The moment Lei Shaoxin got home, she collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained.
Thinking back to what He Zhuosheng had said at the exhibition—and everything the Lei and He families had done to her—her expression darkened.
She had returned to the city for her mother.
She couldn’t afford to hesitate anymore.
She decided to report both families.
But bringing everything into the open could trigger a chain reaction—
one that might spiral out of control, with too many unknown consequences.
When Fu Haoyan walked in, he noticed a thin curl of smoke rising from the sofa.
As he got closer, he saw the ashtray filled with cigarette butts—she had clearly been smoking a lot.
He immediately knew something was weighing on her mind.
Hearing him, Lei Shaoxin snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him.
He hadn’t seen her this troubled in a long time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone tense.
She took a deep drag before speaking.
“I saw He Zhuosheng today.”
Exhaling slowly, she continued,
“I want to report Zhuosheng Group and Lei Real Estate to the regulators… but…”
Fu Haoyan could see her hesitation.
“Ding Ding,” he said firmly, “showing mercy to your enemies is being cruel to yourself.”
She nodded.
The fog lingered again that day, thick and suffocating, mirroring the uncertainty in her heart.
She left the house with Fu Haoyan.
At his office, she asked him for the financial reports she had previously left with him.
He replied calmly,
“I already had someone submit them to the authorities early this morning. We should hear back soon.”
There was no way he would let her go in person—
A real-name report would immediately expose her identity.
He had to protect her.
Seven days later.
“Breaking news: Lei Real Estate has been exposed for financial fraud and has been urgently suspended from trading. Chairman Lei Jiu has been taken in for questioning. Zhuosheng Group is also implicated, with its stock price plunging by 20%. The company has yet to respond.”
He Zhuosheng yanked off his tie in frustration, switched off the TV, and slammed the remote onto the table.
His assistant knocked cautiously.
“Mr. He, there’s a package for you.”
“Bring it in.”
Inside was a painting.
Looking at it, he recalled Lei Shaoxin’s words at the gallery and let out a faint, bitter smile.
The office phone rang.
“Mr. He, investigators are here to see you.”
“Let them in.”
The investigators got straight to the point.
“Mr. He, regarding the Lei financial fraud case, we need you to come with us.”
They gestured politely but firmly.
He nodded and maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door.
Before leaving, he turned to his assistant and said,
“Hang the painting up.”
As the painting was placed on the wall, it felt like the calm before a storm.
He then entered the elevator under escort.
At the same time, Lei Shaoxin was at home, watching the breaking news.
She didn’t bother asking about them—she knew they must already be in chaos.
In her eyes, they deserved it.
Fu Haoyan walked in carrying a package. Seeing the news on TV, he set it down in front of her.
She opened it quietly.
Pouring himself a glass of whiskey, he said,
“Lei Jiu’s in for trouble this time.”
“This is only the beginning,” she replied, taking the painting out of the box.
“Anything else you’re planning that I don’t know about?” he asked.
She admired the artwork, speaking calmly,
“With a scandal like this, once trading resumes, it’ll be the perfect time to buy in at a low price.”
He reached out and lightly tapped her nose.
“Want my help?”
She shook her head and changed the subject, pointing at the painting.
“Does it look good?”
“Yeah. Where do you want to hang it?”
She pointed to an empty wall in the living room.
“Here.”
After eighteen hours of questioning, Lei Jiu finally returned home.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Gao Man pacing anxiously in the living room.
“Well? What happened?” she asked urgently.
Looking exhausted, he replied,
“It’s nothing.”
Then he walked straight toward the bedroom, saying no more.
Only three people knew about this matter.
Xu Yuqiao was already dead. The evidence she once held had been destroyed by Lei Jiu himself.
The falsified financial reports for Lei Group had been prepared by He Zhuosheng—and back then, he had secretly kept a copy as leverage.
That meant the only remaining evidence was in his hands.
If it was exposed now, it would affect him as well.
So why would he do this?
Back then, for the sake of a project, He Zhuosheng had approached them voluntarily and fabricated flawless financial reports for Lei Group, helping it successfully go public.
Everything had seemed perfect.
Who would have thought he was so calculating beneath the surface?
Was this because of the failed marriage arrangement?
Now that the financial fraud was out in the open, Lei Jiu couldn’t help but worry—
would He Zhuosheng release the video as well?
If that happened, everything would be beyond saving.
Too many questions filled his mind.
After an entire night of cooperating with investigators, he was exhausted, his head pounding.
He no longer had the energy to think and simply closed his eyes to rest.
After seven hours of questioning, He Zhuosheng returned to his company as well.
Looking up at the painting now hanging in his office, he let out a cold, faint smile.
In the end, Lei Real Estate was fined eight million, while Zhuosheng Group was fined two million.
On the day trading resumed, the investment director of Fu Group reported to Fu Haoyan:
“Mr. Fu, we’ve already hedged against Lei Real Estate.”
He hesitated before adding,
“Given the scandal, and since our company has never had business dealings with them, isn’t this a bit risky?”
The director had worked at the company since Fu Haoyan’s father’s time and spoke frankly.
“It’s fine. I know what I’m doing,” Fu Haoyan replied calmly.
The director nodded and left without pressing further.
As expected, once trading resumed, Lei Real Estate’s stock price plunged.
Seizing the opportunity, Lei Shaoxin quietly bought more shares, increasing her stake by another 3%.
Her total holding now reached 16%.
Knowing she planned to accumulate shares during the drop, Fu Haoyan secretly hedged the risk for her—
making sure Lei Jiu wouldn’t notice.
He was always protecting her, even in ways she couldn’t see.
The next morning, Lei Shaoxin arrived early at the rehearsal studio and practiced with the band as usual.
After finishing their final song, she called Song Kewei outside.
“Didn’t you once say you wanted to hold a concert?” she asked.
He handed her a cup of coffee and shook his head.
“I do. But we don’t have the popularity. We might not even sell tickets.”
Lei Shaoxin looked at him seriously.
“We can’t keep performing on the streets forever. You’ve already played all over the city. I only joined for fun anyway—I’ll be busy soon and won’t have much time.”
She paused before adding,
“How about I sign you?”
Song Kewei took a sip of coffee.
“Without your guitar, we’d lose our soul.”
“I’m serious. Think about it.”
She smiled and raised her coffee cup.
He lifted his as well, clinking it lightly against hers before nodding.
Back in the rehearsal room, Lei Shaoxin picked up her guitar and left first.
Song Kewei shared the news with the band.
Some were thrilled, others hesitant.
Some felt it was finally their chance to succeed,
while others worried about losing the freedom to create music on their own terms.
Lei Shaoxin went downstairs and stood by the roadside, waiting for Ah Feng to bring the car around.
A silver van suddenly stopped in front of her.
Lei Jiu stepped out.
“Shaoxin… marry He Zhuosheng. I’m begging you…”
Before he could finish, his knees began to bend as if he was about to kneel.
Startled, she quickly reached out to stop him—
but she couldn’t hold him back.
He dropped to his knees in front of her.
“What are you doing? Get up!” she said sharply, frowning.
Passersby began to stare.
At that moment, Ah Feng arrived and saw the scene.
He immediately unbuckled his seatbelt, rushed over, and pushed Lei Jiu’s hand away from her.
But Lei Jiu grabbed her again, holding tightly.
“I was wrong before. I apologize. You can’t refuse this marriage… just think of it as saving me…”
Ah Feng shoved his hand away again, his gaze cold with warning, and quickly shielded Lei Shaoxin as he guided her into the car.
As the car pulled away, Lei Shaoxin turned back for one last glance.
Lei Jiu was still kneeling in the same spot—
the once-powerful chairman of Lei Group, now reduced to a pitiful figure on the street.
She stared out the window as the scenery blurred past, replaying his words over and over in her mind.
The thing she had feared had finally happened.
Had she gone too far?
She couldn’t make sense of his plea—
it felt both real and false,
like something hidden within the fog, impossible to fully grasp.