Watching his wife and daughter care for Lu Man despite being wronged, the guilt within Lu Qiyuan immediately dissipated. It was replaced by a stronger surge of anger.

"Look at how caring your mother and sister are towards you! Yet you still framed and hurt your sister! How could you be so evil!" Lu Qiyuan pointed at Lu Man and scolded furiously.

Lu Man's lips trembled. "Dad..."

"Don't call me 'Dad'! I, Lu Qiyuan, do not have such an evil and ruthless daughter!" Lu Qiyuan waved his hand indignantly as if Lu Man was a pile of smelly rubbish — if she got any closer it would make him feel dirty.

"What exactly did I do? I barely uttered a word ever since I have entered yet you just hit me? Even if I had angered you, you still have to tell me! What was that slap for?" Lu Man asked cryingly, still cradling her cheek.

Xia Qingyang gaze shifted. There was something different about Lu Man today.

In the past, Lu Man would not even let Xia Qingyang touch her. She would have already pushed her hand away, refusing her touch.

Thus every time this would happen, it would make Lu Qiyuan more infuriated and hate Lu Man even more.

On the other hand, Lu Man, refusing to back down, would aggressively fight with Lu Qiyuan.

That was how they became so distant and cold towards each other.

However, right now, Lu Man did not shove her away, neither did she angrily told her to leave her alone upon seeing her face. Lu Man did not even immediately fight with Lu Qiyuan head-on after what he said.

Even Lu Qi sensed this change and hid the emotions well in her eyes. With tears still in her eyes, she walked towards Lu Qiyuan and grabbed his elbow gently, "Dad, I'm alright. Don't fight with Elder Sister because of me."

Initially, he already felt apologetic towards Lu Man's reply. However, after seeing his younger daughter's pitiful look, he recalled the difficulties he had put her through all these years.

His younger daughter continued to plea pitifully. She was his own flesh and blood, yet he could not declare it proudly.

And Lu Man?

She had everything. To the outside world, she was the Young Mistress of the Lu family. However, as the step-daughter, Lu Qi could never live proudly and freely.

So what was wrong with getting Lu Man to give in to Lu Qi more to repay her?

Lu Man smiled bitterly. Anyway, she never had any hope towards Lu Qiyuan.

However, Lu Qiyuan's words had shattered what remained of their father-daughter relationship.

"As an elder sister, how could you frame your younger sister? She even had to go to the police station. How dare you ask me what's wrong?"

"Frame?" Lu Man looked incredulously at Lu Qi. "Was that what you told Dad?"

"The police need evidence to arrest someone. What could I have done to frame her? Create fake evidence for the police? Did Lu Qi tell you how she had brought the police to my room to arrest me? She demanded them to take me to the police station, insisting that I was the culprit. Thankfully, the police arrest people based on concrete evidence. I have an alibi and concrete evidence that I didn't even go to that director's room."

"On the other hand, if Lu Qi was innocent, how would she even know that the director was injured in the room? How could she have insisted that I was the culprit? Luckily, I kept the texts that she sent to me, proving she was the one who had actually gone to that director's room. Honestly, I don't believe that you didn't already know why would an insignificant assistant like me go to the director's room? Ultimately, actors still interact more with the director."

"It was entirely the police who brought her to the police station. What does that have to do with me? Dad, I know you love and care for Lu Qi a lot. To you, I can't even compare to a strand of her hair. But you shouldn't treat me like this!" Tears streamed down Lu Man's face. "For Lu Qi's sake, how could you wrongly accuse me? I am your daughter too! The same blood flow in our veins!"