Chapter 34: Sinister

When Ji Ming arrived at Wen’s company, a few quick-witted reporters were already waiting outside. As soon as they saw him, they began snapping photos. Some bold reporters tried to approach for an interview but were stopped by his bodyguards.

Wang Liang was also among the crowd. As the first person to capture photos of Ji Ming and Wen Ya together, he was in the spotlight this time. Just as his boss had said, his monthly bonus was secured, and there was a good chance he’d be promoted to a permanent position. After releasing the photos, they rushed to the entrances of both companies to wait. To their surprise, Ji Ming showed up openly at Wen’s so soon.

Regardless of the truth, many people present admired Ji Ming’s bravery at that moment. Online, many also praised him for being manly.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ji Ming calmly entered the Wen building.

Following Assistant Wang, who had come down to greet him, Ji Ming stepped into the elevator under the curious gazes of the employees.

Wen Ya was waiting in her office. When she saw Ji Ming, she smiled. “You came at this time? Aren’t you afraid of being criticized?”

Ji Ming walked over and leaned in to look at her computer screen. Sure enough, it displayed a comment section filled with harsh words, most of them directed at Wen Ya. In contrast, there were very few comments about Ji Ming.

Wen Ya glanced at him sideways, puzzled. They both knew this was the work of internet trolls, so why were they only targeting her?

“Have I told you? My mother’s surname is Nan,” Ji Ming said with a soft smile, his expression gentle.

Nan? It’s a rare surname, and the fact that Ji Ming mentioned it so proudly hinted at his extraordinary background. The only Nan family with such influence and power was based in the capital.

Wen Ya was almost stunned. The Nan family’s patriarch was a founding figure of the nation and still alive, serving as one of China’s pillars. The current head of the family was a general, and all his siblings held significant positions in the system. She had never heard of any of his sisters being involved in business.

“My mother is the youngest daughter of the Nan family and currently works in the Health Bureau,” Ji Ming added, as if guessing her thoughts.

Wen Ya had never paid much attention to Mrs. Ji’s background. After all, she hadn’t expected their paths to cross in the future.

Ji Ming truly surprised her. With such a family background, looks, and personality, he was a hundred times better than Gu Chengze. If not for his untimely death in the original storyline, Gu Chengze would never have had a chance.

But then…

Lately, she had felt like she was forgetting something important, but it was always just out of reach. Now, it suddenly hit her—Ji Ming was supposed to die in an accident within a year.

She should have remembered this from the start. When she first approached Ji Ming for cooperation, she had even considered saving him if possible. But why had her memory faded? Though puzzled, the more pressing matter was Ji Ming’s impending death.

The book only mentioned that shortly after Gu Chengze and Xu Qingqing got engaged, the plane Ji Ming was on crashed, killing everyone on board. But now, no one knew where Xu Qingqing was. The timeline of their engagement had likely shifted, leaving Wen Ya with no reference point. As the general manager of Ji’s company, frequent travel was unavoidable. She couldn’t just ask him to stop flying.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Ming noticed Wen Ya’s pale face and furrowed brows. He thought it was due to pressure from her family. “Don’t worry. My grandfather and uncles are reasonable. Besides, this is between us. As long as we care for each other, others’ opinions don’t matter.”

Wen Ya forced a smile. She couldn’t explain that her concern wasn’t about his family but about his death in a year. She let him misunderstand.

She vaguely recalled the book mentioning specific flight routes, but who would remember such details? Ji Ming wasn’t even a major character in the story, so she hadn’t paid close attention. But now, it was a matter of life and death. She had to remember.

For now, she decided to add this to her memo. She had a feeling that if she didn’t write it down, she might forget again.

Wen Ya couldn’t help but gaze solemnly at the blue sky outside the window.

Ji Ming noticed her distraction and realized her worries weren’t about his family but something else. Silently, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle pat.

Assistant Wang, already overwhelmed with work, nearly lost his mind seeing this scene.

“Mr. Wen, the comments online are getting worse. Some people are even saying that Gu Chengze’s past photos and events were fake. They claim he apologized only because you forced him. Just now, an employee from the Gu family accused you of being domineering, arrogant, and selfish, saying you’ve already fallen for someone else. Mr. Wen, we can’t let them twist the truth anymore,” Assistant Wang said urgently.

As Ji Ming and Wen Ya had predicted, the Gu family wouldn’t miss this chance to clear their name. Cheating on one side is different from both sides cheating. At least it could help Gu Chengze regain some of his reputation.

With internet trolls leading the charge, the voices defending Wen Ya and criticizing Gu Chengze were slowly drowned out. The online narrative quickly shifted, with many concluding that Wen Ya had also cheated during the engagement. Some even spun conspiracy theories, suggesting that Gu Chengze’s situation might have been orchestrated by Wen Ya and Ji Ming.

“Has no one from the Gu family come forward?” Wen Ya scanned the web. She had hoped Gu Chengze would play the victim so she could crush him completely.

“The Gu family has been quiet. They even released a statement saying they trust you and plan to fire the employee who spoke out,” Assistant Wang reported.

The old fox, Mr. Gu, probably won’t show his face. As for Gu Chengze, he’s likely learned his lesson this time. He won’t step forward until he knows exactly what Wen Ya is planning.

Wen Ya turned to Ji Ming. She knew this man never entered a battle unprepared. If he said he wasn’t afraid of being exposed, he must have a plan.

While the rumors grew wilder, Ji Ming and Wen Ya calmly enjoyed lunch. By the afternoon, as they stayed out of sight, several people posted articles attacking Wen Ya and Ji Ming, with Wen Ya taking the brunt of the criticism.

Wang Chenxi was the most vocal. She publicly demanded Wen Ya and Gu Chengze apologize and hired trolls to smear Wen Ya’s name. One could only imagine her fiancé’s reaction when he found out.

As Wen Ya pondered this, Ji Ming had already gathered evidence of Wang Chenxi’s crush on Gu Chengze, including her recent actions, and sent it to the Wang family’s second son and Zhang Sheng.

“You sent it to Young Master Wang?” Wen Ya chuckled. This man was ruthless.

Unlike their families, the Wang family was larger. Old Master Wang had four sons and two daughters. In such a family, even two sons would fight for control, let alone four. The competition among Wang Chenxi’s generation was even fiercer. Young Master Wang, the son of Wang Chenxi’s third uncle, was her brother’s biggest rival. He’d surely make good use of this information.

But that wasn’t all. Ji Ming handed Wen Ya a document filled with dirt on Gu Chengze’s father—evidence of an illegitimate child, his uncle’s shady dealings, more intimate photos of Gu Chengze and Xu Qingqing, and even proof that Gu Chengtao was gay.

Yes, discovering Gu Chengtao’s secret was a surprise. The Gu family was truly a mess.

“When did you gather all this?” Wen Ya asked, stunned after reading the documents.

“I prepared it earlier for emergencies. Didn’t expect to use it so soon,” Ji Ming said, tilting his head in a surprisingly cute manner.

Wen Ya didn’t buy it. She was sure he’d collected this long ago. Reading through it, she recalled her mother’s words on the phone.

“Last time, when Gu Chengze spread rumors about us, did you help me?”

“I was involved too. Can’t really say I was helping you,” Ji Ming replied matter-of-factly.

Wen Ya didn’t believe him. No matter how the rumors spread, she’d be the one hurt, while Ji Ming would remain largely unaffected.

Still, Wen Ya made a mental note of his support.

“Are you planning to release this evidence?” Wen Ya asked, thinking Ji Ming would use the same tactic as before.

“No, I’ll send it directly to Mr. Gu and Gu Chengze. I’m sure they’ll know how to handle the online chaos.”

Wen Ya’s eyes widened, and she burst into laughter. This was truly brilliant.