Way back to Our Past

35. Destruction Favours the Centre of Attention

Translator: Snowball

Though Ling Mubai hadn’t heard from her in the past three years, he knew Qu Wan must have had a hard life.

Three years ago, in addition to asking her to leave without a penny, he also used his connections to keep her from getting a job. He thought she would come back to him after she was cornered.

However, to his surprise, she suddenly disappeared from this city.

Even though she had no source of income, driven by a strong sense of pride, Qu Wan never thought of coming back.

Actually, she once swallowed her pride, but not for him.

Years ago when the Xiaos were about to separate Xiao Yu from her, she knelt in front of Mrs. Xiao and begged her, but she had never shown the slightest sign of yielding before his mother, Sun Lan, let alone beg her on her knees.

She could humble herself for Xiao Yu, but she would never make any concessions for his sake!

This woman was so hard-hearted that she would never be touched no matter what he did.

He loved her, doted on her, and never complained even though she bullied him, but as far as she was concerned, he could never compare with Xiao Yu. Every time he thought of this, Ling Mubai felt a twinge in his heart.

Although they had been a couple for years, she still took Xiao Yu more seriously!

Ling Mubai smiled bitterly. Should he blame himself too naive or blame Qu Wan too heartless?”

Staring at the newspaper with a grim look for a while, he suddenly picked it up, crumpled it, and then threw it to the trash can.

In any case, he wouldn’t give up.

“Qu Wan, even if you had a heart of stone, I’ll warm it up. I don’t believe you’re so ruthless!”

Now that she had come back, he wouldn’t let her leave him again.

Qu Wan was having dinner at home when Lin Yiyi called her. “Wanwan, the interview is going to be broadcast tonight. Don’t forget to turn on your television!”

Qu Wan was so busy these days that she was not in the mood to watch TV, so she didn’t take what Lin Yiyi said seriously.

However, at this point, the news about her was being closely followed.

After Wang Zicheng joined the show, the program group seized the opportunity to step up their propaganda, which made the dating show reach unprecedented popularity. With the media frenzy reporting the show, everyone in the city was talking about it.

Because of the overwhelming media coverage of Qu Wan, Jiang Xinyue and Qin Surong couldn’t avoid hearing news about her. Seeing that all the media in this city were raving about her, they felt very depressed.

They expected Qu Wan to stay down and out, the more miserable the better. If she remained a nobody, she would never pose a threat to them.

However, to their surprise, Qu Wan had become the most famous online celebrity in this city. The more attention she got, the worse it was for them.

Because of Wang Zicheng, who had become the focus of everyone as soon as he appeared in the show for his prominent background, things didn’t go as they had expected.

Now even if without Ling Mubai, Qu Wan still had the opportunity to marry into a wealthy family and lead a comfortable life in the future.

What bothered Jiang Xinyue and Qin Surong wasn’t if Qu Wan could marry a rich man and lead a happy life, but that the media would find out her real identity. The pressure from public opinion must be terrible!

Thanks to the powerful internet, millions of fans were following Qu Wan online and some of them even claimed that they would dig up information about her origin.

If they started cyber manhunting her, the consequence could be serious!

Once it was revealed that Qu Wan was the mayor’s daughter, people would know that Qin Surong was Jiang Zhendong’s mistress before she married him, and Jiang Xinyue would be tagged as a bastard.

Moreover, if those people found out that Qu Wan divorced Ling Mubai because Jiang Xinyue was pregnant with Ling Mubai’s child, they would definitely regard Jiang Xinyue as a bitch who seduced her brother-in-law, and her reputation would be ruined.

Then the mother and the daughter would be ostracized by everyone and could no longer stay in this city.

What’s more, Jiang Zhendong had an affair in marriage and got Qin Surong pregnant. Officials were most afraid of their scandal being exposed, and once people knew about it, both Jiang Zhendong and the Jiangs would be screwed!

If Jiang Zhendong stepped down from his current position, the Lings would definitely cancel the engagement between Ling Mubai and Jiang Xinyue. Then Qin Surong and her daughter would get nothing and end up living a miserable life with Jiang Zhendong.

Sun Lan was a crafty woman. If Jiang Zhendong wasn’t the mayor anymore, she wouldn’t consent to her son marrying Jiang Xinyue. And even Jiang Xinyue already married into the Jiang family by then, she would definitely be kicked out just like Qu Wan.

Though Qin Surong and Jiang Xinyue were filled with anxiety, they didn’t dare to tell Jiang Zhendong what was on their minds, so they only stayed at home and kept an eye on Qu Wan’s every move through the media.

When they learned that an interview about Qu Wan was about to be broadcast tonight, the two broke out in a cold sweat for fear that Qu Wan might say something against them.

After dinner, they sat in front of the television, waiting for the interview.

The interview had been edited to combine Qu Wan’s interview with that of several other female guests in one episode.

As Qu Wan had asked Lin Yiyi to delete the scenes of her talking about her ex-husband and mother-in-law, the interview only highlighted her views on marriage and love.

She had made it clear that she wouldn’t marry a man who lived with his mother.

This made Jiang Xinyue and Qin Surong feel much relieved. If Qu Wan insisted on her criteria, there was no way she could get back with Ling Mubai.

Jiang Xinyue and her mother relaxed a lot after the program was over. They had been stressed out by Qu Wan lately and now they were even more resentful of her.

Jiang Xinyue decided to do something to let Qu Wan shut up, for she just couldn’t let it go.

After turning off the television, she suddenly remembered Qu Wan’s views on marriage. “Mom, dad brought back a file about advocating filial piety and family harmony after the meeting last month. Qu Wan’s unwillingness to live with her future mother-in-law shows she’s an unfilial and selfish woman.”

Though most young women were reluctant to live with their mother-in-law, Qu Wan was the first one who dared to speak it out in public.

“Qu Wan must have made the request because of the psychological shadow left by Sun Lan’s bullying. But she was so stupid to have made such a decision. This will surely bring her into disrepute.”

“Mom, I’ve got an idea to deal with her.” Jiang Xinyue smiled with a cunning look.

“What’s it?”

“Destruction favours the centre of attention. I’ll find some ghostwriters to post online to attack her for being unfilial and let them make things up to discredit her. I don’t think she’ll be able to turn the table!”

“Are you sure it will work?” Qin Surong didn’t know much about the internet, so she was worried it would backfire.

“Of course! As soon as someone spreads rumors online, they will go viral and turn her into a negative example soon!”