Chapter 38

After Xie Zhiyan sent the message, there was silence on the other end for a long time.

Only after a good while did a reply come back: [……Today isn't April Fool's Day, is it?]

Xie Zhiyan, who was in the middle of organizing documents to take back to his hotel, chuckled at the message and didn't reply.

A short while later, the same friend sent another message: [I assume this doesn't need to be kept confidential, right, Zhiyan? A lot of friends are asking me. After all, that car of yours was used by someone else for the first time.]

Xie Zhiyan: [As you wish.]

"As you wish" meant there was no need for secrecy.

Before long, the news that "Ning Yuxuan is Xie Zhiyan's girlfriend" had spread throughout the entire upper-crust circle of Beicheng.

Everyone knew that in the years since Xie Zhiyan returned to the country, he had devoted himself entirely to his work. The market value of Hengjiang had climbed year after year, yet he himself had no romantic scandals; he never even brought a female companion to social events.

This time, he arrived with a bombshell: a personally certified girlfriend.

Not many people in the circle knew Ning Yuxuan. When many first heard the name, they assumed she was a young heiress from another province.

After making inquiries, they learned that Ning Yuxuan’s mother was the famous film actress Ning Fei. The family had some money, but they were by no means a prominent aristocratic clan.

As for Ning Yuxuan’s father, Ning Fei had retired from the industry and married her ex-husband in secret nearly thirty years ago.

For a moment, no one knew exactly who he was; they only knew he wasn't a major figure of standing in Beicheng, and was likely from out of town.

Of course, these details were not the most important things. Dating was not marriage, and it was normal for a girl's family background not to be stellar.

What mattered was that reliable sources indicated that only a month ago, Ning Yuxuan was still Gu Yunhao’s girlfriend, and had even appeared at the birthday banquet of the elder Mr. Gu.

At that time, the elder Mr. Gu had showered Ning Yuxuan with praise, publicly declaring that the gift she brought was the most thoughtful and the most to his liking.

This made things rather subtle.

Some recalled that at the banquet, Xie Zhiyan seemed to have greeted Ning Yuxuan.

Rumors swirled instantly.

Some said that after seeing Xie Zhiyan at the banquet, Ning Yuxuan had taken the initiative to flirt, and the two had been carrying on an affair right under the noses of the Gu family.

Others claimed that Xie Zhiyan had taken a liking to the young master of the Gu family’s girlfriend at the banquet and had forcefully snatched her for himself.

Various rumors spread like wildfire.

Everyone knew that most of these rumors shouldn't be taken seriously, but one didn't need to worry about the truth; satisfying the desire for gossip was enough.

At a dinner gathering, Gu Yunhao was chugging glass after glass of alcohol, already somewhat intoxicated.

Qi Ang, who was closest to Gu Yunhao among the group and the most skilled at flattery, stayed by his side, constantly saying things Gu Yunhao liked to hear.

Others in the private room were drinking and chatting when they soon saw the latest news.

Out of deference to Gu Yunhao’s presence, they didn't dare to make a scene, but they gathered in the corner furthest from him to whisper.

"Wasn't there a rumor a few days ago that President Xie went on a blind date with a girl and even went to a Sichuan restaurant with her? Is it the same person?"

"I don't know, but to me, it doesn't matter if it's the same person or not. Anyway, Xie Zhiyan has now admitted that he's with Ning Yuxuan."

"Exactly. Regardless of whether that was her or not, she is the only legitimate girlfriend President Xie has now!"

"I told you! I guessed it long ago! Back at the birthday banquet, President Xie barely paid attention to the younger members of the Gu family, yet he took the initiative to greet an unknown little girl. I knew it was definitely unusual!"

"Oh, give it a rest! I remember you saying at the time that Xie Zhiyan only greeted Ning Yuxuan because of Gu Yunhao. Now you're acting like a hindsight genius?"

"How can you say that? It’s not hindsight! Weren't we all just guessing?"

"Then when the news of Xie Zhiyan eating Sichuan food came out, why didn't you guess that person was Ning Yuxuan?"

"That was—"

As the group discussed heatedly, their volume grew.

The name "Ning Yuxuan" drifted into Gu Yunhao’s ears, acting like a lighted fuse that made him jump from his chair.

Gu Yunhao put down his wine glass and strode toward the group gossiping on the other side of the room.

"You guys!" Gu Yunhao said with a hostile tone, "What are you whispering about?"

The ones talking suddenly fell silent. After exchanging glances, one of them cautiously spoke up: "Nothing, Brother Hao... just chatting about some unimportant trivialities."

They all knew Ning Yuxuan had once been Gu Yunhao’s woman.

In the past, mentioning it would have been fine, as Gu Yunhao didn't seem to care much about this nameless girlfriend.

But after seeing his reaction to the photos just now, anyone with eyes could see that Gu Yunhao actually cared deeply for her.

Now that Ning Yuxuan had a new lover, no one wanted to touch a nerve.

Gu Yunhao, however, would not let it go. He slammed his hand on the table, making the tableware rattle.

"Don't try to fool me!" Gu Yunhao roared, "I heard you mention her name! Are you all happy that my girlfriend got into another man’s car? Are you all gloating?"

Hearing this, the men dodged his gaze, afraid to reply.

Someone thought to themselves: *Your girlfriend? She’s already someone else’s.*

Of course, no one dared to say that out loud.

Qi Ang hurried over: "Brother Hao, Yunhao, please calm down. We’ve been brothers for over a decade; who would dare to mock you?"

He knew Gu Yunhao’s personality best; usually, by agreeing with him, he could soothe him in a few words.

But at this moment, Gu Yunhao was a hundred times more agitated than usual. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the photo of Ning Yuxuan getting into Xie Zhiyan’s car, his heart filled with an anger he couldn't vent.

Plus, he had already consumed a significant amount of alcohol.

Gu Yunhao pushed Qi Ang away and snarled, "Tell the truth! What were you talking about? Were you mocking me?"

Seeing him like this, no one dared to answer.

In the suddenly silent room, someone’s phone vibrated a few times.

Like a wolf finding its prey, Gu Yunhao snatched the phone from the person’s hand.

"What’s the password?"

The family backgrounds of those present were far inferior to Gu Yunhao’s, and for the sake of the Gu family, no one dared to stand up to him directly.

Qi Ang gave the phone's owner a look, silently mouthing: *Just tell him.*

Gu Yunhao was drunk; there was no reasoning with a drunk man.

The man who owned the phone gritted his teeth and said, "3... 312515."

Gu Yunhao glanced at him and looked down to enter the password.

After unlocking it, he opened the chat list and scrolled from top to bottom.

Among the various trivial chat logs, the names "Ning Yuxuan" and "Xie Zhiyan" looked particularly piercing.

Gu Yunhao saw one message: *Xie Zhiyan has admitted that Ning Yuxuan is his girlfriend.*

The next moment, Gu Yunhao’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he slammed the phone onto the floor with all his might.

...

Gu Yunhao was not the only one losing his mind.

Two hours earlier, media outlets from all directions had surrounded the set where "Mom" was being filmed.

Ning Yuxuan and Ning Fei escaped in Xie Zhiyan’s car, and Qin Man and Jiang Ning'an followed shortly after.

Only Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang, as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, were cornered against the wall by reporters who had been lying in wait.

"Cheng Xiyang, do you really have an older sister? Please respond!"

"Ms. Liu Yufang, did you misappropriate your daughter’s car accident settlement money to help your son debut?"

"Where is Cheng Tingting now? How serious are her injuries? Did you really cause her to become disabled?"

Hearing these questions, Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang’s expressions shifted simultaneously.

After Cheng Xiyang became famous through the talent show, they had made preparations to prevent this from coming to light.

Cheng Tingting’s education had been mediocre; she hadn't gotten into college and lacked any specialized skills, holding only a job with a very ordinary salary.

She had diligently saved some money, but she had basically given it all to her mother and brother, leaving her with no savings of her own.

After her injury, because her right shoulder and entire arm were often in unbearable pain, she could no longer work, losing her source of income entirely.

Liu Yufang had thus seized her daughter’s lifeline, telling Cheng Tingting that as long as she was obedient, she would provide 1,500 yuan a month for living expenses and help her rent a room in the outskirts of Beicheng.

1,500 yuan was barely enough to survive in Beicheng, leaving no room to save.

The rental contract was also in Liu Yufang’s hands; it could be said that Cheng Tingting’s life depended entirely on her mother and brother.

Therefore, Liu Yufang was certain that her daughter would never fall out with them or reveal the truth, as she would have no way to survive on her own.

Moreover, Liu Yufang knew her daughter’s personality—cowardly and incompetent—making it even less likely she would betray her and her brother.

As for any guilt toward her own daughter—

At the very beginning, when she decided to use Cheng Tingting’s settlement money for her son, Liu Yufang had felt some remorse.

But as her son became a top star and the money he earned each month was countless times her daughter’s former salary, Liu Yufang became increasingly convinced that her decision had been correct, and the guilt in her heart gradually vanished.

In Liu Yufang’s view, she and her son were supporting this daughter for free; as long as the daughter didn't starve without having to work, she shouldn't be dissatisfied.

This secret, aside from Cheng Xiyang himself, Liu Yufang, and a very small group of people at Cheng Xiyang’s agency, was never meant to be known by anyone else.

Now that she heard the reporters asking about it, and even mentioning Cheng Tingting’s name, Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang panicked.

Especially Liu Yufang, who had never expected this to be exposed and had never experienced being surrounded and questioned like this.

Her face turned deathly pale, and instinctively she shrieked in denial: "What are you talking about! What Tingting? I’ve never heard of this person!"

Cheng Xiyang appeared calmer than Liu Yufang, but not by much.

His temples were covered in sweat as he managed to say, "My mother and I just finished filming the show and have no idea what you are talking about. We need to go back and rest now. If there are any false rumors online, my company and I will respond later."

Cheng Xiyang was more experienced than Liu Yufang, refusing to address the reporters' questions to avoid saying anything wrong.

But with such a massive social scandal, the media would not easily let them off the hook.

A large crowd continued to surround Cheng Xiyang and Liu Yufang, questioning them incessantly.

"Do you really not know who Cheng Tingting is? But she has already posted a video herself, claiming to be Cheng Xiyang’s biological sister!"

"Please respond! We need an answer, and the general public needs an answer!"