Bai Yu stared at his cellphone and sighed. He was sitting in his study when he received the message from Yun Qian Meng and he knew that he had to see the video.
He turned it on and he stared. Yun Qian Meng was perfectly composed as she told everyone who she was and who Bai Ye Qing was. She apologized and diverted everyone to the website.
From the video, Bai Yu could tell how much Yun Qian Meng loathed his son. He felt tears prickle his eyes as he clicked on the Venus site.
He felt tears pour down his face as he looked at the pictures again. In front of Yun Qian Meng, he had held back his emotions for the most part. His son, the boy he had given the world to had turned out to be a scummy gambler.
The door to his office burst open and his head jerked up.
"This slut!" Chen Yue seethed. She was pacing towards him and her face was red with fury. "Have you seen this?" she asked.
"I just saw it," Bai Yu said quietly. "There is nothing I can do about this," he told her before she could open her mouth.
"You're his father! How can you sit by and see this filthy girl get away with slinging mud at our son?" she asked. "She threatened our lives, spread rumors about us and now she has gone to use this fake apology to point all the fingers at Bai Ye Qing!"
"Sit down," Bai Yu pleaded. "Don't you see? Bai Ye Qing did all of this. Why should an innocent girl suffer because of your son's sins? She's protecting herself," he argued. "Ask Bai Ye Qing to stay low for now. I'll handle the business side of things."
Chen Yue banged her hand on the desk. "You're telling me that you won't protect your son, aren't you?" she said.
"I am protecting him by making him stay low," he reasoned.
But when was reason a thing accepted in his family?
From the corner of his eyes, he saw Bai Ye Qing enter the office. "You're asking me to stay low?" he responded, shocked. "I'm your son!"
Bai Yu shook his head. "That's why I am doing my best to protect you. Public opinion will slaughter you. The best method is to let the storm blow over. For now, stay at home and take some rest." Now, his voice was pleading.
Bai Ye Qing laughed in disbelief. "You are not asking me to take rest, you are making me quit. You don't want me going to the company to protect it, aren't you?" he argued.
"Of course, he is. When has he done something for the family? He has treated me like his slave and used his sons to further his business," Chen Yue interjected.
Bai Yu gaped. "Why did you become like this?" he asked. "I started the business because I wanted the family to have enough money to survive. And we made enough money… we can live… why are you pointing the finger at me?"
"I can't even hold up my head in front of the others in the community. Because of this, people keep calling me and asking if Bai Ye Qing has been playing with women all along. How am I supposed to answer them?" Chen Yue began to cry.
"What do you want me to do? I can't push everything under the rug. Our son did do the things he is being accused of and more. I could only ensure that he doesn't get punished for it. A little humiliation will pass and he will have enough money to live his life in comfort." Bai Yu was growing tired.
"What business did you have with Yun Qian Meng?" Ye Qing asked coldly.
Chen Yue turned to look between the father-son pair in astonishment.
"Did you meet the slut?" she asked.
Bai Yu sighed. "I did. We were discussing business. It has nothing to do with Bai Ye Qing," he said firmly. "I don't want to hear more about this." There was no room for argument.
"Just remember that no matter how good of a business partner she is, she is adamant about ruining your family. You place more emphasis on water… you should be siding with your blood!" Chen Yue screamed.
Bai Yu kept silent.
"Father, Yun Qian Meng is using this as an excuse. I liked her and wanted to marry her, but I can see the kind of vicious woman she is. She is spreading rumors so that she can manipulate you," he said quietly.
Bai Yu looked up. "Is that so?" he asked, his voice was challenging. "Will you deny meeting all those women? Will you deny hoodwinking the youngest daughter of the Mo family?" his voice grew louder.
"I didn't know who she was!" Bai Ye Qing protested.
"That doesn't make it better. You were ruining lives… it doesn't matter if the other party was rich or poor. The heaviness of the sin is the same!" Bai Yu coughed. "But because you touched the truly rich, you will never live this down. Consider it a great compliment that Yun Qian Meng and the Mo family didn't make you disappear from the face of the earth," Bai Yue gritted out through his teeth.
"What do you mean?" Chen Yue asked, afraid.
"I pleaded Yun Qian Meng not to put him behind the bars. The only reason he is just being humiliated is that the girl respects me. She held back the Mo family from ruining us too. Do you know what Chairman Mo is capable of?"
Chen Yue shuddered. "Despite knowing what you said to the press anonymously and the plans you had for them, she chose to go easy on you." He turned to Bai Ye Qing. "For once in your life, be wise. Don't try to go after her, do you understand?"
"I understand," Bai Ye Qing said through his gritted teeth. He glanced towards his mother, asking her to accompany her out.