To show their sincerity at the outset, their company had indeed invested preliminary funds. Now, President Zhao declared a withdrawal of investment, leaving the project in limbo and the money irretrievable—it was clearly the rhythm of bankruptcy. Sister Ling was not ready to give up and insisted on seeing President Zhao, but President Zhao’s secretary sneered, "Think carefully about who you’ve managed to offend. It’s useless to come to our President Zhao." The secretary then pointed skyward, the implication clear. She had always been good at networking, so how could she have possibly offended anyone? Could it be Zhu Yangyang... She went back to confront Zhu Yangyang, bluntly demanding to know who she had offended. Zhu Yangyang looked utterly confused, "Sister Ling, are you joking? When have I ever offended anyone?" "This is straight from President Zhao’s secretary’s mouth. There’s no reason for President Zhao to withdraw his investment unless someone is behind it..." Sister Ling suddenly widened her eyes as a thought struck her, "Could it be Ming Han?" Yes, it had to be Ming Han. Zhu Yangyang was currently using him for publicity, angering Ming Han, who had extensive connections in the industry. This mess must be his doing. Follow current novels on novｅlfire.net But Ming Han was still on a plane at the moment, unless he had anticipated Zhu Yangyang’s use of him for publicity beforehand. However, Zhu Yangyang had kept even her in the dark, so unless Ming Han was clairvoyant... then who could it be? She ran her fingers through her hair in irritation, "Unless we find a new investor now, our company will face closure." Zhu Yangyang also realized the gravity of the situation. She and Sister Ling split ways to seek investment based on their connections, but given the massive investment needed for the project, only large companies could fill the void. Unfortunately, these large companies either paid no attention or outright refused. Just as Zhu Yangyang was at her wit’s end, more bad news arrived. The internet was flooded with negative stories about her, a systematic and organized smear campaign, even dredging up her old dirt—secret rules, tantrums, affairs... abortions... With fake intermingled with truth, regardless of the reality, it was convincing and credible enough to the public. "What on earth is going on?" Zhu Yangyang, fuming, swiped a vase off the coffee table to the floor, her face twisted in rage. Sister Ling was silent for a long while then suddenly said, "Someone you’ve offended is deliberately framing you." "Who have I offended, huh? Why don’t I know about it?" She looked at the internet where all she saw was abuse, especially from Ming Han’s fans who spared no effort to insult her. "For now, you better keep a low profile; I’ll get the public relations department to handle this. Though I estimate it won’t be easy to resolve. If only we could find out who is pulling the strings behind the scenes, it would be much easier to deal with." When it rains, it pours. Zhu Yangyang’s assistant burst in with her phone, "Sister Yongyong, something terrible has happened, you better look at the news." Having been the subject of a smear campaign before, Zhu Yangyang was no longer rattled by any news. "Ming Han has updated his blog, stating that you’ve used his fame to spread rumors and cause trouble, and he has filed a lawsuit against you in court," the assistant said anxiously. "What?" Zhu Yangyang stood up from the sofa, snatched the assistant’s phone, and looked. Ming Han had posted an image with text on his personal blog five minutes earlier. It detailed the events of the previous evening when he had merely given Zhu Yangyang a ride home, and both Ruan Ming and Ji Yunya were in the car as witnesses. He declared that he would retain the right to pursue legal action against anyone exploiting the situation to spread rumors. The post ended with a warning line: Fools once, fools twice, but there will not be a third time; this time, I will not be lenient. The innuendo was very clear. Ming Han had always maintained a good image, and it was clear to any discerning observer that Zhu Yangyang was shamelessly throwing herself at him and had now been embarrassed. His fans were the most thrilled, bombarding Zhu Yangyang’s social media with insults, leaving her battered and bruised. This time, Zhu Yangyang had completely capsized in the gutter. Le Yu and Tang Boyong subsequently voiced their support for Ming Han on social media. Le Yu even posted a mocking tweet: "Had a nice private room booked for Princess Yun Ya’s celebration tonight, perfect setup, but then someone just had to barge in uninvited. Some people have no shame at all, heh..." Journalists tried calling Ruan Ming’s agent as she was a witness to the previous night’s events and also a close friend of Zhu Yangyang, eager to hear her take on the situation. Unfortunately, Ruan Ming’s agent refused interviews, and Ruan Ming herself remained silent. Yun Ya brought Ji Die to his estate under the pretense of letting her recuperate during her pregnancy but, in reality, placed her under surveillance. He also assigned a maid for close care. Ji Die, who had spent her life serving others, got a taste of being tended to, though she was not accustomed to such a lifestyle.