Chapter 81 We Talk About Everything

Chapter 81: We Share Everything

"It all started with the inheritance my grandfather left behind."

Jiang Ruotang recounted how he established Tang Yun Culture Investment to help Zhao Yunshu take down Huang Tengyue, then invested in smartphones and Dream Bubbles, causing Lin Chengdong’s multi-million-dollar investment to go up in smoke. He also set up investments in Chengtan, using a fishpond scheme to extract a large sum from Lin Chengdong, then used that money to become the largest shareholder of Little Sweet Fruit.

Once Little Sweet Fruit was on track, he signed Bai Yingchuan, making Lin Chengdong seething with envy. Lin Chengdong, unable to resist, pressured Bai Yingchuan to join his syndicate.

Bai Yingchuan then used Jian Sha’s plagiarism accusation against Zhang Chun to strike back at Lin Chengdong’s entire project, further enraging him.

In his fury, Lin Chengdong would inevitably threaten Bai Yue, and Bai Yingchuan would use this to force her hand—either sacrifice immediate gains to cut ties with Lin Chengdong or face being publicly disowned by her own son.

At first, Jiang Ruotang was nervous, even rambling incoherently, needing Lu Guifan to ask questions before he could organize his thoughts.

But as he spoke, he noticed Lu Guifan’s posture was relaxed, his chin resting on his hand as he listened, his eyes shimmering like stars reflected on rippling water. It almost seemed like he enjoyed hearing about Jiang Ruotang’s strategies?

This encouraged Jiang Ruotang to speak even more enthusiastically. "Actually, I owe a lot of my success to you."

"To me? How?"

"Well… the cloud computing investment. If not for you and Cai Cai’s advice, I might not have thought to become a shareholder in Aoxiang Technology. Now Aoxiang provides cloud support for Little Sweet Fruit. And the smartphone investment—that was because you used the Xiaolan…"

Jiang Ruotang paused, frowning slightly as he leaned closer to Lu Guifan.

Lu Guifan met his gaze steadily, not looking away.

"Something’s off…"

"Oh? What’s off?"

"Why do I feel like… you already knew everything I was doing?"

Looking back now, it seemed Lu Guifan had subtly influenced some of his investment decisions. And now, as he laid everything out, Lu Guifan remained completely calm, not the least bit surprised?

Lu Guifan flicked his forehead lightly.

"Do I look stupid to you? Once or twice could be coincidence, but every single thing you took an interest in—every time you came to me or Cai Ji for advice—ended up becoming a hot investment. If I still didn’t notice, I’d have tofu for brains."

Jiang Ruotang rubbed his forehead—it didn’t hurt at all—but for the first time, he felt truly close to Lu Guifan.

Suddenly, it felt like there were endless things he wanted to share, even his future plans—the Xiaolan’s potential, Little Sweet Fruit’s growth.

Excited, he grabbed Lu Guifan’s wrist. "Once Little Sweet Fruit grows bigger, I’m definitely investing in a movie! A hard sci-fi blockbuster, something absolutely epic!"

"Why sci-fi? And why hard sci-fi?" Lu Guifan asked, amused.

"Because you like it!" Jiang Ruotang blurted out.

Lu Guifan froze.

And Jiang Ruotang suddenly realized how much that sounded like a confession.

Again, that fear of unreciprocated feelings surged through him, the heat fading as cold dread crept in.

Until Lu Guifan’s lips slowly curved into a smile.

He was so close, his smile so beautiful, like melting frost seeping into Jiang Ruotang’s heart.

"That really sounds like King You of Zhou summoning the lords with false alarms—but I don’t want to be Bao Si."

"Oh…" Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes, feeling foolish.

"I hope that by the time you actually produce that hard sci-fi film, I’ll have reached a position where I can be your technical consultant."

"Huh?"

"That big data algorithm you mentioned—I find it fascinating too. I really want to master it and give it to you."

In that moment, Jiang Ruotang’s eyes—like a dormant universe—suddenly lit up.

"Ruo Tang, what you call ‘scheming’ is just protecting your parents, your brother, and helping your friends heal. To me, that’s not scheming—it’s your sincerity. Every step you take isn’t just for yourself, but for me too."

"For you?" Jiang Ruotang shifted his feet under the desk, suddenly embarrassed.

"You deliberately had Auntie Zhao bring my mom to Lawyer Hong’s place—not just because Lawyer Hong needed someone reliable to help with childcare, but because Lawyer Hong’s spouse is Professor Yang. You were creating a chance for me to catch Professor Yang’s attention. So when we visited for New Year’s and you saw I was interested in the problem Professor Yang left, you kept encouraging me to solve it. You wanted him to remember me, to become my mentor. You were laying groundwork for my future."

Jiang Ruotang’s throat tightened. This was Lu Guifan’s future, yet someone else had "paved" it—would he resent that?

"Ruo Tang, today I want to tell you something too. That patent—a major new energy company is interested. Lawyer Hong negotiated for us, and they agreed to a licensing fee plus royalties. The fixed fee is six million, plus a 0.5% royalty on sales, estimated at no less than a million annually. I decided to split it 50-50 with Professor Yang. This is more money than my parents or I have ever seen. But because I met you, I know my future won’t stop here."

Jiang Ruotang knew Lu Guifan was praising him, his neck and ears burning red.

"That’s amazing… Science and technology really are the primary productive forces."

Lu Guifan tilted his head, smiling teasingly. "By the way, Mr. Zheng holds shares on your behalf, and my dad works for him—so you’re actually my dad’s real boss?"

"Ah? No, no! Even though I recommended Uncle Lu to Uncle Zheng, it was Uncle Zheng who decided to keep him. I don’t make decisions for Uncle Zheng. He said Uncle Lu is diligent, honest, discreet, and remembers everything he’s taught—so he’s happy to have him as an assistant."

"My dad loves this job. It’s shown him a world beyond just making ends meet. He’s followed Mr. Zheng to the tax bureau, learned the difference between personal and corporate income tax. While Mr. Zheng manages your assets, he watches and learns. Now he talks to me about stock index futures, commodity futures, even agricultural futures. Without Mr. Zheng, he might never have known what life was like beyond Sheng City. In Shenzhou’s tech park, he put on a VR headset and saw the future. So Ruo Tang, thank you."

Jiang Ruotang studied Lu Guifan for a long moment before inching closer, meeting his eyes cautiously. "So… you don’t dislike this side of me?"

"Of course not. If anything, I worry."

"Worry?"

"Worry that you’re always planning for others at your own expense. I don’t want you to be King You of Zhou, lighting beacons just for a Bao Si. I want everything you do to be for your own happiness."

Lu Guifan spoke slowly, each word deliberate.

This was the first time anyone had ever told Jiang Ruotang, "Do everything just for your own happiness." His heart felt so full it might burst—but he was overwhelmingly happy.

He straightened and threw himself into Lu Guifan’s arms, emotions choking him, leaving him unable to speak.

Lu Guifan stiffened momentarily. He’d thought, since they were both guys, hugging wouldn’t feel particularly special.

But the moment Jiang Ruotang crashed into his arms, his hands hung in midair, his only thought to hold him close, to protect him.

"Ruo Tang…"

Lu Guifan took a deep breath. Jiang Ruotang’s warmth was gentle, softening his heart—even making it race.

"Just one hug. Don’t be stingy," Jiang Ruotang whispered in his ear.

Lu Guifan exhaled slowly, wrapping his arms around him.

You idiot. The stingy one isn’t me—it’s you.

You only want one hug, but I want to hold you for a long, long time.

"Alright, it's half past twelve. Time to sleep, boss man."

Lu Guifan's voice sounded gentle yet exasperated, which only made Jiang Ruotang want to push his luck further.

Lu Guifan ended up sweeping Jiang Ruotang up from the chair in one swift motion. The sudden weightlessness made Jiang Ruotang's heart nearly jumped out of his chest, and he clung even tighter to Lu Guifan.

Lu Guifan easily lifted Jiang Ruotang with one arm, like a parent carrying a kindergarten child. He even had enough free hand to turn off the desk lamp before walking steadily to the bed, bending down to place Jiang Ruotang on the pillow.

"Time to sleep, okay? I'm really tired."

Hearing that, Jiang Ruotang had no choice but to let go, but the butterflies in his stomach lingered for a long time.

"Scoot over." Lu Guifan gave Jiang Ruotang a quick tap on the waist.

Jiang Ruotang immediately rolled over to the side against the wall, then turned to look at Lu Guifan.

"Why are you tired? When I used to ask you questions, you'd answer me even past midnight."

"Because of Zhao Zhangfeng."

"Huh?"

Lu Guifan pinched the bridge of his nose and replied, "For this tryout, both Capital Sports University and Capital Science and Technology University have made offers to him."

"I know that. We all hope he’ll choose Capital Science and Technology University because they’ve consistently made it to the top four in the college league championships for eight years straight. If he goes there, his chances of entering the pro draft will be higher, and he might even make it into a professional basketball team."

Besides, Lu Guifan’s goal was likely Capital Science and Technology University too. That way, he and Zhao Zhangfeng would be alumni.

If Zhao Zhangfeng—who usually brought down the school’s academic performance—actually got into a top-tier university, all the teachers would probably have their jaws drop!

"But he still needs to score at least 65% of the minimum score requirement, which is around 420 to 440 points."

"His last mock exam was 350, right?" Jiang Ruotang asked guiltily, realizing he might have given Lu Guifan a huge challenge.

"Yeah. Honestly, the fastest way to improve in the short term is Chinese—just cram the memorization parts. For Math and Science, we’ll have to rely on guessing what's on the test."

Lu Guifan’s predictions were probably more accurate than an entire faculty committee’s.

But even if he called the questions right, Zhao Zhangfeng still had to actually understand the material.

"I really wish Zhao Zhangfeng could shift some of his looks to his IQ!" Jiang Ruotang muttered under his breath.

"Why not redistribute his basketball skills to his IQ instead?"

"His basketball skills are his future livelihood. His looks are useless—it’s not like he’s willing to marry rich based on his face." Jiang Ruotang thought to himself, *Who knows if he’ll take an elbow on the court and lose a tooth or break his nose?*

His good looks were wasted on a basketball player. That innocent, baby face didn’t match his athletic build at all.

Lu Guifan seemed to read Jiang Ruotang’s thoughts, and for a moment, he actually felt sorry for Zhao Zhangfeng.

"Actually… looks are important too. They contribute to his future marketability." Lu Guifan hoped Jiang Ruotang would reconsider his stance on Zhao Zhangfeng’s appearance.

"I guess you’re right. That pure, handsome face combined with an athlete’s physique could attract a lot of ‘mom-type fans’ and ‘older sister fans.’ Sorry for keeping you awake. You should get some rest."

Jiang Ruotang pulled the blanket up a little higher, and when he withdrew his hand, he left it resting near Lu Guifan’s side.

After such an open and honest conversation with Lu Guifan, Jiang Ruotang felt much better in his heart—happy, even.

Besides happiness, there was also the strong urge to hug Lu Guifan and wrestle with him.

He waited quietly for a long time. Lu Guifan slept like a rock, barely moving at all. The only way to tell if he was asleep was by listening to his breathing.

Jiang Ruotang stayed lying on his side for what felt like forever, until even he grew tired. Slowly, he edged closer, slung his arm over Lu Guifan’s body, pretending that curling up more obviously would give him an excuse to nestle his forehead against Lu Guifan’s shoulder.

He succeeded in the first step. But just as he was about to try the next move, Lu Guifan suddenly moved—rolling over to face him.

*He’s probably going to push my arm away!*

Just as Jiang Ruotang was about to despair, thinking all his patience had been for nothing, Lu Guifan didn’t push him away. Instead, his other arm reached around, gently pulling Jiang Ruotang’s back and drawing him into his embrace.

Jiang Ruotang’s heart pounded. He lifted his head to look at Lu Guifan.

*Was that on purpose?*

In the darkness, Jiang Ruotang’s eyes gradually adjusted, and Lu Guifan’s features became clearer.

His eyes were closed, his brows and expression completely relaxed.

*So… he’s not aware of it.*

Still, Jiang Ruotang cherished the moment, breathing in Lu Guifan’s scent as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, before study hall, Jian Sha went around collecting English homework. When she passed Zhao Zhangfeng, she covered her eyes, looking visibly pained. "Zhao Zhangfeng, are you a genius? You can’t even tell the difference between ‘weather’ and ‘whether’?"

Zhao Zhangfeng tilted his head. "Huh? There’s a difference?"

Jian Sha bent down and walked him through the vocabulary section of his paper from start to finish.

Seeing how calm Jian Sha stayed, Jiang Ruotang let out a sigh of relief. At least for now, he didn’t have to worry about the copyright issue affecting her mood.

During the second period break, a classmate at the front suddenly exclaimed.

"Whoa! Big Eyed Boy’s top trending hashtag just skyrocketed to number one—that screenwriter Zhang Chun, aka ‘Big Octopus,’ the notorious copycat, is accused of colluding with a former editor from a publishing company to cheat online authors out of their manuscripts! Now Big Octopus and that editor are throwing each other under the bus!"

"Didn’t this just trend a couple of days ago? I thought it’d get swept under the rug. How’d it shoot back up to number one?"

"This time, ‘Rule of Law Nation’ posted about it, explaining copyright laws!"

"Damn, Big Octopus really hit the big time this time! I get it—there’s some anti-plagiarism campaign going on, and he walked straight into it!"

"This isn’t even his first time! Remember that romance drama he wrote? It was basically a translated rewrite of a foreign romance novelist’s work—one who’s already passed away. The author’s fans called him out for a whole month, but Big Octopus shamelessly dared them to sue him!"

"That’s just despicable. He’s only doing this because the author is dead, leaving behind a young child who can’t possibly take legal action."

"Finally, someone without a shred of morals has gotten what's coming to them."

When Lin Lu saw the headline, he immediately understood why his father had been in such a foul mood lately—and why he kept asking about his relationship with Jian Sha, wondering if he could persuade her.

This trending topic also meant that Zhang Chun and Jian Sha’s negotiations had completely fallen apart.

"Don’t get any ideas you shouldn’t." Bai Yingchuan’s voice sounded beside him.

"Huh?" Lin Lu’s heart skipped a beat. "I don’t… I don’t have any ideas?"

Bai Yingchuan wore his usual neutral expression, but the calmer he seemed, the colder Lin Lu felt.

"You’re thinking of going to Jian Sha, explaining that your father had nothing to do with her plagiarism case—that he was also deceived by Zhang Chun. You want to say your father is willing to pay a small fortune to buy her copyright, guaranteeing her authorship, and hope she’ll write a letter of forgiveness for Zhang Chun for the sake of the IP?"

Lin Lu swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Is… is that not okay? Wouldn’t that be good for Jian Sha too?"

"Of course not. Do you really know what Jian Sha wants?" Bai Yingchuan asked Lin Lu in a patient tone one uses with a child.

"Byline?"

Bai Yingchuan shook his head. "Jian Sha has never lacked money growing up. Raised in an idealistic environment, her parents and teachers taught her that good and evil get their just deserts, and everything must follow rules and laws. Right now, she doesn’t feel how hard it is to earn half a million, a million, or even three to five million. What she wants is fairness and justice."

Lin Lu lowered his head. Bai Yingchuan had just spelled out the core issue for him.

"If you plan to negotiate for your father, buying her IP to gain the right to adapt this story is only natural. But if you ask her to let slide the punishment of those who did wrong, you’d be undermining the fairness and justice she seeks. She won’t agree to it—she’ll only feel even more that you two are not cut from the same cloth."

Lin Lu slowly clenched his fists. Maybe he could still ask Jiang Ruotang to persuade Jian Sha.

"Don’t disturb Jiang Ruotang either. The fact that Jian Sha considers him a friend means they share the same values."

This time, Lin Lu started to panic. He looked at Bai Yingchuan earnestly. "Then... my father’s project... if... if the script is rewritten, would you still act in it?"

"I haven’t received his new script, so I can’t answer that question."

Lin Lu stared into Bai Yingchuan’s eyes—so calm it was unnerving.

He had a premonition that the issue with this project wasn’t as simple as copyright infringement. Like dominoes—the first tile had tipped, and the chain reaction might bring everything crashing down.

At noon, Jiang Ruotang followed Lu Guifan and Cai Ji to the cafeteria for the student meal.

Jian Sha had even teased Jiang Ruotang about it. "Young master, you’re used to eel rice and pricey executive lunches. Can you really go back to our student cafeteria?"

"Of course? Why not? Ten bucks for all-you-can-eat—can’t beat that!"

Behind Jiang Ruotang, Lu Guifan gave a faint smile.

Jian Sha said, "See? Even the class president doesn’t believe you."

Jiang Ruotang turned around. "Class president, tell them I’m low-maintenance."

"Who was it that told me they were very high-maintenance?" Lu Guifan shoulder-bumped Jiang Ruotang. "Take a tray and move forward."

Jiang Ruotang picked up a tray and looked down. The new cafeteria’s dishes were genuinely impressive—braised chicken feet with soybeans, beef stew with potatoes, three-delight stir-fry... Excited, Jiang Ruotang loaded up his plate.

He hadn’t had the chance to try the new cafeteria before due to various reasons, but now he could finally enjoy the student meal properly.

Zhao Zhangfeng was still eating his training diet. Seeing Jiang Ruotang’s mountain of food, he widened his eyes and immediately said, "You finish what you take. See the sign at the entrance? No wasting food—¥30 fine!"

"Huh?" Jiang Ruotang glanced down guiltily. "What about you? You’re just eating this rabbit food..."

"I’m not cleaning your plate for you... I’m on a bulk! Gotta eat scientifically!"

When it came to basketball, Zhao Zhangfeng had remarkable self-control.

Lu Guifan set down his tray and sat beside Jiang Ruotang.

"Class president, you’re eating so little?" Cai Ji leaned over to ask.

Lu Guifan gestured toward Jiang Ruotang with his chin. "Someone’s gotta be his backup, just in case."

Jian Sha wore a knowing look and gave Jiang Ruotang a meaningful glance. "Jiang Ruotang, you’re so lucky. No matter what happens, the class president has your back."

"Haha, guess I’ve got good people karma."

Their table was lively and cheerful. Jiang Ruotang took one bite of the spare ribs and immediately pulled a face.

Across from him, Cai Ji also scratched his curly mop. "These ribs are so sweet... I don’t like them either..."

"Really?" Lu Guifan replied mildly, swiping the ribs from Jiang Ruotang’s plate with his chopsticks.

Despite Jiang Ruotang’s picky eater palate, even he couldn’t stand overly sweet dishes.

Cai Ji looked at Lu Guifan with puppy-dog eyes. Zhao Zhangfeng couldn’t take it anymore and tapped the table in front of Cai Ji. "Cai Cai, you’re a big kid now."

"Huh?"

"Whatever you take, you finish—even if it’s through tears."

Jian Sha cracked up.

The table next to theirs was even livelier because Bai Yingchuan was sitting there.

Lin Lu was already swarmed by chatty classmates around him. He kept his head down, eating his meal.

Bai Yingchuan, meanwhile, chatted amiably with the students around him, eating as if he were shooting a teen drama.

For Lin Lu, the meal was like cardboard. He finished quickly and went to bus his tray.

Lu Guifan also nested his and Jiang Ruotang’s trays and carried them away.

Jiang Ruotang reached out. "Hey? I can return mine..."

"It’s fine. Go back to the classroom and take a nap."

At that moment, Jiang Ruotang felt distinctly looked after.

"Is this a special perk for being your deskmate?" Jiang Ruotang asked.

"Mhm, you could say that."

Lu Guifan turned and left.

Jian Sha propped her chin in hand. "Jiang Ruotang, you really are the class president’s favorite."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, the class president only eats the food you don’t like and only carries your tray," Cai Ji added, still fighting hiccups after eating a few overly sweet ribs.

According to the cafeteria rules, scraps had to be dumped into a large plastic bin before returning the trays to the collection window.

As Lu Guifan used his chopsticks to scrape off scraps, someone approached him from the opposite side.

Without looking up, Lu Guifan knew who it was. He spoke calmly, "Jiang Ruotang used to be infatuated with you."

The person across from him froze for a split second.

Lu Guifan continued, "I used to dislike that version of him—a reckless fool. But I never bad-mouthed you in front of him. Do you know why?"

Bai Yingchuan had never imagined he’d one day hear about Jiang Ruotang’s past infatuation from Lu Guifan’s mouth.

Just as he couldn’t understand what charm Lu Guifan held for Jiang Ruotang.

"Why?"

"Because if I said anything bad about you, he’d be hurt. So, Bai Yingchuan, don’t try to shake him or wound him to make yourself feel better. That way, you’ll never get close to him."

Bai Yingchuan looked at Lu Guifan, who had just delivered what amounted to a threat with such composure and calmness.

Through his glasses, Bai Yingchuan caught a glimpse of the other's eyes. In that moment, he seemed to understand why Jiang Ruotang liked to gaze at Lu Guifan.

The soft curve of his eyes carried the delicate grace of ink-brush artistry, while his deep amber irises shifted like sunlight through amber tea, changing with the light.

Slightly raising his gaze, his eyes flickered with unreadable emotion, evoking something subtle and profound.

Such theatrically expressive features were most likely to stir Jiang Ruotang's sentimental passion—even Bai Yingchuan himself was momentarily stunned.

Lu Guifan turned away, sliding both trays through the service window. As he brushed past Bai Yingchuan, he said coolly, "I understand him better than you do."

Bai Yingchuan stood there, pondering the endless implications of Lu Guifan's final words.

*I know Jiang Ruotang better than you.

I tolerate him, protect him more than you do. We share everything, understand each other without words.*

"Yingchuan? Bai Yingchuan, haven’t you finished with your tray yet?" A classmate's voice called from behind him.

Startled from his reverie, Bai Yingchuan quickly stepped aside to make room. "Sorry," he muttered.

At that moment, Bai Yingchuan realized Lu Guifan was a tougher opponent by far than he had imagined.

He had steel at his core and ice in his veins.

Bai Yingchuan couldn’t find his weak spot.

In Jiang Ruotang’s world, he had already lost.

Even last night, when he had asked that destabilizing question over the phone, he had been utterly defeated.

That evening, as soon as Bai Yingchuan returned home, he found Bai Yue perched rigidly on the sofa, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time.

Spread across the coffee table were stacks of financial documents. Under the lamplight, Bai Yue’s face took on a glacial porcelain sheen.

Her entire demeanor had turned sharp and tense.

She had already made up her mind.

"Mom," Bai Yingchuan called softly, walking over and dropping his backpack onto the floor beside the sofa.

"You were right. Who does Lin Chengdong think he is, to dictate the future of us mother and son? When I, Bai Yue, was at the height of my fame, he was still eating dirt."

Especially after recalling Lin Chengdong’s hysterical scene when he stormed into their home the other day, Bai Yue had been haunted by nightmares for several nights.

Not to mention how he had been pressuring her relentlessly these days, even resorting to threats to force her to set up a new studio to help him funnel film funds.

It was terrifying. If this ever came to light, Bai Yue would be the one held accountable. With such a staggering sum involved, she could be looking at life imprisonment, while Lin Chengdong walked free.

Backed into this corner, Bai Yue would rather lose a finger to take his whole hand!

This time, Bai Yingchuan chose to sit beside her. "As long as you’re willing to burn the boats, no one can ever use you as a tool again."

"But Yingchuan, you need to think carefully too. If we choose to oppose Lin Chengdong and fail to bring him down with this strike, he’ll likely retaliate viciously, making your life hell."

Bai Yingchuan gave a faint smile. "Both of us have good looks. Even if Lin Chengdong wants revenge, we'll always have admirers in high places."

Because he knew—once Bai Yue took this step, they could finally claw their way out of this swamp.

The next noon, the scandal Jiang Ruotang had been waiting for spread across the internet, quickly topping headlines like wildfire.

—Actress Bai Yue voluntarily reported herself to tax authorities, confessing that at the direction of Universe Pictures shareholder and executive Lin Chengdong, she had failed to report eight figures in taxes over three years—a shocking revelation.

According to Bai Yue, her first tax evasion was due to an investment failure that left her desperate to repay bank loans. She had planned to do it just once, intending to confess to the authorities once she earned enough money later. But subsequent investments also ended in ruin, forcing her to evade taxes again.

Thus began her downward spiral, sinking deeper and deeper into the mire.

Until recently, Bai Yue discovered that the PR firms Lin Chengdong had introduced to her were problematic, seemingly entangled in kickback schemes with executives from investor companies.

When Bai Yue tried to terminate cooperation with these firms, Lin Chengdong leveraged dummy contracts against her—not only that, but he also threatened to implicate Bai Yingchuan, demanding Bai Yue continue the transactions.

Unable to bear the threats, Bai Yue fought back, confessing everything to the tax authorities.

Reporters swarmed in, digging up every detail of Bai Yue’s investments, only to find they were all linked to Lin Chengdong. This fueled public speculation—had Lin Chengdong set a trap to drag Bai Yue down? Were all these investments just long cons, designed to bankrupt her into submission?