Chapter 22

One hour ago, Jinshui Bay.

Cen Meng had made thorough preparations before arriving for the recording of the second episode. She had coordinated a script with her management company, putting together a complete narrative to address the recent controversy. Seeing that the timing was right, she gave Qiao Yazhen a suggestive look.

Cen Meng knew that her mother had always looked down on her, treating her daughter as a burden to her remarriage. However, ever since she entered the entertainment industry, she had given her mother a sum of money every month and frequently bought her gold and silver jewelry. This had allowed Qiao Yazhen to hold her head high in front of relatives and friends, bragging about her daughter’s capabilities and earning power every few days. Furthermore, after she recently moved her mother and stepfather into this luxury mansion in Jinshui Bay, her mother’s attitude toward her shifted drastically; even her stepfather, who had always been cold toward her, began to greet her with a smile.

When she asked her mother to cooperate with her on the variety show and follow all her arrangements, her mother had agreed without a second thought. Cen Meng felt once again that money was omnipotent, even between family members.

However, she hadn't expected the first episode to go awry, causing Qiao Yazhen to lose face in front of their relatives. For the past two days, her mother had been making a scene, insisting on quitting the show. Cen Meng had no choice but to transfer an additional sum of money to her, soothing her by promising that if she just held on, she would receive even more once the entire program concluded. Upon seeing the extra two hundred thousand in her bank account, Qiao Yazhen stopped mentioning quitting and guaranteed she would cooperate fully on the show.

Seeing Cen Meng’s signal, Qiao Yazhen understood immediately. On camera, she looked at her daughter with a face full of worry: "Mengmeng, are you tired? You haven't been in a good mood lately..."

Cen Meng feigned surprise as she looked at her mother: "Mom! Didn't I tell you not to talk about this..."

Qiao Yazhen frowned: "But Mom is truly worried about you."

This exchange between the two, as expected, made the fans in the live broadcast room feel deeply sympathetic. Cen Meng naturally took the opportunity to say the lines she had prepared: "I'm sorry. I didn't want my personal affairs to affect the show, but there are some things I’d like to take this opportunity to tell all those who support and love me."

"This past week, I went through the most difficult time of my life. But everyone, please don't worry. I have completely said goodbye to my past relationship and am ready to step into a new chapter of my life. I believe that with the support of my family and all of you, I will be able to pull through."

When Cen Meng said these words, her gaze was firm and her performance was filled with emotion, immediately resonating with her fans. At that time, the news about Jinshui Bay and the Gu family was only circulating in small circles and had not been fully exposed; everyone in the live broadcast room was busy encouraging and comforting Cen Meng.

[Stay strong, Mengmeng! It’s not your fault you met a scumbag; we are all on your side!]
[I understand you. Who hasn't met a few scumbags in their life? Breaking up decisively is the right thing to do.]
[Support, support! Those netizens have no brains; you were clearly just a victim.]

It wasn't just fans; many ordinary viewers who came to watch the drama also felt a sense of pity. After all, if Cen Meng had truly been deceived by a scumbag and had chosen to break up immediately upon learning the truth, then the abuse she was suffering was indeed unfair.

However, after the true owner of the Jinshui Bay property was exposed, every word Cen Meng had said with such certainty turned into a glaring lie. The netizens who had sympathized with her felt deceived and began to hate her even more.

[Cen Meng, you clearly didn't break up, so why lie to everyone? Do you have any conscience toward the netizens who genuinely sympathized with you!]
[So disgusting. I actually spoke up for you earlier. I never thought you were this kind of person!]
[A mistress moving up in the world, living in a house provided by a scumbag, and still trying to build a persona of a 'clear-headed independent woman'? Have you no shame?]

Watching the constant stream of questions in the live broadcast room, Cen Meng struggled to maintain her composure: "I really don't understand what you are all talking about! I didn't lie to anyone. This is my home; I have lived here for a long time!"

But the netizens simply didn't believe her.

[Give it a rest. You tried to lie to everyone once, and now you want to do it again?]
[Do you really take netizens for fools? Stop acting. Someone has already dug up the transaction records for this house.]

Seeing that no one believed her, Cen Meng desperately turned to Qiao Yazhen: "Mom, you say something too. This is our home, isn't it?"

Qiao Yazhen had been nervous enough coming on the show, and now she was frightened out of her wits. She had no idea how the house had been acquired; she only knew that one day her daughter had suddenly moved her and her husband there. Panicked and not knowing what to do, Qiao Yazhen just kept shaking her head: "I... I don't know anything!"

Seeing Cen Meng’s mother react this way, the netizens were even more certain the rumors were true. If Cen Meng had been truly wronged, Qiao Yazhen’s reaction would have been one of anger and confusion, or she would have been the first to speak up for her daughter, not acting like this.

The insults grew more intense.

Cen Meng felt even more desperate seeing Qiao Yazhen only shaking her head. But she had already suffered from a live broadcast once before—the video of her fainting in front of everyone was still circulating online, becoming a laughingstock. Cen Meng knew that this time, no matter what, she had to hold on; she at least had to give everyone an explanation, or the matter would be set in stone.

Out of the camera’s view, Cen Meng pinched Qiao Yazhen’s arm hard, forcing her mother to look at her.

"Mom," Cen Meng gritted her teeth, "if you're not feeling well, go back and rest first. Leave this to me." In the current situation, her mother was only a liability.

Qiao Yazhen, already frantic, nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, then I'll go..."

Only Cen Meng remained in front of the live broadcast camera. The production team saw that Cen Meng had no intention of ending the broadcast, so they didn't take immediate action. The number of viewers in the live room was increasing every second, and since Cen Meng wanted to continue responding, they were happy to let it happen.

Cen Meng took a deep breath, trying her best to ignore the insults in the comments. "Thank you all for your concern," she said, her voice trembling slightly, "but I really don't know what you mean. There must be some misunderstanding..."

[What kind of misunderstanding could there be? Isn't this house Gu Yunhao's?]
[So, did you break up with Gu Yunhao or not? If you’ve already broken up, why are you still living in his house?]

Cen Meng did not respond to any of these questions. During a live broadcast, once she said the wrong thing, there would be no turning back. She vaguely denied it: "I really don't know what's going on. This house... was rented for me by a staff member. Please believe me, I will get to the bottom of the situation as soon as possible, but it is absolutely not what you think!"

[Hilarious. Now you’re trying to pin the blame on the staff.]
[Why don't you dare respond to the matter with Gu Yunhao? Is it because it's all true?]

According to the original plan, the audience interaction session was supposed to last twenty minutes. In the midst of the chaos, two-thirds of the time had already passed. Cen Meng was reaching her breaking point. After stating once more that she knew nothing, she asked the staff for help.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she said, "I'm sorry, an accident has occurred. Could today's live broadcast end early? I... I need to handle this emergency, find the truth, and give everyone an explanation."

The staff member hesitated: "I'll ask the director." Cen Meng pursed her lips and nodded.

She had tried her absolute best to deny the rumors. Her next step was to immediately contact Gu Yunhao’s side and find a way to get him to cooperate with her public relations efforts. If the Gu family could help prove that this house had been rented to her, she might still have a chance to turn things around.

However, before the production team could make a decision, a knock suddenly echoed at the villa’s door.

"Hello, property management!" a gruff male voice called out. "Whoever is inside, open the door! We have been entrusted by the owner to handle an issue!"

Upon hearing this, Cen Meng shuddered. Property management... how could the property management staff show up so suddenly? This was one of the most luxurious residential complexes in North City; the property management would never come to the door without a reason.

The door was pounded on heavily again: "Open the door! The owner has given us authorization. If you don't open up, we will be forced to enter."

[Whoa, did you guys hear that? It sounds like someone is smashing the door outside!]
[Help, this is a bit scary. Why is someone pounding on the door so hard? What’s going on?]
[Why is this turning more and more insane? What’s next, an action movie or a legal documentary?]

The production team members looked at each other in confusion. "Miss Cen Meng..." the staff member asked, "should we just open the door?" Otherwise, if the people outside really forced their way in, it would become a live broadcast disaster.

Cen Meng was completely panicked. She had thought she would only be facing questions from netizens, and behind a screen, the most they could do was insult her. But now, the person outside might enter her home in the next second.

Cen Meng’s voice trembled: "Then... open it. Can you open it?"

After the staff opened the door, several people in suits walked in. The lead man looked at the staff: "You are live streaming, right?"

After receiving an affirmative answer, the man took an ID card out of his pocket and displayed it to the staff and the camera for a few seconds. He then walked up to Cen Meng and spoke coldly: "Miss Cen, we are from the Jinshui Bay property management. The owner of this house is aware of your illegal trespassing. The owner has entrusted us to handle this matter; please leave immediately."

Cen Meng was stunned: "What... what did you say?"

The man impatiently repeated: "Please leave here with your family now, or we will call the police immediately." As he spoke, the man gestured with his hand, and the others surrounded them.

Cen Meng had no mental preparation for this. Being suddenly surrounded by a group of men with unfriendly expressions made her nearly lose her mind. She blurted out: "You can't do this! Gu... he wouldn't want me to leave!"

In a moment of crisis, Cen Meng retained a shred of reason, remembering not to say the name "Gu Yunhao." However, the production team’s audio equipment was so sensitive that many people heard the "Gu" clearly.

[Whoa! Did you hear that? Cen Meng just admitted the house belongs to the Gu family!]
[Total self-destruction! Cen Meng really is still with that scumbag surnamed Gu, and this house is what he gave her to live in!]