Chapter 76: Lin Yuqing in Trouble

Regarding their mockery, Xia Yu had no desire to respond. After all, in his eyes, they were nothing more than a bunch of insignificant clowns; their opinions meant nothing to him, so long as Zhao Sijie understood him.

Yet, his silence was interpreted by the others as a sign of guilt, and they felt secretly triumphant.

"What a shame—a beautiful flower wasted on a pile of dung."

"Yeah, if only I’d met Sijie earlier, I wouldn’t have stood aside and let this loser get lucky!"

A few boys huddled together, whispering among themselves.

They arrived at the Elegant Pavilion on the second floor, and as soon as they stepped inside, someone exclaimed in awe.

"No wonder this is the top villa in Shen City—it’s stunning."

The private room was adorned in a classically elegant style, understated but luxurious, with windows on three sides. Standing at the windowsill, the splendid scenery outside was laid out before their eyes.

Many took out their phones to snap selfies and show off their high-class experience on social media.

"Excuse me, everyone, may I ask what you’d like to order?" Two staff members stood respectfully by the door.

The group quieted, looking to Wu Tian.

Wu Tian knew the price of every dish here might be exorbitant, so he didn’t dare make a rash choice. Trying to appear calm, he said, "Some of us haven’t arrived yet. Let’s wait until everyone’s here before ordering."

"Very well. If you need anything, please let us know." The servers withdrew.

The group became lively again, speculating eagerly, "What’s Wang Dong up to these days?"

"To invite us here for dinner, he must be worth several million by now?"

"Hard to say—he’s well-educated and has overseas experience. Surely top companies are fighting over him."

"Rich, handsome, and capable—he really was our idol."

"I can't wait to see him!"

Xia Yu, standing aside, watched the girls swoon and couldn’t help but smile to himself. The wealthy truly stand out wherever they go.

Meanwhile, in the eyes of others, he was just a lowly driver, as if even his breathing was a mistake.

No one knew when Wang Dong would arrive, so they dared not order food. Someone suggested they go out for a walk and take more photos, returning when everyone was present.

The proposal was unanimously approved, and they dispersed freely.

Xia Yu and Zhao Sijie also walked outside, stopping in a sanctuary where peach blossoms were in full bloom.

"Sijie, let’s take a picture together to remember this day. Come to think of it, we’ve never had a photo together," Zhao Sijie said, playfully.

"Alright, whatever you say," Xia Yu replied, shaking his head with a smile.

……

Lin Yuqing returned to the office from the construction site, sweat-soaked hair sticking to her forehead. Unlike Lin Yuxin, she wasn’t so high and mighty as to need a secretary to attend her.

Leaning back in her chair, she drank a glass of water and pulled out her phone for a break.

When she scrolled to Zhao Sijie’s post on social media, she froze.

It was a photo of Zhao Sijie and Xia Yu together, both smiling naturally and sweetly, seeming genuinely happy.

She stared blankly at the two photos for a full five minutes, her eyes stinging, tears silently wetting her cheeks.

She felt a pang in her heart, setting her phone aside in despair.

‘Why? Didn’t I already decide to wish them well?’

"Why do I still care so much? Yuqing, he’s so important to you, but it was you who pushed him away..."

She buried her face in her hands, tormented and unwilling to let go. She hated how suddenly it all happened, catching her off guard.

She had secretly hoped, perhaps he was waiting for her...

She knew it was selfish, but he had confessed to liking her—why was he so quick to accept Sijie?

"Yu, how long has it been since you reached out to me? I... I miss you..."

Eventually, her tears flowed uncontrollably. These days, she’d spent time with Li Hao and realized she simply couldn’t like him; her feelings were more of gratitude.

He had helped her so much, but gratitude wasn’t love. She regretted listening to her parents and giving him a chance, letting the man she truly loved slip away. Yet it seemed everything was now irretrievable.

"Am I really just going to miss out like this..."

At that moment, the office door sounded. She hurriedly wiped away her tears, composed herself, and called out, "Come in."

Her secretary entered. "President Lin, have you... seen the news?"

"What’s going on?" Lin Yuqing asked, puzzled.

"There’s... a report about you. Maybe you should see for yourself," said the secretary. "It’s already trending online."

"Hmm?"

Lin Yuqing pulled out her phone, checking the trending topics, and sure enough, her name was there.

"Rising star streamer Lin Yuqing, with over twenty million fans across three major platforms, climbs the ranks."

……

"Deep dive on pure streamer Lin Yuqing—secretly a manipulative schemer?"

"Streamer's innocent persona collapses—her real identity is..."

Lin Yuqing felt as though she’d been stripped bare; her family background and boyfriend were all exposed, followed by a series of edited stories that sounded convincing.

As a streamer, Lin Yuqing had always presented herself as ‘Brother Yang’s’ pure girl persona to her fans, yet it turned out she was a privileged heiress, elevated by her wealthy boyfriend.

This sharply contradicted her established image, causing an uproar online. The flood of insults rivaled the infamous Li Xiaolu scandal.

"This..."

Lin Yuqing stood up in panic. "How... how could this happen?"

"I don’t know the specifics, but everyone in the company knows now. President Lin, maybe you should contact the media company and find out what’s going on. If this spreads, I’m worried it’ll affect our business," the secretary replied.

"I... I’ll go over there right away." Lin Yuqing grabbed her purse and hurried out.

.....

At this moment, Xia Yu and Lin Yuqing were still at the Fence Villa, enjoying the scenery.

"Wang Dong should have arrived. Let’s go back, or we’ll be late and get scolded," Zhao Sijie said after checking the time.

Xia Yu nodded, and as they headed back, they suddenly saw Lily and her friends on the lawn, taking photos and laughing.

These women were clearly dressed to impress, each one striking and sexy, wearing revealing clothes that easily attracted attention.

Xia Yu noticed two young men swaggering over toward them.

"Hey, beauties, just you here? How about we join you for some fun—I know this place well," said one youth with an earring, smirking.

"Who are you? Why should we play with you? Get lost," Lily replied disdainfully. Had he been a rich, handsome guy, she might have considered it, but he looked like some hooligan sneaking in, too unruly for her taste.

Besides, they’d just learned Wang Dong was single; meeting him might present an opportunity, so at this stage, they had no interest in entertaining other men.

"Feisty, aren’t you? Come on, don’t be like that, let’s make friends," the youth persisted, grinning as he moved closer...