CHAPTER 162: CHAPTER 162: SOMEONE BEHIND THE SCENES

An hour later, the man, beaten black and blue, was dragged by Gu Ningyue to stand before Shen Hanyin, who had just stepped off the stage.

Shen Hanyin looked astonished, "Brother Chen, how could it be you!"

Brother Chen, Chen Qinghui, was the assistant to the troupe leader.

He had always been diligent in both big and small matters, very much trusted by the troupe leader.

There had never been any animosity between them, she never dreamed it would be him!

Gu Ningyue looked at Chen Qinghui, her voice cold as ice, "Do you want to say it yourself, or shall I say it for you?"

Noseblood trickled down to his mouth, and Chen Qinghui was filled with regret; he should have never agreed to help that person back then.

The woman in front of him was like a demon.

Her methods were ruthless, her speed astonishing.

Most importantly, he had never dreamed of how she found out about the venomous snake he released!

Yet she did, and she tracked him down, leaving him with nowhere to hide.

As more and more people gathered, Chen Qinghui knew thinking about it now was pointless; he had no choice but to show the most humble expression, looking at Shen Hanyin and saying, "It was me, my mind was clouded, and I placed the venomous snake in Miss Shen’s locker. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this once! I won’t dare again!"

The surrounding crowd murmured, and Shen Hanyin could not believe her ears: "Assistant Chen, did I offend you? Why would you do this?"

Having been in the troupe for so many years, Shen Hanyin dared not claim she was well-liked, but she was not one to frequently offend others either.

Moreover, Chen Qinghui was the troupe leader’s assistant, and she was just a dancer. Why would he bear a grudge against her?

There had to be something behind this that she couldn’t fathom.

Chen Qinghui, cornered by Gu Ningyue’s gaze, steeled himself and confessed through gritted teeth, "I... I’ve actually always secretly loved Miss Shen, but Miss Shen never even glanced at me, and in a moment of resentment, I lost my head! I promise, there won’t be a next time. Please, let me go! I won’t dare again..."

Gu Ningyue sneered. It seemed Ye Mingchen had given Chen Qinghui many benefits, so much that he preferred to take the blame instead of exposing him.

By now, the troupe leader had arrived upon hearing the commotion. After listening to Chen Qinghui’s confession, he felt the urge to kick him over: "Chen Qinghui, Chen Qinghui! How foolish you are!"

Chen Qinghui hung his head in silence, his fingers clenched tightly.

It seemed he feared the truth might slip out the next moment.

"Leader, I know I’m wrong. You can do whatever you want, just don’t hand me over to the police!"

After so many years without any deviation, he couldn’t let this one thing ruin his reputation!

Absolutely not!

The troupe leader said nothing, his eyes filled only with disappointment.

After a long while, the troupe leader looked at Shen Hanyin: "Xiao Shen, how do you want to handle this?"

After all, Shen Hanyin was the victim, and her opinion should be asked first.

The image of that snake, flicking its tongue at her, flashed through her mind, and Shen Hanyin shuddered violently: "Call the police!"

"Miss Shen! Please don’t call the police! I know I was wrong, I will leave here immediately and never appear in front of Miss Shen again," Chen Qinghui panicked, "If you think that’s not enough, I’ll... I’ll do anything you want! I have a wife and kids at home, if they find out..."

Shen Hanyin looked at the battered Chen Qinghui, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

The troupe leader, gauging the situation, quickly chimed in: "Xiao Shen! It’s been so many years, Qinghui is not a bad person. This time he probably really lost his mind, maybe you could just..."

Before he finished his sentence, Gu Ningyue had already taken hold of Shen Hanyin’s arm: "Leader, that’s not the way to put it. That venomous snake is not something you’d find in the city! He went through a lot of trouble to catch the snake and put it in Han Yin’s locker; this is clearly premeditated. I think we should call the police!"

Shen Hanyin’s wavering heart was steadied by Gu Ningyue’s words, "Let the police handle it! Whether Brother Chen did it, or if someone incited him, I also want to know."

With a thud, under the gaze of everyone present, Chen Qinghui fell to his knees.

Ignoring the astonished gazes, Chen Qinghui raised his head and pleaded, "Miss Shen, please be magnanimous and spare me. In the future, for any matter of yours, I wouldn’t hesitate to offer my life. My parents have been honest farmers all their lives, they’re old now, if they know I got caught, they won’t be able to handle it. Please, take pity on me..."

As he spoke, Chen Qinghui was about to kowtow to Shen Hanyin.

After exchanging a glance with Shen Hanyin, Gu Ningyue pulled Shen Hanyin aside: "Feeling soft-hearted?"

Shen Hanyin shook her head: "No, it’s just that I wasn’t hurt, so even if we report it, he won’t be detained for long. With as big a fuss as today, when he’s out, who knows he might retaliate against me."

"So, you think it’s better to leave him a way out for future reconciliation?" Gu Ningyue pondered, looking at Shen Hanyin: "Letting him go is not impossible, but we should make him write a statement of guarantee."

After discussing, Gu Ningyue and Shen Hanyin returned to the crowd.

Chen Qinghui had been helped up, and seeing their return, was about to kneel again.

Shen Hanyin stopped him, "Brother Chen, I won’t call the police today."

Overjoyed, Chen Qinghui was about to thank her when Shen Hanyin added, "But you must write a statement of guarantee, otherwise, you can’t leave today."

Chen Qinghui agreed.

Someone brought paper and pen, and after Chen Qinghui finished writing, he signed and pressed his fingerprint. The troupe leader and Shen Hanyin checked it, and then Chen Qinghui was allowed to leave.

Before leaving, Gu Ningyue patted Shen Hanyin on the shoulder: "I have something to do, I’ll head out for a bit."

Shen Hanyin roughly guessed what she was going to do, just saying ’be careful’ before letting her go.

The onlookers dispersed, leaving a few with close ties to Shen Hanyin to comfort her.

"Who would have thought, Brother Chen turned out to be this kind of person. His wife has come to the troupe several times before, and he seemed to treat her well! How could he..."

"Right! He usually looks like a decent person, you never know what someone’s truly like!"

"Han Yin, don’t be too upset, consider this a lesson. On the bright side, not being bitten is a blessing amid misfortune."

"However, the troupe leader will have to choose a new assistant, and if it’s Li Ru, our days might just become tougher..."

"Li Ru has never looked up to you, thinking you’re better than her yet she’s unsatisfied, always wanting to replace you on stage, now with Brother Chen gone, she..."

Shen Hanyin listened half-heartedly, but one thought lingered in her mind.

——There must be someone behind Chen Qinghui, instigating him.