Chapter 129 Is Qu He a stand-in?
The image shows comments from netizens, which Tan Cong has organized in chronological order according to the time of their emergence, making it easy to understand.
#The oil painting in the background of Sister Yanshu's live stream is so beautiful! Even with only half of it visible, you can see the amazing painting skills. Did she paint it herself? It even looks like a little swallow.#
#Although only half of the swallow painting is visible, you can still tell the artist's skill is superb!#
#Looking for the original image; I want to use it as wallpaper.#
Soon, an account claiming to be a long-time fan of Yan Shu posted a complete picture.
Within the 24-inch frame, a black swallow leaps onto the paper, its wings slightly spread, lifelike, as if it is about to soar into the sky at any moment, yet it is bound by some invisible force.
The entire painting exudes a sense of unspoken storytelling, and the accompanying text is even more suggestive: "This was created by my sister when she was still studying in England, and it's said to be related to a very important Mr. Z in her life."
Because it was tagged with the topic "Successful", the live stream attracted a lot of viewers, even though it was late at night.
Yan Shu's fans, because of the rumored mysterious Mr. Z, left comments below, all hoping for some sweet moments.
The comments section was initially harmonious, until an anonymous comment quickly rose to the top: "Doesn't anyone else think that this swallow pattern is almost identical to the subtle pattern on Zhuang Bieyan's tie during today's live stream?"
The comment included a screenshot, a close-up of Zhuang Bieyan sitting down and unbuttoning his shirt during today's live stream, revealing his tie.
The light and shadow in the study fell perfectly on the tie, making the originally inconspicuous black patterns incredibly clear under the light reflection, with every detail closely matching the swallows in the oil painting.
Netizens clicked on the image, zoomed in for comparison, and the more they looked, the more similar it seemed.
[It's chilling to think about; I zoomed in and looked at it several times, and it really is almost identical.]
[Actually, I've always wanted to say that Yan Shu's gaze towards President Zhuang is really different! Last time President Zhuang was injured, she was so nervous that she pushed Qu He away. Is that normal?]
[Oh my god! Same subtle pattern, both studying in the UK, is it really such a coincidence?]
[Mr. Z, Zhuang Bieyan, isn't the first letter Z? Yan Shu's fans say that the very important mysterious person she has secretly loved for many years... could it be...?]
Friends, I've watched all the videos and photos of Zhuang Bieyan's interviews over the years, and almost every one of his ties has this pattern!
[Yan Shu's name contains the character "Yan"! So, is it because President Zhuang's tie always bears the shadow of someone else? Then what is Qu He? A stand-in? Or a mistress?]
[Hehe, thankfully I never ship couples online, it's obviously fake.]
The comments section exploded.
Speculation, doubt, sympathy, ridicule—all sorts of voices followed.
Some speculated whether Zhuang Bieyan had something going on with Yan Shu, some speculated whether he had cheated on her, and some felt sorry for Qu He being deceived and called her a mistress.
Everyone adopted a spectator's attitude, associating Zhuang Bieyan's name with another woman.
Zhuang Bieyan's jawline tightened as he looked at the malicious speculations and insults.
His heart clenched painfully, and he couldn't help but panic.
More than the speculations about his infidelity, he feared that these accusations would land on Qu He, and that she would react the same way she did last time after seeing these comments.
He immediately dialed Tan Cong's number.
The other end seemed to have been waiting, and the call was answered almost instantly.
"Remove all trending topics before dawn; I don't want to see any related entries."
He finished speaking coldly and without any emotion, "Also, find out who's behind pushing this trending topic. I want to know the whole story."
Tan Cong quickly agreed on the other end of the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Bieyan leaned on the glass railing with one hand and took a deep breath.
The bright neon streetlights in the distance made the night seem even more gloomy and inky, weighing heavily on one's heart and making it almost hard to breathe.
A cool breeze swept by, instantly enveloping him, but the restlessness in his heart lingered. Zhuang Bieyan felt as if something out of control was slowly slipping away.
He subconsciously raised his hand to loosen his tie, but then remembered that he was only wearing pajamas, so he gave up.
Feeling powerless and agitated, he looked at the flashing lights in the distance, and suddenly a scarlet dot flashed before his eyes. He reflexively flicked his thumb with his index finger.
I'm craving a cigarette.
The thought only crossed his mind for a moment before he resolutely clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white.
Just then, the cell phone rang, its sound particularly clear in the darkness.
It was an unfamiliar number.
But Zhuang Bieyan had a premonition.
The phone rang persistently, but automatically disconnected when no one answered.
But the people on the other end were very persistent, and they called back not long after.
This time, Zhuang Bieyan pressed the answer button a second before the ringtone automatically ended.
On the other end, Yan Shu's voice came through the night, tinged with anxiety, "Mr. Zhuang, I'm so sorry! I really didn't know that painting would be noticed, and I didn't expect everyone to make so many connections... I'll explain that none of this has anything to do with you..."
"It has nothing to do with me in the first place."
Zhuang Bieyan coldly interrupted her, not even bothering to discern the truth or falsehood in her words.
Yan Shu's words were suddenly interrupted, her voice tinged with a moist and humble sob: "Yes, you're right, it's all my fault, I've caused you trouble again."
"Yan Shu." He called her name without the slightest emotion: "You are no longer suitable to stay in Beicheng."
"No! No, Mr. Zhuang!"
Yan Shu panicked instantly, her expression filled with genuine terror.
She seemed to know what he was about to say and pleaded urgently, "Mr. Zhuang, I was wrong! Please don't send me back to England! You promised me one thing, you promised me, Mr. Zhuang, please!"
"Promises and demands are only made to those who know their limits."
Zhuang Bieyan remained unmoved, instead becoming even more stern: "You have no credibility with me anymore. Starting tomorrow, I will withdraw all my investments in you, and I will take back all your resources and connections in China until you are willing to return to England on your own initiative."
Yan Shu's voice turned low, filled with despair and resentment as she questioned, "Why? Just because of a painting that was accidentally revealed? Why can't you give me another chance? You know how much I've sacrificed to get to where I am today!"
Zhuang Bieyan glanced at his watch, his patience wearing thin, and his tone grew even colder, "I'm not discussing this with you. Remember, the next time I answer the phone, I'll assume it's you who decided which request to use."
A long silence fell on the other end of the phone, with only suppressed, heavy breathing heard, as if in a final struggle.
Finally, a voice, almost squeezed out through clenched teeth, rang out: "...Okay."
Zhuang Bieyan hung up the phone without any hesitation.
The cold screen went dark.
The image clearly reflected Yan Shu's expression at that moment; that pitiful look had vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost distorted, self-mocking sneer.
She casually tossed her phone onto the table, wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes, and completely erased the traces of her expression from tonight.
Lazy footsteps came from behind her, and then a man wearing only a bathrobe wrapped himself around her from behind and pulled her into his arms.
The bathrobe straps were ripped open and pulled down from her shoulders, and a kiss of desire landed on her neck and shoulders.
The man's voice was mocking and impatient: "Beautiful lady from Yan University, I've done you such a big favor, pushing the trending topics so well. Now it's time for me to get a taste of the rewards, right? I've been waiting for so long."
A cool breeze slipped in through the balcony door, causing a shiver to run through me.
Yan Shu turned around, and the humility she had shown just moments before was gone from her eyes.
She lightly lifted the man's chin, her red lips parted slightly, "Zhuang Bieyan has gone to great lengths to suppress the trending topics. Do you think you can outdo him? Don't end up getting yourself into trouble!"
The man grasped her restless hand, pressing it down against the heat throbbing beneath her bathrobe, and chuckled heavily, "So what if Zhuang Bieyan is powerful? This is my territory. Even a mighty dragon can't suppress a local snake! Don't worry, he'll have his hands full."
After saying that, he bent down, picked up Yan Shu, and carried her to the bed. "Tonight, the only one who can pin me down is you!"
The bathrobe lay disheveled on the floor as the heavy night descended.
Only the two cell phones on the table remained, emitting a faint glow.
One of them was still logged into the Weibo posting interface, and the account name was the one that first posted the full picture of the oil painting and hinted at Mr. Z, the so-called old fan of Yan Shu.
A gust of wind blew by, causing the window curtains to sway and vaguely revealing intertwined figures on the bed.
Another gust of wind swept across the balcony, ruffling Zhuang Bieyan's hair.
He leaned on the railing with both hands, letting the night wind blow through his hair and into his nerves.
There is only darkness before my eyes.
This was the first time he felt a sense of apprehension towards the night he usually controlled.
An inexplicable panic spread from the bottom of my heart to my whole body, making it almost impossible to breathe.
He wanted to escape this feeling, so he turned around, but suddenly froze on the spot.
In the shadows of the hallway leading from the living room to the bedroom, Qu He stood quietly, unnoticed.
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