CHAPTER 68 — Roulan Strikes Back
If silence had ruled the boardroom after Yunxi exposed Roulan, then chaos ruled the rest of the city.
News outlets exploded.
Blogs and gossip sites devoured the scandal like wolves.
Fans and haters tore at each other online.
And while Phoenix Entertainment buzzed like an angry beehive—
Shi Roulan sat in her luxury apartment, legs crossed, sipping champagne with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Her phone rang.
Qin Yuhan.
She answered with a hiss.
"You said the videos would destroy her. You said she'd be begging for mercy."
"She will," Yuhan replied coolly. "This is only the beginning."
"Oh really?" Her voice sharpened. "Then explain why Yunxi is suddenly throwing photos of me sleeping with directors across the entire Phoenix Entertainment conference room?"
Silence.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"Send me the photos," Yuhan finally said.
Roulan snapped her fingers at her assistant. "Email them," she barked, then returned to the call. "It's all of them, Yuhan. Every man. Every hotel. Every slip-up I made."
"That's impossible," Yuhan muttered. "There's no record. You covered your tracks."
"It doesn't matter," Roulan spat. "She has the evidence. She threw it in their faces. She turned the entire room against me."
For a moment, she thought Yuhan would panic.
But instead—
He laughed.
Not amused.
Dark.
Calculated.
"You really don't understand her, do you?"
Roulan stilled.
"Shi Yunxi doesn't care about humiliating you," he continued. "She's protecting herself. And the company."
Roulan gripped the phone tighter.
"And if she wants to protect herself," Yuhan said slowly, "she will only use what she needs. Which means—there's more she hasn't shown yet."
A shiver ran down Roulan's spine.
But she forced a laugh.
"So what? She can't prove anything. Those old men will deny everything."
"Exactly," Yuhan said. "They will deny it. And the public will doubt her."
His voice curled like smoke.
"But those videos of her? They are everywhere. Anonymous accounts, gossip sites, private group chats. They're multiplying. The internet loves dirt—especially on women like her."
"And you think that's enough?" Roulan snapped. "She already countered—she turned everything against me—"
"And?" Yuhan cut her off. "People are already calling your photos 'photoshopped' and 'revenge edits.' Your name is trending, but half the comments are accusing Yunxi of faking evidence to save herself."
Roulan blinked.
Slowly, disbelief turning into exhilaration.
"So you're saying…"
"The public," Yuhan said in a low, smug voice, "is on your side."
Her pulse quickened.
"So the evidence… doesn't matter?"
"Not when the narrative is louder than the truth."
Her heartbeat turned steady again.
Sharp.
Vicious.
She stood and walked to the window, staring at the city spread beneath her.
"So what do we do next?" she asked.
"Simple."
Yuhan inhaled, voice turning cold as steel.
"Leak more videos."
Roulan smirked.
"And this time," Yuhan added, "we make them impossible to deny."
Roulan's smile widened.
Now that—
Was a plan.
⸻
Phoenix Entertainment — Hallway Outside the Boardroom
The board meeting adjourned in complete chaos.
Some executives rushed to confirm the authenticity of the photos.
Others whispered apprehensively.
Several staff members avoided Yunxi's gaze entirely—ashamed, afraid, or both.
Yunxi stepped out, shoulders straight, breath steady, but her stomach still knotted with tension.
The battle was far from over.
"Miss Shi."
She turned.
It was Ling Jian, the head of PR. His expression was a mixture of disbelief and reluctant admiration.
"You came prepared," he said quietly.
"I had no choice."
He nodded once, then lowered his voice even further.
"But prepare yourself. The internet is split. Half the fans believe you. The other half claim you faked that evidence out of desperation."
Of course they would.
Roulan had always enjoyed a clean, delicate, well-groomed image—especially crafted to seem innocent.
Yunxi inhaled deeply.
"What about the board's decision?"
Ling Jian sighed.
"They're too scared to take any action yet. They said they'll wait for Mu Lingchen's official statement."
Yunxi's breath hitched.
Lingchen.
He was already on his way.
But what would his response be now that the scandal had exploded?
Before she could ask, Ling Jian added:
"Miss Shi… prepare yourself. Roulan isn't backing down."
Yunxi nodded.
"I know."
And she did.
She could feel it—like a storm building at her back.
⸻
Mu Group Headquarters — President's Office
Mu Lingchen stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, watching traffic move below like blood circulating through the city.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
The kind of calm that meant a war was already being planned.
Jiang Qi entered the office, holding two tablets.
"Updates," he said grimly. "It's gotten worse."
Lingchen didn't turn.
"Show me."
Jiang Qi placed the first tablet on the desk.
A compilation video played—edited clips of all the fake seduction scenes.
A narrator's voice twisted with malicious glee analyzed Yunxi's "behavior," turning lies into cinematic drama.
Lingchen's jaw tightened.
Jiang Qi continued. "There's more."
He tapped the second tablet.
Roulan's team had released a thirty-second audio clip:
A woman's voice—digitally altered to sound like Yunxi—whispering:
"I need this job… please… I'll do anything you want."
Lingchen's eyes darkened.
Jiang Qi swallowed.
"Sir… the internet is on fire. Even shareholders are calling. The board wants you to release a statement within two hours."
Lingchen finally turned from the window.
His expression was terrifyingly composed.
"Prepare everything," he said. "I'm heading to Phoenix Entertainment."
"Yes, sir."
"And Jiang Qi," Lingchen added, voice chillingly soft.
"Yes?"
"Make sure every trace of those videos is tracked back."
Jiang Qi hesitated. "To Roulan?"
Lingchen's eyes glinted.
"To whoever thinks they can destroy the mother of my children."
⸻
Meanwhile — At a Hidden Café Across the City
Roulan watched the news spreading on several screens.
Her manicured nails tapped lazily against her glass.
"See?" she whispered to herself. "You can't win against me, Yunxi. I've been in this industry since sixteen. I know how to twist public opinion."
Her phone buzzed.
A new folder.
From Yuhan.
She opened it—
And laughed.
Delighted.
The files contained:
a deeper fake of Yunxi entering a hotel
a digitally altered recording
a fake bank transfer history
two manipulated screenshots of text messages
"This…" she whispered, "will end her."
She lifted her glass in a mock toast.
"To your downfall, Shi Yunxi."