Chapter 16: This is the consequence of your big mouth

Yu Xinxin arrived at the police station in a daze. Just before being taken in to give her statement, she grabbed the officer's arm in an emotional outburst, saying, "Officer, you must investigate this thoroughly! That bracelet of hers must be fake. I'm her roommate, I know—there's no way she could afford such an expensive bracelet."

Even at this point, Yu Xinxin refused to believe that Shen Ci's payment records were real.

The officer frowned slightly, gently brushed Yu Xinxin's hand away, and said with a serious expression, "We will naturally investigate this. What you need to do now is notify your family to come here. If your family isn't local, notify your teacher."

With that, he led Yu Xinxin into an interrogation room.

Shen Ci was taken to the adjacent room by another officer. The two were separated to give their statements, recounting the events of the incident in detail.

Because there were witnesses and surveillance footage, Yu Xinxin naturally did not dare to lie, so the facts stated by both parties were essentially consistent.

As for whether the value of the bracelet was authentic, Shen Ci had plenty of ways to prove it. Not only were there transaction records, but she had also added the salesperson on WeChat, and information regarding this diamond bracelet—which was part of a global limited edition of only two thousand pieces—could even be found online.

After verification, the police confirmed that the necklace was indeed an authentic Cartier piece.

Yu Xinxin felt as if the sky had fallen.

Although her family's financial situation was decent, one hundred thousand was not a small sum for anyone, and she had to pay it to Shen Ci?

Soon, Yu Xinxin's father rushed to the police station in a panic. Not yet fully understanding the situation, he began shouting frantically as soon as he appeared: "Xinxin! Xinxin!"

"Dad!"

After trembling with fear for a long while, Yu Xinxin lunged at her father the moment she saw him, burying her head in his chest and sobbing.

Seeing this, Yu's father assumed his daughter had suffered a great grievance. While soothing her by stroking her back, he glared at the police and demanded sternly, "What on earth happened? Look how much you've scared my daughter!"

Seeing that Yu's father was also a piece of work, Gu Lianxing couldn't help but roll her eyes toward the ceiling.

The officer spoke without changing his expression: "Sir, your daughter damaged a classmate's bracelet. Because the amount is quite large, we have notified you to come for mediation."

Upon hearing this, Yu's father let out a cold laugh. "It's just a bracelet! We'll just pay for it!"

Wasn't it just a bracelet? Even if it were gold or platinum, how expensive could it really be?

As he spoke, he patted his daughter's head and said softly, "It's okay, baby, don't cry. Daddy is here."

"It is best if you agree to the compensation; that is the other party's only request," the officer said, taking out the statement and photocopies of the documents proving the bracelet's value. "Compensation is to be made at the original purchase price, totaling 98,888.88 yuan."

"How... how much?" Yu's father's voice spiked sharply upon hearing the amount, startling Yu Xinxin in his arms.

"98,888.88 yuan," the officer repeated clearly and precisely.

Yu's father froze, dumbstruck. He then straightened his daughter's body and stared at her, asking, "Xinxin, a hundred-thousand-yuan bracelet?"

Yu Xinxin avoided his gaze, unable to look at her father's face, and merely nodded weakly.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Yu's father roared, his "loving father" persona vanishing instantly. "A hundred-thousand-yuan bracelet! How could you be so careless!"

Spittle flew from his mouth, glistening in the light!

Scolded by her father like this, Yu Xinxin cried even harder.

"Officer, can that bracelet be repaired? A hundred thousand is just too much." Leaving his daughter aside, Yu's father turned to grasp the officer's hand, pleading, "Can you negotiate with them? If it's repaired, I can pay her a little extra, alright?"

The officer looked troubled because he had seen the state of the bracelet after it was damaged; it was so broken that it would be impossible to repair.

"The other party said the only acceptable form of mediation is compensation at the original price," the officer said with a sigh. He glanced at the sobbing, breathless Yu Xinxin before adding, "If you refuse to compensate, your daughter will have a criminal record as a university student. And if the other party pursues legal action, you will have no chance of winning because the facts of this incident are very clear."

Hearing that she would have a criminal record, Yu's father panicked.

"We'll pay! We'll pay!" He gritted his teeth and nodded.

With his financial capacity, he could certainly afford a hundred thousand. But to lose a hundred thousand over a single bracelet without even getting a "bang" out of it—anyone would feel humiliated and unwilling.

Yu's father felt the sting in his heart.

The transfer was completed on the spot, both parties signed the mediation agreement, and the matter was concluded.

Yu Xinxin's eyes were swollen from crying, but her gaze toward Shen Ci remained venomous.

If her previous targeting of Shen Ci was driven by jealousy, her heart was now filled with nothing but pure, unadulterated hatred.

A hundred thousand! How many things she loved could she buy with that?

As Shen Ci walked past her, she paused, gave her a cold look, and whispered, "I warned you. In the future, remember to keep your mouth shut when dealing with me. This is the consequence of your big mouth."

"Don't get cocky, Shen Ci! I won't let this matter rest!" Yu Xinxin said through gritted teeth, her voice hoarse.

Shen Ci gave a disdainful smirk and walked away without looking back.

Behind her came the roar of Yu's father: "I think I've spoiled you too much! What are you still standing here for? Get your ass back to school immediately! Starting next month, I'm only giving you twenty cents a month for living expenses. Let's see if you dare cause trouble again!"

After leaving the police station, Gu Lianxing was incredibly excited.

"That was so satisfying! Serves her right for bullying you before," Gu Lianxing said, sincerely feeling happy for Shen Ci.

However, a realization later dawned on her, and she asked tentatively, "Shen Ci, I feel like you have a very strong personality. Why did they used to bully you? Was it because there were more of them?"

Shen Ci glanced at her. Seeing this, Gu Lianxing quickly waved her hands. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. After all, they are bad memories. Let the past stay in the past."

Shen Ci nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want to say, but rather that she didn't know how to explain it.

In her past life, she indeed lacked a strong personality when she was younger; her current personality was entirely forged through her professional career.

But most importantly, it was because she now had money. Money was the greatest source of her current confidence.

"Accompany me to the Cartier counter again. I want to buy a new bracelet," Shen Ci said.

This bracelet was a matching piece to the one her sister had. If her sister found out it broke after only one day of wearing it, she would surely be heartbroken.

"Sure! I actually wanted to go browse some perfumes anyway," Gu Lianxing agreed immediately.

Her current fondness for Shen Ci stemmed not just from her beauty, but also from a sense of heartache and sympathy. She was determined to be good friends with Shen Ci and help her completely forget the unpleasantness of being bullied and isolated in her dormitory.