CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 343: SHE IS THE NEW FAVORITE OF THE YE FAMILY! 2

After Qin Jianzhang left, he walked over to Dong Shangzhi, who was chatting with a few people, and asked his son-in-law, "Where’s Jingqiu?"

Madam Dong’s name was Qin Jingqiu.

Dong Shangzhi replied, "Father, Jingqiu went to the restroom."

"Hmm, go find her and bring her back."

"Alright."

At that moment, there was a commotion near the restroom entrance. Several people were gathered there, some women were crying, and Madam Dong was also among the crowd, her face pale.

Dong Shangzhi went over, tenderly wrapped an arm around Madam Dong’s shoulders, and asked, feigning ignorance, "Jingqiu, what happened?"

"It’s terrible—such a young child, to be so cruel! He killed Madam Chen’s cat and still won’t admit to it. Madam Chen is heartbroken, and I can understand that pain."

Madam Dong thought of her own cat; her cat had also died.

Madam Dong couldn’t bear children and had treated her pet cat like her own daughter; losing the pet cat was as painful to her as losing a daughter.

Gu Shurong, the chubby little tyke, stood firm. "I didn’t do it! It was you who strangled it!"

Madam Chen nearly fainted from rage. "You child, such a liar! Xiaohei was my precious; how could I strangle Xiaohei myself? Do you have a tendency to abuse cats? I kindly let you play with Xiaohei, yet you were so cruel. Who are your parents? I must find them and have a serious talk!"

Madam Chen clutched Gu Shurong’s plump, fair little arm, resembling a tender lotus root segment, and pulled him toward the banquet hall.

"Let go of me! Let go of me! WAAAH—it was you, it was you!" Gu Shurong wailed at the top of his lungs, his cries echoing dramatically.

But no matter how much he cried, Madam Chen firmly dragged him to the banquet hall.

Gu Shurong’s loud wailing alerted everyone in the banquet hall.

Si Mingjing’s heart ached at the child’s cries. Seeing Madam Chen approach in a fury, she asked, "What happened to this child? What’s wrong?"

Si Mingjing moved to hug the chubby youngster, but Madam Chen refused to let go.

The surrounding guests gathered, and Madam Chen, tears streaming down her face, recounted what happened. She eventually added, "Madam Dong can vouch for me. Just before, Madam Dong and I went into the ladies’ restroom. We left Xiaohei outside because this child seemed to enjoy playing with cats, so I let him play for a while. But while I was in the restroom, I suddenly heard Xiaohei screech. When I followed the sound to the men’s restroom, I saw this child in there, throwing Xiaohei into the urinal. Xiaohei was already dead."

All eyes turned to Madam Dong.

Madam Dong nodded, her account very objective. "We did hear Xiaohei’s sharp cries from inside the restroom. At that time, Madam Chen and I were in adjacent stalls. I heard Madam Chen ask what had happened, then she rushed out. Madam Chen only went to check on the cat after it was already in distress."

The chubby Gu Shurong, indignant, threw himself into Si Mingjing’s arms. Crying, he angrily pointed at Madam Chen. "Pretty Auntie, she’s the one who strangled it! She’s trying to blame me—"

"You lying brat! Why would I strangle my own Xiaohei? Do any of you believe I would kill my own cat and blame this child? Besides, Madam Dong can testify for me."

Madam Dong also felt that the child was a liar.

It was then that Dong Shangzhi whispered to her, "This is the child who was pushed into the artificial lake three days ago—Miss Si’s relative. We’d better not get involved."

"What? He’s that child?"

Dong Shangzhi nodded.

At that moment, Madam Chen continued, "Miss Si, I believe this child does have a propensity for abusing cats. He killed my cat and won’t admit it, instead lying that I did it. Such a child needs to be disciplined properly; otherwise, when he grows up, he might become a murderer or arsonist!"

Hearing this, Madam Dong suddenly made a connection.

She whispered to her husband, "Was he really pushed into the water by someone?"

A calculating glint in his eyes, Dong Shangzhi said softly, "I don’t know. That’s what the child said."

Dong Shangzhi remained non-committal.

But everything he did was intentionally leading his wife to speculate on her own.

Conclusions drawn by others are never as convincing as those one reaches independently. Dong Shangzhi understood this aspect of human nature very well.

Madam Dong indeed began to speculate, Is it possible that my Miaomiao was also killed by this child? He killed Miaomiao, realized he had caused trouble, and then lied about someone trying to silence him?

Dong Shangzhi, with a solemn face, said, "Jingqiu, we shouldn’t make wild guesses without evidence."

Yet inside, he was secretly pleased. My dear wife, you are so clever!

As long as his wife firmly believed the child had a tendency for animal cruelty and was an expert liar, she wouldn’t believe anything the child said! That way, if the child accused him, his wife would think the child was lying! This was how his own crisis could be averted.

Si Mingjing’s voice was stern. "Madam Chen, watch your words!"

Madam Chen responded angrily, "This brat strangled my Xiaohei to death! Have you even considered how I feel?"

"Really? Are you sure that Xiaohei was killed by Shurong? Madam Chen, I advise you to think carefully before you speak!"

Si Mingjing’s face suddenly turned cold, her presence becoming imposing, as if radiating a regal authority.

Madam Chen was nearly frightened.

This girl is tough, Madam Chen thought. But so what? Madam Dong can vouch for me; I have an alibi!

Forcing herself to remain calm, Madam Chen said, "Of course! I heard Xiaohei’s shriek, rushed from the ladies’ restroom to the men’s, and saw this child with his hands around my Xiaohei’s neck. I rushed over to stop him, and then he threw Xiaohei into the urinal. Xiaohei was already lifeless!"

Madam Chen spoke with confidence, as if she had nothing to fear from an investigation.

"Pretty Auntie, it wasn’t like that! It was her, it was her!" The chubby Gu Shurong steadfastly stuck to his story.

Dong Shangzhi’s expression remained impassive, but inwardly he was full of praise. What a masterful move!

This solution to avert the crisis wasn’t his own idea but came from the woman he was having an affair with.

She had said, "Just arrange for Madam Chen’s twin sister to strangle the cat in front of the chubby kid and then leave quickly. The kid will then be certain that Madam Chen is the killer. The more convinced the child is, the more your wife will believe he’s a liar. Wouldn’t that solve all your problems?"

He had asked at the time, "How can you guarantee the Chen sisters will play along?"

She had replied with a laugh, "I have leverage over the Chen sisters. They wouldn’t dare disobey. Just wait and enjoy the show."

It truly was a good show, resolving all issues in one fell swoop.

This is a happy ending for everyone! Dong Shangzhi thought. The only cost was the child being branded a liar—which, for a child, was supposedly nothing at all!

At that moment, Si Mingjing comforted the chubby boy. "Xiaobao, don’t cry. Auntie believes you. To find out what really happened, why don’t we check the surveillance footage?"

Someone interjected, "How could there be surveillance cameras in the men’s restroom?"

Dong Shangzhi, standing nearby, remained as stoic as Mount Tai. He scoffed internally, Go ahead and check. You’ll never find anything. Who installs surveillance cameras in a restroom?

Unexpectedly, Si Mingjing pointed to the chubby child’s pocket and said, "You may not know this, but this little one is quite playful. I was afraid of losing him, so I pinned a wireless pinhole camera to his clothes. The camera should have recorded everything. We’ll know the truth once we check it."