Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Use the Enemy’s Force Against ThemShe had originally thought that Yun Shifei would definitely prepare an exquisite gift for Mu Chengzhu.

    When the time came, she could thoroughly humiliate her.

    But Yun Shifei gave Mu Chengzhu a potted plant?

    It was just lucky bamboo.

    The plant looked somewhat dehydrated and wilted.

    Mu Jiayu couldn’t help but glance at Yun Sisi.

    Yun Sisi also looked puzzled—why would Yun Shifei give such a thing to Mu Chengzhu?

    There must be a reason.

    The reason must be that she liked Mu Chengzhu.

    After pondering for a moment, she couldn’t help but say, "Sister, you like Brother Mu, don’t you?"

    Yun Shifei felt a headache coming on.

    A randomly chosen potted plant—how did it get linked to liking Mu Chengzhu?

    "This is lucky bamboo, and Brother Mu’s name includes the word ’bamboo.’ Besides, sister, if I’m not mistaken, this plant was previously sitting on your desk..."

    The implicit meaning was clear without needing an explanation, as everyone around understood immediately.

    Unbeknownst to her, quite a few eyes had already focused on them.

    Yun Sisi was the most beautiful girl in the neighborhood, attracting attention wherever she went.

    Today, she was dressed even more stunningly, and with Yun Shifei accompanying her, they became the focal point of the crowd.

    As the three of them spoke, numerous gazes naturally landed on Yun Sisi.

    Now that people had heard Yun Sisi’s remarks, those eager for drama stirred things up further.

    "I’ve always heard Sisi’s sister likes Chengzhu."

    "Yeah, especially since she gave something that had been in her room—doesn’t this count as a token of affection in ancient times?"

    "If it were me, I’d never accept it! What if the other person mistakenly thinks I’d marry her?"

    ...

    The comments flew around, most mocking Yun Shifei. Sёar?h the N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Others took this opportunity to lift up Yun Sisi, remarking that if not for her sharp perception, who knew how Yun Shifei might pester Mu Chengzhu.

    At that moment, Yun Shifei found herself in the eye of the storm, braced for its fury.

    Still, she was calmer than she had imagined.

    Perhaps it was because she had already prepared mentally, knowing that attending Mu Chengzhu’s birthday party would be anything but peaceful.

    She never expected to join the party with a sense of ease.

    She glanced at Yun Sisi.

    Yun Sisi appeared concerned, looking at her worriedly, as if genuinely worried for her.

    More and more spectators gathered.

    Even Mu Chengzhu, who hadn’t shown up earlier, emerged from his room, standing upstairs and looking down.

    His gaze remained fixed on Yun Shifei. This woman—didn’t she seriously declare last time that she didn’t like him? Was she back to liking him now?

    Yun Shifei’s face was expressionless, but deep down, a slight unease stirred—she wasn’t sure how to clarify things.

    Yet she knew she couldn’t let it show because all eyes were on her, waiting for her to make a fool of herself.

    She calmed herself momentarily and turned to Yun Sisi: "Sisi, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t have that kind of feelings for Brother Mu—I see him as nothing more than a neighborly sibling. The reason I gave him this potted plant is not because ’bamboo’ is in its name, but because of the ’lucky’ part of lucky bamboo. I simply wanted to wish Brother Mu future prosperity, boundless success, and flourishing adventures ahead."

    Her demeanor was tranquil, her smile devoid of any deeper emotion.

    "Then why did you gift him something from your own room? Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy one?" Mu Jiayu was unconvinced, certain that Yun Shifei was making up excuses.

    "Because growing it myself better conveys my sincerity. If it were just about buying one, I could’ve bought ten, but those wouldn’t necessarily reflect my genuine intentions."

    Yun Shifei’s response left no room for critique, and her steady bearing showed no signs of nervousness despite the questioning voices around her.

    Her composure began to sway the onlookers, convincing many of her sincerity.

    If she wasn’t speaking the truth, then her acting skills were remarkable.

    But who would believe that this girl from the countryside could be such a good actress?

    People preferred to believe Yun Shifei was being genuine.

    Yun Sisi felt her chest tighten with frustration.

    Everything was going awry—completely chaotic.

    She had initially conspired with Mu Jiayu to publicly expose Yun Shifei’s feelings for Mu Chengzhu, ensuring everyone ridiculed her.

    That way, Yun Shifei would feel insecure and stop liking Mu Chengzhu.

    With luck, she’d come to terms with her station, understanding what belonged to her and what didn’t.

    She wouldn’t vie for the affection of Xu Ya and Yun Tiancheng anymore.

    But who could’ve expected Yun Shifei to deviate so entirely from the script?

    She always did this. Was pushing her into humiliation the only way to deal with her?

    Yun Shifei, snapping back to reality, saw this as an opportunity.

    Most of the kids from the neighborhood her age were here—even if she didn’t know some, it didn’t matter when it came to clarifying the rumors.

    "There’s one more thing I’d like to address. I know many of you think I like Brother Mu. I don’t know how you came to that conclusion, but maybe you don’t understand how much trouble your assumptions have caused me." She paused and smiled. Though her appearance was ordinary, her smile made her eyes curve into crescent moons, carrying a certain liveliness. "Saying this at Mu’s birthday party may not be the best timing, but as long as the subject’s open, I’d rather clear things up now."

    Then, she looked at Mu Jiayu: "I don’t see Brother Mu around. Please pass along my birthday wishes to him for me. Happy birthday to him. I’ll be going now."

    Having spoken so candidly, there was no point in lingering.

    Yun Sisi had tried to scheme against her, but Yun Shifei had used this moment to dispel the lingering rumors.

    As Yun Shifei gracefully walked away from her view, Yun Sisi maintained a smile outwardly, but her hands clenched tightly, her nails digging into her skin.

    She couldn’t afford to underestimate Yun Shifei anymore.

    She wasn’t dumb—not at all! In fact, Yun Sisi wondered if Yun Shifei might actually be smarter than her.

    This realization struck Yun Sisi as intolerable.

    What right did Yun Shifei have to be more intelligent than her?

    Meanwhile, upstairs, Mu Chengzhu watched Yun Shifei’s retreating figure intently.

    Her fiery insistence last time surged to his mind again.

    Could her words be true this time—did she genuinely not like him anymore?

    For some reason, this idea unsettled Mu Chengzhu deeply.

    Logically, Yun Shifei not liking him should be a positive development.

    Yet he still felt as if he had lost something.

    Logically, he didn’t like Yun Shifei, and her not liking him was supposed to be a good thing.

    So where was this peculiar feeling coming from?

    The moon hung bright in the faint sky as Yun Shifei slowly exhaled after stepping out of the Mu Family’s residence.

    She wandered aimlessly through the neighborhood.

    She’d just spoken her thoughts plainly in front of everyone.

    Though relieved, an unexpected sadness crept in.

    She thought of those gossiping faces back at the party.

    Uninformed yet so self-assured in their judgments.

    Why? Simply because they weren’t the ones being slandered?