Peng Xiaoqian slumped to the ground, disheveled and aghast, glaring at Li Si with loathing. "Damn bitch, you hit me again?"

As she spoke, she tried to rise and retaliate.

Li Si grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it hard on Peng Xiaoqian's head.

BANG!

The teacup shattered.

"Ah..."

Her cry was piercing as she looked pleadingly toward Wang Qingquan, who sat at the head of the table.

Li Si's gaze followed, her expression cold and silent.

Wang Qingquan averted his eyes, showing no intention of intervening. At this point, he was completely in the wrong. What could he say?

Li Si finally retracted her gaze, glanced down at Peng Xiaoqian at her feet, and turned to leave the conference room.

Tears fell silently.

She sniffed and, with an anxious heart, took out her phone and dialed Chen Yang's number.

"Yang... Yang."

"What's wrong, Sisi?"

"Just now... was that you?"

In fact, the moment she saw Zou Wendong kneeling in terror, she knew Chen Yang was defending her. In all of Lingjin City—no, in the entire world—the only person willing to help her without asking for anything in return was Chen Yang.

She was so moved that the tears springing to her eyes made it impossible to speak.

"Don't cry. It's alright now."

His words were the final straw, and Li Si burst into sobs.

Leaning against the wall, Li Si held the phone to her ear with one hand and wiped the tears from her face with the other. "Yang, where are you now?"

"Downstairs, at your company."

Li Si hung up the phone abruptly. Heedless of her five- or six-centimeter high heels, she dashed toward the ground floor.

I knew it was you.

Li Si wept, covering her mouth and choking on her sobs.

In this world, no matter how unfair or cruel, there will always be someone who helps you without expecting anything in return. It could be a friend, a lover, or your parents. They are right there beside you. Such a person is worth cherishing.

Li Si ran all the way downstairs, tears streaming down her face.

In the plaza, Chen Yang stood beside a Hummer, his hands clasped behind his back. Having endured such personal insults time and again, he could imagine how Li Si felt. That was why he had hurried over after handling the situation. He didn't have many friends, and he didn't want to see any of them suffer.

"Yang!"

Li Si ran straight into Chen Yang's arms, hugging him tightly.

She wailed loudly, all the grievances she had bottled up over the years shattering at that moment, turning into scalding tears that gushed from her eyes.

Chen Yang held his arms open, neither touching her nor pushing her away. Being in a circle like this without any powerful backing, one could only imagine the humiliation and hardship she had endured. To have remained untainted all this time was truly remarkable.

He said nothing. At this moment, any words of comfort would seem pale and powerless.

Cry. It'll be better once you've cried it out.

「 」

Meanwhile, in the conference room, Wang Qingquan pondered for a moment before saying to Yang Chun, "We've truly hurt Li Si this time. I have no idea who stood up for her, but a single phone call forced Zou Wendong to kneel and confess." They were all intelligent people; a little thought was enough to piece together what had happened.

"Find Li Si and apologize to her sincerely. Do whatever you can to dispel the ill will in her heart. No matter what, she's our company's biggest star, a huge cash cow."

Yang Chun's voice was grave. "Director Wang, she is obligated to cooperate with all company arrangements! She's the one who defied company orders, and you want me to apologize to her? If we set this precedent, won't she think she can walk all over us in the future?"

"I know Li Si," Wang Qingquan said firmly. "As long as you don't cross her bottom line, she's quite reasonable. Besides, business is paramount! That's all. Meeting adjourned!"

Yang Chun's face was dark, clearly unhappy with the outcome. Walking out of the meeting room, she lit a cigarette and stood by the window smoking.

Downstairs, a man and a woman were locked in an embrace. The woman was crying inconsolably while the man stood in silence.

Are you the one who forced Zou Wendong to kneel and apologize? Yang Chun stared fixedly at Chen Yang, guessing he must be the man from the photo.

But she could hardly believe that such an ordinary-looking man could hold sway over Master Zou Wendong. After all, the Zou Family ranked first among the eight major local families in Lingjin City.

Perhaps you just got some dirt on Wendong. You made Zou Wendong lose all face today. Do you really think the Zou Family will let this go? I'll be watching with interest.

「 」

After kowtowing and apologizing at the press conference, Zou Wendong fainted and was immediately rushed back to the Zou Family estate.

In the Zou Family's private infirmary, Family Head Zou Jintao, the eldest young lady Zou Qingyue, and all of Zou Wendong's uncles were present.

The room was silent, filled with an extreme, simmering anger.

Online, a storm of curses was raging against Zou Wendong and even the entire Zou Family, with some going as far as to curse their ancestors eighteen generations back. The words were sharp, each one like a knife.

When had the mighty Zou Family ever suffered such an indignity? They had lost all face.

"Have you found out who the other party is?" Family Head Zou Jintao asked indifferently, his hands clasped behind his back.

"We're looking into it. We should have news soon," said Zou Qingyue, Wendong's eldest sister, speaking first. "Dad, the urgent matter right now isn't dealing with that scumbag, but restoring the Zou Family's reputation and clearing Wendong's name."

Though a woman, Zou Qingyue possessed extraordinary business acumen. Not yet thirty-five, she was already at the core of the Zou Family's commercial empire. Barring any accidents, she was destined to be the next Family Head. She doted on Zou Wendong.

"What do you have in mind?" Zou Jintao asked.

"As the saying goes, the one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. Since this matter started because of that woman, Li Si, we should naturally start with her." Dressed in a sharp suit, Zou Qingyue brushed back her bangs, a faint smile playing on her lips. "That article said she was in a secret romance with a wealthy businessman, didn't it? Well, what if we get a few wealthy businessmen to come forward and admit to it? If we add some detailed descriptions, who wouldn't believe it?"

She continued, "Then, we'll release the news that Wendong was threatened, which is what led to the scene at the press conference."

Upon hearing this, Zou Jintao and everyone else in the room began to smile.

The method was indeed despicable, but given the current situation, it was the best solution. It would not only perfectly repair the damage to the Zou Family's reputation but also cast Li Si back into hell.

As for the person behind Li Si, once they were found out, they could just be eliminated.

"Excellent!" Zou Jintao decided. "Qingyue, you will personally take charge of this."

"I'll get on it right away."

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