"Has the matter been dealt with?" Her voice cut through the silence, cold as tempered steel.
The man behind her responded, "Public opinion has already shifted. The mistress scandal actually boosted her popularity—she's about to hit a million followers." He pulled up data on his phone. "The negative trending topic only lasted three hours. The damage is negligible."
"Gaining sympathy followers?" Xu Manli sneered, her dark-red nails digging into her palms. "My cousin's body isn't even cold yet, and those two bastards are thriving."
She lit a cigarette, the crimson glow casting sharp shadows across her angular face. "I want the IP of the account that exposed them in the livestream. Did you find it?"
The man handed her a file. "The address is in the western district—Apartment 501, Building 3, Fengjiang Jingyuan."
Xu Manli took the paper, murmuring to herself, "This person… must know something."
I sat in my car, the city lights outside scattering like fallen stars, but my thoughts were darker than the night.
I needed to drive them apart first, then take them down one by one.
Zhou Yuqing—even if she left Lin Xuyan, she was still a legitimate influencer. She could easily find another sugar daddy. But if she were permanently blacklisted from the internet? That would be a fatal blow.
As for Lin Xuyan… Years ago, after an investment failure, he had sweet-talked me into using my mother's inheritance to cover his losses. He was the type to cut corners, to take reckless risks for profit. There was no way he hadn't embezzled company funds for other schemes. And now, he's slowly moving assets overseas. I had to find evidence before it was too late.
Lost in thought, I drove back to my current home. But as I stepped out of the car, the figure standing under the ginkgo tree froze the blood in my veins.
—A woman holding a black umbrella, rain dripping from its edges into tiny puddles at her feet.
She wore a tailored camel trench coat, her chestnut curls swaying in the night breeze. Even without seeing her face, I knew.
It was her.
"…Manli?" My voice trembled beyond recognition.
She turned. Logically, there was no way she could recognize me—I was in another woman's body now. But her eyes seemed to pierce straight into the depths of my soul.
This was my cousin, Xu Manli. We'd grown up together before she left for England with my aunt, only returning twice—once for my mother's funeral, and once for my wedding to Lin Xuyan.
We stared at each other through five meters of rain. Her expression shifted from confusion to scrutiny before she finally spoke:
"Do we… know each other?"
I faltered, unsure how to answer. But her gaze sharpened as she demanded:
"Did you know my cousin, Su Xiaoran?"
My chest tightened. I hadn't expected her to ask so directly. I could only nod, my throat dry. "Yes. Su Xiaoran was my closest friend."
Xu Manli's brow relaxed slightly, as if relieved, but her eyes never left mine. "I see… That explains why you said those things in the livestream."
I stiffened. So it was her. No wonder the scandal had exploded so quickly after just one anonymous comment.
"Then tell me," she pressed, urgency threading her voice, "what exactly do you know?"
I took a slow breath. From her perspective, Su Xiaoran's death was far too suspicious. She'd clearly been searching for answers—and had already uncovered Zhou Yuqing's involvement.
"I don't know much," I said quietly. "But I don't believe her death was an accident."