Chapter 43

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

He didn't care, but Gu Jia and Zhong Xiaoqin would surely feel bad.

He had nothing to say about Zhong Xiaoqin's situation.

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

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

Bystanders who watched the whole thing didn't step in to calm things down—they just held up their phones and watched the spectacle.

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 began screaming wildly without restraint.

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 drank 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 you made?"

"Are you sure it's been clearly arranged?"

"Good, that's it."

Wang Yan's subordinates had done their best; it had been a week already, and Chen Yu and Chen Xu had been thoroughly set up—spending every day 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 stopped practicing his beloved photography, spending his days wandering among courtesans. His body was already weak from late nights, but this wasn't just weakness—it was depletion.

Domestically, it was seven or eight hours ahead of Europe; when the incident erupted there, it was afternoon.

Chen Yu, awake from a hangover and a news professional, naturally followed trending topics, and unsurprisingly saw the story about Zhong Xiaoqin.

Chen Yu's instinct told him something was off about this matter.

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

This made Chen Yu even more worried; after thinking it over, he notified Zhong Xiaoqin's parents, telling them to flee immediately and hide for a while.

Without hesitation, he went next door, grabbed Chen Xu, and demanded they return home.

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

"What are you doing, bro? Let me sleep a bit more—why are you in such a rush?"

"Get up quickly, pack, and head back to China."

Hearing "back to China," Chen Xu snapped awake—he was having the time of his life and didn't want to leave at all.

"Back 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 comfortable; Chen Xu had been living off his energy. He opened his mouth to say, "What's it to you if she's in trouble?" 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 subordinates, informed them of their return to China, and told them to ensure the safety of other employees.

After packing, they bought two tickets and flew back to China; since the nearest flights were full, they had to make an extra layover.

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

"Why did I do this?"

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

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

He'd arranged everything to this point—what else could he say?

Although 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 a little. The result? Useless—the outcome still came.

He'd treated Chen Yu well—money wasn't lacking, his career was established, his future secured. He'd let him experience every global culture, seen beautiful scenery.

And now, hearing the news, he rushes back without delay?

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

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

Though fundamentally they were no different—both seducing married women—he Wang Mou was responsible; he never abandoned someone after using them. Besides, he'd known Xu Huanshan would cheat, and only laid groundwork and guided subtly. As for Gu Jia's personality, though there was some mild flirtation, Xu Huanshan wouldn't have cheated if not for Wang Mou's influence.

But Zhong Xiaoyang's record of promiscuity and cheating was clearly "use and discard." Even Liang Zhengxian outclassed him by miles—at least Liang didn't seduce married women, though maybe he just wasn't into that.

Zhong Xiaoyang's hometown was in Northeast China—he and Wang Yan were fellow townspeople.

Honestly, given the current context, if he's hit this hard, he's definitely going to get caught—it's entirely a human problem.

Zhong Xiaoyang's family certainly had their share of shady deals; this blow will bring them down for good.

The rest he wouldn't touch—he wouldn't make any more moves. He'd leave it to Zhong Xiaoqin's own choice.

After giving his orders, Wang Yan returned to company business—the Liang family was already nearly 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, she received a call from her mother: "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 a pang of emotion—moved, yet uneasy—thinking of her own recent misconduct.

"Xiaoqin, how can these people be so cruel?"

"Old Zhang next door sent me a message this morning—he saw red paint splashed all over our front door, and someone glued up our keyhole."

"They also sprayed some words on the wall—I'm telling you, it was vicious. Your dad even said if our floor weren't higher, they'd have smashed our windows too. These people… how could they do this?"

Hearing her mother's rambling, Zhong Xiaoqin felt deep guilt, tears welling in her eyes. She'd been so absorbed in her own sorrow yesterday, never thinking of what her parents had endured.

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

Zhong Xiaoqin hugged herself and burst into sobs, thinking of her parents' suffering, her own plight, and the tangled emotions with Zhong Xiaoyang and Chen Yu—she could only cry out a few times to release it.

Gu Jia gently patted Zhong Xiaoqin, offering silent comfort.

She couldn't say much—words might only salt the wound; she could only stay quietly by her side.

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

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

Filled with righteous anger, Zhong Xiaoqin no longer cared what others thought—she stormed into the company to demand answers.

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

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

She called Zhong Xiaoyang, confirmed his location, then set off, burdened with worries.

When they met, Zhong Xiaoyang said some half-true, half-false things, giving her a rundown of the family situation.

"I'm not even worried about my job—why are you so troubled?"

"Besides, since we're together, one of us has to leave the office for an office romance."

Zhong Xiaoqin couldn't stand this—his words stirred a faint sweetness inside, yet she said, "Who said I wanted to be with you?"

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

"Without this incident, I was already planning to be your girlfriend. Now, because of this, it looks like I'm just repaying you."

She turned to leave.

Hearing this, Zhong Xiaoyang understood—he'd succeeded. What was the point of further nonsense?

He rushed forward, grabbed her face, and kissed her fiercely.

The romantic atmosphere moved Zhong Xiaoqin—she forgot all the complicated feelings she'd had upon hearing Chen Yu's news about her parents fleeing; they were long gone.

She responded to Zhong Xiaoyang with equal passion.

After a long while, they parted lips.

Zhong Xiaoqin looked shyly at Zhong Xiaoyang, saying nothing.

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

"Sister, are you comfortable staying with Gu Jie?"

Speaking of this, Zhong Xiaoqin hesitated: "I'm not comfortable—but where else can I go? Everywhere I go, I feel people staring at me, like they're about to hit or curse me."

"How about… you stay at my place for a while?" Zhong Xiaoyang said, as if he were doing her a favor.

Hearing this proposal, Zhong Xiaoqin was genuinely tempted.

But then she thought—this was only the first step in our relationship; living together would make Zhong Xiaoyang think I'm loose or frivolous—that wouldn't do: "No, I'll hold on for a couple more days. We'll see after that."

"Besides, I already rented an apartment—just can't move in now because of this mess."

Embarrassment is better than being seen as easy—even if it does affect Gu Jia, I have no choice. I'll just swallow my pride and stay.

Seeing he couldn't persuade her, Zhong Xiaoyang didn't press further.

Zhong Xiaoqin left, glowing with the glee of a little girl.

On the way, thinking of their kiss, she even wanted to skip a few steps.

She cheerfully returned to Tianyue Mansion—but when she reached the building, her mood darkened. Living under someone else's roof was bad enough; living under the roof of someone she disliked? No matter how bold she was, it still hurt.

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

Watching the sister with mixed emotions, Gu Jia wondered why she'd changed so much—this morning she'd been crying uncontrollably; how could one outing fix everything?

Gu Jia voiced her curiosity: "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."

Regarding this, Gu Jia had already called Wang Yan when Zhong Xiaoqin first moved out—she had to consider Wang Yan's feelings too.

Gu Jia waved her hand authoritatively: "What are you talking about, Xiaoqin? Relax. Stay as long as you want."

Gu Jia wisely refrained from commenting on what Zhong Xiaoqin had described.

Living with Wang Yan for so long had inevitably influenced her—this time, she wouldn't stand on a high horse and blather.

Seeing Gu Jia's firm tone, no longer tinged with the melancholy of the morning, Zhong Xiaoqin knew she'd spoken with Wang Yan—and she relaxed.

Wang Manni learned of Zhong Xiaoqin's situation and asked about it in the group.

Gu Jia invited them to meet at her dessert shop—Zhong Xiaoqin couldn't go anywhere safely now, and even though she knew Wang Yan had no interest in Wang Manni, and Wang Manni had Liang Zhengxian anyway, she still didn't want Wang Manni to come.

Plastic sisters: one moment of bragging was enough; the rest? Don't even think about it.

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

She greeted with concern: "Xiaoqin, are you okay?"

Though things had been sweet before, that was only temporary. Now, with troubles piled on and living under someone else's roof, she forced a smile: "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

She told Wang Manni again about what had happened.

"Oh, really? Then your brother's really good to you? Honestly, how far have you gone?" Unlike Gu Jia, Wang Manni was more cooperative.

This question stirred sweetness inside Zhong Xiaoqin—her heart was truly big: "Manni, let me tell you…"

Emotions rising, she chattered on about the small intimacies and romantic moments between her and Zhong Xiaoyang.

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

"By the way, you mentioned in the group a few days ago that Liang Zhengxian was coming here to develop—how's that going now?"

"He's currently at my place—probably dealing with a lot of business matters; he's been leaving early and coming home late every day, nothing like his old easygoing self," Wang Manni said, her tone bittersweet.

"Oh, since he's in Shanghai, haven't you, future boss lady, gone to see him?" Zhong 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 upon hearing this, but ultimately stayed silent.

The three of them tacitly avoided mentioning Wang Yan; since Gu Jia and Wang Yan got together, Zhong Xiaoqin and Wang Manni never spoke of Gu Jia's personal life.

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

In the afternoon, Chen Yu and Chen Xu returned.

Chen Yu rushed home in a panic—his doorstep was no better off.

Ignoring all that, after putting down his things, Chen Yu immediately got to work.

He had already planned everything on the plane: follow the trail, find the source, take photos as evidence, and crush them all at once.

Over the next two days, Chen Yu took Chen Xu out to investigate and track down leads. As a long-time frontline journalist, Chen Yu had sharp insight.

Aside from a good beating, things went smoothly.

This time was far worse than in the original plot—Chen Yu's body had been 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 an early alert, those fists and clubs 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, nothing serious. This was mainly because Chen Yu, as the older brother, had thrown himself in front to shield him, absorbing most of the blows.

The outcome was a happy one for all.

Zhong Xiaoqin successfully turned the tide; the once furious, shouting netizens now shamelessly liked, shared, and praised her: "Yeah, she's a good girl."

Chen Yu successfully boosted his company's reputation and launched the fame of the media outlet he operated. As for whether he achieved his true goal—that remained to be seen.

While lazily sunbathing on the balcony, Zhong Xiaoqin received a call from Chen Xu, telling her to watch the news.

After hanging up, Zhong Xiaoqin checked her phone and saw the news about the crackdown and dismantling of a counterfeit production den. Thinking back to Chen Xu's call, it was obvious who had done it.

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