Lawsuit
Think it through before you answer.
This is your first and last chance. It also means you need to rethink the risks and benefits of this marriage. After all, what happened today has indirectly affected your company's daily operations and image. Since you are already engaged, any losses will be borne by both of you.
“That person is my cousin’s wife. I haven’t seen my brother for several years. A few years ago, he suddenly said he was going to study abroad, but he didn’t tell me where he was going. He rarely replied to messages and it was hard for him to answer the phone. Every time I asked him, he would just say that he was doing well over there and that I shouldn’t worry. I could only video chat with my brother once, but the video call would be interrupted every time because of the bad signal overseas. I had no idea that he was married and had a child. When I saw my cousin’s wife yesterday, I was both surprised and happy, but, but my cousin’s wife said that my brother passed away a few days ago.”
Chen Peiyuan, with pale lips and red eyes, looked as if he were both crying and laughing. In the end, he even shed a tear.
You covered your mouth in surprise, never expecting such a reason. You knew that Chen Peiyuan had a cousin who was as close as a brother to him. The two were so close that they were practically inseparable. It was said that Chen Peiyuan had experienced a kidnapping when he was a child, and his cousin bravely broke into the criminal gang's hideout to rescue him. The two of them were covered in blood when they escaped, and they were unconscious when the police arrived. They were taken to the ambulance on a stretcher by paramedics. This incident caused a sensation throughout H City, and the news was later blocked. After that, you saw the two of them being as close as brothers. The cousin would do anything for Chen Peiyuan, even if it was the stars in the sky.
"So what happened to you this morning?"
"My sister-in-law suddenly cut her wrists in the bathroom at home. The neighbors were attracted by the sound of the child crying and found my sister-in-law lying in the blood. When I heard the news, I rushed over. The doctor said that she was no longer in danger, but was still unconscious. He said that she would not be fully awake for several hours. I waited until my sister-in-law woke up before I came back."
After listening, you were speechless for a moment, unsure of what expression to make. The anger in your heart had dissipated considerably while he was speaking, and it was even lessened when he mentioned his cousin's death. When he talked about his cousin's wife, you felt both anxious and heartbroken. You breathed a sigh of relief when he finally said that everything was alright. Only then did you notice the changes in him: his hair was disheveled, his usually clean white shirt was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, his clothes were folded and wrinkled in many places, his tie was crooked and drooping carelessly on his shoulder, and his trousers had lost their shape, with mud spots and water stains on the cuffs. He looked as pitiful as a homeless person.
You noticed him constantly moistening his chapped lips as he spoke, so you figured he hadn't had any water all day and decided to get up and pour him a glass.
As soon as you stood up, he rushed over and grabbed your hand, looking at you anxiously. "Lanlan, where did you go? I told you, I told you everything. You have to believe my Lanlan."
Seeing him like this, you sighed inwardly and couldn't bear to say anything to him. "Let go of my hand first. I'm just going to get you a glass of water. I saw you were licking your lips the whole time. You haven't had any water all day, have you?"
Chen Peiyuan shook his head and refused. Helpless, you dragged him to the kitchen, poured him a glass of water, watched him drink it, and then dragged him to the sofa to sit down. Seeing how closely he stayed by your side, you sighed again.
"So what are you going to do next?" Whether to explain or stand up and fight back, you looked at him, watching the argument outside getting more and more heated. Shengye Group's stock would definitely decline tomorrow. Now that Chen Peiyuan has suffered such a change, you don't know what he will do. But no matter what, you can't abandon him at this time, especially looking at him like this. It would be too cold-blooded to just leave him alone.
Chen Peiyuan had just finished a glass of water to moisten his throat, looking as if he couldn't live without you. He lowered his head and looked down, but when he looked up again, his eyes were as black as ink. His sadness had faded, and he no longer had the vulnerable look he had just shown. There was no smile, and he looked like he was determined to win.
"I will not let them get away with this."
Seeing him like this, you breathed a slight sigh of relief. Thankfully, the cunning side of Chen Peiyuan that you knew was back.
9 p.m.
It was during post-dinner entertainment time, and people were receiving trending posts from a certain blog.
Shengye Group responded.
This entry quickly topped the trending list and went viral.
Solemn Declaration
Regarding the rumors circulating online today about "the young master's secret rendezvous with a woman in red," our company hereby issues the following solemn statement:
1. Our company's general manager has only one engaged wife, @陈陈陈lan, and is only loyal to her. There are no other romantic relationships. The online rumors such as "a late-night rendezvous with a woman in red", "the prince's lover", and "engagement in name only" are all fabrications and distortions of the facts.
2. It has been learned that the woman in red is a cousin of our company's general manager. The actual situation was a family dinner, and there was a third person present, who is our company's general manager's mother. Now, a screenshot has been maliciously taken and fabricated to show an intimate photo of him and his girlfriend, and his identity as a lover has been fabricated.
3. Regarding the malicious rumors spread by the newspaper, which were fabricated and maliciously disseminated, our company has collected evidence of the false statements made by infringing users and other infringing entities. We will file lawsuits against the newspaper and the user who published this entry in accordance with the law. We will never tolerate any behavior that distorts the facts and illegally spreads rumors!
4. Our company hereby calls on all netizens to use the internet rationally and consciously resist online rumors.
Shengshi Industrial Group Co., Ltd.
This statement caused a stir online, with some people watching the drama unfold and others feeling uneasy.
You weren't interested in this situation. You urged Chen Peiyuan to take a shower, and then you went into the kitchen to show off your skills. Chen Peiyuan looked at you with concern before entering the room, but you just smiled and said, "You can't cook a big meal, but surely you can make noodles?"
It seems, it seems I really don't know how. You stand in front of the stove, looking at the black, unidentified object in the pot with worry. It's emitting some unknown gas and looks like it's inedible. The noodles were clearly separate before they went into the water, and you followed the instructions exactly. Why is it different from the picture?
"Pfft!" Chen Peiyuan chuckled as he stood at the kitchen doorway. You glared at him, and he quickly covered his mouth, though his eyes were still half-closed, clearly still chuckling.
After you've laughed enough, he'll walk in and gently push you out, telling you to go to the bathroom to take a shower while he cleans up, and that you'll have something to eat when you come out.
When you come out of the bathroom, he has already brought out two bowls of noodles and placed them on the table. When you go closer, you see that they are tomato and egg noodles. Each bowl has a poached egg on top and is sprinkled with green onions. The soup and noodles look very appetizing, and you can't help but swallow your saliva just by smelling the aroma.
Once you take a bite, the familiar taste and texture are smooth all the way from your mouth to your stomach. It's so delicious! When you poke the poached egg, a strand of deep yellow egg liquid slowly flows out. It's still runny and blends into the soup. It's so delicious that you can fly to heaven.
Being able to eat a bowl of noodles like this on a rainy night is incredibly comforting.
I can't help but sigh, your cooking skills are indeed inferior to Chen Peiyuan's; I have to admit defeat.
Chen Peiyuan sat across from you watching you eat, as if he were eating as well.
"Don't look at me, you eat too." Seeing him looking at you, you quickly urged him to eat as well.
After dinner, you're scrolling through your phone on the sofa, noticing that most of the public opinion has calmed down.
Xiao Li said that the impact on the company is not significant at present, but it has attracted a wave of fans who are good-looking.
You are currently quite satisfied with this result.
Most people were discussing how gratifying the result was, and some netizens even expressed their admiration for Chen Peiyuan's feelings for her.
Seeing this, you're completely bewildered, with the same kind of confusion you'd feel as an old man on the subway looking at his phone.
They could still bump into each other even though they didn't do anything.
"Lanlan, what are you looking at? Why do you have that expression?"
Chen Peiyuan wiped his hands clean, sat down next to you, and looked at your strange expression. He asked you something that sounded funny.
Upon seeing this, you quickly put your phone away.
"It's nothing, just some work-related stuff. By the way, are you going back about your brother's matter?"
Afraid that he would continue asking questions, you quickly changed the subject.
Upon hearing this, Chen Peiyuan nodded dejectedly, and the atmosphere soared once again.
"Lanlan, can you come back with me? Just consider it as accompanying me on this trip."
He hooks his arm around yours, and you nod in agreement, thinking of it as going back to meet your relatives ahead of time.
Chen Peiyuan was overjoyed to see that you had agreed, and in his excitement, he gripped your hand tightly.
You glanced at him casually as he hooked his little finger around yours. For some reason, ever since you got engaged, he's become more and more fond of holding your hand or touching your shoulder. Every time he does, your body trembles. If he doesn't like touching other people's skin, why is he forcing himself to do it? Could he have some kind of psychological problem?
"Lanlan, do you want to hear about me and my cousin?"
Under the warm light, Chen Peiyuan smiled and held your hands, looking at you expectantly. His well-defined face softened under the light, and even his eyes became soft and moist, like a puppy waiting to be petted by its owner.
You nod. Chen Peiyuan is in high spirits tonight, probably because the events of the past two days have stimulated him, making him extremely eager to talk.
"Okay, I'll tell you. My cousin is two years older than me. Back then, my parents were busy, so he was the only one who played with me. You know my father; he was only concerned with making money and spent very little time at home. My mother went out shopping or traveling every day. Only the nanny and a few cleaning ladies kept me company. My cousin saw how pitiful I was, so he played with me. I followed him up and down mountains and down to the sea to catch fish. Those days were really happy. But actually, I didn't like him at all when I was little because I was jealous of him. I was jealous that he had good parents who could come home on time every day to watch TV, play, and supervise his homework. At that time, I both hated him and loved his company. I was so lonely."
"But then during that kidnapping, the kidnappers almost stabbed me in the neck with a knife. He suddenly appeared through the window, kicked away their knife, picked me up, and ran away. I thought I was going to die. I didn't expect him to come and save me all by himself. He was only two years older than me, and he was not afraid to die because he had practiced martial arts since he was a child. But he actually managed to save me. He was stabbed twice by the kidnappers while protecting me. He thought I didn't know, but I knew very well. So much blood was flowing out of his body, like a waterfall. I cried and tried to stop it, but I couldn't. Fortunately, the police came in the end, but he could never practice martial arts again after that."
Chen Peiyuan smiled bitterly. His cousin was such a wonderful person. If it weren't for this incident, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way. He still remembered the moment the doctor told him that his ligaments were torn and he wouldn't be able to lift heavy objects even after the injury healed. His cousin's face was ashen. No one present dared to look at his face. The result was heartbreaking, and those who had this outcome suffered even more. But his cousin still smiled and comforted him, saying that he was fine. When he stepped out of the room, he heard his cousin's suppressed sobs. He covered his mouth and cried out as well. How could he not be sad?
You open your arms and look at him. "Do you want a hug? My mom says that when someone is sad, what they need most is a hug from a friend. Although we're not exactly friends, I'm the only person you have right now, and I'd like to offer you some comfort with this hug."
Before you could finish speaking, he hugged you, resting his head on your shoulder. The force with which he rushed at you almost knocked you onto the sofa. Luckily, you braced yourself with your hand. When his masculine scent enveloped you, you visibly froze. You had never hugged a man so closely before. Although you felt extremely uncomfortable, you couldn't take back what you had said. You felt a dampness on your shoulder; he was crying. You could only raise your hand and tentatively pat his back to comfort him, which earned you an even tighter hug in return.
You awkwardly say, "Just this once, okay?"
He hummed in agreement.
The living room quieted down.
For a long time, only the two shadows on the ground, tightly embracing each other, grew longer and longer as the light shone on them.
The rain outside the window has stopped, with only one or two cicada chirps echoing in the distance.
Summer seems to have arrived.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
