Fu Yanchen’s hand was still frozen in midair, his face flushed red.
Mrs. Fu grabbed him and pulled him back. “Shut up!”
She turned to Liu Yi’an, her voice trembling. “Yi’an, tell me everything from beginning to end. Tell me the whole story.”
Liu Yi’an took a deep breath and was about to speak
“Enough!”
A sharp female voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Wei Qing rushed in, holding onto the doorframe. Her face was pale, her eyes red and swollen. “Mom, how could you treat Yanchen like this?”
Mrs. Fu frowned. “Qingqing, you haven’t recovered yet. Go back and lie down.”
“I can’t just lie there.” Wei Qing shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I heard everything. I heard every word Yi’an said.”
She looked at Liu Yi’an with a wounded expression. “Yi’an, I know you hate me. You hate me because I came in first place, and you hate Yanchen for saving me first.”
“But you can’t slander me like this.”
Liu Yi’an sneered. “I’m slandering you?”
“Otherwise, what?” Wei Qing bit her lip. “You claim I stole your research results, but do you have any evidence?”
“Our research directions were similar, and reaching similar conclusions is very common in academia. What makes you think I stole from you?”
“The data errors are exactly the same.” Liu Yi’an enunciated every word.
“That could still be a coincidence.” Wei Qing immediately responded. “Besides, all your original materials were burned. What are you going to use now to prove that those data were yours?”
Liu Yi’an narrowed her eyes.
This woman had always been like this, in both her past life and this one.
“I can derive everything again.”
“Derive everything again?” A trace of mockery flashed in Wei Qing’s eyes. “Yi’an, are you planning to fabricate the data right here on the spot?”
“You ”
“Enough!” Mrs. Fu interrupted sharply. “Qingqing, go back first.”
“Mom, I can’t leave.” Wei Qing shook her head, tears falling even harder. “If I leave, Yi’an will pin all the blame on me.”
“I know you care about her, but you can’t be this biased.”
As she spoke, she suddenly dropped to her knees.
“Mom, if you really think I’m in your way, I’ll leave the Fu family right now and never come back.”
“Qingqing!” Fu Yanchen hurried over to help her up.
Wei Qing pushed him away, crying pitifully. “Yanchen, don’t worry about me. I know Yi’an is the person you love. I shouldn’t come between the two of you.”
“Big Brother is gone. I should have left in the first place. I was just too selfish to give up this family.”
As soon as she said this, all the doctors and nurses watching in the hallway changed expressions.
“What’s going on?”
“Looks like a family matter.”
“Isn’t the woman kneeling there Director Wei? Why is she crying like that?”
“I heard it’s because of that researcher Liu. She accused Director Wei of stealing her research results.”
“What? Director Wei is such a gentle person. How could she possibly do something like that?”
The whispers from the hallway drifted into the hospital room.
Liu Yi’an glanced outside and sneered inwardly.
Wei Qing had used this trick countless times in her previous life.
Every time, she would first portray herself as the victim, then use her tears and vulnerability to win people’s sympathy, and finally get everyone to take her side.
“Director Wei, please get up.”
A young nurse rushed in and tried to help Wei Qing up.
“Don’t touch me.” Wei Qing shook her head. “I don’t deserve it.”
She looked up at Mrs. Fu pleadingly. “Mom, I’m begging you. Let me leave. I don’t want to drag Yanchen down anymore.”
Mrs. Fu was growing irritated by her crying. “Get up first. We can talk this out.”
“I won’t.” Wei Qing stubbornly remained on her knees. “Not unless you promise not to force Yanchen to apologize to Yi’an anymore.”
“Yanchen did nothing wrong. I’m the one at fault. I’m just too useless and have become a burden to him.”
More and more people gathered around.
“Director Wei is so pitiful.”
“Exactly. Her husband died, she’s raising a child alone, and now she’s being bullied like this too.”
“That researcher Liu is being way too unreasonable. The woman is already kneeling, and she still won’t let it go.”
Liu Yi’an listened to the comments, her expression growing colder and colder.
She was just about to speak when Fu Yanchen spoke first.
“Enough!”
He suddenly stood up and looked at Liu Yi’an with a cold expression. “Liu Yi’an, are you satisfied now?”
“Did you have to push my sister-in-law this far just to be happy?”
Liu Yi’an sneered. “Fu Yanchen, get one thing straight. You’re the ones who did something wrong first.”
“Did something wrong?” Fu Yanchen mocked. “Do you have any evidence?”
“Your research materials were burned. Everything you’re saying now is just an unsupported accusation.”
“Meanwhile, my sister-in-law’s research report has the complete derivation process, experimental data, and the institute’s review records.”
“What are you going to use to prove those results belong to you? These draft papers you’ve rewritten now?”
He pointed at the materials on the table, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Who knows whether you read my sister-in-law’s report and are now trying to plagiarize it in reverse?”
Voices of agreement came from the crowd.
“Exactly. Who can really say for sure?”
“Director Wei’s report already passed the review. It can’t possibly be fake, can it?”
“I think this researcher Liu is just jealous and can’t accept losing.”
Liu Yi’an clenched her fists.
In her previous life, this was exactly how public opinion had crushed her.
Everyone had sided with Wei Qing. No one believed her.
“Yi’an.” Mrs. Fu looked at her with a complicated expression. “Do you really have evidence?”
Liu Yi’an looked at Mrs. Fu.
Even this elder, who had once genuinely cared about her to some extent, now had doubt in her eyes.
“I do.” Liu Yi’an’s voice was calm. “At the review in one week, I’ll present the complete research…”
“Research report.”
“By then, everyone will know the truth.”
“A week from now?” Fu Yanchen sneered. “Liu Yi’an, who do you think you are? The institute’s review process isn’t something you can just decide to participate in.”
“Besides, even if you really manage to produce a research report, who can prove that you did it yourself instead of plagiarizing my sister-in-law’s work?”
Liu Yi’an looked at him, her eyes cold.
“Fu Yanchen, why are you in such a hurry? Are you feeling guilty?”
“Me, guilty?” Fu Yanchen laughed furiously. “Liu Yi’an, don’t make baseless accusations.”
“Baseless accusations?” Liu Yi’an sneered. “Then do you dare to have Wei Qing demonstrate her entire research process right here, on the spot?”
Wei Qing’s face went pale.
“Yi’an, you’re making things difficult for me.” She bit her lip. “I haven’t recovered yet. How could I possibly have the energy to do all that right now?”
“You’re too sick to do that, but you have enough energy to kneel here and put on an act?” Liu Yi’an mocked.
“You ” Tears fell from Wei Qing’s eyes again. “Yanchen, look at her. She’s trying to drive me to my death.”
Fu Yanchen’s face turned livid. “Liu Yi’an, don’t push it too far!”
“I’m pushing it too far?” Liu Yi’an laughed angrily. “Fu Yanchen, you stole my research, set fire to the laboratory, and now you’re turning around and accusing me of going too far?”
“Do you have any evidence?” Fu Yanchen stepped closer to her. “Without evidence, you’re slandering her!”
“I ”
“Do you have any evidence?” Fu Yanchen’s challenge echoed through the hospital room.
The doctors and nurses watching from outside whispered among themselves, their eyes shifting back and forth between Liu Yi’an and Wei Qing.
Liu Yi’an glanced toward the doorway. The crowd was growing larger and larger.
She took a deep breath. “The evidence was burned.”
“Ha!” Fu Yanchen sneered. “Did you hear that? She just admitted herself that she has no evidence.”
“But I’ll recreate it.” Liu Yi’an’s voice remained calm. “At the review in one week, I’ll submit a complete research report.”
“By then, everyone will know the truth.”
A trace of panic flashed through Wei Qing’s eyes, but she quickly covered it with an aggrieved expression. “Yi’an, you’re trying to ruin me.”
“You’re the one who ruined yourself.” Liu Yi’an replied coldly.
“Enough!” A middle-aged man in a white lab coat pushed his way through the crowd. It was the institute’s deputy director. “Researcher Liu, what kind of behavior is this? Do you have no sense of propriety?”
Liu Yi’an looked at him. “Deputy Director Li.”
“Director Wei’s research report has already passed the institute’s review. Now you suddenly accuse her of plagiarism. Do you have any idea how much this could damage the institute’s reputation?” Deputy Director Li’s face was livid.