Chapter 70: I Suspect You Stole My Money
Sedans were a rare sight in the Lower City District, which was mostly filled with beat-up-looking pickup trucks and rickshaws. The black sedan drew everyone’s attention the moment it appeared.
Shen Lu glanced up for a fleeting moment, then nonchalantly lowered her head and continued stir-frying rice.
Her cold attitude was irritating. Shen Lan secretly bit her lip, her gaze filled with a touch of jealousy as she looked at the plainly but cleanly dressed Shen Lu.
’How dare this bitch who stole the first seventeen years of my life be living so well? She was thrown into the Seventeenth District, yet she’s managed to look so respectable.’
Mrs. Shen, sitting beside Shen Lan, was extremely dissatisfied with Shen Lu’s indifferent attitude. ’She lived a pampered life with the Shen Family for over a decade. If she hadn’t had sticky fingers and done something so shameless, we might not have even kicked her out.’
’And now that we meet again, she dares to pretend she doesn’t know us. How cold-blooded!’
Shen Lan tugged on Mrs. Shen’s sleeve. "Mother, should we get out of the car and go over? Shen Lu might not have heard me."
Mrs. Shen rolled her eyes. "What’s there to see? She’s an ungrateful wretch."
"Mother, it wasn’t just Shen Lu’s fault that we were switched at birth. And isn’t my birthday party coming up in a few days? I’d like to invite her to attend."
"Invite her for what? To embarrass us even more?"
"Mother," Shen Lan said, leaning closer to Mrs. Shen and lowering her voice to a whisper. "I sent an invitation to Princess Ruoxin. She should attend for Li Zexing’s sake. She’s the Eldest Prince’s full sister, and the Eldest Prince is currently selecting an Imperial Concubine. I think this is an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Mrs. Shen didn’t understand. "What kind of opportunity?"
"From what I’ve seen, both in news reports and through the grapevine, the Eldest Prince favors girls who are gentle and kind, from families with a respectable reputation. Shen Lu may have done some bad things, but the public doesn’t know that. They probably think we drove her out because we’re intolerant."
"If she shows up at my birthday party, it will at least prove that our Shen Family isn’t narrow-minded. Princess Ruoxin might even put in a good word for me with the Eldest Prince, helping me make a good impression."
Shen Lan wasn’t very confident as she spoke; the idea had only just occurred to her.
But Mrs. Shen was dazzled by the mention of the Eldest Prince.
The Shen Family was considered merely second-tier in the Upper City District. They had once counted on the engagement between Fu Cheng and Shen Lu to elevate their status, but that had all gone down the drain.
If Shen Lan were chosen to be the Eldest Prince’s Imperial Concubine, it would be a meteoric rise in status for the entire family.
"You’re right." Mrs. Shen nodded in approval, stroking her daughter’s hair. "Xiao Lan, you truly are a sensible child."
’As expected of a true daughter of the Shen Family. She’s clever and knows how to plan. She’s destined for great things.’
Shen Lan smiled shyly. "I just want to do my part for the family."
"Still, we can just have the driver go and extend the invitation."
"No, it’s more sincere if I invite her myself." Shen Lan pushed open the car door. "I’ll be right back."
Shen Lan got out of the car and carefully lifted the hem of her dress as she approached the small food stall.
As she drew closer, Shen Lan caught the fragrant aroma of all sorts of food mixed together.
She froze for a moment, utterly bewildered.
’Isn’t Shen Lu supposed to be selling god-awful food? Why does it smell so delicious?’
Shen Lan’s gaze fell upon the various ingredients and snacks on the food cart. There was none of the dirt and mold she expected to see; everything was fresh and clean.
Shen Lan’s confusion grew.
’She had only ever seen this level of hygiene in the Upper City District. How could a roadside stall run by Shen Lu possibly be this clean?’
"Shen Lu, where did you get the money to buy all this?" Shen Lan couldn’t resist asking.
Shen Lu paid her no mind, continuing to focus on her stir-fried rice. She would occasionally look up to ask a customer what they wanted, then deftly pack their meal.
"Shen Lu, can’t you hear me? Or are you ignoring me on purpose?" Shen Lan, feeling her pride sting, put on an aggrieved expression. "I know you hate me, and you think Father and Mother kicked you out of the Shen Family because of me. But... but if you hadn’t stolen Mother’s necklace, she wouldn’t have flown into such a rage."
Shen Lu’s gaze turned icy. "I stole Mrs. Shen’s necklace? Do you have any proof?"
She hadn’t planned on engaging with Shen Lan at all.
From the original Shen Lu’s memories, it was clear that Shen Lan was the quintessential "green tea"—the type of girl who acts like your sweet, devoted sister to your face but secretly hates your guts.
When the original Shen Lu lived with the Shen Family, Shen Lan had used countless petty tricks to frame her. The final incident with the stolen necklace had also been orchestrated entirely by Shen Lan.
These schemes weren’t particularly brilliant, but unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Shen were hardly open-minded or righteous parents. Add to that their guilt toward their biological daughter and their blind trust in her, and the simple-minded original Shen Lu was no match for Shen Lan. She was kicked out with ease.
"The necklace was found in your room. Isn’t that proof enough?" Shen Lan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Shen Lu, admitting your mistakes is the first step toward correcting them. But never mind, I know you don’t like to hear it. I didn’t come here today to dredge up the past. I came to..."
"So what you’re saying is, whoever is found with the stolen goods is the thief, is that right?" Shen Lu cut her off bluntly. After asking her customers to wait a moment, she put down her spatula and walked over to Shen Lan. While the other girl was still stunned, Shen Lu secretly stuffed several Star Coins into the voluminous layers of her dress.
"Shen Lan, I suspect you stole my money."
"What are you talking about? I’ve been standing right here without moving. How could I have possibly stolen your money?"
"Is that so?" Shen Lu turned and clapped her hands to get the crowd’s attention. "I suspect this young lady has stolen my money, but she denies it. So, according to her own logic, if I find my money on her, that proves she’s a thief. I’d like to ask you all to bear witness."
Hearing this, Shen Lan knew something was wrong and instinctively took a step back. "I’m not a thief! Don’t you dare touch me!"
A humorless smile touched Shen Lu’s lips as she gripped Shen Lan’s wrist. "If you didn’t steal anything, what are you so flustered about? Just let me search you to prove your innocence."
"Shen Lu, let go of me!"
Shen Lan was starting to panic. Shen Lu’s reaction was completely outside of her predictions.
’Based on her understanding of her, shouldn’t Shen Lu be stumbling over her words, offering some weak, powerless defense to clear her name?’
’How had the tables turned so that *she* was now the one accused of theft?’
Seeing Shen Lan in trouble, Mrs. Shen felt a flash of annoyance and got out of the car to come to her aid.
"Shen Lu, let go of Xiao Lan!" Mrs. Shen said, shielding her daughter. "We came here willing to let bygones be bygones and invite you to Xiao Lan’s birthday party. It’s one thing to be ungrateful, but to then turn around and slander her? You’re just..."
Shen Lu acted as if she hadn’t heard Mrs. Shen at all. She gave Shen Lan’s dress a firm shake, and the Star Coins—which hadn’t been hidden very well to begin with—easily tumbled out, fluttering to the ground.
Shen Lu gestured to the nearest onlooker to come over and pick up the money. "Any coin I’ve handled will usually be stained with the smell of cooking oil. An upper-class citizen like Miss Shen, on the other hand, only smells of expensive perfume. Please, have a smell and tell everyone what scent is on these coins."
The onlooker did as they were told and, sure enough, they could smell cooking oil on the coins.