Chapter Ninety-Eight: What Else Is There to Explain?

At that moment, several people were splashing about in the pool, their faces full of smug delight.

Shen Qingli did not hurry in. She simply leaned silently against the low wall and listened to them talk.

"Right now the internet is in an uproar. Shen Qingli is the boss herself, yet she is involved with one of her own company's artists. If this gets out in the industry, her reputation is going to be ruined."

"Exactly. Let's see how she ever finds another star to sign after this. I'm afraid those celebrities will avoid her from now on."

"In my opinion, no matter how you look at it, this Shen Qingli can never compare with our Qiaoyi."

Rong Qiaoyi was surrounded by the others, and being flattered like this made her feel wonderfully pleased.

"You make a good point."

She took a sip of red wine, her face even more triumphant.

With a cold smile, she was about to take out her phone and see what was happening to Shen Qingli when she suddenly felt a chill in the air.

Then she heard the women scream.

"Ah!"

"Isn't that Shen Qingli!"

"How did she get here!"

At the sound, Rong Qiaoyi looked over and saw Shen Qingli kick the women who had just been gossiping straight into the pool.

Frowning, she rose to her feet, her fingers moving slightly.

A burst of spiritual force shot toward Shen Qingli's back, as if it meant to send her into the pool as well.

But Shen Qingli naturally saw through her scheme.

"Trying to set me up?"

With a cold laugh, she flicked her fingers and sent the attack right back.

"You little bitch, you dare..." Rong Qiaoyi cried out in fury and tried to block it, but after being injured by Xie Jinchuan, how could she possibly still be Shen Qingli's match?

She could not catch it at all and was struck unconscious on the spot.

Looking at Rong Qiaoyi, whose fighting ability was practically worthless, Shen Qingli could not help rolling her eyes.

She had thought the woman was formidable. She had not expected her to collapse after one blow.

Seeing the women fainted, the corners of Shen Qingli's mouth lifted slightly.

In just a few swift motions, she cracked their phones and posted online the evidence that they had hired trolls to smear her.

Watching the trending topic surge upward in an instant, Shen Qingli nodded in satisfaction.

"This is what it means to turn their own methods against them."

"You can call this reaping what you sow."

She gave a cold snort, then tossed the phone straight into the pool. Though it was already autumn, the weather still carried an oddly lingering heat.

Just as she was about to leave, Shen Qingli suddenly remembered something and walked over to Rong Qiaoyi.

She placed a finger between her brows, and light began to shimmer at her fingertip.

Thinking of the things Rong Qiaoyi and Xie Jinchuan had been hiding, Shen Qingli intended to search through Rong Qiaoyi's memory directly.

Unexpectedly, the sound of movement came from outside, and she instantly withdrew her hand.

She looked toward the figure, only to see someone she had never expected.

Xie Jinchuan.

"So you were here."

Shen Qingli thought of the uproar online and of what she had suffered in the hospital.

She had not seen this man even once.

Yet now she saw him in Rong Qiaoyi's home. Looking at the loose clothing he wore, Shen Qingli's gaze immediately turned cold.

"So you've only just gotten up. Sorry for the disturbance."

She spoke softly, then turned to leave.

But someone caught her wrist. "Listen to me explain."

Xie Jinchuan frowned. "I woke up here. I don't know what's going on either. I heard noise over here, so I came to look."

He had not even noticed his own clothes, nor had he imagined he would see Shen Qingli.

Seeing the woman's icy expression, he knew she must have misunderstood him.

"What is there left to explain now? Look at your clothes. Look at the marks on your body."

Seeing the red trace on him, Shen Qingli felt a sharp pain in her chest.

With a cold laugh, she shook off the man's hand.

"Sorry for disturbing your date."

"Xie Jinchuan, do you still think any explanation means anything now? What, do you want to have your cake and eat it too?"

Her eyes grew colder and colder. Looking at the hand she had flung away, Xie Jinchuan felt somewhat helpless.

"Why do you never believe me?"

Those words made Shen Qingli pause slightly. Her hand at her side tightened.

She turned back and smiled at him, the smile tinged with bitterness.

"Xie Jinchuan, I want to believe you too. But with the way you are now, how am I supposed to believe you?"

"Look at the marks on you. Ha..."

She had only said half the sentence before she let out a dry laugh. When she raised her eyes again, they were ice-cold. Then she turned, vaulted over the wall, and strode away.

Xie Jinchuan wanted to chase after her, but the cold look in her eyes flashed through his mind again.

He sighed. "Why won't you believe me, even once?"

His figure looked helpless and weary. He glanced at the reflection in the mirror, his brows drawing together, and with a flex of his fingers he gathered spiritual force and shattered the illusion.

He clearly remembered practicing in his room last night. How had he ended up here after waking, and in Rong Qiaoyi's home of all places?

Looking at Rong Qiaoyi lying unconscious there, Xie Jinchuan's expression turned even colder. He flicked a thread of spiritual force toward her, waking her up.

Rong Qiaoyi slowly opened her eyes. Before she could properly gather her thoughts, a sword pierced her shoulder again and pinned her directly to the wall.

"Ahhh!"

Rong Qiaoyi screamed in pain at once, clutching the cold blade and feeling as though her hand might freeze stiff.

In the end she could only let go, looking at the man with baffled, resentful eyes.

"Xie Jinchuan, why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve such treatment?"

Xie Jinchuan sneered. "Why I ended up here—wasn't that your doing?"

Hearing this, Rong Qiaoyi met the man's furious gaze and quickly thought of Shen Qingli's earlier visit.

Everything became clear.

It was likely that Shen Qingli had seen the scene.

But she would naturally never admit to what she had done. Looking at the man, her eyes also took on a hint of pitiful grievance.

"I clearly did nothing. Don't you know that you went mad while cultivating last night and came here on your own?"

"You can check the surveillance footage. I never touched anything."

Rong Qiaoyi said weakly, then suddenly exerted force and pulled the sword free.

Xie Jinchuan's sword harmed the soul, so no wound could be seen on the surface.

But soul injuries healed extremely slowly.

The injury from that day had already cost her a great deal of demonic power before she had managed to recover somewhat. But today... this man had struck her again. Without ten days to half a month, it would absolutely not heal. Even with demonic power, it might still be impossible.

At this, Xie Jinchuan frowned.

Went mad while cultivating?

He gave a cold snort, then turned and headed for the surveillance room. After he left, a smile curved at the corners of Rong Qiaoyi's lips.

Her fingers moved slightly, and another wisp of black energy slipped into the man's body.