Her words left everyone stunned.
For a moment, everyone froze, pausing what they were doing as they turned their bewildered gazes toward Ruan Nian and Fang Yining.
Ruan Nian’s eyes nearly bulged with fury.
She clenched her skirt tightly, barely managing to keep her expression neutral. Her gaze instantly darted to Gu Zhaoping.
Wasn’t she supposed to be cooperating with her?
Why was the doctor she brought here exposing her like this?
Ruan Nian forced a smile. "Oh? Maybe I just lost my balance earlier, so the injury got worse."
"Doctor, thank you, but there’s no need to waste any more time on me. Let’s start recording."
She tried to brush past the topic and stand up. The explanation seemed plausible enough, and the director, snapping out of his daze, quickly suppressed his unease and signaled for the shoot to resume.
"But didn’t Miss Ruan mention a muscle strain earlier?" Gu Zhaoping remarked casually. "I minored in sports rehabilitation in college. Since Dr. Fang has already checked your ankle sprain, let me take a look at your muscle strain."
Ruan Nian’s face turned ashen. As Gu Zhaoping approached and even bent down, she instinctively shoved her away. "Don’t!"
The rejection was too blatant—everyone noticed.
Gu Zhaoping remained in her half-crouched position, locking eyes with Ruan Nian, her lips still curved in amusement.
Ruan Nian had pushed hard—if Gu Zhaoping hadn’t had a solid stance, she might have fallen.
When Ruan Nian realized Gu Zhaoping hadn’t budged, she trembled, panic surging through her. Regret flooded her—why had she reacted like that?
Gu Zhaoping, however, found this scheming rather entertaining. After years of navigating corporate battles, whether it was Gu Zhaoye or this little "white moonlight," their antics struck her as childishly naive.
She was enjoying the show.
"Miss Ruan, I think you owe everyone an explanation—especially me."
Gu Zhaoping’s tone was unhurried, almost indifferent, yet every word was razor-sharp, making Ruan Nian shiver.
"Which part of you did I hit that day? How exactly did you get injured? Which department did you visit at the hospital, and what medication were you prescribed?"
"If it was just a sprained ankle, why were you hospitalized for so long?"
"And unless I’m mistaken, there are two things you seem to have forgotten."
She spoke leisurely, not to pick apart Ruan Nian’s lies but simply to lay out the facts she remembered clearly.
"First, when I confronted you that day, it was Gu Zhaoye I grabbed. He was the one who pushed you away, wasn’t he?"
"Second, you just told us it was a muscle strain. Funny how, after a brief chat, your ankle suddenly became this severely injured too."
The room fell dead silent.
Even those who adored Ruan Nian could sense something was off in her words.
Right… Why would Ruan Nian… lie?
Could she really not remember whether she had a muscle strain or a sprained ankle?
The doctor had just confirmed her injury was fresh—could it possibly be…?
The moment this suspicion surfaced, everyone was stunned. No way! It had to be an accident—Ruan Nian would never do something like that!
The silence wasn’t just in the room; even the live stream chat outside the cameras fell eerily quiet.
The director, who had been grinning moments ago, suddenly realized what was happening and frantically shut off the broadcast.
But the moment he did, he cursed inwardly—wasn’t this just making it more obvious?
Too late for regrets!
And indeed, it was too late.
The internet erupted into chaos almost instantly.
[Wait, what’s going on? Can someone explain Ruan Nian’s injury?]
[No way… Are we really thinking what I think we’re thinking? Ruan Nian wouldn’t do this, right?]
Netizens immediately dug up the paparazzi photos of Gu Zhaoping allegedly assaulting Ruan Nian on the street.
But after scrutinizing every image, they realized—not a single shot showed Gu Zhaoping actually laying hands on her.
In fact, the entire altercation seemed to be between Gu Zhaoping and Gu Zhaoye, the two siblings. Ruan Nian had been pushed aside by Gu Zhaoye early on and wasn’t involved.
Then, a timid eyewitness who had been nearby spoke up:
[I… I think I saw it too. It was just Gu Zhaoping and Gu Zhaoye fighting. Ruan Nian was standing to the side, unharmed…]
[But I thought I might’ve missed something, so I didn’t say anything at the time.]
Piece by piece, the truth unraveled.
Apart from the accounts dissecting the incident, the rest of the internet fell into a heavy silence, unwilling to jump to conclusions.
After years of adoring Ruan Nian, it was too hard to accept this shift. They’d rather let the truth unfold slowly than believe she could be at fault.
[But what about the injury? That’s real, right?]
Eager to stir the pot, someone dug into Ruan Nian’s hospital records—only to discover she hadn’t been admitted at all in the past few days.
Now it was really over.
Not a single voice rose in her defense.
This… This couldn’t be Ruan Nian, could it?
By the time Sister Li, Ruan Nian’s agent, caught wind of the situation, most of the details had already been exposed.
Her pupils dilated in shock—this was a disaster.
What was going on? Why had the show aired this mess live? And since when was Gu Zhaoping sharp enough to call for a medical check on Ruan Nian’s injury?
Sister Li barely suppressed a scream. After a deep breath, she quickly messaged Ruan Nian: Stay calm. Don’t make another move.
At the same time, she rushed to draft a statement to control the damage.
Recently, some ill-intentioned individuals have attempted to smear Miss Ruan Nian and drive a wedge between her and the Gu family by spreading false rumors online. This has already caused significant harm to both parties. If such rumors continue to circulate, both our side and Miss Gu's side will consider taking legal action to defend our rights. Certain individuals in the industry should exercise restraint.
After swiftly posting this announcement, Sister Li finally let out a sigh of relief. Now the blame had been shifted—whether people believed it or not was up to them.
As for Ruan Nian's reputation, as long as there was a plausible explanation, the public would likely side with her.
At the filming set, Ruan Nian remained unaware that everything had already been broadcast live by the director.
Clenching her fists nervously, she stammered, "Sister Gu Zhaoping, I'm sorry—I didn’t know they misunderstood you. I already told them this injury was my own fault, that I accidentally hurt myself."
Soon, she began trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault for not clarifying sooner. Next time I see such baseless rumors, I’ll make sure to correct them immediately."
Only then did the others realize that Ruan Nian had indeed said something along those lines earlier. But to anyone listening, her words sounded more like an overly self-sacrificing attempt to shoulder all the blame—no one would suspect that Gu Zhaoping had truly done nothing wrong.
A strange feeling crept into some people’s hearts.
Wait… why did Ruan Nian’s phrasing seem a little too polished?
Whether she was guilty or innocent, she never lost—she always remained untouchable.
Once this realization struck, a few couldn’t help but feel unsettled.
Hearing Ruan Nian’s words again, some began to see them in a different light.
Ruan Nian, who had always enjoyed a stellar reputation, now seemed—from a certain angle—almost like she was… playing the victim?
Was she subtly fishing for sympathy?
But Gu Zhaoping shook her head.
"Remember, I’m the one who was misunderstood. If anyone needs an explanation, it should be me—not them."
Ruan Nian’s face paled. She bit her lip and lowered her head.
At this point, the others felt as if they’d been struck hard on the head.
Right—Gu Zhaoping was the one directly involved. Shouldn’t Ruan Nian be explaining to her what had really happened?
Only then did Ruan Nian, hands shaking, notice the message from her manager. She quickly checked it—and her pupils constricted in horror.
She jerked her head up to glare at the director. Who had turned on the live stream? Were they insane?!
Filming hadn’t even started yet—why would they go live?! Did that mean the entire country had just witnessed that scene?!
The realization nearly made her pass out on the spot.
Worst of all, she could clearly feel the waves of pity and admiration she’d accumulated rapidly draining away.
For someone of her massive following, the loss was negligible—but for her, accustomed to endless growth with no decline, this kind of setback was unbearable.
Watching her hard-earned charm points vanish, Ruan Nian nearly let out a scream.
She almost immediately wanted to cover her face. Last time, she had allocated her charm points to her skin, which had been in poor condition lately. But after applying those points, it had become as smooth as jade. Now that those charm points were completely depleted, the flaws on her cheeks and the dull complexion she couldn’t conceal resurfaced.
The others present, who had been watching them, inexplicably froze. For some reason, it felt as though Ruan Nian’s complexion had suddenly worsened.
"I’m sorry, Sister Zhaoping. This is all my fault for not monitoring public opinion properly. There’s been so much hate online lately, and I’ve been too scared to look at those messages."
Ruan Nian’s voice trembled with tears as she quickly bowed her head in apology, covering her face. "That’s why everyone misunderstood and caused trouble for you, Sister Zhaoping. If you’re angry, just scold me instead."
Yet her words only made those who already had reservations about her feel even more uneasy. Why did every sentence of hers sound like she was playing the victim?
Gu Zhaoping spoke slowly, her tone patient. "I’m not angry."
Just as Ruan Nian thought she might be let off, Gu Zhaoping’s next words made her expression stiffen.
"What does anger solve? What I want is to prevent this from happening again. I don’t need these half-hearted apologies and compensations from you."
"I want solutions, not emotional outbursts. Understood?"
Finally, Gu Zhaoping stood up. She and Ruan Nian switched positions, forcing Ruan Nian to look up at her.
With a faint smile, Gu Zhaoping asked, "What will you do if this happens again? I don’t have time to wait around for you to fix things."
Ruan Nian’s face paled. Was she being forced to make a promise?
She had intended for this supporting character to give her a hard time—but not this hard! She couldn’t even think of how to salvage her image on the spot!
Gritting her teeth, Ruan Nian’s expression darkened. But considering how much longer the show would run and the rumors already swirling outside, she had no choice but to say:
"I’m sorry, Sister Zhaoping. I promise nothing like this will ever happen again. If anyone misunderstands you in the future, I’ll clarify immediately."
"And what about this time?"
Gu Zhaoping wasn’t letting her off that easily. Ruan Nian had assumed her apology would be enough to settle things, but Gu Zhaoping pressed further.
After a long pause, Ruan Nian finally said, "I’ll post a public clarification on social media, explaining everything. I’m sorry… Sister Zhaoping."
Only then did Gu Zhaoping nod. A solution and the right attitude—that was how problems should be resolved.
Trying to muddle through with vague words would only leave room for future trouble.
When dealing with an issue, it had to be settled thoroughly, leaving no room for doubt. Otherwise, the slightest ambiguity could be twisted into ammunition for slander.
Having fought in the business world for years, Gu Zhaoping knew these tactics all too well.
The petty schemes of Ruan Nian and Gu Zhaoye were nothing more than child’s play.
In that sense, the two of them were a perfect match.
The storm finally passed, leaving everyone present feeling somewhat awkward—especially the director, who wished he could dig a hole and bury himself.
What was supposed to be a live broadcast to garner sympathy for Ruan Nian had instead ended up clearing Gu Zhaoping’s name, while Ruan Nian was now the one caught in the scandal.
He could already imagine how Ruan Nian’s agency would come after him afterward!
But if he were to apologize to Ruan Nian, what could he even say? "I shouldn’t have gone live—I didn’t know you’d pull such a deceitful stunt?"
Hmm… No. After some thought, the director decided it was best to stay silent.
Still, without realizing it, his impression of Ruan Nian had soured slightly. A shadow of doubt had settled in his mind.
Fang Yining shrugged and walked over to Gu Zhaoping. "Zhaoping, did you call me here on purpose?"
"No, I just remembered you studied medicine," Gu Zhaoping replied flatly. Before arriving, she had reviewed the backgrounds of everyone involved, and Fang Yining was indeed the first person who came to mind.
But it was also a fortunate coincidence—Fang Yining happened to be Gu Zhaoye’s fiancée, though the two of them often forgot about that fact.
Gu Zhaoping thought for a moment before asking, "So, what do you think of this little white lotus?"
Fang Yining considered it honestly. "She and Gu Zhaoye are a perfect match."
Gu Zhaoping fell silent for a beat. "That’s harsh."
Fang Yining burst into laughter, nearly tearing up. The Gu Zhaoping of late was different from before—she could actually crack dry jokes like this, and her actions were unexpectedly sharp. She had just completely exposed Ruan Nian’s lies.
For a long time, Fang Yining had been enduring the antics of Ruan Nian and Gu Zhaoye. She had no idea what had gotten into Gu Zhaoping recently, but she was dismantling both of them left and right.
Right now, she had only one thought—this feels amazing!
She really liked this version of Zhaoping!
Her eyes curved into crescents as she waved at Gu Zhaoping. "Then I’ll wait for you to finish filming. Let’s go shopping tomorrow? I’ve invited the friends you usually like—none of the people you hate are coming."
Gu Zhaoping wasn’t particularly interested in shopping, but she had a good impression of Fang Yining.
Spring.
This was the usual way to strengthen connections among the socialite circle. She nodded.
"Meet me tomorrow at Baichuan Mall—it’s under the Gu family’s name."
Fang Yining gasped dramatically. "No way, is Miss Gu giving us a discount?"
"It’s on me."
Gu Zhaoping pulled out a card, flicking it between her fingers before handing it to Fang Yining.
"Put it on my tab."
Fang Yining froze.
Fang Yining was stunned.
…Wait, what?! Miss Gu, you’re this generous?!
Damn, I’d help you out every day if I could! The way you handed over that card—so cool!
Fang Yining quickly pocketed the card and hurried off.
Watching her retreat in shock were Li Xunwen and Li Xunxi, the siblings who had been silently observing the whole spectacle from a distance.
Finally, one of them spoke. "That’s Gu Zhaoye’s fiancée, right?"
Ruan Nian didn’t recognize them, but they had met before. How could Gu Zhaoping be so bold as to call Gu Zhaoye’s fiancée, Fang Yining, to examine Ruan Nian’s injury? If Gu Zhaoye found out, wouldn’t he fly into a rage?
What madness had taken hold of Gu Zhaoping lately? Was she planning to completely sever ties with Gu Zhaoye? Did she intend to betray the Gu family?
Li Xunwen and her sibling were conflicted, but Liang Zhiwei’s emotions were even more tangled.
She had also met Fang Yining before, and the moment she saw her appear, her heart sank. Now everyone had crossed paths, and she wished she could disappear on the spot.
Liang Zhiwei couldn’t even imagine how chaotic the scene would become if Gu Zhaoye suddenly showed up at this moment.
Fortunately, Fang Yining didn’t stay long—she seemed to have come only to check Ruan Nian’s foot injury before leaving.
Liang Zhiwei let out a sigh of relief.
When the production crew approached to film her self-introduction, she quickly pulled herself together.
"Hello everyone, I’m Liang Zhiwei, a newcomer actress. My skills? I’m good at cooking, making soups, baking… oh, and I also self-studied to earn a nutritionist certification."
She blurted it all out, only realizing afterward that she had learned all these things for Gu Zhaoye.
The host joked, "Zhiwei, you’re such a model wife! Did you pick up these skills hoping to win someone’s heart through their stomach?"
Liang Zhiwei’s heart skipped a beat. At that moment, she noticed Ruan Nian turning to look at her.
Her throat went dry, her mind blanked, and she froze, unable to speak.
Like every domineering CEO, Gu Zhaoye had stomach problems.
During the years Liang Zhiwei stayed by his side, she had taught herself countless things to take care of him, almost becoming an expert in the process, honing her culinary skills to perfection.
But the moment Ruan Nian turned around, Gu Zhaoye would immediately push Liang Zhiwei away, afraid her presence might upset Ruan Nian.
Liang Zhiwei steeled herself, forcing those memories out of her mind.
All she wanted was to finish filming this show smoothly, fulfill her contract with the company, pay off her debts, and get her grandmother the treatment she needed.
She still wanted to stay in the entertainment industry—she couldn’t afford to offend Ruan Nian and Gu Zhaoye.
"I… I didn’t…"
The host, unaware of the history behind their interactions, had only meant it as a lighthearted tease. Seeing Liang Zhiwei so tense, he was taken aback.
Under Ruan Nian’s gaze, Liang Zhiwei felt a chill run through her, knowing her reaction was far from ideal.
If Gu Zhaoye heard about her nervousness from someone, he would surely track her down to warn her, mocking her for still clinging to false hopes—hadn’t the breakup settlement been enough?
Just as she stood there helpless, lost in her thoughts, someone else being interviewed nearby glanced over and noticed her unusual tension.
"Who says being good at cooking makes someone a model wife?" Gu Zhaoping said coolly. "Who decided she has to do it for someone else—especially a man?"
Liang Zhiwei froze.
"Nutritionists are a rare and valuable profession when mastered. Finding the time to earn that certification proves she’s exceptional."
Gu Zhaoping still remembered she hadn’t found a satisfactory nutritionist yet and casually remarked.
The host froze for a moment, instantly embarrassed.
He was just making a joke! He hadn’t expected Gu Zhaoping to interject—and so bluntly at that.
"Uh, well, Miss Gu, um, my apologies."
Not daring to offend her, he could only awkwardly steer the conversation to the next topic.
Liang Zhiwei let out a quiet sigh of relief. She glanced gratefully at Gu Zhaoping beside her, feeling a surge of astonishment.
She had actually spoken up for her.
And she thought the skills Liang Zhiwei had honed for Gu Zhaoye were impressive? When everyone else saw her as nothing more than an accessory to Gu Zhaoye.
After just two meetings, she already felt indebted to Gu Zhaoping.
Zheng Anling turned on the recorder, aiming it at Gu Zhaoping. "Miss Gu, our interview is starting! I have a few questions for you."
Gu Zhaoping nodded. To showcase the Gu family’s prestige, her own image was a crucial part of it. If she had strengths, there was no point hiding them.
Zheng Anling began, "As everyone knows, the Gu family places great emphasis on education for this generation. The chairman’s life achievements are widely celebrated, but your own academic journey remains less known. Miss Gu, could you share your experiences?"
The staff nearby tensed up. Wasn’t this poking the bear? Weren’t there rumors that Gu Zhaoping’s degrees were… less than substantial? Why bring this up?
Little did they know Zheng Anling had already fallen into blind admiration for Gu Zhaoping, her eyes sparkling as she awaited the answer.
Li Xunwen and Li Xunxi, siblings ready to relish the embarrassment, exchanged glances.
They knew a thing or two about Gu Zhaoping’s academic background—or so they thought. In their eyes, she’d surely stumble over her words.
Raised with elite educations themselves, this was their forte.
Just as they opened their mouths to eloquently flaunt their top-tier upbringing and scholarly prowess, Gu Zhaoping’s calm voice cut through:
"A dual degree in Business and Law from Stanford was essentially an experiment in time compression—while others spent four years on a JD alone, I completed an MBA-JD crossover program in three, incidentally winning the law school’s moot court championship along the way."
"..."
"Those years were intense, but I’ve always lived by a motto engraved at the bottom of my favorite coffee cup: You are what you calculate. Measure meticulously, reap accordingly."
"..."
"Die Luft der Freiheit weht—‘The wind of freedom blows’—is our school’s motto. Though I often append a footnote: Freedom is the byproduct of precision."
"Outside academics, I channeled stress into hobbies: chess, jiu-jitsu, shooting, astroarchaeology, and instruments—mostly cello during university..."
"Chess is the jiu-jitsu of the mind, and jiu-jitsu is the game theory of the body—during my three years at Stanford, I used chess games to train my judgment in mergers and acquisitions, and grappling techniques to understand leverage in power dynamics. Under the guidance of my elders at home, I place great emphasis on efficiency. I usually don’t let a single thing serve just one purpose."
"..."
"As for astroarchaeology, it’s my decompression code—last year at Machu Picchu, while calculating Inca star charts, I incidentally optimized the Gu family’s logistics algorithm using radio telescope data..."
Gu Zhaoping paused here, feeling she had probably said enough. It wasn’t that she couldn’t say more, but she figured this much screen time for a guest’s personal segment was already quite lengthy.
So she reluctantly stopped, waiting for Zheng Anling to ask the next question.
Zheng Anling was utterly dumbfounded.
Her hands trembled slightly as she held the microphone!!
What in the world was all that? Miss Gu, what had she just said? Those were all Chinese words, so why did it sound like gibberish?!
Wait, is this the kind of life a normal person leads?
Beside her, Li Xunwen and Li Xunxi nearly spat out their drinks!
Had Gu Zhaoping lost her mind? Where did she memorize this script from? She must’ve prepared for ages just to show off like this on the show!
Seriously, couldn’t she have put in a little more effort? After all, Li Xunwen was an expert in chess, and Li Xunxi excelled at the cello. There was even a talent showcase segment later—once they crossed paths, Gu Zhaoping was bound to be exposed!
They were absolutely stunned by the sheer audacity of Gu Zhaoping!
