The gossip: not one of the four children was his

[He was no saint anyway. He pitted women against each other here to pick his favorites, abused female college students, and even drove an employee to suicide. Wasn't I here to bring him down?]

[If he had an episode here, that would just be heaven punishing him!]

Every word of Ning Shile's thoughts reached Bai Qiongyu's ears.

In the darkness, the man's lips curled.

He had returned to the country for Bai Hai in the first place. The man had sent him to Foluohai, a place that devoured people whole. Bai Qiongyu intended to settle that score properly.

If Bai Hai really had committed so many evil deeds, dealing with him would be much easier.

[No, if he really died like this, wouldn't that be letting him off too easily?]

Ning Shile thought:

[He should pay for what he's done. Let the whole country see his hypocritical face and destroy his reputation. That would be the best ending!]

Ning Shile stepped forward, pushed past the two increasingly agitated assistants, and crouched down. "Let me try."

"Huh?" One assistant frowned in Ning Shile's direction. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Do you even understand what's happening?" the other assistant demanded harshly. "If you don't, stop showing off! If anything happens to Director Bai, your worthless life wouldn't cover it even if you died!"

Bai Qiongyu was the first to take offense. His usual gentleness vanished, and he kicked the assistant.

"Ugh!"

The assistant staggered half a step and nearly fell onto his backside.

He was bewildered. In the darkness, he couldn't see Bai Qiongyu's expression, but he vaguely sensed his anger. An icy menace cut through the dark, inspiring fear.

The assistant shut his mouth and didn't dare speak again.

By then, Ning Shile had lowered Bai Hai to the floor and positioned him on his side.

"Stay calm." Ning Shile's voice was gentle and warm as he slowly guided Bai Hai. "Breathe in... breathe out... relax."

He soothed Bai Hai's back with his hand, his tone comforting and reassuring. "You're safe. We'll be out soon."

"Stay calm."

The young man's voice was like a gently flowing stream, soaking into the soul in the darkness and soothing the heart.

The hand on his back was gentle but firm, stroking slowly and patting lightly.

Bai Hai felt that he really wasn't quite so breathless or agitated anymore.

Even his racing heart gradually returned to a steady rhythm.

"If you're really scared, close your eyes," Ning Shile said. "Keep your breathing steady... relax..."

Within just a few minutes, Bai Hai's condition had visibly improved.

The two assistants were surprised, and their opinion of Ning Shile improved somewhat.

After about twenty minutes, the rescue team got them out.

As they left the elevator, Bai Hai specifically asked, "What's your name?"

"Ning Shile," he replied.

Bai Hai glanced at him, nodded, and left.

The elevator incident had been deliberately caused.

Security caught the culprit, a boy of thirteen or fourteen.

He looked fierce, his eyes vicious as he was restrained and brought into the conference room.

Besides Bai Hai and Bai Qiongyu, quite a few college students who had come for interviews were now in the room.

"Get in!"

Several men dragged the boy inside, holding him down. He struggled a few times but couldn't break free.

The more Ning Shile watched, the more familiar the scene seemed. He felt sure this part had been mentioned in the original novel.

[Hmm... what was the gossip here again?]

[I remember it had something to do with Bai Hai?]

Bai Qiongyu watched Ning Shile rub his chin, his expression solemn and intent.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was considering something momentous.

Unfortunately, he was only racking his brains for gossip.

Bai Qiongyu felt like laughing and waited for him to remember.

Before long, Ning Shile gave up trying to recall it on his own. He furtively slipped out his phone and started scrolling through it at random.

Curious, Bai Qiongyu lifted his head slightly to look. What was he doing?

[Found it!]

Ning Shile shouted inwardly.

He quickly scanned the contents of his notes, barely containing himself as he burst into laughter in his mind. [Pfft... hahahaha... it's this part!]

[I'm going to die laughing, hahahaha!!]

Watching him, Bai Qiongyu raised his eyebrows.

So there was something on his phone?

[Incredible. This kid is the son of Bai Hai's first love from his younger days!]

Ning Shile had forgotten the entire plot. Reading it again really felt like discovering fresh gossip, and he excitedly rambled to himself:

[Then they found out this kid wasn't his father's biological son. His mother had cheated on his father and had four children, not one of them his! His father was so furious that he disowned them all!]

[This son really respected his father. He was upset about it for ages and started wanting revenge!]

[He searched through his mother's phone and found messages Old Master Bai had sent her six months ago. They were so cheesy, explicit, and sleazy that this kid nearly developed high blood pressure at his tender age!]

[Then he followed the trail and discovered that Bai Father had had a relationship with his mother when they were young.]

[He thought Bai Father had slept with his mother, so he worked up the nerve to do something vicious. He plotted to hurt Bai Hai and cut the power to the elevator!]

[And today, during their confrontation, there were too many witnesses and too much evidence.]

[Old Master Bai couldn't explain his way out of it, so he had to admit in front of everyone that he was impotent, hahahahaha!!]

What?

Bai Qiongyu's head buzzed.

Who was impotent?

Bai Hai? His grandfather was impotent?

Bai Qiongyu's mind raced.

If Bai Hai was impotent, where had his father come from? Was he adopted?

...Oh. Understanding dawned on Bai Qiongyu. No wonder Ning Shile had said he wasn't Bai Hai's biological grandson. So it wasn't that his mother had cheated, but that Bai Hai couldn't perform?

Ah, his head itched. It felt like he was about to grow a brain.

Bai Qiongyu pressed a hand to his forehead.

"Since you're still young, just apologize to Director Bai." Taking Bai Hai's cue, the assistant addressed the little wolf cub. "Apologize, and we won't call the police."

The little wolf cub glared at Bai Hai. At those words, he spat viciously and bared his teeth at him.

"What's with that attitude?" the assistant said. "Do you realize you've committed a crime?"

"Hmph!" The little wolf cub snorted. "He slept with my mom! I wish he were dead!"

His words were a bombshell.

Everyone froze.

Wait, hold on. Who had slept with whom?

The interviewees widened their eyes and instinctively looked at Bai Hai.

Director Bai had slept with this kid's mother?

Everyone's eyes darted about. They frantically touched their faces and scratched their heads, trying to distract themselves.

Wait, what kind of gossip was this? Should they listen?

"What... did you say?" The assistant was stunned for a moment, then immediately said, "Keep talking like that, and I'll call the police to arrest you!"

"Go ahead! My dad doesn't want me anymore anyway, and I'm not calling this guy my dad!" The little wolf cub struggled several times but couldn't get free. All he could do was crane his neck and curse. "You filthy old creep! I saved every message you sent my mom!"

Bai Hai stared at the little wolf cub and hesitated. "Who is your mother?"

"My mom is your daddy!" The little wolf cub kicked and cursed like a madman. Even with several security guards holding him down, he thrashed wildly.

His entire face flushed red. Then he viciously bit a guard's hand!

The guard recoiled in pain. With one fewer man restraining him, the little wolf cub whipped out printouts of his mother's chat history and flung them into the air!

Whoosh!

Sheets filled the air, fluttering down in a flurry.

But no one dared catch them.

Ning Shile looked up, itching with curiosity.

Was that paper raining down? No, it was gossip! Endless gossip! Falling from the sky! Landing on their heads!

What had they done to deserve such a blessing?

Unable to resist, Ning Shile held out a hand. A page of the chat history happened to drift into it.

[Heaven is my witness. I didn't pick this up! The gossip landed in my hand all by itself!]

Ning Shile sat up straight and skimmed it at lightning speed.

Bai Qiongyu was curious too, so he asked, "What's that? Read it out."

[The sun and moon can bear witness. I didn't want to read it! The Bai Family's young master is making me!]

Ning Shile paused, pressed his lips together, and stood.

Like a child whose name had been called to give a presentation, he walked to the front, cleared his throat, and solemnly announced, "I'll begin."

Bai Qiongyu nodded.

Ning Shile cleared his throat. "Dearest Wen! It's your Hai! Seeing you again has stirred my deep love for you! I lie awake at night, unable to eat or rest. I miss you so terribly!"

Everyone listened with deeply furrowed brows. What on earth was this?

Determined not to suffer alone, Ning Shile persisted in reading every word. "Dearest Wen, I want to be your puppy, so I can fall asleep peacefully in your arms."

"Dearest Wen, do you really like puppies? Then would you like a surprise from me?"

"Woof, woof."

"Surprised? It's an old but still very handsome puppy."

????

Everyone curled up in mortification.

Help!!!

Aaaaaah!! If they had committed a crime, please let the police arrest them! Don't make them sit here listening to these cringeworthy pickup lines!!

Bai Hai's face flushed with anger. He slammed the table. "Stop reading!"

Ning Shile's hands trembled in fright, and he hurriedly shook his head.

[Bai Qiongyu told me to read it. I didn't want to.]

Breathing rapidly, Bai Hai pointed at the little wolf cub. "What the hell did you print out?! Take him away!"

"Everything I printed was something you sent!" the little wolf cub roared. "You old bastard! You did it, but you won't own up to it!"

"What did I do that I won't own up to?!" Bai Hai's face was scarlet, his whole body trembling as he shouted, "I'm fucking impotent! How could I have slept with your mom?!"

"You're fucking impotent, you...?" The wolf cub froze, his words cutting off. "Huh???"

Everyone present was stunned too.

When Bai Hai realized what he had said, his face went from red to white, and his gaze froze.

The young women who had come for interviews exchanged glances and quietly withdrew from the excruciatingly awkward scene.

"Let's go, let's go..."

Everyone rose and headed toward the door in an orderly group, still muttering, "Let's get out of here..."

"Hurry up. I can't take much more of this..."

Ning Shile's toes curled with secondhand embarrassment as he followed everyone out.