Chapter 585: 586, reversal

Along with these videos, a multitude of photos were released.

Instantly, the internet was flooded with videos of Lu Yan and Shen Lingtian.

The videos were explicit, with a level of content that matched Level Three films from the island country.

Combining the photos and videos...

Lu Yan and Shen Lingtian were cursed by netizens like dogs.

Some of these videos were shot two years ago, and some were recent.

Two years ago, Qin Jie hadn’t run into trouble yet, and at that time, Shen Lingtian would occasionally show off his affection for his wife online, parading himself as a good man. Now, with the videos exposed, Shen Lingtian’s infidelity was thoroughly confirmed.

Even more ironically, Lu Yan repeatedly claimed she was hospitalized due to the impact of the plagiarism incident, with her health deteriorating day by day, yet netizens discovered that during this time, she had been with Shen Lingtian all along. According to the date she announced her hospitalization, the videos clearly showed, she was busy rolling in the sheets with Shen Lingtian that very day.

Moreover, Lu Yan’s mental state appeared to be very good, nothing like someone who was physically weak.

She was not only a mistress but also a drama queen, having deceived everyone’s sympathy.

"Lu Yan is nothing but a green tea bitch! With such acting skills, it’s a waste she’s not in showbiz!"

"Haha, sick my ass, she’s only sick enough to end up in bed with her brother-in-law?"

"Damn it! I can’t even watch this! I really want to jump through the screen and strangle this pair of scumbags to death!"

"Ding! Lu Yan and Shen Lingtian’s PR team have entered the chat!"

"No washing this clean!"

"I used to not believe in "Blue Smoke’s" plagiarism, now I do!"

"Shen Dog, Lu Dog, how could you do this to Qin Jie?"

"Disgusting!"

"Despicable couple, shameless!"

"My heart aches for Qin Jie."

"Sorry blogger, I apologize for my previous brain-dead behaviour! A couple like Shen Lingtian and Lu Yan should be punished by being dunked in a pig cage."

"This should have nothing to do with the Shen family, it’s all because of that shameless Lu Yan seducing him!"

"He cheated two years ago! I really feel sorry for Qin Jie!"

"Am I the only one here who notices Lu Yan’s great figure?"

"If her figure weren’t good, how could she seduce men?"

"Qin Jie’s looks are just average, no wonder she got cheated on."

"True beauty lies in the bones, not the skin. Who can compete or copy that unique scholarly aura of Qin Jie?"

"Gross, I actually took a mistress as my idol!"

Qingli also conveniently shared this Weibo post.

Qingli V: Tsk tsk, what a sensation! Not only is "Blue Smoke" great at copying, but her bedroom skills are also amazing. @Qin Jie High Above: How’s the taste of your brother-in-law? Exhilarating, huh? Dogs! [Video][Video][Video][Video][Video] @Lu Yan V,@Shen Lingtian V.

"What goes around comes around, karma never loses an address!"

"Never thought "Blue Smoke" could be so cheap!"

"I knew it, my goddess couldn’t possibly be a plagiarist."

"I never imagined Lu Yan could be so thirsty, not even sparing her best friend’s husband."

Qingli’s retweet significantly increased the exposure of the video.

Within moments, "Lu Yan’s Bed Photos" and "Lu Yan’s Affair with Shen Lingtian" became hot search terms thanks to the powerful netizens.

Three minutes later, Qingli released another Weibo post.

Qingli V: Looks like you’re better suited for acting than I am. @Lu Yan.

No one expected the turn of events to be like this, fans who had unfollowed Qingli earlier started creeping back quietly.

"Li Li, I’m sorry, I misunderstood you before."

"Li Li, I’m back."

"Ah... my face hurts from slapping it earlier, I should’ve never lost trust in you, let alone say those things."

"Li Li... can you forgive my youthful ignorance?"

Below this Weibo post was filled with apologetic comments, and within just a few hours, Qingli’s follower count had risen back up, even exceeding the previous number by ten million.

Artists who had unfollowed Qingli due to the plagiarism incident were now regretting it deeply! Regretting not standing united with Qingli – had they chosen to support "The Return of the Past" back then, they would be the ones basking in fame now!

Qin Jie had previously enjoyed a high reputation in the literary circle and had a very large fan base. With the emergence of this incident, her fans who had previously been quiet came forward to defend her vehemently.

Some even questioned Qin Jie’s true cause of death.

Shen Lingtian, Lu Yan.

One was a well-known entrepreneur in Capital City and also heralded as a paragon of devotion.

The other was one of "the Two Talents of Capital City" and also the head of the Lu family.

No one had imagined that these two people could stoop so low as to be together like this.

Both the Lu family and the Shen family were prominent clans in Capital City, and the video’s release caused a media frenzy.

In just one day, the news spread throughout Capital City and became a laughing stock discussed over tea and meals.

Despite Shen Lingtian and Lu Yan issuing statements to clarify, it was to no avail.

The impact of the incident was too great, leading to the direct collapse of their public personas.

Those Weibo influencers who had previously staunchly supported Lu Yan and Shen Lingtian hurriedly deleted their past posts, but were still affected by the scandal, losing countless followers.

Trying to salvage their images, the influencers began to speak out for "The Return of the Past," asserting their belief that it had not plagiarized.

More and more people supported "The Return of the Past."

Qingli’s management company officially issued an apology to Qingli, proposing a new contract with her, but Qingli declined. She was a proud person who would naturally not go back on her word, nor would she partner again with a company that did not trust her.

Meanwhile, "The Return of the Past" posted two color palette comparisons on Weibo, showcasing a side-by-side comparison of two works as well as a very important piece of evidence that could directly prove Lu Yan’s plagiarism.

It also declared that it had officially filed a lawsuit against Lu Yan for plagiarism and infringement.

After the affair scandal, almost no one was willing to believe Lu Yan. How could a woman who lost all moral compass as a mistress write such articles?

No matter how the PR team tried to salvage the situation, Lu Yan’s image was beyond redemption.

In recent days, both her and Shen Lingtian’s Weibo had been overrun, with insults tearing them to shreds.

Lu Yan’s plagiarism was now officially confirmed.

Upon learning of this, Qingli was the first to congratulate Chu Jin on Weibo.

Qingli V: Congratulations to the goddess, at last the dawn has come @ "The Return of the Past".

Many influencers immediately reposted Qingli’s Weibo, sending their congrats.

Qingli once again soared to fame, and a plethora of invitations followed. Those advertisers who had terminated contracts with her now regretted their decisions deeply.

"The Return of the Past"’s new book sales once again broke records in the literary circle.

Yet the affair was far from over.

Netizens did not let Shen Lingtian and Lu Yan off the hook.

These past few days saw more and more investors break contracts with the Shen Group, leaving Shen Lingtian scrambling.

As the situation worsened, in order not to affect himself, Shen Lingtian began to desperately distance himself from Lu Yan, unfollowing her on Weibo and refusing to meet with her.

He eventually posted a Weibo to forcefully clear his name, claiming he too was a victim, and that Lu Yan had drugged him and taken advantage of him against his will.

With the help of public relations, the tide began to turn.

In these matters, men tend to receive forgiveness more easily.

But it’s different for women. Lu Yan received severe backlash and even feared leaving her house.

She didn’t know where rotten eggs and spoiled vegetables might be waiting for her.

There were even those who sent dead rats to her house...

Lu Yan had a very hard time. She didn’t dare to log into Weibo, nor did she have the courage to open WeChat.

Everywhere online, her scandals were popping up. She was completely ruined, Lu Enterprise’s stock fell sharply, and to preserve their own interests, the family removed her from the Lu family tree.

They also held a press conference to publicly announce that Lu Yan had nothing to do with the Lu family hereafter.

In just seven short days, the head of the Lu family had changed from Lu Yan to Lu Xinxi.

Stripped of everything, Lu Yan had become a rat crossing the street, everyone yelling to beat her.

In a damp and musty basement,

Lu Yan sat in front of an old TV set, calling Shen Lingtian. At times like these, she could only pin her hopes on Shen Lingtian. She hadn’t seen him since the incident.

But she never doubted Shen Lingtian’s love for her.

She believed he would never abandon her.

Full of hope, she dialed his number, but the call was answered by Shen Lingtian’s assistant.

"Miss Lu, is it? Our manager is currently in a meeting," the female assistant’s voice was cold, somewhat inhuman, and laced with a hint of contempt.

This woman caused the general manager to end up like this, and she still has the nerve to call!

Shameless.

The female assistant snorted coldly on the other end of the phone.

Lu Yan’s eyes dimmed.

Times have changed; in the past, even if you gave the assistant ten guts, they wouldn’t dare speak to me like this!

The coldness of the world.

These people are just showing their true colors now that they see me fallen!

"Then I’ll call back later," Lu Yan continued, having gone through so much, she had long since lost her temper.

This is what it means to bow one’s head under someone else’s roof.

Lu Yan, who always held her head high, never imagined she would see such a day.

Ironic.

Truly ironic.

"Miss Lu, please be aware of your own status!" the female assistant’s voice came through again, "Don’t call again in the future, our manager doesn’t have time to take calls from people like you!"

After speaking, she hung up the phone with a ’click’.

Listening to the busy signal on the phone, Lu Yan’s face was full of disbelief.

Me, this kind of person?

What kind of person am I?

And where is Shen Lingtian so much nobler than I am?

Lu Yan couldn’t quite believe it, she refused to believe that Shen Lingtian could be so heartless! She tried calling again, but all that came from the other side of the line was a busy signal.

Had he... blocked her?

Was it the assistant acting on her own, deceiving her superiors and subordinates, or did Shen Lingtian give the order?

At this moment, she couldn’t worry about that. Lu Yan hurriedly opened WeChat, to find that there were hardly any people left on her friends list, and Shen Lingtian’s WeChat ID had disappeared.

He had deleted her.

He had cut off all contact with her.

Was this a case of everyone flying separately when disaster struck?

How could he...

How could he...

"Hahaha..." Lu Yan laughed madly, tears sliding down her cheeks. This was the man she had loved for nearly 10 years.

For Shen Lingtian, Lu Yan didn’t hesitate to betray her best friend, only to end up like this.

How did things turn out this way?

How could Shen Lingtian treat her like this?

How could he be so cruel!

Lu Yan covered her face and burst into tears. This was the first time she had cried in many days.

Crying her heart out.

Regret, helplessness, and various emotions intertwined.

If not for Shen Lingtian, how could she have ended up here today?

Everything she did was for Shen Lingtian, yet Shen Lingtian betrayed her!

After crying, Lu Yan felt slightly calmer. Holding her phone, she scrolled through her contacts over and over again.

As one of "the Two Talents of Capital City," she still had many connections, and these people all seemed to be on good terms with her normally.

But when she called, they either didn’t answer or she was added to their blacklist.

In short, not a single person was willing to take her calls.

Nor was there one willing to lend her a hand.

At this point, Lu Yan realized she didn’t have a single true friend.

Those people who seemed so warm and sincere to her usually were now showing their true colors at this moment.

Lu Yan reopened her long-abandoned Weibo account to find that the topics of her being a mistress and plagiarism were still on the trending list, with undiminished popularity.

Lu Yan scrolled through Weibo with agitation, only to discover that Shen Lingtian had pushed all the blame onto her.

He even fabricated rumors claiming she had drugged him and plotted against him!

Now, he had extricated himself perfectly from the affair, leaving her to shoulder all the fault!

Shen Lingtian was still the general manager of Shen Group, still untouchable, living a life of glamour and splendor.

And what about her?

She had become an outcast living in a basement, struggling to have her next meal.

How could Lu Yan accept things turning out this way? It wasn’t solely her fault! If Shen Lingtian hadn’t approached her with an olive branch first, how would she ever have gotten together with him?

But now, how audaciously Shen Lingtian turned on her, biting back!

Seeing Shen Lingtian’s statement, Lu Yan trembled with anger, hatred welling up within her.

She was already brought to this low point; she was determined to drag Shen Lingtian down with her, to fight him to the bitter end!

Even if it meant death, she wanted Shen Lingtian to go down with her!

Just as Lu Yan was about to hit back on Weibo to divulge the truth, a sudden wave of nausea washed over her, and she covered her mouth, rushing to the restroom to retch.

After vomiting nothing but acid for a while, Lu Yan stood up, faced the washbasin, turned on the tap, and splashed her face with cold water, feeling somewhat more alert.

The beauty in the mirror had lost her former luster, her face immensely ashen, her eyes red and swollen. Where was the poise of the Lu family’s head?

Lu Yan looked at her reflection and let out a self-mocking laugh.

Suddenly, she felt nauseous again and couldn’t help but retch anew.

Lu Yan suddenly remembered that her period was nearly 10 days late. All these signs pointed to the likelihood of a pregnancy.

Possibly pregnant with Shen Lingtian’s child.

Lu Yan touched her abdomen, a glint of hope sparking in her eyes, as she pulled out two pregnancy tests from the drawer.

After ten minutes.

Both tests showed two lines.

She was really pregnant.

Inside her, was the first child between her and Shen Lingtian, also the future eldest grandson of the Shen family.

The child’s unexpected arrival undoubtedly became her only redemption.

For the sake of their child, Shen Lingtian wouldn’t possibly ignore her.

Lu Yan looked at the two lines on the test, suddenly bursting into laughter, she took a picture with her phone, then opened Weibo and sent the news to Shen Lingtian via private message.

She waited a long time but received no reply from Shen Lingtian.

The hopeful look on Lu Yan’s face gradually faded.

Even if Shen Lingtian were heartless, he wouldn’t abandon his own flesh and blood; he must be too busy to check Weibo...

It must be so.

Lu Yan consoled herself internally.

If Shen Lingtian was too busy for Weibo, then she had no choice but to go see him in person.

Lu Yan took a silk scarf from the table and tied it around her head, then put on a pair of sunglasses, making sure she wouldn’t be recognized before she hastened out the door.

When she arrived at Shen Lingtian’s company, she was barred entry by the security due to her attire.

Now, Lu Yan didn’t even have the privilege to see Shen Lingtian.

Left with no alternative, Lu Yan waited on the path Shen Lingtian would take to go home, from noon till afternoon, from afternoon till evening.

It wasn’t until 9 p.m. that she finally saw Shen Lingtian’s car.

He was still driving that old Mercedes.

The car was a gift from Qin Jie before she passed away, one that Shen Lingtian had driven for many years as a testament to his lingering love for his late wife.

As the car slowly approached, Lu Yan stepped out with her arms spread, blocking its path.

"Tssk—"

The sound of a screeching halt filled the air as the car stopped just 0.01 meters from Lu Yan.

"Who are you? Have a death wish?" Shen Lingtian asked irritably as he got out of the car.

"Ling Tian, it’s me," Lu Yan removed her headscarf and sunglasses, smiling as she faced him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read