He Lost Control with Jealousy — What Happened to Being Untouchable? - Chapter 32

“Wanwan, check Weibo right now! Some damn bastard is spewing nonsense, the whole internet is slandering you!” Su Mo’s frantic voice came through the phone.

Sang Wan’s heart clenched with a sinking sense of foreboding.

She opened Weibo. The top trending hashtag was glaringly obvious:

#Rising Star Gets Drunk at Night, Becomes Plaything for Capital Elites in Club#

Followed by a dark-red “Explosive” tag.

Sang Wan’s fingers trembled slightly as she tapped into the topic.

Photos of her drunk at the Imperial Court Club flooded the screen.

The angles were deliberately provocative, her clothes slightly disheveled, her gaze dazed as she sat playing the piano, surrounded by men whose eyes held inappropriate intent.

The accompanying text was even more shocking:

“According to insider sources, this rising star’s private life is in shambles! She frequents high-end clubs, entertaining and flirting with wealthy elites, selling herself as a plaything for the powerful!

Her innocent persona is long gone! Rumor has it she even secured the lead role in Storm Rising through shady backdoor deals likely sleeping her way to the top!”

Below were countless vile comments.

“Holy shit! Is this for real? Sang Wan always seemed so pure!”

“Never judge a book by its cover. How many in the entertainment industry are actually clean? Look at that seductive pose, she’s a slut at heart!”

“I always wondered how Storm Rising landed in her lap. Turns out she slept her way there!”

“Pure my ass! She’s just a used-up whore!”

Each venomous word stabbed at her heart.

A chilling numbness spread through her body, as if she’d been plunged into an icy abyss. She began to shake uncontrollably.

How could this happen?

Her vision blurred, the world spinning around her.

She collapsed onto the carpet, overwhelmed by a mix of anguish and fury.

She had worked so hard, treaded so carefully in this industry, never relying on connections, always keeping her dignity intact. She rarely even attended investor events.

Yet in the end, she still couldn’t escape these filthy schemes and traps.

As the scandal spread, her Weibo comments section was overrun, some questioning, others defending her.

Su Mo and Qu You stood firmly in her corner.

Su Mo, in particular, was a force to be reckoned with, single-handedly battling tens of thousands of hateful remarks.

Just as Sang Wan was about to speak up for her friends, Bai Wei called.

“Don’t panic,” Bai Wei reassured her. “I’ll handle this.”

Director Luo Zheng also called, comforting her with, “Truth will out.”

Even Xiao Yan messaged her, urging her not to take it to heart and to stay silent for now.

The support from those around her slowly steadied her nerves.

By the time she stepped out of her room, her composure had returned.

She ran into Xiao Yan, who was also carrying his luggage, ready to leave.

“You’re holding up well. Seems you’re adapting to this industry,” he said, his voice warm and soothing. “People like us have our shining moments, but also shadows no one sees.”

Sang Wan sighed helplessly. “What choice do I have? This is the path I chose. Thank you for your trust, Senior Xiao.”

“In this industry, truth and lies blur together. Stay long enough, and you’ll learn to tell them apart.” Xiao Yan smiled faintly. “Anyone with eyes can see those photos were maliciously framed. What’s truly infuriating are the cowards pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

His words flowed through her like warmth, comforting and familiar.

Sang Wan nodded, “I hope this storm passes quickly and doesn’t affect the start of our filming.”

The timing of this scandal coincided with the upcoming hype for Storm Rising, making it a huge traffic magnet. Wrapping it up wouldn’t be that easy.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Director Luo has been through everything, he has the experience.”

After speaking, Xiao Yan paused, and the two of them pulled their luggage downstairs together.

At their parting, he sighed, “In our industry, if you have acting skills but no looks, people will pity you. If you have looks but no acting skills, they’ll mock you. But if you have both looks and acting skills, they’ll envy you.”

Xiao Yan’s gaze was deep and calm. “And as it happens, you’re someone with both talent and beauty. Truth will out in the end, time will prove everything.”

Sang Wan was deeply moved. After just a few days together, Xiao Yan could trust her so much, encouraging and comforting her even as they parted, making her feel warmth once again.

“Thank you, Senior Xiao. I’m really encouraged by your words.”

Sang Wan stared at Xiao Yan, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

…

In the evening, Lu Tingzhou had just gotten off the plane when Lin Hao’s call came through. Upon learning about the online uproar, he only said six words: “Suppress it. Find out the truth.”

After hanging up, he called Shen Yubai.

Seeing his call, Shen Yubai knew he must be back. “What do you want to eat? I’ll treat you to a welcome-back meal.”

“Pull up the surveillance footage from the night Sang Wan got drunk and played piano at Imperial Club. Find out who took photos. Also, track down the pianist from that night, get her to testify.”

“What happened?”

Shen Yubai didn’t pay much attention to the entertainment industry, but Lu Tingzhou’s tone made him nervous.

“Just do it, and fast. If there’s no result by 10 p.m., I’ll shut down your club.”

With that, Lu Tingzhou hung up.

Shen Yubai shot up from his chair. “Damn, he’s serious.”

After the call, Lu Tingzhou irritably scrolled through his work emails, only to find a message from an unknown sender.

He clicked in and saw several photos, each one of Sang Wan and Xiao Yan.

In them, the woman gazed at the man across from her with curved eyes, her expression full of admiration.

The last two photos showed Xiao Yan holding her arm, and from the angle, it almost looked like he was pulling her into an embrace.

Lu Tingzhou gritted his teeth. He’d only been gone a few days, and she’d already stirred up such a mess, clearly, someone was targeting her.

These photos were obviously meant to imply she’d slept her way into the lead role with Xiao Yan.

He’d been eager to see her, but now it seemed he had to clean up this mess first.

He’d settle this debt with her later.

Instead of returning to Jingyuan, Lu Tingzhou headed straight to Imperial Court Club.

Shen Yubai had already ordered the surveillance check. Fortunately, to avoid unnecessary trouble, the club’s storage capacity was large, footage from the past month had been overwritten.

By the time Lu Tingzhou arrived, Shen Yubai was waiting for the results.

Seeing him enter, Shen Yubai immediately stood up.

“We’re already on it. We’ll have answers soon.”

Taking in Lu Tingzhou’s icy expression, Shen Yubai stifled his curiosity about the man’s relationship with Sang Wan. Now wasn’t the time to ask.

Forty minutes later, the manager identified everyone who had taken photos of Sang Wan in the surveillance footage.

After verification, two employees were recognized. They immediately denied knowing Imperial Clubs’s rules, claiming they’d deleted the photos after Shen Yubai’s warning.

There were three other people involved. Two of them were quickly contacted since they were members of a private club, but both firmly denied any involvement.

That left only one person… Xu Mingyue.

Thinking of her relationship with Sang Wan, Lu Tingzhou’s eyes darkened with a cold glint, his face twisted with barely restrained fury.

“Have the pianist testify and record a video. Post it on your Shen Corporation’s official website.”

Shen Yubai frowned. To go as far as using the Shen family’s official platform for this matter, it seemed this man held Sang Wan in high regard.

Seeing that it was almost nine o’clock, Lu Tingzhou stood up to leave.

Just then, his phone rang.

He answered, his voice icy. “Did you find anything?”

“The IP address has been traced. It’s in Shencheng. I’m heading there now with a team.”

Lin Hao had always been efficient.

Lu Tingzhou’s gaze darkened further, his voice dropping to a dangerous chill. “Make him talk.”

“If Xu Mingyue was behind this, bring him straight to the Sang residence. I’ll meet you there.”

Shen Yubai couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He hadn’t seen Lu Tingzhou like this in years.

The last time had been when his mother passed away.

Watching him leave, Shen Yubai quickly called Lin Hao, urging him to keep an eye on Lu Tingzhou.

Meanwhile, Sang Wan sat staring blankly at the chat window labeled “Sugar Daddy.” Had he seen the scandal spreading online?

If she asked him for help, would he intervene?

Was his interest in her enough for him to go through the trouble of quelling such a massive storm?

She wasn’t entirely confident.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, typing and deleting, deleting and typing again. She sat on the balcony, gazing absently at the distant nightscape.

The apartment across from hers had been empty for days. Had he moved away for good, or was he simply traveling?

…

Half an hour later.

The night deepened as a black Bentley silently pulled to a stop not far from the Sang family villa.

The villa district was bathed in warm lighting and lush greenery, the amber glow of streetlights casting a stark contrast against the man’s cold, sharp features.

Lu Tingzhou leaned against the car door, a cigarette between his fingers. He took a deep drag, the smoke curling around his chiseled profile, but it did nothing to soften the ruthless edge in his expression.

His gaze pierced through the haze, fixed unwaveringly on the brightly lit villa ahead.

That had once been Sang Wan’s home.

The place where she had grown up carefree, yet the same place that had turned its back on her less than six months after her mother’s death.

A sharp pang of regret twisted in his chest, cutting deep.

By nearly eleven, the night air had turned chilly.

Lu Tingzhou stood outside the Sang residence like a statue, having waited for almost an hour.

Patience had always been a rare commodity for him except when it came to her.

The blinding glare of headlights sliced through the darkness as Lin Hao’s car screeched to a halt in front of him.

The door swung open, and Lin Hao dragged out a trembling paparazzo, his face pale with fear.

“Mr. Lu,” Lin Hao said steadily, “he confessed. It was Xu Mingyue’s doing.”

The last trace of warmth vanished from Lu Tingzhou’s eyes. He crushed the cigarette underfoot with a force that spoke of his barely contained rage.

His lips parted, delivering three frigid words:

“Kick it down.”

BANG! BANG!

With a deafening crash, the wrought-iron gates of the Sang residence buckled under the combined force of several bodyguards, twisting grotesquely within moments.

A servant rushed out at the commotion, only to freeze at the sight before scrambling back inside in panic.

Lin Hao, noticing the commotion was getting too loud, ordered, “Break the lock.”

Two minutes later, Lu Tingzhou stood imposingly in the Sang family’s living room.

Xu Shiming, clad in a bathrobe, hurried downstairs.

Seeing Lu Tingzhou accompanied by several others, all standing rigidly in his living room, his legs instantly went weak.

After steadying himself, he forced a smile and approached, “P-President Lu?”

Xu Shiming’s voice trembled uncontrollably, the flesh on his face quivering as he struggled to produce a smile uglier than a grimace.

“Y-You visiting so late… h-has something I’ve done… displeased you?”

Lu Tingzhou didn’t even glance at him. His deep, piercing gaze swept across the opulent living room like a blade.

That look sent Xu Shiming’s heart racing, as if his home harbored some unspeakable secret.

“Bring Xu Mingyue down here,” Lu Tingzhou said, his voice low but laced with terrifying authority.

“Mingyue?” Xu Shiming wiped the sweat from his brow. “President Lu, has Mingyue caused trouble? If she’s offended you, I’ll make sure to discipline her properly.”

“You’ll soon find out exactly how she’s offended me.”