Lin Qian looked at Gu Chenxi; it had been a long time since she had looked at him this closely.
His hairstyle had not changed, nor had his taste in tie colors, yet he seemed a little thinner. His thin lips were pressed into a sharp curve, and his ink-black eyes radiated a cold, detached indifference.
Gu Chenxi pressed the call button on his desk. "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and an assistant trotted into the room.
"Send the monthly schedule, the dashcam footage from the 27th, and the traffic surveillance of my car's route from that evening to Mrs. Gu."
"Understood."
The room fell silent once again.
Gu Chenxi rubbed his temples. "Are you satisfied now?"
When Lin Qian drove home, she saw workers tearing down the promotional billboard on the exterior wall of the Chenxing Shopping Mall.
The giant photograph of her wearing high-end jewelry had been shredded to pieces and lay in a heap on the ground. The new spokesperson, framed against a bright yellow background, looked indescribably dazzling.
When she had landed that high-end endorsement, she had just married Gu Chenxi. That was four years ago.
Lin Qian looked away and slammed her foot down on the gas, the roar of the engine echoing through the entire street.
When she arrived home, Sun Meijuan had already taken Xiaoxi out to eat. Sisi had refused to go, so she was in her room playing with Legos.
Chen Sao, the domestic helper, was live-streaming in the living room.
She had mentioned several times to Lin Qian that she was getting too old to keep doing manual labor and that streaming paid much faster, asking if Lin Qian could pull some strings to help her get into the Deep Space Matrix.
Thinking of the day-night-inverted schedules the company's streamers endured, Lin Qian had refused outright.
Feeling slighted, Chen Sao had taken to whispering behind Lin Qian’s back with the other house servants, calling her narrow-minded and claiming she would eventually be kicked out of the Gu family.
Seeing Lin Qian enter, Chen Sao turned her head, clutched her phone, and headed toward the kitchen.
The live stream must have still been connected to someone else's, as Lin Qian heard someone mention Sisi’s name.
"Wait a moment."
"I'm sorry, everyone, something has come up, I have to log off. I'll be back later." Chen Sao quickly shut off the stream, her pace quickening.
"Stop right there, Chen Sao."
Lin Qian’s voice was not loud, but it held a sharp authority. Chen Sao turned around sheepishly. "Yes, ma'am?"
"I just heard Sisi’s name."
"Oh, you must have heard wrong."
"I have known all along that you were pretending to be a wealthy grandmother. I don't care about your own business, but you cannot exploit my daughter."
Exposed so cleanly, Chen Sao broke into a sweat.
"I—it’s not exactly exploiting, is it? Sisi is so cute. Getting famous early is good for her future, too."
"I don't think so." Lin Qian held out her hand. "Give me your phone."
Chen Sao fidgeted for a long time before finally handing it over.
Lin Qian opened Chen Sao’s social media account on Shakemusic. Every single video posted featured Sisi as the cover image.
Clicking into several high-view videos, they were all clips of Sisi and Xiaoxi fighting over toys.
Chen Sao had skillfully edited out the parts where Xiaoxi bullied Sisi, leaving only the later footage of Sisi crying and acting hysterical.
The caption read: "The only thing cute about her is her skin."
The comments section was filled with people attacking Sisi for being ill-mannered.
Chen Sao, as the uploader, seized the opportunity to pretend to be an objective observer, saying she hoped everyone would not attack the children, as both little ones were the apple of her eye as their grandmother.
The comments praised Chen Sao for being such a wonderful grandmother, willing to tolerate such a grandchild.
They said Sisi was poorly raised and morally corrupt, and that if any other child dared to treat their own kids like that, they would surely slap her.
They said Sisi was a "monster in a pretty mask," and that once she started school, a few beatings from bullies would teach her a lesson.
Reading through the comments, Lin Qian’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
Her daughter, whom she treasured like a jewel, was being displayed online in such a grotesque way, with some scum even making lewd remarks.
"M-ma'am... these are just people online talking nonsense. It’s all fake. See, I’ve already told them to stop, please don't be angry."
Lin Qian steadied herself and pulled out her phone to make a call.
"Ma'am?" Chen Sao leaned in. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to work?"
Although Lin Qian was the daughter-in-law of the Gu family, she had always been the most even-tempered one, often mingling with the servants. Chen Sao naturally assumed this would be swept under the rug like everything else.
"No need. The lawyer will be here shortly to secure the evidence on your phone, and the police will arrive later."
"What is that supposed to mean!" Chen Sao’s voice rose sharply. "It’s just a few pictures of a kid, is it really worth being this petty? Besides, the old lady didn’t say anything when she saw them!"
"Are you saying she approved of what you did?" Lin Qian gave Chen Sao a push.
The claim that Sun Meijuan had seen the videos was purely Chen Sao’s bluff. She had indeed told Sun Meijuan that she would film videos of the house, but she had never mentioned videos like these.
"What are you doing! I’m not easily frightened!" Chen Sao sat on the floor and began to kick up a fuss. "Help! Someone is hitting me! The Gu family’s daughter-in-law is hitting people!"
The other house servants gathered around, and Chen Sao kicked even harder.
"I have worked diligently for the Gu family for over twenty years! How long has she been here? She dares to do this to me? You’ll all suffer the same fate as me eventually!"
The gathered servants didn't know the situation and whispered among themselves.
A tall lawyer carrying a briefcase walked in. After exchanging a glance with Lin Qian, he walked straight to Chen Sao and pointed a high-definition camera at her.
"Hello, I am a lawyer from Dingsheng Law Firm. May I ask if the account 'Grandmother of the Wealthy' is yours?"
Seeing Lin Qian was serious, Chen Sao panicked, but she still braced herself to keep making a scene.
"These rich people only know how to use these tactics against honest workers. Is it against the law to post a few videos? She just hit me, why don't you arrest her!"
The lawyer remained expressionless. "Please answer directly: Do you admit that the girl in your videos is not related to you by blood, and that your filming was never consented to by her guardian?"
"Everyone look! This is how they treat an old employee. I work so hard, and now I’m being treated like..."
Splash!
A full bucket of water was dumped over her head, and Chen Sao fell silent instantly.
The lawyer sighed. "My dear lady, the camera is still running."
"It’s not the first time." Lin Qian dropped the bucket onto Chen Sao’s head. "You can handle it anyway."
Lin Qian rarely lost her temper in the Gu family. The servants were stunned, and none dared to whisper anymore, each returning to their work stations.
"I’ve already contacted Shakemusic to take down all the videos. The portrait rights violation is a given. As for whether it constitutes defamation, that depends on your mood."
The lawyer zipped up his briefcase. "Let me know when you’ve decided."
"Make sure to file the lawsuit under the most serious charges." Lin Qian walked Lu Yuanzheng to the door. "Sorry for the trouble. I’ll send the payment later."
"Done playing the gentle lamb?" Lu Yuanzheng smiled. "My appearance fee is very high, you know. But if you are willing to reconsider my previous proposal, I'll waive the fee this time."
"Don't worry, every cent will be paid." Lin Qian pushed him out the door. "I am doing just fine. I have no plans to return for now."
"The fact that even a servant can bully you says a lot." Lu Yuanzheng waved his hand. "No need to rush your rejection. I have plenty of patience."