"You little brat!"
Dad slammed the table so hard the teacup jumped. "How dare you! Lie about something like this? Do you even know what kind of occasion this was? You've shamed the Jiang family!"
"I... I didn't mean to..." Jiang Xue sobbed, gasping for breath between sobs. "I just... I just wanted you to think I was a bit more impressive..."
**[Lie: "I just wanted you to think I was a bit more impressive..."]**
**[Truth: "It was all Jiang Yue! She set me up! She must be jealous of me! That vile woman! I hate her!"]**
"Impressive? Excellence built on lies is just vanity!" Mom scolded sharply. "Jiang Xue, I am so disappointed in you!"
Jiang Chen also spoke coldly: "Xiao Xue, you went too far this time. You nearly ruined Dad's most important deal!"
For the first time, the entire family was united in directing their anger towards Jiang Xue.
Jiang Xue cried, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms, a pitiful sight. Unfortunately, this time, no one was buying it.
I stood to the side, silently clearing the table, as if the scene unfolding before me had nothing to do with me.
But I knew. Every single one of them was watching me out of the corner of their eye.
I was waiting.
Waiting for the right moment.
Finally, under the barrage of their accusations, Jiang Xue pointed the finger at me.
"It was Big Sister! She did it on purpose!" She pointed at me, shrieking hysterically. "She knew all along that painting wasn't mine! She planned to humiliate me today!"
*Here it comes.*
I put down the plate in my hands and turned around, my face a mask of shock and hurt.
"Xiao Xue, what are you talking about?" My eyes welled up, my voice trembling with a note of wounded innocence. "I... I just wanted to praise you in front of Uncle Wang! How was I supposed to know that painting wasn't yours? You told me yourself it was your masterpiece!"
My picture of wronged innocence instantly triggered Mom's protective instincts.
"You shut up!" Mom roared at Jiang Xue. "You mess up and have the nerve to blame your sister? Your sister spent the *entire* evening trying to help you! If it weren't for her, do you think the Wang family would have given you a second glance?"
Dad also frowned, looking at Jiang Xue with displeasure. "Xiao Xue, stop talking nonsense! Apologize to your sister!"
Jiang Xue was utterly dumbfounded.
She hadn't expected her infallible "victim" act to fail against me.
Not only that, but she'd been checkmated.
"I... I..." She was so angry she couldn't speak.
I chose that moment to step forward, tugging gently at Mom's sleeve, adopting an extremely magnanimous tone. "Mom, Dad, please don't blame Xiao Xue. She didn't mean it. It's all my fault; I shouldn't have spoken out of turn. Xiao Xue, I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me."
The more I acted "forgiving," the more Jiang Xue seemed "unreasonable," "ungrateful," and "vindictive."
**[Dad's Truth: "Sigh... Yueyue is the one who understands the bigger picture. We spoiled Jiang Xue rotten; she can't handle the slightest bit of criticism."]**
**[Mom's Truth: "See? *This* is how real sisters act! Yueyue is so magnanimous! Jiang Xue is just too immature!**
**[Jiang Chen's Truth: "Jiang Yue... seems to have really changed. She's not that wooden girl who only knew how to talk back anymore."]**
See? Human hearts are so easily manipulated.
Truth, lies, right, wrong – none of it matters.
What matters is who *looks* more pitiful, who better fits their image of the "perfect daughter."
Jiang Xue, silenced by my maneuver, could only shoot me a hateful glare before running upstairs in tears, slamming her door behind her.
The storm had passed.
And I was the ultimate victor.
I had not only successfully driven a wedge between Jiang Xue and the family, but I had also scored major points in their estimation.
I looked at Jiang Xue's tightly shut door, a cold curve lifting the corner of my lips.
*Don't worry.*
*This was just the appetizer.*
*The main course is still to come.*
---
**Aftermath**
After that incident, Jiang Xue kept a low profile for several days.
She started deliberately avoiding me, becoming withdrawn and quiet at home, no longer chattering and clinging to Mom and Dad like she used to.
Meanwhile, I smoothly stepped into her place.
I worked hard every day to please Mom, Dad, and Brother.
Adding Dad's favorite goji berries to his tea, buying Mom the silk scarf she'd been coveting, and helping Brother tidy his chaotic room.
My tongue was also dripping honey.
"Dad, you look so energetic today! You'll land that contract!"
"Mom, that cheongsam looks stunning on you! You have more grace than the celebrities on TV!"
"Brother, you look so cool playing basketball! I bet tons of girls at school are chasing you!"
I said these things without batting an eye.
Because with the Lie Detection System, I knew exactly what they wanted to hear, and I knew their true thoughts after hearing it.
**[Dad's Truth: "This girl's mouth gets sweeter by the day, though I have to admit it sounds good. A lot less trouble than Jiang Xue with her constant sniveling."]**
**[Mom's Truth: "Well, she has taste. My elegance certainly isn't something common people can match."]**
**[Jiang Chen's Truth: "Hmph. At least she knows her place. But trying to butter me up? She's still too green."]**
They responded politely, but inside, they were full of contempt and calculation.
They thought I was still that stupid, naive Jiang Yue, desperate for their approval.
They didn't know that every smile, every bit of "flattery," was laying another brick on the path of my revenge.
I relished the feeling of manipulating them like puppets.
Watching them curse me inside while smiling at my sweet words felt utterly ironic and deeply satisfying.
And Jiang Xue? She became the superfluous one in this family.
She tried to claw back their affection, but every attempt failed.