He was like freshly washed clothes: first, not folded; second, not hung out; third, even the hanger turned out to be soaking wet

[Shen Yunzhi is a real celebrity in S City's social circles. My mom's from there, and she tells me gossip all day long. This isn't something I can explain in a few words.]

If Xiao Yao was asking, he certainly wasn't asking about rumors anyone could find with a quick online search.

Quite a few people in S City actually knew about Shen Yunzhi's circumstances.

After all, when these wealthy wives or heiresses wanted gossip, plenty of people were ready to chop it into bite-sized pieces and serve it right up to them.

Including who exactly was the other woman in this engagement.

Including how Shen Yunzhi's adoptive parents had taken her admission letter to curry favor with Jiang Yunli.

Including how Shen Yunzhi hadn't been loved by her adoptive parents, and how, after she came to S City, her biological parents hadn't liked her much either with Jiang Yunli there for comparison.

Everyone thought Shen Yunzhi must have accumulated eight lifetimes of good luck to become a wealthy heiress overnight.

But no one knew just how miserable life as this wealthy heiress really was.

Actually, back when Jiang Yunli was a little over ten, a medical examination had revealed something was wrong.

A paternity test then revealed that Jiang Yunli wasn't their biological child.

With the Jiang Family's influence, finding their own daughter was fairly easy.

They found Shen Yunzhi without much effort.

But when they sent someone to check on Shen Yunzhi, they saw her planting rice seedlings in the mud.

Like a little wild monkey, she even went digging for maggots in the village's pit latrine with her young friends.

When such a stomach-turning video reached the Jiang Family couple, both of them were thoroughly repulsed.

Besides, Jiang Yunli was sweet and obedient, and they had grown attached after raising her for over a decade. With that comparison, they weren't so keen on acknowledging their biological daughter anymore.

Not until later, when they began discussing a marriage alliance with the Ji Family.

To prevent disputes down the line, the Jiang Family told the Ji Family the truth.

The Ji Family objected as soon as they heard. If Jiang Yunli married into the Ji Family and her biological parents came making a scene for money, it would look bad.

The marriage alliance benefited both families, so after discussing it, the Jiang Family brought Shen Yunzhi back.

Then everything that followed happened.

So, essentially, Shen Yunzhi really was just utterly miserable.

She could hang herself up above.

Or jump off a building down below.

Quite a few people in S City knew the truth about all this.

But they generally wouldn't run their mouths and spread these things around publicly.

Who knew whom they might offend?

In fact, for people of their social class, online rumors didn't matter at all.

Could the internet affect their lives?

Their lives mostly consisted of playing golf when they had time, fishing and partying on private yachts, having afternoon tea, and flying off to some country to shop, shop, shop.

The real world was so rich and colorful. Who would spend all day clutching a phone, arguing with strangers online, and caring what a bunch of people they didn't know thought?

After hearing about Shen Yunzhi's past from his second younger brother, Xiao Yao thought about how she was a wealthy heiress. No wonder she could get so worked up with him over a few tens of thousands.

Xiao Yao pondered, though there was no telling what he was thinking.

When he switched back to his chat with Shen Yunzhi,

he discovered that she had sent several messages.

[Say something.]

[?]

[Disappearing halfway through a conversation is really lousy behavior, you know?]

[Reply!]

[Haha, I don't care. It's not like I really wanted to talk to you anyway.]

[Fine, you can ignore me.]

[You're really ignoring me?]

[Lmao, you're such a poser.]

Xiao Yao: "..."

He replied to Shen Yunzhi with an aloof period, then called the director.

"Whatever Shen Yunzhi wants to do, let her."

Xiao Yao had only just put his phone away

when Ji Nanxian came to his door.

Ji Nanxian's family had instructed him to come say hello to Xiao Yao, insisting that he do so.

The Xiao Family was rooted in the Imperial Capital. They were truly a top-tier wealthy family.

Although Xiao Yao hadn't taken over the Xiao Family yet, his methods were already renowned in the business world.

Even the Ji Family's elders had to treat Xiao Yao with courtesy when they met him.

No matter how much the Ji Family lorded it over S City, they still couldn't compare to those in the Imperial Capital.

Ji Nanxian knocked on Xiao Yao's door.

As soon as Xiao Yao opened it,

Ji Nanxian braced himself and dutifully greeted him.

"Brother Xiao."

Xiao Yao said coldly, "Who's your brother? Don't go claiming we're related."

"..."

At a loss, Ji Nanxian could only bring up his elders.

"My dad heard you and I were together and told me to come say hello."

A mischievous impulse suddenly took hold of Xiao Yao.

He knew there was a livestream camera by the door.

Xiao Yao simply stood in the doorway and asked Ji Nanxian, "Then does your dad know about that crap between you and Jiang Yunli?"

Ji Nanxian: "..."

Xiao Yao grew impatient. "Speak."

Ji Nanxian answered sheepishly, "He does."

Xiao Yao gave an enlightened "Oh." "So he's a disgrace to his age."

Ji Nanxian: "..."

Shen Yunzhi had indeed guessed correctly back then.

Ji Nanxian wasn't particularly capable of running things. His talents didn't lie in business.

He had tried taking over the family businesses several times, only to make a complete mess of them every time.

That was why the Ji Family had sought a way to tie themselves to the Jiang Family.

The Ji Family couple knew the Jiang Family couple still favored Jiang Yunli.

So they had always turned a blind eye to what was going on between Ji Nanxian, Shen Yunzhi, and Jiang Yunli.

Xiao Yao asked, "Back in the private room, were you the one who said you didn't know Shen Yunzhi and told us to keep drinking?"

Ji Nanxian said, "Brother Xiao... I..."

For a moment, he couldn't understand why Xiao Yao had become interested in Shen Yunzhi's affairs.

But under Xiao Yao's gaze, Ji Nanxian had no choice but to admit it.

"It was me."

Xiao Yao was satisfied.

He stopped paying attention to Ji Nanxian's attempt to pay his respects.

And, copying Shen Yunzhi, he shut the door.

Ji Nanxian: "..."

His mind was muddled. He still wasn't used to this variety show being livestreamed around the clock, from every angle without a single blind spot, and for a moment he failed to realize why Xiao Yao had asked all those random questions.

Not until he took a step back.

And spotted the livestream camera above him out of the corner of his eye, its red light glowing.

Ji Nanxian: "..."

The comments had already started cursing the moment Xiao Yao asked his first question.

[This fucking scumbag, aaaaaah!]

[Ji Nanxian is like freshly washed clothes: first, not folded; second, not hung out; third, even the hanger turns out to be soaking wet.]

[Shen Yunzhi was still too restrained when she cursed him out.]

[I'm honestly starting to feel sorry for Shen Yunzhi. Just imagine her outside crying and demanding an explanation from her fiancé, while her fiancé sat in a private room not only pretending not to hear her, but carrying on drinking with his buddies.]

[Fuck, no wonder Shen Yunzhi's mental state is so wild now. I'm starting to wonder if Ji Nanxian and Jiang Yunli traumatized her into developing a second personality.]

Jiang Yunli had originally planned to withdraw from the show outright.

She would disappear for a while first.

Once public opinion settled down and her reputation recovered, she would come back.

Seeing Jiang Yunli withdraw, Ji Nanxian withdrew along with her.

Who could have expected All Villains to suddenly announce its upcoming schedule?

-Sending this bunch of sheltered young masters and young ladies to live in the countryside for a few days.

The production team's explanation was that the harsher the conditions, the more they would bring out each guest's true personality.

There would be no faking anything.

Let anyone try saying this show was scripted again.

The rural location they had chosen was actually where Shen Yunzhi's adoptive parents lived.

There was no guaranteeing that Shen Yunzhi's adoptive parents, or some of the villagers who knew the truth about the past, wouldn't appear on camera.

Jiang Yunli, who had already told the director she wanted to withdraw from the show, instantly felt her scalp explode.