Chapter Twenty-Eight: How Could You Do This?

The daze in Wen Yan’s eyes faded rapidly, replaced by a cold, razor-sharp clarity. She gently pushed Qiao Chenye away and elegantly smoothed out her skirt.

"Game over, little fox," she said with a smirk. "The real show is just beginning."

Qiao Chenye leaned against the wall, watching her with an amused glint in his eyes. "Do I have a part in this? I’m quite the actor myself."

"No need." Wen Yan walked to the mirror to check her makeup one last time. "Keep a close eye on the man inside; don't let him come out too early. The rest is my stage." She paused, looking at Qiao Chenye with newfound seriousness. "However, I do need your help with one thing."

Qiao Chenye arched an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

Wen Yan smiled faintly. "Bring all those major shareholders together. After all, a good show requires an appropriate audience." She emphasized the word "bring."

Qiao Chenye stepped closer, his fingertips nearly brushing her cheek, his voice dropping into a low, probing tone. "Are you sure you don't need my intervention? I can do more than just invite the audience, you know."

Wen Yan met his gaze, her eyes sharp. "I’m sure." She reached out and lightly touched his face, her movements seductive. "Just wait for the show, Mr. Qiao."

With that, she didn't linger. She pulled open the door and vanished gracefully down the corridor, heading straight for the staircase. It was time to give Liu Yanyan a proper welcome.

In the banquet hall, Liu Yanyan was anxiously looking around for Li Jingyan, but he was nowhere to be found. Just as she began to panic, she caught a glimpse of Wen Yan slowly descending the stairs. She was still dazzling in her red dress, but... upon closer inspection, her lipstick seemed slightly smudged, and a stray lock of hair at her temple was messily out of place.

Liu Yanyan’s heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. Ignoring everything else, she marched straight up to Wen Yan, her tone urgent and accusatory.

"Where is Brother Jingyan? Where is he?"

Wen Yan stopped, a perfectly timed look of surprise crossing her face. She then became evasive, subconsciously biting her lip—a gesture that seemed intended to smooth over her lipstick. "Yanyan? Why are you here? Don't you have a baby to look after?"

"Cut the crap! Where is Brother Jingyan?" Liu Yanyan’s voice nearly drowned out the noise of the banquet hall.

"Jingyan... he has some business to attend to, upstairs..."

Liu Yanyan stared at her slightly swollen lips and the unnatural flush on her skin, then noticed the subtle way she was trying to fix her hair. A terrifying suspicion struck her. Had they just been in bed together? What else would require them to fix their appearance?

"What... what did you two do?" Liu Yanyan’s voice rose sharply, her temper flaring uncontrollably, regardless of the occasion.

Wen Yan acted as if startled, shrinking back with a flustered look. Her eyes darted away, and she immediately put on a facade of having been violated, though her tone remained defensively guilty. "What I do with my own husband is none of your business! I told you, he’s... he’s just upstairs in a room, finishing up!"

"Which room?" Liu Yanyan was trembling with rage, her voice piercing enough to cut through the banquet music.

"He’s... he’s in 306, handling some serious business... please, don’t go cause a scene..." Wen Yan feigned panic and fear, reaching out as if to stop her, her tone weak.

"306?" Hearing the room number and seeing Wen Yan’s "guilty" expression, Liu Yanyan’s reason was completely incinerated by rage. She shoved Wen Yan hard!

Wen Yan let out a cry, stumbling back as if frail and defenseless, and fell to the floor. Her red dress fanned out like a crushed flower. The scene immediately drew the attention of everyone nearby, and whispers began to spread.

Liu Yanyan didn't even look at her; she gathered her skirts and stormed toward the stairs.

"Yanyan! Don't! He’s busy with work! Please, don't make a scene!" Wen Yan cried out from behind, her voice loud enough for half the banquet hall to hear. She struggled to get up, and a kind-hearted bystander stepped in to help her.

Everyone’s attention was captured by the sudden conflict and the sheer volume of Liu Yanyan’s outburst.

On the third floor, outside room 306, Liu Yanyan hammered on the door mercilessly. The banging was jarring in the quiet hallway. Li Jingyan, waiting anxiously inside, was relieved to hear the pounding, assuming Mr. Qiao had finally arrived. He quickly straightened his clothes and hurried to open the door.

When the door swung open, he was met with Liu Yanyan’s eyes, which were bloodshot with anger and jealousy.

"Why are you here?" Li Jingyan was shocked, subconsciously lowering his voice as he tried to pull her inside.

"I can't come? How could I not come? If I didn't come, how would I know you loved her this much?" Liu Yanyan shook off his hand, her voice sharp and dripping with sarcasm. "You claimed you absolutely had to bring her to such an important occasion, and this is it? Bringing her here to get a room? You couldn't even wait for a second, could you?" She deliberately misinterpreted Wen Yan's words, convinced the two had just been intimate.

"What are you talking about?" Li Jingyan was both shocked and furious, terrified of being overheard. "I told you I’m working! Can you stop causing trouble?"

"Fine! I won't cause trouble!" Provoked beyond reason by his attitude, Liu Yanyan shouted recklessly, "Then prove it to me! Come on! Whatever happens, I’m going to hold onto you for the sake of our child! Let’s see if you’re useless, or if you’re just useless when it comes to me!"

Anger and humiliation had stripped her of her senses. She lunged at him, clawing at his shirt and tie in a frantic struggle.

"You’re insane! Stop it!" Li Jingyan struggled to fend her off, the two of them becoming a tangled, messy heap at the doorway.

Just then—

"It seems Mr. Li is indeed very 'busy'."

A cold, commanding voice echoed through the hallway.

Li Jingyan froze. He looked up abruptly to find Qiao Chenye standing in the doorway, accompanied by several high-ranking shareholders of the group. Every one of them wore an expression of shock and disdain. Behind them were the guests who had been drawn upstairs by the commotion and the banging.

And at the very front of the crowd was Wen Yan, supported by a stranger, having just "caught up." She looked at Li Jingyan, disheveled and entangled with Liu Yanyan, as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. She clapped a hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes, her body swaying as if she might collapse.

"What... what exactly are you doing?" Wen Yan’s voice was broken and trembling, filled with incredulous despair.

Li Jingyan felt as if he had been struck by a hammer. He shoved the raving Liu Yanyan away and scrambled to explain, "It’s not what you think! I don't even know her! She just went crazy and broke in!"

Liu Yanyan stumbled and fell to the floor. Hearing Li Jingyan’s "I don't know her," her blood ran cold. All her love and grievances turned into overwhelming hatred. "You don't know me? Li Jingyan! I gave birth to your son! You say you don't know me? How can you be so shameless!" She screamed hysterically, a bombshell that left everyone stunned and speechless!

*SMACK!*

Li Jingyan, his face livid, didn't think twice before delivering a sharp slap to Liu Yanyan’s face to stop her from talking. "You’re spouting nonsense!"

Liu Yanyan’s head snapped to the side, her cheek swelling instantly. As she lifted her head, her tear-blurred vision locked onto the other side of the crowd—her father, Liu Yu, whose eyes were practically spitting fire.

Liu Yu’s face was terrifyingly pale. He never imagined that his daughter would expose such a scandal in this manner at such an event. He immediately signaled his assistant. Two men, dressed like security guards, stepped forward and hauled the still-screaming Liu Yanyan to her feet.

"My daughter must be unwell and talking nonsense. Take her away to rest at once!" Liu Yu ordered, suppressing his rage in a desperate attempt to save face. The two men immediately understood and dragged the struggling, wailing Liu Yanyan away from the scene.

Only then did Qiao Chenye speak, his voice as cold as jagged ice, his gaze sweeping over Li Jingyan before settling on Liu Yu. "Uncle Liu, I asked Mr. Li to come up because I wanted to check on the project’s progress."

He paused, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm. "But I didn't expect this kind of progress. Our company values ability and character; it seems some people are not worthy of trust or responsibility."

"Uncle Liu, don't bring trash like this to important occasions in the future."

With that, he didn't even glance at Li Jingyan or the grim-faced Liu Yu. He turned and left with a chilling aura. The shareholders followed, shaking their heads and casting looks of contempt at Li Jingyan.

After tonight, the name Li Jingyan would be firmly associated with "moral depravity" and "lack of character," leaving a devastating impression on the board of directors.

"Retaliation against Li Jingyan complete: 4% Retaliation Points earned." The system’s voice chimed.