When she first saw Ye Jinxiu being framed, Lin Huanhuan’s attitude was that of someone watching a good show.
Lin Huanhuan chuckled to herself. ‘Should I say she’s the female lead after all? Stumbling into a framing plot in a random secret realm is such a classic trope.’
‘But Bai Lingfeng isn’t here right now. That means the payback will only happen later. This is getting interesting.’
She stood among the crowd like everyone else, watching coldly with a faint expression of amusement.
‘Hmph, you kept teasing me just now, didn’t you? Now karma has come for you. You deserve it. This should teach you a lesson and see if you ever dare to do that again.’
However, her amusement faded as she watched Ye Jinxiu standing there all alone, facing the accusations of Shangguan Muqing and the strange looks from the others while trying her best to explain herself.
Then, Huyan Yazhi and Lü Ye kicked her while she was down, making Ye Jinxiu appear even more helpless. She looked as though she was on the verge of giving up in despair.
She was like a tiny boat on a vast ocean, struggling against the towering, rolling waves, only to be unable to escape the fate of being smashed to pieces.
At that moment, Lin Huanhuan’s heart trembled involuntarily. Putting herself in that position, if she were facing such a situation, she would definitely want someone to help her escape this ordeal.
She even tried to suppress her urge to help. ‘No, I can’t go up and help. If I help at a time like this, I’ll definitely gain a massive amount of Favorability. I’ll never be able to shake her off then. Think about the future!’
‘I’m not the protagonist. If I get involved, I’ll definitely end up without a grave to call my own. Besides, Bai Lingfeng will help her later anyway, so why am I worrying? Ye Jinxiu can suffer a little grievance now; she’ll definitely get her revenge later.’
She tried desperately to think this way, but she found it useless. This thought was like a mayfly trying to shake a giant tree when faced with another feeling deep in her heart — it was simply too insignificant.
‘But, can I really do that?’
Lin Huanhuan gave a bitter smile. ‘Even if I try my hardest to play the part of a cold, heartless person, a villain without any feelings… based on what I learned in my past life… I just can’t do it.’
‘Ye Jinxiu is quite annoying, but whether I admit it or not, the fact that she considers me a friend is the absolute truth.’
‘If I hadn’t seen it, or if I didn’t have the power to help her, that would be one thing. But now, not only have I seen it, I actually possess the power to change the situation. I cannot watch my friend fall into such a state while I remain indifferent.’
‘Therefore, I will help her. At least for now.’
Thinking of this, Lin Huanhuan turned her gaze toward her restless Inner Demon. ‘Right? Inner Demon.’
The Inner Demon, which had been like a pot of boiling water, suddenly settled down. It clearly understood that it could not interfere with her at this moment.
Having cleared her mind, Lin Huanhuan took a long breath. Her mind felt clear and bright, as if she had cast off a heavy suit of armor she had worn for a long time.
She no longer hesitated and took a step forward. Ignoring the surprised gazes of the people around her, she stood directly in front of Ye Jinxiu.
“You… thank you.”
Ye Jinxiu stared blankly at the back in front of her. It wasn’t particularly tall or imposing, but she wanted to say so much. However, when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t get them out, only managing those two words of thanks.
Lin Huanhuan glanced back at her and snorted. “Save your thanks. I’m not helping you. It’s just that Shangguan Muqing has a personal grudge against me. Seeing me getting close to you, she’s targeting you more because of it.”
“This is between her and me, but you’ve been accidentally dragged into it. Naturally, I have to stand up and help. Don’t go overthinking things.”
As Shangguan Muqing’s rival, she understood better than anyone how Shangguan Muqing constantly wanted to defeat her.
Originally, she only intended to use this as an excuse to avoid increasing Ye Jinxiu’s Favorability, but the more she spoke, the more she felt it must be the case. By the end, her tone was one of absolute certainty.
‘Is that really how it is? Your words and your attitude don’t exactly match.’
Ye Jinxiu didn’t believe her in her heart. Just as she was about to ask more, Shangguan Muqing spoke first.
“Hey, hey, hey! Lin Huanhuan, if you want to play the hero, then play the hero. Why are you spreading rumors that I’m targeting others? How am I targeting her? I’m just discussing the facts!”
Lin Huanhuan smiled disdainfully and said, “When did I spread rumors about you? I’m just telling the truth. Is telling the truth considered spreading rumors now? How interesting.”
Shangguan Muqing frowned. “Did I misjudge you? You actually plan to rely on baseless pestering to help a thief? Or are you trying to use this method to hide the fact that you have no judgment?”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking? A thief? What thief? Do you have evidence to prove she’s a thief? You need evidence when you speak, do you understand?”
Lin Huanhuan crossed her arms, speaking in a lecturing tone.
Shangguan Muqing clenched her fists and replied in a low voice, “Evidence? Isn’t the evidence right before our eyes?”
“I found my dharma treasure under her table, and she can’t provide any evidence to prove she didn’t steal it. Doesn’t that prove she stole it? Are you planning to play blind?”
“Pfft — “
Lin Huanhuan burst out laughing, looking absolutely delighted. She slapped her thigh a few times before straightening up and laughing. “Everything you said is nothing more than your own inference. What does that count for?”
“You did indeed find something under her table, but what does that prove? It only proves the dharma treasure ended up under her table. It wasn’t in her storage bag, and no one saw her put the treasure there. Therefore, your so-called evidence is completely invalid.”
“You!” Shangguan Muqing’s chest felt tight with rage. She had never expected Lin Huanhuan to be so sophisticated in her sophistry. She was nearly driven mad with anger.
In the short time it took her to walk over, Lin Huanhuan had already thought about how to help. She had already suffered once from being unprepared.
She had considered trying to determine the culprit by seeing who benefited the most, but she couldn’t find an answer; there were too few clues.
Ultimately, she chose the most convenient way: using her own status to achieve an effect that Ye Jinxiu could never reach.
Just as she was doing now.
Shangguan Muqing took a deep breath and said, “Then what do you think? Don’t tell me to drop this because of insufficient evidence, because that is impossible.”
Out of respect for her rival, and to truly defeat her, Shangguan Muqing showed sufficient patience at this moment. She would only act this way toward Lin Huanhuan; had it been Ye Jinxiu just now, she would have impatiently taken her down long ago.
Lin Huanhuan smiled faintly and said, “It’s simple. As long as you can produce evidence proving Ye Jinxiu did it, you can naturally hand her over to the Punishment Hall. Otherwise, you can’t.”
“Although I don’t particularly like the look of Ye Jinxiu, based on my understanding of her, it is basically impossible for her to do such a thing. At least not for now.”
Shangguan Muqing froze for a second, her face full of disbelief. “Are you joking? You want me, the victim, to take the initiative to gather evidence?”
“Of course. Should I do it instead?” Lin Huanhuan said with a look of perfect composure, not feeling the slightest bit embarrassed.
“Since you’re the one claiming Ye Jinxiu stole your dharma treasure, you naturally have to provide definitive proof that she took it. Otherwise, how can anyone be convinced?”