Wen Tingxue couldn't fathom the extent of the cruelty she spoke of.
But to make Xu Kexin so utterly devastated... she dared not dwell on it.
"It's okay."
Wen Tingxue's hands and feet felt cold as she embraced Xu Kexin, stroking her taut back. Her voice was gentle.
"No matter what he throws at you, don't be afraid. We will always stand behind you, always."
"...Mhm."
Xu Kexin let out a soft whimper, her chin resting on Wen Tingxue's shoulder.
Her eyes stared blankly into the distance.
Even tears wouldn't come anymore.
-
Internet cafe.
A boy sat in a dimly lit corner, heavily bundled up, with only his fair, slender hands exposed.
Beautiful fingers danced across the keyboard.
The speed was incredibly fast, almost a blur.
Faint fluorescent light cast shadows on Xing Jiahe's face, deepening the contours of his features in the interplay of light and dark.
A captivating appearance.
But his eyes were shrouded in a profound darkness.
A rare outward display of emotion.
As his typing speed increased, so did the hostility in his dark eyes.
"Damn it!"
Another failure.
The boy almost smashed the screen with his mouse.
Those comments.
Those insults.
Those extreme remarks.
They continued to pour in, showing no signs of stopping!
When Yu Wenli and the other two arrived, Xing Jiahe had his mask pulled down, tilting his head back to gulp down coffee, clearly intending to stay up all night.
"What's going on?"
Chi Zerui raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Xing Jiahe was the odd one out among the four of them, the only one who enjoyed early nights and early mornings.
In fact, if nothing was going on, he could sleep from morning till night.
He rarely stayed up late, so what was happening today...?
"Xu Kexin?"
Mu Chen noticed the keywords on the screen, his eyes deepening as he asked, "Is this something her father did?"
"Heh!"
Xing Jiahe crushed an aluminum can with one hand, a deep, resonant sneer escaping his lips.
"Does he even deserve that?"
Posting a video online of his daughter being molested on a bus.
Deliberately spreading rumors that his daughter worked late nights at an unsavory KTV.
And even using baseless gossip to tarnish his daughter's reputation.
What kind of father was that?
And where did he deserve the title of father!
Mu Chen raised an eyebrow noncommittally.
Yu Wenli skimmed through the comments and asked, "When did it start?"
"About two hours ago."
By the time he noticed, the public opinion had already snowballed, and the heat was too high to delete anything. He had tried to hack into the website multiple times but failed due to his insufficient technical skills.
"I'll do it."
Yu Wenli took off his jacket and draped it over the back of his chair.
Xing Jiahe quickly got up, even straightening the keyboard.
"A Rui, contact the online trolls," Yu Wenli instructed while typing furiously. "And get a few bloggers famous in the legal field."
"You want to expose Xu Ziliang's lawyer?" Mu Chen instantly understood his intent.
Yu Wenli sneered, "Since he's lost his conscience, he'll have to accept society's baptism."
The lawyer Yu Xiuxiu hired for Xu Kexin was, naturally, the best in Jiangcheng.
Xu Ziliang would have little chance of winning against him.
Furthermore, with the things he had done, he had no chance of winning his case.
The only way to prevent the trial was for Xu Kexin herself to choose to withdraw the lawsuit.
But Xu Kexin was so heartbroken that she wouldn't withdraw it easily, unless...
Public opinion online.
Mu Chen pulled out his phone and briefly browsed the comments.
[She didn't dare to resist when she encountered a pervert, and for a man, she dared to break ties with her father?!]
[If I had a daughter like that, I'd beat her to death!]
[That KTV, what good girl would work there.]
[I heard she's already had children with several men.]
[Her reputation isn't good, her private life is a mess.]
[Xu Kexin? That slut who used to hang out with hooligans?]
[I heard she's not expensive for a single night.]
[What bad luck for her dad, I pity him.]
The tactics were indeed dirty, especially when the target was a pure and innocent young girl.
Mu Chen expressionlessly exited the program.
He himself might not be able to withstand the harm of online criticism.
Let alone... when it came from her own father.
"It's all handled," Chi Zerui said over the phone, "Just waiting for Brother Yu's command. We'll make sure those two scumbags don't get away with it!"
They weren't new to dealing with online backlash.
Two hours?
To achieve this level of impact?
Heh.
He wouldn't believe it if they hadn't spent money.
-
Wen family villa.
After seeing Xu Kexin wash up and go to bed, Wen Tingxue returned to her room.
Although she still hadn't said anything, her mood had improved a bit, so the matter probably wasn't that serious, right?
Wen Tingxue bit her lip uncertainly, considering whether to ask Yu Wenli, when he called.
"Still awake?"
"Mhm."
"Because of Xu Kexin?"
"How did you know?!"
Wen Tingxue's eyes widened in surprise. Yu Wenli chuckled, "She probably didn't tell you, did she?"
Given Xu Kexin's personality of bearing everything herself, she wouldn't easily reveal such things.
"Mhm..."
The young girl replied with a hint of dejection, "But she cried. I've never seen her cry like that. What exactly..."
"What happened?" she asked cautiously.
"Because..."
Yu Wenli leaned against the hood of his car, his expression growing cold.
By the time he finished speaking, Wen Tingxue was furious.
"How could he do such a thing!! That's inhuman!! Xin Xin is his daughter!
Doesn't he fear retribution?! Is this something that can be put online?!"
No wonder Xin Xin was so distraught.
Anything put online would be amplified.
Even good things could be picked apart, let alone something that was completely twisted.
She didn't even have to think about how hurtful those comments must be!
Did Xu Ziliang not know?!
He knew.
But for his own benefit, he still did it.
Xu Kexin might be able to endure online insults.
But how could she bear it when the person she had cared for for so long.
Someone she was related to by blood, would deliver such a fatal blow at this time.
She was hurt that her own father was exposing her wounds to so many people.
And letting them curse her as they pleased!
The young girl spoke so much in one breath that she was almost out of breath.
Clearly, she was quite angry.
Yu Wenli curved his lips into a smile, "She didn't tell you about this, so pretend you don't know. I was afraid you'd think too much and stay up all night. Alright, go to sleep now."
"Mhm..."
Wen Tingxue lay on the bed, humming, clearly not wanting to sleep.
Yu Wenli indulged her, "It's one o'clock. Do you want big brother to tell you a bedtime story?"
"..."
Bedtime story?
Was she a child?
No, his tone... he was treating her like a child!
"Going to sleep."
The young girl, embarrassed, covered her face and quickly hung up the phone.
At the same time, in Xu Kexin's room.
The small figure lying on the bed had not closed her eyes.
She blinked very infrequently.
Her red-rimmed eyes stared intently at the light filtering in through the window.
Tears were no longer flowing, but she was still thinking about the online situation.
She wasn't that strong. Facing her father's heartlessness and the malicious comments.
She couldn't remain indifferent.
In fact, she was even considering... whether to withdraw the lawsuit.
Although Aunt Yu said 'it's being resolved,' how could those comments be so easily handled?
She feared that once the trial began, the situation would escalate even further, and then...
Xu Kexin dared not think too deeply.
She curled up, her posture conveying extreme unease.
When her phone rang, she was momentarily dazed before reaching for it.
Xing Jiahe: [I'm downstairs.]
Xu Kexin hesitated, staring at the window with a dazed expression.
Just as she was about to get up and go downstairs, her phone vibrated.
Xing Jiahe: [You don't need to come down.]
Xing Jiahe: [The matter has been handled, don't worry.]
Xing Jiahe: [The trial is tomorrow, I'll accompany you.]
Xing Jiahe: [Goodnight.]
Xu Kexin lay on her side, staring at each incoming message without blinking.
After a long while, she slowly typed two words: [Thank you.]
The moment she sent it, tears slid from the corners of her eyes.
But the despair she felt initially was gone.
Then, she heard a very clear WeChat notification sound from downstairs.
He was really... downstairs.
Xu Kexin hugged her phone and suddenly smiled.
A faint smile, as if it were an illusion.
Downstairs.
In the empty corridor, a boy in black leaned against a lamppost, smoking.
Pale fingers, wisps of white smoke.
After finishing his last cigarette, the boy put away his phone and left, stepping on the still-lit cigarette butt.
"Let's go."
He opened the car door, his demeanor cold.
Mu Chen: "..."
Mu Chen: "Do I look like a driver?"
Chi Zerui stifled a laugh, "Master Mu, hurry up, or I'll give you a bad review!"
Mu Chen: "Get lost."
-
The next day, the trial began.
Xu Kexin attended as the plaintiff. As she entered, she instinctively glanced at the spectator seats.
Xing Jiahe looked up as if sensing her gaze.
Their eyes met.
He curved his lips into a smile.
The arc wasn't deep, but it was beautiful.
It reassured her.
Sitting next to him were Mu Chen and Chi Zerui.
They were purely there to add presence.
If Xu Ziliang was unreasonable, they would teach him how to behave.
...
Xu Kexin's lawyer was indeed an elite among elites.
From the opening of the trial to the mid-session break, the opposing lawyer hadn't gained an advantage.
He was completely suppressed, forcing the opposing lawyer to request a temporary adjournment.
Xu Kexin received a text message from Xu Ziliang, asking to speak with her privately.
Xu Kexin directly refused.
The plaintiff's lawyer was well-prepared, with witnesses and evidence, all complete.
The judge immediately ruled that Xu Kexin's custody would be transferred to Aunt Fang.
Xu Ziliang would have to pay three thousand yuan per month for living expenses.
These costs were to be borne by the defendant.
...
As they exited the civil court, Xu Ziliang appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Xu Kexin's hair, and cursed.
"I raised you for so long! Huh?! You dare... Ah!"
Before he could finish, he tumbled down the stairs.
Xing Jiahe retracted his foot and looked down, asking, "Are you okay?"
"No..."
Xu Kexin shook her head slowly, then tidied her hair.
She looked up and smiled faintly, "Thank you."
She was beautiful, and even with a frosty demeanor, she was attractive.
But when she smiled... it was breathtaking.
Xing Jiahe momentarily lost his focus, "...It's nothing."
"And thank you all."
Xu Kexin nodded towards Mu Chen and Chi Zerui.
Although she didn't know them well, she had seen them protecting her just now.
The two of them smiled faintly and shook their heads, then their expressions changed as they moved to stand in front of her.
Xu Ziliang, who was rushing forward, immediately wilted.
He could tell they were not to be trifled with, so he could only direct his aggression towards the soft target, Xu Kexin.
"Ungrateful daughter! Aren't you afraid of being cursed to death by everyone online?! You abandoned your father, you..."
"Are you sure the online curses were directed at Miss Xu?"
Mu Chen interrupted with a playful look. Xu Ziliang choked, "Why wouldn't they be?"
He had seen it, all those comments last night were directed at her.
Mu Chen raised his eyebrows with a half-smile, "Take another look."
With that, he shielded Xu Kexin and left.
Mu Chen's gaze made Xu Ziliang feel uneasy. He instinctively took out his phone to check, and then—