Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 470 - 455 Ji Qin in Jeopardy

Not long after, Ji Qin saw the group of men who had swaggered in earlier now limping their way out. They weren’t nursing broken arms or busted legs, nor were their faces bruised, but their wailing was heart-wrenching.

One of them couldn’t even limp—because he was crawling.

!! What just happened?

Meanwhile, Tian Sangsang and Guan Kunling stood calmly at the store entrance. Suddenly, Guan Kunling glanced upstairs. Ji Qin was startled, her heart skipping a beat, and she quickly retreated from the window to the side! 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

About five minutes later, still doubting her own suspicions, Ji Qin peeked down again. The street was empty by then. She opened her door and slinked downstairs in the dark, slinking away through the side door.

Having completely underestimated Tian Sangsang, Ji Qin felt uneasy the entire way as she headed to Li Qiong’er’s home. After hearing her recount the situation, Li Qiong’er kept a straight face and said seriously, "Cousin, back when you came to Beijing, I helped you find a store out of consideration for our family ties. If you had just focused on doing business, that would’ve been fine, but you had to pull tricks. Didn’t I already warn you? Tian Sangsang is not someone to mess with. She even managed to force her sister-in-law out of the family, so taking care of you would be nothing."

"Now that something’s happened, you’re scared of being exposed, so you’ve come to me. I’m just a woman, no matter how far my hands can reach, they can’t get to such messy affairs."

"Besides, I think you’re overthinking it. The thugs might not have implicated you yet." Li Qiong’er sighed faintly and added, "And even if they have, you can just deny it. Isn’t that playboy Hua your friend? Ask him for help; he’s sure to lend a hand."

"You take care of yourself, cousin. I need to tidy up my place. Lu Chi is coming back tomorrow, so I’m busy."

The words clearly meant she wasn’t going to help. Li Qiong’er wasn’t close to Ji Qin, preferring Ji Yao’er instead. After all, Ji Qin was just her poor relative. She didn’t want to help Ji Qin, unlike Ji Yao’er.

Furious, Ji Qin spat a curse inwardly at Li Qiong’er’s retreating, smug figure.

If you don’t want to help, just say so. Why bother with all these righteous-sounding excuses?

Ji Qin tidied herself up, remembering that Hua Zifeng was taking her to a party tonight, and hurriedly left.

The thugs who had been taken to the police station insisted that it was Wang Dajiao who had hired them to trash the shop. When the police went to look for Wang Dajiao, they found that he had already fled the night before. The moment the thugs realized Wang Dajiao had run, they spilled the real truth: it was Ji Qin who had bribed Wang Dajiao.

Ji Qin had dressed up meticulously, her hair curled, her face fully made up, and her lips painted crimson. Though not exactly stunning, her voluptuous figure exuded a sultry charm. Upon arrival, she found everyone already seated at the dinner table. Including Hua Zifeng, there were four men altogether, plus herself, two women in total.

Ji Qin didn’t recognize these people but could see that they were all business types.

Ji Qin said, "Sorry I’m late."

"No problem—glad you’re here," Hua Zifeng’s eyes darkened as he glanced at Ji Qin and introduced her to the others, "This is Boss Ji."

They exchanged pleasantries all around.

Ji Qin took a seat and raised her glass. "It’s an honor to meet you all. I was late today, so I’ll drink as a penalty. Cheers!" Finishing her words, she tipped her head back and drained her glass in one go, then poured another and drank it just as heartily.

"Boss Ji is truly a heroine among women! So forthright!" one of the men remarked admiringly.

To be honest, it’s rare to see a woman holding her own at the table these days, and Ji Qin’s type was precisely what they needed—someone who could liven up the atmosphere. After all, she wasn’t their wife, so there was no need to worry about crossing any inappropriate lines.

Ji Qin fit right into the crowd at the table, chatting smoothly. In no time, she had figured out what each of them did for a living. Then she introduced herself, "I’ve just arrived in Beijing and am in the cosmetics business. If there’s an opportunity, I hope to collaborate with all of you in the future..."

Before she could finish, two police officers walked in from outside.

"Which one of you is Ji Qin?" one officer asked seriously.

"I am." Ji Qin’s internal alarm went off. She asked hesitantly, "Officer, what’s this about...?"

"Please come with us. We need your cooperation in an investigation." One officer stepped forward and twisted Ji Qin’s arms behind her back.

Ji Qin panicked, breaking out in a cold sweat. "No, what law have I broken?"

"You can’t just arrest me without cause!" she struggled.

"We’ve received allegations that you paid thugs to vandalize a rival’s business," the officer replied.

"It wasn’t me." Ji Qin, being escorted out, still turned back and pleaded, "Zifeng!"

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Hua Zifeng quickly pieced together what the officers had said and reached a conclusion.

"You hired people to trash Yipinxiang?"

"No, I didn’t! Zifeng, you have to believe me!" Ji Qin cried out desperately.

Hua Zifeng stepped forward, his words offering no real reassurance. "Boss Ji, I believe you, and I trust the officers will handle this matter impartially."

Then he smiled and added, "Officers, she’s a friend of mine and an upright person. She must have been framed. Please investigate thoroughly and clear her name."

The police remained expressionless as they nodded. "We’ll uncover the truth."

At the police station, Ji Qin stubbornly refused to admit to instigating the incident. She had already anticipated that if Tian Sangsang turned the thugs over to the police, they would likely spill everything. That’s why she had tried to use her connections through Li Qiong’er earlier, but Li Qiong’er wouldn’t help. Back at the party, Ji Qin had pinned her hopes on Hua Zifeng stepping in, but he had only offered empty platitudes, clearly unwilling to take action. Their relationship wasn’t that deep—they’d only slept together a few times, and though Hua Zifeng had introduced her to a factory and some business contacts, she had assumed he would come through for her. Men really are all scumbags!

Now, she knew her only option was self-preservation. She couldn’t confess under any circumstances. The clampdown on hooligan behavior had been strict lately. If she admitted guilt, she would face detention. While it wouldn’t ruin her for long, it could damage her business permanently. If people found out she had been jailed for a criminal offense, who would still patronize her store? She wouldn’t stand a chance!

That night, the police had no choice but to temporarily detain Ji Qin. Without apprehending Wang Dajiao, they couldn’t make a proper case against her. Besides, it was late, and it would have to wait until morning anyway.

Night had just fallen, and the courtyard house was still brightly lit.

After dinner, everyone sat around chatting. Meng Shuyan quietly played with a Rubik’s Cube while perched in his mother’s lap, listening to the adults discuss matters.

Tian Sangsang cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Chun and said, "Out with it."

Zhao Chun took a sip of water and cleared her throat. "I’ve heard more news from the movie studio. Apparently, there’s going to be a Hundred Flowers Awards soon. It seems you might even win. Do you plan to attend?"

"Now you’re just stating the obvious." Tian Sangsang was surprised—she seemed to have won an award. Back when the female lead of *Lushan Love* debuted, she secured the Rookie Award at the Hundred Flowers Awards. Could it be the same one? Nonetheless, there was no way she was going to attend.