The man who had been slapped stood facing the accusations, stunned and furious.
When he finally snapped out of his overwhelming shock and humiliation, a wave of blinding rage shot straight to his head.
“F**k you, Jiang Zhiwu! How dare you hit me?!” he roared, clutching his face like a rabid dog. Paying no heed to the crowd or the live cameras, he lunged recklessly towards her, “I’ll f***ing kill you, you b*tch—!”
“—Try to touch her and see what happens!”
Jiang Yanzhou looked utterly enraged. He moved several times faster than the man, executing a swift and sharp grappling technique, instantly twisting the aggressor’s arm violently behind his back.
Jiang Ting stepped forward, coordinating perfectly with Jiang Yanzhou to pin the man firmly in place, one on each side.
Huang Zhihe seemed completely unprepared for her younger brother to step in to help. She hesitated, her eyes flickering as she tugged lightly at Jiang Ting’s sleeve, but he ignored her completely.
She could only withdraw her hand awkwardly, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Seeing the so-called “fan” completely subdued, Shen Yu spoke up voluntarily to smooth things over.
“Now, now, there’s no need for this. This gentleman is clearly just an overzealous fan. I don’t think he actually hurt anyone. Please let him go.”
“Fan?” Jiang Zhiwu looked at him with a cold smile. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a sharpness like a blade. “Mr. Shen, you said nothing when this ‘fan’ was publicly insulting and attacking me just now, yet now you choose to play the peacemaker.”
Some rational netizens came out in support of Jiang Zhiwu in the comments:
She has a point! He was calling her such vile names like ‘b*tch’ and ‘gold digger’. Anyone would be angry.
Jiang Yanzhou and Jiang Ting only restrained him. Why is Shen Yu in such a rush to get them to let go? Is he afraid the extremist fan didn’t actually attack her?
Exactly! Shen Yu hid away quickly enough when things happened, now he’s pretending to be the rational one.
However, the anti-fans began spamming the comments just as fast:
She’s panicking! Jiang Zhiwu is just defensive because she’s guilty!
He was just pleading a little for a fan, is it really necessary to be so aggressive? Clearly, she was hit where it hurts.
“Alright everyone, please make way! Non-essential personnel please stand back!”
The director, sweating profusely, finally pushed through the crowd with security and staff members to take control. The guards swiftly hauled the still cursing and struggling man away from Jiang Yanzhou and Jiang Ting, preparing to hand him over to the police who were arriving.
Although the troublemaker was gone, the tension in the air did not ease.
Li Lele clutched the hem of her clothes and looked at Jiang Zhiwu timidly. “Sister Jiang… are you okay? That was terrifying.”
Her voice trembled, clearly still shaken by the confrontation.
Li Bo frowned and said, “That guy was completely crazy. Good thing he didn’t actually get to her.”
All the attention in the live stream comments was now focused on Jiang Zhiwu and Shen Yu, filled with curiosity and anticipation—
Hurry up! I’m dying to know what happens next!
Is it starting? Is it starting? Are they going to confront each other live?
Jiang Zhiwu pressed her lips together, her gaze towards Shen Yu filled with obvious disgust and irritation.
However, she wasn’t angry for herself. She was thinking of Jiang Yanzhou from the original novel.
In the days after her death, when Jiang Yanzhou was framed and slandered by such despicable methods, had he also felt this confused and wronged? Had he been left with no one to talk to, no one to turn to?
Shen Yu cleared his throat, breaking the silence first. He put on an expression of perfect “understanding” and “forbearance”, waving his hands at the crowd. “Forget it, forget it. Let’s just let it pass.”
He glanced specifically in Jiang Zhiwu’s direction, softening his tone. “Everyone, please stop asking questions. Nobody wanted things to turn out like this.”
The comments were immediately swayed:
Oh my god, even after all that, Shen Yu is still defending her?
This is true class and grace, like a rich young master.
Shen Yu, I’m crying! You really didn’t have to be so nice to Jiang Zhiwu!
Shen Yu looked perfectly composed and dignified.
Jiang Zhiwu asked coldly, “Isn’t it you who has been clinging to the past?”
Shen Yu looked briefly guilty, then asked, “Oh? What do you mean by that?”
“Trending topics say I defrauded you into marriage?” Jiang Zhiwu admitted openly. “That’s right. Shen Yu and I were indeed engaged.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Huang Zhihe, standing among the onlookers, felt her eyelids twitch. After all, initially, she had actually hoped to get close to Shen Yu herself.
Jiang Zhiwu continued, “But I was the one who was dumped.”
The words struck like thunder, leaving everyone stunned.
Even the live stream comments went blank for several seconds before exploding with shock:
????? Did I hear that right? Jiang Zhiwu was the one who got the engagement broken off?
Holy sh*t, this plot twist… my brain is melting!
So there was no fraud at all? Is Shen Yu actually the one who played her?
Jiang Yanzhou crossed his arms and sneered at Shen Yu. “Did you think we would be too ashamed to admit that the engagement was called off on your end?”
“Wake up, what century is this? Take a good look at yourself and see if you’re even worthy of my sister.”
“She has a doctorate degree, she’s beautiful and kind. Since she was young, the line of people chasing her has been endless.”
“What have you ever achieved besides relying on your family, getting a worthless master’s degree abroad, and barely scraping by in the entertainment industry?”
This barrage of merciless mocking left Shen Yu’s face pale and twisted with embarrassment.
Netizens were completely engrossed:
Wait, let me get this straight. The Shen family broke up with Jiang Zhiwu back then, and now that it’s trending, Shen Yu is playing dumb to muddy the waters?
Of course! They were the ones who broke the promise, so they were in the wrong. They definitely wouldn’t dare admit it.
Because they didn’t dare admit it, they just watched while Sister Jiang was called a gold digger and got insulted to her face?!
Hahaha putting that aside, Jiang Yanzhou’s roasting skills are absolutely MAX level.
Shen Yu forced himself to calm down.
If he showed even a hint of guilt or panic now, the netizens would tear him apart completely.
The reason Shen Yu dared to frame Jiang Zhiwu so openly was not only because he assumed they would never admit to the “humiliating” truth of being rejected, but also because—
They had no proof.
As long as there was no evidence to prove he knew the truth about the broken engagement, he could continue playing the innocent victim and enjoy the sympathy and support of his fans.
So Shen Yu put on a heartbroken expression. “Even if you had some difficulties back then, is there any need to lie in front of everyone like this?”
Jiang Yanzhou let out a laugh of disbelief, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. “Are you sure you want to get into what happened back then?”
“What do you mean?” Shen Yu’s eyes flickered nervously.
The conflicting accounts had drawn a massive crowd of onlookers and viewers.
The live chat was scrolling so fast it was barely readable, and within minutes, the server crashed—displaying the message “Too many users, please try again later”, causing countless viewers to groan in frustration.
The production team had no choice but to announce on Weibo: “Due to technical issues, today’s filming is temporarily suspended! Please follow our official account for future updates!”
The comment section was filled with complaints, but the live feed froze on Shen Yu’s slightly stiff profile and Jiang Zhiwu’s calm expression before finally going black.
Shen Yu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his gaze drifting again towards the siblings as they prepared to leave.
Despite being at the center of the storm, Jiang Zhiwu and Jiang Yanzhou exuded a calmness that seemed out of place with the chaos around them.
Jiang Zhiwu swept her gaze indifferently over the disorderly crowd, as if watching a farce that had nothing to do with her. A few strands of hair had come loose during the scuffle, framing her face—not looking disheveled, but rather adding to her cool, sharp aura.
Jiang Yanzhou stood half a step beside her, arms crossed, his jaw set firm. When his gaze accidentally brushed past Shen Yu, the contempt in his eyes was almost overflowing.
Their confident demeanor weighed heavily on Shen Yu’s mind like a boulder—
Could it be… they actually have proof?
The thought barely surfaced before he crushed it violently.
Impossible!
Shen Yu took a deep breath, trying to steady his trembling fingers.
The original agreement had been locked away in his father’s safe long ago. No one outside the immediate Shen family had ever seen it. And the security footage? Seven years had passed; any records would have been deleted long ago.
What could Jiang Zhiwu possibly have? They were just bluffing to scare him off.
Besides, although public opinion seemed to be wavering, he still held the upper hand. The details of the betrothal gifts were clearly listed in the trending topics. As long as he stuck to his story and played the victim, the netizens would eventually side with him.
“That’s right, nothing will go wrong,” Shen Yu whispered to himself.
Yet despite holding all the advantages, a chill ran up his spine, making him shiver involuntarily.
Jiang Yanzhou walked protectively beside Jiang Zhiwu towards the car, his steps steady, deliberately blocking the cameras of the paparazzi who had rushed to the scene.
“Sis, get in the car.” He blocked the last gossip reporter trying to push forward, his voice softening.
Jiang Zhiwu nodded and bent to get into the back seat.
Jiang Ting instinctively moved to follow, but his sleeve was suddenly grabbed.
It was Huang Zhihe.
She looked up at him, confused. “Xiao Ting… where are you going?”
Jiang Ting stopped in his tracks.
He seemed to finally snap out of his intense focus, turning slowly to look at her hand clutching his clothes. His gaze was extremely calm, not even cold, just clear and piercing as he looked at her with scrutiny.
Huang Zhihe’s heart skipped a beat under his stare, her voice becoming weak. “Why… why are you looking at your sister like that?”
Jiang Ting gently pulled his sleeve free. “Nothing.”
Meanwhile, Li Lele and Li Bo were still standing there.
“All those things saying Sister Jiang is a fraud or a gold digger, they must be lies,” Li Lele said, sniffling, her voice full of conviction. “She’s such a good person. I don’t believe any of the things they say online.”
Everything that had happened today was so shocking.
One moment they were shopping peacefully, and the next, Sister Jiang was being attacked and insulted because of rumors.
Although she was just a variety show celebrity, she knew how terrifying public pressure could be. Especially before the truth came out, Jiang Zhiwu must be under immense stress.
“I don’t believe she’s that kind of person either.” Li Bo patted her shoulder comfortingly. “We’ll just wait and see.”
The siblings said nothing more, just silently watching the car drive away, hoping the truth would come out soon.
Although the live stream had stopped, the discussion online raged on.
And because Jiang Zhiwu and Jiang Yanzhou hadn’t produced any evidence yet, comments supporting Shen Yu still dominated for the moment.
Okay, big plot twist, but there are still questions! Why did the Shen family call it off? There has to be a reason, right? Are we just supposed to take Jiang Zhiwu’s word for it?
Or maybe the elders decided to call it off and Shen Yu didn’t know. That hurt look on his face can’t be acting, can it?
No matter what wrongs they claim, making such a scene is just for attention. Now they are all over the trending topics, it’s so annoying.
…
Just as public opinion was at a stalemate, a post by an anonymous user named “Frontline Gossip Reporter” on a popular forum began to go viral across all platforms.
The post didn’t have much text, just a single screenshot of an archived news article from seven years ago. The headline read: Jiang Group Chairman Jiang Hongyuan and Wife Die in Car Accident, Aged 42.
The article stated that Jiang Hongyuan was a renowned entrepreneur with vast wealth and a reputation for philanthropy. His wife, Su Wan, came from an educated and elegant background. The couple was happily married and had two children, a son and a daughter, who were still minors at the time.
After their deaths, the Jiang Group was temporarily managed by Jiang Hongyuan’s younger brother, Jiang Mingqi, who later took over officially.
Once this screenshot was posted, netizens immediately shifted their focus from the engagement drama to this seemingly unrelated news.
!!! Jiang Hongyuan? Isn’t that the tycoon who was a giant in the new energy industry? I remember his death was so sudden and shocked everyone back then!
Oh my god, this is huge! The surnames and ages match perfectly with Jiang Zhiwu and Jiang Yanzhou!
No wonder she was engaged to Shen Yu, she was actually a rich heiress too! That makes sense now.
Netizens sensitive to timelines dug deeper and quickly found a crucial piece of information: According to reports, the accident happened on July 15th.
However, the trending topic about the “fraud” clearly stated that the engagement was terminated on July 20th—just five days after the couple’s death.
A chilling realization began to spread online:
This is actually terrifying… They canceled the engagement right after her parents died?
Did you notice? The company was taken over by her uncle, right?
Is it possible that the Shen family realized the orphans were no longer useful to them, so they cut ties immediately?
If that’s true, the Shen family are so cold and calculating! That’s literally kicking someone when they are down!
…
While everyone was speculating, Jiang Yanzhou’s personal Weibo account suddenly updated. There were no words, just a blurry video.
The video was clearly shot on an old flip phone. The footage was shaky, the resolution low and colors distorted, but the details were clear enough.
The camera pointed at a living room sofa where several well-dressed adults sat with polite but distant smiles.
“Zhiwu,” one middle-aged man began, speaking in a tone of condescending “compassion”. “You see, with what happened to your parents, things are different now. This engagement… dragging it out isn’t good for anyone. It’s better to just end it here, don’t you think?”
A woman next to him added, “Yes, you’re still young, you have school and your whole life ahead of you. You shouldn’t be tied down by this. Besides, with your parents gone, there’s really no reason for this engagement to continue anymore.”
In the video, Jiang Zhiwu looked younger and more fragile. She was dressed simply, her face still pale with grief, staring blankly ahead, seemingly numb to their words. Her fingers hovered over the document for a moment, as if she didn’t even have the strength to hold a pen, before she mechanically signed her name.
In the corner of the frame, a young Shen Yu stood with his arms crossed, his expression cold and impatient. He showed absolutely no mercy towards the girl who had just lost her parents and was being forced to sign away her future.
What made the scene even more heart-wrenching was the altar in the living room, where the black-and-white portraits and spirit tablets of Jiang Hongyuan and his wife were prominently displayed. Incense was still burning, filling the room with a heavy, suffocating atmosphere of mourning.
Suddenly, the sound of suppressed sobbing filled the audio. It was the voice of a young Jiang Yanzhou, shouting through tears: “She signed it! Now get out of my house!”
The camera flipped violently, and the tear-swollen eyes of a little boy filled the screen.
His face was streaked with tears, his nose red, eyelashes clumped together, but he bit his lip hard, his eyes burning with anger and injustice.
“I will remember you all…” he choked out, his voice hoarse from crying, but every word clear. “I will remember every single one of you who bullied my sister!”
The video cut off there, but the impact online was explosive.
Within minutes, the comments numbered in the tens of thousands—
OH MY GOD! This video completely destroys Shen Yu!
He was THERE! He saw everything! He watched her being forced to sign and years later he has the nerve to call her a liar?!
Those people were clearly the Shen family elders! How could they do this to a girl who just lost her parents?!
The memorial tablets were right there… Mr. and Mrs. Jiang must be heartbroken seeing their children treated like this.
That look of indifference on Shen Yu’s face makes me sick! He watched her get bullied back then and now he pretends to be the victim?
Earlier Shen Yu was pretending to be so ‘understanding’? Gag! He deserves an Oscar!
This is so painful to watch. Even if you wanted to end it, why do it when their bodies aren’t even cold?!
The video was shared and reposted rapidly, and public opinion flipped completely.
Support for Shen Yu vanished instantly, replaced by condemnation of the Shen family’s cruelty and overwhelming sympathy for the Jiang siblings.
Hashtags like #TruthAboutTheEngagement #ShenFamilyDumpedOrphans #PrayersForJiangs shot to the top of the charts, each generating millions of discussions.
Netizens began boycotting Shen Yu’s work, and his endorsement brands immediately issued statements terminating their contracts.
Shen Yu’s team tried to delete posts and control comments, but they were powerless against the tide of public anger. His Weibo was flooded with insults, and his inbox filled with messages of condemnation.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu sat slumped on his sofa, his face as pale as paper—
He had planned for every possibility, but he never expected that Jiang Yanzhou had actually recorded such a video back then!
“Are you an idiot?!”
Father Shen was so furious with his son that he nearly fainted. In a fit of rage, he slapped him hard across the face.
Shen Yu’s head snapped to the side. His cheek instantly swelled and turned red, the burning pain searing through his skin and deep into his bones. He was stunned for a few seconds, then slowly looked up to meet his father’s bloodshot eyes.
Mother Shen screamed and rushed over, clinging desperately to her husband’s arm. “What are you doing?! Can’t you talk properly? Why do you have to hit him? Yu is still young, he doesn’t know any better!!”
“Still young? He’s in his twenties, how is he still young?!” Father Shen shook her off, his chest heaving violently. “It’s because you spoiled him rotten and let him do whatever he wanted growing up that he could do something so brainless!”
Father Shen could never have imagined that after being sharp and shrewd his entire life, he would end up with such a foolish son.
To be honest, the way they called off the engagement all those years ago was dishonorable on the Shen family’s part. There was no way to justify it.
Yet Shen Yu had been stupid enough to use this very issue to stir up trouble. Did he really think there were no secrets that wouldn’t get out?
Now look at the result. The Shen family had been exposed completely, losing every last shred of dignity. Online, countless people were calling for a boycott of their businesses.
In just half a day, the Shen Group’s stock price had plummeted sharply.
“He just wanted to teach those two siblings a lesson…” Mother Shen continued to defend her son, her voice trembling with tears. “Who knew Jiang Yanzhou still kept that video… Yu was just blinded by anger…”
“A lesson?” Father Shen let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with disappointment. “He should know his own limitations!”
Looking at Shen Yu looking utterly defeated and dejected, his anger flared up again. He raised his hand to strike again, but seeing his son’s pale face, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Shen Yu was his precious son born late in life, whom he had doted on since childhood. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt him badly.
“Fine, fine…” Father Shen lowered his hand, heaving a heavy sigh, and sank wearily onto the sofa. “It’s too late to say anything now. We have to think of a way to fix this immediately.”
He fell silent for a moment, as if making a huge decision, then stood up, walked to the desk, and picked up his phone. “I will call that girl from the Jiang family personally and apologize. If they are reasonable, they should be willing to settle.”
Mother Shen nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, settling is best. As long as she agrees, our Shen family is willing to compensate…”
Father Shen found the number that had long been buried in his contacts list and dialed it.
Jiang Zhiwu was the victim now, and everyone sympathized with her. As long as she publicly stated that she forgave them and would not pursue the matter further, there was still hope for the Shen family to turn the situation around.
Although Father Shen had gradually stepped back from managing the group in recent years due to his age, he still held significant authority. Jiang Zhiwu was just a young girl; surely she would give him some face.
However, after the phone rang for a long time, only a cold robotic voice came from the receiver: “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later…”
He frowned and tried again, but the result was the same.
“Can’t get through?” Mother Shen panicked. “Did she block you?”
Father Shen said nothing. He tried calling from another number, but still got the same message. His face grew darker and darker; he knew clearly that Jiang Zhiwu simply did not want to speak to him.
“I’ll find Jiang Yanzhou’s number.” Shen Jianming took a deep breath and started searching through his address book. “He is less experienced, so it might be easier to approach him through there.”
After finally obtaining Jiang Yanzhou’s number through an old acquaintance, Shen Jianming dialed it almost immediately.
The phone rang several times before it was picked up, and Jiang Yanzhou’s icy voice came through: “Who is this?”
“Yanzhou, this is Uncle Shen…” Shen Jianming tried his best to sound gentle. “Regarding the matter online, I would like to talk to you…”
“Uncle Shen?” Jiang Yanzhou’s voice turned even colder, laced with undisguised sarcasm. “When your family came to force my sister to break off the engagement, did you ever treat me like a nephew? Now that things have been exposed, you suddenly remember you’re an uncle?”
Father Shen was left speechless, his face alternating between green and white.
He said weakly, “Yanzhou, no matter what, our families did have an engagement bond back then…”
“You have the nerve to even mention the engagement?” Jiang Yanzhou scoffed. “If it weren’t for the friendship between the older generations of the Shen and Jiang families, a worthless person like your son wouldn’t even be worthy of tying my sister’s shoelaces.”
“We know the Shen family was in the wrong regarding the breakup.” Father Shen suppressed his temper, still trying to salvage the situation. “But it has been many years. You can’t just hold onto this forever. Continuing like this benefits no one.”
“Uncle Shen, do you take everyone for fools? Do you really think we don’t know who bought those trending topics claiming my sister defrauded the marriage?”
Father Shen, embarrassed and angry, snapped: “Leave some room for maneuver so we can meet again in the future! Are you really determined to push things to the extreme?!”
Jiang Yanzhou let out a low laugh as if he had heard the funniest joke. “When Shen Yu bought the trending topics to ruin my sister’s reputation, did he think about leaving the room? When he encouraged his fans to insult her in public, did he think about leaving the room?”
“Now you’re scared? It’s too late!”
With that, Jiang Yanzhou hung up the phone immediately.
Seeing his father’s ashen face, Shen Yu asked anxiously, “Dad, what did he say?”
“They know about the trending topics and the paid trolls,” Father Shen said bitterly. “They refuse to settle.”
Mother Shen’s face turned deathly pale. “Then… then what do we do? Should we… should we let Yu apologize publicly first?”
“Apologize?” Father Shen looked up sharply. “Is an apology useful now? They clearly have no intention of letting this go!”
“It’s over…”
Shen Yu collapsed onto the sofa, weeping bitterly, looking utterly pathetic.
He was now filled with regret, so much so that his guts felt twisted. He even started blaming Huang Zhihe, who had handed him water back then.
If she hadn’t been whispering in his ear and provoking him, would he have lost his temper and spent money to buy those trending topics?!
Father Shen was annoyed by his son’s crying. He paced back and forth in the living room, the sound of his leather shoes hitting the floor heavy and rhythmic, like a drumbeat hammering on everyone’s nerves.
“No, we can’t let it end like this.” He suddenly stopped, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. “Since the Jiang siblings want to dig up old scores, I’ll show them that the Shen family is not yet at the point where anyone can push us around!!”
Mother Shen was startled. “What are you planning to do?”
Father Shen didn’t answer. He just grabbed his phone with a dark expression and began issuing orders in a low voice.
In fact, ever since the engagement was broken off years ago, the Jiang family had been in chaos due to inheritance disputes. Even as an outsider, he had no clear idea who truly held the power within the family.
That was precisely why Father Shen never expected—
That the people his foolish son had provoked were far beyond what he could handle.
Twelve hours after the incident went viral, the public finally received a response from the Shen family.
Father Shen personally intervened, releasing a long statement through the official account of the Shen Group. Every word exuded a sense of “helplessness” and grievance.
The statement first admitted that the engagement had been called off years ago, shifting the blame to “family considerations at the time.” Then, the tone shifted, and they threw out a seemingly “heartwarming” detail:
“…When the engagement was terminated, the Shen family did not take back the betrothal gifts given to the Jiang family. At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang had just passed away, and the two children were still minors facing great hardship. We understood what those assets and money meant to them, so we chose not to reclaim them. We intended them as a nest egg for the children to help them through difficult times. We never mentioned this over the years because we did not want to embarrass the children, nor did we wish to measure our past relationship with money…”
At the end of the statement, they attached the list of betrothal gifts.
As expected, once this was released, people immediately came forward to speak up for the Shen family.
[Objectively speaking, if the Shen family were really heartless, they could have taken everything back. Those were expensive gifts, enough to put the two kids through college comfortably. Doesn’t that say something?]
[After all, nobody is perfect. I can understand why they called off the engagement. Even if the way they handled it back then wasn’t perfect, at least they didn’t do everything to extremes.]
[A verbal engagement has no legal force anyway. The groom’s family has the right to change their mind. The money and assets they left behind already exceed what was required.]
[People should have a conscience. Why do the Jiang siblings only talk about being dumped and never mention that the Shen family left all these assets for them?]
Among these comments, the most active were Huang Zhihe’s fans.
Perhaps because of the interactions between Shen Yu and Huang Zhihe on the show, which gave off vibes of a “Young Master and Gentle Beauty,” the “Shen-Zhi Couple” pairing had always been very popular. Fans had long imagined countless sweet scenarios of “the rich heir silently protecting the talented actress,” viewing them as the destined couple. So they rushed out to defend Shen Yu.
Some netizens noticed these unusually active fans. Although they claimed to be speaking up for the couple, upon closer inspection, there was something slightly off about their behavior.
Just as the anti-fans were launching a full-scale attack on the Jiang siblings, Jiang Zhiwu’s legal team filed a lawsuit directly against the Shen family.
The core demand was clear: they demanded the Shen family return all the betrothal gifts originally given by the late Jiang couple, including but not limited to real estate, company shares, and mineral resources. They attached notarized original gift agreements, transfer records, and other key evidence.
When this news broke, everyone who had been criticizing Jiang Zhiwu and Jiang Yanzhou was left stunned.
Financial bloggers worked overnight to sort through the data. Comparing the list provided by the Jiang family against the “expensive gifts” the Shen family had mentioned, they released shocking figures:
Two mineral mines in the Southern Hemisphere gifted by the Jiang family are now valued at over 800 million.
The 0.5% shares of a listed company transferred to the Shen family are currently worth 1.3 billion.
Additionally, there are three overseas properties and shares in two high-tech companies whose values were not even included in the calculation.
In contrast, the total value of the gifts listed by the Shen family amounted to only 120 million. Against these numbers, the Shen family’s claim of “generously leaving behind the betrothal gifts” became an absolute joke.
[OH MY GOD!!!! Did I read that right??? How much are those mines worth???]
[I knew it! Anyone who could force Sister Jiang to sign divorce papers in front of her parents’ memorial tablets would never be kind enough to leave assets for her.]
[Hahaha, so the truth is they swallowed a mountain of wealth and couldn’t pay it back, so they played word games, pretending that pocket change was some great benevolence?]
[They clearly counted on the siblings being young, orphaned, and with the family in chaos, so they couldn’t fight back! This is blatant robbery! Taking advantage of others’ misfortune!]
[Looking at the Shen family’s statement now makes me sick! They sucked them dry and still wanted to pose as great benefactors? Disgusting!]
Faced with such overwhelming evidence, some anti-fans and paid trolls still tried to argue:
[The court hasn’t ruled yet! Who knows if these numbers are real?]
[The Jiang couple is gone, who can prove these assets were actually given by them?]
However, their arguments were quickly shattered by official legal documents.
Because the facts were clear, the chain of evidence was complete, and the amount involved was enormous, the court prioritized the case.
Under intense public scrutiny and supervision, merely fifteen days later, the first trial verdict was announced:
It was ruled that the assets gifted by the Jiang couple were conditional gifts, and therefore must be returned by the Shen family upon the termination of the engagement.
The Shen family was ordered to complete the transfer of all assets, including real estate, shares, and mining rights, within 30 days.
Furthermore, Shen Yu was found guilty of defamation for purchasing trending topics and spreading rumors that Jiang Zhiwu had committed marriage fraud. He was ordered to issue a public apology and pay 500,000 yuan in compensation for emotional damages.
When the news broke, the Shen Group’s stock price hit the limit immediately. Panic spread throughout the company. Upon receiving the verdict, Father Shen suffered a hypertensive crisis and was rushed to the hospital.
The public was absolutely delighted with the outcome.
[Where are the clowns who were screaming ‘court hasn’t ruled’, ‘documents are fake’, ‘unverified source’? Come out and say something now! Is an official court verdict with a red seal real enough? Is it solid enough?]
[This plot is more satisfying than any revenge novel I’ve ever read! Even webnovels don’t dare write it this way!]
[Hey everyone, don’t ignore the last part about defamation! So Shen Yu himself bought those trending topics?]
[Wow Shen Yu, you really did it! You paid money to destroy your ex-fiancée’s reputation and ended up destroying yourself! Hilarious.]
[It was a risky move, but it had a high chance of success. If everyone believed Jiang Zhiwu was just a gold digger, no one would bother checking the facts.]
[You can only say that Shen Yu is both stupid and evil. He deserves this.]
After all the twists and turns, the ending was clear.
Jiang Zhiwu curled up on the sofa in the living room, scrolling through the comments on her phone—some were angry, some were warm. A faint smile played on her lips.
When she reached the last message of blessing, she calmly turned off the screen and placed the phone on the coffee table.
“I’ve wanted to settle scores with the Shen family for a long time,” she said, picking up her flower tea and taking a sip, her tone calm and casual. “I didn’t expect them to come knocking of their own accord. Saved me a lot of trouble.”
However, sitting opposite her, Jiang Yanzhou didn’t look happy. His long fingers unconsciously traced the rim of his cup, his brows furrowed in a dark mood.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Zhiwu noticed his unusual expression and put down her cup. “We won the lawsuit, why aren’t you happy?”
Jiang Yanzhou looked up, there was a hint of frustration in his eyes. “But in the end, you were the one who solved everything… It feels like I didn’t do anything. I still couldn’t help you.”
“Of course you helped.” Jiang Zhiwu smiled, her voice firm and sincere. “If you hadn’t secretly recorded that video of them forcing us to break off the engagement back then, public opinion would never have turned around so quickly.”
Jiang Yanzhou’s eyes lit up, and the feeling of defeat seemed to fade away with his sister’s words.
“And,” Jiang Zhiwu leaned forward, reaching out to ruffle his soft hair, a natural and affectionate gesture. “No matter what trouble you encounter in the future, remember to come home and find your sister, okay? I will always be your strongest backing.”
Jiang Yanzhou mumbled softly, “I’m not a child anymore.”
“To me, you will always be my little brother.” Jiang Zhiwu’s voice was gentle but unquestionable.
Looking at his awkward expression, Jiang Zhiwu suddenly felt amused and deliberately teased him, drawing out her words. “Speaking of which, who was it that was shouting ‘my sister’ this and ‘my sister’ so firmly when confronting Shen Yu the other day?”
“I…”
Jiang Zhiwu challenged him playfully, “Call me ‘sister’ again and let me hear it?”
“…” Jiang Yanzhou turned his head sharply, the back of his neck turning red with embarrassment.
His lips moved silently, his inner struggle intense.
Finally, a voice so faint it was barely audible, awkward and fast, slipped out from his throat:
“…Sis…”
It was so quiet he wasn’t even sure if he had actually made a sound.
As soon as he said it, he closed his eyes tightly and bit his lip, wishing he could go deaf and dumb right then and there.
Oh no, this was so embarrassing! It sounded so cheesy, she must have heard it! Was it too late for him to run away now?
Just as Jiang Yanzhou was dying of embarrassment, ready to flee back to his room—
“Mm.”
A clear, soft response reached his ears steadily.
Jiang Yanzhou opened his eyes abruptly and met Jiang Zhiwu’s gaze, which was filled with amusement.
She looked at him with tolerance and indulgence, seeing right through him. There was no mockery at all, only pure warmth towards her brother.
“I’m here,” she said.