READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 23 - I was just saying
The video had ended, leaving the living room in a dead silence.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know,” Wen Zhao looked down at Su Mengyao, her expression icy. “The perspective is clear. You did this. Now, do you still need to ask why I’m treating you this way? You made the entire internet turn against me. Tell me, how should I deal with you?”
Su Mengyao shivered but felt a strange sense of relief now that she had managed to send out what she wanted. After all, Wen Zhao’s evil deeds were now exposed to the public eye. Surely, with so many unseen eyes watching her, she wouldn’t dare to act rashly.
With that thought, she stopped trembling and gained the courage to talk to her. She took a deep breath. “Wen Zhao.”
“What? No more calling me ‘Master’?” Wen Zhao’s smile was mocking, her dark eyes seemingly able to see right through her.
“I’m not your slave, Wen Zhao,” Su Mengyao had had enough. Every time she called her ‘Master,’ she felt degraded. “What you’re doing is wrong! You can’t keep making mistakes. Yes, I recorded that video!”
As she shouted out, she felt a sense of vindication. No matter how powerful Wen Zhao was, she was finally brought down.
“Let me and Xianting go now.” She held her head high, her eyes firm. “Don’t wait until the police come for you, because by then, it’ll be too late!”
Wen Zhao stared at her and couldn’t help but laugh. “Then let’s wait for the police.”
After speaking, she turned and left.
At the stairway, the butler stood quietly, his tall and straight figure half-hidden in the shadows and half-bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window.
He held Wen Zhao’s phone, his face wearing a perfectly appropriate smile that seemed unshakeable.
“Boss, you have a call,” he stepped forward, fully entering the light.
She took the phone from him. It was Xianting’s mother calling. She glanced back at Su Mengyao still on the floor and gave her a malicious smile before answering and even turning on the speakerphone.
“Mom, why do you have time to call me?” Her tone was cheerful, as if she were in a good mood.
“Zhao Zhao, how have you and Xianting been these past few days?” Mrs. Gu’s voice hesitated, likely having seen the viral video and heard the rumors.
“We just video-called you with Xianting yesterday, didn’t we?” She seemed puzzled. “Did something happen?”
“Yesterday, Ruoxian came home and showed us a video. It’s been spreading wildly online. Have you seen it?”
A few meters away, Su Mengyao opened her mouth to shout, “Auntie—”
But her shout was muffled as the man in front of her clamped his hand over her mouth. The butler’s polite smile didn’t waver, but his eyes were cold. “Miss Su, please be quiet and don’t disturb our boss.”
She struggled, desperate to scream and let Mrs. Gu know that everything in the video was true.
Wen Zhao watched her face turn red from exertion and lack of oxygen, then said, “What video are you talking about? I was so tired last night. I just woke up. Send it to me. I’ll go wake up Xianting, and we’ll call you back.”
With that, she started climbing the stairs.
Su Mengyao watched helplessly as Wen Zhao disappeared at the top of the stairs, collapsing in defeat. She stopped struggling, seemingly resigned to her fate.
The butler released his grip, stood up, and methodically wiped his hand with a handkerchief. Su Mengyao, enraged, asked, “Why are you aiding such evil? You know what you’re doing is wrong!”
The butler chuckled, “Right or wrong doesn’t matter to me. As long as it’s something the boss wants to do, I’ll help her accomplish it.”
Ignoring her attempts to lecture him, the butler glanced at the unconscious Gu Xianting, whose handsome face was now battered and bruised from the previous day’s beating. With a look of disdain, he turned and followed Wen Zhao.
His footsteps on the stairs were measured, each step precise.
Su Mengyao seethed with anger but could do nothing.
The butler reached Wen Zhao’s side. She was sitting by the window, the phone buzzing with missed calls and unread messages.
“Do you need me to have the video taken down?” the butler asked.
“No need,” she replied calmly.
“Letting those rumors spread will be bad for you,” the butler said, concerned.
Wen Zhao sneered. “Better to kill a snake than to let it live and bite you. It’s better to strike hard once and for all.”
He realized she wasn’t just referring to Su Mengyao. “Have you prepared what I asked for?” She asked.
“Yes, everything is ready,” he replied.
“Good. Leave me alone for a bit,” she said.
“Yes, Boss,” he responded, bowing slightly before leaving the room. He paused briefly at the door, watching her rub her forehead, showing a rare hint of vulnerability.
He quietly closed the door and entered the next room.
Wen Zhao sat quietly for a moment, then took out another phone from her desk drawer—it was Gu Xianting’s.
She activated the screen. “You’re a system, right? You used to punish me, helped Su Mengyao escape, and now you’re in my hands. What else can you do?”
The system, unable to play dead, responded with text on the screen.
[I’m just a regular auxiliary system. I don’t kill, steal, commit crimes, or aid evil.]
“Is that so?” She seemed disappointed. “Looks like you can’t help me then.”
The system felt almost smug.
[You had a great opportunity, but you chose not to listen. If you had just accepted the tasks and worked to redeem yourself, you might have found true love and reached the pinnacle of life by now.]
“Really?” Her face showed no emotion.
[Yes! But it’s not too late. If you stop now, forgive and redeem the main characters, and sincerely apologize, you still have a chance to be redeemed.]
Her shoulders shook as if she were crying.
[There’s still time to repent…]
“Hahaha…” she laughed, her cat-like eyes gleaming. “Repent? Apologize? Beg?”
The system, taken aback, was furious.
[Wen Zhao! You’re truly incorrigible! You wasted…]
The text paused briefly.
[You wasted a second chance at life!]
“Did you know?” Her voice was calm. “In my past life, when the truth about Su Mengyao and Gu Xianting first came to light, people sympathized with me and thought I was pitiful. Just like now. The difference is, now I have the label of being evil. People only believe what they want to believe.”
【So what now?】
“So, if you’re useless, I’ll just throw those two into the sea to feed the fish, then turn myself in to the police,” she said calmly.
The system was horrified.
【Why do you always threaten me! First, you used the male lead’s life to make me unbind, then the female lead’s life to get me into this phone, and now you’re threatening me with both of their lives!】
“An old trick that still works. Your weakness is just too easy to exploit,” she said, having initially tried to threaten the system on a whim.
She never expected the system to care so much about Gu Xianting’s life. Once someone has a weakness and the opponent holds it, it’s truly unfortunate.
【What do you want!】
She smiled. The wicked supporting character had won again.
In Gu’s house far away in Licheng, the atmosphere was tense.
“Mom, what are you waiting for? I’ve confirmed the video is real and unaltered. Wen Zhao really hit Xianting,” Gu Ruoxian said, frustrated.
“I talked to Zhao Zhao. She said she’d call me with Xianting later,” Gu’s mother, Chen Shan, said, annoyed with her daughter. “Ruoxian, you grew up with Zhao Zhao and Xianting. We know Zhao Zhao’s feelings for him. She wouldn’t hurt him without reason. You’re overreacting to a single video.”
“Mom!” Gu Ruoxian was exasperated. The evidence was clear, but her mother was in denial.
“And you’ve been too close to that woman, Su Mengyao. You should support your brother, not team up with outsiders against Zhao Zhao. Do you think that’s appropriate?” Chen Shan said. She usually didn’t interfere, but she wasn’t naive.
Gu Ruoxian was stunned, not expecting to be blamed. “Mom, Mengyao is a good person, not what you think…”
“Enough, both of you,” Gu’s father interrupted, sitting on the sofa. “Ruoxian, you’re smart, but don’t treat everyone else as fools.”
He understood his ambitious daughter well. She didn’t genuinely like Su Mengyao but saw her as advantageous.
He sighed, regretting not realizing sooner that his daughter’s elite upbringing had skewed her. If only he hadn’t shifted her focus to being a socialite after Xianting was born.
Ruoxian’s face turned pale at her father’s words.
She told herself to endure. She couldn’t let Wen Zhao win after all her efforts.
She had more than just this video. If one wasn’t enough, she’d release more until she was ruined.
“I’m leaving,” she said, grabbing her bag and storming out.
She didn’t want to stay in a place that no longer felt like home.
Rushing out, she nearly collided with Jiang Xinyan.
“Ruoxian?” Jiang Xinyan called out, surprised.
She paused, wiping her face before turning around with a smile. “Aunt Jiang, sorry, I was lost in thought and didn’t see you.”
“Why are you going out so late?” she asked, puzzled.
The night hid Ruoxian’s true feelings. “There’s an emergency at the company. I have to go. What about you?”
“I’m here to see your mother. You’ve probably seen the news online,” she sighed.
Ruoxian, still seething from the confrontation, didn’t know what to say.
“Zhao Zhao has a temper and can’t take provocation. If someone reckless gets involved, who knows what she might do,” Jiang Xinyan said, concerned. Though she was talking about Zhao Zhao, Ruoxian felt the warning was aimed at her.
“We don’t know the whole story yet, but I believe Zhao Zhao isn’t like that. Aunt Jiang, I have to go. Let’s talk later,” Ruoxian said, leaving.
She watched her go, her smile fading briefly before resuming her calm demeanor and heading to the Gu house.
When she arrived, the Gu parents had just finished arguing about Ruoxian. Chen Shan thought her husband had been too harsh, while he believed she was too lenient.
“I contacted Zhao Zhao. She said she’d video call with Xianting later,” Chen Shan said, looking at Jiang Xinyan, her feelings complicated.
Seeing the video, anyone would be unsettled. But the Wen family wasn’t small, and Chen Shan knew Zhao Zhao well. The beaten person had to be Su Mengyao.
Chen Shan wasn’t entirely forgiving, but she knew her son must have done something to anger her. Besides, why was Su Mengyao there on their honeymoon?
“Probably not a big deal. The kids can handle it,” Jiang Xinyan said, trying to appear calm but feeling uneasy. She knew her daughter well and had an idea of the real situation.
She couldn’t understand how Zhao Zhao had let the video get out and not taken it down. What was she planning?
“Xinyan, I have an idea,” Chen Shan said after hesitating. “I’m worried Xianting might do something foolish. You know about Su Mengyao. I think we should go there ourselves. It’s too far to just wait.”
Jiang Xinyan’s heart sank. “Let’s ask Zhao Zhao first.”
“Okay, let’s ask her,” Chen Shan said, but she was determined to go herself. She wasn’t reassured by the video showing Xianting unable to walk. She needed to know what had happened.
Jiang Xinyan glanced at the clock. It was already 8 PM. What was Zhao Zhao doing now?
On the island, night had fallen.
The butler gently pushed open the study door. Inside, the lights were bright.
Wen Zhao was asleep on the desk.
She had barely slept the night before.
He quietly approached and bent down, speaking softly, “Boss, wake up. Don’t sleep here.”
She only frowned but didn’t wake up.
He gently lifted her, carrying her to the bedroom.
She seemed to recognize his familiar scent, burying her face in his neck, showing no signs of waking.
He laid her on the bed and tried to pull his hand away, but she held on.
Surprised, he froze. In the dim light, her features were even more delicate and beautiful, her usual fierce expression softened in sleep.
His gaze lingered on her face, his perfect calm cracking slightly. He tried to pull his hand away, but she suddenly tugged him closer.
Caught off guard, he nearly fell on her, barely catching himself.
Their faces were inches apart.
His heartbeat quickened, his composed demeanor breaking for the first time.
Wen Zhao opened her eyes and looked directly at him.
“Your eyes are gray,” she said suddenly.
The butler quickly regained his composure, pulling his hand away and straightening his uniform. “My apologies for the impropriety.”
She waved it off. “Was that your special wake-up call?”
His ears turned red, but he quickly regained his calm. “I apologize for overstepping.”
She asked, “What time is it?”
He lifted his arm and glanced at his watch. “8:32.”
“I told you to wake me at 8:30, didn’t I?” She sat up, her bare feet ready to touch the ground when the butler knelt on one knee to put shoes on her with care.
“You didn’t sleep well last night, and I tried to wake you, but you seemed very tired.” He followed her out, apologizing, “Sorry, I acted on my own.”
“Forget it this time,” she said without much fuss. “Bring me what I asked for earlier.”
“Yes, Boss.” He breathed a sigh of relief.
Wen Zhao went downstairs, and after she had eaten, she had Su Mengyao and Gu Xianting brought up.
By this time, Su Mengyao had lost her earlier bravado, and Gu Xianting, although awake, was weak from his injuries.
“As you wished, many people are now looking for me to give an explanation,” she said to Su Mengyao.
Su Mengyao froze for a moment, then looked away in fear. She no longer naively believed that she could manipulate her. This woman was completely lawless and fearless!
“Instead of that, I have a video I’d like you to watch,” Wen Zhao said as the butler, who had gone to retrieve something, came to her side.
Su Mengyao and Gu Xianting were forced to watch a video in which they themselves starred.
The plot was about a scumbag and a bitch who eloped and cheated behind the wife’s back, plotting to ruin the wife and leave her with nothing. The wife, in anger, had the scumbag’s leg broken. Despite this, the scumbag and the bitch continued their flirtation under the wife’s nose, leading the wife to slap the scumbag and take revenge on the third party.
From the beginning of the video, Su Mengyao had a bad feeling. When she saw herself in the video admitting that she knew Gu Xianting had a fiancée and that they had a good relationship, she intentionally approached him, and her face turned pale.
If this video was released, those who were cursing Wen Zhao online would immediately turn on her, ruining her reputation! She would be publicly shamed!
Gu Xianting looked back at Su Mengyao in disbelief.
His first reaction was that she was lying, that this couldn’t be true! Although he knew now that Su Mengyao wasn’t as innocent as she seemed and had her little schemes, he found them harmless. She was just too in love with him.
But hearing all this directly, even with his strong rose-colored view of true love, he felt a slight shift.
“Was it on purpose when you made my car hit you?” He asked hoarsely, his voice dry from not speaking much all day.
After being knocked out by the butler yesterday and waking up to Wen Zhao quietly recounting the past, he had felt a pang of discomfort.
This unfamiliar emotion, which he thought was guilt, had crept in because he had indeed deceived Wen Zhao for five years.
Su Mengyao’s mind was in chaos. “I had no choice. I was desperate!”
“So you schemed against me?” He felt something shatter inside him.
“Xianting, why can’t you understand me?” She was agitated by his questioning. “It was so long ago. It happened. Can’t we just move on?”
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned back to the video. It had ended, the final frame showing her pitiful face.
He knew Su Mengyao was right. Five years had passed, and despite how they started, he was sure he loved her. But he felt like a thorn had lodged in his heart.
“Your business, you can settle it later.” Wen Zhao coldly interrupted their argument. “Now, tell me, are you satisfied with what you saw?”
Su Mengyao bit her lip, trying to keep from trembling.
“Su Mengyao, isn’t this video much clearer and more comprehensive than the one you secretly recorded?” She smirked. “The previous video makes a perfect preview for this one.”
“No!” Su Mengyao instinctively pleaded, her eyes full of fear. “Please don’t release it!”
If it was released, she’d be finished!
“Indeed, unless the knife is in your own flesh, you’ll never feel the pain.” That was why, in their past life, Su Mengyao had lightly talked about giving up, about letting go.
In their previous life, Wen Zhao had been twisted into the third party by Su Mengyao’s fans, beaten down, while Su Mengyao had insincerely claimed she couldn’t control others’ opinions.
“I’ll do anything you ask!” Su Mengyao’s mind was fixated on one thing: she couldn’t let this video get out!
Gu Xianting had lost his position as CEO of Gu Corp and had no power or status. They couldn’t turn the tables. If this video got out, she didn’t know what would happen to him, but she would be utterly ruined, shunned everywhere!
His parents would never accept her!
She had only ever relied on his love, and he had relied on his status as the young master of the Gu family.
“Mengyao, what are you doing!” He was exasperated, “You don’t need to beg her!”
“Xianting, we were wrong. We were wrong.” Su Mengyao signaled him, but he was too furious to catch on.
“We did nothing wrong. She’s the one at fault!” His earlier guilt vanished. “Mengyao, don’t beg her. Let her release it. So what?”
“Shut up!” Su Mengyao couldn’t take it anymore. “Of course you don’t care! Whatever happens, you still have the Gu family. What about me? I have nothing!”
“Mengyao?” He was taken aback by her outburst.
“What can you give me now? You’re married to her, the whole world knows!” She was on the verge of a breakdown. “Do you know what will happen to me if this video is released? I’ll have nothing, I’ll be shamed everywhere!”
“How can you have nothing?” He didn’t understand, “You still have me.”
Wen Zhao watched them argue, her expression mockingly indifferent.
In their past life, after someone had exposed Su Mengyao’s affair online, they had had a similar argument. But back then, Su Mengyao was sad and embarrassed, but moved to tears when Gu Xianting said, “How can you have nothing? You still have me.” She finally stopped resenting that Wen Zhao had almost married him.
Now, the scene was the same, but the heroine’s reaction was completely different.
Because this time, Wen Zhao had cut the ground from under their feet by marrying Gu Xianting. In the original story, he had never married her, but this time, they had a marriage certificate, and everyone knew they were childhood sweethearts and a perfect match.
“I’ll call Xianting’s parents on video. Think about your attitude in five minutes.” She stood up, intending to get some fresh air.
The butler followed her outside and hesitated before asking, “Boss, what if they don’t cooperate during the video call?”
She turned to look at him.
In the night, the butler stood tall like a pine tree. It struck her that he was quite tall, probably because he always bent down slightly when speaking to her, making her overlook it.
“Are you worried about me?” She asked.
He smiled politely, “It’s my duty to ease your concerns.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re really dedicated. Your salary will be doubled next month.”
Then she remembered she had said this several times already. At this rate…
“Hmm, how much should I be paying you?” She asked.
“Boss has said this eleven times.” The butler seemed to be in a good mood.
“That many times, huh? You have a good memory,” she praised.
Five minutes passed quickly. Wen Zhao re-entered the villa.
Inside, Su Mengyao had said something to Gu Xianting. He, who had been fuming, now sat dejectedly on the side.
“Have you thought it through?” Wen Zhao asked as she took out her phone and dialed Gu’s mother Chen Shan on WeChat.
The video call was quickly answered; they must have been waiting for it.
“Mom, I’m sorry for calling so late. You know, because of the video, there’s been some trouble,” she explained.
“I understand, it’s not too late,” Chen Shan replied kindly, showing no blame toward her.
“I think it’s best to have the other two parties involved explain the situation.” She said, slightly stepping aside.
Chen Shan soon saw Gu Xianting on the screen.
Her heart ached when she saw the slap mark on his face, but she quickly noticed Su Mengyao beside him, making her heart sink.
“Xianting, what’s going on? Why is this woman with you?” She asked sternly.
He instinctively glanced at Wen Zhao, who looked unconcerned.
“She came to find me.” He took a deep breath. “
She had an emergency, and I didn’t have time to tell Zhao Zhao. I ran with her, and in the process, broke my leg. She thought I was eloping with Su Mengyao, so she got very angry.”
Chen Shan coldly laughed internally, sure that her son was lying. Emergency? More like an elopement!
“You deserve it! Remember, you’re married and should keep your distance from other women!” She scolded, trying to hide her heartache.
She then turned to Wen Zhao with a look full of apology. “Zhao Zhao, we know you’ve been wronged. We’ve been handling the online rumors since this afternoon. Don’t worry, we’ll clear up any false accusations.”
“Thank you, Mom.” She showed a grateful expression.
“Your father and I have decided to visit you and Xianting,” she said. “Unless it’s inconvenient…”
“Not at all.” She knew that she would definitely come to see for herself.
“Alright then, it’s late. You and Xianting should get some rest,” she said, quickly ending the call as if afraid Wen Zhao would change her mind.
Su Mengyao collapsed on the sofa, relieved.
“Now, can you delete that video?” She asked hoarsely.
Wen Zhao tapped on her screen.
On the projector, Wen Zhao’s actions were clearly visible.
“Of course.” She said, her hand hovering over the delete button before moving to the send button.
Su Mengyao’s face turned pale!
“Just kidding.”
“I was just saying.”