Hua Juan and her friends secretly posting Shen Jingbinâs picture online was the initial reason why Yiju came looking for her. They forgot to delete the post later on, and now, someone from Weibo had dug it out. Someone else had also dug up a picture of her and Zhao Chengning at B City University.
Many people had seen them back then, and although Ke Yuan had done his best to remove all traces of her online, his hands were tied when it came to the pictures stored in everyoneâs phones. Now that the images had leaked out, everyoneâs overactive imagination had resulted in them thinking up what seemed to be this yearâs tumultuous drama starring the rich and powerful.
"Public morals are slipping with every passing day; beauties are but playthings for the rich and powerful."
"I assume that everyoneâs seen the trailer released by Yijuâs management featuring the beauty, right? I was also blown away when I saw her, but, at the same time, I was feeling a little puzzled. Logically speaking, someone as beautiful as her shouldnât be so obscure. I later found out why: it turns out that this beauty was one of those legendary âbirds trapped in a cageâ, and her backer was the one keeping her locked up. Otherwise, there wouldâve been no way for her to maintain such a low profile. ï¼ï¼¾ï½ï¼¾ï¼"
"Donât think Iâm out to paint other people black. You can see for yourselves; beauties these days are looking for all sorts of means to become famous or popular. And, most of them who donât, have probably been snatched up by powerful figures. And this womanâs backer is the strongest one out there. Iâm a bit of a wuss, so Iâm not going to say anything else that might offend this powerful individual. Those of you who are curious though can try Baiduing 1 who the most eligible bachelor in B City is."
"Iâve heard from various sources that this beauty is the school belle of a certain university in A City. Every single article of clothing sheâs wearing is branded, and theyâre likely from her backer. A question popped up in my mind when I took a look at the other thread that made fun of the real Senior Sister from White Cloud Temple. Which do you think is more disgusting: an ugly woman or a beauty thatâs been kept in captivity? To me, both of them are equally disgusting. (ï¼¾Ïï¼¾)"
Because of the very last thing that the original poster had said, the rest of the replies to the thread mirrored their sentiment. The number of responses to the thread slowly ballooned, and the two trending threads on the forums rose in popularity. The next day, several forums that dealt with rumours had republished the two threads and even voted on which of the two threads was more off-putting to read.
By the time Yijuâs staff noticed what was happening, things had more or less spiralled out of control. The Director of the Marketing Department was so terrified that he broke out in a cold sweat, and hurriedly recalled the staff members who were on leave while simultaneously informing upper management of what had happened. The gears in his head rapidly spun as he tried to think up a solution for this situation.
The others wouldnât know, but management was painfully aware of who Shen Jingbin and Zhao Chengning were. These two were people that they absolutely couldnât afford to provoke.
This was brought to Zhao Chengningâs attention when someone who despised the rich tried to cause trouble by pasting a small piece of paper on the door to their office but was caught by the security guards. Zhao Chengning and Shen Jingbin were window-shopping when he suddenly received a call from the office. His expression instantly darkened, and he hurried back to the office. Although Shen Jingbin didnât know what was happening, she could tell it was nothing good from the look on his face. But, in the end, Shen Jingbin still decided to go along with him.
When they arrived at the office, Zhao Chengning went straight towards the room that was used to detain the perpetrator. Along the way, Ke Yuan had compiled some information and handed it over to him. After glancing through it, Zhao Chengning had a rough understanding of the situation, rendering him even more furious than he was before. When she saw his expression, Shen Jingbin was filled with curiosity and took a look at it.
Shen Jingbin felt like she was about to blow her top when she saw it as well.
Zhao Chengningâs imposing presence billowed out when he opened the door. He looked straight at a vulgar-looking man sitting on a sofa before he turned to Ke Yuan who was beside him and asked, "Whereâs that thing he pasted in front of the office?"
The man gave a start when he noticed their presence, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw Shen Jingbin walking in behind them. He ignored Zhao Chengningâs presence and attempted to rush over to Shen Jingbin. However, he was immediately pushed back into the soft by the two security guards around him when he jumped out of his seat. The man wasnât willing to give up though, he struggled from his position on the sofa and shouted, "You, youâre the one! Youâre really here!"
The fanatical look in his eyes unsettled Shen Jingbin. Her face darkened, and she asked, "Who are you?"
The manâs gaze was filled with obsession as he eyed Shen Jingbin. "Me? Iâm nobody. Iâm just someone who likes you... Are you really together with him? Donât bother, princes like him are never sincere. You shouldnât be with him... Stay with me! Iâll-Iâll treat you well!"
The moment he said that Zhao Chengningâs face darkened to the point where it could even match Judge Baoâs own. Seeing this, Shen Jingbin squeezed his hand in an attempt to calm him down. That didnât sit well with the man, and his face flushed red as he began to hurl insults at Zhao Chengning.
Shen Jingbinâs eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward, looming over him as she watched the man continue his tirade. Shen Jingbinâs presence was akin to that of an empress, washing over him as she approached. The man unconsciously shut his mouth and stared dumbly at her.
"So what youâre trying to say is that I canât be with him, but itâs alright if Iâm together with you? Do you think youâre worthy of me?"
"I... I might not be able to match up to you now, but Iâll do my best to become a man whoâs worthy of you!"
Shen Jingbin looked as if sheâd just heard a joke. "Heh, are you still sleeping? You wouldnât be able to match up to him even if you tried for the rest of your life," She cast a look of disdain at the man and gave him a once over. "Youâre better off facing reality now," Shen Jingbinâs gaze laid the man bare. Unable to bear being exposed like this, the man broke out into a tirade once more.
Just then, Ke Yuan came walking in with the slip of paper that the man had pasted onto the door. Zhao Chengning took the paper from him and inspected it. The corner of his lips tugged upwards into a wry smile. Curious, Shen Jingbin grabbed the piece of paper and read it. "This is a trash company! Drop dead, Zhao Chengning!"
Hahaha, it looks like this manâs IQ really was lacking.
A Chinese search engine â©
Chapter 285: Setting An Example (1)
Zhao Chengning returned the slip of paper, which was still in perfect condition, to Ke Yuan and asked, "Have you called the police yet?"
"Iâve already called them."
"Good timing then; weâll use him to set an example. Take care of it."
Ke Yuan nodded. "Got it."
The man who was still being pressed down onto the sofa was originally of the mind that what heâd done was but a small infraction. Even if he were caught, at worst, heâd just be dragged over to the local police station to be reprimanded. But, from the looks of things, he wasnât going to get off so easily.
The manâs expression changed when he came to that conclusion. He stopped his endless stream of cursing and started imploring Zhao Chengning. "Mr Zhao, Iâm sorry for my actions. I was just... just too impulsive. Iâm very sorry, and I promise never to do it again. Can you please let me off just this once?"
When his pleas fell on deaf ears, the man turned his attention to Shen Jingbin instead.
"Goddess, Iâm begging you, help me out here. Weâre about to celebrate the New Year, and I have a wife and child at home. Please, donât send me to the police... Just help me out on account of me liking you... please? Youâre so beautiful, so youâre definitely filled with kindness as well, right? I know that youâll help me..."
Never in her life had Shen Jingbin seen someone so shameless. Shen Jingbin gave him a cold smile and said, "You have a wife and child back home? In that case, theyâre truly unfortunate. Forgive me, but I canât help you. In the first place, I was never a saint."
Zhao Chengning shot a look of disdain at the man. "The human brain is a wonderful thing, and I hope that youâll remember to use it in the future. Take this as a lesson and donât blame me for being ruthless if this ever happens again."
"Look, all you moneybags are just exploiting us little people! Youâre colluding with the government! Iâm going to report all of you! Iâll reveal your true colours to everyone... And as for you, you slut, your beauty is wasted on a person like you! It turns out that you were just a whore who cozies up to anyone whoâs rich! Pui, shameless..."
Realizing that begging for forgiveness was useless, his eyes turned red in anger, and he resumed his wave of insults. This only resulted in him being dragged nearer by Shen Jingbin and given a slap across his face, stunning him into silence and leaving his ears ringing in the aftermath.
You really couldnât look down on the strength of women who practiced martial arts.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. While Shen Jingbinâs slap had left the man feeling like he was about to lose consciousness, sheâd used way too much force which caused her hand to sting. However, none of the pain leaked through her facade as she gazed coldly at the man. In a voice so cold it could freeze a lake, she said, "Allow me to discipline your mouth since you obviously canât control it yourself."
Everything happened in a blur that was too fast for anyone to react, leaving the men in the room to just stand dumbly where they were.
"Good day, Mr Zhao, I received a report stating that someone is causing a disturbance. May I know where the perpetrator is?" Luckily, the police dispatched from the nearby station arrived on the scene. The officer in the lead swept a glance at his surroundings before pausing on Shen Jingbin, whose entire body was emitting an aura of frost. He hurriedly turned his gaze away and flashed a wide smile at Zhao Chengning.
The man on the sofa immediately recovered from his stupor when he spotted the officer and bawled at the top of his voice. "Officer, please save me! Iâm about to be beaten to death! They attacked me! Theyâve taken matters into their own hands and illegally detained me; I want to report them! Officer, please render your judgement!"
The man bawled like a pig being slaughtered and made it impossible for him to be ignored. The officer in the lead could only helplessly glare at him before giving Zhao Chengning a playful smile.
"Team Leader Fang, this person posted something on the entrance of my office and used it to cause a disturbance by spreading harmful rumours about me. This has caused great damage to my reputation, and I hope that youâll do a thorough investigation before giving me a report."
"I will, I will. Rest easy, Mr Zhao, weâll definitely conduct a thorough investigation."
Shen Jingbin suddenly cut in, "He even attempted to assault me."
Team Leader Fang felt a drop of cold sweat threaten to run down his cheeks. Tomorrow was New Yearâs Eve, and he was planning to head home a little earlier to spend time with his wife. But, as luck would have it, something had to crop up at this critical juncture.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Youâre all scum! Officer, you have to back me up! Iâm the real victim here; take a look at my face! That woman did it! You have to help me!" The man hollered at the top of his lungs.
Zhao Chengning shot a chilling glance at Team Leader Fang. "Team Leader Fang, you heard him; this man has been slandering us this whole time."
"I heard it. Please be at ease, Mr Zhao... But, regarding the matter of your friend hitting him..." Team Leader Fang said embarrassedly.
"You can ask around and see if anyoneâs taken any action against him. He was the only one insulting us the whole time."
Team Leader Fang raised his head and found that everyone in the room was stone-faced. The only one who was displaying just the slightest bit of emotion on their face was an extraordinarily beautiful woman beside the sofa. She winked at him with doe eyes that could ensnare oneâs soul. Team Leader Fang almost wished that he could throw himself before her and proclaim, âlong live the goddess!â.
"Team Leader Fang, I donât think this personâs right in the head. Itâd be best if you sent him for some tests. Otherwise, heâll hold us responsible if he gets slapped for running his mouth."
Team Leader Fang repeatedly nodded and said, "Alright, weâll take custody of him."
With that, he hurriedly motioned for the young officers that followed him along to deal with the man. The young officers were quick on the uptake too and remembered to cover his mouth when they took custody of him, stifling his cries.
"Iâll be bringing him away now. Have a happy New Year, Mr Zhao."
Zhao Chengning slightly relaxed once the manâs muffled cries were finally out of earshot, and returned a polite greeting. "Thanks for the hard work, Team Leader Fang. Iâll personally thank you once the New Yearâs celebrations are over."
A splendid smile immediately blossomed on Team Leader Fangâs face, and the two men bid each other farewell.