Chapter 47

Chapter 47

When Chen Mo took back the phone from Xi Siyan, he was somewhat surprised. "What do you mean by him contacting the journalists?"

Lao Gou: "Yeah, in those follow-up reports, they didn't hold back on criticizing Yang Shule either, saying he accepted the Yang family's favoritism without any qualms and even went for the Campus Star title. Is it worth it to hurt himself while trying to hurt others?"

At this moment, Qi Lin approached with his laptop.

"Take a look at this."

Chen Mo and Lao Gou both turned their attention to it.

It was the latest report that journalists had rushed to publish early that morning.

In the shaky footage, the Yang family's front gate was clearly visible.

The scene looked chaotic, with journalists, police cars, and everyone from the Yang family except Chen Mo gathered around.

The middle-aged man being held down with his arms twisted behind his back was none other than Chen Jianli. He struggled and shouted, "I have every right to ask my own son for money! I'm telling you, it was Li Yunru who kidnapped the child. You Yangs should sue her instead! Why are you arresting me?!"

The camera then shifted to show Yang Shule, his head bowed.

A journalist asked, "Student Yang Shule, you've been extorted by your biological father for a considerable amount of money—over fifty thousand. As a student, this must have put a lot of pressure on you. Why didn't you seek help from your family or others?"

Yang Shule finally lifted his head, looking terrible, his eyes already red before he even spoke.

He still seemed at a loss, struggling to say, "I... didn't want to trouble my family. The Yang parents have always treated me like their own child, and because of this, Chen Mo has suffered a lot. I know all of this. And I didn't know what kind of person Chen Jianli was. At first, he just told me that it was hard for him working alone in Sui City, so I thought I'd give him some money. But he kept asking for more and threatened me not to tell anyone. I..."

At this point, he seemed unable to continue.

The journalist, moved by compassion, offered him some words of comfort.

The comments below the video also showed a shift in public opinion.

"I think Yang Shule is quite pitiful. We can't blame him just because he was raised by the Yang family."

"That's true. The Yangs were the ones who favored him; what could a teenager decide?"

Some people disagreed.

"You're talking as if you're omniscient. To me, Yang Shule seems to be playing both sides, taking advantage of everything and saying all the right things. Don't forget, there's only one real victim here."

"Please, the real heir lost seventeen years of his life, but I lost fifty thousand yuan."

"I wonder how the Yang family plans to handle this."

...

Qi Lin closed the laptop.

He said, "Initially, the journalists dug up this story themselves, but Yang Shule saw the trend and contacted them early. It was smart; this way, he not only protected his image but also used the media to force the Yang family into dealing with Chen Jianli. If not for Xi Siyan getting the news last night, the Yangs might still be unaware of how badly they've been betrayed."

Lao Gou was stunned.

"Is life in your wealthy families really this complicated? I feel like I wouldn't survive half a year if I were involved."

Chen Mo did not comment.

Yang Shule's previous situation seemed glamorous but was actually mired in trouble. Chen Mo wasn't surprised that he had the brains to extricate himself, but using him to do so was rather disgusting.

Chen Mo turned away and spat out the water in his mouth. "I need to go back to the Yang family."

"Are you crazy?" Lao Gou tried to stop him. "Going back now would just provide more fuel for the media. They're all looking for you."

Chen Mo washed his hands. "We need to face this and resolve it."

Xi Siyan spoke up again.

"We definitely need to go back, but not now."

By that afternoon, Chen Mo understood what Xi Siyan meant.

The swap between the Chen and Yang families had a key figure finally appearing.

The culprit behind everything, Li Yunru.

A woman in her forties, wearing a floral blouse and a triangular headscarf, her overly weathered face and streaks of white hair made her look much older, like she was in her fifties.

She gave an interview.

Sitting in a modest-looking rental apartment, she slowly began speaking, her head slightly bowed. "It was a rainy day. On my way to work, I slipped and fell and was taken to the hospital... I had no money, and Chen Jianli, that beast, didn't even bother to pay for me. The doctor was kind and covered the medical fees. In the bed next to mine was a woman who looked very wealthy, also in labor. She screamed in agony, begging not to give birth and asking her husband when he would arrive. Her eldest son, about six or seven years old, came first... After giving birth, my child needed to be in the ICU, but I panicked when I heard how expensive it would be. The child in the bed next to mine also needed to be in the ICU due to premature birth. Back then, hospital management wasn't as strict, and I don't know what came over me, but I switched the bracelets on the two babies while the other mother was unconscious and the nurses weren't paying attention... I escaped the hospital with that child, hiding for days, afraid of being caught. The baby's face was blue and purple for a long time; I thought he wouldn't survive..."

"It's all karma. Everything is karma."

"Chen Jianli insisted that the Yangs were rich and wanted to come to Sui City. I couldn't stop him. Two months ago, he called me to brag, saying he was now rich and that his son recognized him and gave him money."

"I only learned recently from Chen Jianli's call that the child was smart and knew that the larger the sum, the more likely it would lead to criminal charges. He planned to get Chen Jianli arrested, but Chen Jianli found out and caused a scene at the Yang family's gate."

"I never expected him to recognize me. What good would it do with a mother like me?"

"As for Chen Mo... I have nothing to say. I accept whatever legal consequences come my way."

...

The woman's lips were colorless.

Cracked and pale.

She mostly talked about Yang Shule, describing the feelings she had each time she secretly watched him from outside the Yang family's gate, the joy when she knew he was doing well, and the satisfaction of seeing him so many times.

Like a devoted mother who only cares for her child.

Li Yunru was uneducated and had an extremely timid and selfish side, which is why she would spill everything when asked. If she had known that her words would expose her son as someone skilled at deception and scheming, revealing his betrayal of the Yang family and destroying all his carefully laid plans, perhaps those vicious words she usually reserved for cursing Chen Jianli would have been directed at those who sought her out.

Indeed, once the interview was released, the effect was immediate.

"Wow, I don't know whether to say this couple is impressive or their genes are impressive."

"Flawless logic of a thief, pretending to be a caring mother. Truly, pitiable people always have something despicable about them."

"Yang Shule is quite amusing too. If it weren't for his mom stepping forward, I might have believed he was a poor soul driven to desperation by his gambling-addict father. He’s a great actor."

"I can only say, the drama in high society is truly captivating. Not a single fool among them."

"All villains, except for Chen Mo. Haven’t seen him yet, so no comment."

"Speaking of Chen Mo, where is he? With such a big commotion, everyone in the Yang family must be followed, but the reporters can't find Chen Mo at all. It's ridiculous."

"Why look for Chen Mo? I suggest dealing with this Yang Shule first. His photo is still on the Education Bureau's official website. Disgusting, misleading minors. Reported."

"The spotless young master Yang, truly a rising star. This is the funniest joke I've heard all year."

Yang Shule faced public condemnation, falling from grace.

Meanwhile, the Yang family was experiencing a hurricane of events.

In the hotel, Xi Siyan reached over to close the interview interface for Chen Mo and said, "You don't need to feel any psychological burden. Since she could do such things back then, she deserved punishment. Using her to clarify the facts before sending her to jail is already lenient."

"Who said I feel burdened?" Chen Mo smiled. "I'm not exactly a person with moral standards."

Not just this interview.

In his previous life, he stood beside Li Yunru's deathbed without any regret.

When it comes to being cold-hearted, Chen Mo thought he had mastered it well.

But Xi Siyan did not agree, instead shaking his head. "You have principles in many things, even if you haven't realized it yourself."

"Such as?"

"Think about it yourself."

Chen Mo doubted, "Are you love-struck?"

Xi Siyan calmly replied, "I don't remember us being in love."

"Of course not," Chen Mo said. "I meant that your behavior after saying you like someone looks like you're wearing rose-colored glasses. Be careful not to get scammed, Brother Yan."

"Worry about yourself."

Xi Siyan handed Chen Mo his phone.

It was a call from their class teacher, Xiang Shenglong.

Lao Xiang spoke softly, "Chen Mo, where are you?"

"At the hotel," Chen Mo said.

Lao Xiang: "Good, good. Listen, all the teachers and students understand that you’ve been feeling down lately. Is there anyone with you? Are you safe? Should we send some classmates to keep you company?"

"Lao Xiang," Chen Mo said, "Director Lai is next to you, right? Tell him not to worry. Everything is fine; I’m eating and sleeping well. I won’t miss next week’s classes... And I certainly won’t do anything drastic. Stop calling, this is the umpteenth time."

Chen Mo hung up and looked at Xi Siyan standing beside him.

"Why couldn't you tell them you're here?"

"Do you want me to?" Xi Siyan raised an eyebrow.

Chen Mo was puzzled, "What's wrong with telling them?"

Xi Siyan pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed, but ultimately didn't explain to Chen Mo.

Last night, at the bar exit.

A blurry photo that looked like an embrace spread rapidly through various school groups. By this afternoon, it had become a hot topic.

The photo only captured Xi Siyan's profile, while Chen Mo had turned his head, leaving only a blurry silhouette, making it unclear whether it was a man or a woman.

But the news of a prematurely graduated prodigy from No. 1 High School possibly dating was already sensational enough.

Compared to the social news involving the Chen and Yang families, this gossip excited the students more.

Chen Mo was initially puzzled by his reaction.

Then he received screenshots from the campus group sent by Lao Gou, who had left at noon.

First were several chat screenshots.

"Damn, my dreams are shattered. That’s Xi Siyan."

"Stop whining. The reason he’s a god is because he’s unattainable."

"Aren't you exaggerating? There’s nothing in that photo."

"Are you blind?"

"In a dimly lit corridor, Xi Shen’s focused gaze as he leans down, and they’re so close together. If you say there’s nothing, I’ll eat shit upside down!"

"That's too harsh, sis."

"So, can someone please come forward and tell us who that vixen is?"

Lao Gou circled the shadowy silhouette in the photo.

He then said, "Dude, I know you're going through a major life event, but I still want to ask—this vixen, it's you again, right?"