OSTF - 60

A court summons?

Zhang Yueyan’s feet seemed rooted to the ground. Her first reaction was that Chi Suisui was lying—her news reports were based on facts.

A few years ago, someone had indeed reported He Xingwang for using performance-enhancing drugs.

This time, there were also rumors online about He Xingwang using doping substances.

From start to finish, she hadn’t made any definitive statements. Zhang Yueyan knew that being too assertive could lead to trouble, so she used subtle implications.

Because of this, no matter how public opinion turned, she didn’t feel she had much to lose—it was just a few curses online. If she avoided Weibo, nothing would happen.

Going to court? Impossible…

Zhang Yueyan turned to look at Chi Suisui, hoping to confirm that her words were just a warning.

But all she saw was Chi Suisui’s cold expression.

Zhang Yueyan took a step back and left the news agency without another word.

The office area fell silent instantly.

Someone closed the door to Chi Suisui’s office. Chi Suisui estimated that the court summons should be arriving soon, which was why she mentioned it to Zhang Yueyan.

To give her a heads-up.

As for this matter, neither Chi Suisui nor He Xingwang intended to let it slide.

On her first day as the boss, Chi Suisui set the tone by firing someone, feeling refreshed. She posted a message on her social media: [Being a boss feels great.]

Location tagged: Today’s News Agency.

Within moments, over a dozen comments appeared.

Song Chengrui: [Wait, wasn’t this acquired by the He family?]

Song Chengrui: [I get it now. So is this the young miss showing off her relationship?]

With his comment, those who didn’t know the full story quickly understood.

Following that, flattering comments poured in: “Tomorrow, this news agency will be number one nationwide,” “Boss Chi, may your wealth flow endlessly…”

Chi Suisui couldn’t help but laugh as she read them.

She sent a message to He Xingwang: [I fired her.]

Chi Suisui didn’t want to keep her around. While it was possible to torment her indirectly, seeing her face irritated Chi Suisui.

Out of sight, out of mind—it was better this way.

He Xingwang: [Since you’re the owner, do as you wish.]

Newly promoted Boss Chi Suisui began her first day by expressing gratitude to the previous owner before diving into her new role.

The next day, news of Zhang Yueyan receiving the court summons was leaked.

There are no walls that don’t leak wind.

Su Mian, who had been lounging in bed, jumped up upon hearing the news: “Hahahaha, karma strikes! Lord He did well!”

Breaking the law deserved punishment.

The blogger who initially spread the screenshot about He Xingwang’s doping had already deleted the post, and the spread was scattered. But Zhang Yueyan’s news article directly garnered hundreds of thousands of retweets and comments.

The impact was undeniable.

Soon, this became viral on Weibo, reaching the top three trending topics within half an hour.

What had slightly cooled down reignited. Netizens prepared to curse Zhang Yueyan again, only to find out about the court notice.

Netizens: ???

[Great! Fantastic!]

[I always knew Lord He wouldn’t do such a thing. This lawsuit is for defamation, not reputation rights.]

[Arguing online is useless; use the law to protect yourself.]

[Hopefully, some blind folks realize that their lack of knowledge limits their understanding of Lord He’s abilities.]

[I’ll be watching this trial closely.]

[Seeing this news, I climbed out of bed. Hope all rumor-mongers go straight to jail. Thanks.]

[After cursing for so long, finally something new to vent on.]

[Lord He, charge forward! Don’t let these rumormongers succeed.]

The online buzz exploded once again.

Zhang Yueyan’s Weibo was flooded with hahas.

Many court hearings were recorded, made public, and even live-streamed. Thus, many people awaited this trial eagerly.

“Sorry, but you might not be suitable for our news agency.”

“Apologies, we’re not hiring right now.”

“Our TV station has no intention of recruiting. Please seek other companies.”

“…”

Call after call, different phrases, but the same meaning—she wasn’t getting hired.

“BANG!”

Zhang Yueyan swept everything off her desk onto the floor.

Her face was beyond pale.

She had voluntarily resigned from the TV station due to the invitation from Today’s News Agency and quickly signed the contract.

Result? On her first day, she was fired by Chi Suisui. Now, she was stuck at home.

The resumes she sent out earlier were immediately rejected because of today’s events.

Initially, some out-of-province news agencies were interested in hiring her. After all, the news industry was mixed, and having a capable person on board could be beneficial.

But now that she was sued…

Who would dare hire her?

The only upside was that, as a journalist, she didn’t need to appear in person for news, so most of the hate was directed at her online persona. Offline, few knew what she looked like.

Time fast-forwarded to January—the official trial date.

Many wanted to attend, including fans, but only a few applications were approved. Chi Suisui, Su Mian, and Dr. Song Miaoli came together.

He Xingwang’s parents also wanted to attend but were ultimately stopped.

This lawsuit wasn’t just against Zhang Yueyan but also included major marketing accounts—and Zhou Xucheng.

The scale was massive, compounded by the existing public sentiment. The court ultimately decided to livestream the trial, allowing online viewing.

Before the scheduled time, countless people flooded in.

Given the nature of the case and He Xingwang’s status as a public figure with significant societal influence, the trial fell under the category of publicly broadcastable hearings.

Though the livestream lacked a comment section, netizens’ power was immense. Live threads were opened on various forums, updating in real-time.

[I’m here to see how many years they’ll be sentenced.]

[+1. I want to see the journalist lose personally.]

[Let’s see her lie during the trial.]

The defendant’s bench, with multiple people, was quite a sight. They had forwarded countless news articles, yet this was their first time in court.

Not a reputation rights case, but defamation.

While both might end with compensation, winning the lawsuit held vastly different implications.

Most of the onlookers were experiencing their first livestream trial. Watching the judge question the defendants line by line about the content of the news, the defendants had no choice but to respond.

Zhang Yueyan, as the author of the news, couldn’t deny it. If she denied it and got called out by the judge, she’d be in even deeper trouble.

As for the marketing accounts, they admitted more readily.

There was little to investigate. Zhou Xucheng remained silent. He Xingwang provided evidence of past and present test results.

He hadn’t used doping substances, so the others were spreading rumors.

Facts were clear, and the final verdict reflected that. Zhang Yueyan, as the primary offender, faced the harshest consequences based on profit distribution.

The livestream lasted several hours, yet netizens watched silently till the end, witnessing Zhang Yueyan rendered speechless.

Zhou Xucheng, as one of the defendants, also lost the case. However, he felt strangely relieved—the past incident hadn’t been exposed.

He Xingwang had official documents as evidence. The judge didn’t need to delve into past matters.

They watched until the very end—a victory.

He Xingwang, as the plaintiff, returned from the training center and stood tall in the courtroom. His straight back exuded an unshakable presence, unaffected by anyone or anything.

Chi Suisui sat below, gazing at him.

As if sensing her gaze, He Xingwang looked over, meeting her gently curved eyebrows and eyes. His tense heart immediately relaxed.

“Director Chi, should we leave first, or will you and Lord He leave together?” Su Mian blinked and whispered.

“You can go ahead,” Chi Suisui replied.

Su Mian left with a playful smile.

He Xingwang had come directly from the training center for this trial and would return afterward. However, Coach Zhu had kindly granted him a few days off to relax.

Thus, they would return to Bai’an Mansion tonight.

When the livestream of the trial ended, the entire internet exploded.

[I knew it! All those rumors were nonsense!]

[Lord He has it rough! Winning gold medals only to be slandered by his own countrymen. If it were me, I’d be heartbroken too!]

[I was hoping the judge would ask about what happened back then, but it ended with just an official document.]

[Such matters wouldn’t be asked about, but we can dig them up.]

This reply sparked interest almost immediately.

The events from several years ago weren’t that distant, yet not recent either. The athletes at the Shooting Sports Center had changed over time.

But such a significant event would inevitably leave traces.

After much digging, some netizens suddenly discovered that Zhou Xucheng, listed among the defendants, seemed unusual. Searching for news about him revealed more.

Had he merely defamed?

This information was quickly submitted anonymously to a popular Weibo influencer.

[Thickly masked, I’ve been offline designing and only learned about Lord He’s situation after coming back. I vaguely remember something. I won’t say how I know, to avoid being exposed—but it’s simple. Do you know someone named Zhou Xucheng who appeared in court? Probably not. Back then, he and Lord He were both in the Shooting Sports Center. Zhou drugged Lord He—yes, the drug—and then reported him. But Lord He luckily avoided it, so later Zhou left the center. By the way, Zhou was fourteen, and Lord He was thirteen back then. That’s all.]

The simpler the story, the more believable it felt.

Initially, everyone assumed Zhou Xucheng might have been jealous of Lord He’s talent and was now sitting at home idly.

But there was more to it!

At just fourteen, he had attempted to drug his teammate. The implications were horrifying.

Previously unaware, people thought the “private matter” was indeed personal.

Now, Weibo truly exploded.

[Holy crap! They were teenagers!]

[Damn! Drugging and reporting—never seen someone so malicious :)]

[Talented people always face jealousy. Lord He must have been cursed through eight generations to meet such a teammate. Even years later, he hasn’t let go.]

[Disgusting! Are you weak, so you resort to drugs?]

[Aren’t you also an athlete? Don’t you know the impact of doping?]

[Sob sob sob, I feel so sorry for Lord He!]

[No wonder Lord He left back then. He disappeared for several years. If he hadn’t, maybe his achievements would be even greater today!]

[I have a wicked thought.]

Because he was a minor and the act wasn’t completed, Zhou Xucheng hadn’t faced any punishment. But every action has consequences.

He had been relieved that the judge didn’t ask about it during the trial, only for it to be exposed shortly after.

Almost instantly, he was fired from his company. Each incident hit him like stones, one after another, crushing his spirit.

When Zhou Xucheng went to collect his belongings, his colleagues’ gazes were filled with disgust, openly mocking him.

Who would stand up for a nobody against the He family?

To celebrate the victory, the He family’s official Weibo account launched a giveaway: retweet and comment for a chance to win a house in Nancheng, along with various exclusive gifts from the He family and cash red packets.

Some netizens compiled a list of prizes. A single house could be worth millions, let alone the other items.

[Lord He: My family is wealthy.]

[Are you still looking for a son? Father He!!!]

[Got it! I’m the second child the He family lost years ago! I’m the second-born ah ah!]

[I don’t want the other gifts—just give me that house.]

[Weibo is great; you can even buy a house.]

Regarding He Xingwang’s family background, ever since his return to the Shooting Sports Center, it had never been concealed. It was just that the He family typically didn’t appear in news related to He Xingwang.

This was the first time such a grand celebration occurred.

Within half a day, the number of retweets surpassed a million. Even those who weren’t following the case joined in for the giveaway.

As for the fates of Zhang Yueyan and Zhou Xucheng, neither Chi Suisui nor He Xingwang cared to inquire further—it would only sour their moods.

The housekeepers prepared a feast to celebrate. Chi Suisui ate so much she nearly overstuffed herself and secretly rubbed her stomach while sitting in her chair.

“We need to digest a bit,” Jiang Huiyue said with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, He Xingwang took Chi Suisui’s coat from the rack. His clear gaze met hers: “Let’s go.”

Chi Suisui blinked: “Okay.”

In retrospect, this was one of the rare times they spent together recently.

Winter in Nancheng was bitterly cold. Though the sun had shone for half the afternoon, the evening wind cut like a knife.

Before leaving, Chi Suisui grabbed a handmade hat knitted by one of the housekeepers. It was colorful, with a small flower on the upper right side.

Though it didn’t seem to match her, it surprisingly harmonized well. Her fair earlobes peeked out, her black hair pressed flat against her face, accentuating her porcelain skin.

In this light, her eyes appeared exceptionally bright and beautiful.

Seeing He Xingwang staring at her, Chi Suisui touched the hat on her head: “What? Do you think I look bad?”

He Xingwang naturally replied: “You look very good.”

She was naturally stunning, capable of carrying any color effortlessly, captivating everyone around her.

Chi Suisui’s clear, black-and-white eyes curved into a smile as she asked: “He Xingwang, are you just saying this to please me?”

“I have no reason to lie,” He Xingwang raised an eyebrow.

“Alright,” Chi Suisui lifted her chin slightly, nodding modestly.

Seeing her like this, the corners of He Xingwang’s lips curved faintly, barely noticeable under the dim yellow streetlights.

Unconsciously, they walked for about ten minutes.

Chi Suisui’s earlobes turned red from the cold, and her hands stayed tucked in her pockets, almost wishing to shrink entirely into her clothes.

“Shall we go back?” He Xingwang asked.

He reached out, pinching her earlobe gently, rubbing it to restore blood flow, gradually warming the icy temperature.

Chi Suisui’s earlobes were sensitive, and the repeated kneading sent tingling sensations through her body, causing her voice to tremble slightly.

“Let’s go back.”

No sooner said than done. Chi Suisui couldn’t wait to retreat to the warmth of the room. Even He Xingwang’s earlobe massage couldn’t satisfy her anymore.

It was already ten minutes later when they arrived at the mansion.

Chi Suisui’s nose suddenly felt a chill. She looked up to see snowflakes falling softly, sparkling white.

“Is it snowing?”

She stretched out her hand, and a snowflake landed on her palm, vanishing in the blink of an eye. This was the first snowfall of the winter in Nancheng.

He Xingwang hummed in acknowledgment.

Chi Suisui was already standing under the eaves, while He Xingwang remained a step behind in the courtyard. Even so, she was still shorter than him.

Behind him stretched endless darkness.

Their eyes met, and Chi Suisui suddenly tilted her lips, speaking quickly and unclearly: “I want to kiss you.”

True to her word, the next moment she lunged forward, grabbing He Xingwang’s shoulders and pressing her lips to his.

The kiss carried the unique chill of winter, mingled with the faint scent of fresh snow.

He Xingwang hadn’t anticipated her move but allowed it, wrapping his arms around her slender waist, losing himself in the moment.

Inside the house, lights blazed, and faint voices could be heard discussing today’s news or perhaps their affair.

Outside, she and He Xingwang were kissing.

More than a month had passed since Chi Suisui’s visit to the training center and their night together.

There was less than a week until the New Year.

And their marriage registration was only two weeks away.