Qin Zhao’s mind was reeling as he processed everything, and then Ji Fei’s furious inner thoughts rang out once more.

"Damn it, he’s not feeling guilty about Sun Man; he’s just helpless and scared that he can’t get the money he needs to pay off his debts!"

It suddenly clicked for Qin Zhao.

So Lang Zhe hadn’t given up his schemes. When the proposal failed, he turned to blackmail instead?

Those photos… it was Lang Zhe who had released them. Maybe he’d even made worse threats, which terrified Sun Man into trying to pay him off, only to discover her funds had been siphoned away.

Qin Zhao felt rage boiling within him. He could barely stop himself from charging over and hitting Lang Zhe, his glare sharp enough to cut.

But Lang Zhe seemed completely unaware, staring into space with a vacant expression.

“What exactly happened?” Pei Mingxuan asked Lu Fei, breaking the silence.

Lu Fei sighed, her gaze troubled as she looked at the unconscious Sun Man on the bed. “We’re not sure. She didn’t show up for rehearsal, and when we contacted her mother, we found out something had happened. We rushed here immediately.”

“I tried asking her mother and uncle, but they acted shifty and pretended to know nothing. I’m certain they’re involved in this,” Lu Fei added, clearly disgusted.

Pei Mingxuan sighed. “She’s such a strong girl. What could have driven her to such desperation?”

Hearing this, Lang Zhe finally reacted, his face turning an ugly shade as he looked at the unconscious Sun Man.

**"Damn it, what’s with that look? Resentment? He’s blaming her? Blaming her for not having the resilience to endure this, for going as far as suicide and slowing down his debt payments?"**

Ji Fei’s inner voice was boiling with rage.

Before Ji Fei could act on her anger, Qin Zhao stepped forward, pretending to stumble as he approached Lang Zhe.

He misstepped deliberately, “tripping” and reaching out to catch his balance—unfortunately, pushing Lang Zhe right off his chair.

With a pained yelp, Lang Zhe crashed to the floor, slamming against the wall with a heavy thud, causing everyone to jump.

Lang Zhe clutched his rapidly swelling wrist, grimacing in pain.

“Oh no! Are you okay?” Qin Zhao asked, leaning down to “help” him up. He grabbed Lang Zhe’s injured wrist, making Lang Zhe howl even louder, his face turning red from the pain. Any thoughts he might have had were drowned out by the agony; he’d rarely felt pain like this in his life.

The absurdity of the scene left everyone momentarily stunned, and Lu Fei and Pei Mingxuan rushed over to check on him.

Pei Mingxuan looked at Qin Zhao in astonishment. “How does something like this even happen? That was… just too convenient.”

If it weren’t for the fact that she knew Qin Zhao and Lang Zhe had no recent conflicts, she might have suspected it was intentional.

Lu Fei, though worried for her son, didn’t even consider it could’ve been on purpose. She had been too absorbed in her conversation with Pei Mingxuan to notice what had happened on that side of the room. With a sigh, she chalked it up to bad luck.

Only Ji Fei realized what had really happened, nearly laughing out loud and silently giving Qin Zhao a thumbs-up in her mind.

Accident or not, anything that made that scumbag suffer was fine by her.

Qin Zhao was just as satisfied, secretly gloating. After hearing Ji Fei’s thoughts, he couldn’t resist taking a shot at Lang Zhe. This little mishap was just a preview of the “justice” to come.

Of course, Qin Zhao then dutifully called a doctor to treat Lang Zhe’s injuries.

After all the commotion, Sun’s mother and uncle joined them, trying to usher everyone out. They seemed worried that once Sun Man woke up, certain truths might be revealed—appearances were still important to them.

Just then, Sun Man’s eyes fluttered open.

She blinked in confusion, and Pei Mingxuan was the first to notice, rushing over to her. “Sun Man? Are you feeling any better?”

Lu Fei leaned forward as well, concern evident on her face.

Sun Man looked around, her gaze slowly settling on her mother and uncle, who had pushed their way forward. They spoke in tones of concern, but they couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Oh, you silly girl. How could you do something like this? What would I do if you weren’t around?” her mother said, sounding exasperated.

“Exactly. Sun Man, you need to reflect on this. We’re family—this isn’t something you’d throw everything away over,” her uncle added.

Sun Man’s pupils dilated as memories flooded back, and her eyes gradually filled with bloodshot rage. She sat up with difficulty, her gaze fixed hatefully on the two relatives before her.

Qin Zhao could clearly see the loathing in her eyes.

And Ji Fei’s inner voice offered a quiet insight.

**"It seems that, more than the blackmail, Sun Man’s true hatred is reserved for these two. It makes sense—she doesn’t know who’s behind the blackmail. Although she may suspect where the photos leaked from, she’d never guess that it was Lang Zhe himself who blackmailed her."**

**"But when she was at her most desperate, too afraid to go to the police and instead turning to her family for help, they delivered the most crushing betrayal. That kind of betrayal is like a knife to the heart—how could she not hate them? It’s no wonder she felt so hopeless. But now… I don’t think she’ll go down that path again."**

Sun’s mother and uncle were visibly unnerved, as if they had never seen such a look in her eyes before.

Sun’s mother tried to reach out, but Sun Man grabbed the nearest object from the bedside table and hurled it at them without a word of warning.

“I don’t have family like you! ‘Family’? You’ve never treated me as one! To you, I’m just a cash cow, someone to bleed dry!”

Her mother and uncle stumbled back, trying to dodge, but still got hit by a few items.

Sun’s mother glared at her, then scolded, “How dare you throw things at your uncle!”

“Mom, I nearly died,” Sun Man replied bitterly.

“That was your choice. You wanted to kill yourself over money? I had no idea you were so obsessed with it,” her mother snapped.

They still believed she had only attempted suicide because she’d discovered the money they’d siphoned off.

Sun Man’s face went blank.

Ji Fei, worried that she might get overwhelmed again, was about to say something when she saw a look of cold resolve settle on Sun Man’s face. With a self-mocking laugh, she spoke, her voice steady despite her shaking.

“Yes, I did something stupid in a moment of weakness.”

She trembled but forced each word out. “Now that I’m awake, I’ll make it clear—I’m going to get back every cent you took from me. I’m done swallowing my pride for your sake. If you don’t return it, I’ll go to the police and press charges.”

The room fell into complete silence.

“You… you ungrateful child! If you dare do that, you’re no daughter of mine!” her mother threatened.

But her words no longer had any power over Sun Man, who had, after all, just come back from the brink.

“Then go ahead and draft a formal disownment statement. I’ll be happy to sign it,” Sun Man replied, her face utterly expressionless.