Chapter 58

Chapter 58

In the evening, Lin Yiyue and Xie Lou returned to the hotel. Fan Zhongchuan and Xie Yinan also reached an understanding, but they didn't inform Ning Yuyi, allowing him to enjoy his time in Rome.

Once the Roman holiday concluded, the whole family returned to Haimarket.

— Taking Anxiel with them.

Once in Haimarket, the three CEOs, Xie Lou, Fan Zhongchuan, and Xie Yinan went to their respective companies to handle the piled-up work. Meanwhile, Ning Yuyi and Xie Yiezhou were tasked by Lin Yiyue with taking Anxiel sightseeing.

Anxiel was quite famous on Twitter. With all three being outstandingly handsome, they always ensured they wore hats and masks as disguises when venturing out.

After touring Haimarket for several days, the trio were spent and decided to lounge and rejuvenate at the villa in Qing'an.

"National Day is approaching," Ning Yuyi glanced at the calendar, "Isn't Second Brother attending this year's National Day Gala?"

"I'm not going. It's a holiday." Xie Yiezhou was engrossed in a game, leaping from a bush to unleash a combo, securing a kill on the enemy before retreating, "Ning Ning, care to join?"

Ning Yuyi shook his head, "I'll be joining the film crew in a few days. I need to review the script."

Hearing this, Xie Yiezhou ceased chatting, finishing his game before grabbing a script to delve into.

He had no choice. If the diligent younger brother kept up, the elder might get left behind.

Anxiel, not an actor, sat aside enjoying fruits and sunbathing, holding a foreign novel in hand.

The three of them stayed at the Qing'an villa for several days.

However, the sudden arrival of an individual disrupted their peaceful routine.

"Ruan Lezhi? What brought you here?" Xie Yiezhou, whose eyes were dry from days of reading, almost thought he was seeing things, "Couldn't resist the urge to team up and teach Xu Yingzhe a lesson?"

Xie Yiezhou responded leisurely, "I can't risk it. If we're caught, can I still work in the entertainment industry?"

"It's not about that." Ruan Lezhi, having probably jogged in, was slightly out of breath, "My sister saw those photos."

No sooner had Ruan Lezhi spoken than two heads peeked from behind the couch backrest.

"What photos?"

"The ones of the jerk who cheated on his pregnant wife?"

Seeing Ruan Lezhi's startled expression, Ning Yuyi scratched his head, came off the sofa, and sat next to Xie Yiezhou, a clear "Spill the tea" look on his face.

Xie Yezhou patted his younger brother's head and turned to give An Xisil a warning look, "Since when did you become so nosy?"

An Xisil made a zipping motion over his lips, signaling he'd keep quiet.

Ruan Lezhi, distracted, said, "I left the photo on my room's table and forgot about it. Who would've thought my sister would see it when she came in to call me for dinner?"

Xie Yezhou asked, "Where's your sister?"

Almost frantic, Ruan Lezhi said, "She's locked herself in her room. No one can get her out, my parents are beside themselves with worry."

"What about Xu Yingzhe? Did your sister confront him?"

"No." Ruan Lezhi responded quickly, "I've always felt Xu Yingzhe was unreliable, but he's managed to completely win over my sister."

Ruan Lezhi, venting, suddenly pulled out his phone, "Hold on, I need to take this call."

Ning Yuyi and An Xisil's eyes widened with curiosity, clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Taking advantage of Ruan Lezhi's distraction, Xie Yezhou flicked Ning Yuyi's nose, "Wipe that gossip-hungry look off your face. He's still here, you know."

"Ouch!" Ning Yuyi covered his nose, warding off another potential flick.

Ruan Lezhi, engrossed in his call, remained oblivious to the conversation.

"Hello, Dad?"

"What? My sister's come out?"

"She wants a divorce now?"

After hanging up, Ruan Lezhi struggled to process what he'd just heard.

"Your sister has thought it through." Xie Yezhou poured him a glass of water, hoping to calm him down.

"I can't believe she made up her mind so quickly." Ruan Lezhi was in disbelief.

Ning Yuyi wrinkled his nose, seemingly disagreeing with Ruan Lezhi's sentiment.

Ruan Xiaohui couldn't possibly recover so swiftly. It's only her lingering pride urging her towards divorce for now, but post-

divorce,

she has a long journey ahead to heal from the wounds of this ordeal.

The fact that Ruan Xiaohui was willing to cut ties with her family for Xu Yingzhe is testament to her deep investment in this relationship. Sadly, she fell for a man who only pretended to be good in front of her.

In this gamble called love, she lost.

Xie Yezhou advised Ruan Lezhi to spend more time with his sister. Scratching his head in agreement, Ruan Lezhi took his leave.

Ning Yuyi opened up his WeChat chatbox, asking Fan Zhongchuan if he'd be home for dinner or if he'd be working late. After confirming how many sets of chopsticks he'd need, he headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

As National Day approached and autumn settled in, it was the prime season for hairy crabs. Ning Yuyi planned to feast on the freshly delivered crabs today.

Ning Yuyi chose a third of the crabs, tied them up, and steamed them. He then poured sauces into four bowls.

Steamed crabs are simple to prepare, but spicy crab and crab meat pot are more challenging.

By the time all the crabs were served, An Xisil was eagerly seated with eyes shining, awaiting the signal to begin.

"It's not your first time having Chinese food," Xie Yezhou remarked with a hint of disdain in his cold expression.

"Authentic Chinese cuisine is hard to come by overseas, especially when I'm traveling worldwide for business," An Xisil responded, expectantly looking at Ning Yuyi for the green light.

"One more person's yet to arrive," Ning Yuyi handed him chopsticks, asking, "Can you use them?"

"Yes, I've learned a lot about Huaguo's culture," An Xisil demonstrated his chopstick skills proudly.

Ning Yuyi responded with a poker-faced applause.

Soon after, Fan Zhongchuan arrived looking travel-worn. He hung his suit jacket on the coat rack.

"Come, come," Ning Yuyi gestured for his boyfriend to sit next to him. "Finally, let's dig in."

Ning Yuyi chose a steamed crab, cracked it open, and admired the abundant crab roe inside.

Indeed, steaming truly locks in the crab's natural flavors. After savoring the roe, Ning Yuyi dipped the crab meat into the sauce and relished it.

Divine!

Across the table, An Xisil tried to maintain his aristocratic manners while feasting on the crab.

After dinner, with a stomach full of crab, Ning Yuyi directed his boyfriend and older brother to load the dishes into the dishwasher.

Xie Yezhou shared Ruan Xiaohui's divorce news with Fan Zhongchuan: "Now that Ruan Xiaohui knows, there's no need to be cautious. Deal with Xu Yingzhe quickly."

"I'll be joining the crew soon," Fan Zhongchuan glanced through the kitchen's glass at Ning Yuyi reading a script in the living room. "I'll handle He Xiaoxiao before that."

"Good."

When Fan Zhongchuan said he'd act swiftly, he truly meant it.

That very night, several news outlets released photos of Xu Yingzhe and He Xiaoxiao. In addition to blurry fashion show snapshots, they unveiled clear images of the pair leaving the airport together and checking into a hotel.

Xu Yingzhe and He Xiaoxiao were caught off guard.

The revelation was massive. Apart from a few trying to defend Xu Yingzhe, most went silent. The only active voices in the comment sections were the news outlets and spectators.

Many recalled Xu Yingzhe's doting husband persona and were aware that his wife hailed from a prestigious family. They knew she'd once clashed with her parents to be with Xu Yingzhe. Many sympathized with her.

Especially when someone revealed that Ruan Xiaohui was eight months pregnant and nearing her due date, the backlash against Xu Yingzhe intensified.

He Xiaoxiao wasn’t any better. Ji Xiaoning had had a long-standing issue with her and seized the chance to step on her when she was down, rallying her fans to keep He Xiaoxiao's name trending negatively, ensuring she received as much backlash as Xu Yingzhe.

After three days of uproar, the director of "Zhouyang Emperor" finally announced the recasting of the female lead.

Netizens overwhelmingly supported the decision, voicing that He Xiaoxiao must be replaced or the ensemble cast would be wasted because of her.

……

The room was a mess, with items strewn and shattered glasses everywhere.

He Xiaoxiao's makeup was smeared from a sleepless night, revealing dark circles starkly different from her usual on-screen look or when she was with Ning Yuyi.

"I told you not to follow Xu Yingzhe to that fashion show," Geng Hui said, scratching his head in exasperation. "What do we do now? Even the director has turned against us."

He Xiaoxiao's eyes were bloodshot, her chest heaving with emotion.

After a long pause, she finally spoke.

"If they're kicking me out, they won't have it easy either."

"Reach out to those influencers. Let’s release the director's photos."

"I bet they won’t continue filming after that."

Madness glinted in He Xiaoxiao's eyes.

Geng Hui paused his anxious motions, hesitated for a moment, then unexpectedly declined He Xiaoxiao’s request: "I can’t help with that."

"No one knows you're my agent now. I can sign new talents," Geng Hui said calmly, "I'm different from you."

He Xiaoxiao couldn't believe Geng Hui would betray her at this crucial moment.

"Xiaoxiao, remember, people are selfish," Geng Hui remarked with a sardonic smile. "I'm only human."

……

Even though Geng Hui no longer aided her, He Xiaoxiao reached out to influencers he had previously collaborated with and handed over compromising photos of the director with Ji Xiaoning.

Surprisingly, none of the influencers responded.

Days later, a sinking realization hit He Xiaoxiao: Fenghua Entertainment's legal team must have reached out to them. Determined, she sought others to release the photos.

After a full day, a few individuals finally posted the photos. Seeing them trend, He Xiaoxiao wore a satisfied grin.

Ji Xiaoning, don't think I don't know you're trying to crush me.

If I fall, don't dream of getting back up.

Refreshing her social media feed, she eagerly anticipated furious comments, only to find her post deleted.

"What happened? Why?" In disbelief, He Xiaoxiao frantically refreshed the page and checked other posts and videos, all of which were removed.

Dejected, He Xiaoxiao slumped to the floor.

It was then she realized that crossing the Xie and Fan families was a grave mistake she couldn't afford.

Even if she held other threats in her hand, they could still nip these threats in the bud, ensuring not a ray of light touched those photographs.