C40 They Wanted to be Professional Black

Wen Yiran hadn't anticipated Shi Qian's dismissive response. Clutching her phone, she stomped her foot in frustration.

Ke'er noticed that the number on Shi Qian's screen belonged to Yiran.

Once Shi Qian ended the call, Ke'er inquired, "Was that Yiran? What did she want?"

Shi Qian laughed it off with indifference, "Nothing important."

Ke'er observed her with a touch of concern.

Shortly after the professor left, Yiran called again.

Shi Qian answered the call and, without waiting for the other party to speak, warned, "Before you commit this foolish act, consider whether you can afford to offend the owner of that car."

Without giving Yiran a chance to respond, Shi Qian hung up once more.

The car was Jiang Ci's.

If Yiran dared to post that photo online to defame her, Jiang Ci's temper would ensure it spelled the end for her.

Yiran was cut off again, nearly seething with rage.

At that moment, Muxue approached her.

"Yiran, you're still upset?" she asked.

Yiran, seething with anger, snapped, "That wretch Shi Qian, she's only this bold because Sheng Xu is pursuing her!"

Muxue's voice carried a note of concern, "What leverage does Shi Qian have over you?"

After a brief silence, Yiran confessed through gritted teeth, "I have no idea how she got her hands on a photo of me and my boyfriend checking into a hotel."

Muxue was taken aback, "I can't believe Shi Qian would have something like that."

After a moment's thought, Muxue spoke again, "How did Shi Qian come by these? Isn't this a violation of your personal privacy?"

Violating personal privacy!

Yiran turned sharply to Muxue, a realization dawning on her, and her mood lifted.

Feigning confusion, Muxue asked, "What's going on?"

Yiran broke into a smile, "Muxue, you really are clever."

Playing innocent, Muxue queried, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing to thank me for." Wen Yiran said with a smile.

She hadn't considered that she could have released Shi Qian's photo first. If Shi Qian retaliated by releasing her photo, Wen Yiran could play the victim, accusing Shi Qian of slander, revenge, and invasion of privacy.

That could be deemed criminal, and she might even get that wretch locked up.

She didn't buy for a second that a country bumpkin like Shi Qian could charm someone of high status. So what if she drove an Aston Martin?

There were plenty of nouveau riche who blew most of their fortune on a car just to show off.

But when trouble hit, they were clueless, just hiding away like scared turtles.

Shi Qian's threats, the need to apologize to Wen Ke'er, and Shi Qian's brazen attitude had pushed Wen Yiran to her limit.

Now, she finally had a plan.

She grabbed her phone and dialed a number: "I'm going to post something online. Get me some trolls, the kind that do professional smear jobs."

Shi Muxue stood by, overhearing Wen Yiran's phone call, a smug smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

Once this kind of rumor started spreading online, it wouldn't be easy to quell.

Shi Qian was surely going to be ruined this time.

Later that night.

Shi Qian sat in her study, intently focused on her computer screen, her fingers dancing across the keyboard as she meticulously refined her design.

Dissatisfied with a particular aspect, she was determined not to sleep until it was perfect, simultaneously pondering and making adjustments.

At last, content with her work, she stopped and stretched her tired muscles.

The clock showed it was well past two in the morning. She leaned over the desk, intending to rest her eyes for a moment, but inadvertently drifted off to sleep.

The roar of an airplane jolted her awake.

She realized she had fallen asleep at her desk.

Looking out the window, she saw the sky was still dark. It was just past 4 am when a private jet descended into Monarch Garden.

It appeared that Shaang Sizhan had returned.