Recognized by My Ex After Being Reborn
Chapter 405: I want to go back and set off firecrackers!

Chapter 405: I want to go back and set off firecrackers!

"I don’t care," Shi Lan said. "If Xinli Weekly dares to publish your unflattering photos, I’ll make them go bankrupt."

"Your husband doesn’t have unflattering photos."

Shi Lan burst into laughter, tightening her embrace around that slender waist in the water and asked, "Have you ever considered claiming your ancestry?"

Yan Shixiu pinned Shi Lan to the edge of the pool, looking down into her eyes. Long eyelashes dripped with crystal clear droplets.

"I have no such expectations," Yan Shixiu said, then bent his head down to capture those tempting red lips in a kiss.

Shi Lan wrapped her arms around Yan Shixiu’s neck, responding passionately until things heated up.

Carrying Shi Lan out of the water, Yan Shixiu went upstairs to the study because Shi Lan had said she liked the hammock there.

Without any expectations, they needed no one’s acknowledgment; they had their own kingdom!

...

The next day at 10 a.m., Xinli Weekly finally revealed the person at the center of the gossip. This time it wasn’t an actor or an idol, but a legendary figure.

"Mystery of the Adopted Son’s Identity, the Rich Man Suspected of Encroaching on Property—Yan Shixiu"

For this exposé, Xinli Weekly had spent the resources of an entire department to compile Yan Ziqing’s interview draft.

They also, as per Yan Ziqing’s instructions, slung a lot of mud and used many humiliating words.

Terms like mysterious background, ungrateful, and suspected criminal offenses grabbed the most attention, especially the word "bastard."

For a moment, Xinli truly achieved its goal; it broke the internet and gained extremely high attention.

However...

As Shi Lan had said, netizens did not buy into Xinli’s humiliation of Yan Shixiu. Certainly, many female netizens were swayed by looks, but the majority of rational people could discern right from wrong, especially since Yan Ziqing herself was the one exposing him, making it even less likely for anyone to be fooled.

There was no need for Shuangshi to do any public relations.

Netizens heaped abuse on Xinli Weekly in the comments.

@Su Yu: "Waking up early to see this gossip, my first reaction was to laugh out loud; my idol really isn’t a Yan family member. I’m going to set off firecrackers to celebrate! An MIT graduate, and then look at Yan Ziqing? Yan family, does your IQ even match?"

@Contestant No. 85: "Even though I usually like gossip, this time I support Xinli Weekly going bankrupt. Who doesn’t know about the Yan family’s insatiable greed? As someone who knows high society gossip, I must say, there indeed was talk about Yan Shixiu marrying into the Shi family, but a year later, he proved them all wrong and earned respect from the entire circle. What the Yan family is thinking—isn’t it clear as day?"

@A Big Cabbage: "As a weekly magazine, to use such flattering and vulgar language is truly disgusting. Wasn’t the Yan family’s wealth there because of Yan Shixiu? They should be sweeping the streets by now, right? And they have the gall to accuse him of encroachment? Absurd!"

@Boy of Obsession: "Set off firecrackers +10086, I’ve long suspected that Yan Shixiu and Yan Ziqing weren’t related by blood, and now it’s confirmed, which is insanely satisfying. I’m going to celebrate with hotpot tonight!"

@Yaoyao: "After Miss Shi’s passing, Yan Shixiu, as the rightful heir, could have claimed a share of the Shi Family’s assets, but he didn’t. What about your little bit of wealth, Yan family? So embarrassing."

@byyy: "Now that it’s come to this, I also want to ask, what about three years ago when Yan Shixiu gave up his future to save the Yan family? How do you count that?"

The comments section of Xinli Weekly was full of abuse, but not directed at Yan Shixiu; instead, it was aimed at Yan Ziqing and Xinli.

Then there were the official media statements, suggesting that some gossip magazines shouldn’t be bottomless in creating topics and leading negative public opinion.

Moreover, numerous enterprises have come forward to express that they had once received the benevolence of Shuangshi. They were also fortunate enough to have encountered Yan Shixiu in person, who is out of the ordinary, a real talent and wisdom, and highly respected by people within the circle.

Suddenly, Xinli was besieged by internet users.

This was an unprecedented situation for Xinli since its establishment.

Did they really lack common sense?

Yan Shixiu encroaching upon the Yan Family’s assets?

What assets of the Yan Family?

The Shi Family could forgo their assets, but your trifling Yan Family possessions?

Is this some kind of joke?

Yan Ziqing already had a ruined reputation, and now this stunt was just making her and the Yan Family look even more embarrassed.

Whenever there was any news about the Yan Family in the past, everyone felt sorry for Yan Shixiu, wondering how he could have ended up with such parents and a sister. Now that his foster son status has been revealed, the whole world is rejoicing.

Xinli and Yan Ziqing had intended to smear Yan Shixiu with slander, but had not expected it to backfire, lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet.

Yet, Xinli had made such a big fuss and handled it with such pomp, could they still control the situation now?

They couldn’t.

The lawyers were even jesting that they would take on Yan Shixiu’s defamation case pro bono.

And that noon, Shuangshi issued a lawyer’s letter and a warning.

After learning this news, Yan Ziqing’s face turned ghastly pale.

She had never bothered to learn just how capable her brother was, nor did she realize how much respect he commanded.

Seeing the whole internet rallying to Yan Shixiu’s defense, Yan Ziqing suddenly panicked and asked Han Hao, "What do we do now? How could it turn out this way? We’ve spent so much money, hired Xinli Weekly and trolls, yet this is the result we get? Han Hao, how much money do we have left?"

"Not much left," said Han Hao, "Trending searches and hiring trolls need money to be effective."

"All of it?"

"Being able to buy all these for one million is already quite cheap," Han Hao explained.

Yan Ziqing closed her eyes, unable to believe that in just a few days, one million was gone just like that.

"What do we do now? I spent a million for a bout of scolding?"

"No one could have expected Yan Shixiu’s reputation to be so high."

"Bastard," Yan Ziqing still wanted to curse.

"Should we borrow more? Using your father’s half, we can still get a mortgage," suggested Han Hao, "We have no way out now. After this, we have to let uncle play a part in a drama, no matter what, the Yan Family raised him, so he has to give alimony, right?"

Yan Ziqing felt there was much sense in this, "You are right, I have no way out now, but can your friend still lend us money?"

"He is a businessman, and businessmen value profit. As long as we give him collateral, he won’t refuse to lend," Han Hao said, "As for the alimony, Yan Shixiu won’t be able to escape it, right?"

"Exactly, no matter how much he tries to shirk, he grew up in my Yan Family, he has to give that alimony whether he likes it or not!"