After Gu Hanshen returned from the abandoned dock, he became a completely different person.
He was no longer just irritable and alienated, but fell into a deeper silence and gloom. He locked himself in the study for a whole day and handed over all the company's affairs to the vice president.
Jiang Rou could clearly feel that there was an invisible wall between her and Gu Hanshen, and it was getting thicker and thicker. She tried everything, including being gentle, showing weakness, and trying to please him, but she couldn't penetrate that wall.
The court summons was like a time bomb, ticking away, making her lose her appetite and unable to sleep at night.
What frightened her the most was the complete change in Gu's mother Zhou Peilan's attitude towards her.
Since receiving the anonymous recording, Zhou Peilan no longer had any good face towards Jiang Rou. She no longer took her to any noble ladies' gatherings, and the servants' attitude towards her also became subtle. She was like a transparent person in this family, an unrecognized hostess.
Jiang Rou tried to communicate with her mother-in-law more than once, but Zhou Peilan either turned a blind eye or shut her up with the most polite but also the most hurtful words.
"Rou Rou, you are the daughter-in-law of our Gu family. As long as you behave yourself, the Gu family will not treat you unfairly. As for the rest, it is not your concern."
This feeling of being sidelined made Jiang Rou feel very uncomfortable.
She lost all her support and could only face the coming storm alone.
The huge pressure and fear overwhelmed her like a tide. She began to have nightmares, dreaming about the same scene over and over again.
In her dream, she returned to the rainy night five years ago. She was driving the red sports car, alcohol burning in her blood, and the glaring headlights blinded her. Then there was a loud bang, and a blurry figure fell in a pool of blood.
Then, Jiang Wan would appear. But she was no longer the silly sister who would take the blame for her, but a fierce ghost wearing prison clothes, with a pale face and resentful eyes.
"Jiang Rou, why?" Jiang Wan in the dream said in a shrill voice, "You took away my life, why don't you let me die!"
"No! It's not me! It's not me!" Jiang Rou woke up from her dream screaming, her whole body soaked in cold sweat.
She gasped for breath, looking at the empty bedroom. Gu Hanshen had not returned home for another night. Endless darkness and loneliness surrounded her tightly.
"She's back... She must be back..." Jiang Rou hugged the quilt and kept muttering to herself.
Except for Jiang Wan, no one would be so deliberate in dealing with her! First it was Gu Hanshen's abnormal behavior, then her mother-in-law's indifference, and now it was the court summons! All of this was like a carefully woven web, and she was the prey in the web.
Jiang Rou's nerves were stretched to the limit. She became suspicious, sensitive, and hysterical.
She began to frantically check Gu Hanshen's phone and computer, trying to find any clues about "Lin Wan". She would fly into a rage at Gu Hanshen's unintentional glance, asking him if he was still thinking about Jiang Wan.
"Do you think I'm not as good as her? Do you regret it?"
"Gu Hanshen, let me tell you, we are in the same boat now! If I'm done, you won't have an easy life either!"
Her unreasonable nagging made Gu Hanshen, who was already upset, even more disgusted. The quarrels between the two became more frequent and more intense. The love and sweetness they once had were long gone, leaving only endless suspicion and resentment.
"You are simply unreasonable!" Gu Hanshen slammed the door and left. He would rather sleep in the company than go back to the home that suffocated him.
Jiang Rou looked at the empty villa and let out a cry of despair.
She is not willing to give in!
She had worked so hard to get everything she has today, she couldn't just lose it like this!
Since no one can be relied upon, she can only rely on herself!
She must find a way to solve this trouble before the trial!
The next day, Jiang Rou found the most notorious private detective in the city and commissioned them with a large sum of money to find the person behind the scenes at all costs.
"No matter who she is, I will make her disappear forever!" Jiang Rou's face revealed a cruelty that was totally inconsistent with her weak appearance.
She also began to contact her old "friends", those who had some connections in both the black and white worlds. She wanted to find a way out for herself, and even prepared to fight to the death.
Naturally, Jiang Rou's little actions did not escape Huo Yunchen's eyes.
"Your good sister has started to take desperate measures." Huo Yunchen handed Jiang Wan an investigation report, which detailed all of Jiang Rou's recent abnormal behavior.
Jiang Wan looked at the report with no expression on her face.
"Isn't this exactly what I want?" She said calmly, "A person only reveals the most flaws when he is in the most panic."
Jiang Rou's collapse was part of her plan. She wanted Jiang Rou to lose her composure in fear and eventually drive herself to the brink of death.
"But you have to be careful too." Huo Yunchen reminded, "She is like a mad dog now, she can do anything. You must pay attention to your personal safety."
"I understand." Jiang Wan nodded. She knew that the real battle had just begun.
Jiang Rou fell into panic and crazy self-destruction.
Gu Hanshen fell into a state of uncertainty and pain.
There have long been undercurrents and numerous conflicts within the Gu family.
And Jiang Wan, the instigator of all this, was like a most skilled chess player, calmly watching the changes on the chessboard and preparing to place her next chess piece.
Jiang Rou was like a wild beast trapped in a cage, frantically looking for an exit, unaware that her every move was under the hunter's surveillance. Her self-righteous counterattack was nothing more than a dying struggle in Jiang Wan's eyes.
Jiang Wan knew that it was not enough to just make Jiang Rou panic. She had to completely cut off Jiang Rou's last foundation in the Gu family - the image of "aristocratic lady" that she had worked so hard to cultivate.
A perfect opportunity soon presented itself.
The annual "Starlight Charity Dinner" in City A is about to be held. This is a social event of the highest standard in the city, jointly organized by several wealthy families. Every year at the dinner, a charity auction will be held, and all the funds raised will be donated to children in the mountainous areas.
This year's dinner had a special segment - Mrs. Gu Jiang Rou donated the "treasure of her personal jewelry brand", a diamond necklace called "Angel's Tears", for the finale auction.
This is a great opportunity for Jiang Rou to expand her brand influence, and it is also the last straw to save her image in the Gu family, especially in front of her mother-in-law. To this end, she invested a lot of energy and started preheating publicity a month in advance, portraying herself as a perfect woman with beauty, talent and kindness.
The headlines of major media outlets are all about her and "Angel's Tears".
"Mrs. Gu Jiang Rou is a beautiful and kind person who devotes herself to charity." "The priceless necklace "Angel's Tears" carries a designer's best wishes for children in mountainous areas."
Looking at these disgusting flatteries, Jiang Wan's lips curled up in a cold arc.
She decided to turn this much-anticipated charity dinner into the stage for Jiang Rou's downfall.
With the help of Huo Yunchen, the plan was carried out in three steps.
The first step is to remove the fuel from under the cauldron.
Three days before the dinner, Huo Yunchen used his hacking skills to hack into the supplier database of Jiang Rou Jewelry Brand. Without any effort, he found the real information of the so-called "Angel's G Tears".
The main diamond on the necklace is not the top-grade D-color flawless diamond from South Africa as advertised, but an H-color VVS2 diamond from Belgium, two grades lower. The price difference between the two is nearly ten times.
What's even more ironic is that the designer of this necklace is not Jiang Rou herself, but a designer she hired from abroad at a high salary. She just put her name on it.
Huo Yunchen anonymously sent the evidence to the most famous entertainment reporter in City A who was best at exposing the secrets of wealthy families.
The second step is to create public opinion.
On the day of the dinner, when all the guests were dressed in their best and the media reporters were ready with their cameras, a shocking revelation instantly exploded on the Internet.
"Shocking scam! The 'Angel's Tears' auctioned by Mrs. Gu turned out to be inferior goods!"
The article compared the diamond's grade certificate with the actual product in detail, and attached a screenshot of the employment contract signed between Jiang Rou and the real designer. The evidence was irrefutable.
One stone can cause a thousand ripples!
The Internet exploded instantly.
"Oh my god! Using inferior goods for charity auctions? This is too disgusting!" "A nominal designer? Didn't she always brag about being a genius designer? Her image has collapsed!" "She has brought shame to the wealthy family! How could the Gu family marry such a hypocritical woman?"
Jiang Rou, who was preparing to go on stage backstage, had no idea that the world outside had turned upside down. She was wearing a high-end white dress with a confident smile on her face, ready to welcome her highlight moment.
When her assistant rushed in and handed her the phone, the smile on her face froze instantly.
"No... this is not true! Someone framed me! It's slander!" Jiang Rou's voice became sharp. She snatched the phone and saw those disgusting comments. She was so angry that she trembled all over.
"Madam, what should we do now? The reporters outside are going crazy!"
"Hold on! Let them delete all the news! Quick!" Jiang Rou shouted hysterically.
But it was too late. Once the fire of public opinion was ignited, it could never be extinguished.
The third step is to slap him in the face on the spot.
When the host of the dinner reluctantly invited Jiang Rou and her "Angel's Tears" to perform, the looks of the guests below the stage changed from envy and expectation to contempt and anticipation.
Jiang Rou walked onto the stage with a pale face, and explained with a forced smile: "Dear guests, please do not believe the rumors on the Internet. Han Shen and the Gu family can both vouch for my character."
As she spoke, she looked towards Gu Hanshen and her mother-in-law Zhou Peilan in the audience for help.
Gu Hanshen sat there, expressionless, without saying a word.
Zhou Peilan stood up slowly. She did not defend Jiang Rou as she expected, but picked up the microphone and said to the guests in a cold and majestic tone:
"Our Gu family has always been based on integrity. What happened today is due to our lack of discipline and our inability to judge people. I apologize to everyone."
After she finished speaking, she bowed deeply. Then, without even glancing at Jiang Rou, who was swaying on the stage, she continued, "The Gu family will donate 20 million, ten times the true value of the Angel's Tears, to the charity foundation. As for this auction item that is not worthy of its name,
She paused, her eyes piercing Jiang Rou like a knife: "We, the Gu family, cannot afford to lose this person."
After saying that, she turned and left without any reluctance.
Zhou Peilan's words were tantamount to slapping Jiang Rou hard in the face in front of the entire upper class of City A, and publicly announcing that the Gu family no longer recognized her as their daughter-in-law.
Jiang Rou was completely stunned. She stood on the stage, amidst countless flashes of light and contemptuous gazes, as if she were falling into an icy cave. She felt like a clown who had been stripped of her clothes, with all her shamelessness and hypocrisy exposed in broad daylight.
She knew she was finished.
She completely fell out of favor in the Gu family.
In an unknown corner of the banquet hall, Jiang Wan watched all this coldly through the live broadcast from Huo Yunchen's mobile phone.
"The best is yet to come," she said softly.
This knife was just an appetizer. What she wanted was to make sure Jiang Rou would never be able to stand up again.