Chapter 43: Impossible to Stop

Wang Yan dropped off the kids and went straight to the company, not returning home.

He didn’t care, but Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin would surely feel terrible.

He had nothing to say about Zhong Xiaoqin’s plight.

A merchant sold fake shoes; a customer came to demand a refund, and Zhong Xiaoqin happened to pass by and offered to help.

The issue wasn’t resolved properly, and the customer couple may have come prepared, escalating the conflict.

Bystanders watched from start to finish, none stepping in to calm things down—just holding up their phones to gawk.

Once it spread, a crowd of people who knew nothing about the truth suddenly felt righteous indignation, and with influential figures joining in to condemn, they unleashed a torrent of blind, furious abuse.

This is one of many social phenomena—whether it’s moral corruption or human depravity, no one can say for sure.

At the company, Wang Yan brewed a pot of tea and sipped it slowly.

“Ding. Ding. Ding.”

At that moment, the phone on the tea table rang. Wang Yan glanced at it, frowned slightly, and answered: “Hello? What’s wrong?”

“Huh? When?”

“Alright, I understand.”

“How’s the arrangement going?”

“Are you sure you made it clear?”

“Good, that’s settled.”

Wang Yan’s men had done their best—already a week had passed, and Chen Yu and Chen Xu had been thoroughly set up, spending their days in debauchery.

At first they refused, but after being forced to drink too much, and with the accumulated stress of divorce and work, Chen Yu finally gave in.

Everything has a first time; once that first step is taken, stop making excuses to comfort yourself. Chen Yu had long abandoned his beloved photography, spending his days wandering among courtesans. His body was already weakened from late nights—this wasn’t just exhaustion, it was depletion.

China was seven or eight hours ahead of Europe; when the incident blew up there, it was afternoon.

Chen Yu, awake from a hangover and working in journalism, naturally followed trending topics—and unsurprisingly, he saw Zhong Xiaoqin’s story.

Chen Yu’s instinct told him something was off.

He immediately called Zhong Xiaoqin, but it was useless—she was drinking at the time.

That made Chen Yu even more worried. After thinking it over, he notified Zhong Xiaoqin’s parents, telling them to flee and hide for a while.

Without hesitation, he went next door, grabbed Chen Xu, and demanded they return to China immediately.

Chen Xu was completely drunk, dazed and half-asleep, and was dragged up without protest.

“What’s going on, bro? Let me sleep a bit longer—why the rush?”

“Get up, pack, we’re going back to China.”

Hearing “return to China,” Chen Xu snapped awake—he was having the time of his life and didn’t want to leave.

“Return to China? We still have a week left—why go back?”

“Xiaoqin’s in trouble—I have to go see her. Come on, stop dawdling, hurry up!”

These past few days, Chen Yu had been living in comfort; Chen Xu had just been tagging along. He opened his mouth to say, “What’s this got to do with you?” But the words died on his lips—it was Chen Yu’s own business.

As his brother, what could he do? He silently got up and packed his things.

Chen Yu quickly contacted his men, informed them of their return, and told them to ensure the safety of other employees.

After packing, they bought two tickets back to China; since the earliest flight was full, they had to make an extra layover.

Only when the plane reached ten thousand meters did Chen Yu finally realize:

“Why did I do this?”

He kept questioning himself internally—the answer, only he knew.

After hanging up, Wang Yan didn’t know what to say.

He’d arranged everything this far—what more could he say?

Though he thought Zhong Xiaoqin was a piece of trash, Chen Yu going this far truly impressed him.

This was Chen Yu’s choice—he should respect it.

Chen Yu could do whatever he wanted. What did Wang Mou care? He’d only guided him slightly. The result? Useless—the outcome came anyway.

He’d treated Chen Yu well—plenty of money, a solid career, a bright future. He’d let him experience every global culture, seen beautiful scenery.

And yet, as soon as he heard the news, he rushed back without delay?

After thinking it over, Wang Yan called his two men and told them they could act.

He planned to anonymously report some dirt on Zhong Xiaoyang’s family to the relevant authorities—he truly couldn’t stand Zhong Xiaoyang.

Though fundamentally, the two were no different—both seducing married people—he Wang Mou was serious and responsible; he never abandoned someone after using them. Besides, he’d known Xu Huanshan would cheat, and had only laid groundwork and guided things subtly. With Gu Jia’s personality, though there was some mild flirtation, Xu Huanshan wouldn’t have cheated if Wang Mou hadn’t intervened.

But Zhong Xiaoyang’s history of promiscuity and cheating made it obvious—he used people and then discarded them. Liang Zhengxian was light-years ahead of him; at least he didn’t seduce married women, though maybe he just wasn’t into that.

Zhong Xiaoyang’s hometown was in Northeast China—same as Wang Yan’s.

Honestly, given the current context, if he got hit this hard, he’d inevitably be ruined—it was entirely his own fault.

Zhong Xiaoyang’s family certainly had shady dealings—this blow would definitely bring them down.

After that, Wang Yan wouldn’t interfere further or make any more moves—he’d leave it to Zhong Xiaoqin’s own choice.

After giving his orders, Wang Yan returned to company affairs—the Liang family was already finished.

Gu Jia spent the morning comforting Zhong Xiaoqin, urging her to be strong and get through this hardship.

Zhong Xiaoqin had no choice—she was genuinely terrified.

At that moment, her mother called: “Xiaoqin, are you okay? I called so many times yesterday and couldn’t reach you.”

“Mom, I’m fine. I’m at Gu Jia’s. Don’t worry about me. How are you? Are you alright?”

“We’re fine. Yesterday Chen Yu called us, told us to hide immediately. Now we’re at your second aunt’s. Don’t worry about us—just take care of yourself.”

Hearing that Chen Yu in Europe still cared enough to warn her parents, Zhong Xiaoqin felt touched—and yet, uneasy, remembering her own recent behavior.

“Xiaoqin, how could people be so cruel?”

“Neighbor Old Zhang messaged me this morning—he saw red paint splashed all over our front door, and someone glued the keyhole shut.”

“They also sprayed hateful words on the wall—I’m telling you, it was vicious. Your dad said if our building weren’t so tall, they’d have smashed our windows. These people—how could they do this?”

Listening to her mother’s rambling, Zhong Xiaoqin felt deep guilt, tears welling in her eyes. Yesterday she’d been consumed by her own sorrow, never thinking of her parents’ suffering.

She forced herself to hide her distress, comforted her mother for a while, then hung up.

Zhong Xiaoqin hugged herself and sobbed aloud, thinking of her parents’ ordeal, her own suffering, and her tangled emotions with Zhong Xiaoyang and Chen Yu—she could only cry to release the pain.

Gu Jia gently patted Zhong Xiaoqin, offering silent comfort.

She couldn’t say much—any wrong word might reopen the wound. She could only stay by her side.

After a long while, Zhong Xiaoqin finished crying and stared blankly at her phone.

She saw her company’s Weibo announcement: the involved Zhong employee had been fired.

Furious, Zhong Xiaoqin no longer cared what others thought—she stormed into the company to demand answers.

She eventually learned Zhong Xiaoyang had taken the blame for her.

Zhong Xiaoqin’s emotions were complicated—she never expected Zhong Xiaoyang to go this far for her.

She called Zhong Xiaoyang, confirmed his location, then went to find him, lost in thought.

When they met, Zhong Xiaoyang spoke half-truths, describing his family situation.

“I’m not worried about work—why are you so concerned?”

“Besides, if we’re together, one of us has to leave the office.”

Zhong Xiaoqin couldn’t stand this—she felt a flicker of sweetness inside, but said coldly: “Who said I’d be with you?”

“Zhong Xiaoyang, do you know what angers me most about this?”

“Without this incident, I was ready to be your girlfriend. Now you’ve done this—it makes it seem like I’m repaying you.”

She turned to leave.

Hearing this, Zhong Xiaoyang understood—he’d succeeded. Why waste more words?

He stepped forward, grabbed Zhong Xiaoqin’s face, and kissed her fiercely.

The romantic atmosphere moved her—her earlier complicated feelings about Chen Yu warning her parents vanished completely.

She responded passionately.

After a long while, they parted.

Zhong Xiaoqin looked shyly at Zhong Xiaoyang, silent.

Zhong Xiaoyang whispered sweet nothings for a while longer before they returned to the matter at hand.

“Sister, are you comfortable staying with Sister Gu?”

Speaking of it, Zhong Xiaoqin hesitated: “Not really—but I have nowhere else to go. Everywhere I go, I feel people staring at me, like they’re about to hit or insult me.”

“How about… you stay at my place for a while?” Zhong Xiaoyang looked like he was doing her a favor.

Hearing this suggestion, Zhong Xiaoqin was genuinely tempted.

But then she thought—just after confirming our relationship, moving in together would seem too hasty. He’d think I’m loose and promiscuous—that wouldn’t do: “No, I’ll hold out for a couple more days. Let’s see then.”

“Besides, I already rented an apartment—just can’t go there now because of this mess.”

Embarrassment was better than seeming easy. Though it did affect Gu Jia, she had no choice—she’d just have to swallow her pride and stay.

Seeing she wouldn’t budge, Zhong Xiaoyang didn’t press further.

Zhong Xiaoqin left, light-hearted and giddy, like a little girl.

On the way, she replayed their kiss in her mind—even wanted to skip a little.

Cheerfully returning to Tianyue Mansion, she grew somber at the building’s entrance—living under someone else’s roof, especially someone she disliked, made her feel miserable no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

After contacting Gu Jia, the property management helped Zhong Xiaoqin swipe her card to enter.

Looking at her sisters, one happy and one worried, Gu Jia wondered why she had changed so much—hadn’t she been crying her eyes out that morning? How could one outing fix everything?

Gu Jia voiced her doubt: “Xiaoqin, your expression is so complicated—what happened?”

Zhong Xiaoqin chattered through everything that had happened, ending pitifully: “Gu Jia, I might have to trouble you for a few more days.”

Gu Jia had already called Wang Yan when Xiaoqin left—she had to at least consider Wang Yan’s feelings.

Gu Jia waved her hand authoritatively: “Don’t talk like that, Xiaoqin. Relax. Stay as long as you want.”

Gu Jia wisely said nothing about what Xiaoqin had told her earlier.

Living with Wang Yan for so long, she couldn’t help being influenced—this time, she wouldn’t stand on some high moral ground and spout nonsense.

Seeing Gu Jia’s firmness, no longer tinged with the melancholy of that morning, Xiaoqin realized Gu Jia had spoken with Wang Yan—and she finally felt at ease.

Wang Manni also learned about what happened to Xiaoqin and asked about it in the group.

Gu Jia invited them to meet at her dessert shop. After all, Xiaoqin wasn’t in a position to go anywhere now, and even though she knew Wang Yan had no interest in Wang Manni—and even though Wang Manni had Liang Zhengxian—she still didn’t want Wang Manni to come.

Plastic sisters: one round of bragging was enough; don’t even think about more.

Since they weren’t far apart, Wang Manni came over during lunch break.

She greeted with concern: “Xiaoqin, are you okay?”

Though they had once been sweet together, that was only for a short while. Now, burdened with troubles and living under someone else’s roof, she forced a smile: “I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong anymore.”

She told Wang Manni again about what had happened.

“Oh, really? Then this younger brother of yours is really good to you? Honestly, how far have you gone?”

This question stirred the sweetness inside Xiaoqin—her heart was truly large: “Manni, let me tell you…”

Overcome with emotion, she chattered on about the small flirtations and romantic moments between her and Zhong Xiaoyang.

Wang Manni playfully teased a couple of times, while Gu Jia smiled silently, quietly eating her dessert and listening to their conversation.

“By the way, you mentioned in the group a few days ago that Liang Zhengxian was coming here to develop his business—how’s it going now?”

“He’s staying at my place now. Probably because of business matters—he’s been leaving early and coming back late, nothing like his old relaxed self,” Wang Manni said, sweet yet slightly regretful.

“Oh? Since he’s in Shanghai now, haven’t you, future boss lady, gone to see him?” Xiaoqin teased.

Wang Manni frowned: “No. He didn’t tell me. Seeing how tired he is every day, I didn’t bring it up.”

Gu Jia wanted to say something but ultimately stayed silent.

The three sisters Moqidi avoided mentioning Wang Yan—ever since Gu Jia got together with Wang Yan, Xiaoqin and Wang Manni never spoke about Gu Jia’s personal life.

The three sisters chatted a bit more, then Wang Manni went back to work. Gu Jia drove Xiaoqin out for a drive, just to clear her mind.

In the afternoon, Chen Yu and Chen Xu returned.

Chen Yu rushed home in a panic—his own doorstep wasn’t much better.

Ignoring all that, he put down his things and got to work.

He’d already planned everything on the plane: follow the trail, find the source, take photos as evidence, and wipe them all out.

Over the next two days, Chen Yu and Chen Xu began investigating, tailing and interviewing. As a long-time frontline journalist, Chen Yu had sharp insight.

Aside from getting beaten up, things went smoothly.

This time was far worse than in the original plot—Chen Yu’s body was severely depleted, and though Chen Xu was younger and stronger, his recent indulgences had left him no better off.

If the police hadn’t arrived in time after Chen Yu called ahead, those fists and sticks might have killed them both.

In the end, Chen Yu broke four ribs, fractured an arm, and cracked a leg bone. Chen Xu fared better—just a limp and a strained arm. Mostly because Chen Yu, as the older brother, had thrown himself in front to shield him, taking most of the blows.

The outcome was a happy one for everyone.

Zhong Xiaoqin successfully turned the tide—those same enthusiastic netizens who had been screaming insults now shamelessly liked, shared, and praised: “Yeah, she’s a good girl.”

Chen Yu successfully boosted his company’s reputation and launched the fame of the media outlet he ran. As for his personal goals—well, that remained to be seen.

Bored, Zhong Xiaoqin was sunbathing on the balcony when she got a call from Chen Xu, telling her to check the news.

After hanging up, she scrolled through her phone and saw the news about the bust of a counterfeit production den. Thinking back to Chen Xu’s call, it was obvious who was behind it.

She put down her phone and stared blankly into the distance, her heart stirring with quiet ripples.