To be fair, Nolan Zhi was handsome, much like Yeri's father, Klaus Zhi, who still looked to be in his prime. The Zhi family undeniably had strong genes. Yeri herself had inherited her parents' good looks, and even Jj, although adopted from a distant branch of the family, was famous for his looks at school.
Even so, it was never worth humiliating oneself and throwing away one's dignity for someone who didn't deserve it.
Eventually, the fight was broken up. Nolan Zhi arrived shortly after, and the matter was dragged inside the Zhi residence, much to the disappointment of the onlookers.
That very night, however, another elite scandal exploded across the internet.
The stars of the viral story were none other than Linda, the other woman, and Nolan Zhi himself.
Yeri nearly burst out laughing as she scrolled through her phone.
The video clearly captured the two women fighting like rabid dogs, complete with a detailed summary of Nolan Zhi's so-called "glorious" misdeeds.
Yes, Yeri was the one behind it all.
The moment Linda proudly showed off her marriage certificate, Yeri had deliberately brought up her uncle's assets, knowing full well that money would ignite both women's tempers.
Although she expected Nolan Zhi's other woman not to let the matter rest, she hadn't anticipated it happening so quickly… or so spectacularly.
If one thought about it carefully, the other woman had every right to demand answers. From her perspective, she had never been a mistress before, Nolan Zhi had been divorced for years and unmarried the entire time they were together.
Linda, at most, could have been considered a live-in partner. But Linda's sudden public post of the marriage certificate completely changed the situation. In an instant, the other woman had been reduced to a mistress. Naturally, the shock and humiliation pushed her into creating a public spectacle.
Yeri chuckled. Didn't her uncle always preach about conduct and elegance? Then she would let him demonstrate it himself and let him learn from it.
[Saeki]: Is that good enough? Next time, if there's a good show to watch, don't hesitate to invite me.
Yeri smiled and sent him a thank-you.
Earlier, she had asked one of the maids to film the scene from a neighbor's perspective.
Afterward, Yeri contacted Saeki to see if he could connect her with a reliable marketing accounts but he had taken the initiative himself instead.
As the CEO of an entertainment conglomerate, making a scandal go viral was effortless for him.
Yeri hadn't done this out of personal resentment or merely to expose her uncle. She did it to help her father. Hadn't Nolan, Linda, and Venice already been so smug and certain that Zhi Corporation would soon fall into their hands?
Why not drag this matter out as an obstacle to buy her father time to do what he needed?
After all, even if Nolan Zhi managed to acquire more shares, there was no way the board of directors or shareholders would allow a man with such a scandalous private life and questionable morals to become CEO and drag the company's reputation into the mud.
Online, netizens were already clamoring, some entertained, some incredulous as the footage spread.
"I thought it was the CEO of Zhi Corporation, but it turns out to be his brother. Am I the only one who thinks family members of corporate heads are always the most troublesome? Like Hadi Keir from the Keirs, or Tristan, if you count his womanizing history."
"I'm confused. Why is that woman accusing the legal wife of being a mistress? Was it just to provoke her? Either way, this fight is way more entertaining than going to the cinema."
"I always thought socialites avoided physical fights because of their upbringing, but that legal wife… damn, she's so fierce. I'm getting goosebumps just watching."
"The legal wife clearly had enough. This wasn't her first encounter with her husband's mistress. If anything, she probably learned street fights just for moments like this LOL."
"Mistresses are truly despicable. Look at that pitiful boy crying. Why would you bring your son to confront the wife? She must've wanted to guilt the husband."
"Wasn't there another Zhi scandal recently? How is she related to this Nolan Zhi?"
"The one you're talking about is my goddess Yeri Zhi. Her issue has nothing to do with this mess. Her father is the current CEO, which makes Nolan Zhi her uncle."
"Rich people are just bored. When food and clothing aren't problems, their biggest concern is committing adultery."
"I found the legal wife's social media. She posted the marriage certificate just this morning. That means she was probably the girlfriend or fiancée first. But what about the other woman? That child is already four or five years old."
"You all clearly didn't read the article. Nolan Zhi is supposedly a 'collector.' He divorced his legal wife years ago, and both women are his mistresses. He probably picked the older one at random, which pissed off the younger."
As online comments flooded in nonstop, another confrontation unfolded inside the Zhi family study.
Although Yeri hadn't told her father and Madam Zhi likely avoided the details so as not to worry him, Klaus Zhi had already heard everything from the butler about what had happened while he was away.
"Nolan, I don't care what you do outside, nor do I care about your private affairs," Klaus said coldly. "But you had the audacity to drag my family into your mess. You even dared to scold my daughter. Who do you think you are?"
His expression darkened. "My wife was kind enough to let that mother and daughter stay here time and again, but I underestimated all of your shamelessness. Since you're all just as ungrateful as you are disgraceful, there's no need for me to show any further consideration."
But Nolan showed neither embarrassment nor remorse. His thoughts were already with his injured mistress and son, calculating how best to placate them.
"What do you mean?" he asked absentmindedly.
"It means you take yourself out along with your women and children," Klaus said icily. "This isn't a vacation house where you can dump your baggage. If you can't afford to support them, stop pretending otherwise. I heard Venice is pregnant. If you can't be a good father, then at least be a good grandfather."
Nolan finally snapped back to reality. What he hated most was Klaus's perpetual air of superiority, always looking down on him.
The two brothers argued fiercely, but in the end, it wasn't Nolan's house. He could only leave in anger.
Meanwhile, Venice had already called her mother to her room, but when Linda learned that Nolan was leaving with the other woman and her child, another argument erupted.
Yeri glanced at the five-year-old boy, who bore no resemblance whatsoever to her uncle. As the adults argued loudly, the child's eyes darted around. When Linda suddenly rushed forward to slap Nolan, the boy swiftly blocked her path, causing Linda to stumble while he dramatically rolled on the ground.
Yeri "…"
Venice appeared on the stairs with her luggage, her face gloomy and devoid of any intention to join the argument.
"Before you leave, give them back," Yeri said calmly, shaking her phone in front of Venice. "You wouldn't want the father of your child to know you have sticky fingers, would you?"
Venice frowned. She was about to feign ignorance when she saw the video playing on Yeri's screen: footage of her sneaking items out of the jewelry drawer in Yeri's room. Suddenly her face drained of color.
She had checked thoroughly. There were no visible cameras. Could it be a hidden camera?
"Yeri, how could you be so malicious- "
"Cut the crap," Yeri interrupted coldly. "Return everything now, or I'll have the police gift you and your mother a pair of silver bracelets."
Venice gritted her teeth, seething with rage, with clear evidence and her mother occupied with her own mess, there was no one to help her.
Reluctantly, she pulled a rose-gold bracelet with a round pink diamond and a tiara from one of her suitcases.
Before leaving, she shot Yeri a venomous glare. "So in the end, we're cut from the same cloth. Don't pretend you're not materialistic when you can't even lend two pieces of jewelry. One day, you might not be able to keep a single one. Instead of worrying about things, worry about your ugly face."
Yeri just rolled her eyes and walked back to her room. There was no point arguing with someone whose logic was that twisted. Since when did stealing count as borrowing?
The tiara was the one she had worn to her eighteenth birthday debut. The bracelet was Shin Keir's birthday gift to her, his very first gift, at that.
Should she praise Venice for having good taste, choosing the most expensive items she owned?
That night, the drama between the two mistresses ended with an ambulance. Both Linda and the boy were reportedly injured. Whether the injuries were exaggerated or entirely fabricated was Nolan Zhi's problem, nothing to do with Yeri's family.
---
The next day, Yeri prepared to attend Eldest Young Master Lin's banquet.
She hadn't planned to go, but to her surprise, she found an invitation addressed to her parents.
It turned out that Madam Zhi's cousin had married into someone from the Lin family, securing the invitation.
Unfortunately, Father Zhi was overwhelmed with work, even after cutting short his business trip, so her mother asked her to accompany her instead.
Yeri agreed. Although faint dark veins were still visible on her face, careful makeup concealed them flawlessly.
"Princess, what do you think of these dresses?" Madam Zhi asked, holding up two options: one a pearl-embellished haute couture gown, the other a black silk mermaid dress.
"Because of everything that's happened, I forgot to schedule a makeup artist and hairstylist," Madam Zhi continued anxiously. "I'm not even sure we can book one today. We might have to make do."