Destined

This sudden turn of events caught Wang Mei completely off guard, and Song Xiang was equally bewildered. The people who had come with Wang Mei, sensing the situation turning unfavorable, quickly took their leave from Liu Yu Ru. In an instant, the long corridor was left with only Wang Mei, Song Xiang, and the group Liu Yu Ru had brought.

Liu Yu Ru glanced at the sky and said calmly, "It's not appropriate to stand here where outsiders might see us. Let's talk inside."

With that, she led everyone back upstairs.

They entered a room that had already been prepared. Liu Yu Ru took the main seat, while the others found their own places to sit. Only Shen Ming remained, forcing the man they had initially captured to kneel, and Song Xiang stood beside Wang Mei.

Liu Yu Ru took a sip of tea. By now, Wang Mei was beginning to sense that something was amiss. She didn't dare say much, only quietly observing her surroundings. The others seemed to be waiting for something. Song Xiang also sensed the situation was dire, but having already prepared for the worst, she remained composed, simply lowering her head to stare at the floor without uttering a word.

Before long, Huzi and Huang Long brought in two more people. As soon as they entered, Wang Mei's face changed. One of them was still struggling, but Huang Long kicked him in the leg and snapped, "Kneel!"

The kick finally silenced him. Huzi reported promptly, "Madam, Ninth Master, this is the real messenger. He approached the man inside at the door and asked him to deliver the message. There were three of them in total—one got away, but we've already sent people after him."

"Well done."

Liu Yu Ru nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you for your efforts."

Huzi didn't dare accept Liu Yu Ru's thanks and quickly waved his hand to indicate it was nothing.

The man they had captured, seeing the situation turn against him, fell silent. He glanced quickly at Wang Mei before lowering his head again.

"Explain," Liu Yu Ru said calmly, turning her gaze to Wang Mei. "What exactly is going on?"

As she spoke, Liu Yu Ru placed a stack of papers on the table and looked up at Wang Mei. "These are clearly just poems, Aunt Wang. How were you so certain they were formulas?"

Song Xiang's eyes shifted to Wang Mei as Liu Yu Ru continued, "Xiangjie is your disciple. As her master, you should have trusted her more. You were the one who reported her, and now you're the one who got it wrong. Tell me..."

"Boss, you mustn't be deceived!" Wang Mei, hearing Liu Yu Ru's words, suddenly realized what was happening. She thought to herself that this must be a trick orchestrated by Song Xiang and hurriedly professed her loyalty. "I overheard them arranging to meet at the Eastern Arrival Tavern to exchange this. That's why I was so sure it was the formulas. Boss, if you investigate further, you'll see she's involved. Otherwise, why would she be meeting a man here at this hour to exchange something? Even if it's just poems, it doesn't make sense!"

"Aunt Mei!" Song Xiang could no longer listen. Her face flushed red, and she trembled with anger as she said, "What are you talking about? This... this was something you asked me to do!"

"Nonsense!" Wang Mei shouted angrily. "If you don't believe me, ask the men we captured today and see who they came for!"

Hearing this, Shen Ming pushed the man they had brought in earlier and said in a low voice, half-crouching, "Answer the question. Who did you come for?"

The man trembled as he raised his hand and pointed at Song Xiang.Song Xiang was momentarily stunned. Liu Yu Ru sighed and said, "Sister Xiang, I originally wanted to give you a chance, to promote you and give you more money. I never expected you would... This position can only be left for Aunt Wang now."

Upon hearing this, Wang Mei secretly rejoiced in her heart. But Song Xiang suddenly understood the whole story—it must have been Wang Mei, jealous of her, who had betrayed her!

She felt a surge of anger and resentment, but after struggling for a long time, she couldn't utter another word. Liu Yu Ru noticed Song Xiang staring intently at Wang Mei and after a while, she slowly said, "Sister Xiang, if you've truly done such a thing, Floral Visage can no longer keep you."

Song Xiang's face paled. After a moment, she took a deep breath, looked up at Liu Yu Ru, and said, "Boss, I understand that I can't stay after doing such a thing. But if I can't stay, Aunt Wang even more..." Her words trailed off as if she were weighing them carefully. Liu Yu Ru prompted, "Even more what?"

Finally gathering her resolve, Song Xiang said, "Even more cannot stay."

"Sister Xiang, I know you resent me for betraying you," Aunt Wang sighed, "but slandering me like this—the boss won't believe you."

"Do you have any evidence?"

Liu Yu Ru followed up with the question. Song Xiang remained silent, while Wang Mei grew anxious. Then they heard Song Xiang say, "I don't have direct evidence, but I know their entire sales network and how Aunt Wang operates. If you follow the clues I provide to investigate, you're sure to uncover something."

"You want to arrest and investigate people without evidence?" Wang Mei raised her voice, "I've never seen anyone so unreasonable."

"What I'm saying is true!" Song Xiang grew frantic and shouted, "It was Aunt Mei who met these counterfeit sellers outside and came to me. They promised they would only sell in areas where Floral Visage doesn't reach, so it wouldn't affect the shop's business!"

As she spoke, guilt filled her eyes. She knelt down, kowtowed respectfully to Liu Yu Ru, and said earnestly, "Boss, I know you won't believe anything I say now, but I truly never intended to harm the shop. My husband is critically ill and we're short on money—I had no other choice. I've wronged you, but I do have principles and limits! I've failed your kindness and guidance." Song Xiang's eyes reddened, "Before I leave, I hope to help you as much as I can. Aunt Mei cannot stay—she's inherently greedy and lacks any real skill..."

"What did you say!" Wang Mei sprang to her feet, shouting angrily, "I am your master!"

"You never taught me anything." Song Xiang kept her head lowered, as if she had thrown caution to the wind. Her words came fast and coldly, "Back then, you were always wary of me. I had to figure things out and learn on my own. Later, when I achieved results, you went around claiming to be my master. You helped me get into the Gu Family—that's a debt of gratitude I owe you, which is why I've always tolerated you. But now that I'm leaving, I can't let you run amok under the boss's nose. Boss, I'm not the only one Aunt Mei has bribed in the shop. I can provide a list of names, I..."

"You little hussy, how dare you spout such nonsense!"Wang Mei had never expected Song Xiang to suddenly speak so much one day. As Song Xiang continued, Wang Mei lunged forward, trying to silence her. The two women tumbled to the ground, grappling with each other. Liu Yuru listened as Wang Mei shouted angrily, "I'll make you talk! I'll make you resort to any means! Think you can bring me down? Look at yourself—do you even know your own worth!"

"You... stole things..."

As Song Xiang and Wang Mei tore at each other, Song Xiang struggled to speak, listing one accusation after another: "You bullied people..."

"You made counterfeit goods..."

"You stole materials to sell outside..."

"You bought cheap materials from your relatives..."

...

Song Xiang spoke with fierce determination, revealing everything. Wang Mei, unable to save face, could only curse incessantly. The two continued to wrestle until Liu Yuru, seeing that they had said enough, finally ordered people to pull them apart.

Liu Yuru looked at the two women, their hair now disheveled from the fight, and said calmly, "Enough, stop fighting. Each of you has your own side of the story. Here's what we'll do." She lifted her gaze and scanned the room. "I'll question you one by one. Jiusi," Liu Yuru looked at Gu Jiusi, who quickly straightened up, awaiting her instruction.

Liu Yuru gestured toward the two people they had brought in and said lightly, "You interrogate them."

Gu Jiusi promptly agreed and, along with Shen Ming, led the two to the next room.

Afterward, Liu Yuru kept Song Xiang and sent Wang Mei out. Song Xiang sat before Liu Yuru, appearing unusually calm. Liu Yuru tapped the table thoughtfully. After a long silence, she suddenly said, "Actually, I already have a rough idea of what happened."

Song Xiang looked up in surprise. Liu Yuru continued calmly, "I just wasn't clear on the details. Sister Xiang, I understand your temperament well. I've always admired you. If you had told us earlier about your husband's illness, we could have helped you find a solution. You've been with the Gu Family for so many years and are a great contributor to Floral Visage. You shouldn't have kept us at such a distance."

"Madam..." Song Xiang felt deep regret upon hearing these words.

Liu Yuru smiled gently and said, "It's also my fault for not taking better care of you all. I didn't know about your situation or plan a proper path for you. That's my failing as the head. I will do better in the future, and I hope you," Liu Yuru's words carried weight, "will do the same as me."

"Do the same as her" naturally meant correcting mistakes upon realizing them. Understanding Liu Yuru's meaning, Song Xiang quickly knelt to pledge her loyalty. Liu Yuru helped her up, smiled, and said, "If you truly want to help me, tell me everything you know."

This was not only to catch the counterfeiters but also to completely cut off Song Xiang's escape routes. No matter how good a person is, they should not be tested against a touchstone.

Human nature is called human nature because everyone has it—it's just that different environments bring out different aspects.

She had given Song Xiang a high salary, so there needed to be corresponding oversight. She couldn't leave her constantly exposed to temptation.

However, Song Xiang didn't overthink it. She quickly stood up and recounted everything she knew in detail.

By the time Song Xiang finished, Gu Jiusi had also completed his interrogation. He had recorded all the statements, and Liu Yuru called everyone back to the main hall.

Wang Mei had been standing by the door, feeling quite uneasy. She had been speculating about what was happening inside, and a terrifying thought crossed her mind.

What if Liu Yuru was setting a trap for them?What if Liu Yu Ru was deliberately trying to sow discord and obtain information through their internal conflicts?

The moment this thought crossed Wang Mei's mind, she broke into a cold sweat. She tried to reassure herself that it was impossible, but when she entered the main hall and saw Song Xiang sitting calmly beside Liu Yu Ru, her heart suddenly settled.

It was indeed Liu Yu Ru's trap.

As she came to this realization, Liu Yu Ru noticed her standing alone at the door. Picking up her teacup, Liu Yu Ru said softly, "Aunt Mei is here. Come sit."

Wang Mei nervously took the seat indicated by Liu Yu Ru. After taking a sip of tea, Liu Yu Ru threw a stack of confessions in front of Wang Mei and said calmly, "Aunt Mei, care to explain?"

Wang Mei fell silent. Staring at the handwriting on the confessions, she couldn't begin to imagine what those people had endured. Her silence was met with silence from everyone present. After a long pause, she suddenly let out a mocking laugh: "You already know everything in your heart. Why bother asking me?"

"Just being polite," Liu Yu Ru took a sip of tea and was about to continue when Gu Jiusi interjected: "Just a formality."

Everyone turned to look at him. Gu Jiusi quickly lowered his head: "Don't mind me. I was just making a casual remark."

"Lord Gu isn't wrong," Liu Yu Ru turned her gaze back to Wang Mei and said calmly, "I was merely... being polite. That's all."