"What's this about? Are you referring to the gift from Shiyun?" Jian Yunnao looked at Jian Yuncheng, confusion evident in his eyes.
"Exactly. I want you to discuss this matter," Jian Yuncheng pressed, his expression unwavering.
"But we already talked about it at the door," Jian Yunnao replied, perplexed. He thought they had already covered everything; after all, Jian Yuncheng had seen the gift bag.
"I want you to repeat what you said in front of Mom and Dad," Jian Yuncheng insisted, his gaze cold and his face expressionless.
Jian Yunnao hesitated for a moment but then turned to their parents. "Dad, Mom, I just found the gift that Shiyun prepared in the bushes at my home. The bags are the same, and inside were a sweater and a scarf. Shiyun didn't lie; she simply didn't know that the bag Aunt An brought in that day wasn't hers."
Jian Shuxing and Wen Nuan frowned, their expressions darkening with concern.
Jian Yuncheng continued to press Jian Yunnao. "So what do you think about this situation? Is it just a coincidence?"
"Big brother?"
"Speak your mind. I want to hear your thoughts on this 'coincidence,'" Jian Yuncheng said, his voice firm.
Jian Yunnao sensed the underlying suspicion in Jian Yuncheng's words. He realized that Jian Yuncheng was not naive and had picked up on the doubts woven into his explanation. So, under the weight of his brother's gaze, Jian Yunnao decided to be honest.
"Honestly, I don't think it's just a coincidence. It's way too coincidental. Why are there two identical bags? And why do the contents match? Also, the location of the items is the same. Shiyun is right; telling such a blatant lie is unreasonable and too easy to expose. There's no reason for her to do something that could backfire on her," Jian Yunnao laid out his suspicions clearly.
"Go on," Jian Yuncheng urged, keen to hear the conclusion.
After a long pause filled with hesitation, Jian Yunnao looked at his parents and then back at Jian Yuncheng. He finally voiced his conclusion, his words deliberate and precise: "I think it might have been Yiling who swapped them. Otherwise, I can't explain why everything lines up so perfectly."
His words hung in the air, clear and unambiguous. He hadn't voiced this thought when they were at the door, but it had been brewing in his mind.
As soon as Jian Yunnao spoke, it felt like a knife had pierced Wen Nuan's heart. Jian Shuxing quickly pulled his wife into an embrace, but the words of comfort he wanted to say failed him. Seeing his two children in conflict left them both in emotional turmoil, as if their hearts were being fried in hot oil.
Jian Yuncheng locked eyes with Jian Yunnao, a steely gaze piercing through. "Funny enough, I have another answer on my end."
As he spoke, Jian Yuncheng tossed a tablet onto Jian Yunnao's left hand. The screen displayed two videos playing simultaneously.
On the left side, there was footage of Jian Yiling placing the gift that night. On the right, the video captured Mo Shiyun tossing the gift into the bushes.
Both videos looped, repeating over and over, flooding Jian Yunnao's vision and stimulating his mind with the harsh reality unfolding before him.
Jian Yunnao's eyes widened in disbelief as he absorbed the shocking visuals. "I... how..."
He stumbled over his words, the blood draining from his face.
"Surprised that it's different from what you thought?" Jian Yuncheng questioned, his tone unwavering.
"Why would Shiyun do this? Why would she lie to me?!" Jian Yunnao felt a whirlwind of emotions crash over him. In just one day, he had been hit with one revelation after another, leaving him reeling from the impact.