"Mr. Gu, Ms. Yu Linwan from Wanqing Entertainment has arrived," the special assistant said, looking at the busy Mr. Gu.
"What does she want?" Mr. Gu frowned, his patience with Yu Linwan worn thin.
"Should we make up an excuse to send her away?" the special assistant asked.
Mr. Gu pondered for a moment before saying, "Let her in."
Some matters were better discussed directly.
"Yes," the special assistant replied, then invited Yu Linwan in.
"Yaoyang," Yu Linwan said, walking in quickly. Her sorrow was mixed with worry. "I heard about what happened on set. Is Xia Qingtian alright?"
"I really didn't know this would happen. If I had, I would have surely persuaded Yueqiang to not act so recklessly."
"You know Yueqiang's temper. He was just impulsive; he meant no harm."
"We are willing to compensate. Yaoyang, please ask Xia Qingtian how much compensation she's willing to accept."
"Yueqiang was in the wrong from the start. I'll accept any amount of compensation."
Yu Linwan presented herself as an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, distancing herself from the incident before pushing Yu Yueqiang forward.
This was akin to pushing the Yu family forward as a shield, while magnanimously offering compensation.
Yu Linwan believed Gu Yaoyang was a smart man.
On a public level, Gu Yaoyang wouldn't oppose the Yu family for the sake of Xia Qingtian.
On a personal level, Gu Yaoyang should be merciful, considering their years of acquaintance.
She was willing to pay, so even if Xia Qingtian asked for an exorbitant sum, it should suffice.
"Are you saying you knew nothing of Yu Yueqiang's actions of forcing good people into prostitution these past few years, or do you believe his behavior is untouchable because he has the Yu family backing him?" Gu Yaoyang looked at Yu Linwan.
At times, Gu Yaoyang couldn't comprehend how selfish a person could be to reach Yu Linwan's level.
To curry favor with her uncle, Yu Linwan tolerated Yu Yueqiang's corruption right under her nose, and now she attributed it to Yu Yueqiang's impulsiveness?
Hearing Gu Yaoyang's words, Yu Linwan's face flushed with anger. Finally, her eyes welled up. "Yaoyang, you know how difficult my position is in the Yu family... I... I had no choice."
"Save those words for the judge," Gu Yaoyang said with a mocking smile. "Let's see if the judge pities your hardships."
When he woke up after being unconscious, Yu Linwan had used the same excuse, lamenting her difficulties.
Initially, Gu Yaoyang had thought everyone had their own aspirations and let it go.
However, after hearing it too many times, and combined with Yu Linwan's subsequent actions, Gu Yaoyang saw clearly.
Some people were truly capable of being selfish without any limits.
"You!" Yu Linwan looked at Gu Yaoyang in disbelief. "Yaoyang, you're going to sue me? For Xia Qingtian, you're going to take me, and the Yu family, to court?"
"It's not just this incident. For years, Wanqing Entertainment has been plaguing us by plagiarizing our projects, poaching our teams, and competing for our resources. Wanqing Entertainment has repeatedly engaged in malicious competition with Gu's Entertainment through illegal means," Gu Yaoyang tapped his fingertips on the table. "You probably don't even remember how many times."
"Yaoyang, you know I'm not good at management. This is all done by people below me. I'm unaware!" Yu Linwan defended herself with panicked eyes. "How could I harm you? Yaoyang, I..."
"How could you harm me?" Gu Yaoyang chuckled. He had seen enough of Yu Linwan's pathetic acting.
Standing up, Gu Yaoyang walked towards Yu Linwan. His smile remained indifferent, but his eyes seemed to have seen through Yu Linwan's layers of disguise. "That fire that kept me unconscious for three months, wasn't that set by you personally?"
Gu Yaoyang's voice was not loud, but each word struck Yu Linwan like thunder, rendering her utterly stunned.
"No, it's impossible!" Yu Linwan shook her head, disbelief etched on her face.
"Impossible what? Impossible that I know?" Gu Yaoyang smiled. "Yu Linwan, I didn't inform the Yu family of the truth because I couldn't be bothered to deal with you, and I firmly believed that you would eventually face consequences for your wrongdoing."
"But, if you dare to threaten Xia Qingtian in any way again," Gu Yaoyang's gaze turned cold, "I will let the Yu family know the entire truth."
"No! You can't!" Yu Linwan's voice cracked. Her eyes were filled with panic. "Yaoyang! You can't do this to me! We've known each other for 20 years! You can't do this to me for Xia Qingtian!"
Gu Yaoyang ignored Yu Linwan and said coldly, "Show her out."
As Gu Yaoyang finished speaking, the special assistant pushed the door open and entered.
"No! Yaoyang! You can't..." Yu Linwan tried to say more, but Gu Yaoyang interrupted her.
"Can't what? Speak up," Gu Yaoyang said casually as he returned to his seat.
Yu Linwan glanced nervously at the special assistant who had just entered, her face turning ashen.
She truly couldn't understand how Gu Yaoyang knew about that incident!
"Ms. Yu, please," the special assistant said, walking up to Yu Linwan.
Yu Linwan looked as if she had something to say but couldn't. In the end, she could only grit her teeth, turn, and leave, her heart filled with panic and unease.
Distraught, she walked out of Gu's Entertainment and received a phone call that completely dumbfounded her.
"Ms. Yu! This is bad! Something big has happened! Xia Qingtian from Gu's Entertainment broke Young Master Yu's leg, and... and..." The person on the other end didn't know how to describe it; the scene was too horrific. "Young Master Yu has been rushed to the hospital. Please come quickly!"
"What!" Hearing this, Yu Linwan felt her knees weaken, nearly collapsing on the steps of Gu's Entertainment.
Rushing to the hospital, Yu Linwan finally learned what had happened at Wanqing Entertainment in her absence.
That fool Yu Yueqiang had hired thugs from the underworld to confront Xia Qingtian, demanding an explanation, but was instead counter-attacked.
Not only were the thugs sent to jail, but Yu Yueqiang, the mastermind, had his hand and leg severed by Xia Qingtian, and also... his manhood.
The worst part was that Yu Yueqiang was charged with colluding with criminal forces and brandishing a weapon in coercion.
Colluding with criminal forces was already a serious offense, and now there was the additional charge of illegal possession of a weapon.
Xia Qingtian's actions could only be considered self-defense.
After Yu Yueqiang was discharged from the hospital, he wouldn't be able to cause trouble for Xia Qingtian, and it was likely he would face prison time.
The thought of how much her uncle doted on his only son made Yu Linwan's vision blur.
How could this have happened...