Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Both Zhong Mei and Liu Yide didn’t dare to interrupt Xie Yi, so at this moment, they could only tremble in fear.

"Although the two of you are influencers, not only do you withhold salaries from your employees, but after the investment project under your management went bankrupt, you’ve been refusing to pay the workers' arrears."

Xie Yi said coldly.

"When you found out that the worker's daughter had leukemia, you still chose not to pay the wages. Even when the entire family knelt before you, you didn’t feel a single shred of compassion. Because of this, the little girl eventually passed away!"

Hearing this, not only the staff and guests but also other customers eating in the hotpot restaurant were filled with rage.

Such an act is truly unforgivable!

Zhong Mei and Liu Yide were nothing less than murderers!

Everyone was glaring at the two with fury-filled eyes, while they just lowered their heads, not daring to say a word.

The intense pressure Xie Yi exuded made them too terrified to resist.

At this moment, the viewers in the live chat were stunned to hear all of this.

[Damn??? Is Mr. Xie for real? If this is true, I’m going to turn from a fan to a hater!! I didn’t expect them to be such despicable people! That little girl was too pitiful!!]

[Seriously?? With all the money Zhong Mei and Liu Yide have made as internet celebrities, even if they don’t have tens of millions, they probably have a few million, right??? How could they just turn a blind eye and let a life fade away?! Do you have any conscience?!]

[I actually bought their video VIP membership before! Now it feels like that money was wasted! No, giving that money to dogs would have been better than giving it to them!!!]

[These substandard celebrities should just quit the entertainment industry! They’re just minor influencers, so they should disappear from the internet!!]

The viewers in the live chat were furious, tearing Zhong Mei and Liu Yide apart with their comments.

At the same time, a hashtag was beginning to trend online.

#TheHeartlessDeedsOfTheMeiDeCouple

The topic’s popularity continued to rise, eventually reaching its peak!

Zhong Mei knew that if she let Xie Yi continue speaking like this, the two of them would really have to leave the internet for good. So, she decided to make a final stand!

After all, she never actually signed any labor contracts with those workers back then!

So, they didn’t have any evidence that she owed them wages!!

"Mr. Xie, while I respect your achievements in the entertainment industry, I must ask, why are you spreading lies?"

Zhong Mei said this with her whole body trembling, barely able to maintain eye contact with Xie Yi, as if she might faint at any second.

"Lies? Do I need to fabricate this?"

Xie Yi sneered.

"All the evidence will be posted online within 10 minutes. I don’t need to prove anything to you."

Hearing that his crimes were about to be exposed, Liu Yide became even more panicked, but this coward didn’t dare to stand up and face Xie Yi directly.

Seeing the useless Liu Yide, Zhong Mei clenched her fists in anger.

"If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it at all!"

"Is Zhong Mei doubting Xie Yi?"

"Not to mention, for someone of Xie Yi's status, taking action against Zhong Mei and Liu Yide is already a significant demotion."

"It seems that once all the evidence comes to light, this couple will truly be finished!"

Yi Tiantian repeatedly shook her head inwardly, finally arriving at this conclusion.

Zhong Mei and Liu Yide, though unwilling to admit it, could only grit their teeth and bow their heads in the face of the overwhelming power gap.

The final dinner came to an end amidst a bombshell news revelation.

On the way back to the hotel, Zhong Mei and Liu Yide felt extremely uneasy. The saying "husband and wife are like forest birds; when disaster strikes, they fly apart" was fully exemplified in their case.

Both were scheming in their hearts about how to pin the blame on each other.

Meanwhile, Jin Yue'er and Zhao Yulong were not feeling too great either, because that damned Men Jie had already aired all their dirty laundry on the show!

Those keen-eyed internet users would soon uncover their affairs with others on various shows!

Men Jie was even more furious; his company was gone, his family was gone, and by tomorrow, he'd be homeless!

The only ones who were happy were three people.

Chen Juan was very pleased that she had finally escaped the cage of marriage and had already informed her close friends about it. She would hold a divorce party once she got back!

Yi Tiantian was also very happy because this trip to Snow Country had indeed provided her with ample gossip, giving her a sense of fulfillment.

Seeing how happy the young person next to him was, Xie Yi's mood also shifted from the burden of exposing the 'virtuous couple’s' crimes to excitement and exhilaration.

……

The next day, when the show ended, no one expressed any nostalgia for the time they had spent on the show, as everyone was preoccupied with their upcoming PR strategies.

Liu Yide and Zhong Mei had already flown back the previous night!

After getting off the plane, Xie Yi insisted on driving Yi Tiantian home.

Yang Yang and Yueyue were already waiting at the entrance of the villa for Yi Tiantian. They had planned to pick her up, but Yi Tiantian said that Xie Yi would personally send her back, so these two little assistants had been waiting at the villa entrance early to get a look at the legendary cool and handsome boss.

"I heard Mr. Xie is really cold and aloof in person."

Yueyue was now impatient, as she had never seen the legendary ice prince boss at the company before.

"Yeah, I want to see what kind of man built this entertainment empire."

Yang Yang was more in awe of Xie Yi, as he greatly respected capable men.

As they chatted, the roaring sound of a sports car could be heard in the distance.

Xie Yi usually didn't drive these flashy cars because he found them too ostentatious, but today, when sending Yi Tiantian home, he had his assistant bring around a dashing black Maserati.

He thought Yi Tiantian might like such a car, so he decided to show off a bit for once.

"Mr. Xie's car is really that impressive!"

"I thought he would be even more low-key considering his personality..."

Sure enough, as soon as Yi Tiantian got into the car, she voiced this thought.

Xie Yi secretly glanced at Yi Tiantian through the rearview mirror, the corners of his lips curving into a smile.

He hadn’t expected this kid to understand him so well.

This touched Xie Yi deeply.

And he had already decided that he would only show his true self to Yi Tiantian, without any pretense.

Although the sports car didn’t impress Yi Tiantian much, it managed to elicit a scream from Yueyue.

"Ahhhhhh!! What a handsome car!!!"

Yueyue exclaimed, as if she had just spotted a mighty T-rex on the street.

Yang Yang couldn’t help but admire the car.

"Isn’t this the latest model? I didn’t expect Mr. Xie to acquire it so quickly."

Xie Yi had a dedicated manager for his luxury cars, so he didn’t pay much attention to them.

When the sports car came to a smooth stop in front of them, Yueyue was beside herself with excitement.

Not only because this particular luxury car was one-of-a-kind, but also because the person inside was none other than the boss who controlled half the entertainment industry — Xie Yi!

Given their roles as junior celebrity assistants, Yueyue and Yang Yang would normally never have the chance to see Xie Yi!

Thanks to Yi Tiantian, they were fortunate enough to see him today.

"I’ve arrived," Yi Tiantian said as he saw the familiar villa.

Xie Yi also looked at the villa, feeling a deep sense of reluctance and longing.

Over the past few days, he had grown dependent on Yi Tiantian, and now that they were parting, he felt a strong sense of withdrawal.

But the kid beside him was clearly excited to be going home.

"Mr. Xie, would you like to come in for a drink and sit for a while?"

Seeing the kid’s happiness, Xie Yi felt somewhat relieved.

But thinking about the numerous tasks awaiting him at the company, he shook his head.

"I won’t go in. There are still many things at the company that need to be dealt with."

Yi Tiantian, of course, knew how busy Mr. Xie was, so he didn’t try to persuade him further.

"Alright then, Mr. Xie, please be careful on your way back."

Xie Yi nodded, his hands on the steering wheel gripping it slightly.

Yueyue and Yang Yang hurried over from the gate. They first took Yi Tiantian’s luggage out of the car before daring to look at their top boss.

"Good morning, Mr. Xie!"

"General Manager Xie, you've worked hard!"

"Not at all."

Xie Yi looked at the two conscientious assistants and then at Yi Tiantian, who was frantically signaling for them to stay quiet. His lips curved into a smile despite himself.

"Serving Tiantian."

Yi Tiantian: ……Mr. Xie has finally gone crazy.

Hearing Mr. Xie actually joke with them, Yueyue and Yangyang exchanged surprised glances.

It seemed that in front of Yi Tiantian, Mr. Xie wasn’t as cold as rumored!

"Alright, I'll be heading back then."

Xie Yi looked at Yi Tiantian through the car window and said with a smile.

Yi Tiantian nodded and hurriedly added, "Goodbye, Mr. Xie!"

With one last lingering look, Xie Yi drove away from Yi Tiantian’s neighborhood.

As soon as Mr. Xie left, Yueyue, like a chattering sparrow, started peppering Yi Tiantian with questions.

"Bro, did you and Mr. Xie share a room during the show?"

"No, our rooms were suites with multiple bedrooms."

"Bro, did anything romantic happen between you two during the show?"

"No, I only see Mr. Xie as my boss, and he sees me as an employee!"

"Bro…"

"Alright, alright, there’s really nothing going on between Mr. Xie and me."

Yi Tiantian raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay…"

Yueyue looked slightly disappointed.

After all, this was the Valentine's Day special episode! Maybe in such a romantic atmosphere, something might have developed between them!

"It seems that only Mr. Xie has feelings for Bro... Another poor soul with unrequited feelings..."

Yueyue thought to herself, her back turned to Yi Tiantian.

But at that moment, Yi Tiantian had already started reviewing the follow-up gossip from his trip to the Snow Country on his gossip app.

"As they say, it’s important to finish what you start, so I need to catch up on the latest gossip about these people!"

But as soon as Yi Tiantian finished saying this, Yangyang handed him a fruit platter.

"Bro, haven’t you been checking Weibo much these past few days?"

Yi Tiantian paused his browsing, took the fruit platter from Yangyang, and nodded seriously.

"Yeah, I haven’t been checking much. I only know some big news broke online, but I was too tired from the flight to look into it closely."

Yi Tiantian loved the feeling of gobbling up all the gossip at once—it was the most satisfying way to do it!

With Yang Yang mentioning it like that, Yi Tiantian suddenly felt like there might be a big scoop online that she wasn’t aware of.

Yueyue also seemed to think of something and immediately lit up. "Yes, yes, recently there has really been a storm of scandals online!"

"So what’s going on?"

Yi Tiantian was so curious that she even forgot to eat the actual watermelon in her hand, asking with her mouth open.

Smiling mysteriously, Yueyue said, "Let me break down all the details for you!"

The first thing that was exposed online was the scandal between Jin Yue'er and Liu Yide. The two had appeared on many variety shows together, so this was easy to confirm.

Wanderer: No wonder I always thought Jin Yue'er was so popular on the variety show. I assumed it was because she was pretty, but it turns out she was the one making advances! Zhao Yulong, you are the biggest cuckold in the world!

Small Adult: You two are really something... Not only did you hook up on the show, but you even targeted someone who was already married! If that’s not being a third party, what is? I really can’t accept this!!

Abnormal Death: Exactly! Some netizens have already dug up that several celebrity families might have divorced because of them! Zhao Yulong and Jin Yue'er, you two are just the worst! Thankfully, Yi Tiantian didn’t fall for it on the show, or else the relationship between Mr. Xie and Yi Tiantian might have been ruined too!!

Jin Yue'er and Zhao Yulong became the most hated homewreckers online, with netizens wishing they would just be locked together to stop them from wrecking other people’s lives!

"Maybe because they broke up too many families, Jin Yue'er and Zhao Yulong received karmic retribution. Although they got married, both of them continued to have affairs, and even their parents were cheated on, causing chaos at home every day!"

"If you play the mistress too many times, you’ll eventually become the other woman yourself."

Yi Tiantian thought to herself.

"The next big scoop involved Zhong Mei and Liu Yide!"

The fans of Liu Yide and Zhong Mei finally woke up, and later, the evidence Mr. Xie posted online definitively proved that they had withheld wages, resulting in the death of a girl with leukemia. Now, the two are public enemies!

Yo Yo Yo: Isn’t this the "Mei De" couple? I don’t think you two deserve this CP name! You should be called the "Deadbeat Couple"! How can you have a conscience after causing that little girl’s death? Can you really sleep at night without seeing her desperate expression? You both deserve to die!

Study Hard or Pick Trash Tomorrow: Haha, I really didn’t expect that after supporting these two for so long, they would turn out to be such scum! Before the evidence came out, I even defended you two online! Even though you used to do charity, who knows where that money really went? Deadbeat people like you deserve to go to prison!!!

Please: Didn’t anyone notice how Zhong Mei was fawning over Men Jie on the show?! Your taste is really something, Zhong Mei, sleeping with someone as disgusting as that fat pig! Liu Yide, was your loving husband persona all an act too?! I’m ashamed that I ever supported you two!!!

Yueyue became quite emotional as she spoke, because what these two had done was truly heinous!

"I really hope these two never make a comeback! People like them don’t deserve to earn a living!"

"Zhong Mei and Liu Yide were supposed to go through a divorce, but instead, they ended up in court!"

"Because of all the unpaid wages and their deadbeat behavior, they have now become untrustworthy individuals. All their assets have been taken to repay their debts!"

"Zhong Mei’s dream of breaking into the Entertainment Industry was shattered, and shortly after the show ended, Liu Yide tried to contact Jin Yue'er, but was dragged into an alley and beaten up by her bodyguards!"

"In the end, they still couldn’t pay off their debts even in middle age, and Liu Yide, the spineless coward, hanged himself!"

"Only Zhong Mei was left to raise the child and repay the debts, living a very difficult life."

Yueyue gave a mental thumbs up.

Only such an outcome matches the deceit and fraud they've committed all along!!

Of course, the child is rather pitiable.

"And of course, we can't forget about Men Jie!"

Yueyue was also somewhat angry when she mentioned this.

"Seeing how Men Jie treated Chen Juan on the show, I was so angry I felt like I was going to develop breast cancer!"

Yueyue was absolutely right. All the viewers felt like kicking Men Jie to death while watching the show.

Initially, none of them understood why Chen Juan didn't resist, but later they realized it was all part of her plan.

She aimed to make Men Jie thoroughly disgusted with her, which was the only way to ensure he would agree to a divorce willingly.

If I Were a Fish: Men Jie is such a disappointment! He's terrible to his wife and treats his employees badly too. I really don't see the point of someone like him being alive! He deserves to be trampled by everyone, what a scumbag!!

Zhong Mei Owes Money and Pays Back: Chen Juan did an excellent job! And those artists who took the initiative to terminate their contracts with the entire company really deserve major respect! Men Jie is the kind of man who should be abandoned by the world! Though I still have a question, what will happen to Jiechu Entertainment now?

Orange Glow: Jiechu Entertainment's reputation in the industry has been utterly ruined. No one who values their life would jump into that fire pit! They likely won't find any new artists and might go bankrupt soon. But didn't the lead actress on the show reveal that the company was involved in tax evasion? Men Jie will certainly be fined and face other penalties, and there's no way he can continue in the industry after this!

"Jiechu Entertainment does involve some shady business and engages in various illegal activities, so it will go bankrupt, and Men Jie will have to use all his assets to pay for damages!"

"After the divorce, Chen Juan lived a free and easy life, no longer bound by the shackles of marriage!"

"Men Jie ended up like Zhong Mei, living a life of labor to repay debts! Except Men Jie had more debt, and under immense pressure, he eventually chose to jump into the river and kill himself!"

Yi Tiantian shook her head in disapproval.

When you're wealthy, you don't appreciate what you have; it's only when you're broke that you realize the pressures of life!

This is the punishment for those who don't value what they have!

Yueyue was extremely satisfied with these people's downfall and even thought it could have been even worse!

After consuming so much gossip, Yi Tiantian couldn't help but reflect.

"Karma, no one can escape this law!"

"Although we've consumed a lot of gossip this time, those white-clothed children in the system still can't find any clues. It definitely seems to be connected to the Dusk Society!"

Just as Yueyue was puzzled about what this meant, Yang Yang spoke up.

"Oh, by the way, Brother Yi, there's another big piece of gossip recently."

Yang Yang said as if he suddenly remembered something.

"Hmm?"

With the gossip from Snow Country now completely over, Yi Tiantian began to wonder about the big gossip Yang Yang was referring to.

"Apparently, there's a particularly amazing beauty salon that can make people return to their eighteen-year-old selves!"

Yang Yang took out his phone and showed Yi Tiantian, where a report with exaggerated font displayed a huge headline.

"Lucky Beauty Salon, restore your 18-year-old beauty!"

Yueyue also leaned over and looked at the title on Yang Yang's phone screen.

"Hmm? Isn't this an advertising flyer for a beauty parlor? Although it's a bit of an exaggeration, I have friends who say their techniques are really good!"

"Is this... some big scoop?"

Yi Tiantian wasn't interested in beauty care, but due to his career, he couldn't ignore his looks.

"Do you think I should get some treatments?"

"Taking care of yourself never hurts, and now that you're getting more and more popular, there are plenty of haters who will scrutinize your face under a microscope!"

Yang Yang said, with a comma after "Yang Yang said" to improve sentence structure.

Both Yueyue and Yi Tiantian found it strange, as it was the first time Yi Tiantian had spoken so much.

"There's something off about this beauty salon!"

"It appears to be a plastic surgery and beauty clinic, but there's a darker side to it!"

"Who would have thought that behind this beauty salon lies a terrifying hospital that performs organ transplants?!"

"Holy crap!!"