Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Li Rui. That matter took place about four years ago.
Li Rui and his wife at the time were both actors.
His wife back then was a newcomer in the show business and Li Rui fancied sweet young girls, so they got married.
With his help, his ex-wife steadily climbed the ladder to fame.
Eventually, their relationship deteriorated over time.
At the time, Qiao Lian had just started working in this field and had not yet develop a sharp sense for situations.
She only took Old Liu’s word that Li Rui was having an affair.
Li Rui was similar to Shen Liangchuan in that he deliberately kept a low profile, hence trying to get any information about him was not easy.
However, at that time she had been desperate for money to pay her rent. So she gritted her teeth and, for three days straight, waited at the spot he was likely to appear at.
She stayed awake for three whole days, only having bread and mineral water. Eventually she managed to snap that shot of Li Rui and his new lover. Happily, she handed the picture over to Old Liu. Back then, she had not felt that she was doing something wrong.
Because she had been reporting a fact.
She widened her eyes, stunned by Shen Liangchuan’s words.
Li Rui and his ex-wife had divorced by that time?
She was speechless, feeling very much at a loss and helpless all at once. She bit her lip and stammered, “How- how is that possible?”
Shen Liangchuan looked away as he said, “Li Rui and his wife parted in peace. Their relationship had fallen apart because they spent most of their time being apart from each other. They had filming commitments. Both of them were at the peak of their careers, so their divorce had never been publicly announced. You only saw that Li Rui had a new lover, but did you also know that at the same time his ex-wife had a boyfriend too?”
Qiao Lian’s lips quivered slightly as she asked, “But- but why did he not clarify the situation then?”
Shen Liangchuan replied with a gloomy expression, “When the news broke, his ex-wife’s popularity went up a notch as the public sympathized with her. And because he still felt guilty towards her, he decided not to clarify it and instead admitted to the affair.”
Qiao Lian was stunned by this new discovery.
In reality, the public opinion was never too tolerant when it came to third parties and affairs.
Hence, Li Rui’s ‘affair’ had ruined his entertainment career.
At the time, he had been at the peak of his career. And when this incident happened, he was heavily criticized and all the filming crews canceled their contracts with him. From then on, he vanished from the scene.
When Qiao Lian realized that persistent action of hers had been the end of a celebrity, she felt as though there was an invisible hand tightly squeezing her chest, choking her.
She had never meant hurt anyone. Her intention had just been to bring things out into the open for a fair debate, and for people to judge for themselves.
Now she felt a mix of all sorts of emotions in her heart. Guilt, shame, remorse and sadness—they were pouring like water off a broken bottle.
She looked up and took a quick glance at Shen Liangchuan. Realizing that she could no longer face him, she said, “I- I understand.”
Then, she quickly got up from her seat and walked out of the study, ashamed and embarrassed.
She left the villa in a daze, walking into the night and breathing in the fresh air of the night until she slowly calmed down.
Under Shen Liangchuan’s glare, she had felt as though she was a dirty, unworthy being.
However, she did not realize that from the study’s balcony on the second floor, Shen Liangchuan stood watching her as she walked away.
Her emotions did not go unnoticed by him.
He clenched his fists tightly.
Years ago, when Xia Yehua left her marriage with nothing and he entered the entertainment industry, everything had seemed glittery on the surface. But if it hadn’t been for the fact that he had the Shen family’s name to lean on, he wouldn’t have had it that easy.