最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 70
Unfortunately, things are not looking good.
Jiang Bai’s cheating scandal developed at an unexpected rate, possibly due to the topic itself gaining public attention, or perhaps there were hired promoters behind the scenes.
After the initial marketing account shared nine images to announce the news, other marketing accounts reposted them. Soon after He An and the others finished their meal, the nine-square grid became widely circulated online. The first seven pictures all had the same style and were all taken from videos that were secretly filmed. Even though Jiang Bai and He An only touched for four or five seconds, they were caught in seven sets of actions that messed up the order and made it look like they were engaging in foreplay.
The eighth one is even worse.
This image is a GIF of the same room, furniture, and angle as the first seven pictures. But what’s inside are two naked bodies tangled in a big bed, with one rising and the other falling.
“This is a fucking performance by someone that they hired, right?”
Thud!
Cheng Xiu was infuriated and slammed the mouse with force.
The GIF purposefully blurred out the people’s faces, but based on the first seven photos, it’s easy to identify Jiang Bai and He An as the primary figures. Slandering someone in this way is very cruel.
Besides these, there’s a ninth picture.
At that moment, He An had just cleared up the confusion with Jiang Bai. When he came out of Room 103, the reckless alpha had loosened his collar, so he pulled it back on. This harmless act was placed on the back of the eighth panel of the GIF and used as proof that the omega was “disheveled after a tryst.”
It was also unclear if it was done on purpose or by accident, but the picture clearly revealed He An’s face.
A front-facing photo becomes a key to unlocking the door of privacy. He An’s identity, including his name, birthday, and resume, was made public before eight in the evening. An anonymous submission was published by a promotional account called @CampusScumUnmasked. Rumor has it that the person who provided it was He An’s classmate and a graduate of Yuanjiang University’s Finance Department.
He made the revelation with confidence, claiming that He An had acted inappropriately and had a wild private life while in school. Every day after class, he would hit the clubs and wouldn’t come back to the dorm until far into the night. He also stated that He An became the little finch of a wealthy man, going by the name “Omega of the Finance Department of Yuanjiang University.” He wore designer brands all the time and was picked up in fancy cars. Lastly, he was played around with and got pregnant before marrying, so he was expelled from school just as he was about to graduate.
He also presented a censored Yuanjiang University ID card to prove his authenticity.
As soon as word got out about the “ironclad evidence,” Xie Yan’s loyal fan base started spreading it like wildfire, tagging it with vulgar hashtags like #Straycation, #PremaritalPregnancy, #MistressExposed, #ShamelessJiangBai, and countless more.
The endless stream of awful obscenities terrified Zheng Feiluan.
He felt like his breath was cold
He felt like his breath was cold.
Even though the whistleblower was obviously being dramatic, there is some truth to what they said. The fact that “he was expelled from school because he got pregnant before he got married” happened because of him.
If we consider the damage, Zheng Feiluan must bear at least half of it.
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Zheng Feiluan was afraid to show these hurtful personal attacks to He An. Cheng Xiu and Dai Xiao, who were searching with him, also did their best to keep their feelings in check so that they wouldn’t make He An think too much.
But He An was naturally very sensitive. He was aware of the huge uproar on the Internet, but he didn’t want to see for himself how those strangers were insulting him in various ways. So he sat alone in a corner of the couch, focusing on playing with Linglan.
Linglan is good, and there is a clean little world that can keep her away from every evil there is in the world.
However, evil is everywhere.
Every once in a while, someone would swear loudly outside the door, throw a stone in, or break one of the cornflower pots along the wall. Because she had been scared earlier in the day, Linglan was still easily startled. She stopped playing right away out of fear when she heard the loud noise, looked each way, and seemed to have no idea what was going on. Dai Xiao yelled several times to get them to stop, but it didn’t work.
Linglan slowly lost the desire to play. She cried out and fell on Liubailiu’s belly, acting like a spoiled child to her fat, fluffy brother. Liubailiu was very human, and he lowered his head and licked her cheek to comfort her.
Cheng Xiu’s hand shook unintentionally, and he clicked on a video that was just uploaded by a promotional account.
“I told you I wouldn’t do any interviews, but you keep calling me! What more is there to ask? I’ll say it again, I’ve cut off our relationship as father and son. I know nothing about what he’s gotten himself into. Not a single member of my family knows, so you should go and ask him!”
He An’s pupils quickly dilated.
He knew this voice very well because he had heard it for more than twenty years.
He looked up at the screen and saw that it really was his father’s face! But, but how is that even possible? How could someone have found his home address and rushed over less than ten hours after the incident?
Zheng Feiluan knew He An had always had a strained relationship with his family. He tried to turn off the video because he thought things were going badly, but He An grabbed his arm and said, “Let me finish watching it.”
“He An…”
“Let me finish it.”
He An spoke in a firm tone.
There was nothing Zheng Feiluan could do except keep an eye on him.
In the video, the reporter tried everything, thought about the pros and cons, and finally knocked on the He family’s door and asked He An’s father to talk about his son, who was the subject of the controversy.
Then Zheng Feiluan watched his “future father-in-law” talk in disdain, saying, “There’s nothing to discuss. We haven’t spoken in many years. That kid has always been wild and rebellious. He dislikes the alphas in the small city. He needs to find a rich and powerful man in Yuanjiang. Even when his family was in trouble two years ago, he wouldn’t come back. He has no morals. Now you tell me he got pregnant before marriage and slept with someone else’s alpha? Frankly, I’m not shocked at all!”
He likely felt that He An would bring shame on the whole family at this point, so he changed the subject and did his best to stay out of it, “But let’s be honest, let’s be honest. The dragon’s nine sons1The nine sons of the dragon are Chinese dragons who are the mythological sons of the Dragon King. are all unique, and so are we! No matter how unethical he is, our family’s values will always be maintained. I also have a daughter and a son, both of whom are law-abiding citizens. Separate them, and don’t lecture us all at the same time. After all, we are also the ones who have to deal with such a shameless thing!”
After the video ended, there was complete silence in the living room.
The way Dai Xiao and Cheng Xiu thought about family changed a lot. Zheng Feiluan’s forearm hurt, and the fingers that were pressing on it got tighter and tighter. They were trembling as they left five faint fingerprints.
He An was practically speechless. The father he had known before appeared so unfamiliar to him as he stared at him on the screen. He let go of his hand after a long time and smiled hesitantly, “I knew he would say that.”
“He An.”
Taking a deep breath, Zheng Feiluan turned around and hugged him tightly, saying, “Don’t be too sad. You’ve got a better family already. My dad loves you so much, and Linglan is the cutest little thing ever. We don’t need the bad ones.”
“Hmm, yes.” He An nodded, “We don’t need them.”
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On the one hand, classmates disclosed the information, while on the other, family members were questioned about the person of interest. It was a coordinated effort to cause chaos.
Zheng Feiluan knew what Xie Yan was hoping for.
His rejection that day must have driven Xie Yan to assume, foolishly, that He An, not him, was pursuing Zheng Feiluan, considering the huge financial gap between them. Xie Yan devised such a cruel plan to ruin He An’s image as an immoral person so that he could see He An’s “true face” and remove him from his seat.
People always judge the omega when it comes to cheating and having affairs because they love to find out the inside story and look for “sluttiness” and “cheapness” in everything from clothes to words to how they look. Within hours of what happened, news stories came out all at once, and they were all from “reliable sources” like family and classmates. Claiming that they didn’t prepare for a case like this would be a gross understatement.
Even in such a straightforward situation, there is a chance to win.
If Xie Yan’s prediction came true and he and He An were just a regular couple who had been dating for a while but hadn’t built trust just yet, would Zheng Feiluan, whose temper prioritized dignity above all else, be so ashamed by the humiliation of being “cruelly deceived” that he would dismiss the investigation and accuse He An of a crime from which there would be no escape, even though there was solid evidence from classmates and closest relatives?
Zheng Feiluan was aware that he would certainly do this in the past.
After dating for nine months, Xie Yan knew him too well, and it was worth it.
When Xie Yan visited the pastry house and expressed his desire for reconciliation, his mistake was that he didn’t use the most powerful words to put out the last spark in Xie Yan’s heart.
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After going over the plan several times, Xie Yan posted a long, sad article on his personal account at 10 o’clock that night, when Jiang Bai’s cheating scandal was at its most popular:
“To the One I No Longer Love,”
He started by talking about the good times they had when he was in love with Jiang Bai. He then brought up Jiang Bai’s ordinary job as a bodyguard to show that he wasn’t interested in Jiang Bai’s fame or fortune when choosing a mate. Finally, he brought up the handmade gift he gave to Jiang Bai on Valentine’s Day last year to prove how genuine his feelings were.
The writer then changed the tone and said that Jiang Bai’s temper had gotten much worse since they got married, his need for control was unbelievably strong, and he even made him have sex with him alone. He accused Jiang Bai of domestic violence and successfully blamed him for all of their marital problems.
He continued by saying he was shocked to hear the news on set after the cheating photos were revealed today. He was nauseous to the point that he could barely stand. However, in order to emphasize his strength and dedication, he insisted on waiting until the end of the day before talking about personal issues.
He also said Jiang Bai had called to try to make things right, but he was now mature enough and ready to put dignity above romance, stop making compromises, and file for divorce on his own. He thanked Jiang Bai for his years of devotion and support, consoled the fans who worried about him, and reassured everyone that he would get better as soon as possible.
Lastly, he wrote He An a brief message:
I don’t want to label you as the third party who ruined my marriage. Maybe you just got a little carried away. Life is still full of opportunities for you, so I hope you can change your ways and go back to being respectful and self-disciplined.
It’s clear that a professional wrote this long piece. Its tone is warm and fuzzy while being brief and easy to understand. It did a great job of making Xie Yan seem like a nice person in just over a thousand words:
Despite his omega star status and halo surrounding him, he chose not to marry into a wealthy family and instead kept a low-key relationship with an ordinary person from outside the circle who was constantly by his side. Tragically, he was betrayed by the one he had unexpectedly fallen for. After that, he didn’t think twice; he walked away from the old relationship easily, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and he even showed empathy and patience to the third party.
When compared to He An’s revelations, the long article is definitely very upsetting. One side is as pure as a six-winged angel, and the other side is as filthy as a sewer rat.
As expected, shortly after the long article came out, some fans outside the inn lost control over their emotions.
A girl banged on the door and begged, “Please come out and say sorry! Say sorry, Xiao An! Did you hear what Yanyan told you? Don’t you feel bad about what you did? It breaks our hearts that you hurt the best Yanyan in the world in this way. Why don’t you just apologize? Just why! What did he owe you to be treated like this?”
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Cheng Xiu couldn’t help but roll his eyes and say, “I think I must be pregnant. If not, why do I feel like throwing up so much?”
“Throw up later. Let’s figure out a way to defend ourselves first.”
Dai Xiao hit him in the back of the head.
Within seconds, Cheng Xiu replied, “If they post articles, we can post articles too. Everyone can type, not just them! We can also find a promotional account with a large number of followers—at least a million—and write a 10,000-word article to explain exactly what happened that night!”
“Does it seem that easy to you? They have the video and pictures in their hands. No number of words is enough. What can you use to make things clear?” It seemed to Dai Xiao that he was as ignorant as a rabbit, “People are blaming you for everything, so if someone is willing to read 10 words out of 10,000, that’s considered respectful.”
Cheng Xiu swallowed hard.
He rubbed his forehead for a while, but then an idea came to him, and he stood up, “Didn’t someone else play Werewolf that day? How could He An, who spent the entire night playing judge for them, possibly have time to mess with Jiang Bai? We can still find their contact info on the computer; any one of them could testify for He An!”
Everyone’s gloomy expression got brighter at this important turning point.
Time doesn’t wait for anyone. Cheng Xiu hurriedly reached for his phone, retrieved the guest list for that day, and started to call each guest in order. He introduced himself, explained his goal, and then pleaded with them to help him expose the truth.
They were surprised, though, that none of the twelve people there wanted to help.
Some people with a positive attitude would explain why, “I’m truly sorry, but this matter has become too serious. I know that Xie Yan’s fans will hurt me if I try to help. You should look for someone else.”
Others with a bad attitude would say, “I paid to stay at the inn, I don’t owe you anything, so why should I take part in this?”
Cheng Xiu’s hopes were dashed after the last call, and he threw the phone away in frustration, “There is no physical evidence, and there are no witnesses. What do I do now? I can’t let He An take the blame for his entire life, can I?”
Even though Dai Xiao possessed exceptional combat skills, he could do nothing to stop those who chose to use underhanded tactics. He was very angry, and he clenched his jaws together while cursing.
“No, I don’t want to be blamed for anything. Not even for a day.”
He An spoke out of the blue.
“Once you’ve been labeled in this way, it will follow you around forever. Some people say that those who are innocent will be freed from all charges, but I don’t believe that. I need to clear my name right away for Linglan. And you… Dai Xiao, I won’t let you become involved.”
He An tightened the grip on his phone.
On the OTA platform, that was the Olive Inn homepage. In just half a day, there were 10,000 negative reviews, dropping Dai Xiao’s four and a half stars to one. Some of the most repulsive comments included: “snakes and rats are of the same nest,” “disgusting,” “this garbage inn should close down soon,” and “if you get used to staying in an inn run by a third party, be wary of being cheated on for the rest of your life.”
He took a deep breath and spoke to Zheng Feiluan, asking, “Could you help me reach Jiang Bai?”
“What’s the point of getting in touch with him?” With a gloomy expression, Zheng Feiluan said, “Maybe they’re in the same group.”
“No, he had no idea.” He An stated, “His reaction that day didn’t seem fake at all. My suspicion is that Xie Yan planned his involvement so that he could destroy my image and use me as a scapegoat to get a divorce. This must be very stressful for Jiang Bai right now, and he has nowhere to go to explain himself, so I need to get in touch with him. I’ll explain from my point of view, and he’ll do the same from his…”
“This was even worse than you trying to explain it on your own.” Zheng Feiluan replied.
“I agree.” Cheng Xiu repeatedly nodded, “Xie Yan’s fans will celebrate the New Year if you two clear it up together. They’ll spread the word that you’re having an affair. Otherwise, why would you make a joint statement? They’re all professional conspiracy theorists, believe me. Some people have said that our inn is a hub for the underground pornography business.”
“They said we’ve been in the pornographic industry for 18 generations!”
The back of Dai Xiao’s hand popped open, and he punched the sofa pillow away.
After counting all of these, every path for clarification appeared to be blocked. No one knew what to do, so they all went into deep thought. Suddenly, Zheng Feiluan raised his head and said, “We have evidence.”
“Oh?” Dai Xiao and Cheng Xiu felt very reassured.
He An looked at him with surprise and asked, “What evidence?”
Zheng Feiluan answered, “Cheng Xiu got a piece of perfect and flawless evidence for you three years ago.”
“What did you do three years ago?” Dai Xiao asked Cheng Xiu right away.
“I have no idea!” Cheng Xiu was taken aback and nervous.
With a gentle touch, Zheng Feiluan held He An’s cold hand and spoke, “He An, this evidence can clear all of the allegations against you, as long as… as long as you’re okay with telling them about it.”
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Translated and edited by janemoyu (06/25/24)
