Chapter Thirty-Two

Fu Chen fixed Shen Huaijing with a suspicious gaze. “What are you laughing at?”

“I was just wondering, did your father ever smack your behind with that cane when you were a kid?”

Shen Huaijing’s tone was tinged with schadenfreude. That sandalwood cane looked intimidating enough; if it actually landed on someone, bone fracture or dislocation seemed inevitable.

Fu Chen’s deep eyes were unreadable as he replied calmly, “He did, but not the behind.”

Having eaten her fill, Shen Huaijing rubbed her hand over her chest. She really shouldn’t have eaten so quickly; now she felt as if the food was lodged right at her throat.

“Alright, I need to stop by the magazine office. You should head to work too.” Wiping her mouth, Shen Huaijing dashed upstairs to change.

Fu Chen watched her retreating figure in a daze, a peculiar smile curving his thin lips. His fingers tapped rhythmically on his crossed legs.

The drama was about to begin.

As soon as Shen Huaijing stepped into the magazine office, she saw a crowd gathered, their expressions grave as they discussed something. From time to time, sighs drifted out.

Her slender brows drew together; she cleared her throat and spoke sharply, “Why are you all gossiping instead of working?”

At the sound of her voice, everyone instantly fell silent and dispersed in a hurry.

But as an intern passed by, she muttered under her breath, “With such a big scandal, who could focus on work?” Her mouth was pursed in clear displeasure.

Shen Huaijing stopped the girl with a raised hand, lifting her eyelids to ask impassively, “What happened? If you have something to say, speak up. Don’t whisper behind people’s backs.”

The intern was clearly startled, mouth agape but unable to utter a word, her eyes darting for help to her colleagues, who all kept their heads down, pretending not to notice. She broke into a nervous sweat.

Suddenly, the door to the editor-in-chief’s office opened behind her.

“Enough, get back to work,” Yu Yunxi snapped at the intern, then turned her gaze to Shen Huaijing. “Director Shen, let’s talk in the office.”

Shen Huaijing hadn’t intended to pursue the intern—she was merely frightening her. She detested gossip behind people’s backs, believing any matter could be discussed openly; there was no need for secrecy.

Inside the office, Yu Yunxi handed Shen Huaijing a cup of coffee. “Director Shen, did you go online this morning?”

Shen Huaijing took a symbolic sip, puzzled. “I was busy this morning and didn’t have time. Has something happened?”

Yu Yunxi paused, opened the door to check for eavesdroppers, then answered gravely, “Our contracted model has run into trouble. Mu Jinghuai, suspected of molestation and illegal detention, has been taken away by the police. Someone leaked the news online, and now our magazine’s reputation and sales have taken a huge hit.”

She sipped her coffee and continued, “As you know, our main readership is women. Molestation is a particularly sensitive issue.”

Fear clouded Shen Huaijing’s brown eyes, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped the mug and forced herself to remain composed. “How could this be? Mu Jinghuai is just a college student, and he never seemed like a bad person. Could it be a mistake in the police investigation?”

She took a deep breath, convinced Mu Jinghuai couldn’t possibly have done such a thing; something must have gone wrong somewhere.

Fu Chen’s words echoed in her mind: “If you can’t handle such a small matter, you might as well join him in there.” Coupled with his unusual behavior and strange remarks that morning...

Could it be Fu Chen’s doing? But why? What would he gain from targeting Mu Jinghuai? Even if Fu Chen disliked her association with Mu Jinghuai, that was days ago; it made little sense for him to act now.

Yu Yunxi watched Shen Huaijing’s troubled expression and patted her hand in comfort. “The internet moves quickly these days. Scandals are forgotten in a few days. There’s no need to panic.”

“We won’t suffer much.”

Shen Huaijing shot up from her chair, anger flashing in her eyes. “He’s just a college student—this could ruin his education. He’s young. With a criminal record, how will he ever survive?”

Yu Yunxi was taken aback and replied slowly, “Director Shen, he’s only a temporary model we contracted.” It was a gentle reminder that Shen Huaijing’s reaction was somewhat excessive.

Realizing she’d lost her composure, Shen Huaijing fiddled with her hair and spoke coldly, “Right now, this is negative publicity for the magazine, but if we can figure out what really happened, we might be able to shift public opinion.”

Yu Yunxi lowered her eyes in contemplation. She, too, didn’t believe Mu Jinghuai capable of such acts. She’d met the boy several times at the company; he was polite and earnest, never seeming like someone who could commit such a crime.

“Alright, Director Shen. Do you have any ideas?” Yu Yunxi affirmed Shen Huaijing’s suggestion.

Shen Huaijing was stumped. When it came to connections, she knew no one. If it were another issue, she might have relied on Fu Chen, but given his likely involvement here, she absolutely couldn’t turn to him.

She replied softly, “I’ve just returned from studying abroad, so my local connections are weak. Do you know anyone?”

Yu Yunxi pondered for a while, then her eyes lit up. “I nearly forgot—I have a cousin who’s a policeman. I’ll ask him.”

Shen Huaijing felt a temporary relief; at least there was someone to turn to. She waited quietly as Yu Yunxi made the call.

After some pleasantries, Yu Yunxi got to the point. “Cousin, do you know a Mu Jinghuai? I heard he’s in your station’s custody.”

The person on the other end said a lot; Yu Yunxi’s expression grew more solemn as she nodded repeatedly.

“Alright, cousin, I understand...” From Yu Yunxi’s face, Shen Huaijing could tell the situation was complicated. She leaned in and whispered something in Yu Yunxi’s other ear, eliciting a look of surprise.

“Cousin, is it possible for me and our director to visit him? Our magazine has been deeply affected, and since your station somehow let the news leak, we’ve been dragged into this. Our director wants to seek justice.”

Apparently, the cousin agreed, and Yu Yunxi immediately responded with a fawning laugh. “Thank you, cousin. I’ll be sure to visit and thank you in person.”

After hanging up, Yu Yunxi’s demeanor shifted, and she spoke solemnly. “There’s definitely something fishy here. My cousin said Mu Jinghuai wasn’t processed normally after he arrived—he was locked up directly. My cousin is just a junior officer and doesn’t have access to internal matters, but he suspects...”

Yu Yunxi didn’t finish, merely gesturing with her hands.

Money—it was all about money.