Ji Shuyu’s hand, holding her chopsticks, paused mid-air. She looked up at He Ze, her eyes calm and unruffled, which made He Ze—who was so anxious that fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead—stare back in momentary confusion.
Wang Shufen, however, was the first to panic. She hurriedly set down her bowl and chopsticks and stood up. “What breakout? Wasn’t the snowflake cream Shuyu bought from a legitimate factory in Shanghai? Just last time, I saw Sister Li next door using it. She said it was even more moisturizing than the ones the supply and marketing cooperative used to stock. How could it cause a breakout?”
It was genuinely good stuff—how could it cause a breakout?
“I don’t know either, Mom.” He Ze scratched his head, his tone urgent. “It’s Old Zhang’s wife from the logistics department. Just now, at the entrance of the residential compound, she was shouting at the top of her lungs, saying her daughter used the snowflake cream Third Sister gave her, and now her face is red, swollen, and covered in small rashes. She said she’s coming to confront Third Sister and demand an explanation!”
Ji Shuyu set down her chopsticks, picked up the handkerchief beside her plate, and wiped her mouth leisurely. “No need to panic. Let’s clarify the situation first. The snowflake cream I have is from Shanghai No. 1 Daily Chemical Factory. I had someone procure it through proper channels, and Director Wang at the supply and marketing cooperative still has the purchase receipts. There’s no way it could be problematic.”
Besides, anything produced by the system couldn’t possibly be subpar.
No sooner had she finished speaking than hurried footsteps echoed outside the courtyard gate, followed by Sister Zhang’s raised voice. “Is Ji Shuyu home? Come out here! My Niuniu is only five years old, and now her face is covered in rashes. What were you thinking?”
Just as Wang Shufen was about to step forward, Ji Shuyu stopped her. She patted her mother-in-law’s hand, signaling her not to worry, then stood up and walked to the courtyard gate.
Sister Zhang stood there, arms akimbo, holding a little girl in her arms. The child’s cheeks were indeed flushed red, dotted with fine rashes, looking utterly pitiful. A small crowd of onlookers had already gathered, pointing and whispering about Ji Shuyu.
“Ji Shuyu, look at my Niuniu!” Sister Zhang thrust the child forward, her voice trembling with emotion. “She used the snowflake cream you gave her yesterday, and this morning, her face ended up like this. Did you do this on purpose? Did you give me fake products to harm my daughter because you knew I’d spoken ill of you before?”
Ignoring the accusation, Ji Shuyu focused on the child’s face. She crouched down and asked gently, “Niuniu, tell Auntie, did you wash your hands before using the snowflake cream yesterday? Did you get any near your eyes or mouth?”
After all, children’s skin is delicate. If she hadn’t washed her hands properly or had touched something unclean, it could easily cause rashes.
The child, intimidated by her mother’s aggressive demeanor, glanced timidly at her mother, then at Ji Shuyu. Seeming to recall something, she replied in a very small voice, “I… I washed my hands… Later, Mom gave me a sugar cake, and it stuck to my face… I rubbed it with my hand…”
Ji Shuyu nodded and turned back to Sister Zhang. Understanding dawning on her, she stood up and said, “Sister Zhang, the snowflake cream I gave everyone is the same. Sister Li’s daughter has been using it for three days, and her skin is even softer than before. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her.”
“Moreover, this snowflake cream was obtained through proper channels. Director Wang at the supply and marketing cooperative has the purchase receipts. If you think there’s a problem, we can go together to verify whether it’s counterfeit.”
“I—” Sister Zhang faltered, her eyes shifting uneasily. “How do I know you didn’t collude with Director Wang? My Niuniu’s face only became like this after using your snowflake cream!”
“Collude?”
Ji Shuyu’s gaze turned icy as she stared at the woman.
“Sister Zhang, you need evidence to back up your words. If you claim the snowflake cream is problematic, then bring out what’s left of it. Let’s take it to the clinic doctor and see if the issue really lies with the cream.”
“If it’s truly my fault, I’ll compensate you for the medical expenses and buy Niuniu new skincare products. But if the problem isn’t with the snowflake cream, don’t you think you owe me an apology for causing such a scene today?”
Sister Zhang’s eyes flickered with panic, and she instinctively took a step back.
The snowflake cream in her arms wasn’t the same jar Ji Shuyu had given her at all.
The previous day, Lin Feifei had approached her, claiming that Ji Shuyu was leveraging her status as Commander He’s wife to win people over. She promised Sister Zhang two feet of patterned fabric if she could tarnish Ji Shuyu’s reputation.
Lin Feifei had given her a jar of inferior snowflake cream and instructed her to claim it was from Ji Shuyu. She was to rub the child’s face until it turned red, pretending it was an allergic reaction, just to embarrass Ji Shuyu.
Sister Zhang had assumed that since Ji Shuyu had only recently joined the army as a dependent and lacked connections, she would easily be flustered by the confrontation.
But she never expected Ji Shuyu to remain so calm—or to suggest having the cream examined by a doctor.
There was no way Sister Zhang dared to go with Ji Shuyu for an inspection. Doing so would be sheer recklessness!
The onlookers began to sense that something was amiss and started murmuring among themselves.
“That’s right, Sister Zhang, why don’t you bring out the remaining snowflake cream and let’s see?”
“Sister Li’s daughter used it without any issues. Maybe Niuniu is allergic to something she ate?”
Just then, Sister Li pushed her way through the crowd, holding a half-empty jar of snowflake cream. She had never gotten along with Sister Zhang and wasn’t about to miss the chance to witness the drama.
“Sister Zhang, you can’t wrongfully accuse Sister Shuyu like this. My daughter has been using this snowflake cream, and her skin has never been better—look how smooth it is!”
“Are you sure you’re not using your child to frame her? I saw Lin Feifei paying you a visit.”
Sister Zhang’s face flushed red and then paled, a cycle of embarrassment and fear. The child in her arms began to fuss again, crying that her face hurt.
Ji Shuyu glanced at the child, then back at Sister Zhang, already piecing together most of the truth.
She didn’t press further and instead said to Sister Zhang, “Sister Zhang, take Niuniu to the clinic first. Don’t delay her treatment. If it really is because of the snowflake cream, I’ll take full responsibility. But if it’s due to something else, you should stop making unfounded accusations.”
“However, Sister Zhang, let me remind you—sometimes, you should be careful not to be used as a pawn.”
Under this reasoning, Sister Zhang had no choice but to hold her child tighter, mutter something unintelligible, and hurriedly push her way through the crowd to leave.
Seeing that the spectacle was over, the onlookers gradually dispersed, but not without offering Ji Shuyu a few respectful words as they left, their tones noticeably more courteous than before.
Wang Shufen let out a sigh of relief and took Ji Shuyu’s hand. “Thank goodness you kept your cool. Otherwise, we’d never have been able to clear our names with all that commotion.”
Ji Shuyu smiled. “Mom, don’t worry. A clear conscience laughs at false accusations. Besides, if some people want to play dirty, they’d better make sure they have what it takes.”
She knew perfectly well that Lin Feifei was behind this.
Seeing that public opinion hadn’t swung in her favor, Lin Feifei had resorted to such underhanded tactics.
But it didn’t matter. If she didn’t succeed this time, Lin Feifei was sure to try something else. Ji Shuyu would be ready.
When He Yuan returned that evening and heard about what had happened during the day, his face darkened instantly.
He took Ji Shuyu’s hand, his voice filled with remorse. “It’s my fault. I didn’t keep a closer watch on these people, and you ended up suffering because of it.”
Ji Shuyu shook her head and leaned into his embrace. “It’s not your fault. Some people just can’t stay out of trouble. Besides, I didn’t suffer—wasn’t it all resolved?”
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