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That morning, before netizens could even scramble to get their hands on Elva Allure's highly anticipated serum and facemask, a far more explosive storm had already erupted online.
The entertainment industry woke up to chaos.
The top trending headline blazed across every platform in bold red letters:
[BREAKING NEWS] Renowned Director Gu Yanchuan Arrested at His Residence!
Photos circulated at lightning speed.
Paparazzi had somehow been at his mansion before dawn, cameras snapping furiously as police cars pulled up with flashing lights.
—
His neatly styled hair was disheveled. His shirt buttons were half open.
His expression — a mixture of panic and fury — was immortalized in countless shots.
Beside him, his wife, still in pajamas, was seen outside the gates, clutching her robe as she cried, shouting at the officers.
"Why are you arresting my husband? What did he do?"
But the police ignored her questions, their faces were stone-cold, their grip merciless as they shoved the struggling director into the back of the waiting police car.
The flash of cameras illuminated the shame written all over his face.
The image was damning — Gu Yanchuan, the mighty director, being hauled like a criminal into a waiting police vehicle.
His pride, his dignity—stripped away in broad daylight.
No mercy.
The industry's golden director—paraded like a criminal.
—
Within seconds, comment sections were exploding:
"What?! Gu Yanchuan?! The Gu Yanchuan?! Arrested?! What the hell for??"
"Holy crap! Is this real?! Gu Yanchuan?! The Gu Yanchuan we call "Movie God's Godfather?"
"Omg this is too embarrassing, look at him being dragged like a thief!!"
"No mercy at all. The police must have solid evidence if they dared to arrest him in public."
"His wife looks so pitiful… but why won't the police explain?"
"Wait, this is real, right? Not some movie shoot?!!"
"Do you guys think this has something to do with Yan Qingsi's death? I thought they were just rumors..."
"Don't tell me it's another scandal… these top people are never clean."
—
But before netizens could finish dissecting Gu Yanchuan's humiliation, another bombshell detonated across the web.
Fang Zemin.
The dignified CEO of Starlight Media.
The man who built one of the most powerful entertainment companies from the ground up.
He was arrested.
[BREAKING NEWS] Starlight Media CEO Fang Zemin Arrested During Office Hours!
—
This time, the photos and videos were even more humiliating.
This time, it wasn't paparazzi photos only.
It was a shaky video, likely filmed by a staff member inside Starlight Media's glass tower.
The dignified CEO had been handcuffed in his own office.
Dozens of employees crowded around, their phones out, recording every second as uniformed officers marched him out through the gleaming glass lobby.
The look on Fang Zemin's face wasn't panic.
It was rage — the kind of rage that couldn't accept defeat. His eyes darted at the cameras, but there was nothing he could do.
The footage went viral within seconds.
The mighty CEO of Starlight Media, dragged like a criminal in front of his own staff.
The humiliation was unbearable.
—
Videos quickly circulated online—staff members frozen in shock, phones shaking as they secretly recorded from corners of hallways.
"CEO Fang... what's going on?"
"Why are the police here?"
But no one dared step forward.
No one dared help.
Help?
How?
—
They just watched, whispering in disbelief as their dignified leader was handcuffed and led through the glass lobby like a criminal.
—
Another round of chaos hit the comments:
"What the actual heck?! First Gu Yanchuan, now Fang Zemin?! This is in one morning!"
"No way this is coincidence... police don't just swoop in like this unless it's serious."
"Two bigshots down in one morning… is this real life??"
"Omg!! Imagine being their staff and watching your boss dragged away… this feels unreal."
"Did they… do something together?? There must be a connection."
"I swear something huge is about to explode in this industry."
"The entertainment industry is done for. Who's next???"
"I smell a bigger conspiracy. This can't just be coincidence."
—
As if answering their question, the third bombshell dropped.
Because fate wasn't done yet.
Not even close.
Because before the internet could recover from the first two storms, a third trending post slammed into everyone like a meteor.
Su Xiao.
The elusive investor.
The man always standing in the shadows, pouring money into projects, rumored ties to the Su family but never confirmed.
Arrested.
Photos showed him in his expensive villa, his wrists in cuffs, being escorted down the marble steps by officers.
His usually polished and aloof face looked twisted with fury, his voice caught mid-yell as paparazzi caught every angle.
If Gu Yanchuan was the face of film, and Fang Zemin the backbone of media, then Su Xiao was the hidden hand of finance.
Now all three had fallen in one morning.
—
If the first two arrests shook the industry, this one cracked its foundation entirely.
Su Xiao wasn't just an investor.
He was the investor—the man who had money in nearly every film project, every television series, every rising star.
Though he had always kept a low profile, rumors swirled that he was related to the powerful Su family, though he never confirmed it.
But now, he was seen handcuffed and led away from his private villa, the photograph plastered across every platform.
The friend and financial backbone of both Gu Yanchuan and Fang Zemin—taken away like a criminal.
—
Netizens lost their minds:
"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL WORLD IS HAPPENING?! Gu Yanchuan, Fang Zemin, AND Su Xiao?!"
"This is too neat... too connected... you're telling me it's not a coordinated takedown?"
"Fishy. Very, very fishy. Something huge is happening behind the scenes."
"Su Xiao... I thought he was untouchable. If even he's arrested, something massive is brewing."
"Someone spill the tea right now. This is bigger than gossip—this is history in the making."
"Three giants falling at once… this feels like a drama plotline."
"Mark my words, this is just the beginning. Someone's pulling strings."
---
At home, Lin Yue sat cross-legged on the sofa, sipping strawberry yoghurt from a glass.
The sweet, cool taste lingered on her tongue as her eyes remained glued to the television.
At first, she thought she had misheard.
But then the screen replayed the footage again and again: Gu Yanchuan being dragged, Fang Zemin in cuffs, Su Xiao shouting as police pushed him toward the car.
Her spoon paused halfway to her lips.
Then, slowly, a smile bloomed.
"...It must be Yuwei and Chen Linfei," she whispered, almost in disbelief.
—
Reaching for her phone, she quickly dialed Mo Yuwei's number. The line connected within seconds.
"Yueyue?" Mo Yuwei's cheerful voice rang out.
"You planned this?" Lin Yue asked directly, unable to hide the laugh bubbling from her lips. "Why is everything suddenly blowing up on the internet?"
On the other end, Mo Yuwei chuckled mischievously.
"Hahaha, oh that? I might have called a paparazzi or two… you know, just to add some flavor. Since we were already handing over the evidence, why not let the public enjoy the show too?," she paused before continuing, "I thought... why let the officials have all the fun? Might as well give the netizens a little flavor, right? The bigger the mess, the better."
Lin Yue shook her head, laughing. "You're unbelievable. Did you submit all the evidence to the CIB?"
"Of course," Mo Yuwei replied proudly. "We sent it all anonymously. And guess what? The CIB actually moved faster than I expected. They followed up at dawn, and boom—arrests everywhere. Even I'm surprised."
Lin Yue's heart swelled. "Good. Then it's finally over."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, filled only with Lin Yue's soft breathing.
Then she asked quietly, "And… how about Xu Jiaqi?"
Mo Yuwei groaned. "She just called me after hearing about Gu Yanchuan's arrest, asking what was going on. I told her to head to the company to wait for me. She sounded so shaken… poor girl."
Lin Yue nodded to herself. "Okay then. Tell her everything. She deserves to know."
"Mm."
—
There was a short pause before Mo Yuwei asked, "What about you? What are you doing?"
Lin Yue glanced at the yoghurt on the table. "…Just relaxing at home."
She hesitated for a beat, then smiled slyly. "Actually, I didn't tell you what I found out at the hospital yesterday."
Mo Yuwei's tone immediately sharpened. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Lin Yue laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "I was told… I have triplets."
Silence.
On the other end of the call, Mo Yuwei froze, her jaw dropping.
"...What?" Mo Yuwei's voice cracked. "Triplets? As in... three babies?!"
"Yes," Lin Yue admitted. "Three."
Mo Yuwei let out a sharp gasp. "No wonder your stomach seemed a little bigger than usual!"
Lin Yue chuckled as she stroked her stomach. "Yes."
Mo Yuwei's brain short-circuited. "Yueyue!!! That Liang Yexuan—what kind of genes does he have?! Three at once?!"
Lin Yue's laughter faded into silence. Her fingers traced absent patterns on the sofa.
Her thoughts drifted — unbidden — to Liang Yexuan.
His cold, proud eyes.
His silence.
"Did the doctor tell you what to do? Are you still going to work?" Mo Yuwei's voice came through again.
"The doctor told me everything; diet and lifestyle... Also, after the bid project this week, I'll stop working. Just focus on the gallery."
Mo Yuwei was quiet for a moment before asking softly, "And what about him? About Liang Yexuan? Will you let him go on with his life... never knowing he has three children? Let them grow without a father?"
Lin Yue's fingers tightened around her phone.
—
Her thoughts tangled painfully.
She truly didn't know what to do. She wanted to tell him.
A part of her screamed that he deserved to know.
That her children deserved their father.
But the cruel reality of the high social class weighed on her like iron chains.
She knew how merciless they could be.
If she told him now, when he was still engaged to another woman, wouldn't the world label her a mistress?
Wouldn't her babies… her precious babies… would be scorned... be branded as illegitimate?
Wouldn't they suffer for it?
Yet deep inside, another voice screamed at her — He deserves to know. They're his children too.
But… did he love her?
Would he ever love her?
If not… was she dooming her children to pain?
But if she stayed silent, was she stealing his right to know?
Was she being unfair?
Didn't he deserve the truth?
—
Lin Yue bit her lip, conflicted. "Let's just… let things go with the flow," she whispered finally.
On the other end, Mo Yuwei sighed heavily. "Alright… but Yueyue, take care of yourself."
"I will," Lin Yue murmured.
—
When they hung up, Mo Yuwei set her phone down, staring out the car window as the city blurred past.
Her fists clenched on her lap, her heart burning with frustration.
She couldn't accept it.
She couldn't accept that her best friend—her siter— was carrying three children, while that stupid man responsible was about to publicly celebrate his engagement to another woman.
Even if he forgot. She couldn't accept.
She needed to vent.
—
Dialing Chen Linfei, she didn't even greet him before sulking, "Can you imagine? Yueyue is pregnant with triplets. Freaking triplets!"
There was a pause, then Chen Linfei's calm, steady voice: "...Triplets?"
"Yes!" Mo Yuwei almost shouted. "And Liang Yexuan doesn't know! Meanwhile, the Liang and Su families are finalizing the engagement ceremony—it'll probably be announced today or tomorrow. Tell me, won't Yueyue be crushed?!"
There was silence. Then Chen Linfei's calm voice came through.
"There's no need to rush. Let's finish dealing with the Yan Qingsi mess first. Then… we'll think about what to do with them."
Mo Yuwei bit her lip. "…Alright. You're right."
"How's it going on your end?" she asked.
"I've just been told," Chen Linfei said, his tone grim. "They've all been taken for questioning."
"Good," Mo Yuwei muttered. "At least that part's going smoothly. I'm heading to the company now to tell Xu Jiaqi everything."
"Okay," he replied.
He was about to say more when his secretary entered the office.
"President Chen, the shareholders are already waiting in the meeting room."
Chen Linfei exhaled. "I have to go. We'll talk later."
"Mm. Go get busy," Mo Yuwei said gently. "We'll talk later."
But Chen Linfei's voice softened. "I'll come pick you up for lunch. We'll go together."
Her lips curved into a smile despite her mood. "Okay then. See you later."
They hung up.
Mo Yuwei stared out the window again, her reflection faint against the glass.
Her heart churned with turmoil.
For Yueyue.
For the babies.
For the storm that was only beginning to break.
The city blurred past as the car sped on.
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