Volume 1, Chapter 127: To Steal a Chicken Only to End Up Losing the Rice

As Qin Minshu’s accusations rang out, every gaze in the room shifted in unison toward Ye Sheng.

Ye Sheng stood there quietly. She had consumed a fair amount of alcohol, her face flushed with a rosy glow that gave her a slightly tipsy, cheerful appearance. In Qin Minshu’s eyes, however, this was the smug satisfaction of someone who had just succeeded in a malicious plot.

"Ye Sheng, you are despicable!" Qin Minshu leaned into Huo Mingting’s arms, her voice sharp with accusation. "It was you who tampered with my drink, wasn't it? Don't you dare do something and then lack the guts to own up to it!"

Huo Mingting tried to steady Qin Minshu, but she could barely stand, her body already beginning to react. He could tell—this was clearly the effect of a drug, not the signs of simple intoxication.

"Minshu, don't say things you can't prove," Huo Mingting said, his voice low. He knew that Ye Sheng and Qin Minshu were at odds, but he didn't believe Ye Sheng was capable of such a thing. Ye Sheng was blunt and straightforward; if she had a grievance with someone, she would address it openly, never resorting to underhanded tactics.

"You’re still taking her side?" Qin Minshu was furious. She tried to push Huo Mingting away, but she couldn't; her body clung to him tightly, and she whimpered in distress. "Mingting, I feel awful… I feel so terrible…"

As it became clear she was losing her senses and beginning to tug at her own collar in the middle of the crowd, Huo Mingting hurriedly stopped her. In his desperation, he took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her.

Ye Sheng rested her chin on her hand, watching the scene calmly. Through the haze of her intoxication, the world seemed to have a soft-focus filter. To her, the sight was one of Huo Mingting panic-stricken and tenderly shielding Qin Minshu, clutching her close—he truly loved her deeply.

"I’m the one who did it. So what?"

Ye Sheng spoke suddenly, her blunt admission silencing the room. Qin Minshu and Huo Mingting both turned to stare at her. Nearby, Tan Jing and her husband Chen Shaowei, who had long since retreated from the spotlight, watched the drama unfold from a corner, transfixed. When Ye Sheng spoke, Tan Jing pinched Chen Shaowei’s thigh so hard he nearly cried out.

Qin Minshu was stunned that Ye Sheng would openly admit it, while Huo Mingting raised his eyes, staring at her in disbelief. He felt as though the convictions he had held just moments ago were now slapping him in the face. There was no scheme, open or hidden, that Ye Sheng couldn't execute. She was not the simple, straightforward person he had imagined.

Chu Yue had just returned from a task, and Tan Yao had gone to meet him, but they returned to the dance floor to find the situation had spiraled out of control. Seeing the dark, cold expression on Huo Mingting’s face, both men were shocked and rushed forward to mediate. Tan Yao summoned the pre-arranged medical team, while Chu Yue stepped beside Huo Mingting and gripped his shoulder, whispering, "Handle this in a room; don't make a scene here."

"Am I the one making a scene?" Huo Mingting’s face remained black—a rare sight. Disregarding his friend's advice, he tightened his grip on Qin Minshu and glared at Ye Sheng.

Huo Lindong had silently appeared at Ye Sheng’s side, leaning in to whisper something. Ye Sheng tilted her ear toward him, their proximity so close it looked as if they might kiss at any moment. Huo Mingting’s face darkened completely.

"Let's go!" Huo Mingting gritted his teeth, his arm locked around Qin Minshu’s waist as he prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment," Ye Sheng called out.

Huo Mingting turned back coldly. "What? Haven't you had enough? What else does Miss Ye want?"

Qin Minshu, appearing near collapse, hung onto Huo Mingting like a fragile bird, whining about the heat and her discomfort.

"I know you’re in a hurry, Mr. Huo, but please wait," Ye Sheng said, the corner of her mouth curling slightly. "Five minutes is all I need."

Huo Mingting’s expression remained rigid; he couldn't fathom what she was planning. Ye Sheng could read it in his eyes: he saw her as a wicked witch bullying his woman. Given his devotion to Qin Minshu, the fact that he hadn't struck her was a miracle—though, of course, he might not have been able to win a fight against her anyway. Regardless, she didn't care what he thought of her, but she refused to let her reputation be ruined by Qin Minshu.

"I’d like to invite everyone to watch a short clip," Ye Sheng said, gesturing toward a screen. "Please, roll the VCR."

The crowd turned their eyes toward the direction she pointed. The clip was brief, but every frame was damning. The footage showed exactly how Qin Minshu had handed a packet to a waiter, how the waiter had poured it into the champagne, and how that very glass had been placed before Ye Sheng.

The start was explosive. Seeing Qin Minshu sitting in the corner, watching Ye Sheng with a sinister, cruel smile, the onlookers felt a chill run down their spines. Those who had silently sympathized with Qin Minshu moments ago now wished they could take it all back. Qin Minshu’s circle of friends fell into a dead silence.

"Damn it!" Tan Jing couldn't help but curse in the corner, and Chen Shaowei hurriedly covered her mouth. Tan Jing glared, her eyes furious: *I almost drank that spiked wine too! If Ye Sheng hadn't stopped me, I would’ve been caught in it tonight! This is my event; she’s got some nerve…*

Chen Shaowei understood the silent, furious tirade perfectly.

Qin Minshu stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. She never expected that she had been under surveillance the entire time, her every movement and facial expression recorded as if she were the lead in a movie. Ye Sheng had come prepared. She had acted as if she had eyes in the back of her head, anticipating the sabotage, drinking only the wine she had brought herself, and tricking Qin Minshu into consuming both glasses of her own poison. Qin Minshu thought she was being clever and unseen, but it was Ye Sheng who had truly mastered the art of the unseen move.

Huo Mingting was equally shell-shocked. It turned out that it was Qin Minshu who had tried to harm others, only for her clumsy methods to backfire. She had dug her own grave. He looked down at the woman clinging to him, suddenly feeling as if he were stuck to something filthy; he felt an indescribable sense of disgust.