Chapter 101: Deeply Loving You Bonus Update: Diamonds Reached 3,900

Fu Yuxing donned a sterile gown and entered the intensive care unit.

Liang Xi collapsed, sinking helplessly into a chair. Her heart sank further as she recalled the look he had given her moments ago. She sat there in a daze, her emotions churning.

A long while later, she steadied herself, wiped away her tears, and pushed against her knees to stand. After one final glance at the ICU door, she turned and walked away.

At the elevator, she ran into Lei Sen.

Having worked together for a long time, Lei Sen greeted her naturally, "Xiao Xi."

Liang Xi glanced at him, initially intending to ignore him, but a second thought made her stop. "In such high spirits—has Fu Yuxing come up with a solution?"

Lei Sen smiled. "I'm just happy to see you."

"What is Fu Yuxing planning to do?" Her gaze was sharp; she bypassed the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Well..."

"Given my relationship with Fu Yuxing, do you really think I’d betray him?"

"That’s not it. It’s just that Mr. Fu hasn't given me any instructions yet."

Liang Xi scrutinized him, trying to gauge the truth of his words. Lei Sen appeared completely candid; the fact was that Fu Yuxing hadn't issued a single order—neither to act nor to refrain. It was impossible to tell what he was plotting.

The public opinion was already completely one-sided, yet he hadn't said a word.

Realizing she wouldn't get anything out of him, Liang Xi didn't linger and left the hospital.

Throughout the journey, she stewed in anger, cycling through various schemes. However, the moment she returned home and stood before Liang Yusheng, she hesitated.

Her original plan had been to have Liang Yusheng strip Fu Yuxing of all his power, leaving him with nothing and forcing him back to square one. But when she saw Liang Yukang, she snapped back to reality: she was merely an adopted daughter, and she didn't have enough influence to make Liang Yusheng follow her every whim.

Furthermore, driving Fu Yuxing back to nothing felt too cruel. She didn't have the heart for it.

Liang Yusheng was staring at his phone, his brows furrowed tightly. Seeing Liang Xi return, he asked immediately, "What did A-Xing say?"

Liang Xi pursed her lips, walked to the table, and poured tea for both of them. "He didn't say anything. It looks like he's determined to take the Lin Group; he must have a countermeasure."

Liang Yusheng set his phone aside and let out a cold hum. "Is he driven by ambition, or is he just obsessed with Lin Wanbai?"

Liang Xi lowered her eyes and gave a faint smile. "I believe he knows what he's doing."

"Knowing what he's doing? If he had any sense, he wouldn't have skipped the shareholders' meeting during the Fu Group restructuring, and he wouldn't have delayed the press conference again and again. You call that knowing what he's doing? Since he took the chairman's seat at the Fu Group, has he ever put his heart into managing it? His mind is entirely on a woman. Xiao Xi, you don't need to make excuses for him." Liang Yusheng sipped his tea and sighed. "I was against targeting the Lin Group in the first place; I thought he really liked Lin Yao, which is why he was helping Chen Songyuan."

"But looking at it now, that's clearly not the case. I truly cannot fathom what is going on in that boy's head. And this Lin girl is no angel either—didn't they say she was deeply in love with A-Xing? Why cause such a scene? She's clearly intent on a total fallout, going so far that there's no path back. I’ve been too lenient with him, and now that I want to rein him in, I can't."

Liang Yusheng frowned, his face full of worry.

Liang Xi said, "Why don't you step in? He won't listen to anyone else, but he should listen to you."

Liang Yusheng’s gaze fell upon her. Liang Xi met his eyes for a few seconds before lowering her gaze, smiling. "I don't want A-Xing to be negatively affected by this, either. It wasn't easy for him to get where he is today. Father, I don't think we can let him continue to act recklessly. We can take the Lin Group, but not now. Lin Zhaowei’s reputation is what it is; if we seize it without finesse, we’ll only invite criticism."

Liang Yusheng fell silent, carefully considering her words.

Then, he smiled. "Indeed, he shouldn't be allowed to run wild. But didn't you just say he has a countermeasure? I'd like to see how he resolves this. Honestly, after all these years, knowing he had the ability to bring down the entire Fu family in one fell swoop, I do believe he has the capacity to weather this current crisis. It’s time he realized that a man must first secure his career and make himself strong enough before the woman he wants can be kept from slipping through his fingers."

He reached out and patted the back of Liang Xi's hand. "I know how you feel, but affairs of the heart cannot be forced. It’s not just about who is closer; these things are complicated. Besides, with A-Xing's temperament, even if I were to step in, he might not listen. If he truly feared me, he wouldn't have stood me up at the shareholders' meeting. Xiao Xi, you are a good girl. Don't get stuck in a dead end; the only result of that is hurting yourself."

Liang Xi kept her head down, a smile fixed on her lips, and nodded gently. "I understand, Father."

"You are my daughter. You will certainly find a superior man in the future. Set your mind at ease."

She looked up at him with a faint smile. "Yes."

Liang Yukang had been sitting to the side, listening silently. He had seen the news, too. He couldn't grasp all the intricacies, but one thing was clear: Lin Wanbai's feelings for Fu Yuxing must be profound.

He thought for a moment and said, "What if I go to see this young lady from the Lin family?"

Liang Yusheng turned to look at him. "Why see her?"

"I feel she still has feelings for A-Xing. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding between them."

Liang Yusheng smiled. "Even if there is a misunderstanding, you don't know what it is. What would you say if you went?"

"I’ll beg her. I’ll beg her to give my son a chance. I can't help with anything else, but this time, I feel this girl is actually quite kind."

Liang Xi looked at him, unable to resist a retort. "Uncle, you've never even met her. How do you know Lin Wanbai is kind?"

"In that video, I felt that when she said that last line, her eyes were filled with so many emotions. I believe she really does love A-Xing."

"Ha! If she really loved him, would she have done this? You must not have read the news about her from before. When she was with A-Xing, she was keeping other men on the side, and she used her power to restrict A-Xing’s potential. Even if she thinks she loves him, she is very selfish."

Liang Yukang was stunned and turned to look at Liang Yusheng.

Liang Yusheng smiled, reached out, and patted Liang Xi’s back. "Since my brother wants to see her, arrange for him to go. He just wants to do something for his son. If it makes him feel better, let him do it."

Liang Xi immediately composed her expression, lifted the corners of her lips, and said, "Fine, I’ll arrange it. But she might not be willing to meet."

"Give it a try."

...

The news was in such an uproar, with so many eyes watching them, that it actually made Lin Wanbai feel safer. She didn't stay at a hotel but instead moved into An Ning’s small apartment. Since the apartment was close to the office, she began officially returning to work during the day.

She had just started, and there were many things she needed to get a handle on.

Fortunately, Lin Zhaowei had always brought her along when he went out to negotiate business, so she had some understanding of the company's operations and caught on quite quickly.

The most critical issue right now was the personnel; she needed to clean house. However, half of the staff on her blacklist were problematic to deal with, and there were many veteran employees—getting rid of them in a legitimate way without inviting gossip was difficult.

Moreover, a large portion of the staff inside the company was unconvinced by her, and some were even speaking up for Fu Yuxing.

The news was causing a stir; her essay had been well-written, and her exclusive interview answers were excellent, free of loopholes and full of genuine emotion. Yet, there were still people who didn't believe her.

Crucially, the vast majority of the company didn't believe her.

After all, her own scandals weren't that far in the past. Furthermore, Fu Yuxing had remained silent to this day. Before this, he had never done anything untoward; he had only served as an interim manager at the Lin Group, working conscientiously—not at all like the person she described in her essay.

The tactics she had listed were already rumored throughout the company to be the work of Chen Songyuan.

Bringing up the past now and labeling Fu Yuxing as an accomplice felt a bit far-fetched. Mainly, there was no concrete evidence.

More importantly, Fu Yuxing’s image over the past few years had been that of a doting, perfect husband. Now that he wasn't saying a word and was letting Lin Wanbai throw mud at him, some people actually saw that as a sign of love.

On the third day of the fermenting scandal, the tide began to turn.

At first, the explosion of news had everyone stunned. Combined with the initial scrubbing of negative posts across the internet, it had provoked public anger, leading everyone to one-sidedly believe Lin Wanbai’s story. But now, it was only Lin Wanbai’s side responding; Fu Yuxing had made no moves from start to finish, not even a response.

People began to doubt. It was unclear who started digging into the past, but they began unearthing Lin Wanbai’s old scandals.

Netizens turned into detectives, dissecting every word they had said, breaking them down, and adding their own interpretations. Even simple, straightforward sentences were imbued with deep, hidden meanings.

A second voice began to emerge online, claiming that Lin Wanbai was attempting to whitewash herself because, as a corporate leader, she needed a positive image. By the way, she was using this as a pretext to divorce Fu Yuxing, clearing her name entirely.

Netizens began calling her a black-hearted, calculating woman with sophisticated methods.

Lin Wanbai read those analyses and found them rather amusing.

Yet, those scandals didn't have much real evidence; it all depended on whether people believed them. Those who were convinced of her poor character would only call her explanations a cover-up, while those who believed she wasn't that kind of person would trust her regardless of whether she explained or not.

She only regretted not holding her ground earlier and using such a stupid way to provoke Fu Yuxing. Now that she had given others ammunition, she had nothing to say.

She knew this PR war would be a grueling one.

But no matter how hard it was, she had to fight it. For now, she could only use public opinion to protect herself.

Of course, she still held one final trump card.

Lin Wanbai stared at the small USB drive in her hand, lost in thought, when someone knocked on the office door. She immediately clutched the drive tightly and looked up to see An Ning enter.

It was already dark, and everyone else had left the office.

She packed her things, ready to leave.

An Ning said, "Mr. Liang from Chaosheng wants to invite you to dinner."

Lin Wanbai was taken aback.

An Ning continued, "He is already waiting outside."

It left her no room to choose. Lin Wanbai thought for a moment and said, "Alright. Since it’s an open and honest invitation, I have no reason to refuse."

She went to the lounge to freshen up before grabbing her handbag and heading out.

Liang Yusheng’s car was parked right at the company entrance. Lin Wanbai walked out with An Ning and two bodyguards. Liang Yusheng was quite courteous; seeing her emerge, he stepped out of his car immediately. "Hello, Ms. Lin."

"Hello, Mr. Liang. I’ve heard much about you."

Liang Yusheng smiled. "I hope I'm not being too intrusive?"

"It’s fine, not intrusive. I hadn't eaten yet anyway."

Liang Yusheng gave an address, and Lin Wanbai got into her own car, following his.

The place he chose was a private restaurant, a bit secluded, tucked away in an old alleyway.

Lin Wanbai felt a bit uneasy. After a moment's thought, she didn't get out of the car, instead having her bodyguards tell Liang Yusheng to change locations.

She then called Chen Fan, telling him to prepare, as they might be coming to his restaurant to eat.

Liang Yusheng was surprisingly agreeable and accepted her request. They drove to Chen Fan’s restaurant.

Chen Fan was efficient. By the time they arrived, he had rearranged the restaurant, leaving only one table.

Lin Wanbai arrived first and added several more bodyguards, stationing them inside and out, before she felt secure enough to sit down.

Seeing her posture, Chen Fan smiled but said nothing. He had seen the news and knew she was in the middle of a battle. He just felt a bit sentimental, remembering how she used to have stars in her eyes, praising Fu Yuxing as the most perfect man on earth.

Now, the two had become like enemies, forced to be on guard like this.

Before long, Liang Yusheng arrived with someone else in tow.

Lin Wanbai didn't recognize the man.

The man stared at her intently, his expression somewhat agitated.

As they approached, Lin Wanbai, as the junior, stood up and greeted them politely.

Liang Yusheng nodded. "You are truly the granddaughter Lin Zhaowei raised himself. Quite different."

Lin Wanbai smiled, joking, "Not so different. Didn't I almost fall right into your hands?"

"You can't put it that way. You and A-Xing are married; we should be considered family."

"Family? I’ve never seen a family that harms its own."

Liang Yusheng said, "Perhaps there was a misunderstanding."

"Perhaps."

Liang Yusheng didn't pursue the topic but introduced her. "This is A-Xing's biological father, my older brother, Liang Yukang."

Hearing this, Lin Wanbai couldn't help but look at him more closely. A glimmer of surprise flashed in her eyes, only to vanish as quickly as it appeared. She just twitched the corners of her lips and called him "Uncle."

This should have been a happy occasion—that Liang Yukang was still alive.

Liang Yukang acknowledged her with a sound. He pursed his lips, looking somewhat nervous and excited. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Liang Yusheng said, "I’m not the one who wanted to see you. My brother wanted to have a word with you."

Lin Wanbai looked at him, her gaze no longer as cold as before, and even her smile softened. "Uncle, what did you want to say to me?"

Liang Yukang stood up and walked a few steps toward her. Before anyone could react, he suddenly knelt on the floor.

Lin Wanbai was startled. She hurriedly grabbed his arm and crouched down with him. "Uncle, please don't do this."

Liang Yusheng frowned but didn't move to stop him. This was likely something a father wanted to do for his son, and he felt it wasn't his place to interfere. He thought for a moment, took out a cigarette, and walked to the side.

He really didn't want to see his own brother act so spineless.

But after these decades, he had grown used to it. A person who has been on their knees for too long finds it hard to stand back up.

Liang Yukang looked at Lin Wanbai and said, "I can see that you are a good girl, and I can see that you still have feelings for A-Xing. I don't know what went wrong between you two to make things come to this. I’m begging you, give A-Xing a chance. He hasn't had it easy; he’s been without parents since he was a child. I’ve been a spineless father—I could have come back, but I didn't dare to save him and his mother."

Lin Wanbai smiled. She stopped trying to pull him up and said, "Uncle, you don't even know what went wrong between us, yet you're begging me to give him a chance. Maybe he doesn't want a chance at all? He doesn't love me, so how could he possibly want such a thing?"

"How could he not love you?"

Lin Wanbai looked at him, silent for a moment, before saying earnestly, "He doesn't love me."

Liang Yusheng was standing to the side smoking. Although he was some distance away, the restaurant was small, and he heard her words.

He thought for a moment, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and walked over. "He certainly loves you, and he loves you very much. That is beyond doubt."