C8 The Truth That She Had Once Been Sentenced to Was Exposed

Gu Tingshen watched her intently, noticing the nervous twitch of her fingers and the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

He had done his homework on her background; she hadn't gone to college and didn't have a legitimate career. He could step in and help her out, but he was more interested in seeing if she could handle the situation herself. If she stumbled over such a simple hurdle, her future as Young Madam Gu would be even more challenging.

Besides, it was crucial that she earn the status the white jade pendant could bring her on her own.

The room waited with bated breath for Huo Niannian's reply.

Lowering her head and biting her lip, she spoke with genuine sincerity, "I didn't attend college. My education was hit or miss due to health issues as a child, and eventually, I stopped going to school. My grandmother personally crafted teaching materials to help me learn to read and write."

Huo Niannian knew the basic principle of lying: admit to some truth, then mix in half-truths and fabrications. This was always more convincing than flat-out denial.

In her previous statement, not attending college was the truth, poor health was a lie, sporadic education was the truth, and her grandmother creating teaching materials was a lie.

"It seems Miss Huo had an amazing grandmother. What line of work are you in, Miss Huo?" pressed a reporter.

Huo Niannian looked up, her smile humble. "I'm a painter."

The reporters gasped in admiration, lavishing her with praise and bombarding her with questions about her art and whether they could see her masterpieces.

Gu Tingshen smiled at Huo Niannian and whispered, "If you've bitten off more than you can chew, don't expect me to rescue you."

Huo Niannian glared back at him. "I am a painter," she maintained.

But her art was unconventional, painted on the facades of other people's homes—sometimes a cross, sometimes a star, sometimes a checkmark.

A cross meant the household wasn't a target for thieves, a star marked a potential victim, and a checkmark indicated a successful burglary.

Gu Tingshen narrowed his eyes, worried she might not handle the probing questions. He glanced at Assistant Zhou, signaling that it was time to end the Q&A session.

As they prepared to depart, a shrill female voice sliced through the room's murmur. "Miss Huo Niannian, can you confirm whether the allegations of your past incarceration for theft are true?"

Huo Niannian's gaze shot toward the voice—it was Cao Nana.

A familiar presence had been nagging at her since the start of the event, and now it all made sense; Cao Nana had infiltrated the gathering.

The journalists, with eyes alight like predators eyeing prey, encircled Cao Nana, peppering Huo Niannian with questions. Was there truth to her rumored criminal past?

Rooted to the spot, Huo Niannian felt a cold shiver as flashbulbs cast a stark light on her striking yet ashen face, a part of her yearning to hurl a table at the merciless reporters.

Assistant Zhou's voice rang out, challenging Cao Nana, "Miss, could you present your press ID? We will not hesitate to hold you accountable for your malicious slander!"

Predictably, Cao Nana had no such identification, and the veiled threat of legal repercussions did little to deter the reporters, their eyes bloodshot with the frenzy of the chase.

Their fixation was clear: to uncover whether the Imperial Group President's wife had a checkered history, or if the Gu family's young madam had a stint as a youthful delinquent.

Gu Tingshen saw her faltering and reached out to lead her away.

Yet Huo Niannian broke free, giving Gu Tingshen a measured look, then turned her disdainful and imperious gaze upon the rabid journalists.