---
Just as Xu Jiaqi looked up at Mo Yuwei, her lips parting to speak, the sharp ringtone of a phone cut through the tense air of the conference room.
Mo Yuwei glanced down.
Her brows furrowed slightly when she saw the caller ID. Chen Linfei.
They had just spoken earlier. Why was he calling again?
She pressed answer, her usually steady voice touched with confusion.
"Fei'er? What's wrong?"
On the other end, Chen Linfei's low, steady voice carried a thread of annoyance.
"Weiwei, I wanted to tell you... those three arrogant men are still refusing to talk. Not a word. They just sit there like stones."
Mo Yuwei's fingers tapped lightly against the polished table, her expression cooling.
"They won't answer anything?"
"Not a single thing," Chen Linfei replied, exhaling softly. "They're stubborn. But the police aren't worried—they're stalling for time. They want to see if there's someone behind Su Xiao. He looks… too confident. Almost as if he's relying on someone to protect him."
Mo Yuwei's eyes narrowed, sharp as blades, "Then let Mr. Ou handle that investigation. He's meticulous, he'll dig out the truth."
"That's exactly what I thought," Chen Linfei said. His tone softened at her decisiveness.
Mo Yuwei leaned back in her chair, one hand supporting her chin.
"Then I'll tell him later."
"Alright," Chen Linfei's voice lowered, warm in contrast to the coldness of the topic. "I'll come by around eleven. Will you be finished by then?"
For the briefest moment, a smile tugged at Mo Yuwei's lips.
Her voice softened unconsciously, like a girl hiding sweetness.
"Mhm… I should be. Come then."
—
Across the table, Li Hao's eyes nearly popped out.
Wait—what??
Was that… their CEO?
Was… was CEO Mo actually smiling like that?
No, worse.
She was smiling like a shy teenage girl in love.
Li Hao nearly choked on his own saliva.
He quickly dropped his gaze, staring at the floor tiles as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world.
My god… who is this woman?
Where did our terrifying, icy CEO go?
Surely only CEO Chen could make her act like this… if I dare laugh, I'll be skinned alive.
—
Meanwhile, Xu Jiaqi wasn't paying attention at all.
Her trembling fingers were scrolling through the files on the MacBook, each line of text like a hammer slamming into her chest.
Fang Zemin—tax evasion, multiple accounts of domestic abuse, bribery.
Su Xiao—parading as a doting husband while secretly transferring his wife's assets to himself, harassing his secretary.
Gu Yanchuan—manipulating film critics, blacklisting rivals, and even abusing his stepdaughter.
Xu Jiaqi's entire body shook.
How could people like this even exist? How could beasts in human skin be worshipped as idols of the industry?
Her stomach turned. The bile rising in her throat made her want to scream.
—
Mo Yuwei ended the call and turned her gaze toward Xu Jiaqi.
The young actress was pale, her lips trembling, her eyes shimmering with tears as she shook her head again and again, almost unable to believe what she was reading.
Li Hao leaned in, his expression turning dark a d serious again. He had seen a lot in the business world, but this… this was filthier than anything.
"CEO," he asked in a low, grave tone, "what will happen now? Will they… will they be sentenced to death?"
Xu Jiaqi snapped her head toward him, her voice breaking but filled with raw hatred. "I want them dead. What they did to Qingsi… I want them to pay with their lives! Nothing less!"
Her chest rose and fell violently as she clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms.
Mo Yuwei studied her for a moment before nodding once, firmly. "That will definitely happen."
Her words were quiet, but her tone carried absolute certainty.
Then, leaning forward, she asked, "Jiaqi, did Yan Qingsi have any relatives left? Anyone at all?"
The question made Xu Jiaqi's tears spill over.
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No… she didn't. Her parents and older sister died in a car accident six years ago. She joined the entertainment industry to support her grandmother. But… her grandmother passed away too, just a month after she debuted."
Her voice cracked, and she covered her face, sobbing.
"She was all alone…"
—
Silence stretched for a long moment.
Mo Yuwei exhaled softly, her heart tightening despite herself.
Alone in life, silenced in death.
"Then," Mo Yuwei said firmly, "I'll help her get justice. No matter the cost."
Xu Jiaqi stood, bowing deeply with trembling hands.
"Thank you… CEO Mo."
Mo Yuwei simply nodded, her voice clipped yet steady.
"Prepare yourself. We'll launch our products next week, and there'll be a press conference regarding this matter. Talk to the Marketing manager and to Li Hao. Make sure everything is ready."
Xu Jiaqi wiped her tears and straightened.
"Yes, CEO."
Li Hao quickly added, "Understood, CEO Mo."
—
Mo Yuwei rose from her chair and strode toward the door, her heels echoing sharply against the floor.
Outside, she dialed a number, she pulled out her phone and dialed another number.
The line connected quickly.
A polite, respectful female voice answered,
"Hello, this is the boutique of Mr. Elliot Raymond. How can I help you?"
Mo Yuwei's lips curved faintly.
"It's me. Do you still have my dresses?"
The manager's voice brightened with respect.
"Yes, CEO Mo. In fact, Mr. Elliot himself asked why you hadn't taken them yet. He wondered if they weren't to your taste."
A light laugh escaped Mo Yuwei's lips.
"Tell him they're perfect. I'll take them now. Deliver them to Jingyun Imperial Garden, Villa No. 2."
"Of course, CEO Mo. Immediately."
She ended the call just as the elevator doors slid open.
Stepping inside, she adjusted her blazer, her reflection in the mirror cold yet elegant.
The doors closed with a soft chime, leaving only silence behind.
---