Heard Something I Shouldn't Have Again?

Things were lively over here, while the other table was unusually quiet.

Xie Jinran glanced at the bland noodles in clear broth, his expression turning extremely grim.

The director had indeed said they were responsible for sorting out their own dinner.

They could either mooch a meal off the villagers or find ingredients and make something themselves.

But Xie Jinran hadn't expected Xie Chen to go this far, deliberately humiliating him—every guest had been invited to eat chicken, yet he and Xie Ran had been singled out and excluded?!

Wasn't that favoritism a little too obvious? Had their conscience been fed to the dogs?!

He had originally wanted to stand up and make a scene, but then he noticed that Huo Wenye had somehow appeared in the dining hall and was about to sit down for a meal with Xie Chen.

The anger in Xie Jinran's stomach could only be forcibly swallowed back down.

Because his eldest brother had repeatedly stressed that if possible, they should never provoke this Buddha of Beijing's elite circle!

Amid the stunned silence around the table, Xie Chen realized he had misspoken and hurriedly corrected himself. "Pfft, pfft, pfft! I didn't mean you should eat me. I meant you can't eat my chicken!"

The guests present: "..." Had they just heard something they shouldn't have again?!

Xie Chen: "..." Had he just said something potentially fatal again?!

"Listen to my explanation," he said. He froze on the spot for a second before struggling to salvage his image. "It's almost gone. I can't exactly treat you to leftovers, can I?"

Huo Wenye stared at Xie Chen, who was still standing on his chair with an arm stretched out to pick meat from the bowl. The corner of his lips curled slightly. "I can't eat much. A little is enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was about to sit down when an eager voice cut in from beside him.

"Brother Wenye, I still have some hand-rolled noodles here. Want me to cook you a bowl?"

Huo Wenye turned his head, a trace of chill flashing through his deep, cold eyes as though he were issuing a warning.

Xie Ran, who had just approached, instinctively took a step back.

Was this... because Huo Wenye disliked him talking to him?!

Why?!

Could Xie Chen have said bad things about him in front of Huo Wenye?!

How disgusting?!

"Stay away from me," Huo Wenye said, his lips parting.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear.

Xie Ran was utterly embarrassed. A sob caught in his throat, but he held it back. With reddened eyes, he turned around, glanced at Xie Jinran, then covered his mouth and ran out.

"Huo Wenye, that's too much, isn't it?!" Xie Jinran shot to his feet. "If you don't want to eat, then forget it. Why do you have to hurt Xie Ran?!"

Huo Wenye raised a brow, his tone growing even colder. "That fragile? Why not just quit? Everyone thinks you two are an eyesore anyway."

[As expected of Brother Ye—his words come with ice blades!]

[The two Xie brothers really have it rough. Whoever catches them, tears into them!]

[Please, Brother Ye has always kept strangers at arm's length, okay? I don't know what's wrong with Xie Ran, always rushing over to get roasted!]

[He doesn't keep everyone at arm's length, does he?! Brother Ye seems biased toward Xie Chen. Xie Chen even said he had kidney deficiency, so could it be... Ah, I get it! Brother Ye has a knot in his heart and wants to find a chance to prove he isn't sick!]

[Am I the only one paying attention to Weibo?! It's confirmed that Xie Group bribed villagers to deliberately cause trouble and wanted one of Xie Chen's legs! The police have already issued a notice confirming that Xie Group's corporate account transferred one hundred thousand to Biaozi!]

[I saw it too. The Xie Family is vicious enough! He was adopted when he was little, so they have no old affection at all—they directly wanted one of Xie Chen's legs?! And look at how they dote on Xie Ran?! Blood ties really do make a difference. The contrast in treatment is way too severe—they treat Xie Chen like an enemy!]

[No wonder he cut ties with them! They want his leg now—won't they start harvesting his kidneys later?!]

Seeing the comments in the livestream chat, Xie Zhenting couldn't help furrowing his brow.

He hadn't expected things to develop into such a thorny situation.

If he had known, he shouldn't have been so careless and left behind evidence like bank transfer records.

Now, all they could do was sacrifice a pawn to save the king...

"Is the statement ready?" Xie Zhenting looked up and asked the second son, Xie Yuchen.

The latter was somewhat irritated, but he still nodded. "The PR department and legal department have already drafted it. We're just waiting for the right time to release it."

After a pause, he asked unwillingly, "Big Brother, do we really have to do this? Secretary Qin is one of the old guard. He worked with Dad when he was young. Isn't it inappropriate to suddenly make him take the blame? Do we need to be afraid of the police? We could just make up an excuse and brush it off. Once the heat dies down, no one will pursue it!"

Xie Zhenting glared at him. "Did you study law abroad for all those years for nothing?! Is this something that can be brushed off?! Do you think this is a civil matter where nothing happens unless someone files a lawsuit?!"

"If we don't find someone to take the blame, then it's a criminal offense!"

The moment professional knowledge was brought up, Xie Yuchen wilted.

After all, at the most prestigious university overseas, he had coasted from beginning to end.

Later on, he had even switched majors and continued his studies...

But it wasn't entirely his fault!

Who would like dry, boring legal provisions?!

In any case, Xie Yuchen had no standing to argue about this and didn't want to get scolded. He obediently nodded. "All right. I'll have the PR department post it on the official account now."

Xie Zhenting nodded, closing his eyes wearily. "Go."

Thus, as the negative public opinion continued to ferment, Xie Group's official account released a statement that shot straight onto the trending searches.

[Xie Group: Clarifications Regarding Several Points in the Police Notice. 1. Qin was indeed a former secretary of our company. Due to a personal grudge, he contacted a certain villager in hopes of carrying out revenge, then used the convenience of his position to make a transfer. 2. The aforementioned actions were Qin's personal actions. Our company has handed the relevant evidence over to the police. Should our cooperation be required, we will provide assistance unconditionally. 3. The internet is not beyond the reach of the law. We ask netizens to speak and act cautiously and not follow rumors blindly. Should anyone spread rumors or cause trouble, our company will use legal means to defend its rights and will certainly restore peace to the internet.]

The wording of the clarification was forceful. For a while, netizens couldn't tell whether it was true or false and could only temporarily stop their attacks, returning to the variety show to quietly watch the livestream.

Xie Ran had just run out of the dining hall in utter disgrace, and Xie Jinran followed after him without much delay.

But the departure of the two eyesores didn't ease the atmosphere. Instead, it became even more tense and awkward.

Huo Wenye sat down beside Xie Chen as if nothing had happened, the corner of his mouth faintly lifted. "Everyone full?"

"Full, full!" Wei Mingqi smiled even more miserably than if he were crying.

The others nodded along. "Mm-hm, we're full!"

What a joke!

Huo Wenye wanted chicken—who would dare pick up their chopsticks?!

The pressure was too overwhelming. They only wanted to grease their soles and get out of there fast!

"Then that's a shame," Huo Wenye said blandly, his gaze landing on a certain minor celebrity who was still frozen in place. "I was planning to pay out of pocket and treat everyone to a proper meal, but you're all full."

The guests present: "..." There was such a good thing?!

Damn it.

They'd spoken too soon!