Lang Zhe knew he had to buy time and find a way to scare Sun Man into not doing anything drastic.

"Lang Zhe, what are you saying? We don't negotiate with criminals," Lu Fei interrupted him firmly.

“Mom, please don’t…” Lang Zhe tried to interject, but Lu Fei was not stopping.

She grabbed Sun Man’s hand and said, “Dear, as I said, this problem started with Lang Zhe, so our family will take responsibility. If you want to pay to keep things quiet, I’ll handle the money. And if you want to go to the police, leave it to me. I have some connections in the military, and I can assure you that the criminal won’t get away with this… but I also have to warn you, I can’t guarantee those videos or pictures won’t leak before he’s caught. People can do terrible things when cornered.”

Though Sun Man resented Lang Zhe, she didn’t hold Lu Fei responsible. Hearing this, she felt tears prick her eyes. Having someone stand by her and offer to handle everything meant the world to her—especially when her own family had failed her.

“Thank you, Ms. Lu. I want to call the police,” Sun Man said resolutely.

Lu Fei nodded and reached for her phone to dial.

Lang Zhe’s face twisted, panic flashing across it.

**"Ha! Out of nowhere, his own mom becomes his undoing. But I wonder how Ms. Lu will react if she finds out her son is the mastermind. I almost feel sorry for her,"** Ji Fei mused inwardly.

Lang Zhe, seeing Lu Fei about to make the call, reached out and snatched her phone. “No! Mom, stop!”

“What are you doing?” Lu Fei snapped at him.

Even Pei Mingxuan looked suspicious. “Lang Zhe, Sun Man already said the video doesn’t show you, so it won’t affect you. Besides, you’re no longer her boyfriend, so you don’t really have the right to interfere like this.”

Sun Man glanced at Lang Zhe, assuming he was just protective, worried about her privacy being violated. But then Ji Fei suddenly said, “What’s wrong, Lang Zhe? Are you afraid the police might start looking at you?”

Lang Zhe’s mask cracked, his voice rising. “What nonsense are you spouting? Why would the police look at me? What does this have to do with me?”

**"Ah, got him. He’s panicking."**

Lu Fei frowned. “Why are you getting so worked up?”

Lang Zhe froze.

Ji Fei raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile. “Wow, that’s quite a reaction. If the photos and videos came from your phone, it’d make sense for the police to talk to you to collect evidence. I figured you might be worried about the inconvenience. But you’re acting as if I accused you of being the criminal! You almost scared me there.”

**"Oh, there he goes, practically confessing without being accused!"**

Lang Zhe’s face turned a motley of colors.

Qin Zhao nearly laughed, feeling like applauding his sister-in-law. She’d come so close to exposing him without raising too much suspicion.

Qin Zhao decided to join in. “Why are you sweating, Lang Zhe? Are you nervous about something?”

**"Perfect. Qin Zhao's caught on, too. Maybe we can finally corner him."**

The tension continued to build, with everyone now eyeing Lang Zhe suspiciously.

“Lang Zhe, are you hiding something from us?” Lu Fei asked. The thought that her son might be involved in anything nefarious never crossed her mind, so she assumed he was just withholding information.

Lang Zhe, feeling the pressure mount, lashed out defensively.

“What could I possibly be hiding? This is ridiculous! Do you think I’d do anything to hurt Manman? I lost my phone, and now you’re all accusing me of being a criminal?”

Qin Zhao snorted. “You’re overreacting. No one’s accusing you of anything. I’m just wondering… did you delete those files yet? That’s why you’re nervous about the police taking a look, right?”

Without thinking, Lang Zhe’s hand moved to his pocket, his pupils dilating as he quickly said, “Of course I deleted them!”

“Really?” Ji Fei continued. “Well, the victim here is Sun Man, so it’d be wise to double-check. That way, if anything else leaks, it can’t be blamed on you. It’s in everyone’s best interest to take a look at your phone—unless you’re lying.”

Lang Zhe’s face turned ashen. “Don’t push me.”

Ji Fei put on an innocent face. “Wow, refusing such a reasonable request?”

Sun Man and Lu Fei were taken aback. They’d naturally assumed he would have deleted everything after this mess. Who wouldn’t, given the potential trouble if the phone got lost again?

Pei Mingxuan narrowed her eyes. After a moment of thought, she arrived at an unsettling conclusion.

“Could it be… a setup?”

She finally spoke, “Lang Zhe, you know it’s illegal to film anyone without their consent. You say you deleted it, but we’d feel better if we could see for ourselves. Unless, of course… you’re lying.”

Lang Zhe instinctively stepped back.

Sun Man’s expression changed as she began to reconsider her years with him. Maybe it was about more than just gambling and unpaid debts.

“Hand over your phone,” Lu Fei demanded.

Lang Zhe clenched his jaw. “You’re all losing it. I’m not obligated to show my phone to anyone—it’s my personal property!” With that, he turned and walked toward the door, clearly intent on leaving.

It was exactly what Ji Fei and Qin Zhao had feared. Without enough evidence to stop him, their only option now was a more forceful intervention.

But just as Lang Zhe reached the hallway, there was a firm knock on the door, followed by someone opening it.

“Police. Step aside,” a commanding voice said.

Two officers entered, and at the sight of them, Lang Zhe froze, his mind racing. Then, panicking, he tried to bolt.

His sudden movement startled the officers, who, thinking he was attempting to flee, quickly restrained him. The younger officer, moving with practiced ease, pinned him to the ground.

“What’s going on here? Trying to resist?” he demanded. “Cuff him!”

The scene left everyone stunned.

Ji Fei blinked in shock. She hadn’t called the police—she’d been there the entire time, and no one else seemed to have done so either. Moreover, it was unusual for anyone to call the police without the victim’s permission.