Chapter 50: No Other Choice

Mu Lichen said, "The report is out, and there is indeed a problem with the blood test. I will handle it as you said as soon as possible! By the way, are we still going to sue Shang Qi?"

"Yes!" Luo Yichen wore a grim expression.

"Good, you've finally made up your mind! Even if you hadn't arranged it, Grandfather would have made me do so anyway."

Luo Yichen lowered his face and said, "I already know what I should and shouldn't do. Don't always bother Grandfather with matters from now on; report directly to me."

After Mu Lichen left, Xia Luo came to Luo Yichen's apartment. He said, "The Fan family is currently preparing a large amount of capital and secretly acquiring Luo family stock. You must be careful!"

Luo Yichen half-closed his eyes and said, "The fox's tail is finally showing! It seems I haven't waited in vain these past few days."

At that moment, Mu Lichen called and said, "Grandfather's health hasn't been very good lately. You should come back and check on him!"

"What's wrong with Grandfather?"

"This morning, Grandfather almost fainted. He must have been worrying too much over your affairs!"

A heavy feeling settled in Luo Yichen's chest. He hung up with a dark expression and said, "I have to go home."

Upon returning to the Luo residence, Luo Yichen ran into his mother the moment he stepped through the door. He asked, "How is Grandfather now?"

"He's resting in his bedroom. Your father is guarding right beside him!"

Luo Yichen walked toward his grandfather's room. When he pushed the door open, the old man was just waking up. Elder Luo's complexion was very poor, and his spirit was somewhat listless. Seeing his grandfather fallen ill, Luo Yichen felt extremely anxious and filled with self-reproach: It's all my fault for causing so much trouble! No matter what methods it takes, I must put an end to this matter as soon as possible.

"Grandfather, are you feeling unwell? Please sleep a little longer!"

Elder Luo sat up and said, "I can't sleep peacefully! How is the lawsuit going? Has the other side made any moves?"

"The opposing party has not yet presented any new evidence."

"Such calmness is very abnormal! Chen'er, what do you think we should do now?" Elder Luo felt deeply uneasy.

Luo Yichen pondered for a long time before saying, "Wait! The media's rampant reporting and sensationalism puts much more pressure on them than on us. Although the company's stock has plummeted, it is not yet in danger of crashing. I will mobilize a large amount of capital as soon as possible to serve as a backing and ensure absolute safety."

Elder Luo listened attentively, weighing the pros and cons in his heart. Seeing that his grandfather remained silent, Luo Yichen thought something was wrong and stopped speaking further. Elder Luo instructed, "Go on."

"Only when the opposing party can no longer hold out will there be any hope for peace talks. My opinion on this matter remains the same as before; we should try our best to avoid a court ruling. I have already instructed Lichen to file a counter-suit to put pressure on them."

"Mm! Under the circumstances, this is all we can do. I heard that Shang Qi has developed aphasia, which is very disadvantageous to us! The media will likely make a big fuss over this."

"I will release some new evidence proving that she was in a relationship with me. As long as she wasn't forced by me, it won't matter what the media says."

Luo Shixun looked at his son in disbelief. He said, "Yichen, aren't you worried about Shang Qi? Doing this will..."

A sharp pain stabbed at Luo Yichen's heart, yet he said firmly, "Given the current situation, do I have any other choice? Rest assured, I'll be fine."

Elder Luo glared at his son and said, "Indeed, there is no other choice. Chen'er, you are my proudest grandson, and I believe you can do it. Throughout my life, I walked through difficulties just like this. You will certainly be able to manage it too!"

"I understand."

"All of you, step outside first! I want to sleep quietly for a while."

After Luo Yichen left his grandfather's room, Elder Luo stood up from the bed full of vigor, showing no trace of the illness he had just feigned. A gratified smile appeared on his face as he muttered to himself, "My grandson truly hasn't disappointed me!"

Shang Qi had been staying in the villa all this time, never stepping outside. The progress of the case had been hyped up by the media into a frenzy. She now dared not watch television, browse the internet, or show her face, forced to hide like a mouse in her little nest.

Xi Jingpeng brought a document for Shang Qi. When she opened it, she saw it was Luo Yichen's indictment. Staring fixedly at every single word on the page, a murderous intent rose in her eyes. At that moment, she hated Luo Yichen for being so ruthless, and she resented herself for being so entangled in love. Had she known today would come, she wouldn't have hesitated so much back then.

Xi Jingpeng advised, "The other party is completely reversing black and white. Don't pay attention to this indictment; I will handle it."

Shang Wenfa's expression changed instantly. He snatched the indictment right out of Shang Qi's hands and looked at it furiously. After reading it, Shang Wenfa suppressed his anger and said, "Qiqi, I believe you would never do such a thing."

"I believe you too!"

Hearing their trust in her, Shang Qi said secretly in her heart: I will make everyone believe me. Luo Yichen, the harm you have caused me and my family, I will repay a thousandfold. I will make you taste what it's like to be wrongfully accused.

Shang Qi wrote on a piece of paper: The Luo family is powerful, and with the evidence we currently have in hand, it will be very difficult to defeat Luo Yichen in court. However, the pressure of media public opinion is intangible. Moreover, these negative news stories will impact the Luo family's stock price. I will make Luo Yichen lose without a fight!

Seeing that his daughter had not been crushed, but instead stood firm to prepare for a counterattack, Shang Wenfa felt much more at ease. Just moments before, he had truly worried that Shang Qi wouldn't be able to withstand such a blow and would completely collapse.

Xi Jingpeng said, "I understand what you mean. I will organize a small press conference as soon as possible to release relevant information to them."

Shang Qi wrote on paper again: I want to attend this press conference as well. I want everyone to see what Luo Yichen has turned me into!

Shang Wenfa dissuaded her, saying, "You shouldn't go. You can't even speak right now, and by going you'll just have to face all those gossip and rumors. Isn't that just suffering for nothing?"

Shang Qi shook her head, indicating her disagreement.

For the first time, Xi Jingpeng saw Shang Qi look so resolute. She was practically bordering on madness! He felt that the current Shang Qi was not quite normal, yet he didn't know how to persuade her. He could only pray that she wouldn't do anything to harm herself.

Yu Xiufen took Shang Qi's hand and pleaded, "Qiqi, don't torture yourself like this! Leave the lawsuit alone."

Seeing her mother so worried, Shang Qi felt a deep ache in her heart. But she could not give up; she could never allow herself to be so wantonly insulted and framed. She wrote down on paper: A desperate fight to the finish!

Seeing her insistence, Xi Jingpeng said, "I'll go arrange the press conference first. As for whether Qiqi will attend, we can decide when the time comes."

Shang Wenfa pulled Xi Jingpeng aside and said, "Don't bring up the press conference to Qiqi anymore. Just hold it as soon as possible! Luo Yichen is truly despicable; we cannot let him off."

"Right! I must find new evidence to clear Qiqi's name."

However, these little maneuvers of theirs did not escape Shang Qi's notice. She understood how worried her father was about her, which was why he arranged it that way. Not wanting her parents to worry excessively, Shang Qi stopped bringing up attending the press conference. Yet, she secretly kept track of when the press conference would be held.

Luo Yichen called Xia Luo and said, "Let's meet again!"

Half an hour later, Xia Luo arrived and said, "Before Shang Qi entered the room, no one had tampered with the water glass. However, none of the security cameras captured the front view of the room service waiter."

"After Shang Qi entered the room, she shouldn't have had the opportunity to administer the drug."

"I discovered in the materials submitted by the opposing party to the police that Shang Qi claimed the room door couldn't be opened at the time of the incident, which was why she couldn't run away. However, security footage shows that it was Shang Qi herself who opened the door and walked out after the incident."

Luo Yichen couldn't help but frown in deep thought: Who could be so meticulous as to set up a trap like this? This person is very familiar with the hotel environment and knows me extremely well. Furthermore, they are well-acquainted with the anniversary event schedule.

"I believe Shang Qi is merely a sacrificial lamb in this trap."

Hearing this, Luo Yichen felt a pain in his heart so sharp it was almost suffocating. After a long while, he recovered slightly and muttered to himself, "How could this be? You must have made a mistake!"

"From the very beginning, the other party targeted Shang Qi because she is your Achilles' heel. I don't need to spell out the stakes involved here, do I?"

Luo Yichen looked helplessly out the window and asked slowly, "If you and your beloved encountered something like this, could you abandon her and leave her to her fate?"

"No," Xia Luo answered decisively. "I would rather give up everything to protect her. But you and I are different; you've always carried too many things on your shoulders. If you let go abruptly, you would collapse from the fall. I'm making this suggestion for your own good."

Luo Yichen let out a long sigh and said mournfully, "Shang Qi was the one who called the police to have me arrested! From that moment on, there was no room for redemption between us."

"Actually, as long as a better way can be found, I still hope you don't sacrifice Shang Qi. A man, if he cannot protect the woman he loves, will be despised no matter how successful he is. You must think carefully about how to respond. I will continue to follow up and investigate."

After Xia Luo left, Luo Yichen fell into deep contemplation...

Reconstructing the entire event in his mind, he felt that Xia Luo's deduction was not unreasonable. If that were the case, Shang Qi was truly pitiful! She was treated this way entirely because of him. However, Shang Qi had also called the police to arrest him; she hadn't considered him at that moment.

Thinking of the police, Luo Yichen called Mu Lichen and asked, "What is the police's side doing?"

"They are stepping up their investigation. I just went to First Hospital to find out about Shang Qi's behavior after the incident. Her attending physician, Lin Jingyan, said that Shang Qi was acting quite strange at the time and actually said not to call the police."

"Are you sure Shang Qi said not to call the police?" His voice trembled slightly.

Feeling that Luo Yichen was wavering once again, Mu Lichen said, "She did say those words. Can you stop taking things so seriously every time it involves her? The most important thing right now is..."

Luo Yichen hung up the phone. His mind was in absolute turmoil. In a panic, he dropped his phone to the floor. He squatted down to pick it up, his lips trembling slightly as he said, "Was I wrong? She didn't intend to drive me to ruin back then, and even wanted to keep it quiet. But what on earth did I do to her?"