C18 Let's Just Leave It at That

Pei Chenglin chuckled, "Then why are you still holding it up? Want me to help you take it down?"

The cameraman quickly removed the camera from his shoulder and stood aside. The reporter, however, seemed unwilling to give up and stepped forward, "Mr. Pei, you came at the right time. When did you and Miss Nian start seeing each other? How long have you been secretly dating?"

Pei Chenglin was the man involved in Nian Wanwan's scandal, and the reporter wasn't about to miss out on this gossip.

"I'm curious, are you a financial reporter or an entertainment reporter?" Pei Chenglin said with a smile, which quickly faded, as if he might lose his temper at any moment.

The reporter pursed his lips, catching the sarcasm in Pei's words, and stepped back to give him space, not daring to push further.

Pei Chenglin had once had nothing, but in just five years, he rebuilt his business empire. Just thinking about his prowess was intimidating.

He stood with his back to the reporter, glanced at the investors, then waved to his assistant and headed straight into the Nian Family building.

The security guards at the entrance could tell that Pei Chenglin would handle the situation, so they stepped aside to let him in.

He moved slowly, gracefully closing his black umbrella by the door, and then walked toward the elevator.

As Pei Chenglin arrived, the rain gradually stopped. By the time he reached the rooftop, he could clearly feel the sun beginning to peek through the clouds.

Downstairs, whatever had happened was beyond Nian Wanwan’s understanding or hearing. All she knew was that the shareholders were slowly dispersing.

Pei Chenglin looked at Nian Wanwan, his face radiating with a joyful smile, tinged with a hint of pride. He bypassed Wanwan’s gaze and looked directly at Nian Yongchang.

"Mr. Nian!" Pei Chenglin called out loudly.

In the past, when he was down on his luck, Nian Yongchang had somewhat looked down on him. Now, this resounding call seemed to tell Pei Chenglin that his five years of hard work had been worth it.

"You. It’s you," Nian Yongchang said, regaining his composure.

"Yes, it’s me," Pei Chenglin replied calmly. "While the Nian Family might be beyond saving, I’ve already taken care of the shareholders for you."

What Pei Chenglin said was true, and his words carried a hint of seeking credit. However, to Nian Wanwan, it didn’t quite feel that way.

First, he put her in the headlines, creating false rumors of her infidelity, plunging the Nian Family into a crisis with no way out. Now, he was helping them resolve the shareholders’ issues.

"Pei Chenglin," Nian Wanwan looked at him, managing a strained smile. "Enough, haven’t you had enough of toying with me?"

No one expected Wanwan to be the first to explode.

Without any gratitude from the other side, Chenglin was clearly taken aback. He looked at Wanwan's despairing expression, utterly puzzled.

Wanwan approached Chenglin, recalling how she had just escaped his mockery the day before. Upon waking, the Nian family had gone bankrupt, Yanting was missing, and she had severed ties with the Qin family.

Wasn't all of this Chenglin's doing?

"What do you mean?" Chenglin asked.

"I mean, stop pretending to be the good guy!" Wanwan shouted. "Chenglin, with your nasty nature, this is exactly the kind of thing you'd do. You ruin us and then play the hero... ha..."

Wanwan looked away, seemingly lost in memories. She had once entered a sham marriage with Yanting because of this man, only to be treated like this.

"Am I really that unbearable to you?" Wanwan whispered, filled with helplessness.

"Wanwan... uh! Uh..."

Nian Yongchang was about to say something when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. His face turned pale, and he collapsed to the ground. Several people rushed over to check on him, and the secretary quickly pulled out her phone to call for an ambulance.

Nian Wanwan turned to Pei Chenglin, desperation in her eyes. "Pei Chenglin, what do you want me to do? How can I stop you from tormenting me?"

"Torment you?" Pei Chenglin felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. He recalled what Wanwan had said earlier, realizing she misunderstood him. He quickly responded, "Let's talk about this later. Right now, the most important thing is to get your father to the hospital."

With that, Pei Chenglin moved forward to check on her father. Employees were watching, so Wanwan didn't need to step forward. Instead, she blocked Pei Chenglin's path, preventing him from getting closer.

"You've already caused my family's downfall. I don't want you near my dad," Wanwan said, pushing Pei Chenglin away.

But her strength was no match for him. As she pushed, she felt dizzy and fainted.

In the end, the news about the Nian family investors causing trouble didn't get out, but rumors of Wanwan's infidelity spread like wildfire. Pei Chenglin listened to his subordinate's report, his hands supporting his forehead as he fell silent.

"Have we found out who leaked the information yet?"

"Not yet, Director Pei. We've got people checking the hospital's surveillance footage. Once we find the paparazzo, it'll be easier to track down the source, but it will take some time," the subordinate replied respectfully.

Pei Chenglin stood up, walked to the railing, and looked at the scenery outside. The summer breeze was warm, and the bright sunlight made him squint slightly, furrowing his brow.

His thoughts gradually became clearer. Because of this incident, Wanwan severed ties with the Qin family, and her future with Qin Yanting seemed bleak. Although it led to the Nian family's bankruptcy, it was advantageous for him. At least Wanwan and Qin Yanting were no longer together.

"Xiu, look into it as soon as possible," Chenglin finally instructed. It didn't really matter who leaked the information; it was more about giving Wanwan an explanation and clearing his own name.

Xiu left to carry out the task, and a young nurse hurried over. Seeing Chenglin standing with his back to the corridor, she hesitated to disturb him. Sensing someone behind him, Chenglin turned to face her.

The nurse paused, remembering her purpose, and spoke softly, "Mr. Pei, um... the young lady you brought in seems to have left. You..."

"Left?" Chenglin's heart tightened as he quickly headed toward Wanwan's hospital room. Only after bringing her to the hospital did he realize how severely dehydrated she was. Considering she had just been ill a few days ago, he was anxious. The feeling of losing her years ago washed over him again. "How could you let her leave?"

Unintentionally, he snapped at the innocent nurse. Regaining his composure, Chenglin turned and briskly walked toward the intensive care unit.

"Have you checked with Mr. Nian?" Pei Chenglin asked, striding purposefully down the hallway, while the young nurse had to jog to keep up.

"We sent someone to look, but we couldn't find her. The main issue is that Miss Nian insisted on leaving the hospital," the nurse quickly explained. "And... she didn't want us to inform you."

Pei Chenglin paused for a moment, understanding that Nian Wanwan was deliberately avoiding him. If that were the case, finding her might not be so straightforward.