"Fortunately, Xiao Yan wasn't hurt." The paparazzi rushed forward with such force that Shen Xiao Yan, already thin, was almost knocked over. Zheng Wei couldn't bear to imagine what would have happened if she had fallen. The thought alone was unbearable.
...
They thought the matter was settled. There were no photos of the couple at the hospital circulating online. However, that evening, as Shen Xiao Yan browsed the internet, a headline caught her eye.
"Shocking! The wife of Zheng's boss is such an uncivilized woman?"
Such a provocative topic naturally drew a crowd. Shen Xiao Yan scrolled down, her brows furrowing tighter with each word.
The article recounted the entire incident at Jingda University with Yi Zhixie, including the subsequent trip to teach in Yizhi and the near-assault. Every detail was meticulously laid out.
Just as Shen Xiao Yan finished reading the post, Assistant Hou's call came through to Zheng Wei's phone. It was already 8 PM. This speed was a testament to why Assistant Hou was Zheng Wei's most capable subordinate.
"Boss, we'll handle this. I've read the post; it's too bizarre. A Gui is a computer expert, I'll have him investigate..."
"No need. I'll investigate this myself. You stay on standby." Zheng Wei's gaze, dark and cold, flickered from the report on his computer screen.
Assistant Hou was surprised by this response but agreed, as his boss had spoken.
After hanging up, Zheng Wei went to the adjoining study to find Shen Xiao Yan.
As he entered, he saw her holding two dogs, her tablet placed aside.
"You saw it?" Zheng Wei's eyesight was excellent; he immediately noticed the title on the tablet.
Shen Xiao Yan nodded.
"You go to sleep. I'll handle this myself." Zheng Wei hadn't personally tracked down online troublemakers in years, but his skills were far from rusty.
Shen Xiao Yan shook her head, her eyes weary.
Being Zheng Wei's wife brought more attention than she had imagined.
"If you're not tired, would you come to the study with me?" Zheng Wei felt he couldn't let Shen Xiao Yan out of his sight. He wasn't worried about the situation itself; he was concerned about its emotional impact on her. Due to her voice condition, Shen Xiao Yan couldn't handle stress. The post delved into dark aspects, especially the incident in Lingxi Village, which would be a shadow for any woman. If this led to her becoming depressed, it would be detrimental to her voice treatment.
Shen Xiao Yan looked up, seeing her own reflection in Zheng Wei's eyes. She nodded, holding the two dogs, and followed him into his study.
Zheng Wei pulled up a large chair next to his desk, placed a cushion on it, and then had Shen Xiao Yan sit down. He then sat at his computer and began working.
Shen Xiao Yan's gaze was initially calm, but she was quickly astonished by Zheng Wei's actions.
She had seen him work with documents and write, but never like a hacker. He wore his gold-rimmed glasses, and his fingers moved much faster than anyone else's.
"This post was published anonymously, and the IP address is masked. We never leaked this information ourselves, so this was clearly a premeditated operation," Zheng Wei said, typing away, even finding time to talk to Shen Xiao Yan.
Shen Xiao Yan's attention was gradually drawn to Zheng Wei's computer screen.
"I haven't done this in a while. Back in university, Old Lu and I used to hack occasionally. I never thought I'd use these skills again," Zheng Wei chuckled. Soon, however, he pointed to a string of code on the screen and exclaimed, "Found it!"
Just then, Lu Taobao's call came through.
"Old Zheng, the address is..."
"Coincidence. I just found it. Don't alert them yet."
Zheng Wei went to the garage. Several cars were parked there, many of which he hadn't driven in a long time. He walked past them and stopped in front of a black sports car. These stylish cars were his favorites from his university days. After taking over the group, he'd had too many things to attend to and rarely indulged in them.
As he drove away, a shadow shifted behind the curtains on the second floor.
She had been aware of all his movements. Seeing his car pull out, Shen Xiao Yan turned and opened the door. Two puppies immediately tilted their heads at her in a cute manner.
Shen Xiao Yan beckoned to them, and they obediently trotted in. They loved Shen Xiao Yan's soft slippers, so they didn't run around but settled down beside them.
It was clear Zheng Wei had brought them up, as Hong Fuji, with its short legs, couldn't possibly climb to the second floor.
Thinking of that person, Shen Xiao Yan felt a strange sense of peace and drifted off to sleep.
...
Jingda University's sports field.
Although it was nighttime, many people were playing basketball. However, they were soon startled by the screech of tires.
Several incredibly cool luxury cars drove in with ostentatious flair. Upon seeing the limited-edition sports cars, the young men on the field whistled.
The cars' presence was imposing, and no one dared to approach. Many, however, excitedly took out their phones to record.
The leading black sports car performed a spectacular drift, stopping precisely in front of the basketball court.
For some reason, the noisy crowd fell silent. The driver hadn't even exited the car yet, but his aura seemed to have already subdued everyone.
Under everyone's gaze, the man stepped out. He was tall and slender, seemingly around 1.88 meters. He wore large sunglasses, obscuring his eyes, but his entrance alone made many girls cover their chests.
But this was just the beginning. Soon, several other men emerged from behind him, each exuding an undeniable presence.
"Where is he?" Zheng Wei turned to Lu Taobao beside him.
Lu Taobao pointed to the basketball court. "Over there, next to Yi Er, the one in white. Actually, we should thank him for wearing white; it makes him easy to spot in the dark."
If anyone who knew Lu Taobao were present, they would be astonished.
Lu Taobao was usually a man of few words. Zheng Wei was known for his brevity, but Lu Taobao was even more reticent. He typically appeared like a stubborn old man, but tonight, Lu Taobao was visibly different, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.
They all prided themselves as business elites, but they hadn't forgotten they were once young men. How could men with such natural charisma lack youthful exuberance?
All dressed in white shirts and black pants, with long legs, they strode purposefully towards the basketball court.
As they approached, Yi Zhixie was the first to recognize them.
The car made an indelible impression on Yi Zhixie. It was a limited edition, in fact, the only one of its kind in the world, with "Brother Zheng's" name on it. He remembered his brother had even invited him to steal the car from the Zheng family back then!
"Yi Zhixie, what's wrong?" a few people asked, seeing Yi Zhixie about to walk towards the approaching group.
They knew Yi Zhixie came from an extraordinary family. Were these young masters here for him?
"Old Xu, why aren't you going over? Doesn't your family have a very good relationship with the Yi family?" someone nudged a bespectacled young man behind them.
He remained in place and said calmly, "My aunt's family has a very good relationship with the Yi family."
"Ah, it's all the same!" the others laughed, acknowledging they were all from prominent families.
"Brother Zheng, Brother Duan, why are you here?" Yi Zhixie dropped the basketball he was holding, asking in surprise and confusion.
He hadn't witnessed such a dramatic scene in years. He remembered his brother and his friends being this imposing during his high school days.
Zheng Wei glanced at the young man in white standing in the back crowd through his sunglasses, then turned back to Yi Zhixie.
Before Yi Zhixie could even wipe the sweat from his face, Zheng Wei threw a left hook, his fist connecting squarely with half of Yi Zhixie's face.
"Hey, why are you hitting him?" The people on the basketball court were all close friends of Yi Zhixie. Seeing him inexplicably beaten, they rushed forward, but Zheng Wei's entourage was not to be trifled with.
"Brother Zheng?" Yi Zhixie held his face, looking at Zheng Wei with a somber expression. "I didn't provoke you. Why are you hitting me again?"
Yi Zhixie felt incredibly wronged. Since returning from Lingxi Village, his family had repeatedly advised him against harboring any inappropriate feelings for Shen Xiao Yan. Therefore, despite his strong desires, he hadn't approached her. He had been so well-behaved, why was Zheng Wei hitting him without reason?
"I'm asking you, who did you tell about the Lingxi Village incident? Huh? Do you dare swear to heaven that you didn't leak that information?" Although Zheng Wei had been out of school for many years, his strength was no match for these university students. He stepped forward, grabbed Yi Zhixie's jersey, and said coldly.
As Zheng Wei clearly stated the issue, Yi Zhixie instinctively wanted to refute. However, just as he was about to shake his head, his mind seemed to crash.
"Of course, even if you didn't say anything, the news would have come out online, just a little slower. But you're so thoughtless!" Zheng Wei pushed him back, sending Yi Zhixie sprawling onto the ground.
"Why are you hitting people? This is a university. You can't just do whatever you want, even if you're rich." Yi Zhixie's friends from the basketball court all rushed to help him up.
Lu Taobao chuckled. He removed his sunglasses, and a smirk curved his lips. "Sorry, being rich means you *can* do whatever you want."
With that, he and Zheng Wei moved almost simultaneously, quickly grabbing the white-clad man who was about to leave.
"Hey, what are you grabbing Xu Zhaogang for?" A group of people rushed forward to intervene when they saw the young masters heading for Xu Zhaogang. Only Yi Zhixie stood frozen, as if a sudden realization had dawned on him. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the now-apprehended Xu Zhaogang.
"What, trying to get revenge for your cousin? You're quite grateful, aren't you?" Zheng Wei sneered. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and the next moment he landed a punch, knocking Xu Zhaogang down.
Lu Taobao and the remaining men cordoned off the area, preventing anyone else from approaching, leaving Zheng Wei to his own devices.
Initially, Xu Zhaogang was stunned. But upon hearing Zheng Wei's words, he understood. However, he wasn't one to be easily beaten. Seeing Zheng Wei attack him, he retaliated.
But despite considering himself physically fit, he was completely outmatched by Zheng Wei. Each time he attempted to strike, he was knocked back before he could even launch his attack.
He was wearing athletic wear, while Zheng Wei was in white shirts and black pants, which clearly hindered his movements. Yet, even so, he was utterly crushed by Zheng Wei.