WBSGVS Chapter 182V2

Online drama flares up dramatically but always fades quietly.

As Mandate of Heaven reached its finale, its popularity surged again. With time, word of mouth kept spreading, and more viewers were drawn in.

The show never dropped below an 8.0 rating, and when the final twist—the reveal of the true villain—aired, the score skyrocketed to 9.3, making it one of the highest-rated dramas of the year.

In comparison, Pursuit flopped so hard it barely made a sound. Before the show even finished airing on the main platform, it got dumped onto a streaming app, as the platform scrambled to recoup losses using newer content.

During those two months, the plan Qingli had devised against the Shen Corporation was carried out smoothly with Father Chi’s full cooperation. All that remained was for time to pass until everything exploded, just like what the Shens had once done to the Chi family.

Only this time, Qingli added fuel to the fire. She went in harder.

Coincidentally, Shen Yanjun, already reeling from a series of blows, was now physically unwell as well. While he had once been quite capable, that was before everything fell apart. Now, he was barely coherent and couldn’t participate in any company decisions.

Over the years, Father Shen had gradually transferred all authority to his son. But with his son out of commission, taking over again required time to readjust. On top of that, the recent rumors of bankruptcy had stirred up chaos, and amid the confusion, he stepped right into the trap.

It was almost too perfect: exactly one year after Shen Yanjun’s cheating scandal first hit the headlines, news broke that certain Shen Corporation products had major quality issues. A massive sum was needed to recall and inspect the goods.

Just as that gap was barely patched up, problems arose on another front.

The supplier for a major project had been poached. With heavy machinery involved, even one day of downtime meant huge losses. But finding a new supplier—especially one that could meet the volume demands all at once—was nearly impossible.

If Shen Corporation defaulted on this, it wouldn’t just lose money—it would owe massive breach-of-contract penalties.

In short, Shen Corporation was in serious trouble.

They tried to keep it quiet. Father Shen, who had enjoyed years of smooth sailing, was forced to mortgage properties and sell off stock investments to plug the holes.

But in today’s world, how many companies aren’t carrying massive bank debts? When the loans come due, the banks expect repayment. Otherwise, they’ll start auctioning off collateral. Just when they managed to fill the project hole, the banks started knocking.

What was coming could no longer be stopped or hidden.

A month later, news finally leaked that Shen Corporation’s cash flow had collapsed. The whispers of bankruptcy came roaring back, worse than ever.

Their stock plummeted. Business partners pulled out. Companies, big and small, began having issues tied to their connections with Shen Corp. The weight of it all was crushing the Shen family like a mountain falling on their heads.

Online, spectators were eating up the drama. They laughed, phones in hand, mocking the “scumbag” who was finally getting what he deserved.

“Thought being a rich second-generation meant you could cheat all you wanted? Well, guess what—looks like you won’t be rich for long!”

Qingli was among those enjoying the show.

As the one behind the scenes, she had a front-row seat to Shen Corp’s unraveling—and she was loving every second of it.

Just as the Shen family had always treated the Chi family as rivals, the Chi family loathed them in return. Sure, business came first for Chi’s parents, but their son was just as important.

Their only heir, whom they had high hopes for, had lost his legs in a rash dispute instigated by Shen Yanjun. Yes, Shen Yanjun had died in that incident, but they had suffered just as much.

And even after all that, the Shen family kept stirring up trouble. So, of course, the Chi family was going to strike back—hard. Better to crush the enemy now than be harassed again later.

Qingli’s plan had only been possible because of the internal information the Chi family had gathered on Shen Corp. With the most crucial step completed, she could now step back. She had already delivered her “gift” to Shen Yanjun—what happened next was up to Chi’s parents.

After all, Shen Yanjun had used his status to trample over the original Qingli and the Huo family, flaunting his affair and then pushing for divorce. Yes, he’d paid compensation in the end, and now Qingli was simply returning the favor—in her own way.

After months of non-stop work, Qingli just wanted a break.

Chi’s parents agreed immediately and told the housekeeper to make her nourishing meals to help her recover.

That nourishment ended up giving Chi Yue a nosebleed.

Qingli didn’t want to drink any more, so she passed it to Chi Yue. He drank too much, got a little overheated, and in the end, Qingli had to take care of him, both amused and exasperated.

Chi Yue stayed expressionless the whole time, letting her fuss over him without resistance. When Qingli’s phone rang—left on his lap—he calmly picked it up, answered it, and held it to her ear.

“Hello?” Qingli glanced at the caller ID. It was an unknown number, and her tone was puzzled.

There was a pause on the other end. Then a hoarse voice said, “It’s me.”

Qingli instantly recognized it.

So did Chi Yue, who widened his eyes in alarm. She gave his head a comforting rub, took the phone, and asked calmly, “What do you want?”

“Was what happened to Shen Corporation your doing?” Shen Yanjun asked, his voice low, filled with doubt and a trace of suspicion.

He was still recovering in the hospital, and when he first heard the news about Shen Corp possibly going bankrupt, he was stunned. His body couldn’t help; all he could do was stew in worry. Then the news only got worse, and he couldn’t sit still anymore.

Online, people were already saying Huo Qingli must be cheering at Shen Corp’s downfall.

Then he remembered something she’d said two days before marrying Chi Yue, when he had gone to see her.

Back then, he hadn’t taken it seriously. But now, something about it gnawed at him. A strange intuition told him it really might be her. That’s why he made the call and asked the question.

He held his breath, waiting for the answer.

Then, a soft laugh came through the phone. His heart jumped.

Then Qingli said, “Yeah. Surprise.”

Shen Yanjun’s heart dropped like a stone, sinking into despair. Then, angrily, he asked, “How could you do this?! Just because of me and Xu Yin?”

“Yep. Exactly because of that,” Qingli replied without hesitation.

Shen Yanjun clenched his jaw, remembering how Xu Yin had deceived him. Faced with Qingli again, he felt both bitter and aggrieved.

He shouted, “Do you even know why I did all that?! It was for you!”

“I was the kid who used to play with you by dropping toys tied to a string. Before I was discharged from the hospital, I went to find you, but you weren’t there. Xu Yin told me you were Xu Yin. I remembered that name. That’s why I mistook her for you! The truth is, the one I always liked was you! I just mistook Xu Yin for you!”

Qingli said quietly, “That’s insane.”

Shen Yanjun froze, humiliated that his heartfelt confession had been dismissed so bluntly. He was about to argue when he heard Qingli ask seriously:

“If the person who played with you back then had been a dog? Or a guy? Or just someone you didn’t find attractive—would you still have made them your girlfriend? Loved them so much, you ignored everyone else? Cheated for them? Married them?”

Shen Yanjun: “…………”

He had no answer.