Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 21

The words sent shockwaves through the room, and the people inside couldn’t help but pull out their phones, whispering among themselves.

Xu Zhen’s outburst was abruptly interrupted, leaving her momentarily dazed.

Liu Lei, having failed in his attempt to flaunt his authority, grew furious. He glared fiercely in the direction of the voice that had spoken up earlier. “Who’s to say Jiang Ruan isn’t just riding on your fame to boost sales of her new product?”

“Xu Zhen, you’re still young. You don’t understand the twists and turns of business or the interests at play.”

Liu Lei was narrow-minded and short-sighted, and Xu Zhen couldn’t fathom how he had attained his current position. She turned her body slightly, locking eyes with him directly. “My wife legally protected, the one who’s shared my bed for three years, would she really harm me?”

“So what?” Liu Lei sneered maliciously. “Doesn’t she still spread scandalous rumors with other Omegas all over the place?”

“Xu Zhen, you’re overestimating yourself.”

“Alphas aren’t what you imagine them to be. I may not be much, but I know their nature best. On the surface, they’re all sweet words and deep devotion, but behind the scenes, they’re juggling multiple partners, changing companions every month.”

Liu Lei grew more and more animated, his words dripping with slander and baseless accusations against Jiang Ruan.

Xu Zhen frowned in discomfort. Liu Lei was shamelessly smearing her closest relationships, cutting off her support system to isolate and control her.

She saw right through his intentions but felt powerless to stop him.

“Especially someone like CEO Jiang, a successful Alpha woman,” Liu Lei continued relentlessly. “When you’re busy with work or traveling, who knows if she’s secretly meeting other Omegas. ”

“Watch your words.” His tirade was cut short as someone pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Out of the corner of her eye, Xu Zhen caught sight of Assistant Lu and was momentarily surprised.

Lu was Jiang Ruan’s most trusted aide, capable not only of assisting with business decisions but also taking meticulous care of Jiang Ruan’s personal life.

From past conversations with Jiang Ruan, Xu Zhen knew that Lu had been personally assigned by Pu Shuangquan to mentor Jiang Ruan and help her grow quickly in the corporate world.

Naturally, someone handpicked by Pu Shuangquan was exceptional. Coupled with Lu’s immaculate professional attire, perfectly styled hair, and stern demeanor, both Xu Zhen and Jiang Ruan had always been a little intimidated by her.

But now, as Xu Zhen met Lu’s gaze, she felt nothing but warmth and relief.

“Aunt Lu,” Xu Zhen stood to greet her. Lu gave her a reassuring nod before immediately turning her attention to Liu Lei.

“Mr. Liu, the agent from Jiahua Entertainment is this how you treat an artist who has been with your company for seven full years?”

“Not only do you mistreat your own artist, but you also slander her family with baseless rumors and malicious lies.”

Lu stood tall, her posture impeccable. She smiled, but her presence was far more imposing and intimidating than Liu Lei’s.

“For your actions, the Jiang Corporation will pursue this matter to the fullest extent until you publicly apologize.”

Ordinarily, Liu Lei carried himself with an air of superiority around Xu Zhen, never deigning to look at her properly. Yet now he was meek and submissive, behaving like a timid fresh graduate in front of Assistant Lu. “My apologies, my apologies. That was rude of me, speaking out of turn. I’ll go apologize to President Jiang immediately.”

Though Liu Lei’s attitude was contrite, Assistant Lu remained unsatisfied. “And what else?”

At first, Liu Lei didn’t understand, until his gaze inadvertently met Assistant Lu’s. The man’s expression was icy, his eyes cold though his face wore a perfectly polite smile, it didn’t reach his eyes, carrying instead a faintly dangerous edge.

A shiver ran down Liu Lei’s spine. Amid the ominous atmosphere, a flash of insight struck him, and he hurriedly turned to Xu Zhen. “I’m sorry, Xu Zhen. I didn’t mean what I said earlier.”

“You know how bad I am with words…”

Xu Zhen cut him off bluntly, showing no mercy. “I actually think you’re quite eloquent.”

Liu Lei’s heart sank. In the end, he simply ignored her remark and tried to smooth things over with an emotional appeal. “Xu Zhen, we’ve worked together for seven years. You know my character and personality.”

“You know I didn’t mean it that way, so please, don’t hold it against me. Forgive me this once.”

Xu Zhen wasn’t one to swallow her anger, but just then, someone arrived to notify her that her shoot in the next studio was ready. With a cold glance at Liu Lei, she ignored him and left with Assistant Lu.

The magazine spread shoot was straightforward. Xu Zhen, highly skilled at her job, finished her part in under an hour.

As she was about to leave, she overheard others mention that Xuelong was shooting the magazine cover this time.

She let out a resigned laugh. In a society where Alphas always took precedence over Omegas and Betas, she had long since given up protesting the injustices she faced.

“Madam.” Assistant Lu approached, handing her a drink.

Xu Zhen thanked him and finally had the chance to ask, “What brings you here today?”

JX’s subsidiary was launching a new product today Assistant Lu should have been by Jiang Ruan’s side helping out. Xu Zhen couldn’t help but show her confusion.

Assistant Lu chuckled softly at her expression. “President Jiang sent me, of course.”

“Aren’t you curious about today’s ‘Qin Series’ product?”

Truthfully, Xu Zhen wasn’t. But since Assistant Lu was hinting so plainly, she nodded obligingly. “I am.”

“Since you have some free time now, Madam, you might want to watch today’s product launch.”

Launch events were usually lengthy, and Xu Zhen lacked the patience to sit through the whole thing. Once back in the car, she searched for a highlight reel instead.

“Zhen in Series’a revolutionary slimming camera that redefines beauty, bringing women’s radiance closer to reality.”

“The inspiration for this product came from my wife, Xu Zhen. I hope that from now on, she can eat well without starving herself for the camera, compromising her health.”

“Like my wife, I want all women to be free from on-camera anxiety…”

Jiang Ruan’s speech struck right at the pain points of their target audience. Xu Zhen guessed the new product would likely see strong sales.

But with comparison comes competition. Xu Zhen scrolled through the screen and soon spotted the disguised water army from Jiang Ruan’s rival company posing as her fans in the comments section. “Even Xu Zhen’s popularity is being exploited? Can’t they sell this camera without dragging Xu Zhen into their marketing?”

“Still flaunting their love here? Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan’s scandal is still trending and hasn’t been taken down yet.”

“Suddenly, I don’t envy those female celebrities who married into wealthy families at all. The bitterness and hardship must be known only to them. Speaking of which, Xu Zhen must have incredible patience to endure it all for money.”

“If it were me, I would have divorced long ago.”

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