Wen Yue was baffled by his words.
What did he mean by “keep being jealous”?
She followed him into the elevator, tugging at his sleeve as she asked, “What do you mean?”
Gong Hengye ignored her, calmly watching the elevator numbers change.
Wen Yue was growing increasingly frustrated, her mind a jumbled mess.
To be honest, she truly hadn’t expected Gong Hengye and Wen Xi to meet here. Moreover, Wen Xi’s pitiable demeanor during their first encounter perfectly aligned with the plot, where Gong Hengye’s pity for her gradually turned into affection.
What if Gong Hengye had already started pitying Wen Xi?
After all, she was the female lead.
As Wen Yue mulled it over, she grew more aggrieved. “You wouldn’t really fall for her, would you? Did you feel sorry for her? Just from that one moment, you felt sorry for her? I admit she cried pitifully and beautifully—even I felt sorry for her. But you’re different! As a cold and domineering CEO, you can’t be so shallow, can you? Do you regret letting me drag you away and leaving her behind? Do you want to turn back now, wipe away her tears, rescue her from her misery, and elope with her to the ends of the earth?”
The more Wen Yue spoke, the angrier she became. “You promised you wouldn’t like her. How can you be like this?”
She was indeed noisy.
And her imagination was running wild.
How had she already jumped to something as… brainless as eloping to the ends of the earth?
Gong Hengye, exasperated by her chatter, was about to turn and say something when the elevator doors opened.
Several bodyguards were escorting Grandpa Gong, who stood right outside the elevator.
Gong Hengye raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat, signaling Wen Yue to quiet down for now.
Wen Yue also spotted Grandpa Gong. She pouted and huffed, “Grandpa Gong should know what kind of heartless scoundrel you are!”
Gong Hengye twitched his lips, not bothering to correct her misuse of words, and stepped out of the elevator with composure.
Grandpa Gong looked slightly surprised. “Didn’t you just arrive? Leaving already?”
Gong Hengye had called Grandpa Gong when he arrived.
Now, he simply curved his lips. “Since he’s not dead and can still act crazy, why should I stay?”
Grandpa Gong frowned. “Acting crazy again?”
Clearly, the old man had already witnessed Gong Chen’s outbursts.
Hearing Gong Hengye’s words, he hesitated, unsure whether to go upstairs.
At his age, he couldn’t handle too much excitement.
Gong Hengye smiled without answering. After a moment of thought, Grandpa Gong dismissed the bodyguards and asked Gong Hengye, “To be honest, I never expected Gong Chen to resist the marriage with Wen Xi so fiercely. I thought he liked that girl. Now that things have escalated like this, what do you think about the engagement…”
“Of course it should continue.”
Before Grandpa Gong could finish, Gong Hengye spoke up.
Grandpa Gong was taken aback, then looked troubled. “Really continue?”
This time, it was slitting his wrist. Next time, it might be jumping off a building, and he might not survive.
“Otherwise?”
Gong Hengye’s expression remained cold. “Let him keep going crazy over a woman who’s already dead?”
Beside him, Wen Yue frowned at his words.
Why did that sound so unpleasant?
Even though she was indeed dead.
Grandpa Gong also frowned. “But I’m afraid if we push him too hard, the boy might really do something drastic…”
Gong Hengye only replied, “If he’s foolish enough to kill himself over a woman, then dying would be a blessing for the Gong family.”
Wen Yue’s frown deepened.
That sounded even worse. Why was it foolish to kill himself over her?
Even though it really was foolish.Yet hearing these truths from Gong Hengye’s mouth inexplicably made her feel they were grating.
Grandpa Gong clearly didn’t agree either. “No matter how foolish, he is still your nephew in the end.”
He finally decided, “In my opinion, this matter still needs further consideration. If he really isn’t willing, there’s no need to force it.”
Gong Hengye’s brow twitched slightly, and he said nothing more.
But he found it somewhat strange.
Actually, what was happening now seemed quite different from what he had seen in the plot.
In the novel, hadn’t the two families always inexplicably insisted on pairing Gong Chen and Wen Xi?
Now, was the old man giving in so easily?
Gong Yuanren still planned to go check on Gong Chen, while Gong Hengye left the hospital.
On the way back to the company, both he and Wen Yue were clearly preoccupied with their own thoughts and didn’t speak.
After returning to the company, Gong Hengye set aside these troublesome matters and started working.
Until the afternoon, when the internet became lively again.
#Complete Video of Wen Xi Being Subjected to Casting Couch# trended on the hot search list and quickly exploded.
The video was much longer than the previous one, with no mosaics, clearly showing the young woman being held in the lap of a middle-aged man—undoubtedly Wen Xi!
-What’s going on? Wasn’t it Wen Yue? How did it become Wen Xi again?
-It’s AI face-swapping, of course. Wen Yue is truly vicious, actually coming up with this trick. Does she think this can clear her own name?
-It looks like AI face-swapping to me too. That voice isn’t Xi Bao’s at all!
-Is that bitch Wen Xi dead or not? How can she still be so disgusting? I’m about to throw up my New Year’s Eve dinner.
Wen Xi’s fans immediately found a loophole, using the AI face-swapping claim to divert attention. Wen Xi had a good reputation, so many people believed it.
But soon, different voices emerged.
-Frankly speaking, I’ve done a technical analysis. This video has no AI face-swapping at all; it’s completely the original footage!
-Not to be rude, but Wen Xi’s fans are too hasty, aren’t they? Did you even finish watching the video? Do casual viewers not watch it either? There’s a surprise at the end of the video. I suggest everyone watch it fully before cursing!
-LOL, I can see it now. Wen Xi’s team is really something. Even with such damning evidence, they can still spin it. It’s all her accounts steering the narrative. Casual viewers who don’t watch the video are really being fooled.
-Ah! I watched the original video. Actually, Wen Xi probably wasn’t subjected to the casting couch either. When that balding guy was about to kiss her, Wen Yue came out and saved her!!!
-???
-So there was no casting couch at all. Why didn’t Wen Xi explain immediately and instead staged a suicide attempt to incite her fans to cyberbully Wen Yue?
-To be honest, it’s understandable that Wen Yue couldn’t explain—no one would believe her. So her suicide attempt was genuine; she really didn’t want to live anymore. Yet even after attempting suicide, she still faced cyberbullying. In comparison, it’s truly tragic.
-Damn, my worldview is shattered!
Online, public opinion gradually shifted in a direction favorable to Wen Yue.
But it was indeed because Wen Yue appeared at the end of the video to save Wen Xi.
Just as Wen Xi was about to be force-fed alcohol, Wen Yue kicked open the private room door.
Standing at the doorway, her expression grim, she immediately spotted Wen Xi and said coldly, “I’ve been looking for you for ages. What are you doing here? Come out. I need to talk to you!”Also just an eighteen-year-old girl, Wen Yue was not as delicate as Wen Xi. Perhaps due to her upbringing, she still carried a certain air of pride.
And the people in the private room clearly knew her, recognized her identity, and understood she had come specifically for Wen Xi.
The balding man reluctantly released Wen Xi, who, pale-faced, walked over to Wen Yue and left with her.
This video was something even Wen Yue was seeing for the first time.
It was clearly recorded from a corner of the private room.
On the sofa, Wen Yue sat cross-legged beside Gong Hengye. After watching the video he played, she frowned, “Was Wen Ze also in the private room at the time?”
She truly hadn’t noticed back then.
At that time, Wen Xi’s identity had not yet been discovered, and Wen Ze didn’t know Wen Xi was his biological sister. So he didn’t intervene, only recorded the video.
What was even more ridiculous was that Wen Ze had actually recorded this video for Wen Yue, because he knew Wen Xi was Wen Yue’s competitor and wanted to use it to help Wen Yue.
He never expected that after Wen Xi left with Wen Yue that day, Wen Yue would push her into the water, and then everything would be completely overturned.
Wen Ze never imagined Wen Xi was his biological sister, and that he had watched his own sister being humiliated. This sense of guilt made him especially doting toward Wen Xi and inexplicably resentful toward Wen Yue, who had pushed Wen Xi into the water.
Wen Yue pursed her lips, “Is he releasing this video now because I’m about to marry Gong Chen, and he can’t stand it, wanting to help Wen Xi?”
Releasing this video, exposing Wen Xi’s situation to make Gong Chen feel heartbroken, and then letting Gong Chen decide to make Wen Yue the scapegoat.
Gong Chen was simple-minded and might not think too deeply, only believing he was helping Wen Xi.
And he wouldn’t abandon Wen Yue because of this.
But as Li Rui had said before, Gong Chen never considered that with Wen Yue bearing such a reputation, his parents would never allow her to marry him.
That was exactly Wen Ze’s plan.
As long as Wen Yue and Gong Chen couldn’t marry, Wen Xi would have a chance.
Only Wen Ze never expected Wen Yue would commit suicide.
And Gong Chen went mad because of Wen Yue’s death.
Gong Hengye raised an eyebrow, “I’m also curious, so why did you push her into the water back then?”
Hearing this, Wen Yue bit her lip and asked uneasily, “Are you also going to stand up for her?”
Everyone who learned she had pushed Wen Xi into the water would despise her. What about Gong Hengye? Did he feel the same?
Gong Hengye merely glanced at Wen Yue, “Do you really think I have that much free time?”
Dealing with her was already troublesome enough; how could he possibly bother with others?
Wen Yue pouted and muttered, “There’s no particular reason. A villainess doesn’t need a reason for what she does.”
Back then, after Wen Xi went out with her, Wen Xi kept crying behind her.
Annoyed by Wen Xi’s tears, Wen Yue told her to shut up and stop crying, “What’s there to cry about? Nothing even happened! Who told you to come here without using your brain? These men are all scum, thinking about nothing but how to toy with young girls every day. Did you really think a teenage girl like you could get a debut spot just by drinking a few glasses with them? What, is your brain full of crap too?
Wen Xi, wanting to gain something without paying for it is impossible. Things that come too easily are never clean. Who are you crying for now?”
At that moment, the two of them happened to be walking by the edge of the pond.However, perhaps she was too fierce, and her words were too harsh, because Wen Xi cried even harder, sobbing as she said, “Yes, I willingly degrade myself, but what right do you have to say that to me? You don’t understand anything at all! We both share the surname Wen, but you are the eldest daughter of the Wen family. Whatever you want, you just have to say the word—everyone likes you, everyone fears you.
And me? I can only rely on myself! My mother is lying in the hospital, with medical bills costing over a hundred thousand every month. I joined the talent show because I wanted to earn money. They said that as long as I came to meet someone, getting into the industry would be much easier. I knew there might be a trap, but what choice did I have?”
“I finally mustered the courage to come here. Why did you have to save me? Since I’m already like this, why not just let me continue? As long as I can save my mother, I don’t care about anything else…”
“So, was I wrong to save you?”
Wen Yue found it laughable. “If that’s the case, then go back. I won’t stop you.”
But Wen Xi didn’t dare. She crouched down and continued crying, her sobs giving Wen Yue a headache.
Gritting her teeth, Wen Yue cursed, “Cry, cry, cry. If I were you, I’d just die already.”
Wen Xi’s crying paused, and she looked up at her in shock. “Die?”
Wen Yue: “Yeah, oh, and conveniently, there’s a pool right next to us. If life is so hard, why not just jump in and end it all? What, you don’t dare? Do you need my help?”
Wen Xi froze, staring blankly at the pool beside her.
As Wen Yue turned to leave, Wen Xi suddenly grabbed her leg, looking up at her with despair. “Then please, help me.”
Wen Yue: “?”
Speechless, she struggled to free her leg from Wen Xi’s grasp, but as she lifted her leg, she accidentally kicked Wen Xi right into the pool.
After hearing this, Gong Hengye said, “So, you didn’t push her in—you kicked her in.”
Wen Yue: “…Does that matter?”
Gong Hengye curved his lips, his gaze dropping inexplicably to her crossed legs. “Seems like your leg strength is pretty good.”
Judging by the way she was sitting cross-legged, her flexibility must be good too.
Wen Yue: “?”
What kind of weird look was that?
Gong Hengye asked again, “But even so, it wasn’t intentional. Why didn’t you explain?”
Wen Yue: “Would explaining have helped?”
No one would have listened to her explanation. After it was revealed that Wen Xi was the biological daughter of the Wen family, who would care whether it was intentional or not?
Wen Yue lowered her gaze. “Besides, whether it was intentional or not, I was the one who sent her into the pool. I was the one who told her she might as well die, and I was the one who kicked her in.”
In Wen Yue’s eyes, there wasn’t much difference between that and doing it on purpose.
In that situation, instead of comforting Wen Xi, she had spoken harshly, arrogantly lecturing her, and even encouraged her to die.
No matter how you looked at it, it was still cruel.
Gong Hengye watched her lowered lashes, remained silent for a moment, then placed his palm on her head and gently ruffled her hair. “If you encounter something like this again, just keep kicking.”
Wen Yue was taken aback and looked up at him.
He smiled, the corners of his lips curving. “If you can’t kick hard enough, come find me. I’ll help you.”
Wen Yue’s eyes flickered slightly as she tilted her head and leaned closer to him. “Really?”
Gong Hengye nodded calmly. “Of course. Didn’t I say it before? From now on, your uncle will take care of you.”
Wen Yue’s mind went blank with excitement. “Then, Uncle, can you love me?”
Love me, love me! If you love me, I can come back to life!Her eyes gazed at him longingly, while a flicker of emotion momentarily stirred in Gong Hengye’s calm gaze.
Ever since he had exposed her thoughts at the hospital, this fickle ghost had truly stopped hiding anything.
So openly expressing her ill intentions toward him—she was becoming less and less shy.
He curved his lips, “Wen Yue.”
Wen Yue nervously hummed in response, meeting his dark eyes.
He leaned in slightly, bringing himself closer to her.
Just as their noses were about to touch, Gong Hengye suddenly paused, as if he had realized something. The smile on his lips deepened, “You finally admitted it.”
“Huh?”
Admitted what?
Gong Hengye lowered his voice, “You have feelings for me.”
Wen Yue nervously swallowed.
Gong Hengye’s gaze shifted downward, landing on her pale lips, “Last night, you didn’t actually want to pinch me, did you? You wanted to sneak a kiss, right?”
At first, he hadn’t been fully awake and had been fooled by her.
But now he remembered how it felt back then.
If she had only wanted to pinch him, there was no need to get so close.
Just like now, with their noses almost touching—it was clearly a posture meant for kissing.
Wen Yue stiffened at his sudden words, and her flustered eyes instantly betrayed her true thoughts.
Gong Hengye chuckled, his fingers curling slightly as he gently scratched her chin, “You little flirt, dreaming big, aren’t you?”