When Jiang Zihe received a call from Jiang Ying, he was still half-asleep.
He had stayed up late gaming the night before and hadn’t had the chance to check the trending topics. He had no idea that his brother had been trending for an entire night.
Jiang Ying started by showing some concern for him, but Jiang Zihe was too groggy to catch what exactly his brother was saying.
That was until Jiang Ying suddenly mentioned the name “Xiao Cheng.”
Jiang Zihe instantly woke up.
He had always thought that Jiang Ying liked Xiao Cheng’s boyfriend. Every time he heard Jiang Cheng mention Xiao Cheng’s name, he would get nervous, afraid that his brother was about to try and steal someone else’s lover.
“Xiao Cheng? What about him?”
Could it really be what he was thinking?
Jiang Ying had clearly promised him last time that he would stop going after Luo Jingshu. It hadn’t even been that long—was he already regretting it?
Jiang Ying immediately realized that his brother had no idea about the trending topic yet, so he smiled and said, “Oh, it’s nothing.”
“You know, I don’t have Xiao Cheng’s contact information.”
“Zihe, could you apologize to Xiao Cheng on my behalf?”
Jiang Zihe immediately sat up. The cold air hitting him made him shiver, but his mind became completely clear.
“What did you do to him?”
He didn’t really… steal someone else’s boyfriend, did he?
Jiang Ying’s expression turned grim, but his voice remained warm, carrying a hint of remorse. “I just don’t know what I did wrong, so I don’t know how to apologize.”
“Zihe, you’re close to Xiao Cheng. Can you help me apologize and maybe ask if I offended him in some way?”
The more Jiang Zihe listened, the more he felt that something was off. Even though Jiang Ying was humbling himself, there was an underlying hint of blame directed at Xiao Cheng in his words.
“What did he do to you?”
Even though Jiang Zihe was Jiang Ying’s younger brother, he had some vague knowledge of the shady things his brother had done. So even after hearing what Jiang Ying said, he didn’t immediately believe him.
Jiang Ying could tell right away that his brother was starting to side with someone else. His face contorted in anger, and his fingers clenched the documents on his desk so tightly that it looked like he was about to smash everything to the ground in the next second.
But he couldn’t afford to lose his composure, so he held back his rage. The papers in his hand became crumpled, making his secretary nervous just watching him.
“You haven’t checked the trending topics from last night, have you?”
Jiang Zihe scratched the back of his head, suddenly realizing that he might have missed something important. “No, I was gaming all night.”
Jiang Ying sighed on the phone. “Zihe, this is the first time I’ve ever been insulted like this.”
“I admit that I’m not a saint, but I have never forced anyone. Every relationship I’ve had was completely consensual.”
Jiang Zihe only knew that his brother had many lovers, but he had no idea what kind of illegal things he might have done in private. So when he heard this, he didn’t refute it and instead just hummed in response.
“Last night, I was just so angry. No one has ever accused me like this before.”
Jiang Ying clenched his jaw as he thought about all the hate comments online. He wished he could grab the person responsible and beat them up.
Even though most people seemed to believe his side of the story, there were still some who were cursing him.
Jiang Ying sighed again and subtly hinted, “I’ve been thinking about it, and I haven’t offended anyone recently.”
“Maybe I said something wrong during that interview a few days ago. I can’t get in touch with the Xiao family, so could you apologize to Xiao Cheng for me?”
His tone was so sincere that Jiang Zihe couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Besides, he was also curious about the truth of the matter, so he agreed. “Alright, I’ll ask him.”
But deep down, he felt that this probably wasn’t something Xiao Cheng would do.
Xiao Cheng had no reason to go after his brother.
Hadn’t they already settled everything last time?
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Zihe finally checked the trending topics.
The more he read, the more shocked he became. His expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief.
The scumbag in that marketing account’s exposé—was that really his brother?
No matter how bad Jiang Ying was, he wouldn’t go as far as to commit something like this, right?!
Jiang Zihe suspected that he was seeing things. After reading the exposé, he then checked the latest trending discussions.
Because of a vague statement in the clarification announcement, the public’s anger had now been redirected toward the Xiao family. People even started digging into the Xiao family’s background.
There was even a blurry photo of Xiao Cheng that had been uploaded and quickly taken down.
It was only then that Jiang Zihe realized how huge this had become.
Regardless of whether or not this was actually orchestrated by the Xiao family, on the surface, it was clear that his brother was the one who shifted the blame onto them first.
Jiang Zihe sensed that something was wrong.
Was his brother doing this on purpose?
If he was innocent, why was he trying to steer the conversation toward a conspiracy theory instead of just clearing his name?
That thought flashed through his mind but was quickly suppressed.
No, that was impossible. His brother wouldn’t be that much of a monster—he wouldn’t harm a minor and then threaten them afterward.
Jiang Zihe had always remembered how strict Jiang Ying was with him when he was younger. He had never allowed him to date early, let alone have casual relationships.
If his brother had always taught him that, then he wouldn’t do such a thing himself, right?
Jiang Zihe’s thoughts became a mess, so he decided to call Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng answered the phone just as he was getting out of bed.
He had been exhausted the night before, and now, after waking up, his body was sore all over. He just wanted to lie in bed forever.
This kind of thing felt great at the time, but afterward, the suffering was his alone—so unfair.
To vent his frustration, Xiao Cheng pinched Luo Jingshu’s cheeks until they turned bright red, making him look even more miserable than himself.
One had swollen lips with a small wound at the corner of his mouth, while the other had cheeks as red as a monkey’s bottom, along with a faint bite mark on his neck.
It was hard to say who had it worse.
Xiao Cheng was brushing his teeth when his phone, placed on the nightstand, suddenly rang. He nudged Luo Jingshu, signaling him to answer it.
Luo Jingshu stepped out to take the call and returned shortly after, phone in hand. Xiao Cheng, unable to speak with his mouth full of foam, mumbled twice, urging him to pick up.
Luo Jingshu held the screen up to Xiao Cheng. “It’s Jiang Zihe.”
Xiao Cheng immediately understood and raised his chin slightly, signaling Luo Jingshu to ignore it.
But Luo Jingshu answered the call and put it on speakerphone.
The next second, Jiang Zihe’s voice came through. “Cheng Cheng, what are you up to?”
Luo Jingshu’s face instantly darkened, displeased by the way Jiang Zihe addressed Xiao Cheng.
Cheng Cheng?
Did Jiang Zihe really think he had the right to call him that?
So intimate.
A chill ran down Xiao Cheng’s spine. He turned his head and met Luo Jingshu’s sharp gaze.
!!
Help! How was this his fault?!
Was he supposed to block Jiang Zihe’s mouth and stop him from saying it?
Xiao Cheng silently turned away, pretending not to notice.
Luo Jingshu’s good mood was completely ruined. He looked at Jiang Zihe with increasing disdain. “Brother Cheng is freshening up. Do you need something?”
Jiang Zihe choked and started coughing violently, gasping for air.
Luo Jingshu, disgusted, held the phone further away. Jiang Zihe didn’t seem very bright. Was Xiao Cheng really not worried about catching his stupidity from being friends with him?
He had to find a way to separate the two.
After a long bout of coughing, Jiang Zihe finally recovered. “Oh, you’re Luo Jingshu.”
Luo Jingshu remained expressionless. “Do you need something from my husband?”
Jiang Zihe, who had been full of questions, suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
Why did he suddenly feel like he was caught sneaking around with someone else’s spouse?
“Not really anything serious…” Jiang Zihe hesitated, “When will Xiao Cheng be free?”
He stopped calling him Cheng Cheng.
Luo Jingshu smirked coldly and was just about to warn him not to say that again when Xiao Cheng took the phone away. Not only that, but Xiao Cheng also shot him a glare, as if blaming him for speaking carelessly.
Luo Jingshu gritted his teeth. Sooner or later, he was going to deal with Jiang Zihe.
Xiao Cheng turned off the speaker. “Zihe, it’s me.”
Jiang Zihe let out a breath of relief. For some reason, he always felt nervous around Luo Jingshu, almost scared to speak.
Why was Luo Jingshu even scarier than his own brother?
“Xiao Cheng, I wanted to ask you something.”
Jiang Zihe had carefully prepared his words, but at this moment, he forgot them all. Suddenly, he didn’t know how to start—no matter how he phrased it, it would sound like he was doubting Xiao Cheng.
In the end, Jiang Zihe could only lower his voice and ask, “Did you see the trending topics last night?”
Xiao Cheng’s smile faded. “I did.”
Then he must also know that Jiang Ying was trying to shift the blame.
Jiang Zihe was silent for a while before lowering his voice further. “I don’t know how to talk about this. I’m sorry for causing trouble for you.”
Xiao Cheng let out a silent sigh and asked directly, “Did Jiang Ying ask you to call me?”
Jiang Zihe hurriedly explained, “I’m not doubting you—I know you’re not that kind of” person…
Before he could finish, Xiao Cheng said in a low voice, “What if I told you that this was indeed the work of the Xiao family?”
Jiang Zihe was stunned. His lips parted, but for a long time, no sound came out.
Finally, he heard his own dry voice say, “Why?”
Xiao Cheng’s fingers clenched into a fist before slowly loosening again. “Because everything the marketing accounts exposed is true.”
Jiang Zihe fell into an even longer silence.
He asked Xiao Cheng, “But why you… why your family?”
Even if Jiang Ying really did something so despicable, the law would punish him. Why resort to this method?
Why did it have to come down to life and death?
Xiao Cheng’s eyes turned red, his voice slightly choked as if recalling something painful. “Because he wasn’t the only victim.”
“Zihe, I had no choice. Your brother pushed me too far.”
Jiang Zihe listened to Xiao Cheng’s voice on the other end of the call. He could hear the subtle sobs, the unmasked hatred.
It was like being struck by lightning—he was utterly stunned.
When he finally spoke again, his voice trembled. “Don’t tell me… you too…”
Xiao Cheng didn’t deny it.
Jiang Zihe suddenly recalled the few times Jiang Ying and Xiao Cheng had met. It seemed that each time, Jiang Ying had shown great interest in Xiao Cheng. He had even asked Jiang Zihe privately about him…
So, while he was completely unaware, Jiang Ying had already laid hands on Xiao Cheng?!
Jiang Zihe didn’t know whether to be furious at Jiang Ying’s disgusting actions or disappointed that Xiao Cheng had kept this from him.
In that instant, all his strength left him.
“Xiao Cheng, why didn’t you tell me?”
Xiao Cheng’s heart tightened, his expression bitter. “How was I supposed to say it? Should I have told you that your brother tried to force himself on me, took photos to blackmail me? Or should I have told you that your brother drugged me and sent me to someone else’s bed?”
Jiang Zihe said nothing.
Xiao Cheng gripped his phone tightly. “If I had told you, forcing you to choose between your brother and your friend, could you have handled it?”
Jiang Zihe’s breathing suddenly became heavier. He couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted hoarsely, “Do you really think I’m so biased that I have no bottom line?!”
“You didn’t tell me—was it because you were worried about me, or because you thought I was useless and couldn’t help you?”
Xiao Cheng was shaken, his body tilting slightly. The person behind him immediately steadied him and helped him sit down on the sofa.
Jiang Zihe was still shouting at him, “I treated you as my friend, but what about you?”
“You kept everything from me, thinking it was for my own good. But do you realize—I was always going to find out eventually!”
Like right now.
“Now that I know, do you think I feel any better?!”
Xiao Cheng’s eyes stung, and tears streamed down his face. The person beside him gently wiped them away.
Luo Jingshu patted Xiao Cheng’s shoulder, silently comforting his beloved.
He was completely biased in favor of Xiao Cheng, to the point of irrationality. Even if Xiao Cheng was in the wrong, Luo Jingshu would still stand by his side.
He didn’t care how wronged Jiang Zihe felt at this moment—he was simply displeased that Jiang Zihe had dared to yell at Xiao Cheng.
What right did Jiang Zihe have to feel wronged?
Just by being Jiang Ying’s brother, he was already tainted.
Besides, what had Xiao Cheng done wrong?
If he had told Jiang Zihe everything when it first happened, Jiang Ying had the power back then to cover it up in a hundred different ways. In the end, nothing would have come of it.
Jiang Zihe thought Xiao Cheng didn’t trust him. But if he truly had to choose, could he have given Xiao Cheng a fair and just answer?
He couldn’t.
Jiang Ying controlled him completely. Even if he had known what Jiang Ying did to Xiao Cheng, he wouldn’t have been able to seek justice for him.
A useless person had no right to shout.
Xiao Cheng silently listened to Jiang Zihe’s outburst. Finally, he spoke softly, “I’m sorry, Zihe.”
“I didn’t mean to look down on you. I just didn’t want to drag you into this.”
“Before, I asked if you had any intention of taking over the Jiang family business, and you said, ‘Not while my brother is here.’”
Jiang Zihe suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
So, because of my brother’s presence, you decided to clear the obstacles for me?
His heart was full of grievances, but Xiao Cheng was also a victim.
Jiang Zihe felt suffocated, unable to say anything in the end. He simply hung up the call.
Xiao Cheng’s fingers loosened, and his phone slipped from the sofa onto the carpet. Neither of the two sitting there picked it up.
Xiao Cheng closed his eyes in exhaustion, leaning against Luo Jingshu. His eyes were still damp with tears, and his voice was thick with emotion.
“I messed everything up again.”
Luo Jingshu stroked Xiao Cheng’s back, his voice gentle. “It’s not your fault, Brother Cheng. You don’t need to blame yourself.”
Xiao Cheng shook his head wearily. “Actually, he wasn’t wrong.”
His deception had indeed hurt Jiang Zihe.
In truth, a part of him did believe that Jiang Zihe wouldn’t be able to help. But that wasn’t the main reason—what Xiao Cheng feared more was that Jiang Zihe would choose Jiang Ying over him.
Jiang Zihe was his only true friend. If he chose to abandon him, then Xiao Cheng would have no one left.
Xiao Cheng didn’t dare to gamble his friendship with Jiang Zihe against Jiang Zihe’s family bonds. He felt like he had no chance of winning.
Maybe by hiding the truth, he could at least pretend nothing had ever happened and maintain their friendship.
But in the end, he still lost his friend.
Xiao Cheng felt utterly drained. His head throbbed, and he leaned against Luo Jingshu, too exhausted to even lift a finger.
Luo Jingshu’s expression darkened further, his thoughts unreadable. Yet his fingers continued to gently stroke Xiao Cheng’s back, soothing him.
At the same time, the situation on Weibo took another unexpected turn.
Another key person involved in the incident had finally spoken up.
