Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 26

Faced with the Alpha’s accusation, Xu Zhen scratched her neck awkwardly. “No.”

She racked her brain before finally coming up with a barely plausible excuse: “What happened yesterday gave me a bit of PTSD, so I’m scared of physical contact from others now.”

Jiang Ruan pressed further, “In your eyes, am I just ‘someone else’?”

Ah, this…

Xu Zhen looked up in confusion, startled and flustered by Jiang Ruan’s rare display of stubbornness. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jiang Ruan, realizing she had lost her composure, lowered her lashes. “Nothing.”

She changed the subject. “Assistant Lu has already negotiated with Jiahua and other companies on your behalf. This incident has blown up, so until it’s perfectly resolved, you can rest in the hospital without worry.”

“As for your current work,” Jiang Ruan lifted her gaze to meet Xu Zhen’s, “there’s no need to rush for now.”

“Jiahua wants to squeeze the last bit of value out of you, what they offer might not be good opportunities.” To ensure Xu Zhen would comply, Jiang Ruan played a small trick. “Rather than ruining your reputation with bad projects, it’s better to lay low and let the storm pass.”

Jiang Ruan made a fair point, and Xu Zhen wasn’t feeling well enough to argue.

She gave a slight nod. “Alright.”

A ringtone suddenly sounded another work call for Jiang Ruan. Xu Zhen considerately said, “Go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll be right back.” Jiang Ruan stood and stepped onto the balcony, sliding the door shut behind her and deliberately lowering her voice to avoid disturbing Xu Zhen. Xu Zhen watched her leave before picking up her phone to check the latest developments online.

Opening social media, she was met with several alarming red “BREAKING” tags.

Xu Zhen had never experienced such terrifying levels of attention before. She hesitated, sensing that someone might be deliberately fueling the fire behind the scenes.

Her phone lagged briefly before she finally managed to open her profile page, where she posted an update to reassure her fans. She could have stayed silent, but there was no point.

The truth would come out eventually, and Xu Zhen firmly believed that lies required more lies to cover up. It was better to be upfront from the start, that way, when netizens inevitably dug deeper, she wouldn’t be caught in a scandal that could ruin her career.

Fans sighed in relief upon seeing her post, their hearts finally settling before rallying to demand justice for Xu Zhen.

The unfamiliar extra who had pushed Xu Zhen had vanished, and all her identity records turned out to be fake, making the investigation extremely difficult.

But after a crew member’s leak, Xing Yan, wrongfully implicated quickly became the target of public outrage.

Admittedly, in this messy love triangle, Xing Yan had the strongest motive. Jealous of the beta Xu Zhen for marrying her childhood friend, she had allegedly hired someone to teach Xu Zhen a lesson.

That way, once Xu Zhen was physically and emotionally exhausted, she might voluntarily step aside and divorce Jiang Ruan.

Such theories spread widely online, and combined with previous provocations from Xing Yan’s fans, Xu Zhen’s supporters were furious. The two sides clashed fiercely on social media.

Most of Xu Zhen’s fans were usually laid-back and avoided drama, but this time, the other side had gone too far.

If luck wasn’t on her side, Xu Zhen might have already lost her life and gone to report to the underworld.

Outside, chaos reigned. Xu Zhen rubbed her temples, feeling as though the pain in her head had worsened. Without concrete evidence, Xing Yan was innocent even if she remained the prime suspect.

Yet, ever since their last encounter, Xu Zhen couldn’t shake the feeling that Xing Yan wasn’t that kind of person.

As if Xing Yan had bewitched her, Xu Zhen was utterly convinced that Xing Yan had nothing to do with the incident.

Holding her phone with a troubled expression, Xu Zhen pondered for a moment before typing out another message: “Please refrain from attacking Miss Xing Yan. Until the real culprit is caught, none of us know the truth.”

The moment this post went live, the situation grew even more volatile.

“A publicity stunt? Or self-directed drama? These female celebrities will do anything for fame.”

“Oh great, are we netizens just being used as pawns? They put on this big show of tearing each other apart in public, but behind the scenes, they’re probably laughing at us while pretending to be besties.”

“Now that’s some next-level manipulation [thumbs up].”

“As expected of a wealthy young madam her marketing tactics are on another level compared to other celebrities.”

Regardless of the public’s reaction, Xu Zhen’s fans gradually quieted down. Though laid-back, they listened to her, which saved her a lot of trouble.

After dealing with the mess on social media, Xu Zhen felt slightly out of breath.

She lay back slowly, her gaze drifting toward Jiang Ruan, who was still working on the balcony. Jiang Ruan had always been gentle, patient, and indulgent toward Xing Yan, rarely ever losing her temper.

But this time was different.

Earlier, Xing Yan had been furious with the Alpha. Xu Zhen guessed that once Jiang Ruan finished accompanying her, she would leave to sweet-talk Xing Yan into calming down.

A self-deprecating thought crossed Xu Zhen’s mind. The brief surge of adrenaline from Jiang Ruan’s reckless actions had faded, and her heartbeat settled back into its usual quiet rhythm.

Jiang Ruan soon entered the room, her expression apologetic. “Something urgent came up, I have to head back to the office immediately.” Without waiting for Xu Zhen’s response, the Alpha added, “I’ve arranged for bodyguards to ensure your safety afterward.”

“Butler Zhao should be here soon with some of your favorite dishes.”

Jiang Ruan approached Xu Zhen and, without warning, took the beta’s hand in hers. “Be good. Stay here and don’t go anywhere.”

Her tone was firm and serious. Xu Zhen nodded. “Go ahead.”

A fleeting kiss brushed against her lips, light as a feather.

Moments later, the room was empty again. Xu Zhen licked her lips, where Jiang Ruan had kissed her, and a faint sweetness instantly spread across her tongue.

She must’ve been wearing lip balm, Xu Zhen realized belatedly.

A small, involuntary laugh escaped her, and her expression softened like drifting clouds.

After taking the medicine the nurse brought, Xu Zhen quickly fell asleep. When she woke again, it was late afternoon, nearing evening. She got up and stretched, feeling much better after nearly a full day of rest.

Butler Zhao, noticing she was awake, promptly knocked and entered with a warm meal. “Madam, President Jiang asked me to prepare dinner for you.”

The table was soon filled with an array of delicate, small-portioned dishes. Though Xu Zhen had little appetite, she forced herself to eat a little.

When you’re sick, it’s even more important to get proper nutrition to maintain your body’s basic needs. “Thank you for your trouble.”

“You’re too kind, Madam,” Butler Zhao said with a smile as he looked at Xu Zhen. “President Jiang has a business dinner tonight and will be coming later to accompany you. She specifically asked me to tell you to rest early if you’re still not feeling well.”

Jiang Ruan was always busy, Xu Zhen had grown accustomed to it.

She responded while eating and put down her chopsticks about ten minutes later when she was full.

“Ding.” A text message alert suddenly rang out. Xu Zhen casually picked up her phone, but her heart clenched painfully as if squeezed by an invisible hand when she saw the message.

The sender had attached several photos along with the text: “Sister Zhen, I’ve been struggling with whether to tell you this. After much deliberation, I couldn’t deceive my conscience or you.”

“President Jiang keeps saying she’s busy with work, but in reality, she’s been secretly meeting Xing Yan.”

“Including tonight.”

Support