The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Bai Ci met Bai Jiheng's gaze and replied frankly, "My elder brother gave it to me, Uncle Chen told me to pick out the clothes, and Uncle Chen brought me here. If you don't believe me, you can call my elder brother and ask. Also, he's your man, but he offended me first."

"Since he said his elder brother sent him."

Bai Jiheng tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Xu Yan, and a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Then you make this call."

Xu Yan was taken aback: "Me...me, I'll hit you?"

"You reported it, so of course you're the one to verify it." Bai Jiheng unlocked his phone and handed it over, his tone nonchalant. "Dial Bai Yanzhi's number and put it on speakerphone. Ask him clearly in front of everyone."

Xu Yan's hands trembled as he looked at the phone handed to him. He had never had the young master's private number before. He had been in Bai Jiheng's circle for two years and had barely even seen Bai Yanzhi a few times.

Now, asking him to call Bai Yanzhi and question whether he has a younger brother is practically suicide.

"Third Young Master, I..."

"What's wrong?" Bai Jiheng's voice turned cold. "Weren't you quite confident just now? Now you're hesitant?"

Xu Yan's smile froze, and she didn't dare to take the phone.

"Third Young Master, I... I didn't mean that... I was just worried that someone might take advantage of the situation, I had no other intentions. Look at this phone... why don't you call? I really can't talk to the Eldest Young Master."

His voice grew softer and softer, and the last few words were almost muffled in his mouth.

"Afraid someone might take advantage of the situation?"

Xu Yan's Adam's apple bobbed: "Third Young Master, I just find it really suspicious that this person is sneaking around in your walk-in closet. Think about it, the walk-in closet has a combination lock, how did he get in? Even if Uncle Chen brought him, where is Uncle Chen? Why isn't he here guarding? What if something goes wrong..."

"Xu Yan," Bai Jiheng interrupted him, his tone as indifferent as calling a dog's name.

"In my walk-in closet, you're worrying about me." He tilted his head, his tone cold. "I didn't know you'd become so concerned about my affairs."

Xu Yan opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but when she met Bai Jiheng's cold, emotionless eyes, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Bai Jiheng withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at him, and instead turned his attention to Bai Ci.

"You're quite composed, standing there for so long, don't you have anything to say?"

Xu Yan, who was standing to the side, felt a sudden sense of relief upon hearing these words.

The Third Young Master didn't press him further about his overstepping of authority. Instead, he questioned the boy. It seemed the Third Young Master was just angry and annoyed that the boy was meddling, but his anger was still directed at the imposter.

If that kid says the wrong thing, this fire will eventually burn back.

Bai Ci retorted, "Your people barged in first, grabbing my collar first. I was just changing clothes in your dressing room, and I was being interrogated and targeted for no reason. Did you expect me to just stand there and let them do whatever they wanted?"

The atmosphere became completely frozen and oppressive; how dare this person speak to the Third Young Master like that?

Everyone held their breath, fearing that Bai Jiheng would get angry, but he remained silent, neither expressing his opinion nor showing any outburst. His deep gaze was fixed on Bai Ci, making it impossible to guess his mood.

The oppressive feeling of the unknown is far more terrifying than rage.

Bai Jiheng's gaze fell on the crease in Bai Ci's collar where it had been pulled, a chill suddenly rising in his eyes as he spoke sharply, "Who did this?"

Bai Ci said, "Your people."

"Knowing he's one of my people, you still dare to confront him?" Bai Jiheng asked accusingly.

Xu Yan, standing to the side, instantly misinterpreted the words, taking it as the Third Young Master favoring him. His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a smug look rekindled in his eyes. He was about to add fuel to the fire and complain.

Bai Ci spoke first, her words frank and forceful: "He touched me first. I was standing in your dressing room, not touching your things, not overstepping your rules, and someone else even led me in through this door. He grabbed my collar as soon as he came in; that's just how you people are."

Bai Jiheng was amazed that his usually timid and humble younger brother dared to face his pressure time and time again without backing down.

He looked at Bai Ci, his words landing with a resounding impact that shook the entire room: "You're a member of the Bai family, yet you let outsiders grab you by the collar like this?"

The words, "You're a member of the Bai family, yet you let outsiders grab you by the collar like this?" exploded in Xu Yan's mind.

Xu Yan's smug expression froze instantly, all color drained from his face, and his pupils contracted sharply, as if struck by lightning!

Xu Yan completely broke down. This boy who hiked up the mountain in cheap clothes really was the young master of the Bai family.

In a split second, his understanding of the world completely collapsed. One second he was certain he would win and that the Third Young Master would back him up, the next he plunged into despair.

Before the smile on his face could fade, his legs went weak, his heels instinctively shrank back, and he tried to run away but his whole body was stiff, his throat was tight, and he opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound.

He frantically turned to Zhou Xu for help.

But Zhou Xu didn't even look at him; her eyelashes trembled slightly as she rapidly processed this shocking truth.

This farce started because he was too cautious and Xu Yan was too reckless, making a fool of himself. His self-preservation intention of remaining neutral and refusing to take sides was completely exposed by this conclusion.

Zhao Shuo, who was leaning casually by the door, straightened his back and stood up instantly.

Having followed Bai Jiheng for many years, he understood the Third Young Master's rules best, and his mind instantly cleared. The Third Young Master's words, "You are a member of the Bai family," were never a gentle recognition of his status, but rather a cold declaration of territory.

These are my people, representing my family's honor. Outsiders have no right to trample on or provoke them at will.

Zhao Shuo's gaze darkened slightly as he coldly swept his eyes over Xu Yan, who stood frozen in place. He understood immediately: Xu Yan was completely finished. It wasn't that he had offended an unknown youth, but rather that he had overstepped his bounds and violated Bai Jiheng's territory and dignity, crossing the Third Young Master's bottom line.

In the dead silence, Bai Ci spoke in a flat tone: "Since you know he's your man, and you weren't there when he grabbed my collar."

Bai Jiheng narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he hadn't expected Bai Ci to respond like that, and a subtle look flashed across his eyes.

Bai Jiheng completely withdrew his gaze from Bai Ci and turned to look at Xu Yan, who was on the verge of collapse.

"Xu Yan."

The voice was soft, almost casual, yet it was like a final judgment, firmly locking Xu Yan's fate.

Xu Yan trembled violently, his shoulders tensed and he curled up, his voice shaking uncontrollably with extreme panic: "Third...Third Young Master! I really didn't know he was from the Bai family! I've never seen him at the Bai family before... This afternoon he clearly walked up the mountain, dressed simply, I...I thought he was an imposter who sneaked in..."

"What do you think?" Bai Jiheng interrupted him, his words piercing to the heart. "Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they aren't? Do you need to meet every single member of the Bai family before they're considered worthy?"

Xu Yan's lips trembled violently, his mind went blank, and he was completely speechless.

He instinctively turned to Zhou Xu for help again, but the other man lowered his eyes and remained silent, ignoring him. He then looked at Zhao Shuo, but Zhao Shuo looked away expressionlessly, without the slightest emotion.

Completely isolated and helpless, he was instantly and utterly abandoned by the core circle he had infiltrated for many years.