In the Chat Group, Ye Nuannuan used text to recount her life story.
The few short lines caused the members of the Chat Group to fall into silence once again.
After an unknown amount of time, Fang Ming let out a helpless sigh.
"No wonder she attracted a pervert like Lu Chenzhou."
Divorced parents, a deceased mother, supporting herself alone—in such a living environment, she logically should have fallen into depravity or become filled with wariness and resentment toward the world.
Yet, she managed to maintain an almost naive kindness, feeding stray cats on the roadside, smiling at strangers, and facing life with optimism.
The darker a person is, the more they crave the light.
A Little White Flower like Ye Nuannuan, who grew out of the mud yet remained clean and pure, possessed a fatal attraction for those psychologically twisted children of the powerful elite.
This was perhaps why female leads of Ye Nuannuan's type ultimately ended up marrying perverted rich second-generation heirs.
It wasn't because of Stockholm Syndrome, but because as orphans, they had no way to resist the powerful.
[Nameless Guide]: "In other words, you are all alone right now??"
[Abusive Novels Naive Flower]: "Yes."
[Nameless Guide]: "Then there's nothing to be afraid of. Stick to your convictions to the end. At worst, you can just move to another city."
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "Exactly. It's just five million. Since you've joined this group, you won't lack money in the future. Just ask the group owner to help you find a job, and you'll be able to support yourself."
[Nameless Guide]: "??? I'm finding the job??"
[Soldier King Lone Wolf]: "Who else? I'm abroad, the Divine Doctor is on a mountain, and Gu Bai is still in school. Only you can help."
[Nameless Guide]: "That... makes sense."
[Marvelous Doctor of Chinese Medicine]: "Even if you don't find a job, this group has the ability to support you for a lifetime. @Abusive Novels Naive Flower, don't be afraid."
[Peking University]: "Right, don't bow down to evil forces. Sister, keep it up!!"
Seeing everyone's words, Ye Nuannuan was moved to tears, and at the same time, she reached a decision in her heart.
[Abusive Novels Naive Flower]: "Thank you, thank you everyone."
[Abusive Novels Naive Flower]: "I'll listen to you all. I don't want their money... I want that demon to be punished!"
The words were still soft, but there was a clear hint of determination... With the help of the Chat Group, Ye Nuannuan stood her ground, and the plot of the overbearing CEO's forced love began to deviate severely.
Although the Lu Family's influence in Yan Capital was extremely strong—an insurmountable mountain for ordinary people—they couldn't cover the sky with one hand.
Ye Nuannuan had no background? It didn't matter. Since this matter had blown up so much, there had to be a resolution.
However, the Lu Family's legal team was no pushover.
Even if Ye Nuannuan stuck to her testimony and was determined to send Lu Chenzhou to prison, under their manipulation, it would still be a long process.
Fang Ming couldn't stay in Yan Capital to wait for the result. After confirming that Ye Nuannuan had official protection and no safety risks, he prepared to lead everyone back to Rong City.
At two o'clock that afternoon, Fang Ming booked plane tickets back to Rong City for the following day.
Meanwhile, inside a special care ward at a hospital in Yan Capital.
"Young... Young Master Zhou."
The manager of the Green Rhyme Pavilion hotel wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "The surveillance for the fifth-floor corridor... was turned off last night. You ordered this yourself before..."
"Nonsense! I'm asking about the lobby, the elevator, and the third-floor restaurant."
After sleeping naked on the floor all night, Zhou Zihao had clearly caught a cold, and his voice had become somewhat raspy.
He was currently at the hospital on an IV drip.
"We checked... we checked everything."
One of the bodyguards, with a bitter expression, held a tablet in front of him and pointed at several split screens: "Look, Young Master Zhou, these are all the people who entered and exited during that time period."
Zhou Zihao narrowed his swollen eyes and stared intently at the screen.
People came and went on the screen—drunken guests, waiters carrying trays, and couples walking arm-in-arm.
But notably absent was that cold man with the gloomy gaze and ruthless strikes; they couldn't even find anyone wearing similar clothes or having a similar appearance!
"How is this possible??"
That person from last night had clearly been right in front of him, and had even beaten him and his bodyguards to a pulp. The sudden sense of oppression he felt then still made his scalp tingle when he thought about it now.
But now... he couldn't be found in the surveillance?? Could a grown man simply vanish into thin air?
"Useless! You're all useless!"
Being unable to find any clues gave Zhou Zihao a feeling of helplessness, like punching cotton, which made him even more irritable.
He wanted to hit someone, but because his movement was too large, it tugged at the needle on the back of his hand, making him grimace in pain.
"Hiss... give me the phone!"
Zhou Zihao reached out, took the phone handed to him by the bodyguard, and found Shen Wanyin's name.
He had passed out last night and didn't know what happened afterward, but if Shen Wanyin wasn't dead, she would definitely know something... At this moment, Shen Wanyin was wearing a comfortable set of silk loungewear, sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in her second-floor bedroom, holding a glass of warm water, her eyes staring blankly out the window.
Although she had come back, taken a shower, and rested for the morning—recovering her physical state somewhat—how was she supposed to solve the problems in reality??
Ring ring ring!
Her secretary called.
"President Shen, the fabric supplier called again just now. They said if we don't settle the payment for the previous quarter this week, they will cut off supplies and sue us for breach of contract."
"Also, regarding the bank... the credit department manager said that if the twenty-million-yuan funding gap isn't filled, our credit line will be frozen."
"I understand." Shen Wanyin rubbed her throbbing temples. "Go and reassure the staff. I'll try my best to find a way regarding the money."
"Yes!"
After hanging up the phone, Shen Wanyin dropped all her pretenses and slumped dejectedly against the back of her chair.
She was in the mid-to-high-end clothing business, owning not only her own company but also her own production lines.
Before this, she and Zhou Zihao had absolutely nothing to do with each other.
But at some point, the other party had started quietly setting a trap for her.
He deliberately ordered a large amount of clothing and intentionally won over her upstream and downstream companies, using contract loopholes to withhold final payments. His goal was to force her to submit, to force her to sell the company to the Zhou Family at a low price, and even to force her... to become his plaything.
It was precisely because of this thirty-million-yuan final payment that she had gone to drink with Zhou Zihao!
She could ignore her own reputation, but she couldn't ignore the company, nor the employees who had worked hard alongside her for many years.
But now... she said she would find a way, but what way could she possibly find?
Buzz buzz!
The phone on the coffee table vibrated again.
Seeing the name "Zhou Zihao" on the phone screen, Shen Wanyin's pupils contracted slightly.
She waited a full five seconds before taking a deep breath, answering, and pressing the speakerphone button.
From the other end of the phone came Zhou Zihao's voice, carrying a hint of deliberate concern along with occasional sniffing.
"Sister Wanyin, are you alright? Last night I saw you drank too much and were out cold, so I had the waiter open a room for you to rest. But then someone just told me that something happened at the Green Rhyme Pavilion hotel upstairs last night?"
These words were spoken flawlessly, as if the beast who had drugged her, dragged her away, and torn her clothes last night were someone else entirely.
Listening to the voice coming from the receiver, Shen Wanyin only felt disgusted.
"Zhou Zihao, we're all adults. We both know what happened. There's no need for you to perform this third-rate act here. Even if you don't find it disgusting, I find it exhausting for you."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end.
"Achoo!!"
Knowing he couldn't keep up the act, Zhou Zihao let out a heavy sneeze.
"Hehehe, fine, Shen Wanyin. Since you've made things clear, I won't beat around the bush with you anymore. Who was that person last night?"