Chapter Three: The Winds Shift in an Instant

"What? Surveillance?"

Ning Lebao panicked for a fleeting moment, but forced her anxiety back into the depths of her heart. She had already had people check this area; there were no cameras. The other party was merely bluffing. She must not fall for it.

"Sister, what are you talking about? There’s no surveillance here."

"Is that so? Then what do you see over there?" Ning Huaizhi pointed.

Everyone’s gaze followed her finger, and sure enough, they spotted the camera in the corner. They immediately began to whisper among themselves.

"What? There really is a camera?"

"Then what were they arguing about? I thought there wasn't any surveillance."

Ning Lebao’s face turned pale; she was clearly rattled. "This camera might have been here for a long time and is probably useless now. Mother, I’m tired. Let’s just let this matter go; I don't want to make a bigger scene."

"Absolutely not!"

A voice cut her off. The crowd parted, and the Second Young Master Ning emerged, accompanied by the estate’s butler. He looked at his sister with heartache, his tone resolute.

"Ning Huaizhi still refuses to admit her mistake, and you want to let her off just like that? Lebao, you are simply too kind, which is why you’ve allowed Ning Huaizhi to commit evil time and time again. Today, I am determined to expose Ning Huaizhi’s ugly face and let everyone see exactly what kind of person she is."

Ning Lebao was fuming and anxious inside, but she couldn't show it; she had to keep up her act. The Second Young Master walked over to her and took her cold hands, filled with concern.

"Look at you. You’ve been up for so long, and your hands are still ice-cold. There's no telling how much you've suffered, yet you’re still trying to speak up for Ning Huaizhi. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you like this? Say no more. I’ve brought the butler here to check the footage and clear your name."

Ning Lebao’s body trembled slightly. The Second Young Master, assuming she was cold, pulled her coat tighter around her. Watching this, Ning Huaizhi burst into laughter. It wasn't the cold that made Ning Lebao tremble; it was her guilty conscience. Only the three of them knew what that footage actually recorded.

She had spent so long building her persona, only for her dear second brother to ruin it. She wondered if the Second Young Master would regret his actions once he saw the footage. He wasn't clearing Ning Lebao’s name—he was clearing hers.

Hearing the laughter, the Second Young Master glared at her. "You’ve done something like this, and you still have the nerve to laugh?"

"Enough. Let's just go watch the footage." Ning Huaizhi, not bothering to argue, followed the butler.

The surveillance room was not far, and the group arrived quickly. The staff, already aware of their purpose, had the footage ready. The room was small; apart from the Ning family, there was only enough space for a few curious onlookers to squeeze in, while the rest waited outside for the results.

When the clear image appeared on the screen, Ning Lebao’s heart sank. She had tried to dissuade them many times along the way, but no matter what she said, the Second Young Master remained steadfast in his conviction. She had once found her second brother to be such a useful tool, but now, she despised him. He had brought her massive trouble.

No matter how much Ning Lebao wished otherwise, the Ning family saw the truth. When Ning Lebao fell into the water, Ning Huaizhi was still an arm's length away. She had never touched her, so she certainly could not have pushed her. Every frame of the footage was crystal clear. Even if the Ning family refused to admit it, they were left speechless.

"Well? Do you have any other objections regarding the truth?" Ning Huaizhi looked at them with a smile, patiently waiting for them to recover.

The Second Young Master was the first to refuse to accept it. "Impossible. Ning Huaizhi, did you collude with someone to tamper with the footage beforehand, just to frame Lebao?"

"You people really have an answer for everything, don't you? Before watching the footage, when I said Ning Lebao fell in by herself, you accused me of framing her. Now that the footage proves she fell in on her own, you claim I intentionally set it up. What would it take to satisfy you? Do you need me to admit that I am the villain and that I did all of this, while Ning Lebao is as pure as driven snow? Would that satisfy you?"

With every word she spoke, the Second Young Master’s face grew increasingly unsightly. Ning Huaizhi enjoyed the sight with composure, then turned to look at Ning Lebao, who had remained silent, a smile playing on her lips. The girl’s face was as white as a sheet, her lips devoid of color—she looked even more disheveled than when she had fallen into the water.

"Sister, why don't you share your thoughts as well?"

The word "sister" was dripping with irony. Ning Lebao’s face turned even paler. Outside, the crowd had learned the truth, and their expressions shifted constantly.

"I’ve misjudged her. I thought Ning Lebao was a good person, but she’s actually this calculating."

"She really dislikes Ning Huaizhi; to go to such lengths to ruin someone—how vicious."

"Hey, didn't you just praise her a moment ago? Well? Do you still want to take her home as your daughter-in-law?"

"Go on, get lost. Don't try to disgust me."

On the fringes of the crowd, a man and a woman stood together. The woman, wearing a champagne-colored fishtail dress that perfectly outlined her figure, leaned against a pillar with a glass of red wine in her hand. "That little girl is quite something. I was going to step in and help her, but she handled it all by herself. However, Ning Lebao is truly foolish; she didn't even check for cameras beforehand."

"Don't you think so, brother?" The woman blinked and gave the man a look.

Moonlight fell on the man’s face, highlighting his cold, sharp features. His gaze was icy and piercing.

"No," the man said in a low voice. "That camera wasn't there from the beginning."

"Oh?" The woman became interested. "Then how did it get there?"

"Naturally, because of the little girl you mentioned. She is very clever."

When the murmurs of the crowd drifted into the surveillance room, they were muffled and unintelligible. Yet, even so, it was more than Ning Lebao could bear. She huddled in her mother’s arms, tears streaming down her face like broken pearls. Her mother’s heart, which had just hardened, softened instantly. Her eyes were filled with confusion; she couldn't understand how things had turned out this way.

The Second Young Master couldn't accept it either, but he couldn't bear to see the sister he had pampered for so long feeling aggrieved. So, he spoke up, "Mother, let’s go back."

Her mother nodded in silence.

"Wait, do you intend to just walk away like this?"

"Ning Huaizhi, what else do you want?" The Second Young Master turned, glaring at her in fury.