The next day, Gu Chengyu sat behind his desk, two freshly delivered investigation reports laid out before him.
Assistant Zhao stood respectfully to the side, hands at his sides, reporting: "Young Master Gu, these are the detailed recent situations of Qiao Xi and Lin Shu."
Gu Chengyu's slender fingers opened the first file.
It was Qiao Xi. After being blacklisted and having her contract terminated by the Shen Corporation, she had completely vanished from the public eye.
However, relying on the Qiao family's still substantial wealth, she continued to live a life of luxury, frequenting high-end venues and purchasing luxury goods, seemingly largely unaffected.
An attached photo showed her emerging from an upscale beauty salon, her smile bright.
A cold curve touched the corner of Gu Chengyu's lips as he turned to the second report.
Lin Shu, similarly abandoned by the Shen Corporation, had all her endorsements and contracts terminated with hefty penalties paid.
But she had quickly accepted the courtship of a little-known minor actor.
That actor had once been her fervent fan, came from a decent family, and was extremely attentive to Lin Shu, almost granting her every wish.
The photo, taken by a paparazzo, showed Lin Shu wearing sunglasses, walking intimately side-by-side with the actor on the street.
"Hmph." Gu Chengyu let out a cold snort, tossing the reports carelessly back onto the desk. His eyes held not a shred of warmth, only a chilling coldness.
"One," he said, his voice calm yet carrying the oppressive weight of a gathering storm, "egged Song Qingwan on behind the scenes to make a move against Qian Qian."
"The other," he continued, "made Qian Qian sign that contract akin to selling herself into bondage."
He lifted his gaze to Assistant Zhao. "And they can still live so comfortably? Shopping, indulging in romance?"
"Shen Que's initial handling was still too lenient," Gu Chengyu concluded, his tone indifferent.
Shen Que had only cut off their careers and financial paths, allowing them to continue their cushy lives relying on their families or other men.
How could that possibly be enough?
He leaned forward slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk twice as he issued a new directive: "Compile all the things they've done in the past, everything for which evidence can be found. Report it directly to the police."
He paused, his tone icy. "Tell them to handle it according to the law, pursue it to the fullest extent. I want them to pay the price for what they've done."
Gu Chengyu emphasized, his gaze profound, "The key point is, once they're inside, don't let them come out again."
Assistant Zhao understood perfectly, immediately bowing. "Yes, Young Master Gu! I will attend to it right away. I will ensure the process is legal and compliant, with a result that satisfies you."
Gu Chengyu waved a hand, dismissing him.
The office fell silent once more. The sunlight remained brilliant, yet it could not dispel the cold, severe aura emanating from the man.
They bullied his woman and thought they could walk away unscathed?
The world doesn't work that way.
When Gu Chengyu struck, he never showed mercy.
Besides Qiao Xi and Lin Shu receiving life sentences, news also broke about Song Qingwan secretly instigating the spread of rumors and having frequent, clandestine contact with an unidentified middle-aged woman.
The outside world was in an uproar, followed by a deluge of schadenfreude and mockery.
"My God! The Song family, who always prided themselves on being paragons of virtue, raised a daughter like this?"
"Scheming behind the scenes, surveilling others? Is this really something that piano prodigy did? Her persona has shattered completely!"
"And that mysterious woman? She looks so much like Madam Song? Could she be Song Qingwan's real birth mother?"
"If that's true, this is a real scandal! The Song family's sole heir is either an illegitimate child of unclear origin, or not of Song blood at all."
"You mean the Song family line ends with her?"
"Tsk tsk, they always stood on such a high moral ground. Who would have thought their own house would catch fire and burn so spectacularly now!"
All manner of speculation and malicious discussion ran rampant, threatening to drown the Song family entirely.
