

Gu Xicao replied calmly, “What you did to me is your business. Standing up for a woman who’s being falsely accused is something any decent person would do. You don’t need to thank me. I’d do the same for anyone else.”

For a moment, Zhang Pingfeng froze, something deep inside her profoundly moved.

Having grown used to the false kindness and constant scheming in her social circle, this unexpected warmth made her feel a twinge of self-loathing.

“Thank you. Really, thank you. I’ll make sure to spread the word about how amazing your fortune-telling is!”

Blushing deeply, Zhang Pingfeng quickly drove away before Gu Xicao could even respond.

Watching the car disappear into the distance, Gu Xicao smiled faintly. At least Zhang Pingfeng is redeemable.

“I’m sorry, I truly apologize. When we went over yesterday, we found out the party had ended earlier than expected,” Zhao Pingsheng said apologetically. As he drove, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square box. “Please accept this bracelet as a token of my apology to you, Miss Gu. I insist.”

Gu Xicao took the box, opened it, and saw a diamond bracelet shimmering brightly with dazzling brilliance. Beside her, Wang Laoshi’s eyes were practically glued to the bracelet.

Gu Xicao had indeed been a little upset about being stood up yesterday.

But since the other party had provided a “reason,” it didn’t seem appropriate to pursue the matter further. “Mr. Zhao, you’re too kind. I understand you’re a busy man. Besides, what happened yesterday was unforeseen. How could I blame you?”