Ji Mo never expected that before she could search Li Wangshu, Li Wangshu would pull out the bracelet herself. She also never expected that Li Wangshu would call the police.
The plan to frame her had been nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment bad idea. She had not prepared carefully enough, and if the surveillance footage was checked, the truth would definitely be exposed.
“N-No, there’s no need for that… Sister, just apologize and let it go…” Ji Mo really did not want this matter to reach the police station.
“Me apologize?” Li Wangshu looked at the Ji family again. “Should I be the one apologizing?”
“This is just a misunderstanding.” Ji Qingshuang stepped forward. “I prepared two bracelets. One was given to Momo, and the other was given to Moon. The one Moon has is hers. Momo simply mistook it for hers.”
“Yes, yes!” Xu Jingya hurriedly agreed.
Although Ji Mo was unwilling, she could only go along with it. “I was the one who got it wrong.”
But Li Wangshu was unwilling to let it go.
“I already said this. You can laugh at me for being poor, but you cannot question my character or my upbringing. This bracelet is not mine. I have never received it before. It belongs to Ji Mo. As for how it ended up from Ji Mo’s hand onto me, I want to know the truth even more than you do.”
Li Wangshu still insisted on calling the police, and the Ji family truly panicked.
No matter what the result was, regardless of which daughter ended up being exposed, they were destined to lose face tonight.
“There’s no need to call the police. I saw everything.” Jiang Fengmian suddenly spoke.
“Just now, Momo accidentally bumped into you, and one end of the bracelet got caught on your clothes.”
He had indeed seen everything. However, what he saw was Ji Mo secretly stuffing the bracelet into Li Wangshu’s waistband.
But his Momo was already so pitiful. Even if she had done something wrong, shouldn’t she be forgiven?
“Ah, so that’s what happened.”
“It was a misunderstanding. It was all just a misunderstanding.”
Xu Jingya grabbed Li Wangshu’s hand, her eyes full of pleading.
“I’ll have Momo apologize to you. Can we not call the police?”
“Yes, Momo, apologize to your sister. How can you accuse someone without reason?” Ji Huaiyang quickly added.
Ji Mo knew the situation was already hopeless, so she could only apologize.
“You really treat her well. You can even turn black into white for her. It’s my fault for having expectations of you.”
Li Wangshu threw the bracelet back into Ji Mo’s arms.
Even if the surveillance footage was checked, it would not capture the precise moment when Ji Mo had secretly stuffed the bracelet into her clothes. After investigating, the most likely outcome would still be to close the case based on Jiang Fengmian’s explanation.
Although she had decided to adjust her attitude and complete her mission properly, at this moment, she could not stay here for even another second.
“Moon!” Ji Qingshuang called out to her. “We know you’ve been wronged. Don’t—”
“Your family is truly unbearable. Since you can’t fulfill what I asked for, then stop bothering me. Let’s go our separate ways.”
Seeing Xu Jingya trying to stop her again, Li Wangshu said coldly:
“Mrs. Ji, everyone is watching. If you don’t want this matter to continue escalating, please behave yourself and stop clinging to me. After all, I don’t care about your family’s reputation at all.”
Xu Jingya quickly withdrew her hand.
After the crowd dispersed, Li Wangshu walked to a corner and sent He Yu a message.
“When are you coming back to Baijing?”
“Tonight.”
After finishing his business, He Yu had immediately prepared to return. As for why he was so eager to come back, even he could not explain it himself.
Li Wangshu’s eyes lit up.
“Do you have time this weekend? Should we go on a date?”
After typing the message, she felt something uncomfortable in her eye. It was probably an eyelash poking her, so she gently rubbed it.
“Are you very sad?”
Ji Chenxing did not know when he had come over.
When Li Wangshu turned around, Ji Chenxing noticed her slightly red eyes.
“No.”
Li Wangshu firmly denied it. Only people who cared would feel hurt. She did not care about them.
But in Ji Chenxing’s eyes, it was completely different.
“I know you didn’t take the bracelet. I saw Ji Mo’s little trick just now.”
“So?” Li Wangshu looked at him. “You helped her hide it, watched her frame me, and now you came here to watch me make a fool of myself?”
Li Wangshu really had no good impression of this boy who was already grown up but still clearly stuck in his rebellious teenage phase.
“I didn’t…”
Ji Chenxing wanted to argue, but he could not explain his silence just now.
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want things to become too ugly tonight. After all, it’s Mom’s birthday.”
Li Wangshu took out a small box and handed it to him.
“Help me give this to her.”
“It’s Mom’s birthday gift. You should give it to her yourself.”
“She’s busy right now. I need to leave.”
Li Wangshu no longer wanted to make things difficult for herself. She needed to go outside and get some fresh air.
“I made it myself… It might be a little simple. If she doesn’t like it, she can throw it away.”
Li Wangshu said goodbye to Song Xuyu, went to the shop to change back into her own clothes, and then returned to the university.
By the time Xu Jingya learned that Li Wangshu had left, she was already gone.
She felt a little sad.
“The child finally came back once. How did things become like this again?”
“Don’t rush. Take it slowly.”
Ji Huaiyang also felt an emptiness in his heart. Thinking about what Ji Mo had done tonight, he said:
“Find some time to talk to Momo properly. Give her some reassurance so she won’t keep overthinking and do something foolish.”
“Mm.”
“Mom, happy birthday.”
At this moment, Ji Chenxing came over and handed her a box.
“Didn’t you already give me your gift?”
It was a huge sapphire. Whether he had put thought into it or not was unknown, but it was definitely expensive.
“This isn’t mine. It’s from your daughter.”
Ji Chenxing tossed the box directly into Xu Jingya’s arms. He sat down beside her without leaving, casually picked up an orange, and started peeling it.
He was also curious about what was inside the box.
“Momo?”
Xu Jingya immediately knew it was not her.
Ji Mo’s gift had already been given.
“Could it be Moon?”
Her face showed surprise. When she saw Ji Chenxing nod, she immediately looked happily at Ji Huaiyang.
“Moon gave me a gift.”
“Open it quickly and see.”
Ji Huaiyang was also surprised.
Xu Jingya took a deep breath and opened the small wooden box.
Inside was a bracelet carved from sandalwood.
It was made from high-quality rosewood, with each bead smooth and round. Every bead was engraved with tiny scriptures praying for health, safety, and blessings.
“She said she made it herself. It’s not valuable. If you don’t like it, you can throw it in the trash.”
Ji Chenxing glanced at the bracelet.
Although it could not compare to the large sapphire he gave her, it was still not something embarrassing to give.
“She made it herself?!”
Xu Jingya was shocked.
Ji Huaiyang took the bracelet. He happened to know a lot about these things. Looking at the carving marks, he said:
“It really was handmade. The craftsmanship is very good, and the materials were chosen carefully.”
Xu Jingya treasured it and put it on her wrist.
“Before she left, I think I saw her crying.”
After hesitating for a moment, Ji Chenxing still told them what he had seen.
However, he did not mention Ji Mo framing her.
People’s hearts were always biased, and right now, his heart was still biased toward Ji Mo.
“We originally wanted to improve our relationship, but instead we made her suffer again. Huaiyang, do you think Moon will never want to see us again?”
Xu Jingya was truly worried.
She was not unaware of Li Wangshu’s emotional wounds, but Ji Mo was the daughter she had raised herself, the child she had loved since childhood.
There was no way she could drive Ji Mo away.
“She won’t. She even gave you a gift…”
“But we must let her know our attitude. We have to make her accept Momo’s existence.”
Ji Huaiyang had also never considered sending Ji Mo away.
“She needs to recognize reality. Jingya, don’t be soft-hearted. The suffering she endured can be compensated for in the future. But right now, she must first learn to compromise.”