Chapter 28: Chu Li Intends to Use You as a Shield

Although Chu Li dealt with the relevant matters immediately upon waking, it was ultimately too late, and the photo of Qin Xingwan kneeling had leaked out after all.

Friends passed it to friends, group chats passed it to group chats.

Soon, almost everyone in the circle knew.

Qin Xingwan received many messages on her phone, most of which contained a sense of gloating probing.

A few were genuine concern.

Qin Xingwan did not reply to any of them.

But she specifically called Qin Jianguo to make him hide this matter from Qin Nainai; otherwise, she would tell Madam Chu the truth about how Chu Li had been struck on the back of his head.

Qin Jianguo was angry at her threat, yet he was also wary.

He thought he could use Qin Nainai to manipulate Qin Xingwan, but he had not expected that he would also have leverage fall into Qin Xingwan's hands.

Qin Xingwan had no time to listen to his verbal abuse and hung up the phone.

She looked out the window.

Outside the window, the scorching sun was like fire, but there was not a shred of warmth in the room.

Lin Qingya came over specifically for a visit.

She comforted her friend, telling her not to care about other people's opinions.

Moreover, the situation was now developing in the other direction.

As the photo of Qin Xingwan kneeling was made public online, the matter of Chu Li and Qin Yunshu's affair was brought up again.

The affair had already caused a huge uproar, followed by Qin Shen's violence, and now Qin Xingwan's kneeling.

The voices condemning the scumbag man and the cheap woman surged once again like a raging sea.

Qin Xingwan no longer had the initial desire to vent her anger; she pursed her lips faintly and told Lin Qingya not to worry.

She also asked her to bring her some books to pass the time.

Watching her quiet demeanor, Lin Qingya felt she was even more sorrowful.

She scoured for many professional books on perfumery and delivered them all to the Yiyuan.

When Chu Li arrived, Qin Xingwan was reading a book.

She was leaning against the headboard, her brows and eyes distant, her long hair draped over her shoulders, making her palm-sized face appear even more thin and pale.

Throughout the entire day, she had only opened her mouth in the morning to plead for those people.

After that, she did not say another word.

She was so quiet it was unsettling.

"Xingwan." Chu Li softly called his wife's name.

Qin Xingwan moved her gaze from the book and looked up at Chu Li.

She did not speak, only asking with her eyes.

Chu Li's throat felt dry, and he suddenly did not know how to speak.

His mother's actions were too extreme, and he also bore responsibility.

He did not know how she had endured that entire night of humiliation.

"What do you want to eat? I'll have someone send it over." His tone was gentle, and he raised his palm, wanting to stroke the top of her hair.

Qin Xingwan tilted her head slightly to avoid it.

The refusal was obvious.

Chu Li clenched his palm, leaned over to grip her shoulders, and met her gaze.

"The way Mom handled things was wrong, and it hurt you; I apologize to you on her behalf."

Making someone kneel was a tangible humiliation.

Qin Xingwan looked at him calmly, neither sad nor happy.

Chu Li felt irritable; he would rather she make a scene than look at him with such eyes.

"You also have responsibility in this matter."

Qin Xingwan's fingers curled, tightening around the page of the book.

The page made a slight creaking sound.

"You made a mountain out of a molehill regarding Yun Shu, which is why I was so angry I felt dizzy." Chu Li analyzed the facts.

If she had been more obedient at that time and promised him not to associate with Fang Yiwen, he would not have been angry to the point of fainting, and his mother naturally would not have humiliated her.

Qin Xingwan lowered her eyes, suppressing the tears in the corners of her eyes.

"I see."

That morning, he had punished that doctor and fired the doctors and nurses who had secretly taken photos, and the way he had defended her was still fresh in her memory.

Yet, only a few hours later, he was pushing the responsibility onto her again.

It was all her fault.

Chu Li had intended to tell her about the studio if she were a bit more well-behaved and admitted her mistake.

But she only said she saw.

And not that she was wrong.

The atmosphere fell silent once again.

Qin Xingwan cast her gaze back to the book page.

Chu Li felt bored and got up to leave.

He did not know that the page of the book in Qin Xingwan's hand had not been turned for a long time.

When Fang Yiwen arrived, Qin Xingwan was moving about cautiously.

Her knees had knelt on the hard floor for a long time, and after applying medicine, it had eased a lot.

Walking, however, remained difficult.

Fang Yiwen stood at the doorway for a moment before walking inside.

"Xingwan, how are you?" he asked, hurrying over a few steps to support her.

He had seen that photograph, and felt both heartbroken and furious.

He had come to the Yiyuan without a moment's delay.

Qin Xingwan leaned on his arm as she walked toward the bedside, "Moving around a bit is better for the joints."

A polite smile appeared on her face.

Fang Yiwen asked her, "Was it Chu Li who forced you to kneel?"

That man Chu Li held himself in such high regard; it was unlikely he could have much respect for his own wife.

Qin Xingwan sat on the edge of the bed, "It wasn't him."

"Then who was it?" Fang Yiwen frowned; he could not think of anyone else who would do such a thing.

Qin Xingwan shook her head; the name of Madam Chu could not be spoken, otherwise Chu Li would cause trouble for her again.

When Chu Li entered, what he saw was Fang Yiwen leaning over to speak with Qin Xingwan, while Qin Xingwan looked up slightly, a smile floating on her face.

It was completely different from her attitude toward him.

His expression turned gloomy, and he turned and left.

Fang Yiwen did not stay long before leaving; Qin Xingwan sat for a while, then got up to move around again.

The mobile phone on the bedside table suddenly began to vibrate frantically.

Qin Xingwan subconsciously walked faster, but her knees felt as if they were being pricked by needles, so she had to slow her pace.

The phone rang a second time before she picked it up.

Guan Jing's voice was very serious and anxious: "Just received news, President Chu intends to use you as a shield."

Qin Xingwan was stunned, "What do you mean?"

"The matter of the suspected affair between President Chu and Qin Yunshu has flared up again because of that photo of yours, you know that, right?"

"I know."

"President Chu has found marketing accounts, intending to release the news that he and Qin Yunshu are childhood sweethearts."

Guan Jing worked in public relations and had a very good relationship with several marketing accounts privately, so she knew about it before the news had even spread online.

Qin Xingwan gripped her phone tightly, so shocked that she even forgot to breathe.

Following that came a sharp pain in her chest, and her whole body trembled.

She braced herself against the table to barely steady her body, "Is the news true?"

Guan Jing sighed and lowered her voice, "President Chu offered a very high price; the few who have good relations with me agreed not to take the order, but there are other marketing accounts that will do anything for money."

"Contact President Chu, soften your stance, and don't let the matter blow up; it won't be good for you."

"Yes... thank you..." Qin Xingwan's face was deathly pale, and she looked as if she might collapse.

After hanging up the phone, it slipped from her palm.

She no longer had the strength to support herself and slumped onto the floor.

For the sake of Qin Yunshu, Chu Li was pushing her out to take the hit.

She could almost imagine how many stories netizens could fabricate based on the three words "childhood sweethearts."

She would go from being a victim to the culprit who destroyed their relationship.

"Chu Li..." she murmured the name, her voice shrill and miserable.

She picked up the phone to dial Chu Li's number, but the person who answered was Qin Yunshu.

"Sister..."

Qin Xingwan hung up the phone directly.

Tears slid down.

Three years of marriage could not compare to a childhood sweetheart from their youth.

They could have clearly just divorced, yet he insisted on trampling over her flesh and blood to elevate the person he loved.

He was so cruel, so heartless...