C7 She Had Changed

Sheng Yan lowered her eyes and said softly, "Thank you, Dad." Seeing how considerate Sheng Yan was, her father nodded in satisfaction. When she first came back, she was timid and had a rustic look about her. She didn’t know how to dress herself, and her bangs were so long they covered her eyes, making her look quite unattractive. At that time, he thought this daughter couldn’t compare to even half of Xiaoyun, which is why he decided not to send Sheng Xiaoyun away. Now it seemed Sheng Yan just needed time to adjust. With proper guidance, there was hope for her yet.

After getting rid of Sheng Xiaoyun’s two loyal servants, Sheng Yan didn’t relax. She knew a bigger challenge awaited her. Sheng Yan’s actions quickly made her the talk of the evening.

At that moment, Faang Zheng'an suddenly burst in from outside. He had been calling outside the room at dusk for a long time last night. When he sensed something was wrong, he broke in only to find Sheng Yan had already left. He spent the whole night searching for her in the dim light but couldn’t find her. Just as he was at a loss, he received a call from Zhong Xiaoxiao, telling him Sheng Yan was home and he should come over quickly.

"Yan!" Faang Zheng'an rushed in, grabbing Sheng Yan’s hand and demanding, "Didn't you say you were going to run away with me? I waited for you all night, why didn’t you show up?" As soon as Faang Zheng'an spoke, everyone present was shocked.

"Isn't that Young Master Faang? Did I hear correctly just now? Did he say Sheng Yan wants to run away with him?"

Zhong Xiaoxiao chimed in maliciously, "You heard right! After Sheng Yan was brought back home, she set her sights on Young Master Faang. But everyone knows he's always had a thing for Xiaoyun."

"To make him fall for her, Sheng Yan got him drunk and ended up pregnant with his child. Young Master Faang's family is strict, and he's afraid of their scolding, so he agreed to elope with her."

Zhong Xiaoxiao's voice wasn't loud, but her words were clear enough for everyone present to understand.

People started gossiping:

"I was just praising Sheng Yan for being so poised, but who knew she was like this."

"She grew up in the countryside, living a poor life. Suddenly being brought into a wealthy family, it's easy for her thoughts to run wild. Young Master Faang is rich and handsome, it's no surprise she'd be tempted."

Sheng Yan inwardly scoffed but maintained an innocent and bewildered expression as she looked at Faang Zheng'an.

"Young Master Faang, when did I ever say I wanted to elope with you? I'm a decent girl who's never even held hands with a boy. Don't falsely accuse me just to please Ms. Xiaoyun."

Everyone knew Faang Zheng'an was devoted to Sheng Xiaoyun. The sudden talk of eloping with Sheng Yan seemed odd to anyone paying attention.

Faang Zheng'an was caught off guard by Sheng Yan's sudden eloquence, leaving him momentarily speechless. He had assumed that with Sheng Yan's typically reserved nature, she would remain silent and let him make baseless accusations without protest. How dare she speak up in defiance?

Seeing this, Zhong Xiaoxiao quickly threw another bombshell into the mix: "Sheng Yan, you didn't leave with Young Master Faang last night because you went to that club, right? It's dangerous for a girl to be out all night in a place like that."

Everyone gasped.

"Out all night! Sheng Yan just turned eighteen, right? That's pretty bold."

"You wouldn't guess it from her cool and distant demeanor, but she's quite the party girl, huh?"

"Just look at her face, you can tell she's trouble."

Sheng Xiaoyun, who had been playing the part of the demure observer, let a hint of disdain flash in her eyes and smirked. She stepped forward, speaking softly, "Xiaoxiao, don't make things up. Yan is timid and avoids trouble; she wouldn't go to a place like that."

"But she was there all night, and I have photos to prove it."

With that, Zhong Xiaoxiao produced a photo of Sheng Yan entering the club, waving it around for everyone to see. Sheng Yan's face was unmistakably clear in the picture, leaving her with no room to deny it.

A quick flash of triumph crossed Sheng Xiaoyun's eyes as she pretended to anxiously cover for Sheng Yan.

"Xiaoxiao, put those photos away. Yan is such a good person; she wouldn't go to a place like that."

But the other guests had already seen the photos and started gossiping dramatically.

"It really is Sheng Yan! She went to Twilight."

"Twilight is known to be a sketchy place. Women who go there have a bad reputation and might even catch something. We should all keep our distance from her."

"Do you think she used to work at Twilight? That's so disgusting..."