Chapter 273

Chapter 273: 266: Changling is trending, rumors say Xie Shang has been cheated on (first update) Chapter 273: 266: Changling is trending, rumors say Xie Shang has been cheated on (first update) “Did you hear that?” Jiang Chengxue flicked his cigarette to the ground, stepped on it to extinguish it, his skin pale as though it had never seen sunlight, “What’s wrong with you, eavesdropping on people’s conversations.”

He wasn’t angry, on the contrary, he was in high spirits.

He didn’t seem to mind at all that Wen Changling saw his despicable side.

“It’s your own fault for not closing the door.”

So yeah, he didn’t blame her. He replied to her previously merciless “curse,” “If there was really such a thing as retribution, I would’ve died eight hundred times over.”

His biological father was burned to death in an electrical fire. He had walked out of the inferno clutching his blocks, then locked the door behind him.

Retribution? As a child, he knew there was no such thing. There was no god to judge the wicked, only the naivety and helplessness of ants that fear and dread such an illusory concept.

He stepped forward, really patient with her, “Need any help?”

“Not needed.”

The damage was done anyway.

Wen Changling got in the car and drove straight out, scraping the wall on her way.

Jiang Chengxue watched the tail of the car as it moved out of his line of sight. He stayed where he was, lit another cigarette, leisurely smoking away.

He had undergone heart surgery; the doctor said he shouldn’t smoke, but he did anyway, didn’t he? And he wasn’t dead, was he?

The owner of the Eastern Automobile that was blocking the way came down, talking on the phone while walking, a man with a domineering tone, telling his brothers to wait.

“I’m going to kill that bastard right now.”

The man hung up the call, started the car, and was about to press the accelerator when someone blocked him from the front.

The man rolled down the window, his expression fierce, “What’s the matter with you?! Are you blind?”

Jiang Chengxue stubbed out his cigarette butt on the hood of the car, unfastened his watch, and used the sharp edge of the watchband to scratch the car, going around it, then walked up to the man.

The man nearly jumped with fury, “Fuck!”

He unbuckled his seatbelt, intending to get out and fight, but before he could open the door, a hand helped him by pulling the door open, and before he could react, he was dragged out of the car by a forceful pull.

The doctor also said that he shouldn’t do strenuous exercise.

Jiang Chengxue kicked the man up against the wall.

Why shouldn’t he do strenuous exercise? Every time he was in bed, wasn’t it intense? Yet even so, his broken heart showed no sign of excitement, as if it were dead.

He lifted his foot, stepping on the man’s arm that was trying to push himself up, “If you can’t even drive this car, you might as well not have this hand.”

He pressed down hard with his foot, crushing the man’s hand bones.

On the upper left of the Eastern Automobile was a gray van parked, with a camera lens already sticking out of the window.

*****

Jiang Chengxue was detained for assault; he had called the police himself and also trended on social media: “Chairman of Eastern Automobile, Rage for Beauty’s Sake.”

The paparazzi’s headlines were daring. They were originally staking out Yu Qiang, the big celebrity of a recently popular drama.

They didn’t get entertainment news but financial news was just as good, especially since Jiang Chengxue was somewhat famous, young and handsome, the chairman of a listed company. These aspects combined ensured that the online community would be interested.

At six in the evening, Gu Yihuan organized a social gathering with some of his lively rich second-generation friends, including Song Silin’s younger brother Song Silin as well.

After dinner, the rich kids played billiards, darts, and flirted with women. Gu Yihuan was pulling in investments, asking his friends if they wanted to put money into a “singer” with great potential.

“Yihuan.”

Song Silin passed his phone over, “Is this the one?”

Gu Yihuan glanced at it from the corner of his eye, “What?”

Song Silin clicked on the paparazzi photo, zooming in, “That’s from the Fourth Brother’s place.” In the capital’s circle, although the woman from the Fourth Brother’s home is low-key, still many people have seen her photos.

Although the paparazzi’s photo is a bit blurry, Gu Yihuan, with her sharp eyes, recognized that it indeed was Wen Changling.

Song Silin boldly speculated, “Could it be... she’s having an affair?”

Gu Yihuan stuffed an unpeeled sugar mandarin into Song Silin’s mouth, “Have an affair your head.”

The words “having an affair” just happened to be overheard by a second-generation heir with good hearing nearby, who excitedly picked up his phone to share with his buddy dogs.

Xie Shang was the moon on the horizon, a common subject of the older generation’s conversations, and normally, it was a rare treat to gossip about his affairs.

[Just heard a big secret, Xie Shang has been cuckolded by his girlfriend!]

[Xie Shang? Not the Xie Shang I’m thinking of, right?]

[Which other one could it be?]

[Even he could get cuckolded?]

Although Xie Shang’s reputation wasn’t that great, even those envious had to admit, Xie Shang was very capable.

[You don’t understand this, man or woman, they’re all the same, home flowers never smell as sweet as wild ones. I’m only telling you this, but you can’t spread it around.]

You can’t spread it around—typically, these words would be the start of a rumor.

Indeed, in less than two hours, the news of Xie Shang “being cuckolded” had reached Xie Shang himself.

He Dongzhou’s message: [Heard that you were cuckolded by Wen Changling.]

Xie Shang: [Who said that?]

He Dongzhou sent Xie Shang the trending news story.

The trending topic wasn’t high up on the list, but it did have some exposure, especially since Huaqi Technology and Eastern Automobile had just finished road testing their driverless cars, and the hype hadn’t died down yet.

Wen Changling’s identity had also been exposed.

Xie Shang had someone take down the trending topic and additionally reached out to media outlets he knew. Soon after, Su Nanzhi called him, being a film actress, she was quick to catch the surf.

“Did you withdraw that news online?”

“Yeah.”

Ms. Su Nanzhi was aware that Xie Shang and Wen Changling had reconciled, but she wasn’t sure to what extent they had mended their relationship, “Are things going smoothly with Miss Wen?”

“Smoothly.”

“That chairman from Eastern Automobile, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to withdraw the news, but he didn’t bother,” Su Nanzhi hinted, “Xingxing, your treasure might be coveted by someone.”

Liang Shuchuan’s maternal family had roots in Linbei, so Su Nanzhi had inquired with him. This Jiang Chengxue was no easy mark, having caused death and ruin within the Jiang Family.

Such a person had no line between good and evil.

Granny Zhu made a big pot of food in the evening, and after cooking, she used the sparks from the firewood to roast sweet potatoes. Wen Changling and Tongtong, one big and one small, squatted by the stove; the sweet potatoes had just been scraped out, and both of them couldn’t help but reach for one.

“Hot!”

“Hot!”

Both big and small cried out.

Granny Zhu couldn’t help but chuckle, “I said it was very hot, what’s the rush?” She folded some chestnut leaves, wrapped the sweet potatoes, and gave one to each of the two little gluttons.

Xie Shang came in after finishing his call.

Wen Changling held a sweet potato in each hand, still a bit hot, but unfazed by the dirt, she used her sleeves to hold them, “Xie Shang, want a sweet potato?”