Luo Yao's question seemed to press a mute button on everyone—no one could answer.
If Luo Yao truly fell into their hands, the outcome would undoubtedly be brutal.
No one who emerged from that place ever made a decision they later regretted.
Luo Yao left the secret chamber, and from within came earth-shattering screams.
She didn’t take action herself because she had another matter to attend to before Lin Ran returned.
A while later, in the underground entertainment district, Luo Yao arrived wearing a baseball cap and waited quietly in the same room where she had previously dealt with the bodyguards.
Soon, three disheveled individuals were brought in.
Luo Yao glanced up at them.
"I heard you’ve been spreading rumors that my husband has feelings for your Liu Ruxue?"
The three members of the Liu family widened their eyes, nearly suffocating under Luo Yao’s icy gaze.They knew exactly who Luo Yao was—they recognized her.
After all, she had been live-streamed not long ago.
Back then, Luo Yao hadn’t been as cold as she was now, but she was still unapproachable.
Today, however, it was clear she had come with malice.
Liu's mother took a deep breath and pleaded in a pitiful tone.
"President Luo, we weren’t lying. In fact, Ruxue and Xiao Ran have liked each other since childhood. We elders could see it clearly..."
Luo Yao toyed with her perfectly manicured nails, imagining how deep the wounds would be if she drove them into Liu Ruxue’s skin.
"You probably don’t know yet, but your precious Liu Ruxue has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for murder."
Liu Ritian: "Impossible! There must be some mistake. How could a good girl like Ruxue kill anyone?"
Luo Yao smiled with chilling satisfaction.
"You know what? That’s not even the main point. I’ve arranged for her to have a special welcome at the women’s prison in the suburbs. The next sixteen years will be pure agony for her. Would you like to see?"
With that, Liu Meng handed them a tablet. The moment they saw Liu Ruxue’s wretched state in prison, their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"You’re not exactly saints yourselves, but I won’t kill you outright—Lin Ran doesn’t like it when I do that. Still, I plan to make you suffer a little."
Liu Ritian finally snapped. How could he stay calm after seeing his daughter in such a state?
"Luo Yao, how dare you do this to us? Do you really think you can do whatever you want?"
Luo Yao didn’t even look at him, replying indifferently.
"Liu Ritian, eighteen years ago, your wife caught you keeping a mistress. When she demanded a divorce and a share of the assets, you killed her with your own hands—then let your father, that old beast, defile her corpse."
She then pointed at Liu's father and mother.
"And you two not only covered for him but helped dispose of the evidence. People like you deserve to be reunited with Liu Ruxue."
The Liu father and son stared at Luo Yao in horror, as if gazing at a demon.
"That’s slander! Where’s your proof?"
Liu's mother suddenly slapped Liu's father across the face.
"You disgusting old beast! How could you? I always wondered how a healthy woman could just die from a beating!"
Liu's father wailed, "This is defamation! Can’t you see she’s just bluffing?"
Liu's mother froze. What had she just admitted to?
Luo Yao scoffed. "Do I look like I need to bluff?"
She glanced at Liu Meng, who shoved the evidence right in their faces.
This was what Liu Meng’s top investigative team had uncovered recently—even she had been shocked by the Liu family’s depravity.
Seeing the irrefutable proof, Liu's mother collapsed to the ground, her world spinning.
"You monster! After everything I’ve done for this family, you betrayed me over and over..."
Luo Yao watched as their resolve crumbled, then delivered the final blow.
"Crying won’t help. Let’s see how many years you’ll get... Maybe even the death penalty."
The three Liu family members turned pale with terror.
"No, no, please! Miss Luo, we beg you, don’t turn us over to the police!"
Luo Yao: "Who does Lin Ran love?"
"You! He loves you! Liu Ruxue is trash—she could never compare to Young Master Lin!"
"Exactly! Liu Ruxue is filth! How dare she dream of stealing Lin Ran from you? Our family disowns her!"
Luo Yao smirked, relishing their psychological torment.
"I have a project in South Africa that’s short on manpower."
The Liu family nodded frantically.
"We’ll go! We’ll go!"
Luo Yao checked Lin Ran’s location on her phone and smiled.
"Good. I’ll arrange your transport."
She stood and left without another word—she couldn’t be bothered to dirty her hands with them.
But she’d make sure someone else did.
"Oh, and the South Africa project is confidential. You’ll need to keep quiet about it."
The three nodded like broken puppets.
"Yes, yes! We won’t say a word! Not a single word!"
Luo Yao: "You misunderstand. Only the mute can stay silent."
The Liu family: "Huh?"
Done wasting time, Luo Yao signaled Liu Meng, who directed the bodyguards to restrain them.
The tongue-removal session began.
Luo Yao checked her phone again and walked out.
Lin Ran was almost back—she could see it on the tracker.
On her way back to the estate, news of Liu Ruxue’s 16-year sentence spread like wildfire.
Students at Jingda University heard, and so did the Lin family.
Lin Tianba’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull at the news.
"Ruxue... is in prison?"
Liu Yuemei hissed, "This has to be Lin Ran’s doing."
Lin Jian sat on the floor, trembling with fear.
"Will Big Brother come after us next?"
Lin Tianba sighed.
"Don’t worry, son. He wouldn’t dare go that far. We’re still family."
Though his back was drenched in cold sweat, Lin Tianba refused to believe Lin Ran was behind this.
That ungrateful brat? Capable of something so ruthless?
"Let’s be real—it’s not Lin Ran who’s formidable, it’s Luo Yao. And if you look at the facts, they might not even be involved. Liu Ruxue killed Huo Haini in cold blood. No one forced her to do it."
Hearing this, Lin Jian relaxed slightly and nodded.
"Right... Ruxue just acted impulsively. Ah, it’s all my fault..."
Lin Tianba gave him a strange look.
"Son, maybe it’s for the best. If those videos of you two had gone viral, neither of you could’ve shown your faces again."
"Now that she’s locked up, you can even deny everything. With today’s tech, who’s to say those clips weren’t deepfakes?"