Reborn to Outshine My Ex and His White Moonlight-Chapter 142: You Did It on Purpose!

Lin Zhiyi’s neck throbbed with pain; Gong Chen had bitten her hard this time, as if he were punishing her.

But she dared not make a sound, breathing hard, fists clenched as she endured the agony.

Then, Gong Chen pried open her fist, interlocking their fingers, the biting on her neck turning into a gentle grind.

She was dazed for a few seconds, until the knock on the neighbor’s door startled her awake.

She struggled, "Let go."

"Scarf."

"I threw it away."

"Lin Zhiyi, you should know the consequences of lying to me."

Gong Chen’s voice was low in her ear, commanding with an irresistible oppressiveness.

"In the bag," Lin Zhiyi said softly.

Being caught in a lie caused her neck to blush a faint pink, highlighting the ambiguous redness of the bite mark. She lowered her eyelashes, her lips slightly pursed in a seductive pout.

She awkwardly shifted her body, and Gong Chen tightened his hold around her waist.

"Don’t move."

The man’s breathing was heavy; the hot breath on the side of Lin Zhiyi’s ear and his taut muscles made her dare not move at all.

A few seconds later, warmth spread across her neck.

Gong Chen had rewrapped the scarf around her neck before slowly releasing her.

Lin Zhiyi looked down at the scarf, seeing the embroidered "Chen," not understanding why he needed to do this.

Suddenly, the urgent knocking shattered her trance, and she peered at the man who had walked into the living room before cracking the door open slightly.

"Sorry, I didn’t hear you in the bathroom, and I don’t have any vinegar left either."

"No problem." The neighbor craned his neck to peer inside.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." The neighbor withdrew his gaze, handing her a box of wontons quickly. "Brought these for you."

"No need, I’ve already eaten my fill today, you eat them, goodbye."

Lin Zhiyi spoke politely, then quickly closed the door.

Instinct urged her to peer through the peephole, and, to her surprise, the neighbor was indeed nosy, eavesdropping against the door.

She tiptoed back to the living room.

By then, Gong Chen had already started brewing tea on his own. He didn’t look up, lazily twirling a ring on his finger.

Lin Zhiyi approached, "Uncle Gong, I’ve shown you the scarf, and it’s late now. I’m really tired and want to sleep early."

The man stopped twirling the ring, pressed his hand to his forehead, and then looked up at her. "Are you sure your neighbor won’t get suspicious seeing you with a man’s scarf and want to investigate?"

Lin Zhiyi looked down, biting her lip. "You did it on purpose!"

There was no getting rid of him now.

He said nothing, casually steeping a pot of tea and taking a calm sip.

Exhausted, Lin Zhiyi sat down, pulling out her phone to avoid talking to him, and started playing with it right in front of him.

When she turned on her phone, an article immediately caught her eye.

A report about Chen Hongwei embezzling and framing others was blazing across the internet.

Many former female employees of the Chen Group also came forward, accusing him of sexual harassment during their tenure.

This article, however, conspicuously avoided dwelling heavily on the scandal of Shen Yan and Chen Hongwei being caught in adultery.

Many media outlets now sensationalized the story, describing in vivid detail how Shen Yan seduced Chen Hongwei and got caught in the act.

But that was not the crux of the matter.

As Lin Zhiyi finished reading, she felt a secret thrill.

Finally, the media had focused on the main issue and the chief culprit.

Chen Hongwei could no longer hide.

Chen Group’s stock price tumbled.

It fell so quickly it was as if someone was manipulating everything.

With Chen Hongwei’s explosion, Song Wanqiu also blew up—the events were linked in a chain reaction.

Someone had posted photos online of Song Wanqiu dining privately with Shen Yan, paying for Shen Yan’s purchases, the two appearing as close as sisters.

This, combined with Chen Hongwei’s framing of Lin Zhiyi and the incomplete name Shen Yan had almost revealed in her livestream, quickly directed the misfortune towards Song Wanqiu.

There was no concrete evidence, but the suspicion was enough to make Song Wanqiu restless.

Lin Zhiyi gave it some thought. If Shen Yan had mentioned Song Wanqiu’s name during the live broadcast, it might have been dismissed as baseless gossip.

Now, with the ironclad evidence of Chen Hongwei’s framing, the subtle actions of Shen Yan and Song Wanqiu could be easily explained.

Surprisingly, Lin Zhiyi’s account had gained a lot of sympathetic netizens.

"Miss, I heard that you and Shen Yan are besties, but you’ve been stabbed in the back! You should stop hanging out with her."

"I’ve gone over the timeline, and without someone colluding with Mr. Chen from inside, the jewelry switch wouldn’t have been possible. You should be more careful."

"Senior, I’ve wanted to warn you for a while now that Shen Yan often meets Song Wanqiu in private. Be cautious."

Watching these comments, Lin Zhiyi almost laughed out loud.

Gong Chen put down his teacup and spoke with a calm voice, "Enjoying this?"

Lin Zhiyi immediately suppressed her smile, having forgotten he was still there. He was so protective of Song Wanqiu, he might think she was up to mischief.

"Uncle, if you think I’m framing Song Wanqiu, you’re free to investigate it yourself. Don’t let your fiancée suffer unjustly."

"..."

Gong Chen’s frown deepened as he raised his hand to massage his brow.

Lin Zhiyi didn’t notice Gong Chen’s expression, continuing to look at her phone, responding graciously to everyone’s kind words.

Before she realized it, she was tired enough to fall asleep on the pillow.

Gong Chen shifted his body to the side, his gaze lingering on Lin Zhiyi. Her cheek was pressed against his scarf, probably uncomfortable as she wrinkled her nose and shifted her position, continuing to sleep.

His eyes wandered for a moment, filling with a twinkle of scattered light.

That is until his phone screen lit up. He glanced at the content, and his gaze instantly turned cold.

After carrying her back to her room, Gong Chen turned around, paused as if he remembered something, and then headed out into the night.

...

Gong Mansion.

Enveloped by the night, the antiquated estate gained a somberness.

Gong Chen walked into the tea room, where the gurgling steam filled the room but did not dispel the chill surrounding him.

Old Mr. Gong did not look up, slowly waking the tea with boiling water.

The hissing sound filled the room, and the aroma of the tea contrasted with the quiet and undercurrents of the tea room.

After the second steep, Old Mr. Gong twirled the tea pot, casually showing concern, "Where have you been?"

"Dealing with the Chen Family."

Gong Chen sat down unhurriedly, his face showing no emotion.

Once the tea was poured, Old Mr. Gong filled the cup in front of Gong Chen.

"A nighttime affair? When have you ever cared so much about the Chen Family? I told you to find a chance to take over the Chen Group, and you’ve never been interested. If it wasn’t for that, would we be seeing the Chen Family’s antics today?"

"Gong Yan is still the only son of my older brother. Wiping out the Chen Family completely would not be good for the Gong Family’s reputation. Now that he has overstepped, it’s time to set an example, or others will think they can mess around in front of the Gong Family."

Gong Chen spoke slowly, his eyes revealing an undeniable chill.

Old Mr. Gong paused with his cup, "Is that the only reason?"

"What else would it be?"

Gong Chen sipped his tea without a ripple of emotion.

Old Mr. Gong studied him for a moment, nodded slightly, and then switched topics, "What about Song Wanqiu? The mine issue can’t be suppressed much longer."

"I talked to her. Given the Song Family’s current situation, she has no other choice," Gong Chen said indifferently.

"You really have the heart to be ruthless, watching her persuade her father to invest so much money in the Chen Family. The Song Family won’t be able to recover from that hole anytime soon."

While asking, Old Mr. Gong continued to pour tea, his gaze still resting on Gong Chen’s face.

Touching the rim of his cup, Gong Chen felt no sensation from the scalding tea, speaking gravely, "Those who kick others when they’re down naturally have to learn their lesson."

Hearing this, Old Mr. Gong put down the teapot and gestured with his hand.

"That’s enough. I trust your actions. It’s also getting late. Drink this cup of Calming Tea and go to sleep."

"Mm."

Gong Chen stood up and left.

The door of the tea room closed slowly, and Old Mr. Gong’s complexion grew darker, gesturing towards the butler.

The butler approached respectfully, "Old Mr. Gong."

"Continue to keep a close watch on Lin Zhiyi."