Gu Heng couldn’t find Yi Bo, so he had people monitor Yi Xuan and everyone in the Yi family, believing that Yi Bo couldn’t avoid contacting his family forever. To force Yi Bo out, the Jiang and Xu families joined forces to suppress the Yi family’s company.
Yi Bo, hiding in seclusion, thought that as long as he didn’t appear, nothing major would happen. After all, Yi Wei had promised not to let the Yi family go bankrupt. However, Yi Wei did nothing. Under relentless pressure from the Jiang and Xu families, the Yi family’s company was on the brink of collapse.
Yi Hong and Zhao Zhen visited Yi Wei almost every day, but he refused to see them. Realizing he couldn’t hide any longer, Yi Bo was forced to meet Yi Wei in person.
Yi Wei was in his office at the secondary management division of the academy when his assistant informed him of Yi Bo’s arrival. Yi Wei instructed them to let him in.
When Yi Bo entered, Yi Wei looked at him and said, “You’re pretty good at hiding, even managing to avoid the Jiang and Xu families.”
“You promised you wouldn’t abandon the Yi family or let the company go bankrupt,” Yi Bo said, holding back his anger. “But now the Yi family’s company is about to collapse!”
“The Jiang and Xu families are targeting you, not me. Why should I go against them for the Yi family?” Yi Wei replied calmly.
“They’re targeting us because I told you about Mi Wei and their plans. They’re pressuring me to reveal Mi Wei’s whereabouts. How can this have nothing to do with you?!”
“Then just tell them where Mi Wei is,” Yi Wei said. “The information you gave me was useless anyway. Besides, I helped you deal with Wu Xuan earlier. You should be thanking me.”
“You used the information I gave you to control Mi Wei and her child. I don’t even know where Mi Wei is, and now you’re claiming it was useless? You turn your back so quickly!”
Yi Wei chuckled. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’ve been using the Jiang and Xu families to completely destroy the Yi family’s company.”
“You’re ruthless!” Yi Bo cursed. “We should never have brought you back into the Yi family!”
“You’re right about that. I’m not a good person, and your parents should never have brought me back.” Yi Wei stood and walked around his desk, facing Yi Bo. “Remember what I said before? That slap you gave me—I’d return it with interest someday.”
With that, Yi Wei slapped Yi Bo hard across the face.
Yi Bo glared at Yi Wei, enraged. He raised his fist to hit him, but the bodyguards restrained him first.
Yi Wei slapped Yi Bo several more times, recalling the pain and humiliation he had suffered when Yi Bo had slapped him out of nowhere. The years of anger and grievance he had carried all flowed into his strikes.
Yi Bo’s face turned red from the blows. Yi Wei pulled out a wet wipe, cleaned his hands, and said, “Feeling angry and wronged? You never imagined you’d end up like this, did you? People like you only understand others’ feelings after experiencing it yourself.”
Restrained by the bodyguards, Yi Bo seethed with rage but knew he couldn’t do anything to Yi Wei.
“The one who exposed you was Yi Xuan, and the ones targeting your family are the Jiang and Xu families,” Yi Wei said as he sat back at his desk. “If you have the ability, take your revenge. And if you want revenge against me, you’re welcome to try—if you can manage it.”
Yi Wei gestured to the bodyguards, who dragged Yi Bo out. Yi Wei mused that he wanted to see whether Yi Bo really had leverage over the Jiang or Xu families that could save the Yi family’s company.
After Yi Bo reappeared, the Xu family quickly found him. They pressured him to reveal Mi Wei’s whereabouts, but he genuinely didn’t know. When asked how he knew about Mi Wei in the first place, Yi Bo refused to answer, citing reasons he couldn’t disclose. His silence only fueled the anger of the Jiang and Xu families, who directed their fury at the Yi family’s company.
Unable to watch the Yi family’s company collapse and leave his family destitute, Yi Bo negotiated with Elder Xu. Within days, the suppression of the Yi family’s company disappeared, replaced by a flood of orders and contracts. It was as if nothing had happened, and the company showed signs of recovery. However, Yi Bo knew this was only temporary. To truly overcome this crisis, he needed to rely on his next plans and some luck.
Yi Wei, reflecting on the situation, agreed with Gu Yueshan’s assessment that Yi Bo had leverage over the Xu family. The Xu family wouldn’t let themselves be threatened indefinitely, so they were bound to make a move. By keeping a close watch on them, Yi Wei hoped to uncover what Yi Bo was holding over them. There was no longer any need to conceal certain truths.
Suddenly, a shocking rumor began spreading. It claimed that the woman living in the Linjiang Mansion was Yi Wei himself. Initially, most people dismissed it as nonsense, but as the rumor gained traction, many began to doubt. The fact that neither Gu Yueshan nor Yi Wei denied it only fueled speculation.
This “slip of the tongue” by Wei Nanfeng had, of course, been orchestrated by Yi Wei and Gu Yueshan to strengthen the rumor’s credibility.
When Gu Heng heard the news, he immediately dismissed it. “That’s impossible! Yi Wei can’t be Mi Wei. I’ve met Mi Wei in person. How could I not recognize Yi Wei if it were him?!”
Xu Hua, feeling unwell for days, was filled with foreboding upon hearing the rumor. She knew such claims wouldn’t appear out of nowhere.
A nearby assistant received a call and, after listening, reported to Xu Hua, “Madam, news from Chairman Xu’s office indicates that upon reinvestigation, all previous information about Mi Wei was fabricated. Using photo searches, they confirmed that no such person exists.”
Xu Hua’s head spun, and she nearly collapsed onto a nearby table.
“That’s impossible!!” Gu Heng shouted. “It must be Fourth Uncle! He’s erased all traces of Mi Wei to deny her existence. He’s too cruel!”
“Don’t you understand yet?” Xu Hua, clutching her forehead, weakly said, “Why does she coincidentally have the surname Mi? Why couldn’t she speak? Why did she appear just when Yi Wei went abroad? Why were we initially unable to find anything about her, only to suddenly have all her details later? Think about why.”
Gu Heng froze, piecing it together. The Mi family was Yi Wei’s maternal family, not the Yi family. Mi Wei’s inability to speak could have been a ruse to avoid revealing her voice. Her sudden appearance during Yi Wei’s time abroad could mean that Yi Wei, already pregnant, had assumed a new identity to stay in the country. Seen individually, these events seemed unremarkable, but together, the truth became clear.
“No… it’s not possible… it’s not possible…” Gu Heng’s composure shattered as he struggled to accept the truth.
“We were deceived by Yi Wei and your Fourth Uncle,” Xu Hua said. “There was never a Mi Wei or another child. From start to finish, it was only Yi Wei.”
“Why would he do this to us?” Gu Heng muttered, his eyes vacant. “Why would Fourth Uncle treat us this way?”
“I’ll go ask him myself,” Xu Hua said, trying to stand but collapsing as soon as she straightened.
“Madam! Madam!” The servants rushed to her aid and called for an ambulance.
The chaos at the Gu family’s western villa was mirrored by others’ shock over the revelation that Mi Wei was Yi Wei.
Wu Hao, storming into his father’s study without knocking for the first time, demanded, “Dad, is it true that the woman in the Linjiang Mansion was Yi Wei?”
Wu Suyan looked up, startled. “Why does it matter to you? Why are you so worked up?”
“I… I just want to know if it’s true. I met that woman before and didn’t recognize her as Yi Wei. It’s puzzling.”
“If this rumor came from Nanfeng, it’s unlikely to be false,” Wu Suyan said. “Nanfeng wouldn’t slip up without permission. It must have been Yueshan’s decision.”
Wu Hao was stunned. The world seemed surreal. How had that beautiful woman turned out to be Yi Wei? Did Yi Wei have the ability to transform completely? He couldn’t fathom how no one had recognized him.
At Yuting Mountain’s private club, Wu Qing sat in his room, reflecting on what his older brother had confirmed. He, too, was stunned.
Looking in the mirror, Wu Qing thought about how he had been inexplicably drawn to Mi Wei. Perhaps, unconsciously, he had sensed Yi Wei’s true identity, explaining the strange sense of closeness he’d felt.
For the first time, Wu Qing admitted defeat. Yi Wei’s disguise had outmatched his own abilities, and he accepted it wholeheartedly.
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